Electric cable joints and methods of making them

• US 20020170735A1
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BICC General UK Cables Limited (Prysmian SPA)
• Original Assignee: BICC General UK Cables Limited (Prysmian SPA)
• Inventors: Trim, Laurence Richard, Lindsey, Graham Peter, Broad, Alan James
• Application Number:
  US10/034,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20020170735A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/84R
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/103 with devices for relieving electrical stress
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/184 with devices for relieving electrical stress

Abstract

An electric cable joint arrangement includes two cables each having a cable end. Each cable has a metallic conductor surrounded by extruded polymeric insulation. Contiguous ends of the conductors are aligned and connected together by a joint, a screen extending over the joint, and a resilient insulating body shrunk onto the insulation to insulate the joint arrangement. At least one pin extends through a close-fitting bore in the insulation of each cable end and is embedded into the conductor. The screen extends over each pin. An associated method includes exposing insulation, forming at least one bore through the insulation, driving a pin through each bore until the pin is embedded into the conductor, aligning and connecting together ends of the metallic conductors, and providing a screen extending over a conductor joint and an area of each of the pin and a resilient insulating body shrunk onto the cable insulation.

Claims

1. An electric cable joint between two cables each having a metallic conductor surrounded by extruded polymeric insulation comprising at least one pin of relatively hard material extending in a generally radial direction through a close-fitting bore in the insulation of each cable and embedded into the metallic conductor within it, contiguous ends of the metallic conductors being aligned and connected together by a conductor joint, screening means extending over the conductor joint and the area of each said pin, and a resilient insulating body shrunk onto the cable insulation to insulate the joint.

2. An electric cable joint as claimed in claim 1 in which the said resilient insulating body forms the whole of the joint insulation.

3. An electric cable as claimed in claim 2 in which the said screening comprises a semiconducting tubular insert within (and forming part of) the resilient insulating body.

4. An electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 in which there is at least one pair of pins for each of the two cable ends.

5. An electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 in which there two or three pairs of pins for each of the two cable ends.

6. An electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 1-5 in which the pins are metallic.

7. An electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 1-5 in which the pins are of stainless steel.

8. An electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 1-5 in which the cable conductors are of aluminium and the pins of an aluminium alloy.

9. An electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 1-5 in which the cable conductors are of copper and the pins of brass.

10. An electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 1-5 in which the pins are composites in which only the radially inner end is of metal.

11. An electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 1-10 in which the cut-back end faces of the cable insulation are supported by engagement with relatively rigid material.

12. An electric cable joint as claimed in claim 11 in which the said relatively rigid material is a hard-set resinous material which fills and so eliminates all void spaces within the radius of the cable insulation.

13. An electric cable joint as claimed in claim 11 in which the said end faces to abut flanges on a joint ferrule or on an auxiliary metal sleeve.

14. An electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 1-13 in which a rigid annular member encircles each cable end at the location of the pin(s) and engages the end(s) of the pin(s), directly or indirectly.

15. An electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 1-13 in which a rigid annular member encircles each cable end at the location of the pin(s) and engages the end(s) of the pin(s) though grub-screws.

16. An electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 1-15 in which a metal sleeve surrounds the joint area within (and so forms part of) the screen.

17. An electric cable joint as claimed in claim 16 in which the said metal sleeve extends over the ends of the pins and engages them, directly or through a body of resin or other intermediate.

18. An electric cable joint substantially as described with reference to FIG. 1.

19. An electric cable joint substantially as described with reference to FIG. 2.

20. A method of making an electric cable joint between two cables each having a metallic conductor surrounded by extruded polymeric insulation comprising cutting back the cable ends to expose the insulation;

forming at least one bore extending in a generally radial direction through the insulation of each cable and driving a close-fitting pin through each such bore until it is embedded into the metallic conductor within it, aligning and connecting together contiguous ends of the metallic conductors, and providing screening means extending over the conductor joint and the area of each said pin and a resilient insulating body shrunk onto the cable insulation to insulate the joint.

21. A method of making an electric cable joint as claimed in claim 20 comprising driving at least one pair of pins for each of the two cable ends.

22. A method of making an electric cable joint as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21 comprising driving two or three pairs of pins for each of the two cable ends.

23. A method of making an electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 20-22 comprising fitting a rigid annular member to encircle each cable end at the location of the pin(s) and engage the end(s) of the pin(s), directly or indirectly.

24. A method of making an electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 20-22 comprising fitting a rigid annular member to encircle each cable end at the location of the pin(s) and threading individual grub-screws in the said rigid annular member to engage the ends of the pins.

25. A method of making an electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 20-24 comprising supporting the cut-back end faces of the cable insulation by engagement with relatively rigid material.

26. A method of making an electric cable joint as claimed in claim 25 comprising using as the said relatively rigid material a hard-setting resinous material which is injected into and fills void spaces within the radius of the cable insulation.

27. A method of making an electric cable joint as claimed in claim 25 in which the said end faces are supported by abutting flanges on a joint ferrule or on an auxiliary metal sleeve.

28. A method of making an electric cable joint as claimed in any one of claims 20-27 comprising placing a metal sleeve to surround the joint area within (and so form part of) the screen.

29. A method of making an electric cable joint as claimed in claim 28 comprising dimensioning and placing the said metal sleeve so that it extends over the ends of the said pins and engages them, directly or indirectly.

30. A method of making an electric cable joint substantially as described with reference to FIG. 1.

31. A method of making an electric cable joint substantially as described with reference to FIG. 2.