CABLE AND APPARATUS INTERFACE ENVIRONMENTAL SEAL

• US 20050191903A1
• Filed: 03/01/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cox, Al, Goodwin, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 6,948,976 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/578
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/512 assembled by screw or screws
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/52 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof cases
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/113 Boxes split longitudinally in main cable direction

Abstract

A seal assembly adapted to seal around an interconnection between a cable and an apparatus. The seal assembly formed from two shell halves which join together around the interconnection that are sealed by a gasket against a connector body attached to the apparatus at an apparatus end and another gasket against the cable at a cable end. The cable end gasket is adapted to be pressed between the cable and a conical cable end gasket surface by a nut which threads onto a thread formed on the two shell halves. The nut and cable end gasket are adapted to attach to the cable without passing over a connector attached to the cable end. The cable end gasket has a slit and the nut is formed from two parts which join together, around the cable.

Claims

1. A sealing assembly for a cable to apparatus interconnection, comprising:

a pair of shell halves adapted to join together, surrounding the interconnection;

the joined shell halves having openings at an apparatus end and a cable end;

the cable end opening having a conical cable end gasket surface;

a cable end gasket adapted to fit between the cable and the conical cable end gasket surface;

the cable end gasket mountable onto the cable via a slit;

a nut formed in two parts adapted to join together, around the cable; and

the nut threadable onto a thread formed at the cable end of the shell halves whereby the nut presses the cable end gasket between the cable and the conical cable end gasket surface.

2. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the apparatus end opening is adapted to surround a connector body of the apparatus;

an apparatus end groove proximate the apparatus end opening adapted to retain an apparatus end gasket between the joined shell halves and the connector body.

3. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the shell halves are joined together by a plurality of hook tabs that mate to corresponding hook edges formed along edges of the shell halves.

4. The sealing assembly of claim 3, wherein the edges of the shell halves are lined with an edge gasket.

5. The sealing assembly of claim 4, wherein the edge gasket is adhered to the edges of the shell halves.

6. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable end gasket is one of epdm and silicon material.

7. The sealing assembly of claim 2, wherein the apparatus end gasket is one of epdm and silicon material.

8. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the nut parts are joined by hook tabs that mate to hook edges.

9. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the thread is aligned on the shell halves whereby when the nut is bottomed against the shell halves a shell halve split plane surface and a nut split plane surface are aligned substantially normal to each other.

10. A method of attaching a sealing assembly around a cable and apparatus interconnection, comprising the steps of:

joining a pair of shell halves around the interconnection;

placing a cable end gasket around the cable via a slit in the cable end gasket;

joining a pair of nut parts into a nut around the cable; and

threading the nut onto a thread formed at a cable end of the joined shell halves whereby the nut presses the cable end gasket between the cable and a conical cable end gasket surface at the cable end.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the pair of shell halves are joined around an apparatus end gasket located in an apparatus end groove proximate an apparatus end of the shell halves.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the pair of shell halves are joined by aligning a plurality of hook tabs with hook edges.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the nut parts are joined by aligning a plurality of hook tabs with hook edges.

14. A sealing assembly for an interconnection of a cable with a connector and a connector body of an apparatus, comprising:

a pair of shell halves adapted to join along an edge of each shell halve to enclose the interconnection;

a pair of nut parts adapted to form a nut around the cable;

a cable end gasket adapted to fit over the cable via a slit;

the nut threadable onto a thread formed at a cable end of the shell halves whereby the cable end gasket is pressed between the cable, the nut and a conical cable end gasket surface of the joined shell halves.

15. The sealing assembly of claim 14, further including an apparatus end gasket adapted to fit between the connector body and an apparatus end groove formed proximate an apparatus end of the joined shell halves.

16. The sealing assembly of claim 14, wherein the pair of shell halves and the pair of nut parts are joined together by hook tabs that snap onto hook edges.

17. The sealing assembly of claim 15, wherein an edge gasket is located between edges of the shell halves.

18. The sealing assembly of claim 17, wherein the cable end gasket, the apparatus end gasket and the edge gasket are one of epdm and silicon material.