Cable Seals And Methods Of Assembly

• US 20110186351A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: McMillen, Christopher Charles, Shadel, Bryan James
• Granted Patent: US 8,937,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/74.A
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5202 Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/726 Making a non-soldered electrical connection simultaneously with the heat shrinking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49178 by shrinking of cover

Abstract

A cable seal includes a heat-shrinkable tubing coupled to a cable outer jacket. An elastic member is positioned about the heat-shrinkable tubing. A cap is positioned about the heat-shrinkable tubing. At least one of the elastic member and the cap has a vertical sealing surface and a horizontal sealing surface. The vertical sealing surface extends substantially coaxially with respect to a longitudinal axis of the cable seal, and the horizontal sealing surface extends substantially radially with respect to the cable seal longitudinal axis.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A cable seal comprising:

a heat-shrinkable tubing coupled to a cable outer jacket;

an elastic member positioned circumferentially about said heat-shrinkable tubing; and

a cap positioned circumferentially about said heat-shrinkable tubing, wherein at least one of said elastic member and said cap has a vertical sealing surface extending substantially coaxially with respect to a longitudinal axis of said cable seal and a horizontal sealing surface extending substantially radially with respect to said cable seal longitudinal axis.

22. A cable seal in accordance with claim 21, wherein said heat-shrinkable tubing is chemically bonded to said cable outer jacket.

23. A cable seal in accordance with claim 21 wherein said heat-shrinkable tubing comprises an outer layer having an outer surface that facilitates mitigating surface irregularities on said outer surface.

24. A cable seal in accordance with claim 21, wherein said vertical sealing surface is compressed against a cable penetration.

25. A cable seal in accordance with claim 21, wherein said horizontal sealing surface is compressed against a cable penetration.

26. A cable seal in accordance with claim 21 wherein at least one of said vertical sealing surface and said horizontal sealing surface defines an open passage sized to receive a cable therein.

27. A cable seal in accordance with claim 21 wherein said elastic member comprises a plurality of O-rings.

28. A cable penetration sealing system, said system comprising:

a cable comprising an outer jacket;

a cable seal comprising a heat-shrinkable tubing coupled to said outer jacket, an elastic member positioned circumferentially about said heat-shrinkable tubing, and a cap positioned circumferentially about said heat-shrinkable tubing, wherein at least one of said elastic member and said cap has a vertical sealing surface extending substantially coaxially with respect to a longitudinal axis of said cable seal and a horizontal sealing surface extending substantially radially with respect to the cable seal longitudinal axis; and

a cable penetration having a surface sized to receive said cable seal therein.

29. A cable penetration sealing system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said heat-shrinkable tubing is chemically bonded to said cable outer jacket.

30. A cable penetration sealing system in accordance with claim 28 wherein said heat-shrinkable tubing comprises an outer layer having an outer surface that facilitates mitigating surface irregularities on said outer surface.

31. A cable penetration sealing system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said vertical sealing surface is compressed against the surface of said cable penetration.

32. A cable penetration sealing system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said horizontal sealing surface is compressed against the surface of said cable penetration.

33. A cable penetration sealing system in accordance with claim 28 wherein at least one of said vertical sealing surface and said horizontal sealing surface defines an open passage sized to receive said cable therein.

34. A cable penetration sealing system in accordance with claim 28 wherein said elastic member comprises a plurality of O-rings.

35. A method of manufacturing a cable seal, said method comprising:

coupling a heat-shrinkable tubing to a cable outer jacket;

positioning an elastic member circumferentially about the heat-shrinkable tubing; and

positioning a cap circumferentially about the heat-shrinkable tubing, wherein at least one of the elastic member and the cap has a vertical sealing surface extending substantially coaxially with respect to a longitudinal axis of the cable seal and a horizontal sealing surface extending substantially radially with respect to the cable seal longitudinal axis.

36. A method in accordance with claim 35, wherein coupling a heat-shrinkable tubing to a cable outer jacket further comprises inserting an end of the cable outer jacket into the heat-shrinkable tubing.

37. A method in accordance with claim 35, wherein coupling a heat-shrinkable tubing to a cable outer jacket further comprises melting a heat-shrinkable tubing inner layer such that it chemically bonds with the cable outer jacket.

38. A method in accordance with claim 35, wherein positioning an elastic member further comprises inserting an end of the heat-shrinkable tubing into the elastic member.

39. A method in accordance with claim 35, wherein positioning a cap further comprises placing a cap over an end of the heat-shrinkable tubing.

40. A method in accordance with claim 35 further comprising:

inserting the cable seal into a cable penetration; and

compressing at least one of the vertical sealing surface and the horizontal sealing surface against the cable penetration.