Environmental control, liner for splice enclosure

• US 4,962,286 A
• Filed: 10/06/1988
• Issued: 10/09/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raychem Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: Raychem Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Hunter, Thomas, Ray, Craig D., Dawes, Keith, Jensen, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): NIMMO, MORRIS
• Application Number:
  US07/254,335
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 174/92, 174/84 R, 156/49
• US Class Current: 174/92
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/18 protected by sleeves, e.g. for communication cable two-part covers H02G15/10 ; preforms having internal stresses B29C61/00

Abstract

A toolless environmental splice enclosure capable of fitting within an aerial splice case is disclosed. The environmental closure permits sealing and reentry to a cable splice region.

Claims

1. An environmental closure capable of sealing around a spliced portion of a cable or between a first and a second cable or multiple cables to inhibit the degradation of the exposed internal cable wires from moisture and oxygen comprising:

conductive means for conductively joining opposing first and second cable ends together around a cable splice therebetween;

sealing means for sealing to the opposing first and second cable ends with the cable splice and means for conductively joining the opposing first and second cable ends therebetween;

removable sealing means for sealing to the means for sealing the opposing first and second cable ends;

an environmental liner film longitudinally adhered to itself through a removable sealing means and also adhered to the removable sealing means on the opposing ends of the first and second cables under pressure; and

pressure maintaining means to maintain the environmental liner film adhered to itself and the opposing first and second cable ends.

2. The environmental closure according to claim 1 wherein the means for sealing to the opposing first and second cable ends are first and second, respectively, sealing tapes having a major adhesive surface containing each cable surface and a non-adhesive major surface opposite thereto.

3. The environmental closure according to claim 2 wherein the removable sealing means is a gel maintained under compression by the pressure maintaining means to the non-adhesive major surface of the sealing tape.

4. The environmental closure according to claim 3 wherein the environmental liner film is a plastic metal laminate.

5. The environmental closure according to claim 4 wherein the pressure maintaining means is a non-adhesive polyvinyl chloride tape.

6. The environmental closure according to claim 5 wherein the second cable end is at least a two cable branchout and the at least two-cable branchout is sealed together by a mastic sealing means.

7. An environmentally sealed cable splice comprising:

mastic sealing means contacting each of the ends of at least two opposing cables held together by a conductive bond bar;

non-adhesive sealing means adhered to the mastic sealing means;

an oxygen and moisture impervious film adhered to the non-adhesive sealing means by a gel under pressure sealing means; and

means for maintaining the gel under pressure.

8. The environmentally sealed cable splice according to claim 7 wherein the splice comprises a plurality of sealed cables.

9. A reenterable method of environmentally sealing a cable comprising:

providing substantially permanent sealing means on opposing cable ends of a cable splice with the cable splice therebetween;

contacting the substantially permanent sealing means with a non-adhesive but substantially oxygen and water impervious material;

removably sealing an oxygen and water impervious barrier material to the non-adhesive material with a gel under pressure; and

pressuring the oxygen and water barrier having the gel therebetween to the cable ends.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the substantially permanent sealing means is a mastic and the oxygen and water impervious material is a metal plastic laminate film.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the removably sealing gel is a gel selected from the group consisting of a silicone gel, a kraton gel, a urethane gel, and mixtures thereof.

12. An environmental splice enclosure kit-of-parts capable of providing an environmental closure for a spliced cable comprising:

an oxygen and water impervious film, said film containing a gel sealing means adhered thereto;

mastic-rubber tape for sealing to said cables; and

a rigid conductive bar for holding the opposing cable ends together.

13. The kit according to claim 12 further comprising a mastic sealing core capable of sealing a plurality of cables.

14. The kit according to claim 13 further comprising a non-adhesive pressure maintaining tape.