Electrical insulated boot

• US 5,705,773 A
• Filed: 12/14/1995
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Smith, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau N.
• Application Number:
  US08/572,341
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 174/75 B, 174/74 A, 174/75 R, 174/85, 174/88 B, 403/391, 403/393, 403/396, 439/210, 439/212, 439/213
• US Class Current: 174/75.00B
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/70 Insulation of connections end caps H01R4/22
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/02 Open installations

Abstract

An improved design for an electrical insulated "through" boot for a bare joint area formed by two electrical conductors made of a molded member arranged longitudinally around the joint area and having a main body portion with opposed flap members. Each flap member is coextensive with the main body portion and has a distal end. When the molded member is arranged around the joint area, the distal end of each flap member is wrapped around each other in an overlapping manner to form a seal and to enclose the joint area. The ends of the boot can be secured in place by clamps or wire ties. The boot is easily removed without being destroyed for maintenance of the conductors and is therefore reusable. A further embodiment is for a tee boot which has a perpendicular leg which slips over the riser and which has the opposed flap members which are overlapped over the joint area of the bus bars, and a still further embodiment is for a spout boot which involves two pieces wherein one piece is inserted into the other for the overlapping feature around the joint area. Further embodiments provide an end boot and an end cap boot which also increase the creepage distance for the current leakage to prevent breakdown of the voltage source.

Claims

1. An electrical insulator for a bare joint area formed by a plurality of interconnected electrical conductors connected to a voltage source, comprising:

main boot means arrangeable around said bare joint area for forming a seal and enclosing said bare joint area when said main boot means is assembled over said bare joint area to provide for a predetermined creepage distance for current leakage to prevent breakdown of said voltage source;

wherein said main boot means comprises at least two separate members, one of said two members inserted into the other of said two members; and

wherein said main boot means is a spout boot.

2. An electrical insulator for a bare joint area formed by a plurality of interconnected electrical conductors connected to a voltage source, comprising:

main boot means arrangeable around said bare joint area for forming a seal and enclosing said bare joint area when said main boot means is assembled over said bare joint area to provide for a predetermined creepage distance for current leakage to prevent breakdown of said voltage source;

wherein said main boot means is a spout boot, and wherein said electrical conductors are arranged at an angle, said spout boot comprising;

at least two projecting receptacle members which are integrally formed and arranged at an angle relative to each other to receive one of said electrical conductors;

one of said two projecting receptacle members being in a U-shape configuration and having flap edges; and

an insert member being received in said U-shaped configuration of said one of said two projecting receptacle members and being retained therein by said flap edges thereof to provide said predetermined creepage distance.