Composite sealant and splice case therefor

• US 6,407,338 B1
• Filed: 01/15/1997
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Uniseal, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Uniseal, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau N.
• Application Number:
  US08/783,693
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 174/92, 174/93, 174/74.R, 174/74.A, 174/77.R, 174/82, 174/88.S, 298/68
• US Class Current: 174/92
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/013 Sealing means for cable inlets inlets for cables filled with, or surrounded by, gas or oil H02G15/32
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/113 Boxes split longitudinally in main cable direction

Abstract

A protective splice case for communication cables includes two half tubular members and two cylindrical end seals. A composite material, in the form of a non-tacky, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive, is positioned between the two half members, with the adhesive contacting one of the two half members and the non-tacky sealant facing the other of the two half members. Also, the composite is positioned between the end seals and the half members, with the adhesive contacting the outer surfaces of the end seals and the non-tacky sealant facing the interior surfaces of the two half members. The result is a splice case which keeps the extraneous material such as water, dust, dirt and snow from reaching the interior of the splice case, and is yet reusable and reenterable for repairs and inspection.

Claims

1. A composite for forming a fluid-tight seal between two separate objects when said objects are joined into a protective closure and also for allowing said protective closure to be readily and repeatedly disassembled into said two separate objects, said composite comprising:

a. a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant; and

b. an adhesive non-releasably adhering to and in combination with said sealant;

the adhesive contacting and adhering to only the sealing interfaces of one of the two objects at the time of installation with the non-adhesive sealant contacting the sealing interfaces of the other of the two objects, so that when the two objects are joined to form the protective closure the composite sealant forms a fluid-tight seal between them while allowing the protective closure to be readily and repeatedly disassembled into said two separate objects and reassembled back into said fluid-tight protective closure.

2. A composite according to claim 1 and comprising:

a. said yieldable sealant being capable of conforming to the configuration of said other object and also being capable of being separated from said other object with minimum adherence to said other object; and

b. said adhesive being capable of adhering to said one object to such a degree that upon separation of said composite from said other object, said adhesive continues to adhere to said one object.

3. A composite according to claim 1 and comprising:

a. a separator disposed on the outside of said adhesive to protect the adhesive until the separator is removed from said adhesive.

4. The composite of claim 3, wherein the separator is a waxed paper.

5. The composite of claim 1, wherein the sealant is selected from a group consisting of cured EPDM, halogenated butyl, hydrated aluminum, resins, paraffinic oil, polybutene and polyisobutylene.

6. The composite of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is selected from a group consisting of halogenated-butyl;

hydrated aluminum, resinic polybutenes and polyisobutylene.

7. A protective cover for a cable splice, said cover comprising:

a. a cylindrical case comprising two semi-circular members identified as a first member and a second member;

b. said first member having a flange on each side identified as a first flange and as a second flange;

c. said second member having a flange on each side identified as a third flange and a fourth flange;

d. means to unite said first flange and said third flange;

e. means to unite said second flange and said fourth flange;

f. a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive positioned between said first flange and said third flange with said adhesive contacting and adhering only to said first flange and with said sealant contacting said third flange for ease of separation of said first flange and said third flange; and

g. a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive positioned between said second flange and said fourth flange with said adhesive contacting and adhering only to said second flange and with said sealant contacting said fourth flange for ease of separation of said second flange and said fourth flange.

8. A protective cover according to claim 7 and comprising:

a. said cylindrical case having two ends;

b. end seals being inside of said cylindrical case and being positioned near respective ends of said cylindrical case;

c. each end seal being composed of two mating semi-circular members;

d. each member of each end seal having two semi-circular longitudinal cavities;

e. each end seal having end walls;

f. two of said members in mating relation defining two enclosed cylindrical longitudinal cavities;

g. a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive; and

h. said composite surrounding the circumference of each of said said end seals and being inside of said cylindrical case.

9. A protective cover according to claim 8 and comprising:

a. said adhesive contacting said end seal and said sealant contacting the interior of said cylindrical case for ease of separation of said end seal and said cylindrical case.

10. A protective cover according to claim 8 and comprising:

a. said end seals have an external diameter larger than the internal diameter of said cylindrical case.

11. The protective cover of claim 7 or 8, wherein the sealant is selected from a group consisting of cured EPDM, halogenated butyl, hydrated aluminum, resins, paraffinic oil, polybutene and polyisobutylene.

12. The protective cover of claim 7 or 8, wherein the adhesive is selected from a group consisting of halogenated butyl, hydrated aluminum, resinic polybutenes and cured polyisobutylene.

13. A process for making a protective cover for a cable splice and comprising:

a. forming a cylindrical case comprising two semi-circular members identified as a first member and a second member;

b. forming said first member to have a flange on each side and identified as a first flange and as a second flange;

c. forming said second member to have a flange on each side identified as a third flange and a fourth flange;

d. positioning a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive between said first flange and said third flange with said adhesive contacting and adhering only to said first flange and with said sealant contacting said third flanged for ease of separation of said first flange and said third flange;

e. positioning a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive between said second flange and said fob flange Math said adhesive contacting and adhering only to said second flange and with said sealant contacting said fourth flange for ease of separation of said second flange and said fourth flange;

f. uniting said first flange and said third flange; and

g uniting said second flange and said fourth flange.

14. A process for making a protective cover according to claim 13, and comprising:

a. forming said protective cover with two ends;

b. positioning end seals inside of said cylindrical case at each end thereof;

c. forming each end seal to have two mating semi-circular members;

d. forming each member of each end seal to have a semi-circular longitudinal cavity;

e. forming each end seal with end walls;

f. positioning two of said members in mating relation to define an enclosed longitudinal cavity; and

g. positioning a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive in a surrounding relationship to the circumference of each of said end seals and being inside of said cylindrical case.

15. A process for making a protective cover according to claim 13 and comprising:

a. with said composite positioning said adhesive to contact said end seal and positioning said sealant to contact the interior of said cylindrical case for ease of separation of said end seal and said cylindrical case.

16. A process for making protective cover according to claim 13 and comprising:

a. forming said seals to have an external diameter larger than the internal diameter of said cylindrical case.

17. The process of claim 13 or 14, wherein the sealant is selected from a group consisting of cured EPDM, halogenated butyl, hydrated aluminum, resins, paraffinic oil, polybutene and polyisobutylene.

18. The process of claim 13 or 14, wherein the adhesive is selected from a group consisting of halogenated butyl, hydrated aluminum, resinic polybutenes and polyisobutylene.

19. A combination of a cable having a cable splice and a protective cover for said cable splice, said combination comprising:

a. a cylindrical case comprising two semi-circular members identified as a first member and a second member;

b. said first member having a flange on each side identified as a first flange and as a second flange;

c. said second member having a flange on each side identified as a third flange and a fourth flange;

d. means to unite said first flange and said third flange;

e. means to unite said second flange and said fourth flange;

f. a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive positioned between said first flange and said third flange with said adhesive contacting and adhering only to said first flange and with said sealant contacting said third flange for ease of separation of said first flange and said third flange;

g. a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant ton-releasably secured to an adhesive positioned between said second flange and said fourth flange with said adhesive contacting and adhering only to said second flange and with said sealant contacting said fourth flange for ease of separation of said second flange and said fourth flange;

h. said cylindrical case having two ends;

i. end seals being inside of said cylindrical case and being positioned near respective ends of said cylindrical case;

j. each end seal being composed of two mating semi-circular members;

k. each member of each end seal having two semi-circular longitudinal cavities;

l. each end seal having end walls;

m. two of said members in mating relation defining two enclosed cylindrical longitudinal cavities;

n. a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive; and

o. said composite surrounding the circumference of said end seal and being inside of said cylindrical case; and

p. said cable passing through the end walls and the end seals and into the cylindrical case with the splice inside of the cylindrical case.

20. A combination according to claim 19 and comprising:

a. said adhesive contacting said end seal and said sealant contacting the interior of said cylindrical case for ease of separation of said end seal and said cylindrical case.

21. A combination according to claim 19 and comprising:

a. said end seals have an external diameter larger than the internal diameter of said cylindrical case.

22. The combination of claim 19, wherein the sealant is selected from a group consisting of cured EPDM, halogenated butyl, hydrated aluminum, resins, paraffinic oil, polybutene and polyisobutylene.

23. The combination of claim 19, wherein the adhesive is selected from a group consisting of halogenated butyl;

hydrated aluminum, resinic polybutenes and cured polyisobutylene.

24. A process for making a combination of a cable having a cable splice and a protective cover for said cable splice, said process comprising:

a. forming a cylindrical case comprising two semi-circular members identified as a first member and a second member;

b. forming said first member to have a flange on each side and identified as a first flange and as a second flange;

c. forming said second member to have a flange on each side identified as a third flange and a fourth flange;

d. positioning a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive between said first flange and said third flange with said adhesive contacting and adhering only to said first flange and with said sealant contacting said third flange for ease of separation of said first flange and said third flange;

e. positioning a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive between said second flange and said fourth flange with said adhesive contacting and adhering only to said second flange and with said sealant contacting said fourth flange for ease of separation of said second flange and said fourth flange;

f. uniting said first flange and said third flange;

g. uniting said second flange and said fourth flange;

h. forming said protective cover with two ends;

i. positioning end seals inside said cylindrical case at each end thereof;

j. forming each end seal eof two mating semi-circular members;

k. forming each member of each end seal with two longitudinal cavities;

l. forming each end seal with end walls;

m. positioning two of said members in a mating relationship to define two enclosed longitudinal cavities;

n. positioning a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive around the circumference of said end seal and inside of said cylindrical case; and

o. passing said cable through the end walls and the end seals and into the cylindrical case with the cable splice inside the cylindrical case.

25. A process for making a combination according to claim 24 and comprising:

a. positioning said adhesive to contact said end seal and positioning said sealant to contact said cylindrical case for ease of separation of said end seal and said cylindrical case.

26. A process for making a combination according to claim 24 and comprising:

a. selecting said ends to have an external diameter larger than the internal diameter of said cylindrical case.

27. In a protective cover for a cable splice wherein said cover comprises:

a. a cylindrical case comprising two semi-circular inert members;

b. each member having a flange in each side;

c. means to unite adjacent flanges of the two members;

d. end seals;

e. said end seals being inside of the cylindrical case at each end thereof;

f. each end seal being composed of two mating semi-circular members;

g. each member of each end seal having two semi-circular longitudinal cavities; and

h. each end seal having end walls;

an improvement comprising;

i. a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive;

j. positioning said composite between adjacent flanges of said two members to function as a seal between said adjacent flanges with said adhesive contacting and adhering only to one of said adjacent flanges and with said sealant contacting the other of said adjacent flanges for ease of separation of said adjacent flanges; and

k. positioning said composite around the circumference of each of said end seals to function as a seal between said end seal and the interior of said cylindrical case.

28. In a protective cover according to claim 27 and comprising:

a. positioning said adhesive of said composite on the circumference of said end seal to allow said sealant to contact the interior of said cylindrical case.

29. In a protective cover according to claim 28 and comprising:

a. a cable passing through the end walls of the end seals and into the cylindrical case.

30. In a protective cover according to claim 27 and comprising:

a. a cable passing through the end walls of the end seals and into the cylindrical case.

31. In a combination of a protective cover for a cable splice and wherein said cable splice is in said protective cover and comprising:

a. a cylindrical case comprising two semi-circular inert members;

b. each member having a flange in each side;

c. means to unite adjacent flanges of the two members;

d. end seals;

e. said end seals being inside of the cylindrical case at each end thereof;

f. each end seal being composed of two mating semi-circular members;

g. each member of each end seal having two semi-circular longitudinal cavities; and

h. each end seal having end walls;

an improvement comprising;

i. a composite comprising a substantially non-adhesive, resilient and yieldable sealant non-releasably secured to an adhesive;

j. positioning said composite between adjacent flanges of said two members to function as a seal between said adjacent flanges with said adhesive contacting and adhering only to one of said adjacent flanges and with said sealant contacting the other of said adjacent flanges for ease of separation of said adjacent flanges;

k. positioning said composite around the circumference of each of said end seals to function as a seal between said end seals and the interior of said cylindrical case; and

l. a cable passing through the end walls of the end seals and into the cylindrical case with the cable splice inside the cylindrical case.