Field installable cable termination assembly

• US 6,796,821 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne Instruments Incorporated (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ocean & Design Limited
• Inventors: Cairns, James L., Barlow, Stewart M.
• Primary Examiner(s): GILMAN, ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US10/455,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20030228783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 439/204, 439/201, 439/587, 439/275, 439/271, 439/277, 439/589, 385/75, 385/50, 385/56, 385/69, 385/64, 174/51, 174/65.SS
• US Class Current: 439/204
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4428 Penetrator systems in pressure-resistant devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/523 for use under water

Abstract

A field-installable cable termination module has an outer casing having a first end for sealably receiving the end of a cable and a second end, the casing having an internal chamber. A cable carrying at least one conductor has an end extending into the first end of the outer casing. A high pressure barrier plug in the casing seals the chamber, and at least one sealed feedthrough device extends through the barrier plug for connecting the conductor to the opposite side of the barrier plug. The conductor extends from the cable end through the first chamber and is connected to the feedthrough device. The chamber is substantially filled with an initially pourable material which cures to form a solid material surrounding the conductor.

Claims

1. A field-installable cable termination module, comprising:

an outer casing having a first end for sealably receiving the end of a cable and a second end, the casing having an internal chamber;

at least one cable carrying at least one conductor, the cable having an end extending into the first end of the outer casing;

a high pressure barrier plug in the casing sealing the internal chamber, the plug having a first side facing the chamber and a second side;

at least one sealed feedthrough device extending through the barrier plug for connecting the conductor to the second side of the barrier plug;

the conductor extending from the cable end through the internal chamber and being connected to the feedthrough device; and

a solid material substantially filling the internal chamber and surrounding the conductor.

2. The module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cable is an armored cable.

3. The module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cable is an unarmored cable.

4. The module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cable is a hybrid cable carrying optical fibers and electrical wires, the barrier having a first pass through device for the optical fibers and a plurality of separate electrical pass through devices for the electrical wires, each electrical pass through device having a connector at one end for connecting to a respective electrical wire.

5. The module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductor is a light conducting optical fiber.

6. The module as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outer tube carrying a plurality of optical fibers extends through the cable, the outer tube extending from the cable end through the chamber up to the feedthrough device, the solid material surrounding the outer tube.

7. The module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductor is an electrical wire and the pass through device comprises a solid conductive rod extending through the barrier and having a first connector at the first side of the barrier for connection to the wire and a second connector at the second side of the barrier.

8. The module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cable carries a plurality of electrical wires, the barrier having a plurality of feedthrough devices comprising solid conductive rods extending through it for connection to the respective wires.

9. The module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a socket member secured in the first end of the outer casing, the socket member having at least one through bore having a first end receiving the cable end and a second end through which the conductor extends into the chamber, the through bore having at least one seal member between the cable and bore.

10. The module as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cable is an unarmored cable and a cable gripping device is mounted in the socket member through bore for gripping the outer surface of the cable.

11. The module as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cable is an armored cable having an outer jacket, cable armor beneath the outer jacket, and an inner core beneath the cable armor through which the conductor extends, the through bore having a tapered portion extending from said first end and terminating short of said second end, the tapered portion defining a cable armor termination chamber, the outer jacket of the cable being stripped off in said termination chamber to reveal the cable armor, the cable armor being terminated in said termination chamber, and the termination chamber being substantially filled with a solid material.

12. The module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solid material comprises an initially pourable material which cures to form said solid filler material.

13. The module as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pourable material is selected from the group consisting of pourable epoxy and pourable elastomer materials.

14. The module as claimed in claim 13, wherein the pourable material is a pourable electrically insulating epoxy resin.

15. A cable termination assembly, comprising:

an outer casing having a first end for sealably receiving the end of a cable and a second end;

the casing having an internal chamber;

a high pressure barrier plug in the casing sealing the chamber, the plug having a first side facing said chamber and a second side;

at least one pass through device sealably extending through the barrier plug for conductive communication between the first and second sides of the barrier plug;

a cable carrying a plurality of conductors having an end extending into and sealed in the first end of said outer casing;

the conductors extending from said cable end through said chamber up to said barrier plug, each conductor being connected to a pass through device; and

the chamber being filled with a solid material for sealably supporting said conductors.

16. The assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cable is a hybrid cable, some of said conductors comprising electrical wires and some comprising optical fibers, the barrier plug having a plurality of electrical pass through devices for connection to respective electrical wires and at least one optical pass through device for said optical fibers.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a second cable sealably received in the second end of said casing, the casing having a second chamber extending from the second side of said barrier plug up to said second end, conductors extending from said second cable through said second chamber up to said barrier plug, and said second chamber being filled with solid material, whereby said assembly comprises a cable-to-cable splice.

18. The assembly as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a connector unit of an underwater connector secured to the second end of the casing, the connector unit having an end wall comprising said barrier plug, said end wall having a plurality of pass through devices, and a plurality of contacts in said connector unit each connected to a respective one of said pass through devices, each conductor in said chamber being connected to a respective one of said pass through devices, whereby each conductor is connected to a respective one of said contacts, and said assembly comprises a cable-to-connector splice.

19. The assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least some of the conductors comprise electrical wires, a plurality of electrical pass through devices extending through said barrier plug and each wire being connected to a respective one of said pass through devices.

20. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the cable is an electrical-only cable.

21. The assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least some of the conductors comprise optical fibers, the cable having an outer tube for carrying said optical fibers, said outer tube extending through said chamber up to said barrier plug and said optical fibers extending into said pass through device.

22. The assembly as claimed in claim 21, wherein the cable is an optical-only cable.

23. A cable termination assembly, comprising:

a housing having a first end wall and a second end wall;

an oil filled, pressure compensated chamber extending from said first end wall to said second end wall;

at least one cable termination module extending through at least one of said end walls;

the module comprising an outer casing having a first end for sealably receiving the end of a cable carrying at least one conductor, a second end, and an internal chamber, a high pressure barrier plug in the casing sealing the chamber, at least one sealed feedthrough device extending through the barrier plug;

at least one cable carrying at least one conductor, the cable having an end extending into the first end of the termination module with the conductor extending from the cable end through the first chamber and being connected to the feedthrough device; and

a solid material filling the module chamber and surrounding the conductor to hold the conductor and resist collapse.

24. The assembly as claimed in claim 23, further comprising a plurality of cable termination modules extending through at least one end wall of said pressure compensated chamber, and a plurality of cables, each cable terminated in a respective one of said modules.

25. The assembly as claimed in claim 23, further comprising at least one pressure compensating unit mounted in said first end wall adjacent said termination module, said end wall having an internal passageway for connecting the pressure compensating unit to the chamber of the respective cable termination module.

26. The assembly as claimed in claim 25, wherein the pressure compensating unit comprises a housing having an internal chamber, a first open end exposed to the external environment outside said first end wall, and a second closed end having a passageway connecting the internal chamber to the internal passageway in said end wall, a piston sealably mounted in said internal chamber for sliding engagement with an inner wall of said chamber and movable between said first and second ends of said housing, the chamber being filled with a mobile, substantially incompressible material;

whereby a pressure gradient across the piston between the outside environment and the internal chamber causes the piston to move towards the second end of the housing, thereby forcing the material out of said chamber and into said passageways.

27. A multiple cable termination assembly, comprising:

a housing having a first end wall and a second end wall;

an oil filled, pressure compensated chamber extending from said first end wall to said second end wall;

at least one cable termination module extending through said first end wall;

the module comprising an outer casing having a first end for sealably receiving the end of a cable carrying at least one conductor, a second end, and an internal chamber, a high pressure barrier plug in the casing sealing the chamber, at least one sealed feedthrough device extending through the barrier plug;

at least one cable carrying at least one conductor, the cable having an end extending into the first end of the termination module with the conductor extending from the cable end through the first chamber and being connected to the feedthrough device;

a solid material filling said module chamber and surrounding the conductor;

at least one pressure compensating unit mounted in said first end wall, associated with said termination module;

said end wall having internal passageways for connecting said pressure compensating unit to the chamber of the cable termination module; and

the pressure compensating unit comprising a housing having an internal chamber, a first open end, and a second closed end having a passageway connected to a respective internal passageway in said end wall, a piston sealably mounted in said internal chamber for sliding engagement with an inner wall of said chamber and movable between said first and second ends of said housing, the chamber being filled with a mobile, substantially incompressible material;

whereby a pressure gradient across the piston between the outside environment to which the open end of the compensating unit is exposed and the internal chamber causes the piston to move towards the second end of the housing, thereby forcing the mobile material out of said chamber and through said passageway in the second end of the pressure compensating unit, said internal passageway in said end wall, and up to the chamber of the cable termination module.

28. The assembly as claimed in claim 27, wherein the module chamber is substantially filled with a solid material and the mobile material from the associated pressure compensating module fills voids in the solid material.

29. The assembly as claimed in claim 27, wherein the piston of each pressure compensating unit has a first end facing the open end of the housing, a second end facing the second end of the housing, and an outer seal member forming a sliding seal between the piston and inner wall of the chamber.

30. A method of terminating a cable carrying a plurality of conductors, comprising the steps of:

stripping the outer cover from one end of a cable to expose the conductors;

connecting each conductor to a barrier plug at an end of a termination chamber within an outer casing of a cable termination module;

sealably connecting the outer cover of the cable adjacent the exposed conductors to a first end of the outer casing such that the conductors extend through the termination chamber up to the barrier plug;

filling the termination chamber with a pourable material through a fill port in the outer casing;

allowing the pourable material to cure to form a solid material surrounding and holding the conductors; and

plugging the fill port in the outer casing.

31. A cable termination module, comprising:

an outer casing having a first end portion for sealably receiving the end of a cable;

a high pressure barrier plug in the casing;

at least one sealed feedthrough device extending through the barrier plug;

a termination chamber in the casing extending from the first end portion up to the high pressure barrier plug;

at least one cable carrying at least one conductor, the cable having an end extending into the first end portion of the casing;

the conductor extending from the cable end through the termination chamber and being connected to the feedthrough device; and

a solid material filling the termination chamber from the cable end to the barrier plug and completely surrounding and supporting the conductor.