Pressure restraining enclosure for cables

• US 7,973,241 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Bandyopadhyay, Pradip K., Taylor, William L., Evoniuk, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayo, III; William H
• Application Number:
  US11/852,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20090065237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 174/74.R, 174/84.R, 174/85, 174/71.R, 174/73.1, 174/88.C, 174/88.R
• US Class Current: 174/84.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/1833 formed of helically wound strip with adjacent windings, which are removable by applying a pulling force to a strip end
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/24 Cable junctions

Abstract

A pressure restraining enclosure for cables can include, for example, a first cable including a conductor and an oil-containing layer surrounding the conductor, and a second cable having a conductor. A splice can connect the conductor of the first cable with the conductor of the second cable. A pressure restraining sleeve can overly the splice and the conductors of the first and second cables. Several fasteners can be applied to several locations on the pressure restraining sleeve to tighten the pressure restraining sleeve around the splice and portions of the first and second cable. Embodiments of the pressure restraining enclosure can be used in the form of a sleeve on a single core cable, or alternatively as a body and a separate sleeve on multiple core cables such as three-core cables.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first cable including a conductor and an oil-containing layer surrounding the conductor;

a second cable including a conductor;

a splice to connect the conductor of the first cable with the conductor of the second cable;

a pressure restraining sleeve overlying the splice and the conductors of the first and second cables, wherein the pressure restraining sleeve comprises a plurality of interlaced strands;

a plurality of fasteners applied to a plurality of locations on the pressure restraining sleeve to tighten the pressure restraining sleeve around the splice and portions of the first and second cable.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interlaced strands comprise a plurality of braided wires.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fasteners are selected from the group consisting of:

clamp structures, turns of wire, tape materials, cable ties, and cold shrink tubing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein fasteners are applied on the pressure restraining sleeve at locations radially aligned with end portions of the splice.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein fasteners are applied on the pressure restraining sleeve at locations away from the splice on either side of the splice.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electrically insulative, substantially oil-impermeable, elastomeric tube overlying a portion of the oil-containing layer of the first cable, wherein at least one fastener is applied on the pressure restraining sleeve at a location radially aligned with a portion of the elastomeric tube.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein fasteners are applied on the pressure restraining sleeve at locations radially aligned with end portions of the elastomeric tube.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the elastomeric tube is positioned substantially near a terminal end of the first cable, wherein the conductor of the first cable comprises a partially exposed central conductor, wherein the oil-containing layer of the first cable comprises a partially exposed, oil-impregnated, electrically insulative paper layer surrounding the conductor, wherein the first cable further comprises a partially exposed semiconducting layer surrounding the paper layer and a lead jacket surrounding the semiconducting layer, and wherein the elastomeric tube contacts and surrounds the exposed portions of the semiconducting and paper layers.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the elastomeric tube comprises a composition including a fluoroelastomer and an epichlorohydrin.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the elastomeric tube comprises in the range of about 10 parts to about 60 parts of fluoroelastomer per 100 total parts of fluoroelastomer and epichlorohydrin, and wherein the elastomeric tube comprises in the range of about 40 parts to about 90 parts epichlorohydrin per 100 total parts of fluoroelastomer and epichlorohydrin.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a cable comprising a singular main cable branching out to form a series of first cables each including a conductor and an oil-containing layer surrounding the conductor;

a series of second cables each including a conductor;

a plurality of splices, each splice connecting a conductor of each cable from the series of first cables with a conductor of each cable from the series of second cables;

an electrically insulative elastomeric boot overlying a portion of the main cable and a portion of the series of first cables, wherein the elastomeric boot comprises a glove-like body including a singular opening at a first end of the glove-like body and a plurality of openings at a second end of the glove-like body, the singular opening receiving the main cable, and each of the plurality of openings receiving each cable of the series of first cables;

a pressure restraining body overlying the main cable and the elastomeric boot, the pressure restraining body having a singular opening at one end of the pressure restraining body and a plurality of openings at the other end of the pressure restraining body, the singular opening receiving the main cable, and each of the plurality of openings receiving each cable of the series of first cables;

a plurality of pressure restraining sleeves, each pressure restraining sleeve overlying each splice and the conductor of each cable of the series of first cables and the conductor of each cable of the series of second cables;

wherein the pressure restraining body and each of the pressure restraining sleeves comprises a plurality of interlaced strands; and

a plurality of fasteners applied to a plurality of locations on the pressure restraining body and each of the pressure restraining sleeves to tighten the pressure restraining body around the elastomeric boot and to tighten each of the pressure restraining sleeves around each splice and portions of each cable of the series of first cables and series of second cables.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of interlaced strands comprise a plurality of braided wires.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the fasteners are selected from the group consisting of:

clamp structures, turns of wire, tape materials, cable ties, and cold shrink tubing.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one fastener is applied on the pressure restraining body at a location radially aligned with a portion of the main cable.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein fasteners are applied on each pressure restraining sleeve at locations radially aligned with end portions of the splice.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of electrically insulative, substantially oil-impermeable, elastomeric tubes, each elastomeric tube overlying a portion of the oil-containing layer of each cable of the series of first cables, wherein at least one fastener is applied on each pressure restraining sleeve at a location radially aligned with a portion of the elastomeric tube.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein fasteners are applied on each pressure restraining sleeve at locations radially aligned with end portions of the elastomeric tube.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the elastomeric boot overlies a portion of the elastomeric tube.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each elastomeric tube is positioned substantially near a terminal end of each cable of the series of first cables, wherein each conductor of each cable of the series of first cables comprises a partially exposed central conductor, wherein each oil-containing layer of each cable of the series of first cables comprises a partially exposed, oil-impregnated, electrically insulative paper layer surrounding the conductor, wherein each cable of the series of first cables further comprises a partially exposed semiconducting layer surrounding the paper layer and a lead jacket surrounding the semiconducting layer, and wherein each elastomeric tube contacts and surrounds the exposed portions of each of the semiconducting and paper layers.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each elastomeric tube comprises a composition including a fluoroelastomer and an epichlorohydrin.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the elastomeric tube comprises in the range of about 10 parts to about 60 parts of fluoroelastomer per 100 total parts of fluoroelastomer and epichlorohydrin, and wherein the elastomeric tube comprises in the range of about 40 parts to about 90 parts epichlorohydrin per 100 total parts of fluoroelastomer and epichlorohydrin.

22. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the elastomeric boot comprises a composition including a fluoroelastomer and an epichlorohydrin.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the elastomeric boot comprises in the range of about 10 parts to about 60 parts of fluoroelastomer per 100 total parts of fluoroelastomer and epichlorohydrin, and wherein the elastomeric boot comprises in the range of about 40 parts to about 90 parts epichlorohydrin per 100 total parts of fluoroelastomer and epichlorohydrin.