Multi-piece jacket for separable connectors

• US 9,941,616 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Szyszko, Stanley S., Hernandez, Carlos H., Knight, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Riyami, Abdullah
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THANG H
• Application Number:
  US15/000,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20160248187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 439 88, 439181, 439625, 439921, 439638
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 17/32 Single insulators consisting of two or more dissimilar insulating bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/424 Securing in base or case composed of a plurality of insulating parts having at least one resilient insulating part
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/506 assembled by snap action of the parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/53 Bases or cases for heavy duty; Bases or cases for high voltage with means for preventing corona or arcing
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2101/00 One pole
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/20 Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable

Abstract

A jacket assembly for a separable connector includes multiple pieces joined by an overlapping or interference fit. The multiple pieces include a body segment between a cable entrance segment and a bushing interface segment. The cable entrance segment includes a bore that extends axially through the cable entrance segment and is sized to receive an insulated power cable. The bushing interface segment includes a lug portion with another bore that is sized to receive a portion of an insulative inner housing and a portion of a conductive insert for accepting a compression lug. The bushing may also be configured to receive another portion of the insulative inner housing and another portion of a conductive insert for accepting a probe or bushing insert from another device. The body segment includes still another bore extending axially from a first end of the body segment to a second end of the body segment.

Claims

1. A jacket assembly for a separable connector, comprising:

a cable entrance segment including a first bore extending axially through the cable entrance segment and sized to receive an insulated power cable;

a bushing interlace segment including;

a lug portion with a second bore that is sized to receive a portion of an insulative inner housing and a portion of a conductive insert for accepting a compression lug, and

a probe portion with a third bore, oriented perpendicularly to the second bore, and sized to receive another portion of the insulative inner housing and another portion of the conductive insert for accepting a probe; and

a body segment including a fourth bore extending axially from a first end of the body segment to a second end of the body segment,

wherein the body segment is connected to the cable entrance segment and the bushing interface segment in an overlapping manner so that the first bore, the second bore, and the fourth bore are axially aligned.

2. The jacket assembly of claim 1, wherein the first end of the body segment is received within a part of the first bore via an interference fit.

3. The jacket assembly of claim 2, wherein the lug portion of the bushing interface segment including the second bore is received within a part of the fourth bore via an interference fit.

4. The jacket assembly of claim 3, wherein a first diameter of the fourth bore at the first end is smaller than a second diameter of the fourth bore at the second end, and wherein the body segment further comprises:

a shoulder at a transition point between the first diameter and the second diameter.

5. The jacket assembly of claim 4, wherein the shoulder provides a stopping point for insertion of the lug portion into the fourth bore.

6. The jacket assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable entrance segment, the bushing interface segment, and the body segment comprise an ethylene-propylene-dienemonomer (EPDM) material.

7. The jacket assembly of claim 1, wherein the jacket assembly provides a conductive shield over the insulative inner housing.

8. The jacket assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

another body segment including a fifth bore extending axially from a first end of the other body segment to a second end of the other body segment,

wherein the other body segment is connected to the body segment and the cable entrance segment in an overlapping manner so that the first bore, the second bore, the fourth bore, and the fifth bore are axially aligned.

9. The jacket assembly of claim 8, wherein the first end of the other body segment is received within a part of fourth bore, at the second end of the body segment, via an interference fit.

10. The jacket assembly of claim 1, wherein the body segment is selected from one of a group of multiple body segments having different axial lengths.

11. The jacket assembly of claim 1, wherein the separable connector comprises a power cable connector elbow.

12. The jacket assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable entrance segment further comprises one or more grounding tabs on an outer surface of the cable entrance segment or an outer surface of the bushing interface segment, and wherein the bushing interface segment further comprises an operating eye to enable engagement with a hotstick.

13. The jacket assembly of claim 1, wherein an outside diameter of the lug portion of the bushing interface segment is the same as an outside diameter of the first end of the body segment.

14. A separable connector, comprising:

a conductive insert for accepting a compression lug and a probe;

a jacket assembly; and

an insulative inner housing disposed between the conductive insert and the jacket assembly,

wherein the jacket assembly includes;

a cable entrance segment including a first bore extending axially through the cable entrance segment and sized to receive an insulated power cable;

a bushing interface segment including;

a lug portion with a second bore that is sized to receive a portion of the insulative inner housing and a portion of the conductive insert, and

a probe portion with a third bore, oriented perpendicularly to the second bore, and sized to receive another portion of the insulative inner housing and another portion of a conductive insert; and

a body segment including a fourth bore extending axially from a first end of the body segment to a second end of the body segment, wherein the body segment is connected to the cable entrance segment and the bushing interface segment in an overlapping manner so that the first bore, the second bore, and the fourth bore are axially aligned.

15. The separable connector of claim 14, wherein the lug portion of the bushing interface segment including the second bore is received within a part of the fourth bore via an interference fit.

16. The separable connector of claim 15, wherein the first end of the body segment is received within a part of the first bore via an interference fit.

17. The separable connector of claim 14, wherein a first diameter of the fourth bore at the first end is larger than a second diameter of the fourth bore at the second end, and wherein the body segment further comprises:

a shoulder at a transition between the first diameter and the second diameter, wherein the shoulder provides a stopping point for insertion of the lug portion into the fourth bore.

18. The separable connector of claim 14, wherein the cable entrance segment, the bushing interface segment, and the body segment comprise an ethylene-propylene-dienemonomer (EPDM) material.

19. The separable connector of claim 14, wherein the separable connector comprises a power cable connector elbow.

20. The separable connector of claim 14, wherein an outside diameter of the lug portion of the bushing interface segment is the same as an outside diameter of the first end of the body segment.