Dual element cable connection cover

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention herein relates to electrical cable, such as television transmission cable, and connectors therefor. More particularly, it pertains to cover devices to protect such connectors from the ambient environment.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] Many cable connections are positioned where they are subject to adverse ambient environments, particularly where the connection will be subject to moisture contact from rain, snow or humidity. A typical example a connection for television signal transmission cable, when the cable is attached to a transmission facility outlet, a retransmission station or a subscriber's connection, such as a residence. Some protection may be afforded by enclosing the connection in a housing, such as the small junction boxes for subscriber hookups commonly seen in residential neighborhoods. However, such housings are not completely weather-tight, and in any event many connections remain in the open, or are located in positions where housings are not practical.

[0006] Further, in many cases connections must be made during adverse weather. If, for instance, a cable television circuit or an electric power circuit goes out because of a heavy rainstorm, the immediate demands for restored service by the subscribers require the transmission company to send repair people to make the necessary repairs to the cable as quickly as possible, notwithstanding that the storm may be continuing. Such repairs to a large extent require the installation of new connectors, either for cable splices or for re-connection to transmission or receiving facilities. However, to minimize potential damage to the connectors, their exposure to the elements should be as brief as possible. This requirement for brief exposure (i.e., quick repair) is of course reinforced by the fact that commonly during such a storm there are many service disruptions and the repair people need to spend as little time as possible repairing each individual connection so that they will be able to move quickly to restore service systemwide.

[0007] It has been known for some time that it is advantageous to cover such cable connections (whether television transmission cable or other types of electrical cable) to minimize the exposure of the connections to the elements, particularly to moisture. Since the cable segments themselves have moisture impervious coverings throughout their length, the particularly vulnerable portions of a cable system are the individual connectors, which are usually screw-type or soldered metal fittings. Wrapping such connectors with moisture-resistant tape has not proved satisfactory, since the adhesive holding the tape does not adhere well to wet surfaces to start with, and even if initially well-adhered, tends to deteriorate with age and the tape becomes loosened. In addition, tape wrapping is a time consuming procedure and often difficult to do properly in cramped or enclosed locations.

[0008] Heat shrinkable tubing has also been used to cover connections. Heat shrinkable tubing is tubing made of thermoplastic polymeric materials which, when subjected to elevated temperatures, shrink and contract around the connection. While such heat shrink tubing has proved more effective than tape wrapping, it still has a number of serious deficiencies. For instance, heat shrinking takes a considerable amount of time for the large diameter, relatively thick wall tubing necessary to use with large diameter cable connectors. Thus, cable installers or repair crews find that while the cable connections themselves may be made quickly, an inordinate amount of time must subsequently be spent slowly shrinking the heat shrink tubing to fit. The shrinking cannot be expedited by applying additional heat. The additional heat will simply char and damage the plastic tubing, rather than appreciably speeding the shrinking process. Further, excessive heat applied to the cable protector will also damage the foam dielectric component of the cable itself. Of course, in many instances, particularly at remote locations, a suitable source of heat is not available to the installation or repair crew. Similarly, in many installations the positioning of the connection is such that even where a heating source is available, the heat cannot be applied evenly to the tubing because the access by the heat source is restricted. Thus, the use of heat shrinkable tubing has had only limited applicability and has been essentially unsuitable where rapid installation or repair is needed to limit the exposure of the connections to the elements.

[0009] Protectors using chemical dilation and shrinking have been considered in the past, but have not been practical. The degree of diameter change of which a dilated material is capable is limited, and the variations in diameters of cables and cable connection hardware are greater than the structure of prior art cable protectors utilizing chemical dilation could accommodate.

[0010] The present invention overcomes these problems and limitations of the prior art and provides a protective cover for a cable connection or splice which can be easily installed, quickly shrunk into tight vapor resistant protective covering within a matter of a few minutes rather than requiring extended periods of time, and can be installed without the need for any application of heat or use of special tools, equipment or materials. It will be seen that this invention thus is a substantial improvement over the heat shrink products of the past, since the protective device of the present invention shrinks entirely by evaporation of the swelling agent and does not require any effort on the part of the installer, nor the application of any tools or heat sources. The present device is easy to install, merely sliding down the cable once the connection is made, and thus can be satisfactorily installed even in locations where access is difficult (such as a connection being made in a recessed hole) or when inclement weather such as rain would make use of a heating device either awkward or impossible.

[0011] The device comprises two interfitting sleeves which are chemically swellable and which are initially in dilated configuration, such that they subsequently shrink into place merely by evaporation of the volatile swelling solvent and cooperatively and synergistically seal the cable connection against exposure to ambient atmospheric conditions, dust, moisture, etc.

[0012] In its broadest embodiment, the invention is a protective cover for a cable connector, said connector being affixed to an end of a cable and having an outside diameter greater than an outside diameter of said cable, said cover comprising: an outer elongated annular sleeve formed from a material expandable by contact with an expanding chemical and shrinkable upon removal of said contact with said chemical; an inner elongated annular sleeve formed from a material expandable by contact with an expanding chemical and shrinkable upon removal of said contact with said chemical, said inner elongated annular sleeve disposed within said outer sleeve; said cover with said sleeves in chemically expanded state being moveable into disposition covering said connector and a portion of said cable attached thereto, with said inner sleeve covering at least said portion of said cable but not said connector; whereby when said cover is so disposed over said connector and said portion of said cable and removed from contact with said chemical, said chemical evaporates from said sleeves and said sleeves thereupon shrink to diameters wherein wall thickness of said inner sleeve fills the space between the outside diameters of said connector and said attached portion of said cable sufficiently to permit shrinkage of said outer sleeve to form a tightly fitted and substantially immovable covering secured around said connector and at least a portion of said inner sleeve, thereby preventing said connector from coming into contact with adverse ambient components.

[0013] In its configuration as a splice connector, the invention is defined as being for covering the junction between two cables, each cable being attached to a connector with said connectors being interfitting, with the cover further comprising a pair of inner elongated annular sleeve formed from a material expandable by contact with an expanding chemical and shrinkable upon removal of said contact with said chemical, each said inner elongated annular sleeve disposed within said outer sleeve and said inner sleeves being spaced apart and disposed at opposite ends of said outer sleeve; each said inner sleeve in chemically dilated configuration being moveable to cover that portion of a respective one of said cables attached to a respective one of said connectors; and said outer sleeve in chemically dilated configuration with said inner sleeves therewithin being moveable to cover both of said connectors and a portion of each of said inner sleeves when said connectors are interfitted; whereby when said cover is so disposed over said connectors and said portions of said cables and removed from contact with said chemical, said chemical evaporates from said sleeves and said sleeves thereupon shrink to diameters wherein wall thickness of each said inner sleeve fills the space between the outside diameters of said respective connector and said respective attached portion of said cable sufficiently to permit shrinkage of said outer sleeve to form a tightly fitted and substantially immovable covering secured around said connectors and at least a portion of each said inner sleeve, thereby preventing said connectors from coming into contact with ambient moisture.

[0014] Both the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve are preferable made of a swellable elastomeric material, preferably a natural or synthetic rubber. Also preferably the inner and outer sleeves will be formed from the same material. Suitable rubbers include EPDM rubber, neoprene or chlorosulfonate polyethylene rubber, of which EPDM rubber is preferred. The rubber can be easily swollen initially by immersing it in any of a variety of known swelling agents, such benzene, toluene or a xylene.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a completed sleeved connector.

[0016] FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2—2 of FIG. 1.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of a cable end with the inner sleeve in place, a connector being indicated in broken line.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view, with portions cut away, showing the outer sleeve in place before shrinking.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of a splice joint with the sleeves being adjusted to the final position.

[0020] The device of the present invention is best understood by reference to the drawings. A completed wrapped cable connection is illustrated in FIG. 1. The cable 2 itself has its own insulated and protective covering which is conventional and need not be further described. Where the cable terminates, the cable connector 4 is a combination of a screw coupling 6 and a block 8 attaching the connector 4 to the cable 2 itself. This overall connector 4 is conventional and need not be fully described. Suffice it to say that the connector provides electrical continuity from the cable 2 to the device (not shown) to which the cable is being attached. This device may be a signal transmitter or a receiving device, such as a service receptacle used to provide service such as cable television to a residence or other building, or, in the case of a cable splice, it may be another similarly fitted cable. It is this connector 4 which is to be protected from the elements, since its several separate parts makes it vulnerable to infiltration by moisture, dust, etc. which can degrade the connector and interfere with or prevent proper signal transmission between the cable and the transmitting or receiving device. (The splice configuration where two cables are connected together will be discussed below in connection with FIG. 5.) It will be understood that the cable may be a copper wire cable (as illustrated in the example) or other metal wire cable (such as aluminum cable) or may be a fiber optic cable. The nature of the cable itself and its method of signal transmission is not critical to the present invention.

[0021] The protective cover device of the present invention is generally indicated at 10. The structure of the entire system is best indicated by reference to FIG. 2. The interior electrical cable has a central conductor 12 surrounded by electrical insulation 14 (often a foam dielectric) which is surrounded by a second electrical conductor 16 (typically a ground), which in turn is surrounded by the external insulation and protective covering 18 of the cable 2. The two conductors 12 and 16 continue in an appropriate signal transmission manner through the connector 4 to appear as connections 12′ and 16′, respectively, for attachment to corresponding structures in the device to which the cable is to be connected. The present invention 10 surrounds the cable 2 and comprises an inner sleeve 20 and an outer sleeve 22, both of which will be described in detail below. It is the novel compositions and structures of these two sleeves and their synergistic combination that provides the unique and advantageous properties of the present device.

[0022] Chemically swellable materials are limited in the degree to which such swelling and subsequent shrinkage can alter their dimensions. Rarely can a tubular device made of such material be shrunk by more than 40%, and in many cases the maximum shrinkage is substantially less. In many cable connections, however, the diameter of the cable and the maximum diameter of the connector differ by 100% or more.

[0023] The outer sleeve 22 is in elongated tubular form and comprises an elastomeric material which is swellable by absorption of a chemical swelling agent and which shrinks to its initial size upon removal of such agent. Numerous rubbers and other elastomers are known to have this property and a variety of different swelling agents are available in the marketplace. In the present invention, EPDM rubber is the most desirable material and it can be easily swollen initially by immersing it in any of a variety of known swelling agents, such as benzene, toluene or a xylene. The outer sleeve will have a relatively thin wall thickness to allow it to conform readily to the various surfaces of the connector 4 and the inner sleeve 20 following shrinking.

[0024] The inner sleeve 20 is a hollow cylindrical sleeve also comprising an elastomeric material which is swellable by absorption of a chemical swelling agent and which shrinks substantially upon removal of such agent. The inner sleeve 20 will have a significantly greater wall thickness than the outer sleeve 22, although it should be capable of being flexed modestly when necessary to be able to be slid over the cable and into abutment with the block 8 during installation. However, the inner sleeve 20 should have sufficient rigidity to prevent the cable from flexing significantly at the point of attachment to the connector 4, so that the cable does not become frayed or broken at that vulnerable point. The annular wall thickness of the inner sleeve 20 will be such that effective diameter of the cable 2 is extended toward or even out to substantially the diameter of the block 8. The two sleeves thus interact to allow formation of moisture-, dust-, etc.- tight seal, as the inner sleeve forms a wider effective diameter to which the outer sleeve can shrink, and the inner sleeve itself shrinks tightly against the cable. The limitations on possible amount of shrinkage which had made prior art materials ineffective are therefore no longer of consequence, and the present device forms tight cooperative seals among the two sleeves and the cable.

[0025] Inner sleeve 20 will also be made of an elastomeric material which is swellable by absorption of a chemical swelling agent and which shrinks substantially upon removal of the agent. While the inner sleeve can be of any such material, it is preferred, for both economic and technical reasons, to form both sleeves from the same material. The costs of handling, storing and processing different materials are thus avoided. Most importantly, however, the two sleeves will swell and shrink in the same manner when contacted with or freed from the solvent.

[0026] A number of elastomers suitable for use in the present invention are widely described in the literature. See, for instance, Morton, Rubber Technology(2nd edn.: 1973). Most preferred are the terpolymers known as “EPDM” rubbers and made from ethylene/propylene diene copolymer with a methylene component. EPDM rubbers are described in detail in chapter 9 of the Morton reference. Other suitable rubbers include the neoprene (polychloroprene) rubbers and the chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubbers (the latter available under the trademark “HYPALON”); both of these are described in Morton, chapter 13. Commercial sources of the various elastomers are also listed. Solvent swelling agents and their commercial sources are also widely described; see, for instance, 1995 Rubber Red Book(47th edn: Argus Business), p. 305.

[0027] In the preferred practice of the invention the inner sleeve 20 is placed within the outer sleeve 22 and the two are immersed in a volatile liquid solvent swelling agent. The sleeves 20 and 22 become dilated and expanded as they become saturated with the swelling agent. The entire product or device 10 is then promptly sealed in a vapor tight container which maintains the sleeves 20 and 22 in their swollen state, saturated with the swelling agent. The product is provided to the field sealed in the vapor tight container. On the job site, the cable installer opens the vapor tight container and withdraws the protective device 10 in its chemically dilated configuration. The device is then slipped over the cable at a point slightly behind the connector 4. The installer then makes the connection of the cable to the fitting on the transmission or reception device, or with another cable, in a conventional manner. The device 10 of this invention is then moved along the cable 2 until it reaches the base of the connector, at which point the inner sleeve 20 is butted up against the block 8 as indicated at 24. (Some commercial connectors have a small extension or socket 25 on the back of the block 8 into which the cable fits. For such connectors the inner sleeve 20 is sized to fit over the socket 25 or to butt up against it, depending on the outer diameter and wall thickness of the socket 25.) The outer sleeve 22 (which is longer than the inner sleeve 20) is continued forward along the cable 2 until substantially all of the connector 4 is within the sleeve 22 and the connection is essentially fully covered by the sleeve 22. This is best illustrated in FIG. 1, which shows a connector almost at the point of full coverage.

[0028] Normally the inner and outer sleeves 20 and 22 are slipped over the cable either at a free end or before the installer attaches the connector 4 to the end of the cable. Repair situations are generally the same as installations, since cable damage most often occurs to the connector or at the connector/cable junction. The repairer removes the old connector 4 from the cable and installs a new connector. Prior to installing the new connector, however, the repairer slips the device 10 over the free end of the cable and subsequently moves it into position for shrinkage as described. In some repair cases it may be necessary to cut the cable some distance behind the already-emplaced connector to get the device on, in which case a splice of the type shown in FIG. 5 can later be made. It may also be possible to slit the inner dilated sleeve 20 longitudinally and slip it over the cable 2, and then slip the expanded (and usually more flexible) outer sleeve over the connector, so that the subsequent shrinkage of the outer sleeve 22 serves to pull the inner sleeve 20 together and closes the slit. Also, with some types of cable damage the cable remaining after the connector and damaged portion have been removed may be too short (commonly by a few inches) to reach the connection point. In such cases an extender is attached to the free end of the connector to bridge the gap, or an extended connector is used. In either case the outer sleeve 22 will be chosen with enough length to cover the entire connector/extender assembly.

[0029] Once the device is in place with the inner sleeve 20 butted against the back of the block 8 and the outer sleeve 22 covering substantially all of the connection (including the connector block of the cable receiving fitting), the installer's job is essentially completed. He or she only needs to leave the assembly exposed to the ambient air for a few minutes, during which time the swelling agent rapidly evaporates from the sleeves 20 and 22 causing them to shrink substantially from their enlarged swollen position. The shrinking causes the outer sleeve 22 to shrink into conformity with the shape of the connector and simultaneously to become compressed against and conform to the outer profile of the inner sleeve 20, while the inner sleeve itself shrinks tightly against the outer surface of the cable 2, all of which is also best illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0030] Usually the inside diameter of the inner sleeve 20 after dilation is substantially equivalent to the outer diameter of the cable 2, such that the device in its initial dilated configuration initially will permit relatively easy fit of the inner sleeve and outer sleeve over the cable and connector. This may be a slight clearance fit, but it may also be a slight interference fit. If an interference fit, it must not be such a tight interference fit that the installer will have difficulty sliding the inner sleeve along the cable or the outer sleeve over the cable connector.

[0031] The volatility of the swelling solvent will be sufficiently low such that there will be ample time for the repairer or installer to place the device 10 over the cable 2, make the cable connection, and then slide the device into position before substantial shrinkage occurs. However, the volatility must also be sufficiently high that once the device is in place, enough shrinkage takes place within thirty minutes (and preferably less) that the connection is thereafter effectively shielded from the elements. Further evaporation of any residual swelling agent merely enhances the quality of the seal. Solvents of a wide range of volatilities are well known, and a suitable solvent for any application can easily be determined by those skilled in the art. It will be recognized that volatility will be affected by such factors as ambient temperature, humidity and initial degree of solvent saturation. Also, where more than one product is included in the initially sealed package (as will be common for small size products), the volatility must be sufficiently low that opening the package several times to withdraw individual products does not cause the products remaining in the package to become dried out and shrink. In the last case, it will be advantageous to have the installer be sure to close the vapor-tight package promptly after withdrawing the desired product, and it may also help to have a small amount of liquid solvent in the package to maintain saturation of the remaining products.

[0032] The situation where two cables are to be connected to form a splice is illustrated in FIG. 5. The structure and materials of the splice protector 10′ are substantially identical to those of the cable connection protector 10 for connection of cables to transmission or receiving devices, except that the outer sleeve (indicated as 22′) is essentially of double length, and there are two inner sleeves (designated 20′), one of which is on each of the cables 2 to be connected and which is butted against the respective cable connector heads 6 as indicated at 24′. It will be noted that the two inner sleeves 20′ do not contact each other, but that the outer sleeve 22′ extends fully over both inner sleeves 20′ as well as the two connector heads 6. (In FIG. 5 the outer sleeve 22′ is shown in a partially retracted position as it would be when the splice is made. The phantom lines illustrate its final positioning.) When the device is exposed to the atmosphere and the swelling agent evaporates, the outer sleeve 22′ and both inner sleeves shrink and fully encapsulate the entire assembly with no opening through the outer sleeve 22′ or at either outward end of the inner sleeves 20′.

[0033] It will be noted that since the device is made of a moisture resistant material to start with, installation of the device in inclement weather or under high humidity circumstances is greatly simplified. The installer only needs to the connectors on the cable and the receiving device and a short end portion of the cable, place the protective device 10 over the cable, shield the assembly from moisture as much as possible for the few moments it takes to make the electrical connection of the cable with the receiving device and then, still shielding the connection from the moisture, slide the protective device of this invention into place over the completed connection. Even thought the shrinkage of the protective device has only begun with the initial evaporation of the swelling agent, the moisture impervious nature of the outer sleeve 22, being made of a hydrophobic elastomeric material, sheds the moisture away from the coupling even while it is shrinking into place, thus effectively preventing moisture incursion even before the shrinkage is substantially completed. This is of considerable advantage for making repairs to damaged cables in inclement weather such as rain or snow, since the installer need only protect the coupling and coupling area of the cable and the receiving device for a few moments while the connection is made and the protective device moved into position. The same will be true for other weather elements, such as snow or sleet, although in the case of blowing dust the installer preferably will shield the connection area from dust as much as possible, to minimize the amount of dust which might otherwise blow into and become trapped underneath the sleeves. Entrapment of a minute amount of dust is normally of no consequence.

[0034] The device of this invention can also be in the form of an end cap 23 as illustrated in FIG. 4. By having one end closed the device can be used to protect a disconnected cable connector from the elements, and then have the cable later available for use merely by cutting off the capped end of the device. The device in the end cap configuration will be installed by having only the inner sleeve 20 placed over the cable prior to installation of the connector, and then the outer sleeve 22 slid over the entire assembly of connector 4 and inner sleeve 20 prior to shrinkage.

[0035] It will be seen that this invention is a substantial improvement over the heat shrink products of the past, since the protective device of the present invention shrinks entirely by evaporation of the swelling agent and does not require any effort on the part of the installer, nor the application of any tools or heat sources. The present device is easy to install, merely sliding down the cable once the connection is made, and thus can be satisfactorily installed even in locations where access is difficult (such as a connection being made in a recessed hole) or when inclement weather such as rain would make use of a heating device either awkward or impossible.

[0036] Those skilled in the art will immediately recognize that there are numerous embodiments of the present invention which, while not expressly described above, are clearly within the scope and spirit of the invention. The above disclosure is therefore intended to be exemplary only, and the scope of the invention is to be limited solely by the appended claims.