GB2546750A

GB2546750A - A cable splice closure

Info

Publication number: GB2546750A
Application number: GB1601462.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Maguire Kevin; Horgan Billy; Horgan Chris; Coates Keith
Original assignee: Dexgreen Ltd
Current assignee: Dexgreen Ltd
Priority date: 2016-01-26
Filing date: 2016-01-26
Publication date: 2017-08-02
Also published as: GB201601462D0

Abstract

A cable splice closure comprises a casing 3 and a cap end 5 for delivering cables 29, 31, 33 into the casing and closing the open end of the casing. The cap end comprises a hub 9 and a plurality of wedges 11 releasably secured to the hub. Each of the wedges has an elongate channel formed along its length for reception of a cable therein and at least part of each wedge is resiliently deformable. A cap end clamp 17 is provided for releasably compressing the wedges and the hub together, thereby sealing the cap end and closing the resilient wedges around the cable. There is a resiliently deformable seal (39, Fig 3) between the cap end and the casing, and a casing clamp 7 for securing the casing and the cap end together. This allows the cable splice to be worked on without disturbing the seal around the cables. The hub and wedges may include teeth (111, 112, Fig 8) to grip the cables.

Description

“A cable splice closure”

Introduction

This invention relates to a cable splice closure.

Cable splice closures are commonly used in the telecommunications industry to protect the junction between two cables. At the junction point, the cables are often stripped of their outer insulation layer and/or terminate in a dedicated connector thereby leaving the internal core of the cable exposed or vulnerable to the surrounding environment. In particular, the cables will be susceptible to ingress of dirt and moisture at the junction which over time can lead to cable malfunction. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the junction point between two cables by encasing the ends of the cables in a sealed cable splice closure. Typically, tens or even hundreds of cable junctions are housed in a single cable splice closure.

Cable splice closures may be located underground or indeed may be pole mounted above ground. Therefore, the cable splice closures will be exposed to the elements and indeed the cable splice closures may be submerged under water for prolonged periods of time. Therefore, in order to provide robust protection to the cables therein, the cable splice closures are often required to have an ingress protection (IP) rating as high as IP68. IP ratings are defined in international standard EN 60529 (British BS EN 60529:1992, European IEC 60509:1989) and an IP68 rated closure is rated as being dust tight and protected against complete, continuous submersion in water.

In addition to the main requirement of providing a high level of protection against the ingress of dirt and moisture, there are many other considerations which should be taken into account in the design of a cable splice closure. First, ideally the cable splice closure should allow relatively easy access to the interior of the cable splice closure so that the cables can be worked on. Secondly, the cable splice closure should be able to retain the cable even when the cable is subjected to high levels of axial tension. Third, the cable splice closure should be relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Fourth, the cable splice closure should be simple and intuitive to use and fifth, the cable splice closure should be compact yet provide sufficient space inside the casing for cable splices.

There are a number of cable splice closures known in the art. Although many different types of cable splice closures have been proposed, there are problems with many of the known cable splice closures. Usually, there is a trade-off between the main design requirements outlined above. For example, in order to provide a high level of protection against the ingress of dirt and moisture, the cable splice closures are often provided with complex fastener and/or sealing arrangements to seal the cable splice closures, thereby rendering the closure less accessible, more expensive to manufacture and more difficult/less intuitive to use.

One type of cable splice closure is that disclosed in W02005/006513, in the name of Tyco Electronics Raychem NV et al. This cable splice closure discloses a substantially cylindrically-shaped end plug. The plug has a number of channels for reception of cables therein and cable ties are used to secure the cables in place around the end plug. Fastening bolts are then used to secure the casing together and seal the casing around the plug. Although useful, this device will require a separate tool to open and close the cable splice closure. Furthermore, a substantial amount of room within the cable splice closure casing is taken up by the plug.

One particularly successful cable splice closure is that disclosed in W02005/002017 in the name of Tyco Electronics Raychem NV et al. This cable splice closure discloses a casing that has a large number of clips along the length of the casing to seal the casing. This will allow the operative to gain entry to the casing without the need for a dedicated tool thereby facilitating access. However, the cable splice closure will require substantial additional sealing arrangements over and above those shown in order to provide an adequate level of moisture ingress protection. This makes the cable splice closure less intuitive to use and additional training and materials are required in order to ensure the cable splice closure is used in a manner that will ensure that there is adequate ingress protection. Furthermore, in order to work on the cables inside the casing, it is necessary to open the entire casing, thereby disrupting the seal around the cables which is problematic as this seal will have to be redone which is time consuming and labour intensive.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cable splice closure that overcomes at least some of the above-identified problems and that provides a useful alternative choice for the consumer.

Statements of Invention

According to the invention there is provided a cable splice closure comprising: a casing for housing the cable splice, the casing having an open end; a cap end for delivering cables into the casing and closing the open end of the casing; a resiliently deformable seal intermediate the cap end and the casing; and a casing clamp for securing the casing and the cap end together; the cap end comprising: a hub; a plurality of wedges releasably secured to the hub, each of the wedges having an elongate channel formed along its length for receipt of a cable and at least part of each wedge being resiliently deformable; and a cap end clamp for releasably compressing the wedges and the hub together.

By having such a cable splice closure, the open end of the closure can be sealed in a simple and efficient manner as the cap end clamp compresses the wedges, which are at least partially resiliently deformable, the cables and the hub together to form a barrier to the ingress of water through the cap end. A particularly advantageous aspect of the present invention is the fact that each of the wedges is releasably secured to the hub. In this way, one or more cables can be separated from the hub and worked on while the remaining cables are held in place relative to the hub. Furthermore, the cables can be connected to the wedge before the wedge is in turn connected to the hub. This will facilitate handling of the cables and will simplify the way in which the cables are held in place, obviating the need for additional fasteners such as cable ties.

Importantly, by having such a configuration of cable splice closure, the cap end can be separated from the casing without having to break the seal in the cap end. In order to separate the casing from the cap end, the technician simply has to release the casing clamp and move the cap end apart from the casing. This will allow the technician to withdraw the cables from the casing and work on the cables that were inside the casing without having to interrupt the seal in the cap end. Furthermore, as a simple casing clamp is used to connect the casing to the cap end, the cable splice closure can be opened and closed without the need for additional tools. These improvements will significantly reduce the time and labour required when working with the cable splice closure.

In addition to the foregoing, there will be more room for cable and connectors in the cable splice closure without having to increase the size of the cable splice closure as the majority of the cap end will be located external the cable splice closure as opposed to inside the cable splice closure as is the case with the known devices.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which there is provided a resiliently deformable cap end seal intermediate the wedges, the hub and the internal surface of the cap end clamp. A cap end seal of this construction will further ensure that there is no leakage between the wedges, the hub and the cap end clamp.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which there is provided a channel formed in the internal surface of the cap end clamp for reception of the cap end seal. By providing a channel, the cap end seal will sit in the channel in the cap end clamp when the cap end clamp is opened and this construction will further ensure that the seal will be reliably positioned in the correct location each time the cable splice closure is closed.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the cap end seal is a two part seal. The two parts of the seal are configured to overlap to ensure that a good seal is formed by the two parts.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the cap end clamp comprises a pair of semi-annular portions hingedly connected together along one of their respective sides. Preferably, the cap end clamp extends substantially the length of the wedge and hub portion to exert inward pressure along their entire length. This is seen as a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this way, two parts of the clamp join together to form a substantially annular clamp and the pressure exerted on the hub and the wedges will be substantially evenly distributed about the wedge and hub thereby promoting an even, effective seal in the cap end.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the cap end clamp comprises a latch for engagement of the other of their respective sides. A latch will be simple to operate and will obviate the need for additional equipment to open and close the cap end clamp.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the latch is an over-centre latch. An over centre latch is seen as a particularly preferred latch to use as once in a locked position, the latch will resist inadvertent opening of the latch and will do so without requiring additional equipment to release the latch from the locked configuration.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the latch is pivotally mounted on one of the semi-annular portions and there is provided a cam surface on the other of the semi-annular portions for acting against the latch.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the casing clamp comprises a pair of semi-annular casing clamp portions hingedly connected together along one of their respective sides.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the casing clamp comprises a casing clamp latch for engagement of the other of their respective sides.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the casing clamp latch is an over-centre latch.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the casing clamp latch is pivotally mounted on one of the semi-annular casing clamp portions and there is provided a cam surface on the other of the semi-annular casing clamp portions for acting against the latch.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the wedges are circumferentially spaced about the hub.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the resiliently deformable part of the wedges is constructed from a rubber material. A rubber material is suitable due to its resilience and water resistance.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the resiliently deformable part of the wedges has a shore A hardness of between 10 and 70. By having a shore A hardness in this range, the wedge portions will be able to deform and mould effectively around the cable, thereby forming a seal with the cable.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the cap end has an annular flange at one end thereof for insertion into the open end of the casing. This is seen as a simple way of connecting the cap end to the casing and a simple clamp and O-ring seal can thereafter be used to connect the two components together in a sealed relationship.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which there are provided elongate plugs releasably secured in each of the elongate channels. By having elongate plugs, if a cable is not inserted into the channel, the plug will ensure that water is not allowed travel through the channel. The plug can be quickly removed if it is desired to place a cable in the channel.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice in which the wedges and the hub have complementary connectors so that each of the wedges forms a snap fit in the hub. This is seen as a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention. By having the wedges snap fit into position on the hub, the wedges can be individually held in position relative to the hub. This will allow the cables to be attached to the hub one by one, will allow the cables and wedges to be worked on individually and will not require additional fixing means such as cable ties.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice in which the hub and the cap end clamp are provided with complementary keying members for location of the hub relative to the cap end clamp.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice in which the open mouth of the elongate channels faces towards the hub when the wedge is mounted on the hub. In this way, as the pressure is exerted on the wedges, the wedges will have the tendency to close in around the cable in the channel, forming a more positive seal therebetween.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the hub is provided with at least one raised tooth adjacent the elongate channel of the wedge for engagement of a cable in the elongate channel. By having a raised tooth on the hub, the cable will be “gripped” by the tooth and this will work against inadvertent dislodgement of the cable from the cable splice closure caused by an axial force.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the tooth comprises a transversely-aligned rib.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which there are provided a plurality of rows of transversely-aligned ribs.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the raised tooth is chamfered at its outermost end remote from the hub. By chamfering the outermost end of the tooth, the tooth will not have a tendency to damage the outer jacket of the cable.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the hub is constructed from polypropylene. Polypropylene is a particularly suitable material due to the fact that it has one of the lowest water absorption rates for a thermoplastic and therefore will provide a useful barrier to ingress or moisture. Alternatively, the hub could be constructed from another material such as polycarbonate. As another alternative, the hub could be constructed from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). As a further still alternative, the hub could be constructed from polycarbonate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PCABS).

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the hub comprises a mix of polypropylene and glass fibre containing of the order of 30% glass fibre. This mix is seen as useful as it will provide a robust, hard wearing hub.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the seal intermediate the wedges, the hub and the internal surface of the cap end clamp is a circumferential seal surrounding the hub and the wedges.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the seal intermediate the wedges, the hub and the internal surface of the cap end clamp comprises a circumferential seal surrounding the hub and the wedges at each end of the cap end.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the seal intermediate the wedges, the hub and the internal surface of the cap end clamp further comprises an elongate seal portion extending the length of the cap end.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the seal intermediate the wedges, the hub and the internal surface of the cap end clamp further comprises a pair of elongate seal portions spaced apart diametrically from each other about the cap end, each of which extends the length of the cap end.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the cap end clamp is a two part clamp with two arcuate portions abutting against each other at their ends, and in which each of the pair of elongate seal portions overlaps one of the seams where the two arcuate portions abut against each other. This is seen as a particularly useful aspect of the present invention. In this way, an effective seal will be provided in the cap end.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice in which each wedge comprises a substantially rigid portion and a separate, distinct, substantially resilient portion mounted on the rigid portion. This is seen as a simple way in which the wedge can be manufactured and will reduce the cost of manufacture of the cable splice closure.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the substantially resilient portion has a shore A hardness of less than 70. In one embodiment of the invention, the substantially resilient portion has a shore A hardness of less than 30. In one embodiment of the invention, the substantially resilient portion has a shore A hardness of between 30 and 70.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which each wedge comprises a wedge insert internal the elongate channel constructed from a resiliently deformable material having a shore A hardness of between 5 and 30.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which each wedge comprises a wedge insert internal the elongate channel constructed from a resiliently deformable material having a shore A hardness of between 5 and 15.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which each wedge comprises a wedge insert internal the elongate channel constructed from a resiliently deformable material having a shore A hardness of between 5 and 10. By providing a wedge insert material with a shore A hardness of between 5 and 10, the wedge insert will seamlessly mould about the cable forming a very good seal therewith and will prevent passage of water through the channel.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which there is provided a pair of wedge inserts internal the elongate channel, one located at either end of the elongate channel.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the wedge’s substantially rigid portion comprises at least one tooth for engagement of a cable in the elongate channel. By having a tooth on the substantially rigid portion, as opposed to or in addition to the tooth on the hub, the cables can be held against an axial force attempting to withdraw the cable from the cable splice closure.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the substantially rigid portion’s tooth comprises a transversely-aligned rib.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the substantially rigid portion’s tooth comprises a plurality of rows of transversely-aligned ribs.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the tooth is chamfered at its outermost end remote from the rigid portion.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice in which the seal intermediate the cap end and the casing comprises an O-ring seal. An O-ring seal is a particularly simple and effective seal to use, particularly when the casing is a sealed dome constructed from a unitary piece of material.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which there is provided an annular seat formed in the casing for reception of the O-ring seal.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the housing is closed at the other end.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which the housing is open at both ends and in which there is provided a pair of cap ends, one for each of the open ends. In this way, each cap end will be operable to seal the casing at one of the open ends.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a cable splice closure in which one of the wedges has an elongate channel with a cross sectional area greater than the cross sectional area of the elongate channel of another of the wedges.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will now be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cable splice closure according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cable splice closure of Figure 1 which three cables protruding therefrom;

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the cable splice closure of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a front perspective view of the cap end of the cable splice closure; Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the cap end of the cable splice closure; Figure 6 is an exploded view of the cap end of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a hub and wedges of the cap end without the cap end clamp;

Figure 8 is an exploded view of the hub and wedges of the cap end of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a wedge prior to engaging a cable;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a wedge engaging a cable;

Figure 11 is a top perspective view of a wedge;

Figure 12 is a bottom perspective view of the wedge of Figure 11;

Figure 13 is an exploded view of the wedge of Figure 11;

Figure 14 is a perspective view of an alternative construction of cable splice closure according to the invention;

Figure 15 is a perspective view of an alternative construction of hub and wedges of the cap end as shown in Figure 14 without the cap end clamp;

Figure 16 is an exploded view of the hub and wedges of the cap end of Figure 15;

Figure 17 is a perspective view of the wedge of Figure 15 prior to engaging a cable;

Figure 18 is a perspective view of the wedge of Figure 15 engaging a cable;

Figure 19 is a top perspective view of a wedge;

Figure 20 is a bottom perspective view of the wedge of Figure 19;

Figures 21 (a) and (b) are top perspective views of the rigid portion and resilient portion respectively of the wedge of Figure 19 shown separated apart;

Figures 22 (a) and (b) are bottom perspective views of the resilient portion and rigid portion respectively of the wedge of Figure 19 shown separated apart; and

Figure 23 is a partial exploded view of the wedge of Figure 15.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown a cable splice closure, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, comprising a casing 3, a cap end 5 and a casing clamp 7 for securing the casing and the cap end together. The cable splice closure further comprises a resiliently deformable seal 39 (as shown in Figure 3) intermediate the cap end and the casing. In the embodiment shown, the casing 3 is a dome casing which is substantially cylindrically shaped and is closed at one of it ends and open at its other end. The cap end 5 is configured to close off the open end of the casing 3 when they are connected together.

The cap end 5 further comprises a hub 9 and a plurality of wedges 11, 13, 15 releasably connected thereto. Each of the wedges has a channel 16 therein. The hub 9 and the wedges 11, 13, 15 are surrounded and compressed together by way of a cap end clamp 17. The cap end clamp 17 comprises a pair of semi-annular portions 19, 21 hingedly connected to each other along one of their sides about a hinge joint 23, and an over centre latch 25 operable to secure the other sides of the annular portions 19, 21 together and hold the two semi-annular portions in a fixed relationship with respect to each other to form an annular clamp. A mounting post 27 is provided on the cap end clamp 17. The components and operation of the cap end clamp 17 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figure 6.

Referring specifically to Figure 2, there is shown a perspective view of the cable splice closure 1 in use. In the embodiment shown, there are three cables 29, 31, 33 being fed into the casing through the cap end 5. Each of the three cables 29, 31, 33 is inserted through one of the wedges 11, 13, 15 respectively, and fed into the interior of the casing 3 where the cable ends are connected to other cable ends in a splice for completing given circuits. It can be seen that the three cables 29, 31, 33 each comprise a plurality of smaller cables therein, in this case thirty six individual smaller cables, however this is not deemed limiting and different types of cables could be used to equally good effect.

Referring specifically to Figure 3, there is shown an exploded view of the cable splice closure 1 of Figure 1 showing the casing 3, the cap end 5 and the casing clamp 7 separated from each other. The casing 3 has an open end 35 having a seat 37 on which there is mounted an O-ring seal 39, and an annular collar 41 extending outwardly from the cylindrical body. The cap end 5 comprises an annular flange 43 (as shown more clearly in Figure 5) for insertion into the open end 35 of the casing and an annular collar 45, similar in dimensions to the annular collar 41 of the casing.

The casing clamp 7 is of a similar, although not identical, construction to the cap end clamp 17. The casing clamp 7 also comprises a pair of semi-annular portions 47, 49 hingedly connected to each other along one of their sides about a hinge joint 51, and an over centre latch 53 is provided, operable to secure the other sides of the annular portions 47, 49 together and hold the two semi-annular portions in a fixed relationship with respect to each other to form an annular clamp. A locking pin 55 and complementary holes 57 and anchorage point 59 are provided to lock the over centre latch in place if needed (as illustrated in Figure 1). It can be seen that the pair of semi-annular portions 47, 49 each comprise a raised side wall 61, 63, thereby forming a channel 65 in each of the pair of semi-annular portions 47, 49. The gap between the raised side walls 61,63 reduces gradually as it approaches the main body (i.e. the base of the channel) of the semi-annular portions 47, 49.

In use, in order to clamp the casing 3 and the cap end 5 together, the annular flange 43 is inserted into the open end 35 of the casing 3 until the annular collar 41 of the casing 3 is adjacent the annular collar 45 of the cap end. When the two annular collars 41, 45 are in close proximity with respect to each other, one of the semi-annular portions 47 of the casing clamp 7 is brought into engagement with both the casing 3 and the cap end 5 by inserting the two annular collars 41, 45 in the channel 65 of the semi-annular portion between the pair of side walls 61, 63. Once in position, the other semi-annular portion 49 is pivoted about the hinge joint 51 until the free ends of the two semi-annular portions 47, 49 are in close proximity with each other.

Once in this position, the over centre latch 53 is then pivoted about a lever arm 67, which in turn is pivotally mounted on the semi-annular portion 49, until a cam surface 69 on the latch 53 abuts against a cam surface 71 on the other semi-annular portion 47. From there, the over centre latch 53 is pivoted further about lever arm 67 “over center” thereby drawing the two semi-annular portions 47, 49 together and locking them in a substantially annular configuration. As the two semi-annular portions 47, 49 are drawn closer together, the annular collars 41 and 45 will be drawn deeper into the channels 65 in the semi-annular portions 47, 49. As the channels 65 taper inwardly from their open mouth and narrow towards the base, the annular collars 41 and 45 and by extension the casing 3 and the cap end 5 will also be drawn closer together as the two semi-annular portions 47, 49 are drawn closer together. The locking pin 55 is inserted through the complementary holes 57 in the latch and the anchorage point 59 on the semi-annular portion 47 to hold the latch in position and obviate the possibility of the latch being inadvertently released.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, there is shown a pair of perspective views of the cap end 5. The cap end 5 is shown to have a mounting post 27 which has a plurality of pre-drilled apertures 73, 75 to permit mounting of the cap end, and by extension the entire cable splice closure 1 onto a pole (not shown) or other mounting. Referring specifically to Figure 5, there is shown in more detail the annular flange 43 for insertion into the open end 35 of the casing.

Referring to Figure 6, there is shown an exploded view of the cap end 5 showing the hub 9 and segments separate from the cap end clamp 17. The cap end clamp 17 is shown in an open configuration with the two semi-annular portions 19, 21 of the clamp 17 splayed apart. Importantly, in Figure 6, there is shown the cap end seal 77. The cap end seal 77 is, broadly speaking, a two part seal, with a first part 79 being housed in the first semi-annular portion 19 of the pair of semi-annular portions 19, 21, and the second part 81 being housed in the second semi-annular portion 21.

The first part 79 of the seal 77 in fact comprises a pair of arcuate seal portions 83, 85 which are mounted in a continuous groove 87 formed in the semi-annular portion 19 of the cap end clamp 17. The second part 81 of the seal housed in the second semi-annular portion 21 comprises a continuous seal comprising a pair of arcuate portions 89, 91, bridged at each of their ends by an elongate longitudinal portion 93, 95 that extend substantially the length of the cap end clamp 17. The second part 81 of the seal is in turn mounted in a continuous groove (not shown) similar to the groove 87 to retain the second part 81 of the seal 77 in position in the second semi-annular portion 21.

It can be seen that the arcuate portions 89, 91 of the second part of the seal extend beyond the groove in which they are mounted and they are dimensioned to join end to end with the arcuate seal portions 83, 85 respectively in the groove 87 in the first semi-annular portion 19 to form a pair of circumferential seals when the cap end 5 is in a closed configuration. When in a closed configuration, the elongate longitudinal portions 93, 95 enter the groove 87 in the first semi-annular portion 19 to seal along the length of the cap end 5 around the hub 9 and wedges 11, 13, 15. The hub 9 and wedges 11, 13, 15 are provided with a pair of circumferential grooves 97, 99, one at either end of the hub and wedges, in the outer surface thereof. The grooves 97, 99 are dimensioned and configured to receive the arcuate portions 83, 85, 89, 91 of the seal 77. In this way, when the cap end clamp 17 is closed around the hub 9 and the wedges 11, 13, 15, a seal is formed around the hub and wedges between the inner surface of the cap end clamp 17 and the outer surfaces of the hub 9 and the wedges 11, 13, 15.

Referring still to Figure 6, the hub 9 is provided with a key 101 and the cap end clamp 17 is provided with a complementary key receiver 103. In order to correctly position the hub and wedges in the cap end clamp, the key is aligned with the key receiver before being brought together and “locked” into place before the cap end clamp 17 is closed.

The operation of the cap end clamp 17 will now be described in greater detail. It will be understood that the cap end clamp 17 works in a similar, although not identical, manner to the casing clamp. The cap end clamp also comprises an over-centre latch 25 that is pivotally mounted about a lever arm 105 which in turn is itself pivotally mounted to the second semi-annular portion 21. The over centre latch 25 has a cam surface 107 that co-operates with a cam surface 109 on the first semi-annular portion 19. In order to close the cap end, the hub 9 and the wedges are inserted into the cap end clamp 17 second semi-annular portion 21 by aligning the key 101 with the key receiver 103 as described above. Once the hub and wedges are in position, the first semi-annular portion 19 is pivoted about the hinge joint 23 and pressed down by hand. While in this position, the latch is pivoted about the lever until the abutment surface 107 of the latch 25 is in engagement with the abutment surface 109 on the first semi-annular portion 19. The latch 25 is then pivoted about the abutment surface 109 which has the effect of drawing the two semi-annular portions 19, 21 together. As the two semi-annular portions 19, 21 are drawn together, the hub and wedges will be compressed thereby sealing the wedges about the cables and the outer seal 77 will form a seal between the cap end clamp 17 and the hub 9 and wedges 11, 13, 15.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, there is shown a view of the hub 9 and wedges 11, 13, 15 of the cap end 5 joined together and another view of the hub 9 and wedges 11, 13, 15 separated from each other. Referring specifically to Figure 8, it can be seen that the elongate channels 16 in the wedges extend the length of the entire wedge. There are provided a plurality of rows of raised teeth 111, preferably chamfered at their outermost ends, on the hub, adjacent the seat of each of the wedge portions. There are further provided a plurality of rows of raised teeth 112 in the channels 16 of the wedges. Again, preferably, the raised teeth 112 are chamfered. The raised teeth 111, 112 are arranged to co-operate with a cable mounted in the channel 16 and prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the cable from the cable splice closure under axial strain as they will “grip” the cable as the cable is trapped in the cap end 5.

Referring still to Figure 8, the hub 9 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 113 on its surface and the wedges 11, 13, 15 are each provided with complementary indents 115 for reception of the protrusions 113. In this way, the wedges will snap-fit into the hub and are retained in place on the hub by the protrusions 113 and the indents 115 co-operating with each other. This will obviate the possibility of a cable being inadvertently released from the hub once the end cap clamp 17 is removed as it will be necessary to positively remove the wedge from the hub and it will make it easier for a technician to correctly handle the cables and the cap end.

Referring now to Figures 9 and 10, there is shown a diagrammatic illustration of a wedge 11 being coupled to a cable 29. It can be seen that the end 117 of the cable 29 is stripped exposing a plurality of smaller cables. In order to capture the cable 29 in the wedge 11, the cable 29 is simple pressed into the elongate channel 16 of the wedge 11. The wedge 11 is constructed, at least partially from a resiliently deformable material and as the cable 29 is passed into the channel, the jaws 119, 121 of the channel will deflect outwardly to allow entry of the cable 29. Once the cable has been inserted into the channel 16, the jaws of the channel 16 will spring back into position thereby trapping the cable in the elongate channel 16, as illustrated in Figure 10.

Finally, referring to Figures 11 to 13 inclusive, there are shown various views of the wedge 11 (it will be understood that for manufacturing efficiency, all of the wedges shown throughout drawings 1 to 13 are identical in structure and the wedge 11 is being used for illustrative purposes only). The wedge 11 comprises a plurality of components, namely a substantially rigid component 123, a first resiliently deformable component 125 and a pair of second resiliently deformable components 127, 129. The first resiliently deformable component has a shore A hardness of the order of less than 70, preferably greater than 30. The second resiliently deformable components 127, 129 have a shore A hardness of the order of between 5 and 30, preferably between 5 and 15, ideally between 5 and 10.

The first resiliently deformable component 125 is configured to substantially envelop the rigid component 123 so that when the cap end clamp is closed, the first resiliently deformable component 125 will be compressed and will form a seal with the cable, the hub and the cap end clamp. The substantially rigid component 123 provides structural rigidity and the indents 115 to allow the wedge to be retained on the hub. The substantially rigid component further provides teeth 112 for engagement of a cable in the channel 16 of the wedge.

The substantially rigid component 123 and the first resiliently deformable component 125 are configured so that the rigid component 123 can be inserted into the first resiliently deformable component 125 by stretching the first resiliently deformable component 125 out of shape and inserting the substantially rigid component into the first resiliently deformable component 125. The substantially rigid component 123 will be held in position in the first resiliently deformable component 125 once the first resiliently deformable component 125 is allowed return to or close to its natural at-rest configuration.

The second resiliently deformable components 127, 129 are substantially horseshoe shaped and are mounted internal the channel 16 of the wedge 11 so that they are in close engagement with the cable. In this position, due to the soft nature of the material of the second resiliently deformable components 127, 129, the second resiliently deformable components 127, 129 will form a close seal around the cable ensuring that there is a good seal around the cable. It will be noted that there are two second resiliently deformable components 127, 129 however more or less than two could be provided if desired. Two is seen as useful as it will provide a degree of redundancy to the device.

Referring now to Figures 14 to 23 inclusive, there is shown an alternative construction of cable splice closure, indicated generally by the reference numeral 200, where like parts have the same reference numeral as before. The cable splice closure 200 differs from the cable splice closure 1 in that portion of the cap end 205 has a different construction to the corresponding portions of the cap end 5 illustrated in Figures 1 to 13 inclusive. More specifically, the wedges 211,213 and 215 of Figures 14 to 23 differ in construction to the wedges 11, 13, 15 of Figures 1 to 13.

Referring to Figures 15 and 16, there is shown a view of the hub 209 and the wedges 211, 213, 215 of the cap end 205 joined together and another view of the hub 209 and wedges 211, 213, 215 separated from each other. Referring specifically to Figure 15, it can be seen that the elongate channels 16 in the wedges extend the length of the entire wedge. There are provided a plurality of rows of raised teeth 111, preferably chamfered at their outermost ends, on the hub, adjacent the seat of each of the wedge portions. In addition to the plurality of rows of raised teeth 111 on the hub, there is further provided a plurality of rows of resiliently deformable ribs 217 formed along the length of the hub. There are further provided a plurality of rows of raised teeth 112 in the channels 16 of the wedges. In the present case, there are three raised teeth 112 on each wedge. There are further provided a plurality of rows of resiliently deformable ribs 219 on each of the wedges 211,213, 215. Again, preferably, the raised teeth 112 are chamfered.

As before, the raised teeth 111, 112 are arranged to co-operate with a cable mounted in the channel 16 and prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the cable from the cable splice closure under axial strain as they will “grip” the cable as the cable is trapped in the cap end 205. The resiliently deformable ribs 217, 219 will act to form a seal around the perimeter of a cable in the channel 16.

Referring still to Figure 16, the hub 209 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 220 on its surface and the wedges 211,213, 215 are each provided with complementary indents 221 for reception of the protrusions 113. In this way, the wedges will snap-fit into the hub and are retained in place on the hub by the protrusions 220 and the indents 221 cooperating with each other. This will obviate the possibility of a cable being inadvertently released from the hub once the end cap clamp 17 is removed as it will be necessary to positively remove the wedge from the hub and it will make it easier for a technician to correctly handle the cables and the cap end.

Referring now to Figures 17 and 18, there is shown a diagrammatic illustration of a wedge 211 being coupled to a cable 29. It can be seen that the end 117 of the cable 29 is stripped exposing a plurality of smaller cables. In order to capture the cable 29 in the wedge 211, the cable 29 is simple pressed into the elongate channel 16 of the wedge 211. The wedge 211 is constructed, at least partially from a resiliently deformable material and as the cable 29 is passed into the channel, the jaws 119, 121 of the channel will deflect outwardly to allow entry of the cable 29. Once the cable has been inserted into the channel 16, the jaws of the channel 16 will spring back into position thereby trapping the cable in the elongate channel 16, as illustrated in Figure 18.

Referring now to Figures 19 to 22 inclusive, there are shown various views of the wedge 211 (it will be understood that for manufacturing efficiency, all of the wedges 211, 213, 215 shown throughout drawings 14 to 23 are identical in structure and the wedge 211 is being used for illustrative purposes only). The wedge 211 comprises a plurality of components, namely a substantially rigid component 223 and a first resiliently deformable component 225. Importantly, it can be seen that the a pair of second resiliently deformable components 127, 129 of the wedge shown in Figures 1 to 13 above are no longer necessary and have been removed from the design of the second embodiment of wedge shown in Figures 14 to 23 inclusive. The first resiliently deformable component 223 has a shore A hardness of the order of less than 70, preferably less than 30. Preferably, the first resiliently deformable component 225 has a shore A hardness of the order of between 5 and 30, more preferably between 5 and 15, ideally between 5 and 10.

The first resiliently deformable component 225 is configured to substantially envelop the rigid component 223 so that when the cap end clamp is closed, the first resiliently deformable component 225 will be compressed and will form a seal with the cable, the hub and the cap end clamp. The substantially rigid component 223 provides structural rigidity to the wedge. The substantially rigid component 223 further provides teeth 112, in this case three teeth 112, for engagement of a cable in the channel 16. The substantially resiliently deformable component 225 comprises a plurality of apertures 227 for throughpassage of the teeth therethrough. The substantially resiliently deformable component 225 further comprises a plurality of ribs 219 that provide a seal around the cable.

The substantially rigid component 223 and the first resiliently deformable component 225 are configured so that the rigid component 223 can be inserted into the first resiliently deformable component 225 by stretching the first resiliently deformable component 225 out of shape and inserting the substantially rigid component into the first resiliently deformable component 225. The substantially rigid component 223 will be held in position in the first resiliently deformable component 225 once the first resiliently deformable component 225 is allowed return to or close to its natural at-rest configuration.

Referring now to Figure 23, there is shown a partial exploded view of the hub 209 and the wedges 211, 213, 215 of the end cap 205. It can be seen that the hub 209 has a rigid core 229 having the plurality or rows of teeth 111 thereon. The hub 209 further comprises an insert 231 constructed from a resiliently deformable material. The insert 231 is configured to lie along the hub 209 intermediate the hub 209 and the wedge 213. The hub 209 is provided with a plurality of apertures 233 for reception of spigots 235 on the insert 231. The spigots 235 are inserted into the apertures 233 to hold the insert in position relative to the hub. The insert 231 has a plurality of apertures 237 for throughpassage of the teeth 111 on the hub 209 and the insert 231 is further provided with the plurality of rows of resiliently deformable ribs 217 that operate to form a seal around a cable (not shown) inserted into the channel 16 of the wedge 213. It will be understood that there is provided an insert 231 for each of the wedges 211,213, 215.

In the embodiments shown, the casing is a dome casing, open at one end only and closed at the other end. Alternatively, the casing could be a so-called “in-line” casing where the casing is open at both ends and a cap end is provided at either end of the casing. Indeed, other casings will be readily envisaged (i.e. non cylindrical) that could be used to good effect with the cap end. Furthermore, in the embodiments shown, the wedges are constructed in at least a two part format and the two pieces are constructed together subsequent to moulding and held together with mechanical fixings. Alternatively, the wedge components could be constructed using over-moulding techniques where the substantially rigid component is constructed first and then the substantially resilient portion is moulded onto the substantially rigid component.

In this specification the terms “comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising” and the terms “include, includes, included and including” are all deemed totally interchangeable and should be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

The invention is in no way limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims: (1) A cable splice closure comprising: a casing for housing the cable splice, the casing having an open end; a cap end for delivering cables into the casing and closing the open end of the casing; a resiliently deformable seal intermediate the cap end and the casing; and a casing clamp for securing the casing and the cap end together; the cap end comprising: a hub; a plurality of wedges releasably secured to the hub, each of the wedges having an elongate channel formed along its length for receipt of a cable and at least part of each wedge being resiliently deformable; and a cap end clamp for releasably compressing the wedges and the hub together.
(2) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 1 in which there is provided a resiliently deformable cap end seal intermediate the wedges, the hub and the internal surface of the cap end clamp.
(3) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 2 in which there is provided a channel formed in the internal surface of the cap end clamp for reception of the resiliently deformable cap end seal.
(4) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 2 or 3 in which the cap end seal is a two part seal.
(5) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the cap end clamp comprises a pair of semi-annular portions hingedly connected together along one of their respective sides.
(6) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 5 in which the cap end clamp comprises a latch for engagement of the other of their respective sides.
(7) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 6 in which the latch is an over-centre latch.
(8) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 6 or 7 in which the latch is pivotally mounted on one of the semi-annular portions and there is provided a cam surface on the other of the semi-annular portions for acting against the latch.
(9) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the casing clamp comprises a pair of semi-annular casing clamp portions hingedly connected together along one of their respective sides.
(10) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 9 in which the casing clamp comprises a casing clamp latch for engagement of the other of their respective sides.
(11) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 10 in which the casing clamp latch is an over-centre latch.
(12) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 10 or 11 in which the casing clamp latch is pivotally mounted on one of the semi-annular casing clamp portions and there is provided a cam surface on the other of the semi-annular casing clamp portions for acting against the latch.
(13) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the wedges are circumferentially spaced about the hub.
(14) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the resiliently deformable part of the wedges is constructed from a rubber material.
(15) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the resiliently deformable part of the wedges has a shore A hardness of between 10 and 70.
(16) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the cap end has an annular flange at one end thereof for insertion into the open end of the casing.
(17) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which there are provided elongate plugs releasably secured in each of the elongate channels.
(18) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the wedges and the hub have complementary releasable connectors so that each of the wedges forms a snap fit in the hub.
(19) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the hub and the cap end clamp are provided with complementary keying members for location of the hub relative to the cap end clamp.
(20) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the open mouth of the elongate channels faces towards the hub when the wedge is mounted on the hub.
(21) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 20 in which the hub is provided with at least one raised tooth adjacent the elongate channel of the wedge for engagement of a cable in the elongate channel.
(22) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 21 in which the tooth comprises a transversely-aligned rib.
(23) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 22 in which there are provided a plurality of rows of transversely-aligned ribs.
(24) A cable splice closure as claimed in claims 21 to 23 in which the raised tooth is chamfered at its outermost end remote from the hub.
(25) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the hub is constructed from polypropylene.
(26) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 25 in which the hub comprises a mix of polypropylene and glass fibre containing of the order of 30% glass fibre.
(27) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 2 in which the cap end seal intermediate the wedges, the hub and the internal surface of the cap end clamp is a circumferential seal surrounding the hub and the wedges.
(28) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 27 in which the cap end seal intermediate the wedges, the hub and the internal surface of the cap end clamp comprises a circumferential seal surrounding the hub and the wedges at each end of the cap end.
(29) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 27 or 28 in which the cap end seal intermediate the wedges, the hub and the internal surface of the cap end clamp further comprises an elongate seal portion extending the length of the cap end.
(30) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 28 in which the cap end seal intermediate the wedges, the hub and the internal surface of the cap end clamp further comprises a pair of elongate seal portions spaced apart diametrically from each other about the cap end, each of which extends the length of the cap end.
(31) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 30 in which the cap end clamp is a two part clamp with two arcuate portions abutting against each other at their ends, and in which each of the pair of elongate seal portions overlaps one of the seams where the two arcuate portions abut against each other.
(32) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which each wedge comprises a substantially rigid portion and a separate, distinct, substantially resilient portion mounted on the rigid portion.
(33) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 32 in which the substantially resilient portion has a shore A hardness of less than 70.
(34) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 32 in which the substantially resilient portion has a shore A hardness of less than 30.
(35) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 33 in which the substantially resilient portion has a shore A hardness of greater than 30.
(36) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 35 in which each wedge comprises a wedge insert internal the elongate channel constructed from a resiliently deformable material having a shore A hardness of between 5 and 30.
(37) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 35 in which each wedge comprises a wedge insert internal the elongate channel constructed from a resiliently deformable material having a shore A hardness of between 5 and 20.
(38) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 35 in which each wedge comprises a wedge insert internal the elongate channel constructed from a resiliently deformable material having a shore A hardness of between 5 and 10.
(39) A cable splice closure as claimed in claims 36 to 38 in which there is provided a pair of wedge inserts internal the elongate channel, one located at either end of the elongate channel.
(40) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 32 to 39 in which the wedge’s substantially rigid portion comprises at least one tooth for engagement of a cable in the elongate channel.
(41) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 40 in which the substantially rigid portion’s tooth comprises a transversely-aligned rib.
(42) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 41 in which the substantially rigid portion’s tooth comprises a plurality of rows of transversely-aligned ribs.
(43) A cable splice closure as claimed in claims 40 to 42 in which the tooth is chamfered at its outermost end remote from the rigid portion.
(44) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the seal intermediate the cap end and the casing comprises an O-ring seal.
(45) A cable splice closure as claimed in claim 44 in which there is provided an annular seat formed in the casing for reception of the O-ring seal.
(46) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the housing is closed at the other end.
(47) A cable splice closure as claimed in any of claims 1 to 45 in which the housing is open at both ends and in which there is provided a pair of cap ends, one for each of the open ends.
(48) A cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which one of the wedges has an elongate channel with a cross sectional area greater than the cross sectional area of the elongate channel of another of the wedges.
(49) A cap end for a cable splice closure as claimed in any preceding claim.
(50) A cable splice closure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.