Holdout supports and pre-expanded units and methods including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10199809-B2
Application number	US-201715720694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Feb 17, 2017
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

An integral, unitary pre-expanded cover assembly unit for covering an electrical connection between first and second electrical cables each having a primary conductor and a neutral conductor includes a cover assembly, a holdout and a holdout support. The cover assembly includes an elastomeric sleeve and a duct. The elastomeric sleeve defines a cable passage to receive the electrical connection and the primary conductors of the first and second cables. The duct overlies the elastomeric sleeve. The duct defines a duct passage configured to receive at least one of the neutral conductors therethrough. The holdout is removably mounted within the cable passage of the elastomeric sleeve. The holdout defines a holdout passage. The holdout maintains the elastomeric sleeve in an expanded state. The holdout support is removably mounted within the holdout passage. The holdout support reinforces the holdout.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. An integral, unitary pre-expanded cover assembly unit for covering an electrical connection between first and second electrical cables each having a primary conductor and a neutral conductor, the pre-expanded cover assembly unit comprising:
a cover assembly including:
an elastomeric sleeve defining a cable passage to receive the electrical connection and the primary conductors of the first and second cables; and
a duct overlying the elastomeric sleeve, the duct defining a duct passage configured to receive at least one of the neutral conductors therethrough;

a holdout removably mounted within the cable passage of the elastomeric sleeve, the holdout defining a holdout passage, wherein the holdout maintains the elastomeric sleeve in an expanded state; and
a holdout support removably mounted within the holdout passage, wherein the holdout support reinforces the holdout;
wherein the holdout support includes an integral angular alignment feature received in the duct passage.

2. The pre-expanded cover assembly unit of claim 1 wherein the holdout includes a tubular holdout body formed from a helically wound strip, and the holdout is removable from the elastomeric sleeve by pulling the strip.

3. The pre-expanded cover assembly unit of claim 1 wherein:
the elastomeric sleeve is a first elastomeric sleeve;
the cover assembly includes a second elastomeric sleeve surrounding the first elastomeric sleeve;
the duct is interposed radially between the first and second elastomeric sleeves; and
the holdout maintains the second elastomeric sleeve in an expanded state.

4. The pre-expanded cover assembly unit of claim 3 wherein:
the second elastomeric sleeve is formed of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber;
the first elastomeric sleeve is formed of silicone rubber;
the cover assembly includes a Faraday cage sleeve mounted within the first elastomeric sleeve and formed of an electrically conductive elastomer;
the cover assembly includes a stress cone sleeve mounted within the first elastomeric sleeve proximate an end thereof, wherein the stress cone sleeve is formed of an electrically conductive elastomer; and
the cover assembly includes a semiconductor layer mounted on an outer side of the first elastomeric sleeve.

5. The pre-expanded cover assembly unit of claim 1 wherein the cover assembly is a cold shrinkable cover assembly.

6. The pre-expanded cover assembly unit of claim 1 wherein the holdout support is configured to be selectively transitioned from an expanded configuration in the holdout passage to a released configuration to facilitate removal of the holdout support from the holdout passage.

7. The pre-expanded cover assembly unit of claim 6 wherein:
the holdout support includes a first insert member and a second insert member; and
the holdout support is configured to transition from the expanded configuration to the released configuration by displacing the second insert member relative to the first insert member.

8. The pre-expanded cover assembly unit of claim 1 wherein:
the holdout support includes a first insert member and a second insert member; and
the first insert member and the second insert member are independently removable from the holdout passage to facilitate removal of the holdout support from the holdout passage.

9. An integral, unitary pre-expanded cover assembly unit for covering an electrical connection between first and second electrical cables each having a primary conductor and a neutral conductor, the pre-expanded cover assembly unit comprising:
a cover assembly including:
an elastomeric sleeve defining a cable passage to receive the electrical connection and the primary conductors of the first and second cables; and
a duct overlying the elastomeric sleeve, the duct defining a duct passage configured to receive at least one of the neutral conductors therethrough;

a holdout removably mounted within the cable passage of the elastomeric sleeve, the holdout defining a holdout passage, wherein the holdout maintains the elastomeric sleeve in an expanded state; and
a holdout support removably mounted within the holdout passage, wherein the holdout support reinforces the holdout;
wherein:
the holdout support is configured to be selectively transitioned from an expanded configuration in the holdout passage to a released configuration to facilitate removal of the holdout support from the holdout passage;
the holdout support includes a first insert member and a second insert member;
the holdout support is configured to transition from the expanded configuration to the released configuration by displacing the second insert member relative to the first insert member;
the first insert member engages the holdout along a first radial axis;
the second insert member engages the holdout along a second radial axis; and
the first and second radial axes are substantially perpendicular.

10. An integral, unitary pre-expanded cover assembly unit for covering an electrical connection between first and second electrical cables each having a primary conductor and a neutral conductor, the pre-expanded cover assembly unit comprising:
a cover assembly including:
an elastomeric sleeve defining a cable passage to receive the electrical connection and the primary conductors of the first and second cables; and
a duct overlying the elastomeric sleeve, the duct defining a duct passage configured to receive at least one of the neutral conductors therethrough;

a holdout removably mounted within the cable passage of the elastomeric sleeve, the holdout defining a holdout passage, wherein the holdout maintains the elastomeric sleeve in an expanded state; and
a holdout support removably mounted within the holdout passage, wherein the holdout support reinforces the holdout;
wherein:
the holdout support is configured to be selectively transitioned from an expanded configuration in the holdout passage to a released configuration to facilitate removal of the holdout support from the holdout passage;
the holdout support includes a first insert member and a second insert member; and
the holdout support is configured to transition from the expanded configuration to the released configuration by relatively axially displacing the second insert member relative to the first insert member.

11. The pre-expanded cover assembly unit of claim 10 wherein:
the first insert member includes an integral first handle;
the second insert member includes an integral second handle; and
the holdout support is configured to transition from the expanded configuration to the released configuration by squeezing the first and second handles toward one another.

12. The pre-expanded cover assembly unit of claim 10 wherein:
the first insert member includes a pair of opposed legs and an integral first actuator feature;
the second insert member includes an integral second actuator feature engaging the first actuator feature to hold the opposed legs in a radially expanded position;
at least one of the first and second actuator features is ramped; and
relatively axially displacing the second insert member relative to the first insert member displaces the second actuator feature relative to the first actuator feature to permit the opposed legs to move toward one another.

13. The pre-expanded cover assembly unit of claim 10 including a lock member that prevents relative axial displacement between the second insert member and the first insert member to transition from the expanded configuration to the released configuration, and is selectively removable to permit relative axial displacement between the second

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Chuang Kok Chywn
• O'Sullivan Edward
• Seraj Mahmoud K

Classifications

• H02G3/0418

  Covers or lids; Their fastenings · CPC title

• H02G1/14 Primary

  for joining or terminating cables · CPC title

• H02G15/1833

  formed of helically wound strip with adjacent windings, which are removable by applying a pulling force to a strip end · CPC title

• H01B17/58

  Tubes, sleeves, beads, or bobbins through which the conductor passes · CPC title