Automatic cable splice

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10498052-B2
Application number	US-201615357455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2016
Priority date	Oct 23, 2013
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A cable splice includes a casing, a guide, and a pilot cup. The casing has a first opening and an interior cavity. The guide includes a receiving end and a shaft extending at least partially into the interior cavity. The pilot cup is integrally formed with the guide and frangibly connected to the shaft. The cable splice may also include a clamp positioned in the interior cavity and moveable between a loading position and a terminated position. A biasing member urges the clamp into the terminated position. During movement of the clamp from the loading position to the terminated position, the clamp contacts the guide causing at least a portion of the shaft to exit the interior cavity. The guide may also include a rib and a slot allowing the guide to fit in casings having different sized interior cavities.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable splice comprising:
a casing having an opening and an interior cavity at least partially defined by an interior wall;
a clamp positioned in the interior cavity and moveable between a loading position and a terminal position;
a biasing member biasing the clamp toward the terminal position;
a guide including a shaft extending through the opening of the casing, the shaft including a receiving end and an inner end opposite the receiving end, at least a portion of the shaft positioned in the interior cavity and retained against removal through the opening by a projection extending from the shaft to engage the interior wall; and
a pilot cup connected to the shaft by a frangible coupling, the pilot cup holding the clamp in the loading position against a force of the biasing member.

2. The cable splice of claim 1 , wherein the frangible coupling includes a series of openings formed between an end of the pilot cup and the inner end of the shaft.

3. The cable splice of claim 1 , wherein the pilot cup is initially placed in the clamp to maintain the clamp in the loading position.

4. The cable splice of claim 3 , wherein the pilot cup is detachable from the guide shaft and moveable through the clamp to allow the clamp to move from the loading position to the terminal position.

5. The cable splice of claim 4 , wherein during movement of the clamp from the loading position to the terminal position, the clamp contacts the guide causing a portion of the shaft to pass through the opening.

6. The cable splice of claim 5 , wherein the projection prevents the shaft from completely exiting the interior cavity through the opening.

7. The cable splice of claim 1 , wherein the guide comprises a rib and a slot.

8. The cable splice of claim 1 ,
wherein the casing includes an inner surface tapering toward the opening at one end thereof and defining the interior cavity,
wherein the clamp includes jaw members tapering toward ends thereof positioned proximate the opening, the jaw members movable toward the opening and radially toward one another in a direction toward the terminal position, the jaw members movable away from the opening and away from one another in a direction toward the loading position, the jaw members restrained against axial movement relative to one another, and
wherein the pilot cup is located between the jaw members to maintain the jaw members in the loading position and prevent radially inward movement of the jaw members toward one another, the pilot cup movable completely through the jaw members due a cable passing therein causing separation of the pilot cup from the guide, thereby allowing movement of the jaw members to the terminal position.

9. The cable splice of claim 1 , wherein the pilot cup has an inner diameter aligned with an inner diameter of the shaft.

10. The cable splice of claim 1 , wherein the projection encircles the shaft.

11. The cable splice of claim 1 , wherein the projection has a right-trapezoidal shape in transverse cross section.

12. The cable splice of claim 1 , wherein the projection includes a front surface extending radially from the shaft and rear wall extending at an oblique angle to the front surface.

13. A cable splice comprising:
a casing having an opening and an interior cavity at least partially defined by an interior wall;
a clamp positioned in the interior cavity and moveable between a loading position and a terminal position;
a biasing member biasing the clamp toward the terminal position;
a guide including a shaft extending through the opening of the casing and a stop extending from the shaft toward the interior wall, the shaft including a receiving end and an inner end opposite the receiving end; and
a pilot cup connected to the shaft by a frangible coupling, the pilot cup holding the clamp in the loading position against a force of the biasing member.

14. The cable splice of claim 13 , wherein the frangible coupling includes a series of openings formed between an end of the pilot cup and the inner end of the shaft.

15. The cable splice of claim 13 , wherein during movement of the clamp from the loading position to the terminal position, the clamp contacts the guide causing a portion of the shaft to pass through the opening.

16. The cable splice of claim 15 , wherein the stop prevents the shaft from completely exiting the interior cavity though the opening.

17. The cable splice of claim 13 ,
wherein the casing includes an inner surface tapering toward the opening at one end thereof and defining the interior cavity,
wherein the clamp includes jaw members tapering toward ends thereof positioned proximate the opening, the jaw members movable toward the opening and radially toward one another in a direction toward the terminal position, the jaw members movable away from the opening and away from one another in a direction toward the loading position, the jaw members restrained against axial movement relative to one another, and
wherein the pilot cup is located between the jaw members to maintain the jaw members in the loading position and prevent radially inward movement of the jaw members toward one another, the pilot cup movable completely through the jaw members due a cable passing therein causing separation of the pilot cup from the guide, thereby allowing movement of the jaw members to the terminal position.

18. The cable splice of claim 13 , wherein the stop encircles the shaft.

19. The cable splice of claim 13 , wherein the stop has a right-trapezoidal shape in transverse cross section.

20. The cable splice of claim 13 , wherein the projection includes a front surface extending radially from the shaft and rear wall extending at an oblique angle to the front surface.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Diop Seydou
• Zelazny Paul
• Sakmar John

Classifications

• H01R4/52

  which is spring loaded · CPC title

• H01R4/4872 Primary

  axially compressed to retain wire end · CPC title