Non-return valve for a resin injection system and resin injection system incorporating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9570894-B2
Application number	US-201314384403-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2013
Priority date	Mar 29, 2012
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides a non-return valve for a resin injection system, especially for use in electrical cable joints, comprising: a valve housing which includes an outlet for a fluid flowing through the valve; and a valve body which is held by the valve housing and is freely movable between a closed position, in which the outlet is substantially sealed or closed to fluid flow by the valve body, and an open position, in which the outlet is substantially open to fluid flow. Thus, with the present invention, the valve body can be loosely held by the valve housing and the valve need not include any spring means to bias the valve body to the closed position. The invention also provides a resin injection system for sealing a localized breach in an object, such as an electrical cable joint.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A resin injection system for sealing a joint or breach in an electrical cable, comprising:
a spacer material for application to the joint or breach, the spacer material being resiliently deformable and at least locally permeable to a fluid;
a non-return valve, for positioning on the spacer material applied to the joint or breach; and
a fluid resin for introduction through the valve into the spacer material applied to the joint or breach,
wherein the non-return valve comprises:
i. a valve housing which includes an outlet for a fluid flowing through the valve; and
ii. a valve body which is held by the valve housing and is freely movable between a closed position, in which the outlet is substantially sealed or closed to fluid flow by the valve body, and an open position, in which the outlet is substantially open to fluid flow,
wherein the valve housing comprises a flange member configured as a footing to support the valve on the spacer material of the resin injection system, and
wherein the valve body is configured to seat against the flange member in the closed position and/or to project beyond the flange member in the open position.

2. A resin injection system according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer material is formed in as a substantially flexible sheet or strip which is able to be wrapped around the cable joint or breach to be sealed, the spacer material being substantially porous and/or having an open mesh-like structure.

3. A resin injection system according to claim 1 , comprising means for substantially confining the fluid resin introduced into the spacer material applied to the joint or breach to retain the resin localised at the joint or breach until the resin cures, wherein the confining means comprises a fluid impermeable cover layer for covering or enclosing the spacer material applied to the joint or breach and for preventing escape of the fluid resin.

4. A resin injection system according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid resin is provided in a container having an outlet which is insertable into the valve housing of the non-return valve for introduction of the resin through the valve and into the spacer material applied to the joint or breach, wherein the outlet of the resin container is configured to interact with the non-return valve to move the valve body to the open position.

5. A resin injection system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve body is not biased to the closed position.

6. A resin injection system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve body includes a contact member which projects beyond or out of the valve housing in the open position for contact with the spacer material of the resin injection system.

7. A resin injection system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve body includes a closure member which is larger than the outlet such that the closure member substantially fully covers and/or obstructs the outlet in the closed position.

8. A resin injection system according to claim 7 , wherein the closure member comprises a plate member having a diameter which is larger than a diameter of the outlet, such that the plate member substantially fully covers the outlet in the closed position.

9. A resin injection system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve housing comprises a tubular member and the valve body is at least partially held and movable within the tubular member, wherein the outlet of the valve is at one end region of the tubular member.

10. A resin injection system according to claim 9 , wherein a valve seat against which the valve body is configured to engage or to seat in the closed position surrounds the outlet at said end region of the tubular member, wherein the flange member extends radially outwardly from said end region of the tubular member.

11. A resin injection system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve housing includes an inlet configured to receive a nozzle or spout of a resin container for introducing resin through the valve, the inlet comprising connection means for effecting mechanical connection with the nozzle or spout.

12. A resin injection system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve body includes at least one latch member for engagement with a retainer element of the valve housing to limit movement of the valve body to the open position and to retain the valve body in connection with the valve housing.

13. A resin injection system according to claim 12 , wherein the valve body includes a closure member, and wherein the at least one latch member is elongate and extends from the closure member of the valve body into the valve housing in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the valve body between the closed position and the open position, wherein the at least one latch member is resiliently deformable and includes a lateral projection at an end region thereof for engagement with the retainer element of the valve housing in the open position, the retainer element comprising a radially inwardly projecting shoulder or edge region in the valve housing.

14. A resin injection system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve body includes one or more guide member for assisting movement of the valve body from the closed position to the open position, wherein each guide member presents an engagement surface for engagement by a nozzle or spout of a resin container inserted into the valve housing, such that the valve body can be moved or pushed by the nozzle or spout into the open position.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Schubert Bernd
• Roehling Werner
• Karkowski Rolf

Classifications

• H02G1/16 Primary

  for repairing insulation or armouring of cables · CPC title

• H02G1/14 Primary

  for joining or terminating cables · CPC title

• B29C65/483

  Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives · CPC title

• H02G15/003

  Filling materials, e.g. solid or fluid insulation · CPC title

• B29C2045/14557

  coating spliced fibres or cables, e.g. optical fiber splices or junctions · CPC title