Covers for distribution lines and insulators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9741476-B2
Application number	US-201514618624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2015
Priority date	Feb 10, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A protective cover assembly for an electrical power distribution line conductor mounted on a horizontally oriented post insulator includes an insulator cover and a retaining pin. The insulator cover includes a cover body defining an insulator cavity configured to receive the insulator and a mounting bracket integral with the cover body. The mounting bracket defines a bracket slot having a bottom entry opening configured to receive the horizontally oriented insulator to couple the cover body to the insulator. The retaining pin is configured to close off the bottom entry opening to secure the insulator cover to the insulator. The cover body is formed of a flexible first material and the mounting bracket is formed of a second material that is more rigid than the first material.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A protective cover assembly for an electrical power distribution line conductor mounted on a horizontally oriented post insulator, the protective cover assembly comprising: an insulator cover including: a cover body defining an insulator cavity configured to receive the insulator; and a mounting bracket integral with the cover body, the mounting bracket defining a bracket slot having a bottom entry opening configured to receive the horizontally oriented insulator to couple the cover body to the insulator; and a retaining pin configured to span and positively close off the bottom entry opening of the bracket slot to secure the insulator cover to the insulator; wherein the cover body is formed of a flexible first material and the mounting bracket is formed of a second material that is more rigid than the first material.

2. The protective cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket is configured to fit loosely about the insulator when the protective cover assembly is installed on the insulator.

3. The protective cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover body and the mounting bracket are each formed of a polymeric material.

4. The protective cover assembly of claim 3 wherein:
first material of the cover body has a tensile strength of less than about 2000 psi; and
the second material of the mounting bracket has a tensile strength of at least about 3000 psi.

5. The protective cover assembly of claim 3 wherein: the first material of the cover body has a secant modulus in the range of from about 10,000 to 25,000 psi; and the second material of the mounting bracket has a secant modulus in the range of from about 29,000 to 120,000 psi.

6. The protective cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket is affixed to the cover body by fasteners.

7. The protective cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket includes a pair of laterally spaced apart lock tabs each including a hole to receive the retaining pin.

8. The protective cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket is inverted U-shaped.

9. The protective cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket includes:
a bracket body attached to the cover body; and
a reinforcement flange projecting axially from the bracket body.

10. The protective cover assembly of claim 9 wherein the reinforcement flange is inverted U-shaped.

11. The protective cover assembly of claim 1 including a plurality of integral connector members to secure the cover body to the conductor when the protective cover assembly is installed on the insulator, wherein the connector members are formed of a more rigid material than the first material of the cover body.

12. The protective cover assembly of claim 11 wherein the connector members are resilient clips.

13. The protective cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover body defines:
a bottom opening contiguous with the insulator cavity;
a front wall; and
a bottom opening rear end slot contiguous with the insulator cavity and located opposite the front wall, the rear end slot being configured to receive the horizontally oriented insulator.

14. The protective cover assembly of claim 13 wherein the mounting bracket is affixed to the cover body adjacent the rear end slot.

15. The protective cover assembly of claim 13 wherein the cover body includes:
a shroud section including the insulator cavity; and
a pair of integral legs extending laterally from the shroud section in opposing directions, the legs each defining a bottom opening channel communicating with the insulator cavity and configured to receive a section of the conductor when the protective cover assembly is installed on the insulator.

16. The protective cover assembly of claim 15 wherein the legs include flexible corrugated joint sections.

17. The protective cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket is separately formed from the cover body and is affixed to the cover body.

18. A method for forming an environmentally protected insulator assembly including an electrical power distribution line conductor mounted on a horizontally oriented post insulator, the method comprising: providing an insulator cover comprising: a cover body defining an insulator cavity configured to receive the insulator; and a mounting bracket integral with the cover body, the mounting bracket defining a bracket slot having a bottom entry opening configured to receive the horizontally oriented insulator to couple the cover body to the insulator; and mounting the insulator cover on the conductor and the horizontally oriented insulator such that the insulator is received in the insulator cavity and into the bracket slot through the bottom entry opening; and installing a retaining pin in the mounting bracket to span and positively close off the bottom entry opening of the bracket slot to secure the insulator cover to the insulator; wherein the cover body is formed of a flexible first material and the mounting bracket is formed of a second material that is more rigid than the first material.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein, following the step of installing the retaining pin in the mounting bracket, the retaining pin and the mounting bracket collectively fully encircle the insulator.

20. An environmentally protected insulator assembly comprising: a horizontally oriented post insulator; an electrical power distribution line conductor mounted on the horizontally oriented post insulator; an insulator cover comprising: a cover body defining an insulator cavity configured to receive the insulator; and a mounting bracket integral with the cover body, the mounting bracket defining a bracket slot having a bottom entry opening configured to receive the horizontally oriented insulator; wherein the insulator cover is mounted on the conductor and the horizontally oriented insulator such that the insulator is received in the insulator cavity and the bracket slot; and a retaining pin installed in the mounting bracket to span and positively close off the bottom entry opening of the bracket slot to secure the insulator cover to the insulator; wherein the cover body is formed of a flexible first material and the mounting bracket is formed of a second material that is more rigid than the first material.

21. The environmentally protected insulator assembly of claim 20 wherein the retaining pin and the mounting bracket collectively fully encircle the insulator.

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp
• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Hiller Laura
• Bowling David

Classifications

• H01B17/00

  Insulators or insulating bodies characterised by their form · CPC title

• H01B19/00 Primary

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing insulators or insulating bodies {(manufacture of porcelain for electric insulation C04B33/26)} · CPC title

• H02G7/00

  Overhead installations of electric lines or cables (installations of bus-bars H02G5/00) · CPC title

• H02G1/02

  for overhead lines or cables · CPC title