Tyco Electronics Raychem Nv

Bellsouth Corporation

Thomas E McNeal

Valere Buekers

Dirk Roosen

Dirk Deroost

Filip Vandeputte

Els Timmermans

Methods for providing a cable closure enclosing a cable splice include wrapping a flexible wrap including a gel layer and a flexible support layer around the cable splice with the gel layer adjacent the cable splice. The gel layer may have an adhesion-reducing substance applied on at least part of a surface of the gel layer facing away from the flexible support layer and a removable cover layer may be applied to a surface of the gel layer facing away from the flexible support layer on which the adhesion-reducing substance is not applied. The wrap is gathered into overlapping wrinkles around at least one longitudinal end of the cable splice without applying heat, other external energy source or catalytic agent to allow the gel layer to seal the at least one longitudinal end of the cable splice.

Methods for cable sealing

A flexible wrap () for enclosing a cable splice () without external heating includes a gel layer () and a support layer (). The wrap has sufficient flexibility to be manually gathered into wrinkles around the smaller parts of the cable-to-splice transition with the gel sealing the resulting enclosure. The support layer (), which is preferably made of low density polyethylene, provides mechanical strength and facilitates the application of the wrap (). A vapour barrier layer (), preferably made of aluminium, may be applied on the support layer (). A protective layer () may be applied on the vapour barrier layer (). An adhesion-reducing substance () may be applied on at least part of the side of the gel layer () facing away from the support layer () to allow adjustment of the wrap () when applied on the cable splice (). Elastic or rubber tape () maybe wound around the applied wrap () to compress the gel. A re-enterable closure having a long sealing length may be obtained.

Cable sealing

A method and apparatus for enclosing a splice joining at least first and second cable segments prevents water from entering the splice. The apparatus includes a flexible reservoir sealingly attachable to a sealing surface of an end plate assembly. The end plate assembly is sealingly attachable to the cable segments. The pressurized splice closure sections sealingly engage one another and the end plates. The method includes forming a reservoir about the splice, sealing the reservoir to the first and second conductor segments or to the end plates, forming an opening in the reservoir, pouring a curable encapsulant into the reservoir, working the encapsulant into intersitices between the conductors in the cable segments, sealing the reservoir, enclosing the reservoir in a splice closure and pressurizing the splice closure. This method combines a curable encapsulant such as a two-part polyurethane with a pressurized closure such as a 2-type, gas pressurized closure.

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Hanceville, AL, United States of America

Thomas E McNeal