Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
81772778
CABLE CONNECTORS, ADAPTER ASSEMBLIES AND RELATED SYSTEMS
AND METHODS
[0001]
BACKGROUND
[0002] It is known to provide an inline, L-shaped or T-shaped adapter to
connect a
high voltage cable (e.g., one rated at above about 1 kV) to a transformer, for
example. The
adapter usually has one inwardly-tapering socket in one arm thereof that is a
push fit on to a
bushing of the transformer, and receives the stripped or terminated end of the
cable in another
arm aligned with or at right angles thereto. The socket has an electrical
contact (male or
female) for cooperating with the contact (respectively female or male) of the
bushing. The
cable may be a push-fit into said other arm, or it may be connected externally
of the adapter to
a terminal that is molded thereinto, as disclosed in European Patent
Application Publication
No. 87267. Other adapters, usually of T-shape, have the bushing and cable arms
at right
angles to each other, and a further arm with a socket aligned with the bushing
arm. Such
further arm is closed by a removable plug that may allow access to connect the
cable
mechanically and electrically to the bushing.
[0003] With these known adapters, if it is necessary to disconnect the cable
from the
transformer, or to test or repair the cable or the transformer, the adapter
has to be physically
removed from the transformer bushing, carrying the cable with it, to ensure
electrical isolation
between the cable and bushing. This action can be difficult with larger
diameter cables (e.g.,
greater than about 95 sq mm cross-section), and furthermore, can itself cause
damage to the
cable and/or the connector. Where electrical equipment other than a cable, for
example
switchgear, is to be connected, it is even more difficult and inconvenient to
move the pieces of
equipment relative to each other.
[0004] United States Patent No. 4,865,559 describes an adapter that addresses
some of
these problems by allowing electrical interconnections without significantly
affecting the
mechanical interconnections between cables and electrical equipment.
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[0005] Uses of these adapters by workers in the field are generally strictly
regulated to
provide worker safety in the presence of potentially high voltage signal
lines. Such
restrictions on use may be problematic, even when using adapters such as those
disclosed in
United States Patent No. 4,865,559.
SUMMARY
[0006] According to embodiments of the present invention, an adapter assembly
for
connecting an electrical conductor to a termination of electrical equipment,
the assembly
comprising: an adapter body having a main leg with a main leg passage defined
therein and a
cross leg with a cross leg passage defined therein, wherein the main leg
passage and the cross
leg passage intersect; and a cable connector comprising: an electrically
conductive semi-
flexible joint having first and second opposed joint ends; a first end portion
on the first joint
end, the first end portion including a body configured to mechanically and
electrically couple
with an end of the conductor; and a second end portion on the second joint
end, the second
end portion including a head configured to directly or indirectly electrically
connect the semi-
flexible joint to the termination; wherein the head is disposed in the cross
leg passage and the
semi-flexible joint is disposed in the main leg passage; wherein the head has
a contact
passageway defined therein, the contact passageway configured to receive and
contact an
electrically conductive component to electrically connect the conductor and
the electrical
equipment; wherein the semi-flexible joint is configured to enable limited
movement of the
head in the cross leg passage when the electrically conductive component is
received in and/or
contacts the contact passageway.
[0007] According to embodiments of the present invention, a cable connector
for
electrically connecting an electrical conductor to a termination of electrical
equipment, the
cable connector configured to be mounted in an adapter body having a main leg
with a main
leg passage and a cross leg with a cross leg passage that intersects the main
leg passage, the
cable connector comprising: a first end portion including a body configured to
mechanically
and electrically couple with the conductor; and a second end portion including
a head
configured to directly or indirectly electrically connect the conductor to the
termination;
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wherein the head is disposed in the cross leg passage when the cable connector
is mounted in
the adapter body; wherein the head has a contact passageway defined therein,
the contact
passageway configured to receive and contact an electrically conductive
component to
electrically connect the cable and the electrical equipment when the cable
connector is
mounted in the adapter body; wherein the cable connector further comprises a
plurality of
resilient contact members extending radially inwardly from an inner surface of
the contact
passageway, wherein at least some of the resilient contact members are
configured to
resiliently deflect inwardly toward the inner surface when the component
contacts the contact
passageway of the head.
[0008] According to embodiments of the present invention, an adapter assembly
for
connecting a cable to electrical equipment, the assembly comprising: an T-
shaped adapter
comprising: an electrically insulating body, the body including a main leg
having a main leg
passageway defined therein and a cross leg having a cross leg passageway
defined therein that
intersects with the main leg passageway, wherein the cross leg has first and
second opposite
ends; and a first electrically conductive layer on an outer surface of the
electrically insulating
body, the first electrically conductive layer extending along an entire length
of main leg, the
first electrically conductive layer extending from the first end of the cross
leg to an
intermediate point between the first and second ends, thereby forming a gap
without the first
electrically conductive layer between the intermediate point and the second
end; a cap
configured to fit over the second end of the cross leg, the cap comprising: an
electrically
insulating cap body; and a second electrically conductive layer on an outer
surface of the cap
body and wrapping around to an inner surface of the cap body such that the
second
electrically conductive layer is disposed on at least a portion of the inner
surface; wherein,
when the cap is mounted on the second end of the cross leg, the second
electrically conductive
layer on the inner surface of the cap body contacts the first electrically
conductive layer on the
cross leg.
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[0009] Further features, advantages and details of the present invention will
be
appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the
figures and the detailed
description of the preferred embodiments that follow, such description being
merely
illustrative of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Figure 1 is front view of a cable connector according to embodiments of
the
present invention.
[0011] Figure 2 is a side view of the cable connector of Figure 1.
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10012] Figure 3 is front view of a cable connector according to some other
embodiments
of the present invention.
[0013] Figure 4 is a side view of the cable connector of Figure 1
100141 Figure 5 is an exploded, sectional view of a plug assembly and a cap
assembly
according to embodiments of the present invention.
[0015] Figure 6A is a fragmentary, sectional view of a cable connection system
including the cable connector of Figures IA and 1B according to embodiments of
the present
invention.
[0016] Figure 6B is a fragmentary, sectional view of a cable connection system
including
the cable connector of Figures 2A and 2B according to embodiments of the
present invention.
[0017] Figures 7A-7D are sectional views of various plug assemblies according
to
embodiments of the present invention,
[0018] Figures 8A-8G are schematic drawings illustrating exemplary operations
according to embodiments of the present invention,
[0019] Figure 9 is front view of a cable connector according to some other
embodiments
of the present invention,
[0020] Figures 10A-10D are fragmentary, sectional views of a cable connection
system
including the cable connector of Figure 9 according to embodiments of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0021] The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with
reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrative embodiments of the
invention are shown, In
the drawings, the relative sizes of regions or features may be exaggerated for
clarity. This
invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as
limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are
provided so that this
disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of
the invention to
those skilled in the art,
[0022] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may
be used herein
to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections,
these elements,
components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these
terms, 'These terms
are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section
from another
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region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or
section discussed
below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section
without departing
from the teachings of the present invention.
10023] Spatially relative terms, such as "beneath", "below", "lower", "above",
"upper"
and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one
element or feature's
relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the
figures. It will be understood
that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different
orientations of the device in
use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For
example, if the device
in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath"
other elements or
features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus,
the exemplary
term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below, The device
may be
otherwise oriented (rotated 90 or at other orientations) and the spatially
relative descriptors used
herein interpreted accordingly.
[0024] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to
include the
plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further
understood that the
terms "includes," "comprises," "including" and/or "comprising," when used in
this specification,
specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations,
elements, and/or components,
but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,
integers, steps,
operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It will be understood
that when an
element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element,
it can be directly
connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be
present. As used
herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of
the associated
listed items.
[0025] It is noted that any one or more aspects or features described with
respect to one
embodiment may be incorporated in a different embodiment although not
specifically described
relative thereto. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment
can be combined in
any way and/or combination. Applicant reserves the right to change any
originally filed claim or
file any new claim accordingly, including the right to be able to amend any
originally filed claim
to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not
originally claimed
in that manner. These and other objects and/or aspects of the present
invention are explained in
detail in the specification set forth below.
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100261 Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific
terms) used
herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill
in the art to
which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such
as those defined in
commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is
consistent with
their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and
will not be interpreted
in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
100271 As used herein, "monolithic" means an object that is a single, unitary
piece
formed or composed of a material without joints or seams.
[0028] With reference to Figure 6A, a cable connection system 101 according to
some
embodiments of the invention is shown therein. The cable connection system 101
includes an
adapter body 100 and a cable connector 10. The cable connection system 101 may
be used to
terminate and environmentally protect an electrical cable 50 (in some
embodiments, an electrical
power transmission cable) and to enable physical and electrical connection
between the cable 50
and a termination (e.g., a bushing 116) of associated electrical equipment
118, for example. The
system 101 may include one or more alternative plug assemblies 150, 200, 212,
216 and 218
(Figures 7A-7D) that may be used to test and reconfigure the cable
termination. The system 101
may also include a cap assembly 158.
10029] The cable connector 10 is shown in Figures IA and 113. The connector 10
includes a first end portion 12 and a second opposite end portion 14.
[0030] The first end portion 12 includes a body 16, The body 16 may be formed
of any
suitable electrically conductive material such as steel, aluminum or copper. A
conductor bore 18
is defined in the body 16 and extends axially inwardly from a first end 20 of
the body 16, The
conductor bore 18 defines a conductor bore axis Al, The conductor bore 18 is
configured to
receive a conductor of a cable along the axis Al. One or more radially
extending, threaded bolt
bores 22 are defined in the body 16, Each bolt bore 22 is configured to
receive a threaded
fastener 23 to secure the conductor in the conductor bore 18 (Figure 3B). In
some embodiments,
the fasteners 23 are shear bolts, the heads of which will break off from the
shanks when
subjected to a prescribed torque. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the
clamping bolt
connector portion may be instead configured as a compression connector or
other suitable type of
connector.
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100311 The second end portion 14 of the connector 10 includes a head 24. The
head 24
may be formed of any suitable electrically conductive material such as steel,
aluminum or
copper. A contact passageway 26 is defined in the head 24. The contact
passageway 26 defines
a contact passageway axis A2, which is transverse to and, in some embodiments,
perpendicular
to or substantially perpendicular to the conductor bore axis Al. The contact
passageway 26 is
= configured to receive a component (e.g., a plug member) to electrically
connect the cable and
electrical equipment, as will be described below.
[0032] In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of resilient contact members
30 extend
radially inwardly from an inner surface 28 of the contact passageway 26. The
contact members
30 are configured to resiliently deform or deflect (i.e., toward the inner
surface 28) when a
component such as a plug member is received in the passageway 26 and urges
against the contact
members 30. The resilient contact members 30 may be springs. The resilient
contact members
30 may be formed of any suitable electrically conductive material such as
steel, aluminum or
copper. The resilient contact members 30 may extend along at least a major
portion of a length
L of the contact passageway 26. The resilient contact members 30 may be
omitted in some
embodiments.
[0033] The connector 10 includes an electrically conductive semi-flexible
joint 34
extending between the first portion 12 and the second portion 14 (i,e,,
between the body 16 and
the head 24), The term "semi-flexible" means that the joint 34 has increased
flexibility relative
to the connector body 16 and head 24. The semi-flexible joint 34 may be formed
of any suitable
electrically conductive material such as steel, aluminum or copper. In some
embodiments, the
semi-flexible joint 34 consists of a single, flexible member. In some
embodiments, the semi-
flexible joint 34 includes multiple elongate elements (e.g., a multifilament
member). The semi-
flexible joint 34 or the material from which it is formed may have a Shore A
hardness of between
about 10 and 60. In some embodiments, the semi-flexible joint 34 has a Shore A
hardness of
about 60 or less.
[0034] A first end of the semi-flexible joint 34 is received in a bore 36
defined in the
body 16. The bore 36 extends axially inwardly from a second end 40 of the body
16. A second,
opposite end of the semi-flexible joint 34 is received in a bore 38 defined in
the head 24. The
bore 38 extends axially inwardly from a first end 42 of the head 24. In some
embodiments, the
semi-flexible joint 34 is soldered in the bore 38 and/or the bore 36.
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õ.
10035] The body 16 includes a partitioning wall 43 disposed between the bores
18 and
36. The partitioning wall 43 may be formed of any suitable electrically
conductive material.
The body 16 and the partitioning wall 43 may form a monolithic structure.
[00361 The semi-flexible joint 34 may facilitate movement in the direction D1
(Figure
1A) and/or the direction D2 (Figure 1B), for example when a component such as
a plug is
received in the contact passageway 26.
[00371 An exemplary cable 50 that may be used with the connector 10 and the
system
101 is shown in Figure 3A. The cable 50 includes a primary electrical
conductor 52, a
polymeric insulation layer 54, a semiconductor layer 56 and a jacket 60. The
primary conductor
52 may be formed of any suitable electrically conductive materials such as
copper (solid or
stranded). The polymeric insulation layer 54 may be formed of any suitable
electrically
insulative material such as crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) or EPR. The
semiconductor layer
56 may be formed of any suitable semiconductor material such as carbon black
with silicone,
The jacket 60 may be formed of any suitable material such as EPDM or PVC,
[0038] According to some embodiments, the cable 50 is medium-voltage (e.g.,
between
about 5 and 35 kV) or high-voltage (e.g., between about 46 and 230 kV) power
transmission
cables.
[0039] The cable is 50 prepared as shown in Figure 3A such that a segment of
each cable
layer extends beyond the next overlying layer. Wires 58 from an
electromagnetic shield layer
are folded back onto the jacket 60. The wires 58 may be formed of any suitable
material such as
copper.
[00401 The connector 10 is mounted on the cable 50 such that the primary
electrical
conductor 52 is received in the conductor bore 18 along the conductor bore
axis Al. The cable
50 is secured in the connector 10 using fasteners 23 (e.g., shear bolts)
received in the bolt bores
22. The cable connector 10 and the cable 50 secured therein form a terminated
cable 60,
[0041] Turning to Figure 4, the adapter body 100 is T-shaped and has a tubular
main leg
104 and a tubular cross leg 106, The legs 104, 106 define respective,
intersecting inner passages
108, 110, The main leg passage 108 defines a main leg passage axis A3 and the
cross leg
passage 110 defines a cross leg passage axis A4. The cross leg 106 has a first
opening 112 at a
first end 114 of the cross leg 106. The first opening may receive a bushing
116 or other
termination associated with electrical equipment 118 (e.g., switchgear, a
transformer, etc,). The
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cross leg passage 110 includes a first portion 120 that tapers inwardly from
the first end 114 of
the cross leg 106. The first portion 120 is shaped and sized to receive the
bushing 116 or other
termination.
10042] The cross leg 106 has a second opening 122 at an opposing second end
124 of the
cross leg 106. The second opening 122 may receive a plug assembly, for
example, as will be
described in more detail below. Second and third portions 126, 128 of the
passage 110 taper
inwardly from the second end 124 of the cross leg 106. The second and third
portions 126, 128
may be shaped and sized to receive various plug assemblies.
[00431 The main leg 104 includes an end opening 130 through which the cable
connector
and/or the terminated cable 60 may be received along the main leg passage axis
Al As
shown in Figure 6A, the connector 10 may be press-fit in the adapter body 100
such that at least
a portion of the head 24 of the connector 10 resides in the cross leg passage
110. Specifically,
the connector 10 may be inserted in the adapter body 100 such that the contact
passageway axis
A2 (Figure 1B) is parallel to or substantially parallel to and, in some
embodiments, coincides or
generally coincides with the cross leg passage axis A4 (Figure 4).
[0044] According to some embodiments and as illustrated, the adapter body 100
has an
electrical insulation layer 102. The insulation layer 102 may be formed of an
elastomer.
According to some embodiments, the insulation layer 102 is formed of EPDM.
According to
some embodiments, the insulation layer 102 is formed of LSR. Other suitable
materials may
include neoprene, silicone rubber or other rubber.
[0045] The adapter body 100 includes inner electrically conductive shield
screens or
layers 130, 132. The adapter body 100 includes an outer electrically
conductive screen or layer
134. The screen layers 130, 132, 134 may be permanently bonded to the
insulation layer 102.
According to some embodiments, the screen layers 130, 132, 134 are formed of
conductive
EPDM or LSR. According to some embodiments, each layer 102, 130, 132, 134 has
a Modulus
at 100 percent elongation (M100) in the range of from about 0.65 to 3.5 MPa.
[0046] In some embodiments, and as shown in Figure 4, the outer electrically
conductive
layer 134 does not extend to the second end 124 of the cross leg 106, thereby
forming an axially
extending, circumferential gap region G between the second end 124 and the
electrically
conductive screen layer 134. In the gap region G, a circumferential outer
surface portion 135 of
the insulation layer 102 is exposed.
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1004171 An exploded view of a plug assembly 150 according to some embodiments
is
illustrated in Figure 5 along with a cap assembly 158. The plug assembly 150
includes an
electrically conductive plug member 152 and an electrically insulating plug
member 156. The
electrically conductive plug member 152 includes an electrically conductive
raised contact
member 154, which is configured to reside within the contact passageway 26 of
the connector
10, as will be discussed below. The electrically insulating plug member 156 is
configured to
electrically insulate an end face of the electrically conductive plug member
152.
[0048] The cap assembly 158 includes an electrically insulating body 160 and a
tab 162.
An aperture 164 is defined in the tab 162. An electrically conductive shield
screen or layer 166
is provided on an outer surface of the body 160 and tab 162. In some
embodiments, and as
illustrated in Figure 5, the electrically conductive screen layer 166 wraps
around the cap body
160 such that a portion 168 of the electrically conductive screen layer 166 is
disposed on an
inner surface 170 of the cap body 160.
[0049] The cap body 160 may be formed of an elastomer. According to some
=
embodiments, the cap body 160 is formed of EPDM. According to some
embodiments, the cap
body 160 is formed of LSR. Other suitable materials may include neoprene,
silicone rubber or
other rubber, The screen layer 166 may be permanently bonded to the cap body
160 and/or the
tab 162. According to some embodiments, the screen layer 166 is formed of
conductive EPDM
or LSR.
[0050] Turning now to Figure 6A, the connector 10 and/or the terminated cable
60 may
be received through the end opening 130 and push-fit into the adapter body
100. Specifically,
the connector 10 and/or the cable 50 may be pushed through the main leg
passage 108 until a
portion of the head 24 of the connector 10 extends into the cross leg passage
110 (this
configuration is also shown in Figure 8D). The head 24 is positioned such that
the contact
passageway 26 (Figure 1A) is disposed in the cross leg passage 110. The
electrically conductive
screen layer 130 encloses or surrounds the connector 10 within a Faraday cage.
The electrically
conductive screen layer 132 may serve as a stress cone layer to redistribute
the voltage along the
surface of the cable insulation 54 to reduce or prevent the degradation of the
insulation 54 that
might otherwise occur.
[0051] Thereafter, the plug assembly 150 is inserted through the second
opening 122 and
into the cross leg passage 110. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6A, an
aperture 176 of the
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electrically conductive plug member 152 receives a pin 174 of the bushing 116,
The raised
contact member 154 of the electrically conductive plug member 152 (Figure 5)
is received in the
contact passageway 26 of the connector 10, The semi-flexible joint 34 may
facilitate alignment
of the electrically conductive plug member 152 and/or the plug assembly 150 as
it is installed in
the cross leg passage 110, Specifically, the semi-flexible joint 34 may allow
the head 24 of the
connector 10 to move in the directions D1 and D2 (Figures 1A and 1B) as the
raised contact
member 154 of the electrically conductive plug member 152 is seated within the
contact
passageway 26 of the head 24. Where used, the resilient contact members 30
(Figure 1A) may
provide additional flexibility to further facilitate alignment. Some of the
resilient contact
members 30 may deflect inwardly toward the contact passageway inner surface 28
more than
other of the resilient contact members 30.
[0052] The semi-flexible joint 34 and/or the resilient contact members 30 can
accommodate misalignment of the contact passageway 26 and the raised contact
member 154 of
the electrically conductive plug member 152 due to installation variance
and/or manufacturing
tolerances, for example. Thus, the semi-flexible joint 34 and/or the resilient
contact members 30
may facilitate self-alignment of the electrically conductive plug member 152
as it is installed in
the cross leg passage 110 and as the aperture 176 of the electrically
conductive plug member 152
receives the pin 174 of the equipment bushing 116. The semi-flexible joint 34
may allow the
head 24 to have limited movement or "float" in the passage 110.
[0053] Also shown in Figure 6A is a fixation member 180 that may help
mechanically
secure the adapter body 100 to the equipment 118. In this regard, the adapter
body 100 and
components installed therein do not simply rely on the mechanical connection
provided by the
pin 174 of the bushing 116. The fixation member 180 may be secured to the main
leg 104 by
any suitable attachment or connection; for example, a bracket 182 may be
provided on the main
leg 104. The bracket 182 may be an L-bracket or a bracket with curvature to
match the contour
of the main leg 104.
[0054] With the cap assembly 158 installed, the electrically conductive screen
layer 134
on the adapter body cross leg 106 extends to and makes physical and electrical
contact with the
electrically conductive screen layer portion 168 on the inner surface 170 of
the cap body 160.
This overlapping area is shown at 184 in Figure 6A. This arrangement helps to
ensure
continuity of the conductive layers from the adapter body 100 to the cap
assembly 158, When
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the cap assembly 158 and/or the plug assembly 150 are removed, the exposed
outer surface
portion 135 of the insulation layer 102 may provide improved electrical
breakdown performance
as the insulating path from live to earth is longer, As will now be further
described, such an
arrangement may provide for improved ease and safety of access to the
electrical connection
between the cable 50 and the electrical equipment 118.
10055) Safety and legal requirements related to accessing high voltage
connection points
including those described above may create difficulties in accessing such
locations to change
configurations, perform tests and the like. The configuration shown in Figure
6A may improve
both the ease and safety of such access, for example using operations
described below.
[0056] First, the power of the equipment 118 is switched off. As shown in
Figure 8A, a
technician may then use a hot stick 190 to remove the cap assembly 158. The
hot stick 190 may
engage the aperture 164 of the tab 162 (Figure 5). The cap assembly 158 may be
safely
removed due to the full screening of the cap assembly 158. The technician may
next use the hot
stick 190 to remove the electrically insulating plug member 156, as shown in
Figure 811,
[0057] After removing the electrically insulating plug member 156, the
technician may
use a voltage test device 192 to confirm that the power is off, as shown in
Figure 8C, The
voltage test device 192 contacts the electrically conductive plug member 152
to confirm a
voltage level of the electrically conductive plug member 152 and to determine
whether it is safe
to remove the electrically conductive plug member 152, This testing is based
on a live metal
connection as the electrically conductive plug member 152 is directly
connected to the pin 174 of
the equipment bushing 116 and is electrically connected to the cable 50 by the
connector 10,
This testing based on a live metal connection is generally more reliable than
capacitive coupling.
100581 Once the test confirms it is safe to remove the electrically conductive
plug
member 152, the electrically conductive plug member 152 may be removed using
the hot stick
190, as shown in Figure 8D, At this point, a number of different plug
assemblies for different
grounding or testing configurations may then be inserted through the opening
122 and into the
passage 110. Exemplary plug assemblies are shown in Figures 7A-7D,
[0059] An equipment earthing plug 200 is illustrated in Figure 7A, The
equipment
earthing plug 200 includes an electrically insulating portion 202 and an
electrically conductive
portion 204 that extends from a grounding receptacle 206 (e.g., a hexagonal
nut) to an aperture
208 that is configured to receive the equipment bushing pin 174 (Figure 8D).
The equipment
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earthing plug 200 allows for grounding the equipment bushing pin 174 without
grounding the
cable SO (Figure 8D). The electrically insulating portion 202 electrically
isolates the contact
member 210 (received in the contact passageway 26 of the connector 10) see
Figure 1A) from
the electrically conductive portion 204.
[0060] A cable earthing plug 212 is shown in Figure 7B. The electrically
conductive
portion 204 extends from the grounding receptacle 206 to the contact member
210. A second
electrically insulating portion 214 is provided between the aperture 208 and
the contact member =
210. The cable earthing plug 212 allows for grounding of the cable without
grounding of the
equipment bushing pin 174.
[0061] The equipment earthing plug 200 and the cable earthing plug 212 serve
to
electrically isolate the equipment and the cable such that one or the other
may be grounded. A
cable and equipment earthing plug 216 is illustrated in Figure 7C. The
electrically insulating
portion 202 does not serve to electrically isolate the contact member 210 from
the electrically
conductive portion 204. As such, the cable and equipment earthing plug 216
allows for
grounding the equipment bushing pin 174 and grounding the cable 50.
[0062] Finally, as shown in Figure 7D, an insulating plug 218 may be provided.
The
insulating plug 218 includes electrically insulating portions 220, 222 to
electrically isolate both
the equipment bushing pin 174 and the cable 50,
[0063] Referring to Figure 8E, the hot stick 190 may be used to insert the
cable earthing
plug 212 into the adapter 100 such that the equipment bushing pin 174 is
received in the aperture
208. The contact member 210 (Figure 7B) is received in and contacts the
contact passageway
26 of the connector 10 (Figure 1A). The voltage test device 192 may be used to
contact the
receptacle 206 or a pin 230 extending therefrom (e.g., to confirm that the
power is off) as
illustrated in Figure 8F. As shown in Figure 8G, the hot stick 190 may be used
to connect an
earthing device 232 including a cable/wire 234 extending therefrom to ground
the cable 50.
[0064] A cable connector 10' according to some other embodiments is shown in
Figures
2A and 2B, The connector 10' includes a first end portion 12' including a body
16' and a second
end portion 14' including a head 24', The first and second end portions 12',
14', the body 16'
and the head 24' may be configured in the same manner as the end portions 12,
14, the body 16
and the head 24 of the connector 10 except a semi-flexible joint does not
extend between the first
and second end portions 12', 14'. The body 16' and the head 24' of the
connector 10 may form
13
CA 02821294 2013-07-18
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Attorney Docket No. 5487-344
a monolithic structure. Figure 3C illustrates the connector 10' mounted on the
cable 50. The
connector 10' and the cable 50 secured therein form a terminated cable 60'.
Figure 6B shows a
system 101' having the same general configuration as Figure 6A but with the
connector 10' and
the cable 50 within the main leg passage 108,
[0065] A cable connector 10" according to further embodiments of the invention
is
illustrated in Figure 9. The cable connector 10" includes first and second end
portions 12",
14", body 16" and head 24". The first and second end portions 12", 14", body
16" and head
24" may be configured in the same manner as the end portions 12', 14', body
16' and head 24' of
the connector 10' except as follows,
10066] The cable connector 10" includes an electrically conductive elongated
member
extending 240 between the body 16" and the head 24". The elongated member 240
may bc
substantially rigid. In some embodiments, the body 16", the head 24" and the
elongated
member 240 form a monolithic structure, In some embodiments, the elongated
member 240 is a
semi-flexible member and allows for limited multi-dimensional movement of the
head 24" as
described above in connection with the connector 10 and the semi-flexible
joint 34. In other
embodiments, the elongated member 240 is substantially inflexible in service,
[0067] The connector 10" may be molded into a T-shaped adapter body 100'. The
= adapter body 100' may be configured in the same manner as the adapter
body 100 except as
follows. The adapter body 100' may include an inner electrically conductive
screen or layer 242
that encloses or surrounds the elongated member 240 and/or the head 24" of the
connector 10".
The adapter body 100' may include an outer electrically conductive screen or
layer 244 on the
main leg 104 of the adapter body 100'.
[0068] As illustrated, the body 16" of the connector 10" may be provided
outside the
adapter body 100'. As shown in Figures 10A and 10B, the primary electrical
conductor 52 of
the cable 50 may be received in the conductor bore 18 of the connector 10".
[0069] In some embodiments, a splice body 310 and an outer sleeve (or re-
jacket) 320 are
provided. As illustrated, a cable connection system 101" may include the
connector 10", the
adapter body 100', the cable 50, the splice body 310 and the outer sleeve 320,
[0070] The splice body 310 includes a primary insulation sleeve or layer 312,
a tubular
Faraday cage layer 314 and a pair of tubular stress cone layers 316. The
primary insulation layer
312 is tubular and generally forms the bulk of the splice body 310 except for
the Faraday cage
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Attorney Docket No, 5487-344
layer 314 and the stress cone layers 316. According to some embodiments, the
splice body 310
is unitarily molded.
[0071] The primary insulation layer 312 can be formed of any suitable
material.
According to some embodiments, the primary insulation layer 312 is formed of a
dielectric or
electrically insulative material. According to some embodiments, the primary
insulation layer
312 is formed of an elastically expandable material, According to some
embodiments, the
primary insulation layer 312 is formed of an elastomeric material. According
to some
embodiments, the primary insulation layer 312 is formed of liquid silicone
rubber (LSR), Other
suitable materials may include EPDM or ethylene propylene rubber (EPR).
According to some
embodiments, the primary insulation layer 312 has a Modulus at 100 percent
elongation (M100)
in the range of from about 0,4 to 0.52 MPa.
[0072] The Faraday cage layer 314 is a generally tubular sleeve bonded to the
inner
surface of the primary insulation layer 312. The Faraday cage layer 314 may be
formed of a
suitable elastically conductive elastomer. In use, and as shown in Figures 10C
and 10D, the
Faraday cage layer 314 may form a Faraday cage about the exposed body 16 of
the connector
10".
[0073] The stress cone layers 316 are axially spaced apart, generally tubular
sleeves
bonded to the inner surface of the primary insulation layer 312 at opposing
end portions of the
splice body 310. The stress cone layers 316 may be formed of a suitable
electrically conductive
elastomer. In use, the stress cone layers 316 may serve to redistribute the
voltage along the
surface of the cable insulation 54 and/or the electrically insulating layer
102 of the adapter 100'
to reduce or prevent the degradation of the insulation 60 and/or the
electrically insulating layer
102 that might otherwise occur.
[0074] The outer sleeve 320 can be formed of any suitable material, According
to some
embodiments, the outer sleeve 320 is formed of an electrically insulative
material. According to
some embodiments, the outer sleeve 320 is formed of an elastically expandable
material.
According to some embodiments, the outer sleeve 320 is formed of an
elastomeric material.
According to some embodiments, the outer sleeve 320 is formed of ethylene
propylene diene
monomer (EPDM) rubber. Other suitable materials may include neoprene or other
rubber.
According to some embodiments, the outer sleeve 320 has a Modulus at 100
percent elongation
CA 02821294 2013-07-18
Attorney Docket No, 5487-344
(M100) in the range of from about 0.6 to 1.1 MPa. According to some
embodiments, the outer
sleeve 320 is unitarily molded,
=
100751 According to some embodiments, the splice body 310 and/or the outer
sleeve 320
are cold shrink covers, meaning that they can be shrunk or retracted to their
final position
without requiring the use of applied heat.
[0076] According to some embodiments, the splice body 310 and/or the outer
sleeve 320
may be deployed using a holdout to radially contract and reach their final
position.
=
[0077] Electrically conductive screens or layers may be provided as a layer of
the splice
body 310 or the outer sleeve 320 or may be applied to an outer surface of the
adapter body 100'.
The adapter body 100' and the cap assembly 150 may include electrically
conductive screens or
layers in the arrangement described above and as shown in Figures 6A and 68,
for example.
[0078] Although T-shaped adapters are described above, it is contemplated that
elbow or
L-shaped adapters may be used in connection with the connectors 10, 10', 10",
For example, a
plug may be integrated with the head 24, 24', 24" of the connectors 10, 10',
10", which may be
disposed in an L-shaped adapter to electrically connect the cable and the
electrical equipment.
[0079] The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be
construed as
limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have
been described,
those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are
possible in the
exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the teachings and
advantages of this
invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included
within the scope of
this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the
following claims, with
equivalents of the claims to be included therein,
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