Bending strain relief assembly for marine cables incorporating at least one elongated stiffness member

A bending strain relief (BSR) assembly that limits the bending strain and radius of an associated cable, the BSR assembly comprising:

• a coupler having a first end and an opposite second end with a longitudinal inner surface that extends from the first end to the second end;
• a first elongated BSR member having a proximal end and a distal end spaced from the proximal end along a longitudinal axis with an inner arcuate surface that extends between the proximal end and the distal end, the first BSR member dimensioned for attachment to the coupler along a portion of an interface surface along the second end of the coupler and the proximal end of the first BSR member such that the inner arcuate surface is aligned with the longitudinal inner surface of the coupler;
• and
• a second elongated BSR member having a proximal end and a distal end spaced from the proximal end of the second elongated BSR member along the longitudinal axis with an inner arcuate surface, the second BSR member dimensioned for attachment to the coupler along a portion of the interface surface along the second end of the coupler and the proximal end of the second BSR member such that the inner arcuate surface of the second elongated BSR member is aligned with the longitudinal inner surface of the coupler;
• wherein the associated cable is configured to be supported within the longitudinal inner surface and the inner arcuate surfaces of the first and second elongated BSR members;
• axially spaced, rigid support members received in each of the elongated BSR members;
• and
• stiffness members received in at least one of the elongated BSR members and extending in an axial direction between the proximal and distal ends of a respective BSR member, and having a first end secured to one of the rigid support members, the stiffness members disposed in circumferential surrounding relation in the first and second elongated BSR members, wherein the stiffness members are wavy stiffness members and are disposed in multiple layers in the first and second elongated BSR members, where the multiple layers of wavy stiffness members are spaced in a radial direction where the radial direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.