US 5,756,972 AGranted

Hinged connector for heating cables of various sizes

AssigneeRaychem Corporation

InventorsAnthony Vranicar, Richard S. Huang, Larry M. Edwards, Carl F. Landers, Wesley Dong, Frank Wasilewski

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Abstract

A connector for connecting an end of a first elongate electrical heating cable to an end of a first elongate electrical component such as another heating cable or a power cable. The connector includes first and second shell members which can be in a mated or demated configuration and which, when mated, form a shell having a first inlet port for the first heating cable and a second inlet port for the first electrical component. In addition, the connector includes an element for connecting electrodes of the first heating cable to elongate members of the first electrical component and a sealing assembly for holding the first heating cable in position in the first inlet port. The sealing assembly includes a hollow cylindrical ring from which gripping elements in the form of fingers extend perpendicular to the plane of the ring, a nut for making connection to the first inlet port, and a grommet which is held by the fingers and which grips the first heating cable. Also described is a connector which comprises a mirror which is inserted in a connection module containing an element for connection, the mirror being positioned so that the element for connection can be observed from outside the module. The mirror can be used as a visual indicator allowing the installer to determine when the elongate electrical component or heating cable is correctly positioned for connection.

A connector for connecting an end of a first elongate electrical heating cable to an end of a first elongate electrical component, said first heating cable comprising (a) first and second elongate electrodes, (b) a plurality of resistive heating elements connected in parallel between said electrodes, and (c) an insulating jacket surrounding said electrodes and heating elements, and said first electrical component comprising a first elongate member for connection to the first electrode and a second elongate member for connection to the second electrode, said connector comprising

(1) first and second shell members which can be in one of
(a) a demated configuration, and
(b) a mated configuration in which the shell members are in contact with each other and form a shell having (i) a first inlet port for the first heating cable, the first inlet port being a hollow cylinder having an entry at one end and an outer surface at least a part of which comprises screw threads, and (ii) a second inlet port for the first electrical component;
(2) securing means for releasably maintaining the shell members in the mated configuration;
(3) a first connection means for connecting the first electrode to the first elongate member of said first electrical component within the shell;
(4) a second connection means for connecting the second electrode to the second elongate member of said first electrical component within the shell;
and
(5) a sealing assembly suitable for sealing the first heating cable at the entry of the first inlet port, said assembly comprising
(a) a hollow cylindrical ring (i) suitable for mating to the first inlet port and (ii) from which fingers extend perpendicular to the plane of the ring,
(b) a nut which can be screwed onto the threads of the first inlet port, and
(c) a grommet which is held by the fingers and which seals around the first heating cable after installation,
said first and second connection means being positioned within a first connection module which fits within the shell when the first and second shell members are in the mated configuration.

9 more elements

Abstract

Claims20