Joint bodies and methods for covering electrical cables and connections

A method of protecting an electrical cable connection including an electrical cable, the method comprising:

• providing a joint body including:
• an expandable, elastomeric bladder sleeve defining a gel cavity and a cable passage to receive the electrical cable;
• and
• an electrically insulating gel disposed in the gel cavity and surrounding at least a portion of the cable passage;
• and
• installing the joint body on the connection such that the connection is disposed in the cable passage and is surrounded and electrically insulated by the gel;
• wherein the bladder sleeve is a double-walled, tubular sleeve defining the gel cavity between the walls thereof;
• and
• wherein the bladder sleeve includes:
• an elastomeric, electrically insulating primary bladder layer defining the gel cavity;
• an electrically conductive Faraday cage layer integral with the primary bladder layer and forming a part of an inner surface defining the cable passage;
• and
• an electrically conductive stress cone layer integral with the primary bladder layer and forming a part of the inner surface.

A protected connection assembly comprising:

• an electrical cable connection including an electrical cable;
• and
• a joint body including:
• an expandable, elastomeric bladder sleeve defining a gel cavity and a cable passage to receive the electrical cable;
• and
• an electrically insulating gel disposed in the gel cavity and surrounding at least a portion of the cable passage;
• wherein the joint body as installed on the connection such that the connection is disposed in the cable passage and is surrounded and electrically insulated by the gel;
• wherein the bladder sleeve is a double-walled, tubular sleeve defining the gel cavity between the walls thereof;
• and
• wherein the bladder sleeve includes:
• an elastomeric, electrically insulating primary bladder layer defining the gel cavity;
• an electrically conductive Faraday cage layer integral with the primary bladder layer and forming a part of an inner surface defining the cable passage;
• and
• an electrically conductive stress cone layer integral with the primary bladder layer and forming a part of the inner surface.

A method of protecting an electrical cable connection including an electrical cable, the method comprising:

• providing a joint body including:
• an expandable, elastomeric bladder sleeve defining a gel cavity and a cable passage to receive the electrical cable;
• and
• an electrically insulating gel disposed in the gel cavity and surrounding at least a portion of the cable passage;
• and
• installing the joint body on the connection such that the connection is disposed in the cable passage and is surrounded and electrically insulated by the gel;
• wherein the bladder sleeve is a double-walled, tubular sleeve defining the gel cavity between the walls thereof;
• and
• wherein:
• the joint body includes a pressurizing bladder defining a pressurizing chamber sealed off from the gel cavity;
• and
• the method further includes, after installing the joint body on the connection, injecting a pressurizing material into the pressurizing chamber to pressurize the joint body.