AU2012202365B2 - Cable clamp - Google Patents

Abstract

A cable clamping unit for clamping a cable including: a first and second mating units for clamping around the cable, each of the mating units further including a soft sleeve for engaging the cable, the sleeves being at least semi permanently attached to a corresponding mating unit.

Description

- 1 Cable Clamp Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates field of cable clamps and, in particular, discloses an improved form of cable clamp arrangement suitable for clamping high-voltage cables or the like. Background of the Invention [0002] Clamps for clamping power cables are well-known and come in many different varieties. One very popular form of clamp is a clamp manufactured by a company ID Technik of Germany. The clamps the aforementioned company are designed to clamp high-voltage cables or the like and come in various sizes so as to manage different size clapping requirements. Fig. 1 illustrates a photographic view of a series of three such clamps all interconnected on a single busbar for mounting. [0003] The aforementioned clamps have a number of disadvantages when being utilised in practice. They are manufactured with some free floating pads which are often lost and provide a complicated installation process. Further, the design of any backplane mounting strut for the clamps is ill considered in that is often difficult to install the clamp in a confined space. Often these clamps must be installed in a small spaces which results in difficult working requirements. Summary of invention [0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cable clamping arrangement. [0005] In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cable clamping unit for clamping a cable including: a first and second mating units for clamping around the cable, each of the mating units further including a soft sleeve for engaging the cable, the sleeves being at least semi permanently attached to a corresponding mating unit. [0006] The soft sleeves are preferably attached by means of a series of posts mating with a corresponding series of cavities and forming a snug fit there to. The series of posts are preferably formed on the sleeve and the series of cavities are preferably formed in the mating -2 units. The soft sleeve further preferably engages a corresponding mating unit in a snug fit by means of an arcuate lip engaging a slot. A lip can be formed on the soft sleeve and the slot can be formed on the mating unit. [0007] The clamping units are preferably stackable. The clamping units can include a series of through hole screw, with the through hole screws of adjacent clamping units being interconnected. The non cable engaging surface of the mating unit forms a generally planar supporting surface for stacking. [0008] Multiple clamping units can be attached to a U shaped busbar with mating bolts. The mating bolts can include a profiled head which engages with the busbar to resist rotation of the mating bolt. [0009] In another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a cable clamping unit for clamping a cable including: first and second mating units for clamping around the cable, each mating unit including a series of cavities having respective holes, first and second soft sleeves for engaging the cable in use, each said sleeve including a corresponding series of posts and being at least semi permanently attachable to a corresponding mating unit, wherein said soft sleeves are attachable to respective said mating units by inserting said series of posts in said holes of respective ones of said series of cavities to form a snug fit thereto. Brief description of the drawings [0010] The preferred forms the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [0011] Fig. 1 illustrates a prior art clamping device, partially disassembled; [0012] Fig. 2 illustrates a photograph of the clamping device of the preferred embodiment, again, partially disassembled; [0013] Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 illustrate photographs of lower and upper matting units of a clamping unit; -3 [0014] Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 illustrate the back surface photographs of matting units of a clamping unit; [0015] Fig. 7 illustrates a photograph of the clamping device of the preferred embodiment, again, partially disassembled; [0016] Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 illustrate a first form of stacking of clamping units; [0017] Fig. 10 is a computer rendering of another form of stacking of clamping units; [0018] Fig. 11 is a photograph of a non pad mount busbar assembly and Fig. 12 is a photograph of a pad mounted busbar assembly; [0019] Fig. 13 is a photograph of the bottom mating units attached to a pad mounted busbar; and [0020] Fig. 14 is a computer generated exploded perspective of the insulating portions of the cable clamp of the preferred embodiment. Description of preferred and other embodiments [0021] In the preferred embodiment, there is provided and enhance clamping arrangement. The preferred embodiment is initially the illustrated in Fig. 2 which illustrates three clamping units 21 - 23 in various states of assembly. The first unit 21 is fully assembled, with the unit 22 being almost separated in half and the unit 23 having the bottom half only assembled. [0022] The clamping units are made from two mating units e.g 23, 25 which are affixed together. Each mating unit includes a rubber like mating pad which is affixed to the mating unit in a semi permanent manner such that they do not fall off in general use. This can be achieved using a number of techniques. [0023] Fig. 3 shows the bottom mating unit 25 which includes a series of holes e.g. 32 for the engagement of corresponding posts formed on a mating pad 31, which, in this instance, includes four mating posts. The mating pad 31 also includes an edge lip which mates with the edge lip of mating unit 25. The mating pad can be formed from a soft pad like material which forms a bed for the clamped cable to stop movement thereof.

-4 [0024] Similarly Fig. 4 illustrates the top mating unit, also with a series holes for receiving corresponding posts of mating pad 31, in addition to having a mating lip for the mating lip at the ends of the mating pads. [0025] A further advantage of the design of the preferred embodiment is that the clamping units are stackable allowing for compact stacking of multiple units. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 illustrate the planar back surfaces of each of the mating units. This leads to possible stacking of multiple units. A simple form of stacking of units is shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 wherein steel posts are used to clamp multiple clamping units in a spaced apart manner. [0026] Fig. 10 illustrates an alternative arrangement where multiple clamping units are stacked together. [0027] The design of the preferred embodiment provides a number of significant advantages. As illustrated in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, the clamping units are designed to be mounted on a bus bar having a U shaped cross section with a hexagonal headed bold being held in the cusp of the U shape. This provides for simple mounting with the hexagonal bolt being firmly supported both in a pad mounted arrangement (Fig. 12) and non-pad mounted arrangements (Fig. 11). The mating portions of each clamping unit can then be bolted to the busbar (Fig. 13). This allows for one bus bar to work both inside and outside a pad mount. [0028] Further, whilst the rubber mating pad is separable from the mating unit, it is designed to not be easily separated during normal use with the posts being inserted into corresponding holes in the mating units for semi-permanent attachment thereto. [0029] Further the utilisation of the busbar arrangement allows for multiple units of a phase to be assembled together. [0030] The foregoing describes preferred features of the present invention only. Modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (9)

1. A cable clamping unit for clamping a cable including: first and second mating units for clamping around the cable, each mating unit including a series of cavities having respective holes, first and second soft sleeves for engaging the cable in use, each said sleeve including a corresponding series of posts and being at least semi permanently attachable to a corresponding mating unit, wherein said soft sleeves are attachable to respective said mating units by inserting said series of posts in said holes of respective ones of said series of cavities to form a snug fit thereto.

2. A cable clamping unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said soft sleeve further engages a corresponding mating unit in a snug fit by means of an arcuate lip engaging a slot.

3. A cable clamping unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the lip is formed on the soft sleeve and the slot is formed on the mating unit.

4. A cable clamping unit as claimed in any previous claim wherein the clamping units are stackable.

5. A cable clamping unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein the clamping units include a series of through hole screw, with the through hole screws of adjacent clamping units being interconnected.

6. A cable clamping unit as claimed in claim 4 where the non cable engaging surface of the mating unit forms a generally planar supporting surface for stacking.

7. A cable clamping unit as claimed in any previous claim wherein multiple clamping units can be attached to a U shaped support with mating bolts.

8. A cable clamping unit as claimed in claim 7 wherein the mating bolts include a profiled head which engages with the support to resist rotation of the mating bolt. -6

9. A cable clamping unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.