WO2010090581A1

WO2010090581A1 - A pipe or cable lead-through having a part indicating compression

Info

Publication number: WO2010090581A1
Application number: PCT/SE2010/050111
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jens Andersson; Mats Ericson; Jenny Filipsen; Ulf Hildingsson; Christer Lundborg; Stefan Milton; Jörgen ÅKESSON; Ronnie Pettersson
Original assignee: Roxtec Ab
Priority date: 2009-02-04
Filing date: 2010-02-02
Publication date: 2010-08-12
Also published as: CN102292889A; BRMU9002612U2; EP2401796A4; MY183257A; RU116280U1; EP2401796A1; SE534047C2; SE0950045A1; CN102292889B; KR20110127162A

Abstract

A compressible seal or lead-through for cables, wires or pipes having two or more compressible base parts (102, 104, 202, 300, 400, 500) surrounding each cable, wire or pipe. The seal or lead-through is placed either directly in an opening through a wall or other structural partition forming the wall or other partition or in a frame (1), whereby a barrier is formed of the one or more modules and at least one compression unit in either the opening or the frame. Each compressible base part has at least one peelable sheet (110, 508) for adapting to the diameter of a cable, wire or pipe, which at least one peelable sheet is arranged in an axial groove of the compressible base part. At least one end surface of two co-operating compressible base parts has a concave shape adapted to achieve a planar form when compressed to the correct degree.

Description

A PIPE OR CABLE LEAD-THROUGH HAVING A PART INDICATING

COMPRESSION

Technical Field

The present invention concerns a seal, lead-through or transit for cables or pipes. The invention especially concerns parts of the seal or transition, having peelable sheets for adaptation to diameters of a cable or pipe to be received, and in particular to a compressible module having a curved end surface, for such lead-through or transit.

Prior Art

In the prior art there are cable transitions or the like having a frame, inside which a number of modules to receive cables, wires or pipes are placed. The modules are made of an elastic material e.g. rubber or plastics and are thus compressible. Inside the frame normally a number of modules are received side by side in one or more rows together with some kind of compression unit. The compression unit is placed between the frame and the modules in such a way that when the compression unit is expanded the compressible modules will be compressed around the cables, wires or pipes. For ease of description the expression "cable" is mainly used in this description, but it should be construed broadly and a person skilled in the art realises that it normally also covers pipes or wires.

Another type of seal, cable transition, pipe penetration etc. has a general cylin- drical form and is to be received in a sleeve in a wall or an opening in a wall. To function in the desired way the seal should fit snugly into the sleeve or the opening of the wall in which it is received and the seal should be adaptable to the actual mounting dimension. The mounting dimension is dictated by the inner diameter of the sleeve or the opening. The seal has a cylindrical compressible body, which is compressed axially between fittings at the opposite ends of the compressible body. By the axial compression the cylindrical body will expand radially both inwards and outwards.

Furthermore, the pipes, wires or cables received may have different outer diameters, and, thus, the module should be adaptable to cables or pipes having different outer diameters. Seals or transitions of both the above kinds are used for sealing in many different environments, such as for cabinets, technical shelters, junction boxes and machines. They are used in different industrial environments, such as automotive, telecom, power generation and distribution, as well as marine and offshore. The seals or transitions may have to seal against fluid, gas, fire, rodents, termites, dust, moisture etc., and may receive cables or wires for electricity, communication, computers etc., pipes for different gases or liquids such as water, compressed air, hydraulic fluid and cooking gas or wires for load retention.

The parts receiving a single cable etc. of both the types discussed above often have a pack of peelable layers or sheets on the inside. The layers or sheets are peeled off until the inner diameter of the part is adapted to the outer diameter of the cable received in said part. The sheets adhere strong enough to each other to stay together and at the same time loose enough to enable the sheets to be peeled off from the stack, either one- by-one or a number of sheets together. In some embodiments there are also peelable layers or sheets on the outside, making it possible to adapt the outer dimensions of for instance a circular seal to a specific opening or sleeve.

A person skilled in the art realises that the exact shape and form of the different parts, including the layers, may vary without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example the pack of layers may have another cross sectional form than circular.

When using a compressible seal or lead-through in a sealing system, the problem of achieving a suitable compression may occur. The present applicant has solved the issue of suitable compression regarding a case when a certain type of compression unit is used for the compression by means of a compression indicator. The compression indicator is thoroughly described in WO 2007/097706. Though suitable for its purpose, there is a need for an even more versatile compression indicator, and the provision of such an indicator is one of the objects of the present invention.

Summary

The above stated object is achieved with a compressible seal or lead-through according to claim 1, which within its scope also covers a second beneficial object, which will be further described in the detailed description. Preferred embodiments are disclosed in the subclaims.

To this end the present invention provides a compressible seal or lead-through for cables, wires or pipes penetrations having two or more compressible base parts surrounding each cable, wire or pipe, which seal or lead-through is placed either directly in an opening through a wall or other structural partition forming the wall or other parti- tion or in a frame, whereby a barrier is formed of the two or more base parts and at least one compression unit in either the opening or the frame. Each compressible base part has at least one peelable sheet for adapting to the diameter of a cable, wire or pipe, which at least one peelable sheet is arranged in an axial groove of each compressible base part. At least one end surface of two co-operating base parts has a curved shape. Within the scope of the present invention the curved shape achieves one of the two following technical effects:

1) If the end surface has a convex shape, in two or three dimensions, it will obtain the effect of increasing the mass of the compressible base parts, which in turn will e.g. increase the fire resistance of the base parts. 2) If the end surface has a concave shape, in two or three dimensions, the shape of the end surface may easily be used as an indicator of the compression of the compressible base parts. It may, e.g., be dimensioned such as to result in a planar end surface once the base parts are compressed to the correct degree.

In one or more embodiments the compressible base parts may comprise one of each of a convex end surface and a concave end surface, in which case a compression indicator is obtained without essential loss of fire resistance properties.

In one or more embodiments the end surface is curved in two dimensions only, meaning that it will only result in planar configuration along a line when compressed to an accurate degree (rather than resulting in a entirely planar end surface). This embodi- ment may have an advantage in that the production may be simplified.

The present invention also relates to a sealing system comprising such compressible module.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is an end view of a compressible module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one base part used in the compressible module of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a base part used for a compressible module ac- cording to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the base part of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a base part used for a compressible module according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a base part used for a compressible module ac- cording to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a front view of a seal or transition system incorporating at least one inventive compressible module.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a cylindrical seal according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a compressible module 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The compressible module 100 has two base parts 102 and 104, respectively. Each base part 102, 104 has a semicircular groove 106, 108 ex- tending in an axial direction, from one end of the base part 102, 104 to the next. In each groove 106, 108 peelable layers, or sheets, of material 110 are arranged. The purpose of the sheets is to adjust the diameter of a through hole of the compressible module 100 to a certain diameter of a cable or pipe. This part of the construction has been described in numerous applications by the present applicant and is considered to be well known to the skilled person. Prior to the insertion of a cable or pipe the centre of the compressible module is occupied by a blind 112, which also have been described in earlier application.

The sheets may be arranged in many different ways and with different features as reflected in the simultaneously filed applications entitled " A Pipe or Cable Lead- Through having Interconnected Layers", "A Pipe or Cable Lead-Through having Layers of Different Thickness", "Cohering Between Layers of a Pipe or Cable Lead-Through" and "Identification of Layers of a Pipe or Cable Lead-Through", filed by the applicant of the present application. These applications are hereby incorporated by reference. In the illustrated embodiment each end surface 114, 116 of the assembled module is curved inwards, and has a concave shape, as is obvious from the drawings. In use, the compressible module will be compressed, and it will start to bulge, more in the centre than in the edges of the compressible module. This will result in that the end surfaces obtain a more planar form. It is thus possible to determine the curvature such that, e.g., the end surfaces are completely planar when a suitable compression is achieved. This makes it possible for a person responsible for performing the installation, or a person inspecting the installation to readily determine that the correct compression is achieved.

This first aspect of the invention thus enables a user to determine the correct compression, irrespective of the type of compression unit used, which is a considerable improvement in relation to prior art. It should be noted that it generally suffices with one such compression indicating compressible module per installation, and that only one of the two end surfaces of the module may be provided with a curvature.

The curvature needed for achieving the above purposes may be calculated and modelled, yet in a low-tech feasibility application a regular compressible module may be subjected to the correct compression. The module will, as has been described earlier, bulge outwards which enables the bulging part to be removed. When the compression is removed the shape of the end face of the compressible module may be used as a template for other modules. The curvature of the end face is likely to vary between different sizes of modules, and also between different materials.

The first embodiment generally requires the removal of material. In some instances this may be unwanted, e.g. since less material may result in faster fire penetration. One solution to this issue is provided by a compressible module according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The base part 202 has one concave end surface 214 and one convex end surface 216. Thus, to compensate for the material lost by having a concave end surface 214, the other end surface is provided with a convex shape, curved outwards. In this way the amount of material in the compressible module may be maintained, and thus its fire penetration properties.

In a third embodiment (not shown) both end surfaces are provided with a con- vex curvature, which will increase the amount of material in the module as compared to a regular module, with all associated benefits.

The embodiments illustrated above have end surfaces with a three-dimensional curvature. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a fourth and fifth embodiment, respectively, where the curvature is two-dimensional instead. This design may enable a simplified production process, and even if the compression indicator will be functional along a line rather than in a plane, this may enable the control function. In Fig. 6 a dashed line represents the line towards which the centre of a compressible base part 400 will strive when compressed. The compressible base part 300 of Fig. 5 will strive towards a line that is perpendicular to the line of Fig. 6. The design of the base parts of Figs. 5 and 6 is obvious from the previous description, which renders reference numbers obsolete. Further it should be noted that these illustrations are explanatory only, and the curvature is not drawn to scale. This is true for all drawings in this application.

The modules of the third embodiment may be provided with a corresponding two-dimensional curvature. When using the compressible modules having two convex end surfaces, it is beneficial if all modules, or at least a majority, in a frame are of the same type (the chain is not stronger than its weakest link). When the purpose of the module is to control the compression, however, i.e. a module according to the first or second embodi- ment, it may be sufficient with one compressible module of this type in each frame, since the compression may be considered uniform.

Alternative embodiments of the modules are given in the simultaneously filed applications entitled "A Module of a Pipe or Cable Lead-Through having Grooves on Opposite Sides", "Pipe or Cable Lead-Through Blocks", "Modules of a Pipe or Cable Lead-Through having Alternating Geometry", "A Pipe or Cable Lead-Through having Modularized Modules", "A Pipe or Cable Lead-Through having Penetrateable Modules", "A Pipe or Cable Lead-Through having Modules with a Dimensioning Function" and "A Pipe or Cable Lead-Through having Layers of Alternating Geometry", filed by the applicant of the present application. In one embodiment the modules are separated from a stack of module halves sticking together, as described in the simultaneously filed application named "Modules of Pipe or Cable Lead-Through Sticking Together", filed by the applicant of the present application. These applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

A general advantage of all embodiments having a curved end surface is that it will be easier for the person performing the installation to grasp each peelable layer. A common type of seals or transitions for cables and/or pipes is indicated in Fig. 7. It has an outer frame 1 received in a wall or any other type of partition. Inside the frame 1 a number of modules 2 are arranged to receive a single cable or pipe each. Furthermore, a compression unit 3 is received inside the frame 1. The modules 2 are sepa- rated by stay plates 4, which stay plates 4 are arranged to position the modules 2 safely inside the frame 1. The stay plates 4 have beads in the width direction, which keeps the modules localized in the axial direction, or depth direction. The modules 2 are compressible parts of the seal or transition. Each module 2 has a central blind 5, which is removed when the cable or pipe is received. An alternative system including a frame is described in the simultaneously filed application entitled "Sealing System", filed by the applicant of the present application. This application is hereby incorporated by reference.

In Fig. 8 one embodiment of a cylindrical seal 500 according to the present invention is shown. The seal 500 is formed of two compressible base parts 502. In use the base parts 502 are brought together forming a central through opening to receive a ca- ble, wire or pipe. On the inside of the through opening a number of peelable sheets 508 are placed on each base part 502. The sheets 508 are peeled off to adapt the seal after the outer diameter of the cable, pipe or wire received. To give a proper sealing the seal is compressed in axial direction by means of fittings 504 and screws 506. The screws 506 are received in through openings of the base parts 502. Normally, the screws 506 co-operates with fittings on the opposite not shown side of the seal 500. The shown end surface of the seal 500, formed of the two base parts 502, has a concave shape. In the same way as described above for the modules the cylindrical seal may in other embodiments have end surfaces of concave, convex or flat shaped mixed in many different ways.

In alternative embodiments the seal, lead-through or transit of the present invention is furnished with means for lubrication as shown in the simultaneously filed application entitled "Lubrication of a Pipe or Cable Lead-Through", filed by the applicant of the present application. This application is hereby incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A compressible seal or lead-through for cables, wires or pipes having two or more compressible base parts (102, 104, 202, 300, 400, 500) surrounding each cable, wire or pipe, which seal or lead-through is placed either directly in an opening through a wall or other structural partition forming the wall or other partition or in a frame, whereby a barrier is formed of the two or more base parts and at least one compression unit in either the opening or the frame, wherein each base part has at least one peelable sheet (110, 508) for adapting to the diameter of a cable, wire or pipe, which at least one peelable sheet is arranged in an axial groove of each compressible base part, characterized in that at least one end surface of two co-operating compressible base parts with corresponding peelable sheets has a concave shape, adapted to achieve a planar form when compressed to the correct degree.

2. The compressible seal or lead-through of claim 1, wherein the at least one end surface has a three-dimensional curvature.

3. The compressible seal or lead-through of claim 1, wherein the at least one end surface has a two-dimensional curvature.

4. The compressible seal or lead-through of any of the previous claims, wherein one end surface (216) is curved outwards.

5. The compressible seal or lead-through of any of the previous claims, wherein at least one end surface (114, 116, 214, 508) is curved inwards to provide an indication of pressure applied to the compressible module.

6. The compressible seal or lead-through of any of the claims 1-3, wherein two opposing end surfaces are curved inwards.

7. A sealing system comprising cable entries or pipe penetrations receiving two or more compressible base parts (102, 104, 202, 300, 400, 500) surrounding each cable or pipe, which cable entries or pipe penetrations are placed either directly in an opening through a wall or other structural partition forming the wall or other partition or in a frame (1), whereby a barrier is formed of the two or more base parts and at least one compression unit in either the opening or the frame, wherein the compressible base parts have at least one peelable sheet (110, 508) for adapting to the diameter of a cable, wire or pipe, which at least one peelable sheet is placed in a profile, wherein said compressible base parts are base parts according to any one of the previous claims.