WO2012161589A1

WO2012161589A1 - Method for establishing a cold shrink joint and a shrink sleeve support tube system

Info

Publication number: WO2012161589A1
Application number: PCT/NO2012/050100
Authority: WO
Inventors: Flemming PETERSEN; Christian Aasheim
Original assignee: Melbye Skandinavia As
Priority date: 2011-05-26
Filing date: 2012-05-25
Publication date: 2012-11-29

Abstract

The publication describes a shrink-sleeve support tube system (10) and a method for establishing a cold shrink joint. The support tube system comprises an elongate tubular body (13,13') and a elastic cold-shrink sleeve (15) surrounding and carried by the tubular body (13,13'), the support tube (13,13') being formed of a first tubular body (13) and a second tubular body (13'), the first and the second tubular body (13,13') being provided with means for locking the two bodies (13,13') together in a releasable, end to end manner,and being configured be split into two separate units along a split line (16) more or less perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the support tube (13,13'), and the support tube (13,13') also being provided with at least two pulling panels (14) extending outwards of each of the ends of the cold-shrink sleeve (15). The support tube (13,13') is provided with two pull strings (14) arranged between the support tube (13,13') and the cold-shrink sleeve (15) on opposite side of the support tube (13,13'), the cold shrink sleeve (15) being configured to be rolled up on one of the two tubular body (13') by pulling the pull strings (14) backwards, exposing the other tubular body (13) and the split line (16). In order to establish the joint, the cold shrink sleeve (15) is rolled up towards one end, whereupon the freed first part (13) of the support tube (13,13') is removed from the assembly; the remaining support tube (13') carrying the rolled up cold shrink tube (15) is threaded on to a first conductor end (18) to be jointed with a second conductor end (18); the first and second conductor ends (18) are then jointed whereupon the rolled up cold shrink sleeve (15) is rolled back over at least the joint between the jointed first and second conductor (18).

Description

METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING A COLD SHRINK JOINT AND A SHRINK SLEEVE SUPPORT TUBE SYSTEM

Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for establishing a sealed joint between two conductor ends by means of a cold shrink sleeve carried by a support tube, the support tube being of a type that may be split in at least two halves along a plane perpendicular to its axial direction and where the cold shrink sleeve is pulled over the joint covering the joint in a sealed manner upon completed jointing of two conductor ends.

The present invention relates also to a shrink-sleeve support tube, comprising an elongate tubular support body and a elastic cold-shrink sleeve surrounding and carried by the tubular body, the support tube being formed of a first tubular body and a second tubular body, the first and the second tubular body being provided with means for locking the two bodies together in a releasable, end to end manner, and being configured be split into two separate units along a plane more or less perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the support tube, and the support tube also being provided with at least two pulling panels extending outwards beyond each of the ends of the cold-shrink sleeve.

In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to jointing heavy duty electrical cables for distribution of low voltage electricity in the order of 1 kV or less.

Background of the Invention

The prior art cold shrink jointing is based on jointing electrical phase conductors by applying an electrically conducting metal tube or sleeve around the ends to be jointed, establishing electrical contact between the ends to be jointed and the metal tube or sleeve. The joint is then insulated by means of a jacket or an insulating casing.

Cold-shrinking of electrical cable joints is a known method for insulating a joint between two conductor ends, such as the end of two electrical cables. Such type of joints is particularly used for jointing medium voltage conductors. One advantage of this cold-shrinking technique is that it is not necessary to apply heat to crimp the phase insulation around the joint.

A prior art method for establishing phase insulation on a medium voltage joint is to thread a tube shaped sleeve supporting an expanded phase insulation jacket onto one of the ends of the cables to be jointed. The ends of the cables are then electrically and mechanically interconnected, establishing proper electrical contact, for example by applying a prior art electrically conducting tube. The joint, including the electrically conductive tube are then covered by moving the supporting tube shaped sleeve with resilient enlargeable hollow body axially along the cable onto which it is threaded, until the joint is covered. In such position the supporting tube is removed axially along the jointed cable, enabling the expanded phase insulation jacket to shrink over the established joint. The supporting tube shaped sleeve is then removed from the cable using a tool for disintegrating the support sleeve. Such disintegration could be in the form of breaking or repeatedly chipping off elements or parts of the supporting sleeve until it is completely removed.

For low voltage three phase cold-shrink insulation, it has also been proposed to use a spiral as a carrier for the cold-shrink sleeve, the problem being that it is both time consuming and laborious to remove the spiral upon completed cold-shrinking process. The spiral has a tendency to become stuck during retraction phase from the cold-shrink insulating sleeve. Further, as the spiral is wound around the cable, the spiral must also be cut into pieces in order to become loose off the cable.

For removal purpose, the material used for fabricating the support tube must be of a type allowing easily breaking or disintegration for removal subsequent to completed cold-shrink process.

EP 0 917 269 describes a hollow support sleeve body for supporting a resilient enlargeable hollow body of an electrical cable connection for medium voltage cables. A flat band or cord for assisting the sliding movement of the cable coupling relative to the support body has two sections respectively, extending along the outside and the inside of the support body and joined together adjacent a separation point for the support body. The support sleeve body is separable at a separation line extending along a circumference direction of the sleeve body, making it possible to split the sleeve body into two separate units during withdrawal of the resilient enlargeable hollow body. Prior to and during the shrinking process the resilient enlargeable body is bridging the split zone between the two separate units, allowing the resilient enlargeable body to shrink over the cable joint.

US 2007/0029792 describes a support tube for a shrink sleeve for an electric cable joint for medium voltage cables, the tube serving to support a sleeve in an expanded state and then to be removed so as to allow the sleeve to shrink onto the joint. The support tube is provided with one single longitudinal split forming two longitudinal edges with mutual engagement means. US 4,029,895 describes a split case for covering the spliced junction or area of two multi-wire cables with the advantage of being able to re-enter the splice area without destroying the integrity or the re-usability of the splice case. The splice case include a tubular cover of resilient elastomeric material over a generally rigid sleeve member and a pair of ribbons positioned therein between top provide means for rolling the cover back onto the sleeve member.

It is also known to make such support tubes by means of two half-tubes that are welded together by ultrasound welding over two zones in the proximity of the ends of the half tubes, the resulting support tube having four longitudinal weld zones extending along the two opposite generator lines, and also partly into the hollow tube, forming a possible obstacle for the conductors to be jointed.

The applicants own EP application, EP 10192685.5, describes a shrink-sleeve support tube, comprising an elongate tubular body and a elastic cold-shrink sleeve surrounding and carried by the tubular body, the support tube being formed of a first tubular body and a second tubular body, the first and the second tubular body being provided with means for locking the two bodies together in a releasable, end to end manner, and being configured be split into two separate units along a plane more or less perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the support tube. EP 10192685.5 is hereby included by the reference with respect to one possible design of the supporting tube,

It should be appreciated that such jointing often is performed in a excavated, narrow ditch also housing other types of cables and pipes, such as telecommunication cables, gas, steam, water and sewage pipes, and high or low voltage electricity supplying cables. It is therefore a need for a sleeve assembly and a jointing method for removal of the sleeve requiring as small space as possible and where the risks for causing damage to the neighboring pipes or cables are eliminated, or at least to a substantial degree reduced.

Another need is to provide a sleeve assembly and a jointing and sleeve removal method which is not dependent on use of open flame or welding for providing a sound and proper joint.

Since the prior art methods of cold-shrinking has only be used successfully on medium voltage cables, it is also a need for a system enabling cold-shrinking for low voltage phase insulation, such as 1 kV or lower, as well as methods which are applicable in potentially hazardous environments, such as close to a hot gas pipe.

Yet another need is to provide an cost effective way of establishing a sealed and insulated joint, requiring reduces number of man hour for establishing the joint. Summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved and simplified joint, enabling removal of the supporting sleeve in an expedient and cost effective manner, requiring less space and less force for removal of the supporting sleeve upon completed jointing and cold-shrinking operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved supporting sleeve and a cold-shrinking process allowing use of supporting sleeve made of a robust and strong material and configured in such way that the sleeve is not distorted, deformed or displaced during the jointing and cold-shrinking process, but may easily be removed subsequent to completed jointing and/or cold-shrinking process without requiring use of heavy tools or detrimental disintegration or having to break the supporting sleeve into bits or pieces during removal.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved supporting sleeve and a jointing method performed in such way that the possibility of causing damage to the joint or the cable insulation, or cables or pipelines in the proximity of the joint, as consequence of the jointing or shrinking process, is eliminated or at least substantially reduced.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved supporting sleeve or tube and a method for jointing low voltage cable ends where the need for use of heavy duty service tool is reduced, if not eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved support tube and an improved method for using such tube for jointing low voltage cables, i.e. cables designed for conduction electricity with a voltage up to 1 kV.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved system and method where the risks for causing damage to other types of ducts or cables in a ground, such as pipes for gas, water, sewage or cables for transmission of optical or electrical signals, are substantially reduced, if not eliminated.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved support tube which has a stable form both in lateral and longitudinal direction during the cold- shrink process.

Another object of the present invention is to configure the supporting tube of a material in such improved way that the tube is able to withstand the inherent radial pressure exerted by the expanded elastic insulation sleeve, since such sleeve preferably should have so high inherent elasticity and shrinking force that the inwards radial crimping pressure will be large enough to enable crimping down to the diameter of the joint and still having a remaining or residual crimping effect to secure a tight sealing of the joint against intrusion of water or moist into the shrink-insulated phase joint.

Yet another object of the invention is to avoid possible vulcanization of the shrinking tube material during storage and or during the installation process.

The objects of the present invention is achieved by a support tube and a method as further defined by the characterizing part of the independent claims.

Embodiments and alternatives to the subject matter disclosed in the independent claims are defined by the dependent claims.

According to the present invention, the cold shrink sleeve is rolled up towards one end, whereupon the freed first part of the support tube is removed from the assembly; preferably in one piece, threading the remaining support tube carrying the rolled up cold shrink tube onto a first conductor end to be jointed with a second conductor end; the first and second conductor ends being jointed; and the rolled up cold shrink sleeve is rolled back over at least the joint between the jointed first and second conductor.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the method for establishing a cold shrink seal over a joint between two conductor ends uses a support tube and an elastic cold shrink sleeve carried by a support tube. The support tube is of a type that may be split in at least two parts along a plane perpendicular to an axial direction of the support tube; where the support tube with the cold shrink sleeve is threaded on to one of the two conductors. The conductor ends are then jointed and the cold shrink sleeve is pulled over a completed joint, sealing such joint, the support tube being removed as part of the jointing process. The steps of the process comprises: rolling the cold shrink sleeve up on one of the parts of the support tube, freeing the other part from the elastic cold shrink sleeve and removing the freed part of the support tube;

threading the remaining support tube with the rolled up cold shrink tube on to one of the conductor end to be jointed with the other conductor end;

jointing the first and second conductor ends;

- rolling back the rolled up cold shrink sleeve over at least the joint between the jointed first and second conductor, covering such joint in a sealing manner.

Further, the cold shrink sleeve supported on the remaining support tube being rolled up from the opposite end; the remaining support tube being removed, preferably by splitting the remaining support tube in two halves along two established split lines; and then rolling back the rolled up cold shrinking sleeve back over the first connector to complete the shrinking and sealing process.. A jointing tube may further be threaded over the joint between the first and second conductors, covering the joint, whereupon the cold shrink sleeve is threaded over the jointing tube. Each support tube halves may preferably also be split in at least one, preferably two halves along corresponding axially oriented line(s).

According to one embodiment of the method, the cold shrink sleeve supported on the remaining support tube may be rolled up from the opposite, unrolled end forming a second roll, freeing at least a part of the remaining support tube. The remaining support tube may then be removed, preferably in two pieces, and the second rolled up cold shrinking sleeve may then be rolled back over the first connector end in a direction away from the joint.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the roll up of the cold shrink sleeves may be achieved by means of pulling back two pulling tapes or panels, arranged on opposite side of the external surface of the support tube and extending out from the end of the assembly to secure a proper operator grip and hence, also, securing the roll up effect.

The shrinking sleeve support tube may be provided with two pull strings or ribbons or the like, arranged between the support tube and the cold-shrink sleeve on opposite side of the support tube, the cold shrink sleeve being configured to be rolled up on one of the two tubular body by pulling the pull strings backwards, exposing the other tubular body and the split plane.

The support tube halves may preferably be provided with at least one axially extending split line, enabling the support tube half to be removed from the cable upon completed jointing.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the pull strings or ribbons may at least be weakened in the area of the circumferential split line of the support tube, enabling removal of at least a part of the pull string upon completed roll up of the cold shrink sleeve.

One of the two separated tubes may be configured to be split axially along at least one, preferably two longitudinal split lines into at least two separable units and further may preferably, but not necessarily be provided with releasable retaining means associated with the longitudinal split lines.

According to the method for insulating a joint between two jointed electrical conductors using cold shrinking according to the invention, one of the two separated tube shaped units, when free of the expandable phase insulation, may be removed in one piece, while the other half may be split longitudinally into two separated units along at least two longitudinally arranged split lines by releasing the retaining means associated with the at least two longitudinal split lines, enabling removal of the at least two units from the jointed cable in a controlled and effective manner without being dependent of the use of tools.

A major advantage of the support tube assembly according to the present invention resides in that the support tube assembly used for cold-crimp insulating a joint of a phase conductor may be split and removed without having to depend on use of purpose built tool or any tool at all, the removal being achieved without having to apply large and uncontrolled forces. This feature reduces the risks of damaging the phase conductors, its insulation or any other duct or cable being laid in parallel with the conductor in question.

Further, the method of mounting the cold-shrink sleeve and the removal of its support tube subsequent to completed mounting, is both simple and cost effective. Due to the configuration of the support tube, the space required for successfully completing the mounting of the cold-shrink insulation is reduced compared with the prior art systems used. Further, the method and the support tube assembly is particularly designed for enabling jointing of water exposed heavy duty cables.

The material used for the support tube may for example, but not limited to a plastic polymer, in particular of the type HDPE, while the expandable phase insulation may be made from a rubber type material such as EPDM or silicone. It should be appreciated that according to the present invention it is possible to make the various units of the support tube from a stable and strong material, being able to withstand large externally applied pressure loads without collapsing or becoming deformed or distorted. Further, due to the same reason the possibility of collapsing is substantially reduced, if not avoided. Short Description of the Drawings

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail below, referring to the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 shows schematically a side view, partly in section of the tubular jointing pipe element according to the present invention in an assembled state as delivered by the manufacturer, the shown jointing pipe being shown prior to being applied to a joint;

Figure 2, shows schematically a side view, partly in section of tubular jointing pipe assembly, shown in Figure 1 , the side view shown being rotated 90 degrees;

Figure 3 shows schematically the side view, partly in section, shown in Figure 1 , indicating the first step in the process of applying the jointing pipe element to a joint; Figure 4 shows schematically, partly in section, the second step in the process of applying the jointing pipe element to a joint, a flexible sleeve being rolled up into a roll, exposing fully a part of a supporting tube assembly, previously covered by the flexible sleeve;

Figure 5 shows schematically, partly in section, the third step in the process of applying the jointing pipe element, indicating that the remaining part of the support tube with the shrinking sleeve partly rolled up is about to be threaded on to one of the cable ends to be jointed;

Figure 6 shows schematically, partly in section, the fourth step in the process, indicating the position of the jointing pipe, and also indicated completed jointing of the conductor ends to be jointed, covered by a jointing sleeve or tube;

Figure 7 shows schematically, partly in section, the fifth step in the jointing process according to the present invention where the rolled up shrinking sleeve is rolled back over the jointed tube and part of the cable, covering the jointing ends of the conductors and a part of the cable;

Figure 8 shows schematically, partly in section, the sixth step in the jointing process according to the present invention, preparing for rolling up the shrinking sleeve carried by the remaining part of the sleeve supporting tube;

Figure 9 shows schematically, partly in section, the seventh step in the jointing process according to the present invention where the shrinking sleeve is rolled up and is carried by the jointing tube, the remaining part of the support tube being removed; and

Figure 10 shows schematically, partly in section, the eight and final step in the jointing process according to the present invention, showing a section through the joint after completed jointing and cold shrinking..

Detailed Description of the Invention

Figure 1 shows schematically a side view, partly in section of the tubular jointing pipe element 10 according to the present invention in an assembled state as delivered by the manufacturer. This system is particularly suitable for use in connection with cold crimping of a joint between electrical cables. The shown tubular jointing pipe element 10 is shown prior to being applied to a joint between two conductor ends 1 1 ,12. According to the embodiment shown, the pipe element 10 comprises two inter-connected support tubes 13,13', said two expansion and support tubes 13,13' being interconnected in such way and at such place where they are to be split. The support tubes 13,13' may be made of a hard plastic material, to enable maintaining its shape when subjected to a shrinking or crimping radial force. The jointing element 10 comprises also an elongate, elastic jacket 15, threaded over the jointed supporting tubes 13,13', the length of the elastic jacket 15 preferably being somewhat smaller than the length of the interconnected supporting tubes 13,13'. The jacket may for example be made of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) or silicon. Further, two reinforced tapes 14 extend between the support tubes 13,13' and the jacket 15 along the entire length of the jacket 15, the reinforcement for example being made of glass fiber. The tapes may preferably be arranged in a diametrical position with respect to each other and the support tubes 13,13', the ends of each tape 14 extending out beyond the ends of the elastic jacket 15, making it easy for an operator to take a firm grip of the ends of the tape 14 and pulling the jacket 15 backwards into a roller 17 as indicated with the arrows in the Figures.. When finally installed the jacket 15 will function as a crimping insulation surrounding and covering the established joint of the connector ends 1 1 ,12 and the proximal ends of the insulated end of the cable 18.

The joint between the end of each support tubes or sleeve 13,13' may be configured in such manner that the two interconnected sleeves 13,13' easily may be spilt. The diameter of the sleeves 13,13' are adapted to the diameter of the

connectorsl 1 ,12 to be joined, including surrounding insulation.

A possible joint 16 between the ends of the two tube or sleeve halves 13,13' may be in the form of a male and female shaped end, configured to fit together in a releasable manner, the male end being inserted into the female end of the adjoining end. Alternatively, the split may for example be a threaded joint or in the form of a circumferentially arranged perforation or weakened, breakable line or a friction joint.

Figure 2, shows schematically a side view, partly in section of tubular jointing pipe assembly, shown in Figure 1 , the only difference being that the tubular jointing element 10 shown being rotated 90 degrees, showing details of the glass fiber reinforced tapes 14. Further, as indicated in Figure 2, the pulling tape 14 may be split in two parts at 22, the tape 14 being fixed at one end at the split line 22 to the support tube 13', and to the support tube 13 at the proximity of the split line 22. As further indicated in Figure 2, the support tube 13 may formed as one body without being intended to be split in two halves, while the support tube 13' may also be split in axial direction along two lines 23, the split lines 23 being covered by the pulling tape 14, locking the two halves together. It should also be appreciated that the cold shrinking jacket contributes to such assembling force.

Figure 1 and 2 show the supporting tube 13,13' with the assembled cold shrinking tube 15 for example as delivered to the jointing site, prior to installation on an cable end. Figure 3 shows schematically the side view shown in Figure 1 , partly in section, indicating the first step in the process of using the jointing pipe element 10 for establishing a cold shrink joint to a joint, while Figure 4 shows schematically, partly in section, the second step in the process of establishing the joint, the flexible sleeve15 being rolled up toward the opposite end of the supporting tube 13,13' to a roll 17 from a free end of the supporting tube 13, exposing a part of a supporting sleeve assembly 13, previously covered by the flexible sleeve 15. As indicated in Figure 3, the free ends of the pulling tapes 14 at one side of the jointing element 10 is pulled up and in the direction of the arrows shown, rolling up the elastic plastic jacket 15 to a circumferentially arranged roller 17. As shown in Figure 4, the rolling up of the elastic insulation jacket 15 is stopped when the circumferential joint between the two support tubes 13,13' is exposed. At this stage, the reinforced tape is cut, torn or pulled off in the region of the joint between the two sleeve halves 13,13', the pulled off part of the strips 14 being discarded and the freed support tube part 13 being removed by pulling said tube part 13 axially away from the split line as indicated in Figure 4, leaving a rolled up roller 17 positioned in the proximity of the joint between the two support tube parts 13,13', while the remaining part of the jacket 15 remains temporarily in its original position. For such purpose, the tape 14 may be precut or may be provided with perforations or the like, easing the tearing off. Such precut or perforation may serve as a stop point for the rolling operation of the elastic jacket 15. The entire exposed support tube 13 may then be removed as one single piece from tubular jointing element 10 as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4.

Figure 5 shows schematically, partly in section, the third step in the process where the unit shown in Figure 4, without the support tube element 13, being threaded on to the end of an insulated cable 18 with an exposed part of the first conductor 1 1 , the unit being orientated such that the sleeve 13' with tape 14 and roller is threaded in the direction shown with the arrow in Figure 5, the rolled up sleeve 15, i.e. the roll 17 pointing away from the cable end18. When the unit has been completely threaded on to insulated part of the cable 18, a connecting tube 19 is threaded on to the exposed conductor 1 1 and thereupon another cable 18 with exposed conductor 12 jointed with the conductor 1 1 , the joint being then covered by the connecting tube 19. Such step 4 is disclosed in Figure 6. The material of the connecting tube19 is preferably of a electrically conducting material, such as for example copper. The connecting tube 19 may be manipulated in such way that an appropriate electrical contact between the two exposed conductor 1 1 ,12 ends is established. As indicated in Figure 7, showing the fifth step in the jointing process, the rolled up roll 17 of the elastic jacket is rolled back again over the connecting tube 20 and on to the insulated cable 12 and the opposite cable end 18 with an appropriate length. As further indicated in Figure 8, the sixth step comprises pulling the free end of the two tapes 14 in opposite direction, rolling up the elastic jacket 15 in a direction towards the connecting tube 19 until the roller 21 is position on the end of the connecting tube 19 free of the end of cable 1 1 . The tapes 14 and the remaining sleeve 13 are then removed, as indicated in Figure 9, leaving the roller 21 at the end of the joining tube 19 next to the cable 18. As specified above and indicated in Figure 2, the support tube 13' are split in two halves along the split lines 23, enabling an efficient and safe removal of the remaining support tube element 13' without having to use any tools, once the support tube 13' has been freed of the cold shrinking sleeve 15.

As shown in Figure 10, the roller 21 is rolled completely back on to the insulated cable end 18, completing the jointing process, establishing an insulated, sealed cold crimped joint between two cables.

Although the Figures disclose a support tube 13,13' which is made up of two tubular bodies, interconnected in a releasable manner. It should be appreciated, however, that the tube half 13' also may be split into two halves, the split lines 23 being in axial direction.

It should be appreciated that the length and diameter of the support tube 13,13' must be so as to enable the cold-shrink, elastic, expandable sleeve 15 to cover the joint and the adjoining part of the insulated cables 18, and that the diameter is such that the cable 18 and connector 19 easily may pass through the support tube 13,13'. Further, the diameter of the support tubel 13.13'must be so as to provide the required inwards lateral force to produce the required shrinking force.

Claims

1 . Method for establishing a cold shrink seal over a joint between two conductor ends (18) using a support tube (13,13') and an elastic cold shrink sleeve (15) carried by a support tube (13,13'), the support tube (13,13') being of a type that may be split in at least two parts along a plane perpendicular to an axial direction of the support tube (13,13'); where the support tube (13,13') with the cold shrink sleeve (15) is threaded on to one of the two conductors (18), the conductor ends are jointed and the cold shrink sleeve (15) is pulled over a completed joint, sealing such joint, the support tube (13,13') being removed as part of the jointing process,

c h a r a c t e r i z e d by

rolling the cold shrink sleeve (15) up on one of the parts (13') of the support tube (13,13'), freeing the other part (13) from the elastic cold shrink sleeve (15) and removing the freed part (13) of the support tube (13,13');

- threading the remaining support tube (13') with the rolled up cold shrink tube (15) on to one of the conductor end (18) to be jointed with the other conductor end (18);

jointing the first and second conductor ends (18);

rolling back the rolled up cold shrink sleeve (15) over at least the joint between the jointed first and second conductor (18), covering such joint in a sealing manner.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the freed first part (13) of the support tube (13,13') is removed in one piece prior to threading the support tube on to one of the cables (13,13').

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

the cold shrink sleeve (15) supported on the remaining support tube (13') is being rolled up from the opposite, unrolled end forming a second roll, freeing at least a part of the remaining support tube (13');

removing the remaining support tube (13'), preferably in two pieces, and rolling the second rolled up cold shrinking sleeve (15) back over the first connector end (18) away from the joint.

4. Method according to one of the claims 1 -3, wherein a connecting tube (19) is threaded over the joint between the first and second conductors (18), covering the joint .

5. Method according to claim 4, where the rolled up cold shrink sleeve(15) is rolled back over the jointing tube (19) and on to the opposite cable end (13).

6. Method according to one of the claims 1 -5, where at least one of the support tubes (13') may be split in two halves along two axially oriented lines (23).

7. Method according to one of the claims 1 -6, the roll ups (17) of the cold shrink sleeve (15) are achieved by means of pulling back two pulling tapes (14), arranged on opposite side of the external surface of the support tube (13.13') and extending out from the ends of the assembly, thereby securing the roll up effect.

8. A shrink-sleeve support tube system (10), comprising an elongate tubular body (13.13') and a elastic cold-shrink sleeve (15) surrounding and carried by the tubular body (13,13'), the support tube (13,13') being formed of a first tubular body

(13) and a second tubular body (13'), the first and the second tubular body (13,13') being provided with means for locking the two bodies (13,13') together in a

releasable, end to end manner, and being configured be split into two separate units along a split line (16) more or less perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the support tube (13,13'), and the support tube (13,13') also being provided with at least two pulling panels (14) extending outwards of each of the ends of the cold-shrink sleeve (15),

c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that support tube (13,13') is provided with two pull strings

(14) arranged between the support tube (13,13') and the cold-shrink sleeve (15) on opposite side of the support tube (13,13'), the cold shrink sleeve (15) being configured to be rolled up on one of the two tubular body (13') by pulling the pull strings (14) backwards, exposing the other tubular body (13) and the split line (16).

9. Cold shrink support tube system (10) according to claim 8, wherein one of the support tube halves (13') is provided with axially extending split lines (23), enabling the support tube half (13') to be removed from the cable (18) upon completed jointing.

10. Cold shrink support tube system (10) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the pull strings (14) are at least weakened, but preferably split in the area of the circumferential split line (16) of the support tube (13,13'), enabling removal of at least a part of the pull string (14) upon completed roll up of the cold shrink sleeve (15), each split of the tape (149 being fixed to its support tube (13,13') in the proximity of the split line (16).