WO2013057059A1

WO2013057059A1 - Device and method for tagging cables

Info

Publication number: WO2013057059A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/070336
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick Jacques Ann Diepstraten; Pieter De Coster
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics Raychem Bvba
Priority date: 2011-10-20
Filing date: 2012-10-12
Publication date: 2013-04-25

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for tagging cables (2) as well as a cable tagging device (1) comprising: an protection element (6), a tag element (5) being attached to the protection element (6), wherein the protection element (6) is configured to receive a cable (2) in a surrounding fashion and cover the tag element (5) at the same time. The cable tagging device (1) is preassembled prior to tagging cables (2) itself. According to a preferred embodiment the cable tagging device (1) comprises a heatshrinkable sleeve as protection element (6). Thus the cable tagging device (1) is slid on the cable (2) and heated to attach the cable tagging device (1) to the cable (2).

Description

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DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TAGGING CABLES

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to devices and methods for tagging cables.

Background of the invention

In communication networks like telecommunication networks signals are exchanged via cables. Cables can comprise wires to transmit electrical signals. Other cables comprise optical fibres. Cable can be single core or multiple core cables. Regardless of the topology of the network, there usually exist nodes where several cables are interlinked and

interconnected in some sort of cable management system. Further, there exist cable trenches, cable conduits, cable channels, and the like, in which large numbers of cables are carried. Usually many of these cables present at the same location are indistinguishable by sight. Thus to enable identification of individual cable for maintenance purposes etc. it is known in the art to label the cables.

It is often preferred to attach labels or tags to the different cables. Labels might comprise some sort of code printed on the label. This code may for example comprise numbers, letters and/or combinations thereof. A printed code can be read by humans who can identify cables in this way.

Other method comprise the attachment of so-called radio frequency identification tags (in short: RFID-tags) to cables. RFID is a technology that uses electromagnetic waves to transfer data from an electronic tag. Such an RFID-tag comprises an integrated circuit for storing and processing data and for modifying or modulating the electromagnetic waves and an antenna for receiving and/or transmitting the electromagnetic waves. Whereas active RFID-tags comprise an own energy source for sending out data, passive RFID-tags use the power of the electromagnetic waves sent by a reading device. Passive RFID-tags modulate or modify the electromagnetic waves sent by the reading device, which detects this modification or modulation. The information transferred is coded in this modifications and/or modulations.

The first devices built used electromagnetic waves in the radio frequency range. Nowadays there are tags using electromagnetic waves in different frequency regimes ranging from the „

- 2 - low frequencies regime (125-134.2 kHz and 140-148.5 kHz) over the high frequency regime (13.56 MHz) to an ultra high frequency regime (886-929 MHz). Some devices even use frequencies in the GHz or THz regime. Regardless of the actual frequency regime, the identification method is called radio frequency identification.

The information transferred from the tag to the reading device is often just a 12 bit to 128 bit number.

In comparison to printed labels, RFID tag can be read electronically. Thus, mistakes occurring due to misreading a printed label or due to typographical errors by writing down the wrong code during installation documentation can be avoided.

In addition, the identification of a cable for maintenance purposes, for example, is carried out more or less electronically. RFID-tags of the cables are read electronically. Also the identification read are compared to code in the documentation. Thus, the documentation as well as the comparison at the time of identification of a cable can be done electronically thus minimizing human errors.

So far, special RFID tags are fastened with cable ties to cables to be tagged. Other applications use disc shaped RFID devices that are completely encapsulated in plastic material. These token like RFID devices have dimensions in the range of several

millimetres. To handle and to protect these RFID devices for example in outdoor installation scenarios the RFID device itself has to be placed in a holder or enclosure which afterwards has to be attached by the installer to the cable. The attachment can be carried out with one or two cable ties for example. This is often a difficult and error prone handling procedure.

Thus, there is the need for improved tagging devices and methods for tagging cables.

Summary of the invention

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a cable tagging device that is easy to handle.

This is achieved by a cable tagging device comprising a protection element and

a tag element being attached to the protection element, wherein the protection element is configured to receive a cable in a surrounding fashion and to cover the tag element at the same time.

The cable tagging device to be mounted on a cable is provided as one piece. The cable tagging device comprises a tag element and a protection element. The protection element protects the tag element prior to installation as well as after installation. After installation, the protection element protects the cable and the tag element at the same time. Installers only have to handle one piece at an installation site so that errors in tagging cables are drastically reduced.

In a preferred embodiment the protection element is heatshrinkable to conform to the outer shape of the cable surrounded and to be affixed to the cable together with the tag element covered. This way, a cable tagging device can be used for labelling cables of different size and shape. After mounting the cable tagging device on the cable such that the cable is received by the protection element the protection element surrounds the cable to be tagged circumferentially. Then heat is applied to the protection element to shrink the protection element itself. In this process, it conforms to the outer shape of the cable to be tagged and is thereby affixed to the cable. The tagging element is positioned between the cable and the protective element.

In a preferred embodiment the tag element is a RFID tag. Preferably, the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag, which means, that the RFID tag does not comprise any energy source itself. Information saved in the RFID tag can only be read of and/or written to the RFID tag when the RFID tag is subjected to the electromagnetic waves sent by a RFID-reading device. Usually, the RFID element or RFID tag is provided with a unique number or code already saved in the RFID tag. The person installing the RFID cable tagging device can read the information saved in the RFID device with a RFID reading device for documentation purposes prior or after affixing it to the respective cable. Especially for outside installations where cables are installed in cable trench, it is advantageous to provide a stronger protection to the actual RFID element. Therefore, in preferred embodiments of the cable tagging device the tag element or the RFID-element is positioned in a protective enclosure being attached to the protection element. The protective „

- 4 - enclosure is preferably formed of an inflexible plastic material and may be a die casted or injection moulded part.

In a preferred embodiment the protective enclosure comprises a reception area for movably accepting the tag element, when not being attached to the protection element. Thus, the protective enclosures can be produced in a separated process from the processing of the RFID tags or RFID elements. In the manufacturing process of the cable tagging device an RFID tag is then placed in the protective enclosure which intern is then attached to the protection element to form the cable tagging device. In case the cable tagging device itself should be damaged in use, in most cases the RFID tag itself can be removed from the protective enclosure after destructively removing the cable tagging device from the cable. In these situations, the RFID tag can usually be reused with a new protective enclosure and a new protective element to affix the same RFID tag again to the same cable. Thus, replacement of a tag is possible without need of modification of the documentation for the cable installation.

In a very robust embodiment the protection element is a heatshrinkable sleeve. This kind of cable tagging device provides very good sealing of the tag element covered by the protective enclosure. Further, this kind of cable tagging devices can also be used to cover and protect area where cables are joined, for example, where fibres are spliced etc. Especially those cables tagging devices, which comprise a protective enclosure for the tag element, provide enough rigidness to stabilize area of a splice of optical fibres for example.

In some embodiments the attachment of the tag element, for example an RFID tag element, to the protection element, for example the heatshrinkable sleeve, is achieved directly or indirectly via an adhesive. It is especially preferred to use a low temperature hotmelt adhesive to attach the tag element to protection element and/or protective enclosure comprising the tag element to the protection element. The low temperature hotmelt adhesive melts during the heating of the heatshrinkable protective element and thus improves the bond between the cable and the protection element and between the cable and the tag element and/or protective enclosure of the tag element. Especially, in situations where the cable tagging device is used to cover splices of optical fibres or other joints of cables the hot melt adhesive improves a sealing function of the protection element. Best results in this respect are achieved with cable tagging devices where the adhesive covers an inside surface of the protection element. In most preferred embodiments the adhesive is formed as an extruded part positioned inside the heatshrinkable sleeve wherein the extruded part also provides a reception channel for the cable. Thus, the extruded adhesive is placed inside the heatshrinkable sleeve. The actual tag element is positioned between the extruded adhesive and the heatshrinkable sleeve. In case the tag element is protected by a protective enclosure in these kinds of embodiments the protective enclosure together with the tag element (for example an RFID element) are positioned between the adhesive and the protection element. In another embodiment the tag element and/or the protective enclosure comprising the tag element are partly or fully embedded into the adhesive.

The protective enclosure is preferably provided with one surface facing the reception area of the cable tagging device prior to attaching it to a cable, which is formed to conform to the cable to be tagged. Thus, the protective enclosure preferably is provided with a curved surface, to be positioned facing the cable reception area or cable channel in the assembled cable tagging device.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of tagging a cable comprising the steps of:

supplying a cable tagging device mentioned above;

placing the cable tagging device over a cable to be tagged in such a fashion, that the protection element surrounds the cable and the tag element is positioned between the protection element and the cable and thereby attaching the tag element to the cable.

To attach the cable tagging device to a cable it is preferably slid over a cable. When two cables are connected to each other, the protective element is slid over the cable preferably prior to connecting the cables. The cable tagging device can afterwards be moved to cover the joining area and then be fixed to the cables in this position. For this purpose, the protective element is heated to achieve shrinking of the protection element to conform the cable the cable tagging device is slid on.

Other embodiments of the cable tagging device comprise a protection element in form of a sheet, which is preferably at least partly covered on one side of an adhesive. The tag element _r

- 6 - is attached to this one side of the protective element at least partly covered by the adhesive. The protective element is affixed to a cable by wrapping it round the cable such that part of the inside surface of one edge overlaps the outside surface at an apposing edge of the protective element, thereby, covering the actual tag element as well as the cable. In case the tag element is further protected by a protective enclosure the protective element covered this enclosure as well.

In some embodiments of a wrap around type cable tagging device opposite edges of the protection element are joined after the wrapping of the protection element around a cable by a joining element. Thus the opposite edges are attached to each other. This way it is ensured that the surrounding of the cable circumferentially by the protection element is maintained.

Preferably, the protective element is formed of a heatshrinkable material again. The cable tagging device is affixed to the cable by heating the protection element this shrinks in size an at the same time the adhesive which preferably is a low temperature hotmelt adhesive melts so that the inside area of the protection element is affixed to the outside of the cable and partly in the overlapping region to the outside of the protection element itself to form a tubular cover of the cable that completely surrounds the cable as well as tag element positioned between the protection element and the cable.

The invention is further described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments as shown in the accompanying figures.

Brief description of the drawings, which show:

Fig.l a schematic top view of a first embodiment of a cable tagging device attached to a cable;

Fig. 2 a cross sectional view of the cable tagging device according to the first

embodiment attached to a cable;

Fig. 3 an explosion of the cable tagging device as well as the cable shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4a - 4c a top view and two different side views of a protective enclosure for tagging element;

Fig. 5 a schematic view of another embodiment of a cable tagging device attached to a cable; Fig. 6 another schematic cross section of the cable tagging device according to Fig.

5 attached to a cable;

Fig. 7 an explosion drawing showing the cable tagging device and its components as well as the cable it is attached to according to Fig. 5;

Fig. 8a - 8c a top view and two different side views of a protective enclosure for tagging element;

Fig.9 a schematic top view of yet another embodiment of a cable tagging device prior to attachment to a cable;

Fig. 10 a cross sectional view of the yet another cable tagging device shown in Fig.

9;

Fig. 11 an explosion of the yet another cable tagging shown in Fig. 9 and 10;

Fig. 12 a schematic top view of a wrap-around type embodiment of a cable tagging device attached to a cable;

Fig. 13 a cross sectional view of the wrap around type cable tagging device

according to fig. 12;

Fig. 14 a detail of the cross sectional view of fig. 13 to depict the attachment of the opposing edges of the protection element via a clip element;

Fig. 15 an explosion of the wrap around type cable tagging device as well as the cable shown in Fig. 12; and

Fig. 16a - 16c a top view and two different side views of a protective enclosure for the tagging element.

Detailed description of the invention

Fig. 1 a schematic top view of a cable tagging device 1 attached to a cable 2. The cable tagging device 1 comprises from the inside to the outside a hotmelt adhesive 3, a protective enclosure 4, in which a tag element 5 is positioned and on the outside a protective element 6 that covers and surrounds the cable 2 as well as the tag element together with the protective enclosure 4.

Fig. 2 shows a cross sectional view A-A of the cable tagging device 1 attached to the cable 2 according to Fig. 1. Identical technical features are marked by the same reference numerals in all figures. The cable tagging device 1 comprises as protective element 6 a heatshrinkable sleeve. This surrounds the cable 2, the interior of which is not shown in detail. The cable can be any kind of cable comprising for example one or several wires, one or several optical fibres etc. The protection element also covers the tag element 5 that is positioned inside a protective enclosure 4. This protective enclosure is positioned between the outer protective element 6 and an adhesive 3 that is completely surrounding the cable 2. The bond between the outside surface 7 of the cable 2 and the inside surface 8 of the protection element 6 is strengthened when the protection element, which is heatshrinkable sleeve, is shrunk to conform to the outside contour of the cable as well as the protective enclosure 4. The adhesive 3, which is preferably a low temperature hotmelt adhesive, melts during the process of heatshrinking of the protection element 6. This way the hotmelt adhesive is also able to conform to any unevenness on the outside surface 7 of the cable 2. Thus, the hotmelt adhesive 3 also improves the sealing function provided by the protection element 6 especially at the outer edges 9 and 10 of a cable tagging device 1 (confer to Fig. 1).

Fig. 3 shows an explosion drawing of the different parts of the cable tagging device as well as the cable according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. From the explosion drawing it can be inferred that the protective enclosure 4 provides a reception area 11. The tag element 5 comprises an integrated circuit coupled to some antenna arrangement both enclosed in a disk-like RFID element. This disk-like RFID element 5 can be slid into the reception area 11 of the protective enclosure 4.

It should be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that there exist RFID elements having different geometric forms or shapes. Some have for example a needle shape. The reception area of the protective enclosure will always be adapted in shape to the respective shape of the RFID element to be protected.

During the manufacture process of the cable tagging device 1 the protective enclosure comprising the tag element 5 is placed between the hotmelt adhesive 3 and the

heatshrinkable sleeve, which forms the protection element 6. The adhesive 3 is formed as tubular extrusion part. Thus, the tag element is affixed to the protective element as it is squeezed between the protection element 6 and the adhesive 3. Thus prior to mounting the cable tagging device on the cable 2 the preassembled cable tagging device 1 is one piece that can easily be slid on the outside surface 7 of the cable 2. Afterwards to achieve a permanent attachment of the cable tagging device 1 to the cable 2 the protective element 6, which is a heatshrinkable sleeve, is heated. When heated the heatshrinkable sleeve reduces in diameter and tries to conform to the outer contour of the cable 2 and the tag element 5 or the protective enclosure 4 the tag element 5 is positioned in. At the same time the hotmelt adhesive 3 starts melting. When heated the hotmelt adhesive 3 starts bonding the cable 2 to the heatshrinkable sleeve as well as to the protective enclosure 4 and/or the tag element 5.

Fig. 4a - 4c show different views of the protective enclosure 4 the RFID tag element 5 is placed in. As can be seen from Fig. 4b, a top surface 21 and a bottom surface 22 are both slightly curved. This curvature is preferably adapted to the outside curvature of a cable the tagging element is supposed to be tagged to. This way, a better bonding between the protective enclosure and the cable can be achieved. Preferably, the protective enclosure is formed by injection moulding. The protective enclosure 5 is formed of some kind of hard plastic material that provides enough strength to prohibit damages of the tag element placed inside the reception area 11 of the protective enclosure 4. Fig. 5 shows a different embodiment of a cable tagging device 1 ' attached to cable. This embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 by the shape of the cable tagging device Γ.

The cross section shown in Fig. 6 reveals that the cable tagging device shown in Fig. 5 has an elliptical or oval shape. The other components, for example the protective enclosure 4 in Fig. 8a to 8c, are identical in function compared to the embodiment with regard to Fig. 1 - 4c.

Fig 9 shows a schematic top view of yet another embodiment of a cable tagging device 1 " . It is similar to the embodiments shown in fig. 1 to 3 and fig. 4a to 4c. The cable tagging device 1 ' ' comprises a protection element 6, preferably being a heat shrinkable sleeve. This covers the adhesive 3, being a low temperature hot melt adhesive, and the protective enclosure 4 together with the RFID tagging element 5. These different components, i.e. said protection element 6, said adhesive 3, the protective enclosure 4, and the RFID tagging element 5, are preassembled to form the cable tagging device 1 ".

Fig. 10 shows the cross sectional view of the assembled cable tagging device 1 ' ' prior to attaching it to a cable along the line A-A shown in fig. 9. The protective enclosure 4 with the RFID tagging element 5 is positioned between the adhesive 3 and the protection element 6. The adhesive 3 is preferably formed an extruded part.

Fig. 11 shows an explosion drawing of the cable tagging device 1 ' ' depicted in fig. 9 and 10. The different components shown, i.e. the adhesive 3, the protective enclosure 4, the RFID tagging element 5, and the protection element 6, are pre-assembled to form the cable tagging device 1 ' ' the installer handles when tagging cables.

Fig. 12 shows a top view of different type of cable tagging device 1 " ' . The embodiment shown is a wrap-around type cable tagging device ". The protection element 6' is a sheet like component as can be inferred from the explosion drawing of fig. 15. The shape might be rectangular. The embodiment shown has a more complicated shape to provide for an enlarged cross section in the middle 31 of the cable tagging device 1 " ' compared to the ends 32, 33 in the axial direction 34. The axial direction is the direction of the cable, the cable tagging device 1 " ' is attached to . The protection element 6 ' comprises two opposing edges 61, 62 being oriented more or less parallel to the axial direction 34. The edges are preferably curled or wound-up each towards an outside surface 63 of the protection element 6'. Thus the edges 61, 62 preferably are both wound-up in end sections 65, 66 to from a half-circle each in a cross sectional view taken perpendicular to the axial direction 34.

The shape of these edges 61, 62 can be seen best in fig. 14. Fig. 14 depicts a detail of the cross sectional view of fig. 13. Fig. 13 shows the cross sectional view of the wrap around type embodiment of the cable tagging device " shown in fig 12. For attaching the cable tagging device 1 " ' to a cable the protection element 6' is wrapped around the cable 2. This way the cable 2 is completely surrounded by the protection element 6' in a circumferential manner. The wrapping is carried out such that the opposing edges 61, 62 are positioned in opposition to each other. The apexes 67, 68 of the wound-up end sections are facing each other. These apexes are part of the inside surface 64 of the protection element 6 ' .

In some embodiments like the one shown here the inner surface 64 is covered at least partly, more preferred completely, by an adhesive 3. The adhesive 3 is preferably a low temperature hot melt adhesive. The wrapping of the protection element 6' is carried out such that the tagging element 5, and, if present, also a protective enclosure 4 are covered by the protection element 6' together with the cable 2. Preferably the protective enclosure 4 and the tagging element 5 positioned therein are attached to the protection element 6' via the adhesive 3 prior to the wrapping the protection element around the cable 2. Thus the protection element 6' and the tagging element 5, and in case it is present, also the protective enclosure 4 are pre-assembled into one part. The opposite edges 61, 62 being in opposition with their end sections 65, 66 are joined or attached to each other by joining element 70. The joining element 70 is preferably an elongated clamp or clip. Preferably the joining element 70 can be a tube like clip or clamp. Such a tube like clamp or clip can be formed of a resilient material. The tube-like clip or clamp is provided with a cut or opening 71 extending along the axial direction 34 the joining member is elongated along. The edges 72, 73 facing the cut or the opening 71 are biased towards each other in case they are bent outwards away from each other. Thus the joining element 70 is attached to the protection element 6' after wrapping it around the cable 2 in such a fashion that the end sections 65, 66 of the protection element 6' are positioned at least partly in the cut or the opening 71. The opposing edges 72, 73 of the joining element 70 facing the cut or the opening 71 are forced apart by the material of the end sections 65, 66 inserted in the cut or the opening 71. Due to the resilient nature of the material the joining element 70 is made of, these edges 72, 73 exert a force on the end sections 65, 66. This way the apexes 67, 68 of the curved or wound up end sections 65, 66 are pressed against each other. In case the protection element 6' is covered on the inside surface 64 in the area of both the end sections 65, 66 by an adhesive 3 the adhesive 3 rather than the inside surfaces come into or are in contact. In case only one end section is covered on the inside by the an adhesive the adhesive of one of end sections 65, 66 and the inside surface 64 of the other one of the end sections 65,66 come into contact or are in contact. Preferably the protection element 6' is made of a heat shrinkable material. For those embodiments it is preferred that cross-sectional area surrounded circumferentially by the cable tagging device having the end sections 65, 66 attached to each, is larger than the cross- sectional area of the cable that is surrounded prior to heat-shrinking. This way it is easy to attach the cable tagging device 1 " ' to the cable. Thereafter the cable tagging device is _Λ„

- 12 - preferably heated to shrink the protection element 6' to conform to the cable 2 and, if present, to the protective enclosure 4, or otherwise to the RFID element 5 itself. Hereby a sealing at the ends 9, 10 between the cable and the protection element 6' can be achieved. In case the protection element 6' is covered on the inside surface by a low temperature hot melt adhesive 3 the adhesive 3 melts and improves the seal as well. Further the adhesive can improve the attachment and sealing between the end sections 65, 66 of the protection elements along their attachment area. The hot melt adhesive improves the bonding between the end sections 65, 66 as well as between the cable and the cable tagging device and its respective components. Thus the bonding between the protection element 6' and the cable 2, between the protection element 6' and the RFID element 5, between the RFID-element 5 and the cable2 or, if a protective enclosure 4 is used, also between the protection element 6' and the protective enclosure 4, the protective enclosure 4 and the cable 2 as well as between the protective enclosure 4 an d the RFID element 5. The hotmelt adhesive 3, when heated, melts and flows around the protective enclosure 4 to completely embed the protective enclosure into the adhesive 3 forming an adhesive layer.

The adhesive can be coated on the inside of the protection element. In other embodiments the adhesive can be supplied as en extrusion part, for example having a tubular shape. The cross-sectional shapes can be different, for example circular, oval etc. The tubular shape provides for a reception channel for a cable. To enable a wrap-around mounting on the cable the tubular extrusion part, i.e. the adhesive, is provided with a cut or opening extending along its longitudinal extension. Thus the cable can be inserted into the reception channel in a radial direction through the opening extending along the complete axial length. The adhesive and a tag element and, if present, a protective enclosure for the tag element as well are preferably preassembled with the protection element to form a cable tagging device just comprising one part to be handled by an installer. This preassembling can be achieved by bringing the different components into contact and applying heat locally just to achieve the attachment of the component with each other but without heat-shrinking the protection element or bring about a complete melting of the adhesive. Thus the tubular shape is preserved. Other embodiments may use another glue or adhesive for pre assembly.

It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that cable tagging devices can be built with different shapes and sizes. Further, it is possible to position hotmelt adhesive between the protective element formed as heatshrinkable sleeve and the RFID tag itself or its _Λ„

- 13 - protective enclosure. Further, it is possible to completely embed the tag element or the protective enclosure into the hotmelt adhesive. In any case, the cable tagging device is pre- assembled off-site prior to supplying it to the installer carrying out the actual tagging of cables.

„

- 14 -

Parts list

1, 1 ', 1 ", 1 '" cable tagging device

2 cable

3 adhesive

4 protective enclosure

5 tag element (RFID tag)

6, 6' protection element (heat shrinkable sleeve)

7 outside surface (cable)

8 inside surface (protection element)

9 outer edge

10 outer edge

11 reception area

21 top surface (protective element)

22 bottom surface (protective element)

31 middle (of cable tagging device

32, 33 ends of the cable tagging device (in axial direction)

34 axial direction

61, 62 opposite edges (of protection element)

63 outside surface (protection element)

64 inside surface (protection element)

65, 66 end sections (protection element)

67, 68 apexes (of curved end section)

70 joining element

71 opening (or cut)

72, 73 edges (facing the opening)

Claims

1. Cable tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") comprising

a protection element (6, 6'),

a tag element (5) being attached to the protection element (6, 6')

wherein the protection element (6, 6') is configured to receive a cable (2) in such a fashion to circumferentially surround the cable (2) and to cover the tag element (5) at the same time.

2 Cable tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") according to claim 1 , wherein the protection element (6, 6') is heatshrinkable to conform to the outer shape of the cable (2) circumferentially surrounded and be affixed to the cable (2) together with the tag element (5) covered.

3. Cable tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") according to any of the above claims, wherein the tag element (5) is an RFID element.

4. Cable tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") according to any of the above claims, wherein the tag element (5) is positioned in a protective enclosure (4), being attached to the protection element (6, 6').

5. Cable tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") according to any of the above claims, wherein the protective enclosure (4) comprises a reception area (11) for removably accepting the tag element (5), when not being attached to the protection element (6, 6').

6. Cable tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") according to any of the above claims, wherein the tag element (5) is attached by an adhesive (3) directly or indirectly via the protective enclosure (4) to the protection element (6, 6').

7. Cable tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") according claim 6, wherein the adhesive (3) is a low temperature hotmelt adhesive (3).

8. Cable tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") according to any of the above claims, wherein the adhesive (3) covers an inside surface (8) of the protection element (6, 6').

9. Cable tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") according to any of the claims 6 to 8, wherein the adhesive (3) is formed as an extruded part positioned inside the heatshrinkable protection element (6, 6'), wherein the extruded part provides a reception channel for the cable (2).

10. Cable tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") according to any of the above claims, wherein the tag element (5) is embedded in the adhesive (3).

11 Cable tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") according to any of the above claims, wherein the protection element (6') comprises to opposite ends (32, 33) in an axial direction (34) and to opposite edges (61,62) each extending between the opposite ends (32, 33), and wherein the cable tagging device comprises a joining element (70) for attaching the opposite edges (61, 62) at each other, when being wrapped around the cable (2) extending along the axial direction (34) to ensure the cable (2) is surrounded circumferentially by the protection element (6')..

12. Method of tagging a cable (2) comprising the steps of:

supplying a cable (2) tagging device (1, , 1 ", ") according to any one of the above claims;

placing the cable (2) tagging device (l, , 1 ", ") over a cable (2) to be tagged in such a fashion, that the protection element (6, 6') surrounds the cable (2)

circumferentially and at the same time covers the tag element (5) positioned between the protection element (6, 6') and the cable (2) an thereby attaching the tag element (5) to the cable (2).

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein the protection element (6) is slid over a cable (2) end.

14. Method according to claim 12, wherein the protection element (6') is wrapped

around said cable (2).

5. Method according to claims 12 to 14, wherein the protection element (6, 6') is heated to achieve shrinking of the protection element (6, 6') to conform at least partially to the cable (2) surrounded circumferentially.