초록 ▼

An apparatus and method for sealably joining cables to pressure-balanced submersible junction boxes. The apparatus maintains a balanced pressure within the termination chamber; it is field installable, testable, and repairable. The termination chamber is not oil-filled; instead, it is substantially

An apparatus and method for sealably joining cables to pressure-balanced submersible junction boxes. The apparatus maintains a balanced pressure within the termination chamber; it is field installable, testable, and repairable. The termination chamber is not oil-filled; instead, it is substantially filled with a solid particulate fill material. An apparatus and method for sealably containing the cable's bitter end within the termination chamber are further provided. The apparatus includes a cable termination assembly having a chamber with a first end including a load bearing cable-attachment to sealably join a cable to the chamber, and a second end including an underwater connector. Within the chamber one or more optical and/or electrical conductors from the cable are terminated to respective one or more attachment points of the connector. The apparatus prohibits cable pistoning into the termination chamber.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A cable penetration assembly comprising: a cable interface for joining a cable to an end of a chamber housing defining a chamber;the cable comprising a cable core and at least one conductor issuing from an end of the cable core;a gland seal sealably enclosing the end of the cable and the at least

1. A cable penetration assembly comprising: a cable interface for joining a cable to an end of a chamber housing defining a chamber;the cable comprising a cable core and at least one conductor issuing from an end of the cable core;a gland seal sealably enclosing the end of the cable and the at least one conductor issuing therefrom;a rigid housing disposed in the cable interface for sealably housing the gland seal and the at least one conductor, wherein the rigid housing is fixed relative to the end of the chamber housing;a housing end portion disposed between the gland seal and the chamber, wherein the housing end portion includes at least one through-bore for allowing the at least one conductor to enter the chamber and for pressure balancing the gland seal to the chamber;the gland seal having a posterior end, an anterior end, a posterior end portion extending from the posterior end, and an anterior end portion extending from the posterior end portion to the anterior end, a first bore extending from the posterior end through the posterior end portion and having an inner end, and at least one second bore of smaller diameter than the first bore extending from the inner end of the first bore to the anterior end of the gland seal; andthe first bore being a stretch-fit over the end of the cable core and the second bore being a stretch fit over the at least one conductor issuing from the cable core. 2. The cable penetration assembly of claim 1, wherein the gland seal is made of elastomeric material. 3. The cable penetration assembly of claim 1, wherein the gland seal is bidirectional. 4. The cable penetration assembly of claim 1, wherein the gland seal is squeeze-fit to an inner radial wall of the rigid housing. 5. The cable penetration assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable interface further comprises a bore, and wherein the rigid housing is disposed in the bore. 6. The cable penetration assembly of claim 5, wherein the cable interface further comprises a shoulder limiting rearward movement of the rigid housing and gland seal within the bore. 7. The cable penetration assembly of claim 6, wherein the housing end portion is a housing end cap. 8. The cable penetration assembly of claim 7, further comprising a housing nut securing the rigid housing, the gland seal and the housing end cap within the bore against the shoulder of the cable interface, wherein the housing end cap and the housing nut prevent pistoning of the cable into the chamber. 9. The cable penetration assembly of claim 8, wherein the rigid housing further comprises threads, and wherein the housing nut is threaded onto the threads of the rigid housing. 10. The cable penetration assembly of claim 1, further comprising a boot seal sealing the cable to an end of the cable interface opposite the chamber. 11. The cable penetration assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor is at least one electrical cable. 12. The cable penetration assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor is at least one optical fiber. 13. The cable penetration assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor comprises at least two conductors and the gland seal has at least two second bores, the two conductors comprising at least one electrical cable and at least one optical fiber, one of the second bores being a stretch-fit over the electrical cable and the other second bore being a stretch-fit over the optical fiber. 14. The cable penetration assembly of claim 13 wherein the electrical conduit bore and the optical-fiber bore are of different diameters. 15. The cable penetration assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of conductors issuing from the end of the cable core, the gland seal having a plurality of second bores equal in number to the number of conductors and extending from the inner end of the first bore to the anterior end of the gland seal, each second bore being a stretch fit over a respective conductor. 16. The cable penetration assembly of claim 15, wherein the plurality of conductors comprise a number of electrical conductors and a number of optical-fiber conduits, and the second bores comprise a plurality of electrical conductor bores equal in number to the number of electrical conductors and a plurality of optical-fiber conduit bores equal in number to the number of optical-fiber conduits, each electrical conductor bore being a stretch fit over a respective electrical conductor and each optical-fiber conduit bore being a stretch fit over a respective optical fiber conduit. 17. The cable penetration assembly of claim 1, further comprising a fill material within the chamber, wherein the fill material comprises a solid particulate material. 18. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein the solid particulate material comprises a mixture of different particle sizes. 19. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein the particulate material is not soluble in sea water. 20. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein the fill material is substantially electrically non-conductive. 21. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein the fill material further comprises a benign fluid. 22. The cable penetration assembly of claim 20, wherein the benign fluid is Polydimethylsiloxane oil. 23. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein a portion of the particulate material comprises rigid spheres. 24. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein a portion of the particulate material comprises a powder. 25. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein a portion of the particulate material provides lubricity of the fill material at high pressures. 26. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein the particulate material is composed of a mixture of particle shapes. 27. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein the mixture of particle shapes includes at least one of the following: ribbons, flakes, spheres, grains and threads. 28. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, further comprising a pressure compensator adapted for pressurizing the chamber. 29. The cable penetration assembly of claim 28, wherein the chamber housing has an inner chamber wall surrounding the chamber, and the pressure compensator comprises a flexible wall portion of the inner chamber wall. 30. The cable penetration assembly of claim 29, further comprising an outer chamber wall disposed between the inner chamber wall and the housing, forming a space between the inner chamber wall and the outer chamber wall. 31. The cable penetration assembly of claim 30, wherein a second fill material is disposed within the space between the inner chamber wall and the outer chamber wall. 32. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein the at least one conductor is at least one electrical cable. 33. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein the at least one conductor is at least one optical fiber. 34. The cable penetration assembly of claim 17, wherein the at least one conductor is at least one electrical cable and at least one optical fiber.