A cap for protecting the end of an insulated wire or cable

Abstract

To provide a cap for protecting the end of an insulated electric wire or cable, capable of suppressing damage caused by the shrink-back phenomenon. [Solution] The cap (40) of the present invention is a cap (40) for protecting the end of an insulated electric wire (3) or cable (3') and has a cap body (41) for covering the end of the insulated electric wire (3) or cable (3') and a stopper (42) protruding from the inner surface of the cap body (41) for stopping the entry of the end of the insulated electric wire (3) or cable (3') and separating the conductor (1) of the insulated electric wire (3) or cable (3') from the inner surface of the cap body (41).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to a cap for protecting the end of an insulated wire or cable. [Background technology]

[0002] When storing an insulated electric wire or cable, it is necessary to prevent the intrusion of dust and water from the end of the insulated electric wire or cable. For this reason, protective caps for protecting the end of the insulated electric wire or cable are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a water stop cap for protecting the end of a power cable and preventing the intrusion of water. In Patent Document 1, the end of the power cable is pressed against the bottom of the water stop cap so that no gap is formed around the end of the power cable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-162400 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a cap 4 for protecting an end of an insulated wire 3 protects the end of the insulated wire 3. Specifically, as shown in the upper diagram of Fig. 1, the cap 4 protects the end of the insulated wire 3 having a conductor 1 and an insulator 2 surrounding the conductor 1. Furthermore, the cap 4 may be fixed to the insulated wire 3 with vinyl tape or the like so as not to come off the end of the insulated wire 3. Here, since the insulator 2 is molded by extrusion molding or the like, it is known to experience a shrink-back phenomenon in which it shrinks and retreats due to the effects of residual stress, etc. When the shrink-back phenomenon occurs, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 1, the cap 4 moves to follow the shrinking insulator 2, and there is a possibility that the conductor 1 will break through the cap 4. Like the insulated wire 3, the cable also has the insulator 2 and the sheath around the insulator 2, which are formed by extrusion molding or the like, and therefore the shrink-back phenomenon also occurs.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a cap for protecting the end of an insulated wire or cable which is less susceptible to damage caused by the shrink-back phenomenon. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, A cap for protecting the end of an insulated wire or cable, comprising: a cap body for covering an end of the insulated wire or cable; a stopper protruding from an inner surface of the cap body to stop an end of the insulated electric wire or the cable from entering the cap body and space the conductor of the insulated electric wire or the cable from the inner surface of the cap body; A cap having a Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cap for protecting the end of an insulated wire or cable, which can suppress damage caused by the shrink-back phenomenon. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a case where a conductor of an insulated electric wire breaks through a cap due to the shrink-back phenomenon. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an end of an insulated wire protected by a cap according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an end of a cable protected by a cap according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 4A to 4F are diagrams showing cross sections of a cable protected by a cap according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an end of an insulated wire protected by a cap according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, caps according to embodiments and modifications of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] [Embodiment Mode] The upper diagram in Fig. 2 shows a state in which the end of the insulated wire 3 is protected by the cap 40 according to this embodiment. The lower diagram in Fig. 2 shows a state after the shrink-back phenomenon occurs in such an insulated wire 3. The cap 40 can be used to protect the end of the insulated wire 3, and can also be used to protect the end of a cable 3', which will be described later. However, the following description will be given taking the case in which the insulated wire 3 is protected as an example.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 2, a cap 40 according to this embodiment protects the end of an insulated wire 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the cap 40 has a cap body 41 for covering the end of the insulated wire 3, and a stopper 42 protruding from the inner surface of the cap body 41. The stopper 42 stops the end of the insulated wire 3 from entering and separates the conductor 1 of the insulated wire 3 from the inner surface of the cap body 41.

[0012] This creates a gap between the conductor 1 of the insulated wire 3 and the inner surface of the cap body 41. This gap prevents the conductor 1 from breaking through the cap 40 even if the shrink-back phenomenon occurs in the insulator 2, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. The configuration of the cap 40 will be described below.

[0013] (Cap body) The cap body 41 covers and protects the end of the insulated electric wire 3. The configuration of the cap body 41 is not particularly limited as long as it can perform this function. In the present embodiment, the cap body 41 is a bottomed cylindrical member with one end closed and the other end open, and has an innermost part 41a, an inlet part 41b, and a cylindrical part 41c. The innermost part 41a corresponds to one end (bottom) of the closed cylindrical member, and the inlet part 41b corresponds to the other end (opening) that is open. The cylindrical part 41c corresponds to a portion between the inlet part 41b and the innermost part 41a. The end of the insulated electric wire 3 is inserted from the inlet part 41b, passes through the cylindrical part 41c, and is stopped by the stopper 42 at a position where it does not reach the innermost part 41a, and is protected by the cap body 41.

[0014] The cap body 41 is preferably configured to fit (make contact with) the outer periphery of the insulated wire 3 with substantially no gaps. This prevents water from entering and eliminates the need to fix the cap 40 to the insulated wire 3 with vinyl tape or the like. Specifically, in this embodiment, the cap body 41 is preferably configured such that the inner periphery of the tubular portion 41c fits the outer periphery of the insulated wire 3.

[0015] The material of the cap body 41 is preferably one that can hold the end of the insulated wire 3 without allowing water to pass through. Examples of materials for the cap body 41 include resins, etc. More specifically, examples of materials for the cap body include polyvinyl chloride, silicone, polyethylene, rubber, etc.

[0016] (stopper) The stopper 42 is for stopping the end of the insulated wire 3 from entering and separating the conductor 1 exposed on the end surface of the insulated wire 3 from the inner surface of the cap body 41. The configuration of the stopper 42 is not particularly limited as long as it can perform this function. In the present embodiment, the stopper 42 stops the insulated wire 3 from entering by coming into contact with the outer periphery of the end surface of the insulated wire 3.

[0017] The stopper 42 is positioned inside the cap body 41 so as to create a gap between the innermost part 41a of the cap body 41 and the end face of the insulated wire 3 such that the conductor 1 will not break through the innermost part 41a of the cap body 41 even if a shrink-back phenomenon occurs (see the lower diagram in Figure 2).

[0018] Specifically, the position at which the stopper 42 protrudes from the inner surface of the cap body 41 may be appropriately adjusted depending on the degree of shrink-back that may occur in the insulated wire 3 .

[0019] The shape of the stopper 42 is not particularly limited as long as it can stop the insulated wire 3 from entering. In the present embodiment, the stopper 42 is a portion (step) protruding from the inner surface of the cap body 41 such that the cap body 41 becomes thick. When viewed from the inlet portion 41b of the cap body 41 toward the innermost portion 41a of the cap body 41, such a stopper 42 appears to protrude over the entire circumference of the inner surface of the cap body 41. That is, in the present embodiment, the stopper 42 is formed so as to protrude from the inner surface of the cap body 41 such that the inner circumference is smaller than the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 41c.

[0020] The shape of the stopper 42 is not limited to the above-mentioned shape, and may be, for example, a plurality of protrusions protruding from only a part of the inner circumference of the cap body 41 when viewed from the inlet portion 41b of the cap body 41 toward the innermost portion 41a of the cap body 41. Furthermore, the stopper 42 may be integral with the cap body 41 or may be a separate body. That is, the stopper 42 may be made of the same material as the cap body 41, or may be made of a different material.

[0021] Insulated wire or cable Examples of insulated wires or cables in which the cap 40 may be used are described below.

[0022] The insulated wire or cable for which the cap 40 can be used is not particularly limited, but the cap 40 can be particularly suitably used for an insulated wire or cable that may cause the shrink-back phenomenon. As shown in FIG. 2, the insulated wire 3 includes a conductor 1 and an insulator 2 around the conductor 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the cable 3' includes the conductor 1 and the insulator 2 around the conductor 1, and further includes a sheath 6 around the insulator 2. Since the insulator 2 and the sheath 6 of the cable 3' are formed by extrusion molding, the cable 3' is subject to the shrink-back phenomenon as in the insulated wire 3, as shown in FIG. 3. The cap 40 can protect such a cable 3' and prevent the cap 40 from being damaged by the shrink-back phenomenon.

[0023] Fire-resistant cables can also be cited as cables that may cause the shrink-back phenomenon. Figures 4A to 4F show examples of cross-sectional views of fire-resistant cables 3a to 3f protected by a cap 40. As shown in Figures 4A to 4F, the fire-resistant cables 3a to 3f have a conductor 1 and an insulator 2 around the conductor 1, and further have a fire-resistant layer 5 between the conductor 1 and the insulator 2, and a sheath 6 around the insulator 2.

[0024] In the fire-resistant cables 3a to 3f, the fire-resistant layer 5 is formed, for example, by wrapping a fire-resistant tape (such as a mica tape) around the conductor 1. Therefore, friction between the conductor 1 and the fire-resistant layer 5 is small, and the conductor 1 is likely to protrude due to the shrink-back phenomenon. Therefore, the cap 40 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be suitably used particularly for fire-resistant cables.

[0025] The shape of the insulated wire or cable with which cap 40 can be used, whether fire resistant or not, may be round as shown in FIG. 4A or flat as shown in FIGS. 4B-F.

[0026] When the insulated wire or cable is flat, it may have grooves on one side of the cable sheath 6 (insulator 2 in the case of an insulated wire) so as to run along between the multiple core wires when viewed in cross section as shown in Figures 4C and E, or it may have grooves on the surfaces of both sides of the cable sheath 6 (insulator in the case of an insulated wire) as shown in Figures 4D and F.

[0027] The cap 40 (cap body 41) is preferably configured to fit the outer circumference of the insulated electric wire or cable as described above. Specifically, for example, the inner circumference of the tubular portion 41c of the cap body 41 is preferably configured to fit the outer circumference of a round cable (see FIG. 4A), a flat cable (see FIG. 4B), a flat cable having a groove on one side (see FIGS. 4C and E), or a flat cable having grooves on both sides (see FIGS. 4D and F). Similarly, cap 40 (cap body 41) is preferably configured to fit over the circumference of a round insulated wire, a flat insulated wire, a flat insulated wire having a groove on one side, or a flat insulated wire having grooves on both sides.

[0028] When the cap 40 (cap body 41) fits an insulated electric wire or cable having a groove, the inner surface of the cap 40 (the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 41c of the cap body 41) may have a linear protrusion 41d on one side that corresponds to the groove and extends in the direction from the inlet portion 41b to the innermost portion 41a, as shown in Figures 4C and E. Also, as shown in Figures 4D and F, the inner surface of the cap 40 (the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 41c of the cap body 41) may have linear protrusions 41d on both sides that correspond to the groove and extend in the direction from the inlet portion 41b to the innermost portion 41a. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 4E, the outer surface of cap 40 may have linear groove portion 41e on one side corresponding to the groove and extending in the direction from inlet portion 41b to innermost portion 41a, or as shown in Fig. 4F, the outer surface of cap 40 may have linear groove portion 41e on both sides corresponding to the groove and extending in the direction from inlet portion 41b to innermost portion 41a.

[0029] Furthermore, the cable may have one core (single core) or multiple cores (multi-core). When the cable has multiple cores, the number of cores may be two, three, four, five, etc. Examples of cables in which the conductor 1 is likely to protrude include single-core round cables. In addition, in cables with multiple cores in which the cores are not twisted together, the conductor 1 is likely to protrude. Examples of such cables include flat cables in which the cores are arranged in parallel. For this reason, the cap 40 is particularly suitable for use with these cables.

[0030] (effect) According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a cap for protecting an end of a cable will be broken through due to the shrink-back phenomenon.

[0031] [Variations] 5 is a diagram showing a state in which a cap 50 according to a modified example of the embodiment protects an end of an insulated wire 3. In the modified example, the same components as those in the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 5, the cap 50 according to the modified example further includes a cushioning material 51 disposed inside the cap body 41. The rest may be the same as in the embodiment. The cushioning material 51 serves to suppress contact between the conductor 1 of the insulated wire 3 and the inner surface of the cap body 41, and to more reliably prevent water from entering the space between the innermost part 41a of the cap body 41 and the end face of the insulated wire 3. The cap 50 according to the modified example includes the cushioning material 51, and is therefore able to receive the protruding conductor 1. The cushioning material 51 also has a water-stopping effect.

[0033] The configuration of the cushioning material 51 is not particularly limited as long as it can suppress contact between the conductor 1 of the insulated wire 3 and the inner surface of the cap body 41. In the present embodiment, the cushioning material 51 is disposed between the innermost part 41a of the cap body 41 and the stopper 42. Examples of materials for the cushioning material 51 include polybutene resin, polyolefin resin, and the like.

[0034] (effect) According to the modified cap 50, the possibility of being broken through due to the shrink-back phenomenon can be further reduced by having the cushioning material 51. Also, the intrusion of dust and water into the end of the insulated wire or cable can be more reliably prevented. [Industrial Applicability]

[0035] The caps of the present invention are useful for protecting the ends of cables. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Conductor 2. Insulator 3. Insulated Wire 3' Cable 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f fireproof cable 4, 40, 50 Cap 5 Fireproof layer 6 Sheath 41 Cap body 41a Innermost part 41b Entrance 41c Cylindrical part 41d Protrusion 41e Groove 42 Stopper 51 Cushioning material

Claims

1. A cap for protecting the end of an insulated wire or cable, comprising: a cap body for covering an end of the insulated wire or cable; a stopper protruding from an inner surface of the cap body to stop an end of the insulated electric wire or the cable from entering the cap body and space the conductor of the insulated electric wire or the cable from the inner surface of the cap body; having The cap body is a bottomed tubular member constructed as a single piece with one end closed and the other end open, and the innermost portion corresponding to the closed end is non-perforated.

2. 2. The cap according to claim 1, further comprising a cushioning material arranged inside the cap body for preventing contact between the conductor of the insulated wire or the cable and an inner surface of the cap body.

3. 3. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the cap body is configured to fit around an outer periphery of the insulated wire or cable.

4. 4. The cap according to claim 3, wherein the insulated wire or cable is flat.

5. 5. The cap according to claim 4, further comprising a protrusion for fitting into a groove of the insulated wire or cable, the insulated wire or cable being flat.

6. 3. A cap according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cable is a fire-resistant cable.

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