Protector and method for repairing protector

Abstract

A protector (1) according to the present disclosure comprises: one or more circular tube-shaped inner tubes (12) for accommodating cables (2); an outer tube (11) which accommodate the one or more inner tubes (12), and of which the curvature of the inner peripheral surface is smaller than the curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the one or more inner tubes (12); and protective members (13) disposed in gaps S between the one or more inner tubes (12) and the outer tube (11). The protective members (13) are composed of a plurality of divided members (131) divided along the axial direction of the protector (1).

Description

Protective equipment and methods for repairing protective equipment

[0001] The present disclosure relates to protective gear and methods for repairing protective gear.

[0002] There are known techniques for protecting cables such as optical fibers and power lines laid in underground structures such as underground conduits from damage caused by heavy machinery such as pavement cutters used in road construction. For example, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for placing protective concrete, steel plates, ceramic plates, etc., on the outside of an underground buried object depending on the buried depth of the underground buried object. Patent Document 1 also discloses a technique for providing a protective member made of a hard material such as ceramic inside a conduit that houses a cable.

[0003] International Publication No. 2024 / 042622

[0004] Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, "Case Studies on Utility Pole Removal," National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, No. 789, March 2014

[0005] In shallowly buried sections of a conduit accommodating a cable, there is a risk of damage from excavation machinery and the like during road construction work. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of placing a protective material such as a steel plate S on the outside of the conduit P to protect the cable 2 from the cutters CT of a paving machine PM that cuts the pavement PA in a shallowly buried section. As shown in FIG. 9 , when the distance d between the ground surface and the conduit P is short and the soil covering of the conduit P is shallow, it is difficult to protect the cable 2 by placing a protective material on the outside of the conduit P, as in the technology disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1. On the other hand, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 makes it possible to protect the cable 2 housed in the conduit P regardless of the buried depth of the conduit P.

[0006] Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining the installation of a conventional protective gear 1a equipped with a protective member, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, in a pipeline P. As shown in Fig. 10, the conventional protective gear 1a is inserted and installed inside the pipeline P provided between manholes 3a and 3b below the ground surface G while being connected via a joint 4.

[0007] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the protective gear 1a includes a cable housing portion that houses the cable 2, and a protective member is provided in an empty space within the conduit to protect the cable 2. As shown in Fig. 10 , after the conventional protective gear 1a is laid inside the conduit P, the cable 2 is housed in the cable housing portion of the protective gear 1a.

[0008] Consider a case where the protective member of the protective gear 1a is damaged by contact with the cutter CT or the like, making it necessary to repair the protective gear 1a. The protective gear 1a described in Patent Document 1 does not fully consider repairing by replacing the damaged portion. Therefore, it is time-consuming to lay the protective gear 1a separately in another conduit P, house the cable 2 in the protective gear 1a, and then remove the entire section of the protective gear 1a that was laid in the original conduit P.

[0009] The purpose of the present disclosure, made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, is to provide a technique that allows protective equipment to be repaired more easily.

[0010] In one embodiment, the protective gear is a tubular protective gear for protecting a cable, and comprises one or more circular tubular inner tubes that house the cable, an outer tube that houses the one or more inner tubes and has a circular tubular outer tube with an inner circumferential surface having a curvature that is smaller than the curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the one or more inner tubes, and a protective member arranged in the gap between the one or more inner tubes and the outer tube, and the protective member is composed of a plurality of divided members that are divided along the axial direction of the protective gear.

[0011] A method for repairing protective gear according to one embodiment is a method for repairing tubular protective gear that protects cables, the protective gear comprising one or more circular tubular inner tubes that accommodate the cables, an outer tube that accommodates the one or more inner tubes and has a circular tubular outer tube with a curvature of its inner circumferential surface that is smaller than the curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the one or more inner tubes, and a protective member disposed in a gap between the one or more inner tubes and the outer tube, the protective member being composed of a plurality of divided members that are divided along the axial direction of the protective gear, and the method includes the steps of cutting out the outer tube at a position corresponding to the protective member to be repaired and forming an opening in the outer tube, removing the protective member to be repaired from the opening, inserting the divided members into the gap from which the protective member to be repaired was removed to form a new protective member, and closing the opening.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a technique can be provided that allows protective equipment to be repaired more easily.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example configuration of protective gear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a protective member shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining fixation of the protective member shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a tube shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the protective member shown in FIG. 1. A flowchart showing a method for repairing the protective gear shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining repair of the protective gear shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining repair of the protective gear shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining repair of the protective gear shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining repair of the protective gear shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining repair of the protective gear shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining another example configuration of the protective member shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a configuration in which a cable protection function is provided on the outside of a conduit. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining laying of a cable in a conduit.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, parts having the same configuration or function are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of the present embodiments, duplicated descriptions of the same parts may be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example configuration of a protective gear 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure inserted into a conduit P. The protective gear 1 according to this embodiment is cylindrical and protects a cable 2 laid in the conduit P. As shown in FIG. 1 , the protective gear 1 according to this embodiment includes one or more circular inner tubes 12 that house the cable 2, an outer tube 11 that houses the one or more inner tubes 12, the outer tube 11 having an inner circumferential surface T2 with a curvature smaller than the curvature of the outer circumferential surface T1 of the one or more inner tubes 12, a plurality of protective members 13 disposed in gaps S between the one or more inner tubes 12 and the outer tube 11, and tubes 14 provided on both ends of each of the plurality of protective members 13 in the circumferential direction of the protective gear 1.

[0016] The protective gear 1 according to this embodiment is disposed inside a pipeline P, which is an underground structure. Therefore, no space is required for placing protective ceramic plates or the like outside the pipeline P. Even if the cutter CT comes into contact with the protective gear 1, the protective member 13 can protect the cable 2 housed in the inner pipe 12. As described below, the first protective member 13 is provided at a rotationally symmetrical position in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the protective gear 1. Therefore, regardless of the angle from which the cutter CT breaks the outer pipe 11 and hits the protective member 13 located inside the outer pipe 11 in the circumferential direction of the pipeline P, the repulsive force generated when the cutter CT hits the protective member 13 is easily transmitted to the worker. This improves the likelihood that the worker will stop the advancement of the cutter CT and reduces the likelihood that the worker will unknowingly cut the cable 2 inside the protective gear 1. Therefore, the protective gear 1 according to this embodiment can improve the protection function of the housed cable 2.

[0017] The configuration of the protective gear 1 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the protective gear 1 includes one or more inner tubes 12 that are installed inside the outer tube 11 and that house the cables 2. The number of inner tubes 12 is three in the example shown in Fig. 1, but it may be less than three or four or more.

[0018] The outer tube 11 houses the inner tubes 12. The outer tube 11 has a cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 1 , the outer tube 11 has an inner circumferential surface T2 having a portion that contacts the outer circumferential surface T1 of each of the three inner tubes 12. The curvature of the inner circumferential surface T2 of the outer tube 11 is smaller than the curvature of the outer circumferential surface T1 of the inner tubes 12. The outer tube 11 is made of any material, such as a synthetic resin material such as rigid polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, or ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene rubber styrene), or a metal including steel.

[0019] The inner pipe 12 is disposed inside the outer pipe 11 and accommodates the cables 2. The number of cables 2 accommodated in one inner pipe 12 is not limited to one, two, or three as shown in FIG. 1 , and may accommodate, for example, four or more cables. As shown in FIG. 1 , the cables 2 accommodated in the inner pipe 12 may have different diameters. The inner pipe 12 is cylindrical. The outer circumferential surface T1 of each inner pipe 12 contacts the inner circumferential surface T2 of the outer pipe 11. The outer circumferential surfaces T1 of two adjacent inner pipes 12 contact each other. Referring to FIG. 1 , for each pair of adjacent inner pipes 12, the outer circumferential surfaces T1 of the inner pipes 12 contact each other, and three gaps S are formed between the outer circumferential surfaces T1 of the three inner pipes 12 and the inner circumferential surface T2 of the outer pipe 11. The inner pipe 12 is made of any material, such as a synthetic resin material such as rigid polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, or ABS, or a metal including steel.

[0020] The protective members 13 are provided in the gaps S formed between the outer peripheral surfaces T1 of each of two adjacent inner pipes 12 and the inner peripheral surface T2 of the outer pipe 11. The protective members 13 are made of a hard material such as ceramic. Referring to FIG. 1 , a protective member 13 is provided in each of the three gaps S. In FIG. 1 , the protective members 13 have a pentagonal cross section. Specifically, the protective member 13 has a shape in which the apex on the inner pipe 12 side protrudes toward the inner pipe 12. The cross-sectional shape of the protective members 13 is not limited to this and may be, for example, a triangle or a sector.

[0021] 2 is a view of the protective member 13 viewed from diagonally above. The length L1 of the protective member 13 alone may be the same as the axial length of the protective gear 1. Alternatively, multiple protective members 13 may be connected along the axial direction of the protective gear 1. In this case, connecting multiple protective members 13 may make the length the same as the axial length of the protective gear 1.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1 , the tubes 14 serving as elastic members are disposed at both ends of the protective member 13 in the gap S. The tubes 14 fix the protective member 13 while biasing it inward from both ends of the protective member 13. The tubes 14 have lower strength than the outer tube 11. The tubes 14 are made of a material such as polyethylene, silicone, or polyvinyl chloride. This provides the tubes 14 with flexibility and elasticity. The flexibility and elasticity of the tubes 14 provided at both ends of the protective member 13 allows the first protective member 13 to be fixed in a state where it is biased inward of the protective member 13 by the tubes 14 provided at both ends of the protective member 13. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the tubes 14 are pressed against the inner circumferential surface T2 of the outer tube 11 and the outer circumferential surface T1 of the inner tube 12 near the ends of the gap S, thereby biasing the protective member 13 toward the inside of the protective member 13. As the protective member 13 is biased inward by the tube 14, the protective member 13 is fixed in abutment against the inner surface T2 of the outer tube 11 and the outer surface T1 of the inner tube 12, as shown in Figure 1.

[0023] The tube 14 contains a colorant. The colorant is a liquid made of any material, such as a pigment or paint. Alternatively, the colorant may be in powder form. The colorant has a high saturation color with a saturation equal to or greater than a predetermined value, specifically, red, yellow, or white. This allows workers to easily notice if the colorant leaks into soil, concrete, or the like. The colorant may be sealed in the tube 14 at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. The ends of the tube 14 may be configured to be sealable while the colorant is sealed inside. This allows the colorant inside the tube 14 to spray out when the cutter CT comes into contact with and breaks the tube 14. As shown in FIG. 1 , the protective gear 1 according to this embodiment includes a tube 14 at each circumferential end of each of the three protective members 13. That is, the protective gear 1 according to this embodiment includes a total of six tubes 14.

[0024] 4 shows the tube 14 as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The length of the tube 14 may be the same as the axial length of the protective gear 1 when it is a single tube 14, or may be the same as the axial length of the protective gear 1 when multiple tubes 14 are connected together.

[0025] As described above, the protective member 13 is made of, for example, ceramic. Because ceramic is made by pressing a powder material, the tolerances are large. Therefore, the protective member 13 needs to be made to a size that allows some margin for the accommodation space (gap S). Therefore, the protective member 13 cannot be fixed and placed in the gap S by itself. If a fixing member is used to fix the protective member 13, the size of the protective member 13 will be reduced by the amount of the fixing member, and the protective function of the cable 2 will be impaired. In particular, if a fixing member is provided in the thickness direction of the protective member 13 (the radial direction of the protective gear 1), the thickness of the protective member 13 will be reduced, which will affect the reduction in the cutting speed of the cutter CT.

[0026] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the protective member 13 is fixed in a state where it is biased inward by the tube 14 as an elastic member provided to make it easier for the worker to recognize the breakage of the protective gear 1, thereby eliminating the need for a separate fixing member. Since there is no need for a fixing member, the size of the protective member 13 can be made as large as possible within the range that can be placed in the gap S. As a result, the protective gear 1 according to this embodiment can improve the protection function of the housed cable 2.

[0027] Referring again to FIG. 1 , the protective members 13 are arranged at rotationally symmetric positions in a cross section perpendicular to the tube axis of the protective gear 1. Rotational symmetry means that when the protective gear 1 is rotated by a predetermined angle around the tube axis, the cross sections of the protective members 13 overlap at the same position before and after the rotation. In FIG. 1 , three protective members 13 are arranged at positions offset from each other by 120° around the tube axis of the protective gear 1, but this is not limited to this. For example, if there are two inner tubes 12, two protective members 13 may be arranged at rotationally symmetric positions for the two inner tubes 12, i.e., at positions 180° opposite each other. Furthermore, if there are four inner tubes 12, four protective members 13 may be arranged at rotationally symmetric positions for the four inner tubes 12, i.e., at positions offset from each other by 90°. That is, N protective members 13 may be arranged at positions offset by an angle equal to 360° divided by N.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the protective member 13 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 is a view of the protective member 13 as viewed from the axial direction of the protective gear 1. In this embodiment, the protective member 13 is composed of multiple segmented members 131 that are divided along the axial direction of the protective gear 1 (the depth direction in FIG. 5 ). FIG. 5 shows an example in which the protective member 13 is composed of two segmented members 131a and 131b. As shown in FIG. 5 , segmented member 131a has a substantially trapezoidal shape including a pentagonal protrusion that protrudes radially inward of the protective gear 1 when viewed from the axial direction of the protective gear 1. Furthermore, segmented member 131b has a substantially triangular shape obtained by removing the shape of segmented member 131a (the substantially trapezoidal shape) from the pentagon when viewed from the axial direction of the protective gear 1.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 5, a tube 14 is attached to each of the divided members 131a and 131b. That is, the divided member 131 and the tube 14 are integrated into one structure. The tubes 14 are attached at positions where, when the divided members 131a and 131b are connected to form the protective member 13, the tubes 14 are disposed at both ends of the protective member 13 as shown in Fig. 1.

[0030] As described above, in this embodiment, the protective member 13 is composed of a plurality of divided members 131 divided along the axial direction of the protective gear 1. In this way, when the protective member 13 needs to be repaired (replaced) due to damage or the like, the protective member 13 can be repaired by cutting out the outer pipe 11 (and the conduit P) at a position corresponding to the protective member 13 to be repaired and forming an opening in the outer pipe 11. Specifically, the protective member 13 to be repaired is removed from the opening, and a divided member 131 is inserted into the gap S from which the protective member 13 to be repaired was removed to form a new protective member 13.

[0031] Here, in order to protect the cable 2, it is desirable to ensure watertightness inside the protective gear 1. In this embodiment, since the protective member 13 is divided into a plurality of segmented members 131, it is not necessary to provide an opening in the outer tube 11 large enough to allow the protective member 13 itself to pass through, and it is sufficient to provide an opening in the outer tube 11 large enough to allow the segmented members 131 to pass through. Therefore, the opening formed in the outer tube 11 can be made small, and the possibility of compromising the watertightness inside the protective gear 1 can be reduced.

[0032] Next, a method for repairing the protective gear 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Figs. 7A to 7E. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the method for repairing the protective gear 1 according to this embodiment. Figs. 7A to 7E are cross-sectional views of the protective gear 1 as viewed from the axial direction. As mentioned above, the protective gear 1 according to this embodiment is inserted into a conduit P, but Figs. 7A to 7E omit the conduit P. The cable 2 is also omitted from the illustration.

[0033] 7A, the outer pipe 11 is cut out at a position corresponding to the protective member 13 to be repaired, forming an opening 11a (step S11). As described above, a plurality of protective members 13 and tubes 14 may be connected to form the same length as the protective gear 1. In this case, the axial direction and length of the opening 11a formed in the outer pipe 11 need only be matched to the protective members 13 and tubes 14. Therefore, the length of the opening 11a along the axial direction of the protective gear 1 can also be shortened.

[0034] Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the protective member 13 (and the tube 14) to be repaired is removed from the opening 11a (step S12).

[0035] Next, a separate member 131 is inserted into the gap S from which the protective member 13 to be repaired was removed, to form a new protective member 13 (step S13). Specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 7C , a separate member 131a constituting the protective member 13 and a tube 14 connected to the separate member 131a are inserted into the gap S through the opening 11a. Next, as shown in FIG. 7D , a separate member 131b constituting the protective member 13 and a tube 14 connected to the separate member 131b are inserted into the gap S through the opening 11a so that the separate members 131a and 131b form the protective member 13. As shown in FIGS. 7C and 7D , the separate members 131a and 131b are fixed in place with the tube 14, which serves as an elastic member, pressed against the outer circumferential surface T1 of the inner pipe 12 and the inner circumferential surface T2 of the outer pipe 11, respectively. In this way, the protective member 13 formed by the divided members 131a and 131b can be fixed in a state in which the protective member 13 is biased inward from both ends of the protective member 13.

[0036] As described above, the protective member 13 is composed of a plurality of divided members 131 that are divided along the axial direction of the protective gear 1. Therefore, the divided members 131 can make the circumferential size of the protective gear 1 smaller than that of the protective member 13. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the circumferential size of the opening 11a of the protective gear 1 can be made smaller than when the protective member 13 itself is replaced from the opening 11a.

[0037] After the divided members 131a and 131b are inserted to form the protective member 13, the opening 11a formed in the outer tube 11 is closed as shown in FIG. 7E (step S14).

[0038] 6 and 7A to 7E, an example has been described in which both divided members 131a and 131b that make up protective member 13 are replaced, but this is not limiting. For example, if only divided member 131b needs to be replaced, then divided member 131a can be left as is and only divided member 131b can be replaced.

[0039] 5, an example in which the protective member 13 is configured by a substantially trapezoidal divided member 131a and a substantially triangular divided member 131b has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the protective member 13.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 8, the protective member 13 may be composed of two divided members 131c, 131d that are symmetrical when viewed in the axial direction of the protective gear 1. Specifically, the protective member 13 may be composed of two divided members 131c, 131d that are symmetrical with respect to a line that runs along the radial direction of the protective gear 1. According to the configuration shown in Fig. 8, in particular, the tubes 14 can bias the protective member 13 from both ends toward the inside of the protective member 13, thereby more stably fixing the protective member 13.

[0041] The following additional notes are provided regarding the above-described embodiments.

[0042] [Supplementary Item 1] A cylindrical protective gear for protecting a cable, comprising: one or more circular tubular inner tubes that house the cable; an outer tube that houses the one or more inner tubes, the outer tube being a circular tubular outer tube with an inner circumferential surface having a curvature smaller than the curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the one or more inner tubes; and a protective member disposed in a gap between the one or more inner tubes and the outer tube, wherein the protective member is composed of a plurality of divided members that are divided along the axial direction of the protective gear.

[0043] [Supplementary Item 2] The protective equipment according to Supplementary Item 1, comprising a plurality of the inner tubes, the plurality of inner tubes being arranged such that the outer peripheral surface of each inner tube is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube and the outer peripheral surfaces of any two adjacent inner tubes are in contact with each other, and the gap is formed by the outer peripheral surfaces of any two adjacent inner tubes of the plurality of inner tubes and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube.

[0044] [Supplementary Item 3] The protective equipment according to Supplementary Item 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of divided members are provided with elastic members, and the plurality of divided members are fixed in a state in which the elastic members are pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube.

[0045] [Supplementary Item 4] The protective equipment according to Supplementary Item 3, wherein the elastic member contains a coloring agent.

[0046] [Supplementary Item 5] The protective equipment according to any one of Supplementary Items 1 to 4, wherein the protective member is composed of two separate members that are symmetrical in shape when viewed in the axial direction of the protective equipment.

[0047] [Supplementary Item 6] The protective equipment according to any one of Supplementary Items 1 to 5, wherein a plurality of the protective members are connected along the axial direction of the protective equipment.

[0048] [Supplementary Item 7] A method for repairing a tubular protective gear that protects a cable, wherein the protective gear comprises: one or more circular tubular inner tubes that accommodate the cable; an outer tube that accommodates the one or more inner tubes, the outer tube being a circular tubular tube with a curvature of its inner circumferential surface that is smaller than the curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the one or more inner tubes; and a protective member that is arranged in a gap between the one or more inner tubes and the outer tube, wherein the protective member is made up of a plurality of divided members that are divided along the axial direction of the protective gear, the method comprising: cutting out the outer tube at a position corresponding to the protective member to be repaired, forming an opening in the outer tube; removing the protective member to be repaired through the opening; inserting the divided member into the gap from which the protective member to be repaired was removed, to form a new protective member; and closing the opening.

[0049] Although the above-described embodiments have been described as typical examples, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and substitutions can be made within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, multiple building blocks shown in the block diagrams of the embodiments can be combined into one, or one building block can be divided.

[0050] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Protective equipment 2 Cable 11 Outer tube 12 Inner tube 13 Protective member 14 Tube (elastic member) 131a, 131b, 131c, 131d Divided member

Claims

1. A cylindrical protective device for protecting a cable, comprising: one or more circular tubular inner tubes that house the cable; an outer tube that houses the one or more inner tubes, the outer tube being a circular tubular outer tube with an inner peripheral surface having a curvature smaller than the curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the one or more inner tubes; and a protective member disposed in a gap between the one or more inner tubes and the outer tube, wherein the protective member is composed of a plurality of divided members that are divided along the axial direction of the protective device.

2. Protective equipment according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of said inner tubes, said plurality of inner tubes being arranged so that the outer circumferential surface of each inner tube is in contact with the inner circumferential surface of said outer tube and so that the outer circumferential surfaces of any two adjacent inner tubes are in contact with each other, and said gap is formed by the outer circumferential surfaces of any two adjacent inner tubes among said plurality of inner tubes and the inner circumferential surface of said outer tube.

3. Protective equipment according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of divided members are provided with elastic members, and the plurality of divided members are fixed in a state in which the elastic members are pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube.

4. Protective equipment according to claim 3, wherein the elastic member contains a coloring agent.

5. Protective equipment according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is composed of two separate members having symmetrical shapes when viewed in the axial direction of the protective equipment.

6. Protective equipment according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the protective members are connected along the axial direction of the protective equipment.

7. A method for repairing a tubular protective device that protects a cable, wherein the protective device comprises: one or more circular tubular inner tubes that house the cable; an outer tube that is circular tubular and houses the one or more inner tubes, the outer tube being a circular tubular tube with an inner circumferential surface having a curvature that is smaller than the curvature of the outer circumferential surface of the one or more inner tubes; and a protective member placed in a gap between the one or more inner tubes and the outer tube, wherein the protective member is composed of a plurality of divided members that are divided along the axial direction of the protective device, and the repair method includes the steps of: cutting out the outer tube at a position corresponding to the protective member to be repaired and forming an opening in the outer tube; removing the protective member to be repaired from the opening; inserting the divided members into the gap from which the protective member to be repaired has been removed to form a new protective member; and closing the opening.

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