DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a simplified device for the ground connection of elongated bodies such as coaxial cables and the like.

The field of the invention relates to elongated bodies such as coaxial cables and the like, used for the transmission of electromagnetic signals in the field of telecommunications.

For this purpose, the coaxial cables consist of a primary transmission conductor of the signal and a secondary shield conductor of the signal carried by the primary conductor, wherein the above-mentioned conductors are positioned reciprocally coaxial with respect to each other.

In installations of this type, it is also usual to effect the grounding of the coaxial cables in order to dissipate any possible parasite currents and also any possible electrical discharges such as lightning. For this purpose, ground connection devices of the coaxial cables are used, positioned in contact with the secondary conductor and fixed to the outer sheath of the coaxial cable.

Traditionally, in order to reach the desired contact pressure between the ground connection device and the cable, connection devices provided with an internal contact having a lever closing system, are known. This known solution, however, has the disadvantage of requiring manpower interventions at the moment of installation, necessary for the forced closing of the internal contact on the cable. This known structure also has the disadvantage of being complicated by the presence of the above-mentioned lever closing system, which can also be subject to breakage caused by the stress exerted for installing the ground connection device.

Again, in order to reach the desired compression degree between the internal contact of the ground connection device and the cable, auxiliary elements which form the thicknesses between the outer shell and the internal contact of the ground connection device are also envisaged, which must be strongly tightened in order to guarantee a contact pressure which is sufficient for the functionality of the device. Also in this case, the disadvantage lies in the complexity of the whole system, whose implementation requires considerable stress for tightening the outer shell on the cable. This stress, in fact, not only makes the installation of the system complicated and laborious, but also has the drawback of possibly causing breakage of the shell.

US 2013/098680 Al discloses a device for the ground connection of electric cables, wherein the internal electrical contact is crimped onto the cable. US 2014/024253 Al illustrates a clamp support system for electric cables. US 2002/153157 Al relates to a clamp with a bolt for the grounding of electric cables.

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a device for the ground connection of elongated bodies such as coaxial cables and the like which, unlike traditional devices of the same type, has a simpler structure and is easier and more reliable for installation and use, at the same time guaranteeing a sufficient contact pressure for reaching the desired electric conductivity between the internal contact of the ground connection device and the cable.

These and other objectives are achieved with the device and elongated body of claims 1 and 9 respectively. Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the remaining claims.

With respect to analogous devices of the known art, that according to the present invention offers the advantage of ensuring the desired contact pressure level between the cable and the internal electrical contact of the ground connection device, even with the use of a simple structure that is reliable and can be rapidly installed.

Thanks to its simplified structure, the device of the invention also offers the advantage of being easier to produce and with reduced costs with respect to analogous devices of the known art.

These and other objectives, advantages and characteristics appear evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the device of the invention, illustrated, for exemplificative and non-limiting purposes, in the figures of the enclosed drawings .

In these:

- figure 1 illustrates the device of the invention in an open configuration;

figure 2 illustrates the detail of the internal electrical contact of the device of figure 1;

figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the internal electrical contact of figure 2 without the grounding cable;

figure 4 illustrates an example of a coaxial cable provided with the device of the invention; and

- figure 5 illustrates the device of figure 4 in a transversal section. The device of the invention is indicated as a whole with 1 in figure 1. It is composed of an internal electrical contact 2 on which the grounding cable 3 is fixed, and also an outer shell 4 composed of two half- shells 4a, 4b reciprocally joined in correspondence with a hinge 5. The half-shell 4b is advantageously provided with teeth 6, suitable for being closed inside corresponding slots 7 situated on the half-shell 4a.

As is better described in figures 2 and 3, the internal contact 2 of the device of the invention consists of a single piece of sheet made of an electrically conductive and flexible material (for example brass) , folded so as to form two substantially "C"-shaped arms 8a, 8b, according to a reciprocally opposed arrangement.

The free ends of these arms 8a, 8b have outward flaps 9a, 9b suitable for facilitating the insertion, between the same arms 8a, 8b, of the cable 20 to be ground connected. For this purpose, said arms are initially pushed outwardly in the direction of the arrows Fl and F2 during the insertion of the cable 20, and are then elastically closed on the same cable with a countermovement, in order to tighten it with a pressure which is sufficient for ensuring the necessary electrical contact between the same cable 20 assembled in situ and the internal contact 2 of the device 1.

Corresponding walls 10a, 10b are envisaged on the opposite ends of the above-mentioned arms 8a, 8b, reciprocally joined, preferably by means of rivets 11. In this way, the correct elastic closing reaction of the arms 8a, 8b around the cable 20 is obtained, after the insertion in situ of the latter between the same.

In correspondence with the side of said walls 10a, 10b opposite that joined to the arms 8a and 8b, the internal contact 2 of the device of the invention contains a section of tubular sheet 12 which forms the seat inside which the ground connection cable 3 is tightened, for example by crimping.

The shell 4 of the device of the invention is advantageously provided with an open sleeve 13, which forms the seat for the ground connection cable 3 on the same shell 4. The latter is also provided with abutments 14,15 which serve to hold the cable 3 fixed to the internal contact 2, in position, preventing disengagement in an axial direction.

In order to simplify the installation of the device 1 on the cable 20 to be ground connected, the engagement of the cable 3 inside the sleeve 13 is effected so as to allow the relative rotations (arrows F3,F4 of figure 1), which are also transmitted to the internal contact 2 which can thus be most suitably oriented for installation.

Seats 16 are also envisaged on the internal surface of the half-shells 4a, 4b of the device 1, for housing an adhesive sealant 17 which closes the portions of shell 4 surrounding the cables 3 and 20, and also in correspondence with the portion of half-shells 4a, 4b that are clamped at the height of the teeth 6.

Said adhesive sealant 17 preferably consists of an elastomeric rubber such as butyl, suitable for keeping the half-shells 4a, 4b reciprocally closed on each other, even without the help of the action of the above-mentioned teeth 6.

According to the invention, as the desired compression level of the internal contact 2 on the cable 20 to be ground connected is obtained thanks to the closing and elastic tightening action of the arms 8a, 8b around the same cable 20, the outer shell 4 can also be applied on the latter without having to generate further tightening stress, but simply with the stress necessary for ensuring the adhesion of the sealant 17 on the cables 3,20 and on the section of shell 4 in correspondence with the teeth 6 and slots 7.