Patent EP0141675A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0141675A1
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EP
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Device and method for connecting elongate objects
Assignee: Raychem Ltd
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Filing: 1984-11-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-11-07
Abstract
Abstract A device for connecting objects such as rigid pipes that are used to convey fluids. The device comprises a heat-shrinkable tube (10), one portion of which may be partially recovered (11). Inside the tube is located a bonding insert (13) of thermosetting adhesive, which is attached to a barrier insert (12). The two pipes to be connected are inserted into either end of the tube such that one pipe fits snugly within a swaged-open end of the other pipe. The device is then heated causing the tube (10) to recover and the bonding insert (13) to melt and flow into the connection between the pipes. The barrier insert (12) prevents the adhesive of the bonding insert from flowing away from the connection.
Inventors
- 👤 John Arthur Gadsden
- 👤 David Edward Barnwell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 23:10
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C65/00; B29C65/66; B29C65/68; B29C61/00; B29C61/06; B29C61/0608; B29C61/0616; B29C66/00; B29C66/01; B29C66/05; B29C66/10; B29C66/11; B29C66/112; B29C66/1122; B29C66/12; B29C66/128; B29C66/1282; B29C66/1284; B29C66/1286; B29C66/50; B29C66/51; B29C66/52; B29C66/522; B29C66/5221; B29C66/5229; B29C66/52291; B29C66/52292; F; F16; F16L; F16L47/00; F16L47/20; F16L47/22; B29C66/70; B29C66/71; B29C66/73; B29C66/737; B29C66/7375; B29C66/73755; B29C66/739; B29C66/7392; B29C66/7394; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S174/00; Y10S174/08; Y10S285/00; Y10S285/909
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
75 words
A device for connecting a plurality of elongate objects, which comprises a hollow open-ended tube which is at least partly dimensionally recoverable, one or more bonding inserts formed from a solid, fusible, thermosetting adhesive located inside the tube for providing a permanent bond between the objects, and one or more barrier inserts located inside the tube to restrict flow of fused thermosetting adhesive away from the connection between the objects when the device is heated.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
75 words
A device for connecting a plurality of elongate objects, which comprises a hollow open-ended tube which is at least partly dimensionally recoverable, one or more bonding inserts formed from a solid, fusible, thermosetting adhesive located inside the tube for providing a permanent bond between the objects, and one or more barrier inserts located inside the tube to restrict flow of fused thermosetting adhesive away from the connection between the objects when the device is heated.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
2\ A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow open-ended tube is dimensionally heat-recoverable.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the thermosetting adhesive is an epoxy adhesive.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
49 words
A device as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tube has a quantity of adhesive, preferably a hot-melt adhesive, on at least part of its inner surface to provide at least a temporary bond between the tube and at least one of the elongate objects.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
24 words
A device as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tube is formed from cross-linked polyvinylidene fluoride or a cross-linked polyamide.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
29 words
A device as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein the or each barrier insert comprises material capable of fusing or deforming during installation of the device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the barrier insert has a melt viscosity higher than the melt viscosity of the thermosetting adhesive.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A device as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the barrier insert is a thermoplastic polymer, preferably a polyamide and especially nylon 11 or 12.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
27 words
A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the bonding insert and/or the barrier insert is in the form of a ring.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
41 words
A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the bonding insert and barrier insert are in a side-by-side relationship with substantially no gap between them, and preferably the barrier insert is attached to the bonding insert.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
53 words
A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the barrier insert is in the form of a ring having a flange portion that extends axially from the periphery of the ring so that the barrier insert extends over one face and at least part of the outer circumferential surface of the bonding insert.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
90 words
A device for connecting a plurality of elongate objects, which comprises a rigid open-ended tube that is capable of being joined to the elongate objects to form a connection between the objects, the tube having at least one dimensionally recoverable skirt in the region of an end thereof and capable of being recovered about the join between the rigid tube and one of the objects, the device having a bonding insert formed from a solid, fusible, thermosetting adhesive for providing a permanent bond between the rigid tube and the object.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
90 words
A device for connecting a plurality of elongate objects, which comprises a rigid open-ended tube that is capable of being joined to the elongate objects to form a connection between the objects, the tube having at least one dimensionally recoverable skirt in the region of an end thereof and capable of being recovered about the join between the rigid tube and one of the objects, the device having a bonding insert formed from a solid, fusible, thermosetting adhesive for providing a permanent bond between the rigid tube and the object.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the rigid tube is provided with a dimensionally-recoverable skirt and a bonding insert formed from a fusible, thermosetting adhesive, preferably an epoxy adhesive,in the region of each end thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
A device as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein one or more barrier inserts are located within the dimensionally recoverable skirt to prevent egress of fused thermosetting adhesive from the join between the elongate objects when the device is heated.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
38 words
A device as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14 in which the or each dimensionally recoverable skirt is formed by partially recovering a device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 thereon.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
43 words
A device as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein at least one end region of the rigid tube is flared outwards to aid flowing to the fused thermosetting adhesive between the tube and the elongate object to be connected.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the flared end region of the rigid tube is in the form of a frusto-conical portion.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as claimed in claim 17 wherein, in addition to the frusto-conical portion, the end of the rigid tube is in the form of a frusto-conical lip located adjacent to the frusto-conical portion.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein the end of the frusto-conical portion nearest the centre of the rigid tube is adjacent to a cylindrical portion of the rigid tube of constant diameter.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
74 words
An arrangement for connecting a plurality of elongate objects which comprises a rigid hollow open-ended tube and a plurality of dimensionally recoverable tubular sleeves each of which contains a bonding insert formed from a solid, fusible thermosetting adhesive, each sleeve being capable of being positioned about the rigid tube and end of one of the objects and recovered thereon so that the thermosetting adhesive forms a permanent bond between the rigid tube and object.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
74 words
An arrangement for connecting a plurality of elongate objects which comprises a rigid hollow open-ended tube and a plurality of dimensionally recoverable tubular sleeves each of which contains a bonding insert formed from a solid, fusible thermosetting adhesive, each sleeve being capable of being positioned about the rigid tube and end of one of the objects and recovered thereon so that the thermosetting adhesive forms a permanent bond between the rigid tube and object.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
An arrangement as claimed in claim 20, wherein each sleeve comprises a device as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 11.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of connecting a pair of hollow tubular objects, which comprises inserting the end of one of the objects within the end of the other object, positioning a device as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 11 about the objects so that the bondinq insert is axially located at or adjacent to the end of the said other object, recovering the device about the objects and heating the bonding insert to cause the thermosetting adhesive to melt and flow between the ends of the objects.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of connecting a plurality of elongate objects, which comprises joining the end of each object to an end of the rigid open-ended tube of a device as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 19, recovering the or each sleeve about the rigid tube and its respective object, and heating the or each bonding insert to cause the thermosetting adhesive to melt and flow between the rigid tube and object joined thereto.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
71 words
A device for terminating a hollow object which comprises a rigid element for closing the hollow object, the rigid element having a dimensionally recoverable skirt in the region of an end thereof and capable of being recovered about the join between the rigid element and the object, the device having a bonding insert formed from a solid, fusible, thermosetting adhesive for providing a permanent bond between the element and the object.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
71 words
A device for terminating a hollow object which comprises a rigid element for closing the hollow object, the rigid element having a dimensionally recoverable skirt in the region of an end thereof and capable of being recovered about the join between the rigid element and the object, the device having a bonding insert formed from a solid, fusible, thermosetting adhesive for providing a permanent bond between the element and the object.
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