US3752306A — Gel encapsulating enclosure and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 123 words

A protective encapsulating enclosure for a conductor terminal assembly and the like comprising: a bag of tough impervious flexible material having an inlet and charged with a quantity of non-setting gel-like encapsulating material having a pronounced tendency to adhere to surfaces in contact therewith and confined to a portion of said bag extending generally axially of said inlet and leaving the inlet end portion and another lengthwise portion of said bag free of gel and large enough to receive a conductor terminal assembly to be encapsulated in said encapsulating material, and means substantially transveRsely of and holding said inlet releasably closed until a conductor terminal assembly is ready for insertion through said bag inlet and into the gel-free portion of the interior thereof.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 123 words

A protective encapsulating enclosure for a conductor terminal assembly and the like comprising: a bag of tough impervious flexible material having an inlet and charged with a quantity of non-setting gel-like encapsulating material having a pronounced tendency to adhere to surfaces in contact therewith and confined to a portion of said bag extending generally axially of said inlet and leaving the inlet end portion and another lengthwise portion of said bag free of gel and large enough to receive a conductor terminal assembly to be encapsulated in said encapsulating material, and means substantially transveRsely of and holding said inlet releasably closed until a conductor terminal assembly is ready for insertion through said bag inlet and into the gel-free portion of the interior thereof.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 36 words

An encapsulating enclosure as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said bag is long, relatively narrow and initially flat with a portion of said charge of gel-like material disposed along one interior laterial side thereof.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 37 words

An encapsulating enclosure as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said charge of gel-like material is confined in part to either interior lateral edge portion of said bag and to either side of said gel-free portion.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 65 words

An encapsulating enclosure as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said means for holding said bag closed until ready to receive a terminal assembly comprises means held applied against the exterior of said bag opposite the gel-free portion thereof and effective to maintain portions of the opposite walls of the bag in contact with one another and out of contact with said gel-like material.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 95 words

An encapsulating enclosure as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said bag is long and narrow with a portion of said gel-like material distributed along one interior lateral edge thereof, and said holding means being applied to the exterior of said bag after one laterial edge of said bag has been folded over and closed beside the other lateral edge thereby to provide a fold along the mid-length of said bag effective to prevent migration of gel-like material across said fold during storage shipping and normal handling conditions prior to use of the enclosure.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 38 words

An encapsulating enclosure as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said bag is formed of thermoplastic material having internesting tongue and groove seam forming means facing toward one another along the interior faces of the bag inlet.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 68 words

An encapsulating enclosure as defined in claim 4 characterized in that said holding means is generally V-shaped with the ends of its legs having a width corresponding generally to the flattened width of said bag inlet and including means for holding said legs closed against one another from the opposite sides of said bag thereby to confine said gel-like material to the lateral side portions of said bag.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 41 words

An encapsulating enclosure as defined in claim 7 characterized in that said holding means is formed of resilient material and in that the opposite lateral end edges of said legs are notched to provide keeper seating means for said tie means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 135 words

An encapsulating enclosure for encapsulating a conductor terminal strip assembly to protect the latter from atmospheric conditions comprising, a flexible waterproof bag having an inlet at one end and a charge of gel-like non-setting potting compound having a pronounced tendency to adhere to surfaces in contact therewith and confined to selected portions of the interior of said bag with a portion of the interior in communication with the bag inlet substantially free of said potting compound and in readiness for the insertion therealong of a conductor terminal strip assembly and the conductors attached thereto, means for holding said inlet closed, and means for maintaining said potting compound segregated in said selected portions of said bag until such time as the bag is needed to encapsulate a conductor terminal assembly and the conductor ends attached thereto.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 135 words

An encapsulating enclosure for encapsulating a conductor terminal strip assembly to protect the latter from atmospheric conditions comprising, a flexible waterproof bag having an inlet at one end and a charge of gel-like non-setting potting compound having a pronounced tendency to adhere to surfaces in contact therewith and confined to selected portions of the interior of said bag with a portion of the interior in communication with the bag inlet substantially free of said potting compound and in readiness for the insertion therealong of a conductor terminal strip assembly and the conductors attached thereto, means for holding said inlet closed, and means for maintaining said potting compound segregated in said selected portions of said bag until such time as the bag is needed to encapsulate a conductor terminal assembly and the conductor ends attached thereto.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 138 words

That method of providing an encapsulating enclosure for a conductor terminal strip assembly to protect the latter from atmospheric conditions which method comprises: providing a flexible waterproof bag having an inlet at one end and a charge of gel-like non-setting potting compound having a pronounced tendency to adhere to surfaces in contact therewith and confined to selected portions of the interior of said bag with a portion of the interior in communication with the bag inlet substantially free of said potting compound and in readiness for the insertion therealong of a conductor terminal strip assembly and the conductors attached thereto, holding the bag inlet closed, and maintaining said potting compound segregated in said selected portions of said bag until such time as the bag is needed to encapsulate a conductor terminal assembly and the conductor ends attached thereto.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 138 words

That method of providing an encapsulating enclosure for a conductor terminal strip assembly to protect the latter from atmospheric conditions which method comprises: providing a flexible waterproof bag having an inlet at one end and a charge of gel-like non-setting potting compound having a pronounced tendency to adhere to surfaces in contact therewith and confined to selected portions of the interior of said bag with a portion of the interior in communication with the bag inlet substantially free of said potting compound and in readiness for the insertion therealong of a conductor terminal strip assembly and the conductors attached thereto, holding the bag inlet closed, and maintaining said potting compound segregated in said selected portions of said bag until such time as the bag is needed to encapsulate a conductor terminal assembly and the conductor ends attached thereto.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 63 words

That method defined in claim 10 characterized in the steps of distributing said charge of gel-like material along one interior lateral side of said bag, folding the other side of said bag over and against the gel-charged side thereof, and applying means about the thus-folded inlet end of said bag to maintain the same folded until ready to receive a terminal strip assembly.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 86 words

That method defined in claim 10 characterized in the steps of distributing said charge of gel-like material along either interior lateral side of said bag with the intervening mid-portion of said bag substantially free of said gel-like material, folding the opposite lateral sides of said bag against one another with the sides of the gel-free mid-portion of the bag lying against one another, and applying means to the exterior of the bag to hold the same so folded until ready to receive a terminal strip assembly.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 88 words

That method defined in claim 10 characterized in the steps of holding said bag inlet closed and the gel-free portions of the bag flattened by applying to the opposite outer sides of the bag resilient rigid means effective to hold the walls of the gel-free portions of said bag compressed against one another, and applying retainer means about said bag and about said rigid means to maintain the bag walls in contact with said rigid means compressed together until use of the bag to receive terminal strip means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 80 words

That method defined in claim 10 characterized in the steps of expanding the inlet of said bag and the gel-free portions thereof, inserting a terminal strip assembly into the gel-free portion of said bag with the wires attached thereto extending outwardly from said inlet in a compact group, gathering and securing the inlet end of the bag about said compact group of wires, and kneading the bag and its contents until said terminal strip assembly is immersed in said gel.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 43 words

That method defined in claim 10 characterized in the step of maintaining said potting compound segregated in said selected portions of said bag by holding the portions of the bag walls free of said potting compound substantially flattened in contact with one another.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 27 words

That method defined in claim 15 characterized in the step of securing the enshrouded ends of said conductors together before inserting the same through said bag inlet.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 35 words

That method defined in claim 15 characterized in the step of anchoring said enshrouding conductor ends to a terminal strip before inserting the same through said bag inlet and securing the latter about said conductors.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 33 words

That method defined in claim 17 characterized in the step of kneading said flexible walled bag to distribute said gel-like compound about said terminal strip to embed said terminal strip in said compound.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 127 words

A method of providing an encapsulating enclosure for conductor terminal assemblies and the like comprising, providing a bag of tough impervious flexible material having an inlet, and charged with a quantity of a non-setting gel-like encapsulating material having a pronounced tendency to adhere to surfaces in contact therewith and confined to a portion of said bag extending generally axially of said inlet while leaving the inlet portion and an associated lengthwise portion of said bag free of said gel-like material and large enough to receive a conductor terminal assembly to be encapsulated in said encapsulating material, and releasably holding said bag inlet closed transversely thereof until a conductor terminal assembly is ready for insertion through said bag inlet and into the gel-free portion of the interior thereof.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 127 words

A method of providing an encapsulating enclosure for conductor terminal assemblies and the like comprising, providing a bag of tough impervious flexible material having an inlet, and charged with a quantity of a non-setting gel-like encapsulating material having a pronounced tendency to adhere to surfaces in contact therewith and confined to a portion of said bag extending generally axially of said inlet while leaving the inlet portion and an associated lengthwise portion of said bag free of said gel-like material and large enough to receive a conductor terminal assembly to be encapsulated in said encapsulating material, and releasably holding said bag inlet closed transversely thereof until a conductor terminal assembly is ready for insertion through said bag inlet and into the gel-free portion of the interior thereof.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 92 words

That method of encapsulating a plurality of conductor ends enshrouded by non-conductive material which comprises: providing a flexible walled bag havinG an inlet and enclosing a charge of gel-like non-setting compound arranged in two principal spaced-apart portions in alignment with said inlet and in readiness for the insertion of the enshrouded ends of conductors, inserting said enshrouded conductor ends through said bag inlet and between said spaced apart portions of said non-setting compound and securing said bag inlet snugly about said conductors with the enshrouded ends thereof submerged in said non-setting compound.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 92 words

That method of encapsulating a plurality of conductor ends enshrouded by non-conductive material which comprises: providing a flexible walled bag havinG an inlet and enclosing a charge of gel-like non-setting compound arranged in two principal spaced-apart portions in alignment with said inlet and in readiness for the insertion of the enshrouded ends of conductors, inserting said enshrouded conductor ends through said bag inlet and between said spaced apart portions of said non-setting compound and securing said bag inlet snugly about said conductors with the enshrouded ends thereof submerged in said non-setting compound.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-08-13	1977-02-12	1977-08-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-08-13	1981-02-12	1981-08-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-08-13	1985-02-12	1985-08-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Gel encapsulating enclosure and method

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