Contractible conduit sealing connector

Claim 1

An improved connector assembly for connecting the ends of at least two metal conduits together having at least one electrical conductor extending therebetween, said connector of the type comprising a sleeve made from a heat recoverable metallic material having a chamber therewithin enclosed by a wall of the sleeve having an inner and outer surface with at least a portion of the inner surface facing towards the conductor, said sleeve having openings therein communicating with the chamber that are dimensionally adapted to enable the ends of the conduits to be respectively inserted therethrough into the chamber while the sleeve is in an expanded state and permit a wall of the sleeve surrounding the openings to contract radially inwardly to secure the sleeve to the conduits upon exposure of the sleeve to an amount of heat sufficient to cause the contraction thereof, wherein the improvement is characterized by; said chamber having an expandable material disposed therein that is adapted to expand into an expanded material in response to the exposure of the sleeve to the amount of heat sufficient to cause the contraction thereof and to engulf the conductor without damge thereto and fill the chamber sufficiently to provide a barrier against the flow of vapor through the conduits, and said sleeve having stopping means disposed within the chamber to prevent the expandable material from expanding into the ends of the conduits.