US4456784A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Conduit sealing connector
Assignee: FLUROCARBON COMPANY
•
Filing: 1982-03-26
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Granted: 1984-06-26
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Expires: 2002-03-26
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a conduit sealing connector that may be made from metal or a heat stable polymeric material that is adapted to secure at least two conduits together that also may be made from a metallic or heat stable polymeric material. The connector is provided with a sleeve having a chamber therewithin containing an expandable material which upon heating the connector after is is secured to the conduits is able to expand and engulf any electrical conductors and/or cables extending through the connector between the conduits and fill the chamber sufficiently to provide a barrier against the flow of vapor through the conduits.
Inventors
- 👤 Gary S. Klein
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 03:16
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02G; H02G3/00; H02G3/02; H02G3/06; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S174/00; Y10S174/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
228 words
A connector assembly for connecting the ends of at least two conduits together having at least one electrical conductor extending therebetween in such a manner as to provide a barrier against the flow of vapor through the conduits, said connector assembly comprising a sleeve made from a heat stable 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 respective openings therein surrounded by respective walls of the sleeve for communicating with the chamber that are respectively dimensionally adapted to enable the ends of the respective conduits to be inserted therethrough into the chamber, means associated with the respective openings for connecting the sleeve to the respective conduits which enable the conductor to extend through the chamber from one conduit to the other in the manner desired, an expandable material disposed in the chamber that is adapted to expand in response to exposure of the sleeve to an amount of heat sufficient to cause the expandable material to expand and engulf the conductor and fill the chamber sufficiently to provide a barrier against the flow of vapor between the conduits without damage to the conductor, and means disposed within the chamber to prevent the expandable material from expanding into the ends of the conduits.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
228 words
A connector assembly for connecting the ends of at least two conduits together having at least one electrical conductor extending therebetween in such a manner as to provide a barrier against the flow of vapor through the conduits, said connector assembly comprising a sleeve made from a heat stable 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 respective openings therein surrounded by respective walls of the sleeve for communicating with the chamber that are respectively dimensionally adapted to enable the ends of the respective conduits to be inserted therethrough into the chamber, means associated with the respective openings for connecting the sleeve to the respective conduits which enable the conductor to extend through the chamber from one conduit to the other in the manner desired, an expandable material disposed in the chamber that is adapted to expand in response to exposure of the sleeve to an amount of heat sufficient to cause the expandable material to expand and engulf the conductor and fill the chamber sufficiently to provide a barrier against the flow of vapor between the conduits without damage to the conductor, and means disposed within the chamber to prevent the expandable material from expanding into the ends of the conduits.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the means for preventing the expandable material from expanding into the conduit ends comprises a barrier member disposed about the conductor between the expandable material and the conduit ends.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The connector assembly 2 of claim 2 wherein the barrier member is a fibrous material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The connector assembly of claim 3 wherein the fibrous material is a fibrous glass material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The connector assembly of claim 2 wherein the barrier member is made from a heat recoverable metal having a recovery temperature of not more than about the temperature of expansion of the expandable material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The connector assembly of claim 2 wherein the barrier member is made from a heat recoverable polymeric material having a recovery temperature of not more than about the temperature of expansion of the expandable material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
68 words
The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the expandable material is disposed in the form of a layer on the inner surface of the sleeve wall surrounding the chamber that faces towards the conductor, said layer having an inner surface thereof facing towards the conductor and dimensionally adapted to permit the conductor to pass through the chamber in the manner desired prior to the expansion thereof by heat.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The connector assembly of claim 7 wherein the layer of expandable material is secured to the inner surface of the sleeve by means of an adhesive.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
The connector assembly of claim 1 including a coating of adhesive disposed on the conductor that is adapted to bond the conductor to the expanded material to enhance the barrier against the flow of vapor through the conduits provided by the expanded material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
The connector assembly of claim 7 including a coating of adhesive disposed on the inner surface of the expandable material layer facing towards the conductor that is adapted to bond the conductor to the expanded material to enhance the barrier against flow of vapor through the conduits provided by the expanded material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the expandable material is a material that expands into a foam in response to the heat.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The connector of claim 1 wherein the expanded material contains an amount of a heat activatable cross-linking agent sufficient to cross link the expanded material in response to the heat.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the means for connecting the connector to the conduits comprises threads disposed in the sleeve wall surrounding the openings in such a manner as to enable the conduits to be threadingly connected to the sleeve.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the sleeve is made from a metallic material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the conduits are made from a metallic material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the sleeve is made from a polymeric material having sufficient heat stability to resist degradation and substantial dimensional change upon exposure of the connector assembly to the amount of heat necessary to expand the expandable material disposed within the chamber.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
47 words
The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the conduits are made from a polymeric material having sufficient heat stability to resist degradation and dimensional change upon the exposure of the connector assembly to an amount of heat necessary to expand the expandable material disposed within the chamber.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
44 words
The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the conduits and sleeve are made from different metals and means for preventing galvanic corrosion is disposed between the outer surface of the conduits and the inner surface of the sleeve in the region of securement therebetween.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-06-26 | 1987-12-26 | 1988-06-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-06-26 | 1991-12-26 | 1992-06-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-06-26 | 1995-12-26 | 1996-06-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |