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US4458104A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Dimensionally recoverable articles

Assignee: Raychem Ltd
•
Filing: 1982-06-21
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Granted: 1984-07-03
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Expires: 2002-06-21
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Abstract

Abstract A dimensionally recoverable body, which is preferably heat-recoverable, has a body wall which is provided with a plurality of locking elements that are engageable with each other, or are engageable with corresponding elements located on a separate partition, to furcate the body into a plurality of channels. The body may be used for enclosing branch-offs in electrical cables in order to protect the enclosed branch-off from the environment.

Inventors

  • 👤 Richard J. Penneck
  • 👤 David H. Thomas
  • 👤 Allan J. Cox

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 13:31
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02G; H02G15/00; H02G15/08; H02G15/18; H02G15/1806; B; B29; B29C; B29C61/00; B29C61/06; B29C61/0608; B29C61/0641; B29C61/10; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S174/00; Y10S174/08; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/1328; Y10T428/1331; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24008; Y10T428/24628; Y10T428/24669

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim 50 words
A dimensionally-recoverable sleeve or wrap-around sleeve having a wall provided with a plurality of locking elements located on the wall that are engagable with each other, or are engagable with corresponding locking elements located on a separate partition, to furcate the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve into a plurality of channels.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 50 words
A dimensionally-recoverable sleeve or wrap-around sleeve having a wall provided with a plurality of locking elements located on the wall that are engagable with each other, or are engagable with corresponding locking elements located on a separate partition, to furcate the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve into a plurality of channels.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 51 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one locking element located on the wall or on the partition has the form of a protuberance and at least one locking element that is engagable therewith has the form of a recess that can receive the protuberance.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 38 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wall has at least one locking element in the form of a protuberance and at least one corresponding locking element in the form of a recess.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking elements are provided with means for retaining them together during recovery of the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 40 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 4, wherein the or each protuberance contains a rigid member which, together with the retaining means, prevents substantial deformation of the engaged elements during recovery of the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 61 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one locking element on the wall has been formed by deformation of the wall and is dimensionally-recoverable so that, if it is not engaged with a corresponding locking element, that portion of the wall will recover to its undeformed configuration on recovery of the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 33 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1 that has three or more locking elements arranged to allow the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve to be furcated into three or more channels.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 37 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1, having a plurality of locking elements that are engagable with each other, the locking elements also being engagable with corresponding locking elements located on a separate partition.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 37 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1, having a plurality of locking elements that are engagable with each other, the locking elements also being engagable with corresponding locking elements located on a separate partition.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 17 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1, which is of a generally tubular configuration.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 38 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 10, which has two open end portions and the wall has a plurality of locking elements to allow it to be furcated in the region of each end portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 29 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 11, wherein the locking elements are elongate in a direction parallel to the axis of the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 35 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 10, wherein a plurality of locking elements are located in the region of each other and parallel to the axis of the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 14 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1, which is dimensionally heat-recoverable.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 18 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1, which is formed from a cross-linked polymeric material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 19 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 15, wherein the polymeric material has been cross-linked by irradiation.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 20 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 16, wherein the polymeric material has been cross-linked by electron irradiation.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 15 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1, which is a wrap-around sleeve.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 27 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1, which has a coat or an adhesive or sealant over at least part of its interior surface.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 26 words
A sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 19, which has a coat of a hot-melt adhesive over at least part of its interior surface.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 48 words
An arrangement which comprises a sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1, and a partition having a plurality of locking elements that are engagable with the locking elements of the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve to furcate the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve into a plurality of channels.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 16 words
A furcated elongate substrate enclosed by a sleeve or wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 1.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 12 words
A substrate as claimed in claim 22 which is an electrical cable.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 75 words
A wrap-around sleeve which comprises a dimensionally-recoverable sheet having opposed edge portions that can be brought together and secured by means of a closure mechanism to form a dimensionally-recoverable hollow body, the sheet having a plurality of locking elements which at least when the edge portions have been brought together, can be engaged with each other or with corresponding elements located on a separate partition, to furcate the hollow body into a plurality of channels.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 75 words
A wrap-around sleeve which comprises a dimensionally-recoverable sheet having opposed edge portions that can be brought together and secured by means of a closure mechanism to form a dimensionally-recoverable hollow body, the sheet having a plurality of locking elements which at least when the edge portions have been brought together, can be engaged with each other or with corresponding elements located on a separate partition, to furcate the hollow body into a plurality of channels.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 41 words
An arrangement which comprises a wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 24, and a partition having a plurality of locking elements that are engagable with the locking elements of the sheet to furcate the hollow body into a plurality of channels.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 14 words
A furcated elongate substrate enclosed by a wrap-around sleeve as claimed in claim 24.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 12 words
A substrate as claimed in claim 26 which is an electrical cable.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 46 words
A partition for furcating a hollow body, which comprises a wall portion having, at each of two opposed edges thereof, one or more locking elements arranged along each of the said edges, the locking elements being engagable with corresponding locking elements located on the body wall.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 46 words
A partition for furcating a hollow body, which comprises a wall portion having, at each of two opposed edges thereof, one or more locking elements arranged along each of the said edges, the locking elements being engagable with corresponding locking elements located on the body wall.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 58 words
A partition as claimed in claim 28, wherein one or more additional wall portions extend outwardly from the central region of the wall portion, the or each additional wall portion having, at its free edge, one or more locking elements arranged along the free edge, so that a hollow body can be furcated into three or more channels.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 32 words
A partition as claimed in claim 28, wherein the locking elements are in the form of protuberances that are engagable with locking elements in the form of recesses in the body wall.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 14 words
A partition as claimed in claim 28, at least part of which is elastic.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 15 words
A partition as claimed in claim 28, at least part of which is dimensionally recoverable.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 15 words
A partition as claimed in claim 32, at least part of which is dimensionally heat-recoverable.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 18 words
A partition as claimed in claim 28, which is provided with a reservoir of an adhesive or sealant.
Claim 38
Independent Claim 111 words
A method of enclosing part of an elongate substrate that furcates into a plurality of branches, which comprises positioning about the substrate a dimensionally-recoverable sleeve or wrap-around sleeve having a wall provided with a plurality of locking elements located on the wall that are engagable with each other or are engagable with corresponding locking elements located on a separate partition, engaging the locking elements on the wall with each other or with corresponding locking elements located on the partition to furcate the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve into a plurality of channels so that each channel encloses a branch of the substrate, and recovering the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve about the substrate.
Claim 39
Independent Claim 111 words
A method of enclosing part of an elongate substrate that furcates into a plurality of branches, which comprises positioning about the substrate a dimensionally-recoverable sleeve or wrap-around sleeve having a wall provided with a plurality of locking elements located on the wall that are engagable with each other or are engagable with corresponding locking elements located on a separate partition, engaging the locking elements on the wall with each other or with corresponding locking elements located on the partition to furcate the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve into a plurality of channels so that each channel encloses a branch of the substrate, and recovering the sleeve or wrap-around sleeve about the substrate.
Claim 40
Independent Claim 134 words
A method of enclosing part of an elongate substrate that furcates into a plurality of branches, which comprises positioning about the substrate a wrap-around sleeve which comprises a dimensionally-recoverable sheet having opposed edge portions that can be brought together and secured by means of a closure mechanism to form a dimensionally-recoverable hollow body, the sheet having a plurality of locking elements which at least when the edge portions have been brought together, can be engaged with each other or with corresponding elements located on a separate partition, engaging the locking elements of the body with each other or with the corresponding locking elements located on a separate partition to furcate the body into a plurality of channels so that each channel encloses a branch of the substrate, and recovering the body about the substrate.
Claim 41
Independent Claim 134 words
A method of enclosing part of an elongate substrate that furcates into a plurality of branches, which comprises positioning about the substrate a wrap-around sleeve which comprises a dimensionally-recoverable sheet having opposed edge portions that can be brought together and secured by means of a closure mechanism to form a dimensionally-recoverable hollow body, the sheet having a plurality of locking elements which at least when the edge portions have been brought together, can be engaged with each other or with corresponding elements located on a separate partition, engaging the locking elements of the body with each other or with the corresponding locking elements located on a separate partition to furcate the body into a plurality of channels so that each channel encloses a branch of the substrate, and recovering the body about the substrate.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-07-03 1988-01-02 1988-07-03 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-07-03 1992-01-02 1992-07-03 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-07-03 1996-01-02 1996-07-03 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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