US4877661A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rapidly recoverable PTFE and process therefore
Assignee: W.L. Gore and Associates Inc
•
Filing: 1987-10-19
•
Granted: 1989-10-31
•
Expires: 2007-10-19
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to porous polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter PTFE) materials having the property of rapid recovery and a method for producing these materials. The microstructure of the porous PTFE material consists of nodes interconnected by fibrils, substantially all of the fibrils having a bent or wavy appearance. Artricles made from these materials are particularly suitable for use in the medical field, but are also useful in other areas such as filtration and fabric applications.
Inventors
- 👤 Wayne D. House
- 👤 David J. Myers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 15:54
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08J; C08J5/00; C08J5/18; B; B29; B29C; B29C55/00; B29C55/005; B29C67/00; B29C67/20; B29K; B29K2027/00; B29K2027/12; B29K2027/18; B29K2105/00; B29K2105/04; C08J2327/00; C08J2327/02; C08J2327/12; C08J2327/18; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S264/00; Y10S264/73; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/91; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/1328; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24628; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2913; Y10T428/2973; Y10T428/2975; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/3154; Y10T428/31544
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 57
Claim 1
Independent Claim
39 words
A porous shaped article consisting essentially of PTFE, said article having a microstructure of nodes interconnected by fibrils, said article at ambient temperature capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than about 6% of its stretched length.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
39 words
A porous shaped article consisting essentially of PTFE, said article having a microstructure of nodes interconnected by fibrils, said article at ambient temperature capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than about 6% of its stretched length.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The article of claim 1 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than about 8%.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The article of claim 1 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than about 10%.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The article of claim 1 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than about 15%.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The article of claim 1 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than about 20%.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The article of claim 1 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than about 22%.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The article of claim 1 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than about 25%.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The article of claim 1 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than about 30%.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The article of claim 1 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than about 50%.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
A porous article consisting essentially of PTFE, said article having a microstructure of nodes interconnected by fibrils, substantially all of said fibrils having a bent appearance, said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than 5.5% of its stretched length.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
A porous article consisting essentially of PTFE, said article having a microstructure of nodes interconnected by fibrils, substantially all of said fibrils having a bent appearance, said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than 5.5% of its stretched length.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The article of claim 10 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than 6% of its stretched length.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The article of claim 10 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than 8% of its stretched length.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The article of claim 10 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than 10% of its stretched length.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
The article of claim 10 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than 15% of its stretched length.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The article of claim 10 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than 20% of its stretched length.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The article of claim 10 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than 22% of its stretched length.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The article of claim 10 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than 25% of its stretched length.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The article of claim 10 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than 30% of its stretched length.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
The article of claim 10 in which said article at ambient temperature is capable of being stretched and then rapidly recovering more than 50% of its stretched length.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
An article according to any of the above claims in the shape of a tube having smooth inside and outside surfaces.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
An article according to claim 20 in which the inside surface and the outside surface differ.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
An article according to claim 1 which has been formed as a tube and subsequently slit longitudinally and opened to form a sheet.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
12 words
An article according to claim 1 in the form of a sheet.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
An article according to claim 1 in the form of a rod.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
12 words
An article according to claim 1 in the form of a film.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
12 words
An article according to claim 1 in the form of a filament.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
10 words
An article claimed in claim 1 that has corrugated surfaces.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
41 words
An extruded, expanded article heat treated above its crystalline melt point, made of a material consisting essentially of porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) having been subsequently compressed at least 50% in the direction in which rapid recoverable characteristics are desired, restrained and heated.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
41 words
An extruded, expanded article heat treated above its crystalline melt point, made of a material consisting essentially of porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) having been subsequently compressed at least 50% in the direction in which rapid recoverable characteristics are desired, restrained and heated.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
34 words
An extruded, expanded and heat treated above its crystalline melt point article as claimed in claim 28 wherein the material was subsequently compressed at least 60% in the direction of desired rapid recoverable characteristics.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
33 words
An extruded, expanded and heat treated above its crystalline melt point article as claimed in claim 28 wherein the material was compressed at least 75% in the direction of desired rapid recoverable characteristics.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
33 words
An extruded, expanded and heat treated above its crystalline melt point article as claimed in claim 28 wherein the material was compressed at least 90% in the direction of desired rapid recoverable characteristics.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
15 words
An article as claimed in claim 28 having a rapid recovery greater than about 5.5%.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
15 words
An article as claimed in claim 28 having a rapid recovery greater than about 10%.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
15 words
An article as claimed in claim 28 having a rapid recovery greater than about 20%.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
15 words
An article as claimed in claim 28 having a rapid recovery greater than about 25%.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
15 words
An article as claimed in claim 28 having a rapid recovery greater than about 30%.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
15 words
An article as claimed in claim 28 having a rapid recovery greater than about 50%.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
15 words
An article as claimed in claim 28 having a rapid recovery greater than about 75%.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
21 words
An article as claimed in claim 28 that is in the shape of a tube having smooth inside and outside surfaces.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
25 words
An article as claimed in claim 28 that is in the shape of a tube in which the inside surface and the outside surface differ.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
24 words
An article as claimed in claim 28 which has been formed as a tube and subsequently slit longitudinally and opened to form a sheet.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
21 words
An article as claimed in claim 28 that is in the shape of a sheet made other than by slitting tubes.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
14 words
An article claimed in claim 28 that is in the shape of a rod.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
14 words
An article claimed in claim 28 that is in the shape of a film.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
65 words
A porous shaped article consisting essentially of PTFE, said article having a microstructure of nodes and fibrils made by the following steps comprising: (a) compressing said article to less than 50% of its original length and restraining it; (b) heating said article at an elevated temperature for a period of time; (c) cooling said article; and (d) stretching said article to approximately its original length.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
65 words
A porous shaped article consisting essentially of PTFE, said article having a microstructure of nodes and fibrils made by the following steps comprising: (a) compressing said article to less than 50% of its original length and restraining it; (b) heating said article at an elevated temperature for a period of time; (c) cooling said article; and (d) stretching said article to approximately its original length.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
22 words
A porous PTFE article of claim 45 in which said article at ambient temperature has a rapid recovery greater than about 6%.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
22 words
A porous PTFE article of claim 45 in which said article at ambient temperature has a rapid recovery greater than about 8%.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
22 words
A porous PTFE article of claim 45 in which said article at ambient temperature has a rapid recovery greater than about 10%.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
22 words
A porous PTFE article of claim 45 in which said article at ambient temperature has a rapid recovery greater than about 15%.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
22 words
A porous PTFE article of claim 45 in which said article at ambient temperature has a rapid recovery greater than about 20%.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
22 words
A porous PTFE article of claim 45 in which said article at ambient temperature has a rapid recovery greater than about 22%.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
22 words
A porous PTFE article of claim 45 in which said article at ambient temperature has a rapid recovery greater than about 25%.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
22 words
A porous PTFE article of claim 45 in which said article at ambient temperature has a rapid recovery greater than about 30%.
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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) | 1992-10-30 | 1993-05-01 | 1993-10-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-10-30 | 1997-05-01 | 1997-10-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-10-30 | 2001-05-01 | 2001-10-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |