US5169176A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Heat shrinkable clamping, connecting, repair, and reinforcing sleeve and method of use
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1990-08-30
•
Granted: 1992-12-08
•
Expires: 2010-08-30
Abstract
Abstract A sleeve for clamping and connecting items to be clamped or connected includes a plurality of windings of heat shrinkable material bound into a sleeve which is placed over the item to be clamped or items to be connected. The heat shrinkable material in the sleeve is secured in such a way that upon application of heat to the sleeve, the heat shrinkable windings will shrink and exert inward compressive pressure about the inner surface of the sleeve and thereby about the item to be clamped or the items to be connected. When desired for clamping a tubular item, the clamp can be incorporated as part of the tubualr item by incorporating the windings of heat shrinkable material into the end of the tubular item. The method of clamping of the invention includes the steps of positioning a tubular item over the item to which it is to be clamped and then placing a pluraltiy of windings of a heat shrinkable material about the tubular item where it surrounds the item to which it is to be clamped. Heat is then appllied to the windings to cause them to shrink and put clamping pressure about the tubular item.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert L. Brossard
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 08:52
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C65/00; B29C65/66; B29C65/68; B29C61/00; B29C61/06; B29C61/0608; B29C61/0658; B29C65/02; B29C65/34; B29C65/3404; B29C65/342; B29C66/00; B29C66/01; B29C66/05; B29C66/10; B29C66/11; B29C66/112; B29C66/1122; B29C66/114; B29C66/1142; B29C66/50; B29C66/51; B29C66/52; B29C66/522; B29C66/5221; B29C66/5223; B29C66/52231; B29C66/5225; B29C66/52251; B29C66/5229; B29C66/52291; B29C66/52292; B29C66/53; B29C66/534; B29C66/5344; B29C66/61; B29C66/612; F; F16; F16L; F16L47/00; F16L47/20; F16L47/22; B29C53/00; B29C53/56; B29C53/58; B29C66/70; B29C66/72; B29C66/721; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S174/00; Y10S174/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A clamping, connecting, repair, and reinforcing sleeve for connecting elongate items to be connected, comprising at least one length of heat shrinkable material wound as a single, continuous, and unbroken length into a plurality of overlapping layers of windings of heat shrinkable material, said at least one length of heat shrinkable material having end portions; means binding the layers of windings of heat shrinkable material into a sleeve; and means securing the end portions of the at least one length of heat shrinkable material whereby the material upon shrinking will exert inward compressive pressure about the inner surface of the sleeve, wherein the at least one length of heat shrinkable material is in the form of a strand.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
A clamping, connecting, repair, and reinforcing sleeve for connecting elongate items to be connected, comprising at least one length of heat shrinkable material wound as a single, continuous, and unbroken length into a plurality of overlapping layers of windings of heat shrinkable material, said at least one length of heat shrinkable material having end portions; means binding the layers of windings of heat shrinkable material into a sleeve; and means securing the end portions of the at least one length of heat shrinkable material whereby the material upon shrinking will exert inward compressive pressure about the inner surface of the sleeve, wherein the at least one length of heat shrinkable material is in the form of a strand.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the strand has ends and the means securing the end portions of the at least one length of heat shrinkable material secures the ends of the strand together.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A sleeve according to claim 2, wherein the ends of the strand are secured together by bonding them together.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
78 words
A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the strand has end portions, wherein the strand is wound so that the ends of the strand extend between at least some of the plurality of overlapping layers and the items to be connected, and wherein the means securing the end portions of the at least one length of heat shrinkable material secures the end portions of the strand by friction of overlying windings on the end portions of the strand.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve has a length and the windings of heat shrinkable material extend substantially perpendicularly to the length of the sleeve.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve has a length and the windings of heat shrinkable material extend at angles to the length of the sleeve.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
11 words
A sleeve according to claim 6, wherein the windings are woven.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A sleeve according to claim 6, wherein the windings of heat shrinkable material extend at angles of between 10° and 20° to the perpendicular to the length of the sleeve.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the at least one length of heat shrinkable material includes a plurality of lengths of heat shrinkable material, each length being wound as a single, continuous, and unbroken length into a plurality of overlapping layers of windings of heat shrinkable material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A sleeve according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of lengths of heat shrinkable material are woven together.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the means binding the windings into a sleeve is a matrix material surrounding the windings.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the windings are woven and wherein the means binding the windings into a sleeve is the weaving of the windings.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
A sleeve according to claim 12, wherein the windings are sufficiently stiff so that when woven into a sleeve the sleeve retains its shape.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein there are additionally included heating means within the sleeve to cause heating of the sleeve when desired to cause shrinking of the heat shrinkable material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein at least a first item of the items to be joined is tubular and is adapted to receive the other of the items within an end of the first item and wherein the sleeve is included as an integral part of the end of the first item.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
220 words
A one piece connecting and repair device for connecting lengths of hose, comprising a nipple having a central portion and opposite end portions extending outwardly from the central portion and over which the ends of the lengths of hose to be connected are placed; a sleeve having a central portion secured to the central portion of the nipple and end portions extending outwardly therefrom surrounding but spaced radially from the opposite end portions of the nipple so that the ends of the lengths of hose to be connected, when placed over the nipple, are between the nipple and the sleeve; at least one length of heat shrinkable material wound continuously into a plurality of overlapping layers of windings of heat shrinkable material embedded in at least each of the portions of the sleeve surrounding the opposite end portions of the nipple, said at least one length of heat shrinkable material having end portions; and means securing the end portions of the heat shrinkable material in the sleeve whereby the material, upon shrinking will contract about the ends of the lengths of hose to be connected and exert compressive pressure about the inner surface of the sleeve and about the respective ends of the hoses placed over the nipple so as to secure said ends of the hoses to the nipple.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
220 words
A one piece connecting and repair device for connecting lengths of hose, comprising a nipple having a central portion and opposite end portions extending outwardly from the central portion and over which the ends of the lengths of hose to be connected are placed; a sleeve having a central portion secured to the central portion of the nipple and end portions extending outwardly therefrom surrounding but spaced radially from the opposite end portions of the nipple so that the ends of the lengths of hose to be connected, when placed over the nipple, are between the nipple and the sleeve; at least one length of heat shrinkable material wound continuously into a plurality of overlapping layers of windings of heat shrinkable material embedded in at least each of the portions of the sleeve surrounding the opposite end portions of the nipple, said at least one length of heat shrinkable material having end portions; and means securing the end portions of the heat shrinkable material in the sleeve whereby the material, upon shrinking will contract about the ends of the lengths of hose to be connected and exert compressive pressure about the inner surface of the sleeve and about the respective ends of the hoses placed over the nipple so as to secure said ends of the hoses to the nipple.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
A connecting and repair device according to claim 16, wherein there is additionally included a heating element embedded in the sleeve operable when desired to produce heat to cause the heat shrinkable material to shrink.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
61 words
A connecting and repair device according to claim 17, wherein the heating element is at least one length of electrical resistance wire spirally wrapped around the at least one length of heat shrinkable material over at least a portion of its length so as not to interfere with shrinking of the at least one length of heat shrinkable material during heating.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
85 words
A connecting and repair device according to claim 17, wherein each of the portions of the sleeve surrounding the opposite end portions of the nipple include an inner plurality of overlapping layers of windings of heat shrinkable material and an outer layer of heat shrinkable material surrounding the inner layers and in heat transmitting communication therewith, and wherein the heating element is at least one length of electrical resistance wire spirally wrapped around the heat shrinkable material forming the outer layer of heat shrinkable material.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
A connecting and repair device according to claim 16, wherein the opposite ends of the nipple taper to a smaller diameter as they extend outwardly from the central portion.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
105 words
A clamping, connecting, repair, and reinforcing sleeve for connecting elongate items to be connected, comprising a single length of heat shrinkable material wound continuously into a plurality of overlapping layers or windings or heat shrinkable material, said length of heat shrinkable material having end portions; means binding the layers of windings of heat shrinkable material into a sleeve; and means securing the end portions of the length of heat shrinkable material whereby the material upon shrinking will exert inward compressive pressure about the inner surface of the sleeve, wherein the at least one length of heat shrinkable material is in the form of a strand.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
105 words
A clamping, connecting, repair, and reinforcing sleeve for connecting elongate items to be connected, comprising a single length of heat shrinkable material wound continuously into a plurality of overlapping layers or windings or heat shrinkable material, said length of heat shrinkable material having end portions; means binding the layers of windings of heat shrinkable material into a sleeve; and means securing the end portions of the length of heat shrinkable material whereby the material upon shrinking will exert inward compressive pressure about the inner surface of the sleeve, wherein the at least one length of heat shrinkable material is in the form of a strand.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
54 words
A sleeve according to claim 21, wherein at least a first item of the items to be joined is tubular and is adapted to receive the other of the items within an end of the first item, and wherein the sleeve is included as an integral part of the end of the first item.
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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) | 1995-12-08 | 1996-06-08 | 1996-12-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-12-08 | 2000-06-08 | 2000-12-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-12-08 | 2004-06-08 | 2004-12-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |