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US5338070A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Diameter-reducing member joint device

Assignee: Furukawa Electric Co Ltd
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Filing: 1991-07-31
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Granted: 1994-08-16
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Expires: 2011-07-31
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention discloses a diameter-reducing member joint device, where connecting a first member to be connected as the boss of a flange joint or composed of relatively large-diameter pipes to a second member to be connected and having an outer diameter smaller than that of the first member, characterized by interposing a diameter-reducing pipe joint, which has at one end a large-diameter connection portion connected to the first member and also at the other end a small-diameter connection portion connected to the second member, between the first and second members to be connected, and by using a ring-like or cylindrical heat-shrinkable member made of a heat-shrinkable type of shape memory alloy. Namely, the large-diameter connection portion of the diameter-reducing pipe joint and the first member are connected to each other by tightening up due to the shape recovery force when the heat-shrinkable member is thermally shrunken, and the small-diameter connection portion at the other end of the diameter-reducing pipe joint is connected to the second member in a similar manner, so that the first member having a large diameter is connected to the second member and having an outer diameter smaller than that of the first member in a simple and reliable manner.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hiroshi Horikawa
  • 👤 Yoshikazu Tsuzuki
  • 👤 Hisashi Mogi
  • 👤 Kazuo Matsubara

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 07:31
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16L; F16L25/00; F16L25/14; F16L13/00; F16L13/004

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 192 words
A diameter reducing member joint device comprising: a diameter-reducing pipe joint having at one end a short cylindrical and large-diameter connection portion with the same outer diameter as that of a first member to be connected, and also having at the other end a short cylindrical and small-diameter connection portion connected with a second member to be connected and having an outer-diameter smaller than that of said first member to be connected; a large-diameter liner, into which both said first member to be connected and said large-diameter connection portion are inserted; a heat-shrinkable member made of a shape memory alloy and pressing said large-diameter liner against said first member to be connected and said large-diameter connection portion from an external direction due to its shape recovery force; and said small-diameter connection having such an inner diameter that the end portion of said second member to be connected is capable of being inserted thereinto, and said small-diameter connection portion being provided with a heat-shrinkable member made of a shape memory alloy pressing said small-diameter connection portion against said second member to be connected from an external direction due to its shape recovery force.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 192 words
A diameter reducing member joint device comprising: a diameter-reducing pipe joint having at one end a short cylindrical and large-diameter connection portion with the same outer diameter as that of a first member to be connected, and also having at the other end a short cylindrical and small-diameter connection portion connected with a second member to be connected and having an outer-diameter smaller than that of said first member to be connected; a large-diameter liner, into which both said first member to be connected and said large-diameter connection portion are inserted; a heat-shrinkable member made of a shape memory alloy and pressing said large-diameter liner against said first member to be connected and said large-diameter connection portion from an external direction due to its shape recovery force; and said small-diameter connection having such an inner diameter that the end portion of said second member to be connected is capable of being inserted thereinto, and said small-diameter connection portion being provided with a heat-shrinkable member made of a shape memory alloy pressing said small-diameter connection portion against said second member to be connected from an external direction due to its shape recovery force.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 32 words
A diameter-reducing member joint device according to claim 1, wherein one or a plurality of projections continuing in an external direction are formed on the internal surface of said small-diameter connection portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 28 words
A diameter reducing joint device for connecting a first and a second member, according to claim 1, wherein said diameter-reducing pipe joint is composed of a metallic material.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-08-15 1998-02-14 1998-08-16 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-08-15 2002-02-14 2002-08-16 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-08-15 2006-02-14 2006-08-16 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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