US5486388A — Enclosure assembly for elongate cylindrical objec…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 285 words

An assembly of an elastic sleeve with a tubular supporting body in the bore of said sleeve for the application of said sleeve to a cylindrical body, said assembly comprising: a radially stretched sleeve of elastic material, the bore of said sleeve having a predetermined radius in its unstretched state; a tubular supporting body disposed with the bore of said sleeve and having a longitudinal axis, said body having an external surface around said axis of a radius greater than said predetermined radius to cause radial stretching of said sleeve and having an internal surface around said axis of a radius smaller than the radius of said external surface, said body being formed by a plurality of helically wound, contiguous turns of a strip, severable means securing each turn to an adjacent turn and said turns of said body being made of a material of dimensions which provides a radial resistance to the pressure applied thereto by the stretched sleeve sufficient to maintain said sleeve in its stretched state; and a pull strip extending from a turn at one end of said body within said internal surface for pulling said turns apart; the improvement wherein said tubular body having a first plurality of said turns within a first selected region and a second plurality of said turns within a second selected region, said first and said second plurality of said turns having a helical pitch and axial thickness, said helical pitch and said axial thickness of said first plurality of said turns being less than said helical pitch and said axial thickness of said second plurality of said turns; said second plurality of said turns being located adjacent to said first plurality of said turns.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 285 words

An assembly of an elastic sleeve with a tubular supporting body in the bore of said sleeve for the application of said sleeve to a cylindrical body, said assembly comprising: a radially stretched sleeve of elastic material, the bore of said sleeve having a predetermined radius in its unstretched state; a tubular supporting body disposed with the bore of said sleeve and having a longitudinal axis, said body having an external surface around said axis of a radius greater than said predetermined radius to cause radial stretching of said sleeve and having an internal surface around said axis of a radius smaller than the radius of said external surface, said body being formed by a plurality of helically wound, contiguous turns of a strip, severable means securing each turn to an adjacent turn and said turns of said body being made of a material of dimensions which provides a radial resistance to the pressure applied thereto by the stretched sleeve sufficient to maintain said sleeve in its stretched state; and a pull strip extending from a turn at one end of said body within said internal surface for pulling said turns apart; the improvement wherein said tubular body having a first plurality of said turns within a first selected region and a second plurality of said turns within a second selected region, said first and said second plurality of said turns having a helical pitch and axial thickness, said helical pitch and said axial thickness of said first plurality of said turns being less than said helical pitch and said axial thickness of said second plurality of said turns; said second plurality of said turns being located adjacent to said first plurality of said turns.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 26 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first plurality of said turns are at at least one end of said tubular supporting body.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 39 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first plurality of said turns are at both ends of said tubular supporting body and said second plurality of said turns are intermediate said first plurality of said turns.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 26 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the axial lengths of said turns of said first plurality of said turns are substantially the same.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 41 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pull strip is an extension of said first plurality of said turns and the axial length of said turns is at least equal to the axial length of said pull strip.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 28 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tubular supporting body is a single wound strip and has at least the axial length of said sleeve.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 28 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said first plurality of said turns are also provided at the axially central portion of said tubular supporting body.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 53 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sleeve is axially continuous and said tubular supporting body comprises two portions with abutting ends, each of the abutting ends having said first plurality of said turns and a pull strip extending from the abutting end to the opposite end of said body.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 43 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 which is around conductively connected and bared conductors of an electric cable, said first plurality of said turns extending around and having an axial length substantially equal to the axial length of said bared conductors.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 32 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the axial length of said helical pitch of said first plurality of said turns is in the range from 0.5 to 1.5 mm.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 78 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said turns are defined by a helical groove cut in the wall of a tubular body to a depth which leaves a residual thickness of the last mentioned said tubular body which can be ruptured by application of a pull force to the pull strip and wherein the axial length of said helical pitch of said first plurality of said turns is at least equal to said residual thickness.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 23 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said axial length of said helical pitch is at least twice said residual thickness.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 45 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the axial length of said helical pitch of said first plurality of said turns is between 20% and 50% of the radial thickness of said tubular supporting body between said external surface and said internal surface.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 32 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the axial length of said helical pitch of said second plurality of said turns is in the range from 2 to 6 mm.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 45 words

An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the axial length of said helical pitch of said second plurality of said turns is between 75% and 200% of the radial thickness of said tubular supporting body between said external surface and said internal surface.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 244 words

A tubular supporting body for supporting an elastic sleeve in an elastically stretched state, said tubular supporting body: having a longitudinal axis, having an external surface around said axis of a predetermined radius greater than the unstretched radius of said sleeve so to cause radial stretching of said sleeve and having an internal surface around said axis of a radius smaller than the radius of said external surface, said body being formed by a plurality of helically wound, contiguous turns of a strip, severable means securing each turn to an adjacent turn and said turns of said body being made of a material of dimensions which provides a radial resistance to the pressure applied thereto by the stretched sleeve sufficient to maintain said sleeve in its stretched state; and a pull strip extending from a turn at one end of said body within said internal surface for pulling said turns apart; the improvement wherein said tubular body having a first plurality of said turns within a first selected region ad a second plurality of said turns within a second selected region, said first and said second plurality of said turns having a helical pitch and axial thickness, said helical pitch and said axial thickness of said first plurality of said turns being less than said helical pitch and said axial thickness of said second plurality of said turns; said second plurality of said turns being located adjacent to said first plurality of said turns.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 244 words

A tubular supporting body for supporting an elastic sleeve in an elastically stretched state, said tubular supporting body: having a longitudinal axis, having an external surface around said axis of a predetermined radius greater than the unstretched radius of said sleeve so to cause radial stretching of said sleeve and having an internal surface around said axis of a radius smaller than the radius of said external surface, said body being formed by a plurality of helically wound, contiguous turns of a strip, severable means securing each turn to an adjacent turn and said turns of said body being made of a material of dimensions which provides a radial resistance to the pressure applied thereto by the stretched sleeve sufficient to maintain said sleeve in its stretched state; and a pull strip extending from a turn at one end of said body within said internal surface for pulling said turns apart; the improvement wherein said tubular body having a first plurality of said turns within a first selected region ad a second plurality of said turns within a second selected region, said first and said second plurality of said turns having a helical pitch and axial thickness, said helical pitch and said axial thickness of said first plurality of said turns being less than said helical pitch and said axial thickness of said second plurality of said turns; said second plurality of said turns being located adjacent to said first plurality of said turns.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 27 words

A tubular body as set forth in claim 16 wherein said first plurality of said turns are at at least one end of said tubular supporting body.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 40 words

A tubular body as set forth in claim 17 wherein said first plurality of said turns are at both ends of said tubular supporting body and said second plurality of said turns are intermediate said first plurality of said turns.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 27 words

A tubular body as set forth in claim 18 wherein the axial lengths of said turns of said first plurality of said turns are substantially the same.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 42 words

A tubular body as set forth in claim 16 wherein said pull strip is an extension of said first plurality of said turns and the axial length of said turns is at least equal to the axial length of said pull strip.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 29 words

A tubular body as set forth in claim 16 wherein said first plurality of said turns are also provided at the axially central portion of said tubular supporting body.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-01-22	1999-07-24	2000-01-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-01-22	2003-07-24	2004-01-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-01-22	2007-07-24	2008-01-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Enclosure assembly for elongate cylindrical objects such as electric cable splices

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