Metal expansion plug
AssigneeRaychem Corporation
InventorRobert J. Schweiso
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for plugging or sealing apertures comprising a heat recoverable dished disc which has the capability to increase its radial dimension upon being heated to a temperature above the transition temperature of the metal. Sealing is accomplished by selecting a heat recoverable dished disc having a radial dimension smaller than that of the aperture to be sealed, but which is capable of increasing its radial dimension to a magnitude greater than that of the aperture. The disc is inserted into the aperture and exposed to a temperature higher than its transition temperature whereupon the disc attempts to return to its original substantially planar configuration thereby increasing in radial dimension and sealing the aperture.
Claims7
A heat recoverable metal plug, which has been deformed from a heat-stable configuration into a heat-unstable configuration, having a transverse dimension smaller in its heat-unstable condition than in its heat-stable condition, said plug being capable of changing its transverse dimension upon being heated to above the transition temperature at which it recovers to its heat-stable condition from its heat-unstable condition, said plug is heat unstable in its martensitic state and heat-stable in its austenitic state.
A heat-recoverable metal plug having a generally circular dished configuration in its heat-unstable state, said plug being capable of recovering to a substantially flat configuration upon being heated to above the transition temperature at which it reverts from its heat-unstable state to its heat-stable state, said plug is heat unstable in its martensitic state and heat-stable in its austenitic state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.