Connector and connection method

A method for connecting together two elongate electrical conductors, the method comprising the steps of disposing within a heat-recoverable sleeve an insert arranged to locate said conductors, the insert being infusible and substantially dimensionally stable at the recovery temperature of the sleeve and having two separate compartments, positioning the conductors to have first ends thereof projecting from one end of the sleeve, making electrical connection between the conductors by relatively rotating the first and second conductor ends, providing a ring of solder retained by an inner wall of the sleeve between the insert and said one end of the sleeve, providing a ring of polymeric material adjacent said one end of the sleeve, and applying heat to recover the sleeve, melt the solder and fuse the polymeric material.

A heat-recoverable connector arrranged to connect together two elongate electrical conductors, the connector comprising a heat-recoverable sleeve, an insert retained within the sleeve and arranged to locate the conductors, the insert being infusible and substantially dimensionally stable at the recovery temperature of the sleeve and having two separate compartments, the compartments being arranged to enclose respective ones of the conductors and locate the conductors laterally spaced from each other, whereby electrical connection can be made between the conductors.

A heat-recoverable connector arranged to connect together two elongate electrical conductors, the connector comprising a heat-recoverable sleeve having at least one open end, a ring of polymeric material adjacent and retained by the open sleeve end, a ring of solder retained around an inner wall of the sleeve axially inwardly of the ring of polymeric material, and an insert disposed adjacent the ring of solder, the insert having two separate compartments arranged to enclose respective ones of the conductors laterally spaced from each other, whereby electrical connection can be made within the sleeve between the conductors, the insert being infusible, and the polymeric material and the solder being fusible when the sleeve is recovered.

In a method for electrically connecting two elongate electrical connectors, the improvement comprising the steps of (a) selecting a heat-recoverable connector comprising a heat-recoverable sleeve, an insert retained within the sleeve and arranged to locate the conductors, the insert being infusible and substantially stable at the recovery temperature of the sleeve and having two separate compartments, the compartments being arranged to enclose respective ones of the conductors completely and locate the conductors laterally spaced from each other;

• (b) introducing the conductors into the insert in the sleeve so that the conductors are enclosed within respective ones of the compartments and are laterally spaced from each other;
• and (c) applying heat to recover the sleeve.

An assembly comprising a heat-recovered sleeve having an insert disposed therein, the insert being infusible and substantially dimensionaly stable at the heat-recovery temperature of the sleeve and having two separate compartments and two conductors within the insert and disposed so that the conductors are completely enclosed within respective ones of the compartments and are laterally spaced from each other, the conductors being electrically connected to each other.