# US 5,700,528 A · Heat recoverable article

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- Number: US 5,700,528 A
- Document ID: US5700528A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/492,059
- Filed: 1995-07-19
- Granted: 1997-12-23
- Earliest claimed: 1993-01-21
- Assignees: Raychem Corporation
- Inventors: Anthony Ronald Leslie Fitch
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5700528A

## CPC

- F16B 4/008: {using heat-recoverable, i.e. shrinkable, sleeves}
- B29C 61/0608: {characterised by the configuration or structure of the preforms}
- F16L 3/237: for two pipes
- F16L 33/02: Hose-clips
- B29L 2031/7096: {Rings or ring-like articles}
- Y10S 174/08: Shrinkable tubes
- Y10S 285/909: Fluorocarbons and memory plastics
- Y10S 428/913: Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
- Y10T 428/1328: Shrinkable or shrunk [e.g., due to heat, solvent, volatile agent, restraint removal, etc.]
- Y10T 428/1331: Single layer [continuous layer]
- Y10T 428/139: Open-ended, self-supporting conduit, cylinder, or tube-type article
- F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D)
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A resiliently flexible ring of dimensionally heat-recoverable polymeric material whose tubular length is less than its notional circular diameter, formed so that it inherently maintains a non-circular open configuration enabling it to grip resiliently an object around which it is placed in use prior to heat-recovery, the maximum transverse dimension of the said object being at least 2.5% less, preferably at least 5% less, than the notional circular diameter of the ring. The ring preferably has at least three "corners" of relatively small radius of curvature, preferably evenly spaced around its circumference. Use of the rings is described for damping the noise of chain-drive sprocket wheels and for connecting flexible hoses to supply outlets.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hose coupling article comprising a resiliently flexible ring of dimensionally heat recoverable polymeric material whose tubular length is less than its notional circular diameter, formed so that it inherently maintains a non-circular open configuration enabling it to grip resiliently an object around which it is placed in use prior to heat recovery, the maximum transverse dimension of the said object being at least 2.5% less than the notional circular diameter of the ring and the ring being laterally connected to at least one other such ring so that the connected rings are capable of securing together at least two flexible hoses.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An article according to claim 1, whose tubular length is less than half of its notional circular diameter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

An article according to claim 2, whose length is less than one quarter of its notional circular diameter.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

An article according to claim 2, whose length is less than one eighth of its notional circular diameter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An article according to claim 1, whose configuration is elliptical.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An article according to claim 1, whose configuration is pear-shaped.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

An article according to claim 1, having at least three corners whose radius of curvature is less than one quarter of the said notional circular diameter.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

An article according to claim 7, having from four to six such corners.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

An article according to claim 7, having three such corners.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method of securing together two or more flexible hoses, comprising positioning the laterally connected rings according to claim 1 respectively onto the separate hoses, followed by heat recovery of the rings tightly onto the hoses.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A method according to claim 10, wherein the hoses are substantially round in cross-section and their diameter is at least 2.5% less than the said notional circular diameter of the rings.