GB2023944A - Heat-recoverable articles - Google Patents
Heat-recoverable articles Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2023944A GB2023944A GB7837692A GB7837692A GB2023944A GB 2023944 A GB2023944 A GB 2023944A GB 7837692 A GB7837692 A GB 7837692A GB 7837692 A GB7837692 A GB 7837692A GB 2023944 A GB2023944 A GB 2023944A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- sleeve
- solder
- article
- substrate
- conductor
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R4/00—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation
- H01R4/70—Insulation of connections
- H01R4/72—Insulation of connections using a heat shrinking insulating sleeve
- H01R4/723—Making a soldered electrical connection simultaneously with the heat shrinking
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R9/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, e.g. terminal strips or terminal blocks; Terminals or binding posts mounted upon a base or in a case; Bases therefor
- H01R9/03—Connectors arranged to contact a plurality of the conductors of a multiconductor cable, e.g. tapping connections
- H01R9/05—Connectors arranged to contact a plurality of the conductors of a multiconductor cable, e.g. tapping connections for coaxial cables
Abstract
An article for making an electrical connection between two electrical conductors, for example an earth conductor (14) and the outer conductor (16) of a coaxial cable (15), comprises a heat- shrinkable sleeve (20) and a quantity of solder (24) which is held by and/or on the sleeve, and is positioned so as not to extend round the entire inner circumference thereof. Two discrete quantities of solder (24) may be used. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Heat-recoverable articles
The present invention relates to a heat-recoverable article suitable, for example, for making an electrical connection between two electrical conductors and to a connection method using such an article.
Many articles and methods have been proposed for covering one or more substrates and/or for joining a plurality of substrates, for example for making an electrical connection between two electrically conductive substrates. Thus, for example,
U.S. Patent Specification No. 3,243,211 discloses articles comprising a heat-shrinkable sleeve and a quantity of fusible material positioned within the sleeve. The fusible material may be, for example, a polymeric material or an inorganic fusible material, for example solder. The fusible material may be in, for example, the form of a ring, or, for example, in the form of a solder ball which occupies the entire cross-section of the sleeve.An electrical connection between two conductors can be made, for example, by inserting the conductors in a sleeve which contains solder and heating the assembly to cause the sleeve to shrink and the solder to fuse.
A number of other specifications also describe articles which comprise a heat-shrinkable sleeve having a quantity of solder therein. Thus, for example, U.S. Specification No. 3,324,230 describes an electrical connector which comprises a terminal pin (or similar electrical conductor) provided with a quantity of solder and having a heat-recoverable sleeve firmly installed thereon, for example by shrinking one end of a heat-shrinkable sleeve into close contact with the pin. Moreover, U.S. Specification No.3,312,772 discloses a heat-shrinkable sleeve having a ring of solder therein and a ground lead (earth conductor) a portion of which is positioned between the solder ring and the sleeve.
While the articles referred to above have proved extremely useful in a wide variety of applications, they are not applicable in certain circumstances.
Thus, for example, the connector described in U.S.
Specification No. 3,324,230 is designed to facilitate the connection of a further conductor to the terminal pin, and is not ideally suited to, for example, facilitating the connection of an earth conductorto the outer conductor (normally braid) of a coaxial cable. Furthermore, although the article referred to above and disclosed in U.S. Specification No.
3,312,772 is designed for the latter use, a relatively large ring of solder and hence a relatively thick sleeve is in practice required if sufficient solder is to be present at the desired location (i.e. at the point where the connection is to be made between the earth conductor and the braid), so that a considerable quantity of heat must be applied to ensure complete shrinking of the sleeve and fusing of the solder, with the attendant possibility of over-heating.
Furthermore, as the article disclosed in U.S. Specification No. 3,312,772 includes a complete ring of solder, it uses a considerable quantity of solder in excess of that required for providing a soldered connection between the earth conductor and the braid, which is disadvantageous for economic reasons and may result in solder being present in undesired locations in the completed connection.
The latter disadvantages are also true of the abovementioned article which contains a ball of solder, which also has the disadvantage that the conductors to be joined cannot be positioned such that, on shrinking of the sleeve and fusing of the solder, the molten solder is forced directly radially inwardly by the sleeve into contact with the conductors; if the molten solder is to surround the conductors it must first be forced in an axial direction.
The present invention provides an article which comprises a heat-shrinkable sleeve and a quantity of solder held by and/or on the sleeve and positioned within the sleeve, the arrangement being such that the solder does not extend round the entire inner circumference of a cross-section of the sleeve. The solder can thus be said to be positioned eccentrically in the sleeve.
The quantity of solder may be partially enclosed by the sleeve material, part of the solder having sleeve material "wrapped" round it and part of the solder projecting from the inner surface of the sleeve. Whether or not this is the case, the quantity of solder is advantageously localised at one portion of the inner surface of the sleeve, i.e. in one sector of the sleeve. The quantity of solder is preferably positioned so as to permit the insertion in the article of a substrate having dimensions only slightly smaller than those of the internal walls of the sleeve.
The quantity of solder, which may if desired have an appropriate amount of flux associated therewith, is advantageously in the form of a ball. In one embodiment of the invention the solder is preferably not associated, in the article before installation on the conductors to be joined, with any electrically conductive member which is infusible at the temperature to which the article is heated to cause the heat-shrinkable sleeve to shrink and the solder (and flux if present) to fuse.
The article of the invention preferably comprises two discrete quantities of solder spaced apart to permit the insertion of a substrate, for example a conductor, between them. The discrete quantities of solder advantageously lie in a common crosssection of the sleeve and may be close to each other in the sleeve, but not quite touching, such that, for example, a conductor of relatively small diameter may be positioned between them for connection to a conductor of larger diameter which is also positioned within the sleeve.The configurations of the two quantities of solder may be such that the solder can retain the small diameter conductor (for example an earth conductor) in a fixed position in the sleeve and when, as indicated above, each quantity of solder is partially enclosed by the sleeve material, the conductor may be held in position by the projecting parts of the quantities of solder Instead, however, of being close to each other, the separate quantities of solder may be positioned substantially diametrically opposite each other in the sleeve, or may be otherwise spaced apart from each other.
The solder may be held by or on the sleeve in any desired manner. Thus, for example, the sleeve may be provided with a receptacle for the solder by heating and deforming outwardly a portion of the sleeve and maintaining the deforming force while that portion of the sleeve cools. A receptacle formed in such a manner will, on heating, tend to recover its original shape and will thus tend to force solder contained therein towards the interior of the sleeve.
Alternatively, the quantity of solder, for example, the solder ball, may be positioned adjacent to the interior wall of a heat-shrinkable sleeve, the sleeve then being partially shrunk, under such conditions that the solder does not fuse, so that the interior wall partly surrounds the solder and the solder is firmly retained in the sleeve, complete recovery of the sleeve being prevented, where necessary, by mandrels.
It is, of course, also possible to use a sleeve which comprises two or more layers in which, for example, inner and outer layers cooperate to hold the solder, the arrangement being such that, on shrinking of the sleeve and fusing of the solder, the solder can, if it is not already in the desired location, be forced by the sleeve into that location. Thus, for example, the inner layer may extend for only part of the length of the outer layer, the solder, for example, a solder ball, being positioned adjacent to an end, within the sleeve, of the inner layer such that part of the solder is sandwiched between the inner and outer layers; during installation of such an article the inner and outer layers may co-operate to "squeeze" the solder into a desired location.Alternatively, for example, the inner layer could extend for substantially the entire length of the outer layer, the solder being held between the layers in register with an aperture in the inner layer through which, in use, molten solder can be forced. A further example of an inner layer of the sleeve that could hold the solder is an inner layer of open cross-section. Thus, for example, a resilient inner layer of substantially 'C'-shaped cross-section could be used, a solder ball being held between the two arms of the 'C'.
Of course the inner layer referred to above can be replaced by any other inner part of the sleeve that can hold the solder. Alternatively, for example, the solder could be stuck to the sleeve (and thus held on the sleeve) by, for example, sticky flux.
The heat-shrinkable sleeve used in accordance with the invention may comprise any material, advantageously an electrically insulating material, which may be converted to or maintained in a heat-shrinkable form. Examples of suitable materials are given in, for example, U.S. Patent Specifications Nos. 3,086,242 and 3,297,819 and the other U.S.
specifications referred to in this specification. Crosslinked polymeric materials, for example crosslinked poiy-vinylidene fluoride, are particularly suitable.
Where a sleeve comprising two or more layers is used, the inner layer(s) need not comprise the same material as the outer layer. The sleeve is advantageously sufficiently transparent to enable the soldered connection made therein to be inspected.
The sleeve may be extruded as such, or may be formed from a sheet of material, opposite edges of the sheet being joined in any suitable manner, for example by the use of a peroxide, by use of a contact adhesive (for example as disclosed in U.S. Patent
No. 3,770,556), or by the use of an insert comprising a thermoplastic material and a heat-activatable crosslinking agent (see for example U.S. Patent
Specifications Nos. 3,891,490 and 3,927,233 and
British Patent Specification No. 1,512,727) to form the sleeve. If desired, the opposite edges of the sheet may be provided with means for making a connection between them (see for example U.S. Specifications Nos. 3,455,336,3,379,218, 3,530,898 and 3,574,313).Where the sleeve is formed from a sheet of material, the sheet may if desired be shaped to hold the quantity of solder before formation of the sleeve.
The heat-shrinkable sleeve may have any desired shape. One method by which a desired shape may be imparted comprises partial recovery of the sleeve round one or more appropriately-shaped mandrels.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the sleeve is substantially rectangular in cross-section, the solder advantageously being associated with one or both of the shorter sides of the rectangle.
During installation, slight pressure may be applied to the shorter sides of such a sleeve to impart a substantially circular cross-section to the sleeve, the pressure being released after insertion of for examplea cable in the sleeve so that the longer sides of the sleeve grip the cable in position.
The sleeve may be open at one or both ends and may if desired be provided with a quantity offusible material (for example fusible polymeric material) or other sealing material between the solder and the or each open end. The fusible material may act as a "dam" for the solder, preventing it from flowing out of the open end(s) of the sleeve during installation of the article and/or may enhance the environmental seal at the end(s) of the sleeve. Thus, the sleeve can force fused fusible material into close contact with a conductor received in the open end of the sleeve to provide a reliable seal. Alternatively, the sleeve and the fused fusible material could cooperate to produce a seal even at an open end that does not in use receive a substrate.
The invention also provides a method of electrically connecting first and second electrical conductors which comprises positioning the conductors in an article according to the invention and heating to cause the heat-shrinkable sleeve to shrink and the solder to fuse.
When the article of the invention comprises two separate quantities of solder, the first conductor is advantageously positioned between, and preferably contacts and is retained in position by, the quantities of solder. Thus, for example, the first conductor may be an earth conductor which is positioned between, for example, two solder balls and may thus be electrically connected to the braid of a coaxial cable that is also received in the sleeve.
The article of the invention may readily be manufactured without the use of complicated tooling.
Furthermore, as the solder is positioned eccentrically within the sleeve and is retained in position by the sleeve, a substrate may be inserted into the sleeve so that it is in register with the solder and, on heating, the sleeve can force the molten solder directly radially inwardly into contact with the substrate; a quantity of solder can be forced by the sleeve into the location where it is desired to form a connection without the use of excess solder which may be directed to undesired locations. In other words, a localised solder joint may be formed.Thus, for example, where an earth conductor is being connected to the braid of a coaxial cable, there may be substantially equal amounts of solder on the earth conductor and on the braid in the final assembly, and, whatever the substrates being joined, because it is necessary to fuse only the amount of solder which is required to form the joint, a smaller amount of heat is required, thus lessening the risk of over-heating. Moreover, where the article contains, for example, two solder balls adjacent to one another, these may act as positioning and retaining means to ensure that a conductor, for example an earth conductor, is correctly positioned for soldering. The sleeve itself may also be shaped to grip, for example, the cable.Where the heatshrinkable sleeve comprises more than one layer of material, the inner layer may act to give additional protection to, for example, low temperature cable insulation which might otherwise be adversely affected by the heat applied to cause shrinking of the sleeve.
A further advantage of using a sleeve which can be deformed during installation and can, on release of the deforming forces, grip a substrate positioned within the sleeve is that the fact that the sleeve does grip the substrate may ensure that the sleeve is maintained in a preferred orientation in relation to the substrate (and is preferably also so maintained during heat-recovery of the sleeve) and/or may provide means for ensuring that, for example, a further article or member is in the correct position relative to the substrate and/or to an insert within the sleeve.Thus, for example, in the case of the article of the invention wherein the sleeve has a substantially rectangular cross-section, the fact that the sleeve may, before (and preferably also during) recovery, grip a substrate positioned in it makes it possible, if this is desired, to ensure that the solder is in a preferred orientation relative to the substrate.
Moreover, portions of the sleeve that, before recovery, are spaced from the substrate may, in cooperation with the outer surface of the substrate, define one or more compartments for locating a further substrate, for example an earth conductor, in a desired position, for example in relation to the first substrate and/or in relation to the solder. The fact that the sleeve and first substrate contact each other where the sleeve grips the cable may also assist in maintaining molten solder in a desired location during recovery of the article.
The present invention also provides a method of covering a substrate which comprises deforming a resiliently deformable recoverable sleeve (preferably a heat-recoverable sleeve) having an insert positioned eccentrically within it, positioning the deformed sleeve round the substrate with the insert in a desired location in relation to the substrate, releasing the deforming force whereby the sleeve can grip the substrate and maintain the said desired
orientation between the insert and the substrate, and
causing recovery of the sleeve. Preferably, a desired
orientation is also maintained during recovery of the
sleeve.If desired, a further substrate may be positioned between the first substrate and the sleeve
before recovery of the latter such that the further substrate is maintained in a desired location relative to the insert and/or relative to the first substrate. In one embodiment of the method, the insert may
comprise a fusible material, for example a fusible
polymeric material or solder, but any other desired
insert could be used. Any sleeve previously referred to herein could be used in such a method provided that it is resiliently deformable and is appropriately shaped having regard to the shape of the substrate.
Various embodiments of the invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;
Figure 1 shows an article according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-section through an article of the
invention which includes two balls of solder;
Figure 3 is a cross-section through an article according to the invention which includes one ball of solder;
Figure 4 illustrates the use of an article according to the invention to connect an earth conductor to the braid of a coaxial cable;
Figure 5 is a view of a further article according to the invention;
Figure 6 is a cross-section through the article of FigureS; Figure 7 illustrates the use of the article of Figures 5 and 6 to connect an earth conductor to the braid of a coaxial cable; and
Figures 8 to 10 are cross-sections through further articles according to the invention.
Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 shows an article, indicated generally by the reference numeral
1, which comprises a heat-shrinkable sleeve 2 and a pair of balls 3,3 of solder (and if desired flux) retained in the sleeve 2 by partially recovered portions of the latter. Each of the solder balls 3 is partially enclosed by the sleeve material and has a portion projecting from the inner portion of the sleeve. As can most clearly be seen from Figure 2, the solder balls, indicated in Figure 2 as 3a, 3a, are so positioned that a conductor, for example an earth conductor, can be positioned between them. The solder balls may act as positioning and retaining means for a conductor. The article shown in Figure 1 has an elongate raised portion 4, formed by a mandrel, extending from one open end to the solder balls 3,3 to guide a conductor towards the solder balls. Although articles containing two solder balls are advantageous for some uses, for other uses one solder ball is sufficient, and Figure 3 is a crosssection through an article containing only one solder ball 5, the solder ball 5 being retained in position in a heat-shrinkable sleeve 6 by necked-in portions 7 of the sleeve 6. The receptacle for the solder in Figure 3 may if desired be made sufficiently large to accommodate one of the conductors to be connected.
Figure 4 shows the use of an article constructed in accordance with the invention to connect an earth conductor to the braid of a coaxial cable. The article of Figure 4, which is indicated generally by the reference numeral 8, is similar to the article of Figure 1 and comprises a heat-shrinkable sleeve 9 of electrically insulating material and two balls of solder, only one of which, indicated by the reference numeral 10, can be seen in Figure 4. The article 8 also contains two rings, 11 and 12 respectively, of fusible polymeric material, each of the rings 11 and 12 being positioned between the balls of solder and an open end of the sleeve 9.
As is shown in Figure 4, a stripped end portion 14 of an insulated earth conductor 13 may be positioned between the two balls of solder so that it is adjacent both to the solder (and may if desired be positioned and retained by the solder) and to an exposed length of braid 16 of a coaxial cable, indicated generally by reference numeral 15, the cable 15 also having an exposed length of dielectric 17 and an exposed length of centre conductor 18, the length of centre conductor 18 and a portion of the dielectric 17 extending out of the end of sleeve 9. The earth conductor and the coaxial cable can be inserted into the article in either order or substantially simultaneously.When the earth conductor and the coaxial cable are positioned as indicated in Figure 4, heat may be applied to cause the sleeve 9 to shrink and the solder balls and fusible rings 11 and 12 to fuse, whereby a soldered connection is made between the braid and the earth conductor and the sleeve 9 is sealed to the cable dielectric 17 and to the cable insulation 19 and the insulation of the earth conductor 13.
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of an article according to the invention wherein the sleeve, indicated generally by the reference numeral 20, is of substantially rectangular cross-section and is resiliently deformable. Pressure may be applied to the shorter sides of such a sleeve during installation thereof to cause the sleeve to adopt a substantially circular cross-section whereby, for example, a cable of circular cross-section can readily be inserted therein. On release of the pressure, the sleeve returns substantially to its original shape so that the long sides thereof grip the cable in position.The fact that the sleeve grips the cable (or other substrate) makes it possible, if this is desired, to ensure that a quantity of solder within the sleeve (see below) is in a particular location relative to the cable or other substrate, and portions of the sleeve which, before recovery, are spaced from the substrate may, in cooperation with the surface of the substrate, define one or more compartments for locating a further substrate, for example an earth conductor, in a desired location, for example in relation to the cable and/or in relation to the solder. The fact that the cable and sleeve are in contact when the sleeve grips the cable may also assist in maintaining molten solder in a desired location during recovery of the article.
As can more clearly be seen in Figures 6 and 7 the sleeve 20 comprises an outer layer 21 and an inner layer 22. The inner layer 22 extends from one end 23 of the outer layer to approximately halfway along the length of the outer layer 21. On each of the shorter sides of the sleeve, the end portion of the inner layer and a portion of the outer layer in the region of the centre of the sleeve cooperate to hold a respective ball 24 of solder (and if desired flux), part of each solder ball 24 being positioned between and being held by the inner and outer layers of the sleeve; the outer layer 21 protrudes outwardly and the inner layer 22 protrudes inwardly in the region of the solder balls.The device of Figures 5 to 7 also comprises two rings 11 and 12 of fusible polymeric material, these rings being similarly positioned to, and performing a similar function to, the rings 11 and 12 in Figure 4.
Figure 7 shows the use of the article of Figures 5 and 6to connect the stripped end portions 14 of two insulated earth conductors 13to an exposed length of braid 16 of a coaxial cable 15 similar to that shown in Figure 4. Each end portion is positioned adjacent to a respective solder ball 24. The earth conductors and the coaxial cable can be inserted into the article in any order or substantially simultaneously. When the earth conductors and the coaxial cable are positioned as indicated in Figure 7, heat may be applied to cause the sleeve 20 to shrink and the solder balls 24 and fusible rings 11 and 12 to fuse, whereby an electrical connection is made between the braid and the earth conductors and the sleeve 20 is sealed to the cable dielectric 17 and to the cable insulation 19 and the insulation of the earth conductor 13.The fused solder is forced out from between the inner and outer layers of the sleeve during shrinkage of the sleeve and the inner layer 22 may also act as an additional protecting layer for, for example, a cable dielectric that might otherwise be adversely affected by the heat applied to cause recovery of the sleeve and fusing of the solder.
An article such as that shown in Figu res 5 to 7 may be made by positioning tubular members of substantially circular cross-section which are to form the inner and outer layers of the sleeve around a vertical mandrel of substantially rectangular cross-section, positioning the solder balls between the two tubular members adjacent to one end of the inner member and heating the assembly at a temperature which does not cause fusing of the solder to cause the tubular members to shrink and grip the mandrel and the solder, the degree of shrinkage being such that the composite sleeve so formed is still heatshrinkable. Although this is not essential, an adhesive material could be provided between the inner and outer layers, e.g. as an interior coating on the outer tubular member or an exterior coating on the inner tubular member.
Figure 8 is generally similar to Figure 6 except that each of the short sides of a cross-section through the sleeve 20 is provided with a pair of balls 25 of solder (and if desired flux). Each pair of solder balls 25 may act as positioning and retaining means for a conductor such as an earth conductor. Thus, e.g., a conductor may be received in the opening of substantially triangular cross-section defined by the two solder balls and the outer wall of the inner layer.
The use of two solder balls may be advantageous where more solder is required, e.g., where a thicker conductor is to be used. It would of course, be possible for one of the short sides of the substantially rectangular cross-section to be provided with one solder ball and the other short side with two solder balls.
Figure 9 is a cross-section through an article according to the invention in which the sleeve 25 comprises an outer layer 26 and an inner layer 27 of substantially 'C'-shaped cross-section, a ball 28 of solder (and if desired flux) being held between the arms of the 'C'.
The article shown in cross-section in Figure 10 does not include an inner layer. Instead, a ball 29 of solder is stuck to the inner wall of a heat-shrinkable sleeve 30 by means of sticky flux.
Claims (38)
1. An article comprises a heat-shrinkable sleeve and a quantity of solder held by and/or on the sleeve and positioned within the sleeve, the arrangement being such that the solder does not extend round the entire inner circumference of a cross-section of the sleeve.
2. An article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantity of solder is localised at one portion of the inner surface of the sleeve.
3. An article as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the quantity of solder is positioned so as to permit insertion in the article of a substrate having dimensions only slightly smaller than those of tte internal walls of the sleeve.
4. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, which comprises two separate quantities of solder spaced apart from each other to permit the insertion of a substrate between them.
5. An article as claimed in claim 4, wherein the two quantities of solder lie in a common crosssection of the sleeve.
6. An article as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the two quantities of solder are close to, but do not touch, each other.
7. An article as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the two quantities of solder are substantially diametrically opposite to each other.
8. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the or each quantity of solder is in the form of a ball.
9. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the or each quantity of solder is partially enclosed by the sleeve material, part of the or each quantity of solder projecting from the inner surface of the sleeve.
10. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the or each quantity of solder is held in position in the sleeve by a partially shrunk portion of the sleeve.
11. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the sleeve comprises a plurality of layers which cooperate to hold the solder.
12. An article as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sleeve comprises an outer layer and an inner layer which extends for part only of the length of the outer layer, the solder being held by an end portion of the inner layer and the portion of the outer layer adjacent to said end portion of the inner layer.
13. An article as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein at least one layer comprises a different material from the other layer(s).
14. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the sleeve is resiliently deformable and is substantially rectangular in cross-section, the or each quantity of solder being adjacent to a short side of the rectangle.
15. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the sleeve has a longitudinal seam therein.
16. An article as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sleeve has been formed from a sheet of material opposite edges of which are provided with means for connecting the said edges.
17. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein both ends of the sleeve are open.
18. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the sleeve comprises electrically insulating material.
19. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein a quantity of fusible material is positioned between the solder and the or each open end of the sleeve.
20. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 or any claim appendentthereto, wherein the sleeve comprises an inner layer of substantially 'C'-shaped cross-section, the solder being held between the arms of the 'C'.
21. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the solder is held by the sleeve.
22. An article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the solder is stuck to the inner wall of the sleeve.
23. An article as claimed in claim 22, wherein the solder is stuck to the sleeve by sticky flux.
24. An article constructed substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated by, any one of the Figures of the accompanying drawings.
25. A method of electrically connecting first and second electrical conductors, which comprises positioning the conductors in an article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24 and heating to cause the heat-shrinkable sleeve to shrink and the solder to fuse.
26. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the article comprises two separate quantities of solder and the first conductor is positioned between the two quantities of solder.
27. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the first conductor is in contact with both quantities of solder and, before heat is applied, is retained in position by the solder.
28. A method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein the first conductor is an earth conductor and the second conductor is the braid of a coaxial cable.
29. A method as claimed in claim 25, carried out substantially as described herein.
30. An assembly whenever made by a method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 29.
31. A method of covering a substrate which comprises deforming a resiliently deformable recoverable sleeve having an insert positioned eccentric ally within it, positioning the deformed sleeve round the substrate with the insert in a desired location in relation to the substrate, releasing the deforming force whereby the sleeve can grip the substrate and maintain the said desired orientation between the insert and the substrate, and causing recovery of the sleeve.
32. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the sleeve can grip the substrate and maintain a desired orientation during recovery of the sleeve.
33. A method as claimed in claim 31 or claim 32, wherein the insert comprises fusible material.
34. A method as claimed in any one of claims 31 to 33, wherein the insert comprises solder.
35. A method as claimed in any one of claims 31 to 34, wherein the sleeve is as specified in any one of claims 11 to 18 and 20.
36. A method as claimed in any one of claims 31 to 35, wherein an article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 30 is used.
37. A method as claimed in any one of claims 31 to 35, wherein the insert is held by the sleeve.
38. A method as claimed in any one of claims 31 to 36, wherein the insert is held on the sleeve.
Priority Applications (12)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7837692A GB2023944A (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1978-09-21 | Heat-recoverable articles |
| GB7908459A GB2025157A (en) | 1978-03-01 | 1979-03-09 | Heat-recoverable articles |
| US06/041,388 US4271330A (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1979-05-22 | Heat-recoverable articles |
| IL57365A IL57365A (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1979-05-22 | Heat-recoverable articles particularly for electrical connections |
| CA000327996A CA1141922A (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1979-05-22 | Heat-recoverable articles |
| FR7913104A FR2426983A1 (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1979-05-23 | THERMAL RECOVERY OBJECTS |
| NL7904086A NL7904086A (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1979-05-23 | OBJECTS WHICH UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HEAT RECOVERY. |
| IT22921/79A IT1114024B (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1979-05-23 | HOT RETRIEVABLE ITEMS |
| CH4849/79A CH650106A5 (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1979-05-23 | Device and method for producing a connection between at least two electrical conductors |
| DE19792920864 DE2920864A1 (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1979-05-23 | ITEM REQUIRED BY HEAT |
| SE7904534A SE445791B (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1979-05-23 | FORMAL, WHICH INCLUDES A HEAT-SHRINKABLE SHELF, HEATABLE-REMOVABLE FORMAL, AND APPLICATION OF A CLEAR FORMAL |
| SE7904534D SE7904534L (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1979-05-23 | VERMEATERHEMTBARA FOREMAL |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB3745078 | 1978-05-23 | ||
| GB7837692A GB2023944A (en) | 1978-05-23 | 1978-09-21 | Heat-recoverable articles |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2023944A true GB2023944A (en) | 1980-01-03 |
Family
ID=26263452
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7837692A Withdrawn GB2023944A (en) | 1978-03-01 | 1978-09-21 | Heat-recoverable articles |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2023944A (en) |
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0086110A2 (en) * | 1982-02-08 | 1983-08-17 | Raychem Pontoise S.A. | Sealable recoverable articles |
| EP0091319A1 (en) * | 1982-04-07 | 1983-10-12 | RAYCHEM CORPORATION (a California corporation) | Shield connection device |
| DE3344907A1 (en) * | 1982-12-22 | 1984-07-05 | G.D S.P.A., Bologna | DEVICE FOR FEEDING THE CIGARETTE FOR THE COVERING SECTION OF A PACKING MACHINE |
| US4484704A (en) * | 1980-06-09 | 1984-11-27 | Raychem Corporation | Solder delivery system |
| US5167545A (en) * | 1991-04-01 | 1992-12-01 | Metcal, Inc. | Connector containing fusible material and having intrinsic temperature control |
| WO2005004291A1 (en) * | 2003-06-13 | 2005-01-13 | Molex Incorporated | Electrical connector solder terminal |
| CN115241710A (en) * | 2022-09-23 | 2022-10-25 | 惠州好盈电机有限公司 | Sleeve equipment of motor controller connecting wire, connecting wire and motor controller |
-
1978
- 1978-09-21 GB GB7837692A patent/GB2023944A/en not_active Withdrawn
Cited By (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4484704A (en) * | 1980-06-09 | 1984-11-27 | Raychem Corporation | Solder delivery system |
| EP0086110A2 (en) * | 1982-02-08 | 1983-08-17 | Raychem Pontoise S.A. | Sealable recoverable articles |
| EP0086110A3 (en) * | 1982-02-08 | 1985-08-28 | Raychem Pontoise S.A. | Sealable recoverable articles |
| EP0091319A1 (en) * | 1982-04-07 | 1983-10-12 | RAYCHEM CORPORATION (a California corporation) | Shield connection device |
| DE3344907A1 (en) * | 1982-12-22 | 1984-07-05 | G.D S.P.A., Bologna | DEVICE FOR FEEDING THE CIGARETTE FOR THE COVERING SECTION OF A PACKING MACHINE |
| US5167545A (en) * | 1991-04-01 | 1992-12-01 | Metcal, Inc. | Connector containing fusible material and having intrinsic temperature control |
| WO2005004291A1 (en) * | 2003-06-13 | 2005-01-13 | Molex Incorporated | Electrical connector solder terminal |
| US8328564B2 (en) | 2003-06-13 | 2012-12-11 | Molex Incoporated | Electrical connector solder terminal |
| CN115241710A (en) * | 2022-09-23 | 2022-10-25 | 惠州好盈电机有限公司 | Sleeve equipment of motor controller connecting wire, connecting wire and motor controller |
| CN115241710B (en) * | 2022-09-23 | 2022-11-25 | 惠州好盈电机有限公司 | Sleeve equipment of motor controller connecting wire, connecting wire and motor controller |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |