GB2285032A

GB2285032A - Two part adhesive pack;connection of electrical wires.

Info

Publication number: GB2285032A
Application number: GB9326458A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Robin Mayes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-12-24
Filing date: 1993-12-24
Publication date: 1995-06-28
Also published as: GB9326458D0

Abstract

A two-part adhesive pack comprises a sealed tubular capsule formed into an hour-glass shape body providing separate capsules, 3, 4 connected together by a hollow neck 2, into which pre-measured quantities of resin or paste and hardener adhesives compounds have been introduced, and which are separated by a fold (7, Figure 2) in the neck of the capsule body providing an air-tight seal. Mixing of the adhesive compounds can be accomplished in the still sealed capsule body by unfolding the neck and then alternate squeezing of each capsule, the mixed adhesive then being squeezed into one capsule. By cutting the neck of the capsule body (9, Figure 3), the adhesive can be applied to objects. Alternatively the sealed capsule is cut below the neck once the adhesives compounds have been mixed, and electrical wires 12, Figure 12 are inserted into the mixed adhesive contained in the capsule body, heat then being applied to the capsule body to shrink the capsule wall around the electrical wire conductors to connect them. The external surface of the capsule may be colour coded, the capsule being an integral unit of plastics material. <IMAGE>

Description

TWO-PART ADHESIVE PACK Field of the invention The invention relates to an adhesive pack containing a two-part adhesive i.e. a resin and hardener adhesive or paste compounds in a capsule body and which can be used to mix, dispense, and apply these adhesive or paste compounds; and the two-part adhesive pack capsule body can also be used as an electrical wire connector.

-Background to the Invention Various adhesives exist on the market, with some designed for specific tasks, e.g. polystyrene adhesives for the purpose of gluing together plastic parts. In the field of adhesives there are epoxy resin adhesives and pastes which require the mixing together of a resin and ha-ibdener compound before they can be used for general household applications, e.g. repair of broken crockery, gluing picture frames, filling holes, etc.

These resin and hardener adhesives and pastes are generally marketed as resin and hardener compounds contained in two separate tubes, or containers. Before the adhesive or paste can be applied to the object to be glued gz repaired the resin and hardener compounds have to be dispensed from their separate tubes or containers in specified quantities, and then mixed together with a spatula in a receptacle or on a suitable surface, the mixed adhesive is then applied with a suitable implement to the surfaces requiring gluing. This process of dispensing and gauging quantitiee of the resin and hardener, and the mixing and application of the adhesive is generally a messy procedure. These adhesives or pastes that require mixing have as yet to appear in a convenient package which allows for easy and clean application of the adhesive.

Electrical connectors for the joining together of two or more electrical wires generally exist in the form of a terminal block type connector, which utilise screw or sprung metal terminals to make wire connections. There are also ferrule connectors which are crimped with a crimping tool onto the wires to be joined. These types of connectors have limitatione as they do not afford a waterproof connection, and they are also generally difficult to use where wires have to be connected together in confined spaces.- Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there may be provided a pack for a two-part adhesive, which pack comprises first and second tubular capsules respectively for containing the first and second parts of the adhesive, the capsules having flexible walls and the internal volumes defined thereby being sealed from the ambient, and the capsules being connected together by a hollow neck which is arranged initially to be closed to communication therethrough from one capsule to the other but which may be opened to permit intermixing of the two adhesive parts by flexing of the capsule walls. If the capsule body consists of a clear heat-shrinkable plastic the neck can be formed by applying heat thue shrinking the capsule -wall, giving the capsule body an hour-glass shape appearance; an airtight eeal can then be provided by folding the neck. When the mixed together adhesive coumpounds are required for use, the mixed adhesive can be squeezed into one half of the still sealed capsule body.

The neck in the capsule body can then be cut and thus provide a nozzle through which the mixed adhesive can be squeezed and easily applied to the surfaces of the objects which require gluing. This process eliminates the measuring out of specified quantities of the resin and hardener compounds, and the messy mixing and application of the adhesive. Various sizes of the two-part adhesive pack capsule could also be used for jobs requiring different amounts of adhesive, and thus avoid wastage of any surplus adhesive when mixed by normal methods.

Apart from the above application there can exist an alternative use for this two-part adhesive pack capsule which can provide a connector for electrical wire conductors. Once the adhesive compounds have been mixed together in the still sealed capsule, the capsule body can be cut below the neck to allow the insertion of electrical wire conductors which have been twisted together. After the insertion of the wires, heat can be applied to the cut capsule body thus shrinking the capsule body around the twisted together wire conductors, and can also aid the setting process of the mixed adhesive compounds around the electrical wire conductors. This application of the twopart adhesive pack capsule can provide a strong, waterproof, and insulated electrical connection.

Brief Description of the Drawings A specific embodiment of the invention will now be more particularly descibed by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows the two-part adhesive pack capsule in the initial hour-glass shape containing the resin and hardener compounds in their respective halves of the hour-glass body.

Figure 2 shows the two-part adhesive pack capsule body folded at the neck, which forms an airtight seal separating the resin and hardener compounds.

Figure 3 shows the two-part adhesive pack capsule with the already mixed resin and hardener compounds squeezed into one half of the capsule body. The neck has been cut which forms a nozzle through which the adhesive can be applied.

Figure 4 shows the two-part adhesive pack capsule with the already mixed resin and hardener compounds squeezed into one half of the capsule body. The capsule body has been cut below the neck to allow for the insertion of the electrical wires with the conductors twisted together.

Description of the Specific Embodiment Referring to figure 1, the two-part adhesive pack capsule consists of a thin walled clear heat-shrink plastic tube of nominal length 60mm, and bore 6.4mm - (1). Application of heat to the middle of the capsule body shrinks and constricts the capsule body wall - (2), giving the capsule an hour-glass shape. The resin or resin paste has been introduced into the left hand part of the capsule body (3). The hardenercompound has been introduced into the right hand part of the capsule body - (4). An air gap (5) is-left at both ends of the capsule body which is then heat sealed at both ends - (6).

Referring to figure 2, the two-part adhesive pack capsule body at been folded at the neck - (7). This fold in the neck~stablishes an air-tight seal between the resin and hardener compounds. The fold in the neck is maintained until the adhesive is required for use. A connecting channel between the two halves of the capsule body containing the resin and hardener compounds can be opened by plying the fold in the capsule neck. The resin and hardener compounds can then be mixed together by alternate squeezing of each half of the capsule body. The mixed adhesive is then squeezed into one half of the capsule body, and the capsule body can then be cut for the relevant application of the mixed adhesive compounds.

Referring to figure 3, the two-part adhesive pack capsule shows the resin and hardener compounds after having been mixed and eqeezed into one half of of the capsule body (8). The neck between the two halves of the capsule body hae been cut - (9), and the other empty half of the capsule body can be discarded. The mixed adhesive resin compound can then be squeezed from the half capsule body through the nozzle - (10), formed by the cutting of the capsule neck - (9), and applied from the nozzle end onto the faces of the objects that require gluing.

Referring to figure 4, the two-part adhesive pack capsule shows the resin and hardener compounds after having been mixed and squeezed into one half of the capsule body (8). The capsule body has been cut below the neck - (11) to allow for the insertion of electrical wires - (12). A nominal 7mm of the outer insulative coating of the wires to-be connected has been stripped off, and the clean, bare co:ductors of the wire have been twisted together - (13), and inserted through the opening - (11) in the capsule into the mixed adhesive compound, the adhesive is also allowed to cover some of the insulated wire. Heat can then be applied (e.g. from a heat gun) to the adhesive capsule attached to the wire ends. The capsule wall will then ehrink around the ends of the wires, and the heat will also aid the setting of the adhesive resin compound around the twisted together conductors inside the capsule.

Once the adhesive resin compound has set a strong, waterproof connection is made between the wires, and also provide an electrically insulated joint. This wire connector also has the advantage of being easy to install on wires in confined space. Different colour bands on the capsule wall - (14) could also be an aid when making numeroue wire connectione in a specific circuit.

Depending on how much adhesive ie required for connecting the wires an equal amount of adhesive could be retained once mixed in each half of the capsule body, and thus poseibly provide two electrical wiring connectors from the one capsule body. The most suitable adhesive compounds for this application are quick setting resin adhesives.

Claims

1. A pack for a two-part adhesive, which pack comprises first and second tubular capsules respectively for containing the first and second parts of the adhesive, the capsules having flexible walls and the internal volumes defined thereby being sealed from the ambient, and the capsules being connected together by a hollow neck which is arranged initially to be closed to communication therethrough from one capsule to the other but which may be opened to permit intermixing of the two adhesive parts by flexing of the capsule walls.

2. A pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein a region of said neck is collapsed to close communication through the neck between the two capsules - 3. A pack as claimed in claim 2, wherein said neck comprises an elongated tube formed from a plastics material and which is collapsible by folding.

4. A pack as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the flexible walls of each of the two capsules is formed from a plastics material.

5. A pack as claimed in claim 4, wherein the flexible walls of each of the two capsules is formed from a plastics material.

6. -A pack as claimed in claim 3 and in claim 4 or in claijn 5, wherin both the two capsules and the neck are formed of the same plastics material 7. A pack as claimed in claim 6, wherein both the two capsules and the neck are made from a continuous tube of heat-shrink plastics material, the neck being produced locally by heating a portion of the tube intermediate its ends.

8. A pack as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each capsule is tubular and has its end remote from the neck closed by means of crimping and heat veiling.

9. A pack as claimed in claims 1 to 7, wherein each capsule is tubular and has its end remote from the neck closed by means of a cap fitted thereto.

10. A pack as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the volume of each of the two capsules is selected having regard to the required volume of the adhesive part to be contained thereby, to have an adhesive mix of the required proportions t 1 A pack-for a two-part adhesive and substantially as heeinbefore described, with reference to and as.

illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of using a two part adhesive the parts of which are contained in a pack as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising opening the communication through the neck between the two capsules, repeatedly flexing the walls of one capsule and then of the other capsule to drive the contained adhesive parts between the two capsules so as to achieve mixing of the parts, and then cutting through the neck adjacent on capsule containing mixed adhesive whereby the severed neck may serve as an applicator.

13. A method of forming an electrical connection between at least two wires, using a pack for a two-part adhesive as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, comprising twisting together exposed conductors of the two wires, opening the communication through the neck between the two capsules, repeatedly flexing the walls of the one capsule and then of the other capsule to drive the contained adhesive parts between the two capsules so as to achieve mixing of the parts, cutting through either the neck adjacent a capsule containing mixed adhesive or through a capsule containing mixed adhesive adjacent the neck, and pushing the twistedtogether wires into the adhesive within that capsule whereby the adhesive may bond around the wires.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, and wherein the capsules are made of n heat-shrink plastics material, in which method heat is applied to the capsule following the insertion of the wires thereinto, to shrink the capsule around the adhesive connection.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14 and including the additional step of colour-coding the external surface of the capsule to assist identification of the wires connected thereby.

16. A method of forming an electrical connection between at least--two wires and substantially as hereinbefore describe with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. An electrical connection between at least two wires whenever formed by a method as claimed in any of the claims 13 to 15.