Pipe joining system and method
First Claim
1. A structure for joining plastic members comprisinga sleeve of non-conductive material that is fusible with at least one plastic member to which it is to be joined,said sleeve having an internal dimension and length such as to directly contact and snugly enclose a length of the member to which it is to be joined, andmeans substantially separate from said length of contact of said sleeve with said member having a heat generating capacity to heat the sleeve and the member to be joined to their fusion temperatures whereby an extensive region of said enclosed length of the member and the sleeve to be joined are fused to one another,said means including high mu material having a Curie temperature above the fusion temperature of but below the degradation temperature of the sleeve and of the member to be joined.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a plastic pipe joining system a plastic sleeve is provided to extend on both sides beyond the region of contact or closest approach to one another of pipes to be joined with the sleeve being fused to both pipes, the sleeve heated to Curie temperature of high mu material excited by an externally generated high frequency magnetic field. The heater may be embedded in the sleeve and the sleeve may also be employed with end caps that extended over the sleeve, the end caps and sleeve being fused to one another and the pipes by heaters carried by the end caps or the sleeve. An external heater may also be employed which in conjuction with shaped end members provides the sleeve with beveled or tapered edges to enhance the ability of the sleeve to withstand cracking.
54 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A structure for joining plastic members comprising
a sleeve of non-conductive material that is fusible with at least one plastic member to which it is to be joined, said sleeve having an internal dimension and length such as to directly contact and snugly enclose a length of the member to which it is to be joined, and means substantially separate from said length of contact of said sleeve with said member having a heat generating capacity to heat the sleeve and the member to be joined to their fusion temperatures whereby an extensive region of said enclosed length of the member and the sleeve to be joined are fused to one another, said means including high mu material having a Curie temperature above the fusion temperature of but below the degradation temperature of the sleeve and of the member to be joined.
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20. A structure for joining a first member to a second member wherein
said members have extended surfaces of a common configuration in contact with and to be fused to one another, means for maintaining said extended surfaces in essentially uninterrupted contact with one another, means substantially separate from a length of contact between said members having a heat generating capacity to heat said members to be joined to their fusion temperatures, said means for heating including high mu material having a Curie temperature sufficient to cause fusion of said member but below damage temperature of the material of the members, said high mu material being embedded in one of said members.
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22. The method of joining two plastic members comprising
locating a first member such as to enclose adjacent, essentially uninterrupted lengths of the plastic members to be joined, fusing the first member to the plastic members be energizing a coil to induce heating currents in a high mu material in thermal contact substantially only with the first member to raise the temperatures of all said members to their respective fusion temperatures, and selecting the Curie temperature of the high mu material to be above the fusion temperature but below the damage temperature of the plastic members.
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28. An electric fusion coupling which connects members to be connected which are made of resins of different melting temperatures comprising
a first member having a first surface, a second member having a surface to be joined to said first surface, said members having different fusion temperatures, a ferromagnetic heater substantially spaced from said surfaces for heating both of said surfaces, said ferromagnetic heater having a Curie temperature above the fusion temperature of both said members.
Specification