Conduit sleeve with detachable end cap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119648-B2
Application number	US-201514710765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2015
Priority date	May 13, 2014
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

The disclosed invention provides a conduit sleeve with detachable end cap that greatly reduces the complexity of the current system that requires a multiplicity of integral sleeve conduit bodies, styles, fixtures, fittings, connectors, rigid conduits with female threading, and other receiving structures. Now, one conduit sleeve with detachable end cap can be used to protect a threaded conduit end without the need for specialty receiving structures having an integral sleeve. This is accomplished by having a single object performing both roles as conduit sleeve and end cap. The end cap portion can simply be cut or twisted off from the conduit sleeve portion at a convenient time after installation onto a rigid conduit, tube, pipe, or similar structure. The remaining conduit sleeve that is left protects the area of the rigid conduit where conduit threads would have been left exposed since they are not fully threaded into the receiving structure. In addition, the conduit sleeve may be flexible in construction, which is desirable if the rigid conduit is bent, such as along a transition area of a wall.

First claim

I claim:

1. A conduit sleeve device comprising:
a conduit sleeve portion having an exterior surface, an interior surface, and a conduit port;
an end cap portion having an exterior surface, an interior surface, an end cap window, and an end cap face surface, the end cap portion and the conduit sleeve portion being coupled together to form a monolithic body; and
an annular recess element disposed in the monolithic body between the exterior surface of the conduit sleeve portion and the exterior surface of the end cap portion, the annular recess element sized to accommodate selective detachment of the end cap portion from the monolithic body, and
wherein the end cap portion further includes an end cap recess element disposed on the exterior surface of the end cap portion and the end cap face surface.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a conduit void having a first internal dimension and conduit thread void having a second internal dimension.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the second internal dimension is smaller than the first internal dimension.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the junction of the second internal dimension and the first internal dimension forms an internal shoulder.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the end cap recess element includes alternating thinned recess elements and structural rib elements.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein the annular recess element is defined in part by a beveled annular seal surface in an exterior surface of the device between the conduit sleeve portion and the end cap portion, the beveled annular seal surface having an end cap portion junction and a conduit sleeve junction point, the end cap portion junction adjoining the end cap portion and the conduit sleeve junction point, the beveled annular seal surface having a first wall thickness at the end cap portion junction between the exterior surface of the beveled annular seal surface and the interior surface of the end cap portion and second wall thickness at the conduit sleeve junction point between the exterior surface of the beveled annular seal surface and the interior surface of the end cap portion, the first wall thickness being less than the second wall thickness.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein, when the device is installed onto a threaded rigid conduit having a threaded conduit end and the end cap portion is detached, the conduit sleeve portion and annular recess element are configured to cover a first portion of conduit threads of the threaded rigid conduit and to expose a second portion of conduit threads of the threaded rigid conduit at the threaded conduit end, wherein the second portion of conduit threads includes a length of conduit threads that is a pre-determined distance from the threaded conduit end.

8. A conduit sleeve and end cap device comprising:
a monolithic body having an end cap portion and a conduit sleeve portion, the monolithic body extending between a conduit port and a thread end stopper, the monolithic body comprising:
a conduit void having a first internal dimension;
a thread cover void having a second internal dimension, the second internal dimension being smaller than the first internal dimension;
a conduit end stopper at the junction of the conduit void and the thread cover void;
an annular recess element along a portion of an exterior surface of the monolithic body between the end cap portion and the conduit sleeve portion, the annular recess element sized to accommodate selective detachment of the end cap portion from the monolithic body; and

an end cap recess element disposed on the exterior surface and an end cap face surface of the end cap portion of the monolithic body.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the conduit port is configured to receive a threaded conduit end of a threaded rigid conduit such that a threaded conduit end fits tightly in the thread cover void and a rigid conduit exterior surface fits tightly in the conduit void.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the thread cover void is comprised of a conduit sleeve thread cover void and a conduit thread protection void.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the annular recess element is sized and positioned to reduce a wall thickness between the exterior surface and an interior surface of the monolithic body.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the conduit sleeve thread cover void is configured to cover a first portion of conduit threads of the threaded rigid conduit after the end cap portion is detached.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the conduit thread protection void is configured to expose a second portion of conduit threads of the threaded rigid conduit after the end cap portion is detached, wherein the second portion of conduit threads includes a length of conduit threads that is a pre-determined distance from the threaded conduit end.

14. The device of claim 11 , further comprising the threaded rigid conduit installed in the device and the cap portion is detached.

15. A system for protecting an open end and a portion of threads of a threaded rigid conduit comprising:
at least one rigid conduit;
at least one receiving structure;
and at least one conduit sleeve device of claim 1 .

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one rigid conduit and the at least one receiving structure is coated with PVC.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one receiving structure is selected from the group consisting of a conduit body, fixtures, fittings, connectors, and rigid conduits with female threading.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one conduit sleeve device is installed on the at least one rigid conduit, the end cap is detached, and the at least one rigid conduit is coupled with the at least one receiving structure.

Assignees

• Thomas & Betts Int Llc
• Thomas & Betts Int Llc

Inventors

• Drane Mark R

Classifications

• F16L57/005 Primary

  specially adapted for the ends of pipes · CPC title

• F16L55/115

  Caps {(F16L55/1286 takes precedence)} · CPC title