Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
A water-swellable caulking material of a composite body of stratified structure comprising at least one water-swellable rubbery layer containing a highly water absorbing resin dispersed in the matrix of a rubber and at least one rubbery layer not swellable in water integrally bonded together, the latter non-swellable rubbery layer serving to resist the expansion of the former water-swellable rubber layer in the directions other than the direction perpendicular to the plane of the layers when swollen in water.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
78 words
A water-swellable caulking material of a composite body of stratified structure comprising at least one water-swellable rubbery layer containing a highly water absorbing resin dispersed in the matrix of a rubber and at least one rubbery layer not swellable in water integrally bonded together, the latter non-swellable rubbery layer serving to resist the expansion of the former water-swellable rubber layer in the directions other than the direction perpendicular to the plane of the layers when swollen in water.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rubber forming the water-swellable rubbery layer is a 1,3-diene rubber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 2 wherein the 1,3-diene rubber is a rubber containing from 5 to 50% of the crystalline region or glassy region at room temperature.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 2 wherein the 1,3-diene rubber is a chloroprene rubber containing from 5 to 50% of the crystalline region.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
88 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the highly water absorbing resin is a crosslinked material obtained by crosslinking a reaction product of (a) a polymer containing a monomeric constituent which is an α,β-unsaturated compound having, in a molecule, one or two functional groups selected from the class consisting of carboxyl groups and groups convertible to carboxyl groups, and (b) a basic substance selected from the class consisting of alkali metal compounds, alkaline earth metal compounds, ammonia and monoamines, by use of a crosslinking agent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
62 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the highly water absorbing resin is a crosslinked material obtained by crosslinking a reaction product of (a) a copolymer of an α-olefin and maleic anhydride, and (b) a basic substance selected from the class consisting of alkali metal compounds, alkaline earth metal compounds, ammonia and monoamines, by use of a crosslinking agent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 6 wherein the α-olefin is isobutylene.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
86 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the highly water absorbing resin is a crosslinked material obtained by crosslinking a reaction product of (a) a copolymer of maleic anhydride and a vinyl or vinylidene compound selected from the class consisting of styrene, vinyl acetate, methylvinyl ether, esters of acrylic acid, esters of methacrylic acid and acrylonitrile, and (b) a basic substance selected from the class consisting of alkali metal compounds, alkaline earth metal compounds, ammonia and monoamines, by use of a crosslinking agent.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
71 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the highly water absorbing resin is a crosslinked material obtained by crosslinking a reaction product of (a) a polymer selected from the class consisting of polymers of acrylic acid and polymers of methacrylic acid, and (b) a basic substance selected from the class consisting of alkali metal compounds, alkaline earth metal compounds, ammonia and monoamines, by use of a crosslinking agent.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in either one of claims 5, 6, 8 and 9 wherein the crosslinking agent is a polyepoxy compound selected from the class consisting of glycerin diglycidyl ether, ethyleneglycol diglycidyl ether, polyethyleneglycol diglycidyl ether, glycerin triglycidyl ether, propyleneglycol diglycidyl ether, polypropyleneglycol diglycidyl ether and trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in either one of claims 5, 6, 8 and 9 wherein the crosslinking agent is a polyamine selected from the class consisting of ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetramine, tetraethylenepentamine, pentaethylenehexamine and polyethyleneimines having a molecular weight not exceeding 5000.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the highly water absorbing resin has a ratio of water absorption in the range from 20 to 500 times by weight when swollen in water based on the dry weight thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the highly water absorbing resin is in a powdery form to pass through a screen of 20 mesh openings.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the water-swellable rubbery layer containing the highly water absorbing resin dispersed in the matrix of the rubber is a shaped article comprising from 10 to 300 parts by weight of the highly water absorbing resin per 100 parts by weight of the rubber.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
45 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rubbery layer not swellable in water is formed of a shaped article of a vulcanized or unvulcanized rubber having a tensile stress in the range from 20 to 200 kg/cm 2 at 300% elongation.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
69 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rubbery layer not swellable in water is formed of a shaped article of at least one rubber selected from the class consisting of natural rubbers, synthetic cis-1,4-polyisoprene rubbers, polybutadiene rubbers, copolymeric rubbers of styrene and a diene, copolymeric rubbers of acrylonitrile and a diene, butyl rubbers, chloroprene rubbers and a terpolymeric rubbers of ethylene, propylene and a diene.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
59 words
The water-swellable caulking material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the composite body is a three-layered stratified body composed of a rubbery layer not swellable in water integrally sandwiched together by two water-swellable rubbery layers, the volume ratio of the water-swellable rubbery layers to the rubbery layer not swellable in water being in the range from 15:85 to 85:15.