Buoys – rafts – and aquatic devices – Buoy – Container type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-22
2001-11-13
Sotelo, Jesus D. (Department: 3617)
Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices
Buoy
Container type
C220S004250
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315626
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to adhesively-bonded pressure-resistant glass bodies comprising two hemispheres, with or without a cylindrical connecting element, for oceanographic use, and to a method of producing the glass bodies and to the use of the same.
The invention relates in particular to a glass housing for oceanographic use which is formed from two hemispheres, with or without a cylindrical connecting element, which are arranged such that they form a spherical body, of which the outer surfaces are smooth in every direction. According to the invention, the glass parts which form the pressure-resistant glass body are adhesively bonded together, with the result that they cannot be displaced in relation to one another.
The prior art discloses oceanographic instrument housings which are constructed from two glass-hemisphere assemblies. They have been used for some time now as floats and/or instrument housings in oceanographic research.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,089 describes an oceanographic instrument housing comprising two glass hemispheres and an appropriate protective cage in each case, the glass hemispheres and the protective cages having access openings through which measuring implements or the like can be introduced. The two glass hemispheres are each protected all the way round by a protective cage. The flat end surfaces of the glass hemispheres are each located in grooves of the protective cage, with the result that, when the circular openings of the two hemispheres are joined together, it is the protective cages, and not the glass hemispheres, which come to rest directly one upon the other. The connection of the two glass hemispheres is first of all produced by clamps and is then secured by a vacuum being produced in the interior of the sphere. The smooth end surfaces of the glass hemispheres in the grooves of the protective cage are suitably lubricated, e.g. with a silicone grease. For sealing the interior of the sphere against the penetration of water, a beaded edge is provided on the outside in the angle between the glass hemisphere and protective cage. Between the two protective-cage surfaces resting one upon the other, the sealing is likewise produced via a sealing ring seated in a channel.
The disadvantages here are, in particular, the high operational outlay with a large number of individual operations and the additional material outlay for the outer protective cage. In addition, sealing by sealing rings is always unreliable to a certain extent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,122 describes a round oceanographic instrument housing made of glass. This patent takes as its departure point two glass hemispheres which are fitted directly one upon the other by way of their semicircular openings. In order that reliable sealing can take place here, the two matching surfaces have to be face-ground to ±0.001 inches (±4 &mgr;m). The sealing at the equatorial seam then takes place by a silicone grease being applied to said surfaces. In order to prevent the hemispheres from being displaced in relation to one another, hose clamps are carefully applied. A vacuum is then produced. The disadvantage here is constituted by the glass spheres fracturing, this being caused by water penetrating through the silicone grease with a high external pressure.
In order to avoid this problem, the above-mentioned U.S. patent, then, proposes to dispense with the silicone grease, i.e. to bring the two surfaces to rest directly one upon the other. The necessary sealing then takes place by a non-curing material being applied to the outside of the equatorial seam as a whole and by this material then being covered by an adhesive tape. It is then no longer possible for water to penetrate through the seam.
The above-mentioned disadvantages are indeed avoided by this embodiment, but, the latter has the problem of high operational outlay continuing to be necessary for the required precision grinding of the two planar surfaces of the glass hemispheres. In addition, the two glass hemispheres are only insufficiently secured against mutual displacement by this embodiment.
It is imperative for both systems for a vacuum to be produced in the interior of the hemispheres for fixing purposes.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to obtain pressure-resistant glass bodies comprising two hemispheres, with or without a cylindrical intermediate element, which are easily connected to one another in a non-releasable manner with low operational outlay.
This object is achieved according to the invention by claim
1
.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3563089 (1971-02-01), Henderson
patent: 3587122 (1971-06-01), Humphrey
patent: 3713412 (1973-01-01), Januzzi
patent: 3912482 (1975-10-01), La Grouw et al.
patent: 4300654 (1981-11-01), Raymond et al.
patent: 0 426 890 A1 (1989-11-01), None
patent: WO 00/00844 (2000-01-01), None
Hupfer Wilfried
Jochmann Peter
Zimmermann Edith
Pepper Hamilton LLP
Pouliquen Corrinne M.
QVF Pilot-Tec GmbH
Sotelo Jesus D.
Villacorta Gilberto M.
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