Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Including aperture
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-23
2001-12-25
Copenheaver, Blaine (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Including aperture
C428S188000, C429S096000, C429S099000, C429S100000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06333091
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a buffer sheet which is utilized for support of bar-shape objects in a storage battery, a condenser, a liquid-filled cylindrical container or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bar-shape modules of storage battery for use in electric vehicles have been considered. As a support for such bar-shape objects (storage battery modules) so as to be protected from generated heat of their own and vibration of the vehicle, there has been a discussion on a bar-supportive box molded by resin, which has a plurality of supportive plates which respectively have supportive holes for insertion of the bar-shape objects and which are disposed to the right and left with some space between in such a manner that the holes in the plates are aligned linearly and a pair of front and rear connection walls which connect the front and rear side edges of the supportive plates.
To ensure protection of the bars from the vibration, it is desirable that the aforementioned supportive plates are fitted with buffer sheets which are molded by rubber, soft resin or thermoplastic elastomer. There have been discussions on buffer sheet which is molded by elastic high-polymer material such as rubber, soft resin or thermoplastic elastomer so that each plate-shape sheet part and tubular parts which are to be inserted into the aforementioned supportive holes thereof form a single body.
This buffer sheet, however, has a problem that an extremely large resistance thereof hinders smooth insertion of the bars into the tubular parts. The problem is thought to be caused by a high friction factor of the inner circumferential surface of the tubular parts which are molded by elastic material, a configurational necessity that the inner diameter of the tubular part should be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the bars so as to prevent support of the bars from playing, the inner circumferential surface of the tubular part tends to stick to the outer circumferential surface of the bar-shape object due to extensive contact areas thereof, or such. If the inner diameter of the tubular part is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the bar, the insertion becomes smoother but play of the bar-shape object tends to result in damages or deterioration thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The provides a bar-supportive buffer sheet which solves the above-described problems, wherein the bars are easily inserted while being effectively supported with a buffer function and without play after the insertion.
The above-described objectives are achieved by a bar-supportive buffer sheet which is characterized in that a tubular part, in which a bar-shape object is to be inserted through, is molded by an elastic, high-polymer material that is added to a quantity of lowly compatible oil as necessary for effective lubrication by bleeding after molding. The elastic high-polymer material may include rubber, soft resin and thermoplastic elastomer.
The oil lowly compatible to the elastic high-polymer material may include paraffin processed oil for high-polarity, high-polymer materials (for example, NBR (butadieneacrylonitrile copolymer) rubber) and ester plasticizer for low-polarity high-polymer materials (for example, EDPM (ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer) rubber).
In a case where the bar-shape object is an electric part such as a storage battery or a condenser, it is unfavorable that bled oil which flows and spreads while travelling over a surface of the bar-shape object can osmose into a contact part or such and cause a contact failure. Therefore, such oil as being liable to flow and spread over the surface of the bar-shape object, in other words, such oil as having a low surface tension and a high fluidity (for example, silicon oil) is not favorable but such oil as being not liable to flow and spread over the surface of the bar-shape object, in other words, such oil as having a high surface tension and a low fluidity (for example, paraffin processed oil or ester plasticizer) is favorable.
Additionally, it is favorable that the hardness of the elastic high-polymer material after molding is between 60 Hs and 80 Hs (according to JIS K 6301, spring-type hardness test, type A). If the hardness is lower than 60 Hs, the material is too soft to insert the bar-shape object through with ease and, if the hardness is higher than 80 Hs, the material is too hard to perform sufficient buffering effect.
Moreover, it is also favorable that protruding parts where the bar-shape object is pressed against so as to be in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the tubular part are molded with the elastic high-polymer material so as to form a single body. This prevents adhesion through reduction in contact area of the inner circumferential surface of the tubular part and the outer circumferential surface of the bar-shape object, and also provides support to the bar-shape object with elimination of play and also with a buffering effect through creation of tightening margins by elastic deformations of the protruding parts as an effect of pressurizing contact of the bar-shape object.
The configuration of the protruding part is not defined specifically and, although it is possible to exemplify with a plurality of ribs which extend in a longitudinal direction of the tubular part, a plurality of dispersively positioned projections or an annular rib which extends in circumferential direction of the tubular part, the former two, or the plural ribs and projections are favorable. The annular rib requires some force at start of the insertion.
When the protruding parts are the plural ribs or the plural projections, it is favorable that a relatively larger number of the protruding parts are formed on a lower part of an inner circumferential surface of the tubular part than on the other parts. Although a permanent strain phenomenon is liable to occur in a long period of time at the lower part which receives weight of the bar-shape object, if a relatively large number of protruding parts are provided, the amount of permanent strain at each of the protruding parts can be reduced, and thus the bar-shape objects can be ensured to be supported for the long period of time.
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patent: 4443523 (1984-04-01), Hasenauer
patent: 4885219 (1989-12-01), Miller
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patent: 5618642 (1997-04-01), Samii et al.
patent: 6111387 (2000-08-01), Kouzu et al.
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Fujiwara Hideyuki
Kasugai Joji
Tanaka Yasuyuki
Chevalier Alicia
Copenheaver Blaine
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Toyoda Gosei Co,., Ltd.
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