Joints and connections – Flexible member is joint component
Patent
1983-05-17
1986-08-19
Kundrat, Andrew V.
Joints and connections
Flexible member is joint component
403 50, 2429, 12820623, F16D 100
Patent
active
046066705
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the fixing of rigid inserts in an aperture in flexible materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such inserts may comparatively readily be fixed permanently by moulding-in or permanent bonding, but when there is a requirement for removability or replacability problems arise in achieving a fixing which is at the same time fluid-proof and secure.
Such fixings have commonly been achieved by the use of spring clips or Jubilee Clip type devices both of which are broken rings of which the ends are drawn together--in the one case by the resilience of the ring material itself and in the other case by a screw linkage joining them. In both cases there is an area of flexible material which is underlying the broken part of the ring where a seal is not assured and in the case of the Jubilee Clip the tightening of the screw can cause distortion and creep of the flexible material underneath the clip as a result of the pressures applied.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to achieve fixing of a rigid insert housed in an orifice in a flexible material whereby substantially uniform loading of the flexible material all the way around the margin of the insert is achievable without any necessary rotational movement between any of the parts involved. It is apparent therefore that the seal may be used around apertures which are not circular. In this specification however, purely for convenience, the term "radial" and "axial" will be used to denote respectively "directions inwardly and outwardly of the centre of the orifice" and "directions perpendicular to the general plane of the orifice".
The insert includes a composite of two parts, the first part of which has a radially directed flange and an axially directed wall, the flange of which is to lie over the flexible material. The other part of the ring has a radially directed flange and an axially directed surface which are respectively to over-lie the flexible material and to engage on the axial wall of the first part of the ring when the two parts are pressed in an axial direction together, thereby to squeeze axially the margin between the respective portions of the flexible material by virtue of the axial approach of the two radial flange faces of the two parts of the ring. Normally the insert will be supporting some element within the orifice rather than merely acting as a boundary for the orifice; and that element may be integral with the insert.
The two parts may form a frictional force fit together and additionally or alternatively may have detent means causing them to adopt a preferred axial relationship. One or more of the wall and the surface may be slightly tapered so that upon axial approach of the two parts one of the two may be distorted slightly so as to compress radially the layer of material lying radially adjacent to the periphery of the insert. Both parts are closed, endless, figures (not necessarily circular) corresponding to the outline of the orifice. The radial flange of one part may overlie the flexible material over one face of a discrete said element mounted by the insert, and the radial flange of the other part will overlie the flexible material over the opposite face of the element, so that pressure is exerted on a composite of flexible material/rigid element/flexible material by the two flanges. In this case, the flexible material into which the insert is secured is preferably formed with a margin for the reception of the insert which is generally S-shape in cross-section.
In a preferred version however, the flexible material is trapped and axially pressed directly between the flanges of the two parts.
In this version the radial flange and the radial surface may define together a constriction some distance from the axial wall. This forms a compartment with a reduced width slit opening around its radially outer circumference. With this embodiment the flexible material may have a bead around its aperture located in the compartment and subjected in that compartment to axial pressure
REFERENCES:
patent: 1856879 (1932-05-01), Lufkin
patent: 2290776 (1942-07-01), Stillwagon, Jr.
patent: 2861456 (1958-11-01), Soderberg
patent: 3323135 (1967-06-01), Miller
Avon Industrial Polymers Limited
Hinds William R.
Kundrat Andrew V.
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