Piping jacket

Details Piping jacket Piping jacket

1999-10-06

2001-02-06

Brinson, Patrick (Department: 3752)

Pipes and tubular conduits

Longitudinally seamed

C138S168000, C138S151000, C138S166000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06182706

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a piping jacket having two edge portions. A first edge portion forms a curved edge and a second edge portion forms a plurality of projections. When the piping jacket is positioned around a piping element, the projections of the second edge portion interfere with the curved edge of the first edge portion to temporarily secure the piping jacket around a piping element.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional piping covers generally are limited in their uses to particular sizes, shapes and configurations of piping elements. Further, some conventional piping covers are difficult to position and/or secure around a piping element. Piping elements are often first covered with a conventional insulation then the piping jacket is secured around the insulation and thus the piping element. The piping jacket normally does not contact the insulated piping element.
Conventional piping jackets use several different fastening devices to secure a piping jacket around a piping element. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,252 discloses a device for enclosing a “T” joint with one side of a body having a row of hollow protuberances and the other side of the body having a row of corresponding protuberances of a slightly smaller dimension. The body is positioned around a pipe fitting so that the rows of protuberances are aligned. The device is then heated with a gas torch to heat shrink the device around the pipe fitting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,201 discloses a pipe cover that has two sections with side seams that form a groove and a lip extending from the groove. The two sections are positioned around a piping element and pressed together so that the side seams interlock over the pipe fitting. An adhesive is then applied within the grooves formed by the side seams to secure the pipe cover around the piping element.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,694 discloses a removable insulation unit having two outer sections with a layer of insulation material along an inside surface of each section. A series of matching retaining members are spaced along an outer surface of the sections to secure the sections around a pipe.
It is apparent from the conventional pipe fitting covers that there is a need for a piping jacket that is easy to position and temporarily secure around a piping element. It is also apparent that there is a need for a piping jacket that can easily accommodate piping elements having different outer diameters, lengths and configurations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of this invention to provide a piping jacket that is easy to position and temporarily secure around a piping element, so that one person can temporarily position and then permanently secure the piping jacket with respect to the piping element.
It is another object of this invention to provide a non-perforated piping jacket to insulate a piping element to reduce heat transfer and to protect the piping element from moisture and other elements.
It is another object of this invention to provide a piping jacket that has a curved edge on one edge portion and a plurality of projections on a second edge portion wherein the projections interfere with the curved edge to temporarily secure the piping jacket around a piping element.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a piping jacket having a plurality of projections along the second edge portion that form at least two rows of projections, to accommodate piping elements of different outer diameters.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a piping jacket having two separate sections, wherein one section has a first edge portion and a second edge portion, each portion having a plurality of projections that interfere with a curved edge of a first edge portion and a curved edge of a second edge portion, respectively, of the second section.
The above and other objects of this invention are accomplished with a piping jacket that is moveable between an open position wherein a first edge portion and a second edge portion of the piping jacket are spaced apart from each other, and a closed position wherein the first edge portion contacts and overlaps the second edge portion. At least a portion of the first edge portion has a curved edge which preferably but not necessarily curves radially inward. The second edge portion has or forms a plurality of projections, such as dimples, which interfere with the first edge portion, when the piping jacket is in a closed position, to temporarily secure the piping jacket around the piping element. The piping jacket is then permanently fastened using a clamp, a strap or any other conventional permanent fastening means. With the piping jacket according to this invention, one person can install and permanently secure the piping jacket.
In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the projections are directed radially outward with respect to a body of the piping jacket and are formed in a non-perforated manner so that no part of the body is pierced at or near each projection. Preferably but not necessarily, the projections have a triangular two-dimensional shape within a plane that is generally parallel to an outer surface of the second edge portion. The projections are preferably shaped and positioned so that bearing surfaces of the projections are aligned to form a retaining line along the second edge portion of the piping jacket. The selected shape and dimensions of the bearing surface establish area contact or line contact between the first curved edge and the bearing surface. Thus, contact at the bearing surfaces retains the curved edge along the retaining line, temporarily securing the piping jacket around the piping element.
In one preferred embodiment according to this invention, the second edge portion of the piping jacket may comprise at least two rows of projections to form at least two retaining lines, so that one piping jacket can accommodate piping elements of different outer diameters. The projections of the second row may be a different size and/or shape from the projections of the first row, and may be aligned circumferentially with or offset from the projections in the first row.
In one preferred embodiment according to this invention, the body of the piping jacket is formed by two separate body sections. Each body section has a first edge portion and a second edge portion having a plurality of projections and a curved edge, respectively. In such an embodiment, with the body in the closed position the first edge portion of one body section is positioned radially inward from and overlaps the first edge portion of the second body section. Similarly, the second edge portion of the first body section is positioned radially inward from and overlaps the second edge portion of the second body section. By pushing or otherwise forcing the body sections together or towards each other, the curved edges on the first edge portion and the second edge portion of the outer body section interfere with the projections of the first edge portion and the second edge portion of the inner body section to temporarily secure the piping jacket around the piping element.


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patent: 4850397 (1989-07-01), Grenier
patent: 6032702 (2000-03-01), Bearden

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