U.S. patent application number 12/607069 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-28 for pipe coupling with seal pressing device.
Invention is credited to Avi Chiproot, Eliezer Krausz.
Application Number | 20110095520 12/607069 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43127776 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110095520 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Krausz; Eliezer ; et
al. |
April 28, 2011 |
PIPE COUPLING WITH SEAL PRESSING DEVICE
Abstract
A seal pressing device for a pipe coupling including a sealing
member having an axial length and an outer curved contour pressable
against an inner diameter of a seal, the sealing member having an
axial row of mounting apertures for receiving therein mechanical
fasteners, and at least one winged extension extending from an end
of the sealing member bent inwards from the outer curved contour of
the sealing member.
Inventors: |
Krausz; Eliezer; (Tel Aviv,
IL) ; Chiproot; Avi; (Kfar-Saba, IL) |
Family ID: |
43127776 |
Appl. No.: |
12/607069 |
Filed: |
October 28, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
285/37 ;
285/55 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16L 21/065 20130101;
F16L 21/022 20130101; F16L 21/002 20130101; F16L 55/00 20130101;
F16L 21/06 20130101; F16L 21/03 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
285/37 ;
285/55 |
International
Class: |
F16L 21/02 20060101
F16L021/02; F16L 55/00 20060101 F16L055/00 |
Claims
1. A seal pressing device for a pipe coupling comprising: a sealing
member having an axial length and an outer curved contour pressable
against an inner diameter of a seal, said sealing member having an
axial row of mounting apertures for receiving therein mechanical
fasteners; and at least one winged extension extending from an end
of said sealing member bent inwards from said outer curved contour
of said sealing member.
2. The seal pressing device according to claim 1, comprising an
axial crease parallel to the row of mounting apertures.
3. The seal pressing device according to claim 1, comprising an
axial crease positioned between the row of mounting apertures and
said at least one winged extension.
4. The seal pressing device according to claim 1, comprising two
winged extensions extending from ends of said sealing member on
opposite sides of the row of mounting apertures.
5. The seal pressing device according to claim 4, wherein one of
said winged extensions is closer to the row of mounting apertures
than the other winged extension.
6. A pipe coupling comprising: an annular seal disposed in an
annular clamp housing, said annular clamp housing having an opening
for inserting therein a pipe and comprising clamp members and a
tightening element that fastens and tightens said clamp members
towards each other in a direction transverse to an axial length of
said annular clamp housing so as to apply a radially-inward
clamping force on a pipe inserted in said opening; a sealing member
having an axial length and an outer curved contour that presses
against an inner diameter of said seal, said sealing member having
an axial row of mounting apertures for receiving therein mechanical
fasteners; and at least one winged extension extending from an end
of said sealing member bent inwards from said outer curved contour
of said sealing member.
7. The pipe coupling according to claim 6, comprising an axial
crease parallel to the row of mounting apertures.
8. The pipe coupling according to claim 6, comprising an axial
crease positioned between the row of mounting apertures and said at
least one winged extension.
9. The pipe coupling according to claim 6, comprising two winged
extensions extending from ends of said sealing member on opposite
sides of the row of mounting apertures.
10. The pipe coupling according to claim 9, wherein one of said
winged extensions is closer to the row of mounting apertures than
the other winged extension.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a coupling for pipes, and
particularly to a device for pressing against edges of a seal in a
pipe coupling to ensure proper sealing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many kinds of removable band-type couplings for pipes exist
in the art. It is noted that throughout the specification and
claims, the term "pipe" encompasses any kind of generally
cylindrical object.
[0003] For example, one commercially available type of pipe
coupling has a seal clamp housing. Clamp members are positioned
face to face and a tightening element is tightened to press an
annular seal element against the outside of the pipe inserted
through the seal clamp housing.
[0004] In this type of pipe coupling, the seal has integrally
formed rings at opposite ends of its axial length. The pipes that
are inserted in the coupling contact these rings. The inner
diameter of the rings can be adjusted to accommodate different
outer diameters of pipes. The seal has an axial split along its
length. The edges of the seal along the split either abut each
other or overlap, and are pressed against each other when the
coupling is tightened on the pipes. However, the rest of the axial
length of the seal between the rings is thinner than the rings and
does not contact the outer diameters of the pipes inserted in the
coupling. Since the pipes do not contact the seal along most of the
split, a problem can possibly occur wherein the edges of the seal
along the split are not adequately pressed together to form the
desired fluid-tight seal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention seeks to provide a device for pressing
against edges of a seal in a pipe coupling to ensure proper
sealing, as is described more in detail further below.
[0006] There is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention a seal pressing device for a pipe coupling
including a sealing member having an axial length and an outer
curved contour pressable against an inner diameter of a seal, the
sealing member having an axial row of mounting apertures for
receiving therein mechanical fasteners, and at least one winged
extension extending from an end of the sealing member bent inwards
from the outer curved contour of the sealing member.
[0007] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention an
axial crease is parallel to the row of mounting apertures. The
axial crease may be positioned between the row of mounting
apertures and the at least one winged extension.
[0008] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
two winged extensions extend from ends of the sealing member on
opposite sides of the row of mounting apertures. One of the winged
extensions may be closer to the row of mounting apertures than the
other winged extension.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The present invention will be understood and appreciated
more fully from the following detailed description, taken in
conjunction with the drawings in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a simplified pictorial illustration of a seal
pressing device, constructed and operative in accordance with a
non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIGS. 2A and 2B are simplified pictorial illustrations of
the seal pressing device of FIG. 1 installed in a pipe coupling, in
accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines A-A in
FIG. 2B.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0013] Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which illustrates a seal
pressing device 10, constructed and operative in accordance with a
non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] Seal pressing device 10 includes a sealing member 12 having
an axial length along a longitudinal axis 14 and an outer curved
contour 16 pressable against an inner diameter of a seal (not shown
here but seen in FIGS. 2A-3). Sealing member 12 has an axial row of
mounting apertures 18 for receiving therein mechanical fasteners 19
(such as bolts, screws or rivets and the like, not shown here but
seen in FIGS. 2A-3). One or more winged extensions 20 (or 22 in the
drawing) extend from an end of sealing member 12 bent inwards from
the outer curved contour 16 of sealing member 12. In the
non-limiting illustrated embodiment, there are two winged
extensions 20 and 22 that extend from ends of sealing member 12 on
opposite sides of the row of mounting apertures 18. One of the
winged extensions 22 is closer to the row of mounting apertures 18
than the other winged extension 20.
[0015] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention an
axial crease 24 is parallel to the row of mounting apertures 18.
The axial crease 24 is positioned between the row of mounting
apertures 18 and winged extension 20.
[0016] Reference is now made to FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3, which
illustrate the seal pressing device 10 installed in a pipe coupling
30, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present
invention.
[0017] Pipe coupling 30 includes an annular seal 32 disposed in an
annular clamp housing 34. Annular clamp housing 34 has an opening
36 for inserting therein a pipe (not shown). Annular clamp housing
34 has two clamp members 38 and a tightening element 40 (e.g., one
or more mechanical fasteners, such as a bolt or screw and a
tightening nut, and possibly washer) that fastens and tightens
clamp members 38 towards each other in a direction transverse to
the axial length of annular clamp housing 34 so as to apply a
radially-inward clamping force on the pipe inserted in opening
36.
[0018] Annular seal 32, which may be made of a natural or
artificial elastomeric material, is radially squeezed and sealingly
clamped against the outside surface of the pipe when tightening
element 40 fastens and tightens clamp members 38 towards each
other.
[0019] The pipe coupling may be of the type described in U.S.
Patent Application 20080012339 to the present inventors, filed on 5
Mar. 2007, or in U.S. Pat. 7,571,940, issued on 11 Aug. 2009 to the
present inventors, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein
by reference. The present invention is not limited to these pipe
couplings, however.
[0020] A pipe inserted in pipe coupling 30 is sealed by annular
seal 32. The inserted pipe also presses against the winged
extensions 20 and 22 of seal pressing device 10, which in turn
press against the axial edges of annular seal 32. The action of
seal pressing device 10 pressing against these edges insures a
fluid-tight seal along the axial length of seal 32.
[0021] Seal pressing device 10 may work satisfactorily in some
applications with only one winged extension. However, in some
applications, if only one winged extension is used it may cause a
turning moment on the mechanical fasteners 19 at the edges of seal
32 and loosen the tightness of the fluid-tight seal. This is solved
by using two winged extensions on opposite sides of the fasteners
so that one winged extension cancels the turning moment of the
other winged extension, and tightness of the fluid-tight seal is
maintained.
[0022] The scope of the present invention includes both
combinations and subcombinations of the features described
hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which
would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the
foregoing description and which are not in the prior art.
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