Title: Orifice sealing physical barrier
Abstract: A physical barrier for sealing an orifice in a panel member is presented. The physical barrier includes a carrier that has one or more locating pins mounted on it. The pins are adapted to locate the carrier in the orifice. The physical barrier also includes a sealing material attached to the carrier. Also included is a method of installing the physical barrier into an orifice of a panel member.
Patent Number: 7,010,885 Issued on 03/14/2006 to Helferty
| Inventors:
|
Helferty; Raymond D. (Chesterfield Township, MI)
|
| Assignee:
|
Sika Corporation (Lyndhurst, NJ)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
755114 |
| Filed:
|
January 9, 2004 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
49/463; 49/465 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
E06B 3/32 (20060101); E05C 21/02 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
49/463,465,57,50,466
296/146.15
52/202,205,208,213
403/13,14,326,329
277/316,630,637,652,931
220/359.4,359.1
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
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| 4761319 | Aug., 1988 | Kraus et al.
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| 4890418 | Jan., 1990 | Sachs.
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| 5165189 | Nov., 1992 | Besal.
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| 5224624 | Jul., 1993 | Kraus.
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| 5327682 | Jul., 1994 | Holtz.
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| 5358291 | Oct., 1994 | Malmanger et al.
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| 5404676 | Apr., 1995 | Devlin.
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| 5483028 | Jan., 1996 | Holwerda.
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| 5505324 | Apr., 1996 | Danico.
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| 5702133 | Dec., 1997 | Pavur et al.
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| 5851626 | Dec., 1998 | McCorry et al.
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| 5959264 | Sep., 1999 | Bruck et al.
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| 6024190 | Feb., 2000 | Ritzema.
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| 6101772 | Aug., 2000 | Leonard et al.
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| 6319436 | Nov., 2001 | Jaeger et al.
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| 6378931 | Apr., 2002 | Kolluri et al.
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| 6708979 | Mar., 2004 | Stratman et al.
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| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 0911/132A-A1 | Apr., 1999 | EP.
| |
| 1083/116A-A1 | Mar., 2001 | EP.
| |
Primary Examiner: Thompson, II; Hugh B.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Rader, Fishman & Grauer PLLC
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/992,502,
filed Nov. 19, 2001, now U. S. Pat. No. 6,691,468.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A physical barrier for sealing an orifice in a panel member, comprising:
a carrier configured to cover the orifice when installed;
a plurality of conically-shaped locating pins having sloped guide surfaces, said
locating pins extending from said carrier and configured to extend into the orifice
when said carrier is installed so as to maintain said carrier substantially centered
over the orifice; and
a sealing material on said carrier configured to seal an interface between said
carrier and the panel member when said carrier is installed.
2. The physical barrier of claim 1, further comprising at least one clip mounted
to said carrier, which is physically distinct from said locating pins, configured
to secure said carrier over the orifice relative to the panel member when installed
into the orifice.
3. The physical barrier of claim 1, wherein said sealing material is an expandable foam.
4. The physical barrier of claim 1, wherein said sealing material is attached
to an area of said carrier that substantially follows a perimeter of said carrier.
5. The physical barrier of claim 1, further comprising a wall attached substantially
perpendicular to said carrier, said wall substantially following a perimeter of
said carrier, said wall being positioned inside of an outermost perimeter of said
carrier, so as to create a sealer area between said wall and said outermost perimeter
of said carrier where said sealer material is attached to said carrier prior to installation.
6. The physical barrier of claim 5, wherein said wall is configured to direct
said sealing material toward said outermost perimeter of said carrier when said
sealing material is activated.
7. The physical barrier of claim 1, further comprising at least one attachment
member mounted to said carrier, which is physically distinct from said locating
pins, configured to secure said carrier over the orifice relative to the panel
when installed into the orifice.
8. A method of sealing an orifice in a panel member, comprising:
providing a carrier member having a plurality of conically-shaped locating pins
and having sloped guide surfaces a sealing material thereon, said locating pins
extending substantially perpendicular from said carrier member;
inserting said locating pins into the orifice such that said plurality of locating
pins maintain said carrier member substantially centered over the orifice when
installed; and
causing said sealing material to seal an interface between said carrier member
and the panel member.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said locating pins are configured such that
an outer surface of each locating pin abuts a periphery edge of the orifice when
the carrier is installed.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of causing said sealing material
to seal an interface includes activating said sealing material.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said sealing material is activated by heating
the sealing material.
12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of engaging a clip on
said carrier member with a portion of the panel so as to secure said carrier member
over the orifice.
13. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of engaging an attachment
member on said carrier member with a portion of the panel so as to secure said
carrier member over the orifice.
14. A physical barrier for sealing an orifice in a panel member, comprising:
a carrier configured to cover the orifice when installed;
a plurality of locating pins extending from said carrier and configured to extend
into the orifice when said carrier is installed so as to maintain said carrier
substantially centered over the orifice;
at least one attachment member mounted to said carrier, which is physically distinct
from said locating pins, configured to secure said carrier over the orifice when
installed into the orifice; and
a sealing material on said carrier configured to seal an interface between said
carrier and the panel member when said carrier is installed.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to devices and methods for sealing orifices in panel members.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Physical barriers are commonly used to seal orifices in certain objects,
such as panel members in motor vehicles, buildings, household appliances, etc.
These barriers normally are used to prevent physical materials, fluids, and gases,
such as environmental contaminants, fumes, dirt, dust, moisture, water, etc., from
passing through the orifice. For example, an automotive panel, such as a door panel,
typically has several orifices in the sheet metal, which are created for various
reasons during manufacturing. Further, various structural components of automobile
bodies have a variety of orifices, hollow posts, cavities, passages and openings
that can allow contaminants into the passenger compartment. These holes, orifices,
and cavities are typically barricaded with duct tape, butyl-based plastic patches,
and sealing plugs made from foam, rubber, or some other material. Another known
physical barrier for cavities involves introducing a foam product or a fiberglass
matting to fill in the cavity.
Known barriers, however, are unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons. Sealing
plugs, which were a step forward over other barriers, utilize snap-fit clips to
hold the plug in place, i.e., in an orifice of a panel member. However, snap-fit
clips on a sealing plug, without more, are insufficient because the clips cannot
produce a contaminant-tight seal between the plug and the panel member. To overcome
this, a sealer material, such as compressible rubber, adhesive, caulk or mastic,
has been used in combination with a carrier to form the sealing plug. The sealer
material may create a contaminant-tight seal between the carrier and the panel member.
With the introduction of the sealer material, however, new drawbacks arise.
Often the sealer material needs to be activated in order to form a contaminant
tight seal. Such activation may be in the form of mixing two components together
or physical kneading of the material. This can be labor intensive, as well as placing
a time limit on the installation process because the barrier must be placed in
the orifice during the relatively limited active period of the sealer material.
Furthermore, known sealer materials have not been able to protect against prolonged
exposure to contaminants, but only against intermittent exposure to contaminants.
This is a particular problem with respect to water.
Installation of known snap-fit barriers has also been problematic because
installation of such barriers exactly in the center of the orifice has been difficult.
Once the barrier is placed askew in the orifice, the presence of the sealer material
prevents the barrier from centering itself. For the same reason, it is also difficult
for the installer to center the barrier.
This skewed or off-center installation of the barrier creates two problems.
First, it places unequal strain on the snap-fit clips that hold the barrier in
place. This tends to lead to failure of one or more of the clips, which results
in a leaky seal. To overcome this type of failure, stiffer snap-fit clips, which
require more force to flex, are required. This in turn increases the force needed
to install the barrier into the orifice to such a degree that a person cannot perform
installation without mechanical assistance. Thus, force-multiplying tools or machines
are required to install the barrier. The use of tools or machines to install these
barriers increases the complexity and cost of the installation process beyond that
which is economical.
Second, off-center installation increases the number of failed seals. Known
sealer materials cannot compensate for off-center installation. Off-center installation
can lead to gaps between the panel member and the carrier that are not filled by
the sealer material. Thus, the size of the barrier must be closely matched to the
size of the orifice to ensure that there are no gaps between the carrier and the
panel member. Therefore, expensive precision manufacturing techniques are required
in the formation of the orifice and the carrier to ensure that the barrier cannot
be installed incorrectly, i.e., off-center.
Consequently, the inventor hereof has recognized a need for a physical
barrier that overcomes one or more of these problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a physical barrier for sealing an orifice in a panel
member. The physical barrier includes a carrier that has one or more locating pins
mounted on it. The pins are adapted to located the carrier in the orifice. The
physical barrier also includes a sealing material attached to the carrier. The
present invention also includes a method of installing the physical barrier into
an orifice of a panel member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a physical barrier of the present invention
as it is being installed into a panel member with an orifice.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a carrier with a sealer material of a physical
barrier according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of a snap-fit clip used in a preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of a guide pin used in a preferred embodiment of
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As seen in FIG. 1, a panel member
2 includes an orifice
4. Orifice
4 has a perimeter where panel member
2 ends and orifice
4
begins. Orifice
4 receives a physical barrier
10 that includes a
carrier
12 and sealer material
14. As seen more clearly in FIG. 2,
attached near the edge of carrier
12 are generally flexible snap-fit clips
16 and generally rigid locating pins
18. Clips
16 and pins
18 are roughly perpendicular to the main body
20 of carrier
12.
Pins
18 maybe taller than or equal in height to clips
16.
Carrier
12 may also include a wall
22, which may be set to
the interior of clips
16 and pins
18. Carrier
12 may also
include one or more ribs
24, which help give main body
20 structural
stiffness. In one useful embodiment, a rib
24 is placed such that a pin
18 is located near either end of the rib, as shown in FIG. 2.
Carrier
12 also includes a lip
26 that defines the perimeter
of carrier
12. The perimeter defined by lip
26 is larger than the
perimeter of orifice
4. Lip
26 is set to the exterior of clips
16
and pins
18. Lip
26 may be continuous around the entire perimeter
of the carrier or lip
26 may have one or more discontinuities
27.
Discontinuities
27 may be use to introduce sealer material
14 onto
carrier
12.
As best seen in FIG. 3, each clip
16 has a peak
28. These clip
peaks
28, when taken as a group, generally define a shape that will fit inside
orifice
4. Put another way, peaks
28 define a perimeter, called a
clip peak perimeter, which is smaller than the orifice perimeter. In this way,
all peaks
28 will be easily insertable into orifice
4 during installation.
On its body
30, each clip has a clip face
32. These faces
32,
when taken as a group, generally define a clip face perimeter that is slightly
larger than the clip peak perimeter, and the same size or smaller than the orifice
perimeter. Thus, clip faces
32 may or may not abut panel member
2
when physical barrier
10 is properly installed.
Between peak
28 and clip face
32, each clip
16 has a
wedge shaped head
34. Head
34 faces lip
26 as opposed to wall
22 and causes body
30 of clip
16 to flex as carrier
12
is installed into orifice
4. Head
34 prevents the incidental displacement
of carrier
12. The distance between head
34 and carrier
12
is at least the lip height
36 plus the thickness of panel member
2.
Other suitably shaped snap-fit clips may also be used in the present invention.
As best seen in FIG. 4, each pin
18 has a peak
38. These pin peaks
38, when taken as a group, generally define a shape that will fit inside
orifice
4. Put another way, peaks
38 define a pin peak perimeter
that is smaller than the orifice perimeter. In this way, all pin peaks
38
will be easily insertable into orifice
4 during installation.
Between peak
38 and a base
40, each pin
18 has a guiding
surface
42. At base
40, guiding surfaces
42, when taken as
a group, define a base perimeter which is the same size as the orifice perimeter.
Guiding surfaces
42 face lip
26 as opposed to wall
22. Thus,
the base perimeter is larger or the same size as the clip face perimeter of clips
16 such that guiding surfaces
42 abut panel member
2 when
physical barrier
10 is properly installed. Pins
18 make a smooth
transition from peak
38 to base
40. Thus, the peak perimeter of pins
18 is smaller than the base perimeter of pins
18.
Clips
16 and pins
18 align so as to mimic the shape of orifice
4. For example, if orifice
4 has a straight portion, then clips
16
and pins
18 form a straight line. If orifice
4 has an arcuate portion,
then clips and pins
18 form an arc that has the same curvature as the orifice.
Clips
16 and pins
18 may be arranged in a generally alternating
pattern such that one pin is located between a pair of clips. Preferably, to securely
hold barrier
10 in place, an equal number of clips
16 and pins
18
are utilized. Each pin
18 may be associated with two clips
16; one
on its "right" and one on its "left," where right and left are relative. The number
of clips and pins on a carrier may be chosen based on the size and shape of the
orifice, as well as the desired amount of redundancy in clips to ensure that failure
of one or more clips does not compromise the physical barrier. For round orifices,
an alternating arrangement of clips and pins may be sufficient. For polygonal orifices,
a pair of pins and a clip per side may be sufficient. This configuration is illustrated
in FIG. 2.
In an alternate embodiment, one or more pins
18 may locate carrier
12
by being received in an receptacle adjacent to or near orifice
4. In this
embodiment, seating the pin in the receptacle properly locates the carrier within
the orifice.
The spacing between clips
16 and pins
18 is not critical, however,
it is preferred that clips
16 and pins
18 are equally distributed
along the perimeter of carrier
12 for round orifices or along the sides
of the carrier for polygonal orifices.
Sealer material
14 is preferably located between clips
16 and
wall
22, but may be located all around clips
16. Also, sealer material
14 is preferably located between pins
18 and wall
22, between
pins
18 and lip
26, and under pins
18. However, sealer material
14 may also be utilized in less than all of these locations.
The sealer material
14 of barrier
10 may be any known sealing material,
but preferably one that expands upon activation. One useful type of expandable
material is a heat activated foam. While a heat activated foam is preferred, it
is to be understood that the invention may be practiced with other types of foams
which are, for example, chemically activated. While the use of clips
16
is preferred, the present invention could also be implemented without clips
16
where sealer material
14 adhesively attaches carrier
12 to panel
member
2.
The use of the present invention is now described. Barrier
10 is inserted
into orifice
4. Because the perimeter of carrier
12 is larger than
the orifice perimeter, lip
26 ensures that carrier
12 is not over
inserted into orifice
4. Pins
18 insure that carrier
12 is
centered and not twisted.
Specifically, since pins
18 are rigid, as barrier
10
is inserted into orifice
4, guiding surfaces
42 of pins
18
guide carrier
12 to the center of orifice
4. Only after carrier
12
is mostly centered are bodies
30 of clips
16 required to flex. Carrier
12 is then seated such that guiding surfaces
42 at base
40
of pins
18 abut panel member
2. Depending on the clip face perimeter,
clip faces
32 may also abut panel member
2.
By centering carrier
12, the maximum amount of strain all clips
16
have to endure is significantly reduced. This reduces the strength of clips
16
that are needed to properly install barrier
10, which in turn reduces the
amount of force needed to install barrier
10. Thus, force-multiplying tools
or machines are not needed to install the barriers of the present invention.
The alternating arrangement of clips
16 and pins
18 also helps
reduce the amount of strain clips
16 have to endure. By placing at least
one pin
18 on either side of clip
16, the carrier
12 is prevented
from being installed in a twisted manner. Namely, clips
16 will never engage
panel member
2 without guiding surfaces
42 of the two adjacent pins
18 also engaging panel member
2. The simultaneous engagement of guiding
surfaces
42 and clips
16 prevents undue strain on clips
16.
Because the clip and pin peak perimeters are smaller than the orifice perimeter,
all clips
16 and pins
18 are insertable into orifice
4. Furthermore,
because pins
18 are taller than clips
16, pins
18 enter orifice
4 first during installation, thus assuring that guiding surfaces
42
of pins
18 will center barrier
10 in orifice
4.
After carrier
12 is installed, sealer material
14 is activated
to create the seal between carrier
12 and panel member
2. Wall
22
acts as a directional aid for sealer material
14, such that when sealer
material
14 is activated, wall
22 helps direct sealer material
14
toward clips
16 and pins
18, and thus panel member
2. Expanded
sealer material
14 adheres carrier
12 to panel member
2 surrounding
orifice
4.
The use of expandable foam has several advantages over conventional sealer materials.
Orifice
4 need not be formed using precision manufacturing techniques because
the expandable foam will fill the available space. Any gaps between carrier
12
and panel member
2 will be filled by the expanding foam, thus creating a
contaminant tight seal. The expanding foam also allows for a reduced number of
sizes of barriers to be produced, because one barrier could be used to block several
closely sized orifices. Furthermore, the seal produced by the use of expandable
foam withstands prolonged exposure to contaminants, particularly water.
In this use of expandable foam, imperfect expansion of the foam can be tolerated,
as can imperfect placement of the foam because as the foam expands, wall
22
will directs it toward clips
16, pins
18 and panel member
2
to help ensure a contaminant tight seal.
Heat expandable foams have another advantage when used in the automotive industry.
Heat expandable foams allow for the elimination of an installation step because
almost all automobiles have paints or coating that are heat dried. This eliminates
the need for a separate activation step to seal the orifice.
Carrier
12 may be made of conventional materials, with the only consideration
being the activation conditions for sealer material
14. Thus, carrier
12
must be able to maintain its physical rigidity at the activation conditions. For
example, when using a heat activated sealer material, carrier
12 should
not melt at temperatures used in the chosen heat source. In the vehicle coating
and paint area, the carrier should withstand temperatures normally utilized in
the paint and coating drying ovens. While metals may be used, plastics are preferred
because of the reduced weight and reduced amount of force needed to install a plastic
carrier as compared to a metal carrier. One useful plastic material is nylon.
While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain
specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration
and not of limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be construed
as broadly as the prior art will permit.
*
