Title of Invention

AN IMPROVED SEALING FRAME

Abstract

An improved sealing frame for gasketting the cut-outs in the electrical devices, made up of flexible and resilient material such as rubber or plastic comprising a single piece sealing frame having dual hardness, the said sealing frame having an inner side and an outer side such that the said inner side is thinner than the said outer side, characterized in that there is provided a catcher, connector and flapper uniformly on the said sealing frame; the said catcher is provided with a recess throughout the said sealing frame so as to facilitate the male female arrangement to hold the metal portion of the electrical device; the said recess is further provided with a slope from inside of the recess ensuring the said sealing frame to hold, catch, and grip any metal thickness within a given or normal range of use, the said connector connecting in continuation and unification of the said catcher and the said flapper wherein at an on the said catcher and connector are provided adequate radii imparting strength, flexibility and durability.

Full Text

FORM 2 THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 of 1970) COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Section 10) 'AN IMPROVED SEALING FRAME" LARSEN & TOUBRO LIMITED, L&T House, Ballard Estate, MUMBAI-400 001, Maharashtra State, India An Indian Company registered under the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 The following specification describes the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed. This invention relates to an improved sealing frame. It is known that various indoors electrical devices are housed in enclosures and some portion through which customer has to interact projects out through a cutout on door or cover. For preventing inflow of dust and vermins, a gasketting arrangement is provided around the cutout This invention relates to a novel concept by which an effective, convenient to fix and economical sealing frame is designed. PRIOR ART: To prevent ingress of dust and vermins through the cutout through which the electrical devices project out, every manufacturer has to select suitable rubber gasket which brushes, that is, touches the periphery of electrical device. In most designs, the rubber gasket is mounted on a suitable frame made of plastic and the like, and this frame accommodating the rubber gasket, is mounted on the panel door/cover. It is observed that in the existing practice that the rubber gasket and the frame holding the rubber gasket are two separate parts : The rubber gasket being soft and flexible; and the frame being relatively harder and non-flexible. Further, the frame has plurality of holes or fixing devices and corresponding many numbers of fasteners like screws or nuts-&-bolts are required to keep properly this frame on the door/cover. Also, there is practice of directly fixing the gasket by adhesive or by trapping it in the additional holes/welded strips etc. around the main cutout. -2- OUR INVENTION: OBJECTS : 1. To replace the two components sealing system consisting or rubber gasket and the frame, by a single component system serving both the purposes. 2. To provide sealing system mechanism which is soft and flexible enough to make it dust entry resistant, and at the same time hard and rigid enough to get it properly fitted on the cutout of enclosure. 3. No hardware or adhesive is necessary to fix this improved sealing frame. So also, there are no projections/welded and/or structure around main cutout and nor additional cutouts are necessary on the door/cover, and or no other machining is necessary/required to be done by the customer. 4. Differential hardness or the dual hardness is created in this improved sealing frame design so that the dust proofing portion has lower "Shore-hardness" making the dust proofing portion softer and flexible; whereas the frame portion has relatively higher or more hardness making the frame portion sufficiently harder and rigid which retains the shape. 5. To provide specific slopes within frame portion of this improved sealing frame so as to enable it to accommodate variations in the thickness in cover/door of the enclosure. 6. To provide non-breakable sealing system, which is economical to transport and fast to install. -3- STATEMENT OF INVENTION: According to this invention, therefore, an improved sealing frame for gasketting the cut-outs in the electrical devices, made up of flexible and resilient material such as rubber or plastic comprises a single piece sealing frame having dual hardness, the said sealing frame having an inner side and an outer side such mat the said inner side is thinner than the said outer side, characterized in that there is provided a catcher, connector and flapper uniformly on the said sealing frame; the said catcher is provided with a recess throughout the said sealing frame so as to facilitate the male female arrangement to hold the metal portion of the electrical device; the said recess is further provided with a slope from inside of the recess ensuring the said sealing frame to hold, catch, and grip any metal thickness within a given or normal range of use, the said connector connecting in continuation and unification of the said catcher and the said flapper wherein at an on the said catcher and connector are provided adequate radii imparting strength, flexibility and durability. According to this invention further an improved sealing frame design comprises special making techniques and differential curing processes being adopted for the catcher and connector on one hand, and flapper on the other hand, ensuring different properties for the catcher, connector, & flapper, as regards to hardness, softness, resiliency, flexibility, bending, rigidity, and the like; According to mis invention further, an improved sealing frame wherein further the properties of the constructional features are achieved by proper selection of raw materials such as Nitrile Rubber, Neoprene Rubber, Silicone Rubber, Elastomeric Rubbers, Vhon Rubber, Teflon and the like having appropriate composition and grade, so that the end product being suitable for any particular environment. 4 The invention will now be described with the help of drawings accompanying this specification wherein salient features have been shown by suitable numerals and referred to appropriately in the following description. Drawings are non-restrictive examples. Drawings are schematic, & are not to scale. Drawings consist 3 figures. Fig. [1] shows a perspective view of the improved sealing frame, Fig. [2] shows the drawing of the improved sealing frame as per the invention. Figs. [3a & 3b] show schematically the sectional details of the improved sealing frame. Referring to all the figures the typical improved sealing frame (1) is a "one-piece"-made item. The sealing frame (1) has two main functions to perform:-one, the sealing frame should get positioned or located firmly on the cutout of the door made from sheet-metal or FRP [fibreglass reinforced plastics] or the like, &, two, "keep the dust away". And, ideally, this should be done in the simplest, foolproof, easiest way quickly. And as explained below the invention is that, the features are "symmetrical" around its middle or central axes and planes, in the sense that there are "mirror image/s". Due to the "mirror image" mode, assembly or fixing on sheet metal cutout is simple, easy, foolproof, quick. And this is done without any "clamping" which otherwise was always requiring, as per prior art, additional hardware, bolts, nuts, washers, spring washers, screws, adhesives & the like. 5 The "position or location" is attained by the portion/s which we call as "positioner, locator, holder, trapper or "catcher/s" (2) is shown in details as (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d), where, catcher (2a) gets engaged with the upper horizontal edge of the cutout, catcher (2b) gets engaged with the lower horizontal edge of the cutout, catcher (2c) gets engaged with the left-side vertical edge of the cutout, &, catcher (2d) gets engaged with the right-side vertical edge of the cutout; (2a) is mirror image of (2b), (2c) is mirror image of (2d). The "dust is kept way" by portion or "flap" or "flapper" (3) shown in details as (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d). Flapper (3 a) keeps dust away at/near the upper horizontal edge of the cutout, Flapper (3b) keeps dust away at/near the lower horizontal edge of the cutout, Flapper (3c) keeps dust away at/near the left-side vertical edge of the cutout, &, Flapper (3d) keeps dust away at/near the right-side vertical edge of the cutout; (3a) is mirror image of (3b), (3c) is mirror image of (3d). "Catcher (2)" has a recess (4, i.e., 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) in which sheet-metal portion is "held" or "caught". For the "Catchers" &or recesses &or "flappers", both the upper & lower horizontal configurations are same; so also both the left-side & the right-side vertical edge configurations are same. But, horizontal & vertical configurations can optionally be still different from each other. Catcher automatically "locates, positions, holds, traps, catches & grips" the "trapped portion" i.e. the thickness portion of the edge of the cutout. Catcher/s (2a, 2b) gets engaged with the horizontal edge of the cutout, Catcher/s (2c, 2d) gets engaged with the vertical edge of the cutout. -6- The dimensions & configurations of "Catcher/s" (2) & recess/es (4) & "flapper/s" (3) depend on sheet-metal-thickness, the quality of sheet-metal, the "pressure" or "hold" required at the "tip" of "catcher", & the quantum of cleaning action expected from "flapper", and on the length/s of horizontal & vertical side/s of the sheet-metal-cutout. As the dust has tendency to settle on horizontal surface, it is obvious that the cleaning on "upper" horizontal place is required to be positively accomplished. Our design takes care of this fact also. The rubber-portion (12) is the connector (li) connecting in continuation & unification the catcher (2) & flapper (3). At & on the portions of catcher (2) & the connector (12) are provided adequate radii (Rl, R2, R3, R4) to get good workability & forming of the "seal", and also to impart strength, stability, flexibility, durability, and to eliminate sharp corners & projections, and to ensure smooth merging, and to enhance better looks & appearance. The recess (4) has opening (5) at tip (5), and the dimension (6) at root (6). The dimension at root (6) is always more than the opening (5) at tip. Thus there is "slope" within recess. This slope ensures that this sealing device will "hold, catch & grip" any sheet-metal-thickness within a given &or normal range of use. The recess (4) has the depth (7). The depth/s (7) of horizontal or vertical member/s may optionally be different. Also shown in drawings are typically & optionally different lengths of flapper, and so, the typically different overall lengths (8v, 8h) of catcher (2), connector (12) & flapper (3) put together. The overall vertical length is shown by item (9a), and, the overall horizontal length is shown by item (10a); the more precise requirement & control being on (9b & 10b) which are the size/s at "root/s"; (9b & 10b) depend on the cutout-dimensions of the sheet-metal. The size of the new device/s is identified by "(9b X 10b)". -7- Adequate cut (11) is provided, to eliminate any possibility of any fouling, with the box of the circuit breaker, at four corners of the sealing devise where the horizontal & vertical flappers "meet". At corners, the horizontal & vertical flappers are "unified", so also the catchers, & connectors. That is why & how one gets the one-piece manufactured item as per this invention. MATERIAL USED: Rubber & the like. Special making techniques & differential curing processes for the catcher & connector on one hand, and flapper on the other hand, are adopted. These ensure different properties of hardness, softness, resiliency, flexibility, bending, rigidity, and the like. Selection of raw materials : this invented item is made from appropriate composition and grade, so that the end product is suitable for any environment. ADVANTAGES. APPLICATIONS. USE. Versatile, Economical Easy, safe & quick to install Screwless & adhesiveless Will replace all gaskets VARIATIONS: This patent is also applicable for round, circular, elliptical, oblong or parallelogram and the like shaped gaskets. -8- We Claim: -9- 1. An improved sealing frame for gasketting the cut-outs in the electrical devices, made up of flexible and resilient material such as rubber or plastic comprising a single piece sealing frame having dual hardness, the said sealing frame having an inner side and an outer side such that the said inner side is thinner than the said outer side, characterized in that there is provided a catcher, connector and flapper uniformly on the said sealing frame; the said catcher is provided with a recess throughout the said sealing frame so as to facilitate the male female arrangement to hold the metal portion of the electrical device; the said recess is further provided with a slope from inside of the recess ensuring the said sealing frame to hold, catch, and grip any metal thickness within a given or normal range of use, the said connector connecting in continuation and unification of the said catcher and the said flapper wherein at an on the said catcher and connector are provided adequate radii imparting strength, flexibility and durability.

Documents:

775-mum-2000-abstract(08-12-2004).doc

775-mum-2000-abstract(08-12-2004).pdf

775-mum-2000-cancelled pages(08-12-2004).pdf

775-mum-2000-claims(granted)-(08-12-2004).doc

775-mum-2000-claims(granted)-(08-12-2004).pdf

775-mum-2000-correspondence(06-01-2005).pdf

775-mum-2000-correspondence(ipo)-(04-03-2009).pdf

775-mum-2000-drawing(21-11-2001).pdf

775-mum-2000-form 1(24-08-2000).pdf

775-mum-2000-form 19(27-06-2003).pdf

775-mum-2000-form 2(granted)-(08-12-2004).doc

775-mum-2000-form 2(granted)-(08-12-2004).pdf

775-mum-2000-form 3(29-08-2001).pdf

775-mum-2000-form 4(20-08-2001).pdf

775-mum-2000-form 5(03-12-2004).pdf

775-mum-2000-petition under rule 137(08-12-2004).pdf

775-mum-2000-power of authority(24-08-2000).pdf

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