Support for storing , transporting and using devices applying a sealing compound and uses thereof

• US 20030098546A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sealants Europe SAS (Nouryon BV)
• Original Assignee: Le Joint Francais (Welltower, Inc.)
• Inventors: Decreuse, Jacky, Beyssac, Georges
• Granted Patent: US 7,134,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 277/300
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/50 Handling or transporting aircraft components
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2575/3227 Cuts or weakening lines
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/327 and forming several compartments
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 33/004 Sealing; Insulation by means of washers F16B43/001
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/14 by means of granular or plastic material, or fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/917 Seal including frangible feature

Abstract

The invention concerns a support (30) storing, transporting and using devices (10) for applying a sealing compound onto an element projecting on a surface. The invention is characterised in that it comprises a plurality of said devices borne by a substantially planar base plate (32) and wherefrom the latter can be detached, and each device includes a cap (11) designed to cover entirely said element and containing a predetermined amount of sealing compound in frozen state. The invention is useful for producing impermeability to fluids at rigid connecting elements such as rivets, bolts or the like, for protecting projecting elements of structures against electromagnetic effects such as lightning.

Claims

1. A support (30) for storing, transporting and using devices (10) for applying a mastic sealant to a protruding element on a surface, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of these devices borne by a substantially plane base, said devices being detachable therefrom, and in that each device includes a capsule (11) which is intended to completely cover said element and contains a predetermined amount of said mastic (20) in the frozen state.

2. The support (30) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the capsules (11) and the base which bears them form a one-piece structure.

3. The support as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the capsules (11) and the base are made of the same material and are linked by bridges of this material which are capable of being broken by pressing manually or by using any suitable tool.

4. The support (30) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that this support is obtained by molding and is in the form of a sheet (32), from one surface of which sheet the capsules (11) protrude.

5. The support (30) as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the sheet (32) is designed so that each device (10) can be detached simply by pressing on the head of the capsules of these devices.

6. The support (20) as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that each capsule (11) is linked to the sheet (30) via a weakened and separable region (33) which surrounds it and which is obtained by reducing the thickness of the sheet around the capsule and by the presence of cuts made in the reduced thickness so that the capsule is linked to the sheet only by bridges of material which are capable of being broken by pressing manually or by using any suitable tool.

7. The support (20) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that each weakened and separable region (33) which surrounds a capsule is itself surrounded by a circular reinforcing rib (34) which prevents premature tearing of said weakened and separable regions during demolding.

8. The support (20) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the capsules (11) advantageously comprise a body (12) of substantially cylindrical or frustoconical shape, the inner (14) and outer (15) faces of which may have, in cross section, independently of each other, a circular or polygonal shape, which body is closed by a head.

9. The support (20) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the conformation of the inner face (14) of the body (12) of the capsules (11) is matched to the shape of the protruding element that these capsules are intended to cover.

10. The support (20) as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that the body (12) of the capsules (11) is a cylinder or a truncated cone, the inner and outer faces of which have a circular cross section.

11. The support (20) as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the head of the capsules is a spherical cap (16).

12. The support (20) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mastic (20) contained in the capsules (11) is, when it is in the frozen state, in the form of a nut which adheres to the bottom (17) of the capsules, said nut being approximately coaxial with the latter.

13. The support (20) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mastic (20) is a polysulfide-based mastic or one based on another crosslinkable polymer.

14. The support (20) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the capsules (11) and the base are made of a material based on one or more elastomers.

15. The use of a support as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, to form a fluid-tight seal at rigid linking elements of the rivet, bolt or similar type.

16. The use as claimed in claim 15 for the manufacture of fluid-tight structures such as fuel tanks, whether in the aeronautical, naval, automobile or other industry.

17. The use of a support as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, for protecting the protruding elements of structures from electromagnetic effects such as lightning.