Exhaust system clamp

• US 20040068847A1
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donaldson Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Donaldson Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Belisle, John I., Wagner, Wayne M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,796,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 24/279
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1805 Fixing exhaust manifolds, exhaust pipes or pipe sections to each other, to engine or to vehicle body pipe joints in general F16L; fixing auxiliaries in motor vehicles in general B60K
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1827 Sealings specially adapted for exhaust systems sealings in general F16J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1855 the connection being realised by using bolts, screws, rivets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 21/065 tightened by tangentially-arranged threaded pins
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 33/04 tightened by tangentially-arranged threaded pin and nut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1441 Tangential screw

Abstract

Clamps for sealing lap joints are disclosed. The clamps include bands each having a main body and bolts mounting flanges located at opposite ends of the main body. Sealing bars are mounted between the bolt mounting flanges of the bands. The sealing bars includes pockets for receiving portions of the mounting flanges. The pockets are defined by sealing legs and reaction legs of the sealing bar.

Claims

1. A clamp comprising:

a band including a main body and bolt mounting flanges located at opposite ends of the main body, the bolt mounting flanges each having a length and a height, the bolt mounting flanges each including first and second bolt openings spaced-apart along the length of each bolt mounting flange; and

a sealing bar mountable between the bolt mounting flanges of the band, the sealing bar including a length and a height, the sealing bar including first and second bolt openings adapted to respectively align with the first and second bolt openings of the bolt mounting flanges, the sealing bar including a sealing side and a reaction side separated by the height of the sealing bar, the sealing bar further including outwardly facing pockets adapted to receive portions of the bolt mounting flanges, each pocket being defined by a sealing leg and an opposing reaction leg of the sealing bar, the reaction side of the sealing bar including a relief for facilitating deformation of the reaction legs during tightening of the clamp.

2. The clamp of claim 1, wherein:

the bolt mounting flanges are defined by doubled over portions of the band, the doubled over portions being adapted to fit within the pockets of the sealing bar and to define flange pockets; and

wherein the pipe clamp further comprises;

retaining bars around which the band is bent to form the doubled over portions of the mounting flanges; and

outer reinforcing bars mountable in the flange pockets, each of the outer reinforcing bars having a length and a height, each of the outer reinforcing bars including first and second bolt openings that are spaced-apart along the length of each outer reinforcing bar and are adapted to respectively align with the first and second bolt openings of the bolt mounting flanges.

3. The clamp of claim 2, wherein the pockets of the sealing bar are concave, wherein the flange pockets are concave, and wherein the outer reinforcing bars include convex portions that fit within the flange pockets.

4. The clamp of claim 1, wherein the relief includes a notch defined in the reaction surface of the sealing bar.

5. The clamp of claim 4, wherein the notch extends along the length of the sealing bar.

6. The clamp of claim 5, wherein the notch is aligned with a centerline of the sealing bar.

7. The clamp of claim 4, wherein the notch includes a generally triangular cross-section.

8. The clamp of claim 4, wherein the notch closes as the reaction legs deflect.

9. The clamp of claim 1, further comprising outer reinforcing bars that compress the bolt mounting flanges within the pockets of the sealing bars when the clamp is tightened.

10. The clamp of claim 9, wherein the outer reinforcing bars include convex surfaces that face toward the pockets of the sealing bar.

11. The clamp of claim 1, wherein the pockets of the sealing bar enlarge as the reaction legs deflect.

12. A clamp comprising:

a band including a main body and bolt mounting flanges located at opposite ends of the main body, the bolt mounting flanges each having a length and a height, the bolt mounting flanges each including first and second bolt openings spaced-apart along the length of each bolt mounting flange; and

a sealing bar mountable between the bolt mounting flanges of the band, the sealing bar including a length and a height, the sealing bar including first and second bolt openings adapted to respectively align with the first and second bolt openings of the bolt mounting flanges, the sealing bar including a sealing side and a reaction side, the sealing side being separated from the reaction side by the height of the sealing bar, the sealing bar including a relief notch located at the reaction side of the sealing bar.

13. The clamp of claim 12, wherein the relief notch extends along the length of the sealing bar.

14. The clamp of claim 12, wherein the relief notch has a generally triangular cross-section.

15. A clamp comprising:

a sealing bar including first and second sides that face in opposite directions, the sealing bar defining pockets positioned between the first and second sides, the pockets facing in opposite directions, the pockets being defined by first legs positioned adjacent the first side and second legs positioned adjacent the second side, the sealing bar including a relief at the first side for facilitating deformation of the first legs; and

a band having portions adapted to be received in the pockets of the sealing bar.

16. A clamp comprising:

a band having a main body and outwardly facing pockets, the band defining fastener openings at the outwardly facing pockets;

a sealing member that mounts between the outwardly facing pockets of the band, the sealing member having fastener openings that align with the fastener openings of the band;

reinforcing members that mount in the outwardly facing pockets of the band, the reinforcing members having fastener openings that align with the fastener openings of the band;

the band including extension portions that extend into the fastener openings of the reinforcing members; and

the pockets of the band each being defined by a single layer of the band, each single layer extending between the sealing member and a corresponding one of the reinforcing members.

17. The clamp of claim 16, wherein the extension portions of the band are extruded into the fastener openings of the reinforcing members.

18. The clamp of claim 16, wherein the extension portions define at least portions of the fastener openings of the band.

19. The clamp of claim 16, wherein the reinforcing members include inner surfaces that face toward the sealing member and outer surfaces that face away from the sealing member, and wherein the band includes retaining portions that wrap around the reinforcing members and oppose at least portions of the outer surfaces of the reinforcing members.

20. The clamp of claim 19, wherein the extension portions include outwardly necked portions that extend outwardly into the fastener openings of the reinforcing members and inwardly necked portions that extend inwardly into the fastener openings of the reinforcing members.

21. A clamp comprising:

a band having a main body and outwardly facing pockets, the band defining fastener openings at the outwardly facing pockets;

a sealing member that mounts between the outwardly facing pockets of the band, the sealing member having fastener openings that align with the fastener openings of the band, the sealing member having outwardly facing pockets that receive the pockets of the band;

reinforcing members that mount in the outwardly facing pockets of the band, the reinforcing members having fastener openings that align with the fastener openings of the band, the reinforcing members including inner sides that face toward the pockets of the band and outer sides that face away from the pockets of the band; and

the band including retaining portions that wrap around the reinforcing members and oppose at least portions of the outer sides of the reinforcing members.

22. The clamp of claim 21, wherein the inner sides of the reinforcing members are convex.

23. The clamp of claim 21, wherein the pockets of the band are defined by doubled over portions of the band that extend between the reinforcing members and the sealing member, and wherein the pipe clamp further comprises retaining bars around which the band is bent to form the doubled over portions of the mounting flanges.

24. The clamp of claim 23, wherein the retaining portions comprise tabs.