Flexible plastic foam with a groove- and tongue-like closing system

• US 4,576,846 A
• Filed: 09/06/1984
• Issued: 03/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gert Noel
• Original Assignee: Gert Noel
• Inventors: Noel, Gert
• Primary Examiner(s): VAN BALEN, WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US06/647,801
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 138/149, 138/162, 138/165, 138/166, 138/167, 138/DIG. 9, 428/33, 428/36, 428/68, 428/121-123, 428/130, 428/156, 428/157-160, 428/167, 428/188, 428/192, 428/316.6
• US Class Current: 428/36.5
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/564 hidden in the joint, e.g. dowels or Z-pins B29C65/603 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/58 Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1142 Single butt to butt joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1162 Single bevel to bevel joints, e.g. mitre joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12421 Teardrop-like, waterdrop-like or mushroom-like interlocking undercuts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12423 Dovetailed interlocking undercuts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1282 comprising at least one overlap joint-segment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12841 comprising at least two butt joint-segments
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/14 the joint having the same thickness as the thickness of the parts to be joined B29C66/1142 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4322 by joining a single sheet to itself B29C66/4332 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43421 with a right angle, e.g. for making L-shaped pieces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/49 Internally supporting the, e.g. tubular, article during joining B29C66/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5221 for forming coaxial connections, i.e. the tubular articles to be joined forming a zero angle relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/727 being porous, e.g. foam
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91411 of the parts to be joined, e.g. the joining process taking the temperature of the parts to be joined into account
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91431 the temperature being kept constant over time
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91641 the heat or the thermal flux being non-constant over time
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/00 Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 : PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 : cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2023/225 : Insulated
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 59/022 : with a single slit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 138/09 : Cellular
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1376 : Foam or porous material containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24488 : Differential nonuniformity at margin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24504 : Component comprises a polymer [e.g., rubber, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24744 : Longitudinal or transverse tubular cavity or cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 : Edge feature

Abstract

The present invention relates to cellular plastic insulating tubes or cellular plastic insulating plates of a flexible plastic foam with a groove- and tongue-like closing system arranged along the longitudinal axis, in which the groove and tongue can be undercut. The tongue consists of a more rigid or stiffer material than the material forming the groove, or, if the tongue consists of the same material as the insulating cellular material, this is reinforced or stiffened.

Claims

1. A cellular plastic insulating member of a flexible plastic foam material for thermally insulating a conduit, such as a pipe, duct or the like,

said member having a closing line extending longitudinally along the conduit, along which line the facing longitudinal surfaces of the insulating member are joined together,

a closing system located along said closing line and comprising a groove and a tongue, said groove comprising a longitudinally extending groove formed into the material of the member along at least one side of said line, the opening of the groove, viewed in a transverse cross section, being smaller than the dimension across certain interior portions of the groove, also viewed in transverse cross section,

said tongue of the closing system operatively connected to the side of the closing line other than the side having the groove, the tongue having a portion, viewed in transverse cross section, which is larger than said opening of the groove, and said tongue being undercut, of smaller dimension closer to the side of the insulating member to which it is operatively connected, such that the tongue and groove snap fit into engagement with each other,

and said tongue being stiffer than the material forming the groove.

2. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 1, wherein the tongue is formed of a material which is stiffer than the material which forms the groove.

3. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 1, wherein the tongue is formed of the same material as the material forming the groove, and wherein the tongue has a reinforcing means to render the tongue stiffer than the material forming the groove.

4. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 3, the tongue having the same density as the entire cellular plastic insulating member, and wherein the tongue is provided with a longitudinally extending reinforcement which projects circumferentially from the tongue across the closing line into the member on which the tongue is located.

5. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 3, the tongue being of the same density as the material forming the groove, and said reinforcing means comprises a covering layer covering the tongue and of a stiffer material than the material of the tongue and the material forming the groove.

6. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 2, said tongue being an element separate from the member and adhered to said member along its respective side of the closing line.

7. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 1, said tongue and groove both having a rounded cross section.

8. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 6, said tongue being a hollow plastic hose.

9. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 6, said tongue being a hollow tube opening toward the groove.

10. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 1, wherein opposing axial ends of said member are milled off in a radial direction, said milling off at opposite ends of the member being complementary to each other such that a first end of one member will fit in a complementary manner into a second end of a longitudinally adjacent member.

11. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 1, wherein one axial end of said member comprises an annular groove and the other axial end comprises an annular tongue, and wherein said annular tongue is stiffer than the material forming the annular groove.

12. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 1, including adhesion means for adhering the tongue and groove together.

13. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 12, said adhering means comprising a fusion adhesive in the form of a fusion foil, fusion non-woven material or magnetic lacquer.

14. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 1, wherein the member is of annular cross section for insulating a pipe, the member being a single annular member, opened and closeable along said closing line.

15. A cellular plastic insulating member according to claim 1, said member being generally flat in the vicinity of said closing system and comprising plates to be mounted on generally flat duct surfaces.