Pre-cast sealant dome and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A protective and insulating seal for a fastener, the seal comprising:
- a continuous and uninterrupted shell having a base portion surrounding an opening into a central cavity and a portion of reduced wall thickness;
the central cavity containing a polymeric sealant which adheres the shell over the fastener; and
whereinthe portion of reduced wall thickness is integral with the shell and is extensible from a first position to a second position, whereby the volume of the cavity changes from a first volume to a second volume.
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Abstract
A pre-cast dome-like shell is loaded with a predetermined amount of curable sealant. The sealant and dome are similar in composition. The dome is pressed over the exposed end of a fastener. An elastic portion of the shell can expand, thereby increasing the internal volume of the shell to accommodate small variations in sealant amount. A close fit between the shell and fastener, combined with an adequate shell wall, insure proper shell orientation and barrier thickness.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A protective and insulating seal for a fastener, the seal comprising:
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a continuous and uninterrupted shell having a base portion surrounding an opening into a central cavity and a portion of reduced wall thickness; the central cavity containing a polymeric sealant which adheres the shell over the fastener; and
whereinthe portion of reduced wall thickness is integral with the shell and is extensible from a first position to a second position, whereby the volume of the cavity changes from a first volume to a second volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A protective and insulating seal for a fastener comprising:
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a pre-cast continuous and uninterrupted shell, said shell defining an opening into a central cavity and having a portion of reduced wall thickness; a curable sealant for adhering the shell over the fastener, said sealant and shell being of the same material composition; and the portion of reduced wall thickness responding to pressure changes in the cavity by changing from a resting position to an elastically deformed position. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A protective and insulating seal for a fastener which protrudes from a workpiece, the seal comprising:
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a pre-cast continuous and uninterrupted shell, said shell having a base portion surrounding an opening into a central cavity; the shell further comprising a means for pressure compensation; and a curable adhesive means for sealing the shell over the fastener, said adhesive means for sealing having a viscosity to promote an air-free layer between the fastener and the shell without being runny; said means for pressure compensation comprising a portion of reduced wall thickness in said shell adapted to elastically deform from a first resting position to a second position. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for installing a pre-cast protective cover to a fastener on a workpiece, the method comprising:
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establishing a minimum protective thickness required around the fastener; selecting a continuous and uninterrupted shell having a flat base, lateral walls an elastically resilient end portion of reduced wall thickness and a central cavity, the lateral walls providing substantially all of the required protective thickness, the cavity dimensions closely conforming to the dimensions of the fastener, and the end portion deformable from a first to a second position; metering an amount of curable sealant into the cavity for adhering the shell over the fastener, the amount substantially equal to or slightly more than the void volume in the cavity when the shell covers the fastener and the base rests flatly against the workpiece; and pressing the sealant containing shell over the fastener thus deforming the end portion from the first to the second position. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for installing a pre-cast protective cover to a fastener on a workpiece comprising:
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metering a predetermined amount of adhesive sealant into a pre-cast dome-like protective shell having a local expansible portion;
p1 expanding the dome-like shell by pressing the sealant containing shell over a fastener; andallowing the sealant to cure while the shell is in an expanded state to adhere the shell over the fastener. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification