Apparatus and methods for temporarily sealing a pipe
First Claim
1. An apparatus for quickly creating a seal on the cut end of an open pipe comprising:
- a substantially solid, substantially tubular body, said body including a threaded open end and a closed end, said threaded open end surrounding a grommet cavity, said grommet cavity adjacent to a substantially cylindrical recess and including a substantially horizontal grommet cavity surface at its bottommost point, said substantially cylindrical recess recessed in said substantially horizontal grommet cavity surface, an inner diameter of an inner wall of said substantially cylindrical recess approximately equal to an outer diameter of said cut end of said open pipe;
a grommet, said grommet shaped substantially identical to a shape of said grommet cavity, said grommet including a grommet downwardly facing surface, said grommet seated in said grommet cavity such that said grommet downwardly facing surface mates with said substantially horizontal grommet cavity surface, said grommet including a central aperture approximately equal to said outer diameter of said cut end of said open pipe;
a nut, said nut including a cavity, said cavity inversely threaded to mate with said threaded end, a downwardly facing surface of said nutdirectly in contact with an upwardly facing surface of said grommet when said nut is mated to said threaded end; and
a washer seated upon a floor of said substantially cylindrical recess, said washer compressed between said floor and a bottommost surface of said cut end of said open pipe when said nut is mated to said threaded end.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for temporarily sealing a pipe including apparatus and methods for creating a temporary airtight seal at the open end of a pipe in a plumbing or refrigeration system. One such apparatus includes a body, grommet, washer, and a nut. Multiple airtight seals are created including a first primary seal between an exterior of the pipe and the grommet and a secondary seal between the open end of the pipe and the washer. The grommet does not require teeth and the apparatus does not require adhesive, sealant, or any other type of similar materials. Use of the apparatus and methods greatly minimizes and/or eliminates the potential for marring or otherwise distorting the open end of the pipe, thereby facilitating reuse of same.
48 Citations
11 Claims
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1. An apparatus for quickly creating a seal on the cut end of an open pipe comprising:
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a substantially solid, substantially tubular body, said body including a threaded open end and a closed end, said threaded open end surrounding a grommet cavity, said grommet cavity adjacent to a substantially cylindrical recess and including a substantially horizontal grommet cavity surface at its bottommost point, said substantially cylindrical recess recessed in said substantially horizontal grommet cavity surface, an inner diameter of an inner wall of said substantially cylindrical recess approximately equal to an outer diameter of said cut end of said open pipe; a grommet, said grommet shaped substantially identical to a shape of said grommet cavity, said grommet including a grommet downwardly facing surface, said grommet seated in said grommet cavity such that said grommet downwardly facing surface mates with said substantially horizontal grommet cavity surface, said grommet including a central aperture approximately equal to said outer diameter of said cut end of said open pipe; a nut, said nut including a cavity, said cavity inversely threaded to mate with said threaded end, a downwardly facing surface of said nut directly in contact with an upwardly facing surface of said grommet when said nut is mated to said threaded end; and a washer seated upon a floor of said substantially cylindrical recess, said washer compressed between said floor and a bottommost surface of said cut end of said open pipe when said nut is mated to said threaded end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification