GB2175255A

GB2175255A - A seal mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2175255A
Application number: GB08514704A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tzal-Lin Lee
Original assignee: LEE TZAL LIN
Current assignee: LEE TZAL LIN
Priority date: 1985-05-15
Filing date: 1985-06-11
Publication date: 1986-11-26
Also published as: GB8514704D0; GB2175254A; GB8512256D0

Abstract

A seal mechanism, which comprises a split semi-spherical member 302, a spring seat 203, and a spring 204 to be mounted in regular sequence into a hollow cylinder 201. A fixing seat 205 is to be pressed in the bottom portion of the hollow cylinder. The split semi-spherical member 302 and the inner top portion of the hollow cylinder are designed into a similar shape so as to have the former fitted exactly in the latter. The front end of the round rod 206 can not pass through the hole in the split semi-spherical member 302 before the reactive force of the round rod becomes greater than the tension force of the semi-spherical member provided by spring 301. However, upon the round rod passing through the semi-spherical member 302, the smallest portion of the round rod will be retained in the semi-spherical member 302 for sealing function. <IMAGE>

Description

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GB 2 175 255 A

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SPECIFICATION A new seal mechanism

5 This invention relates to a new seal mechanism, particularly can be simply conducted seal mechanism.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a perspective view of a Patent No. 1077810, issued in Japan, 10 in which the round rod 101 is furnished with a groove 102, the round post 103 is provided with a hole 104; in that hole 104, a groove 105 is furnished so as to mount a leaf spring (not shown, but reference may be made to part 301 in Figure 3) 15 in that groove 105. Upon the round rod 101 being put into the hole 104, the front end portion that has smaller diameter of the round rod 101 will push the leaf spring into the groove 105; as soon as the groove 102 on the rod 101 and the groove 20 105 in the hole 104 are alinged on a same level, the leaf spring will be retained in the groove 102. Since the leaf spring is partly retained in groove 105 and the groove 102 respectively, the position of the round rod 101 and the round post 103 is 25 fixed.

In the aforesaid seal, i.e. Japanese Patent No. 1077810, the round rod and the round post are fixed in position by means of a leaf spring. Since the assembling tolerance between the round rod 30 and the round post is rigidly limited, and the depth of the groove thereof is also rigidly limited, the manufacturing cost thereof is rather high. Moreover, the quality control is also rather difficult to conduct because that the sample for quality control 35 has to be tested with an instrument instead of being inspected with the human eye. Since the round rod and the round post can not be tested before being assembled together, the quality control thereof would not be reliable. Therefore, the 40 manufacturers usually admit that there are 3% to 5% of products having defects such as being unable to assemble together properly.

In view of the aforesaid drawbacks, the inventor has, through endeavoured studies, developed a 45 new seal, the present invention, of which the assembling tolerance required is much wider than the aforesaid seal; therefore, the manufacturing and the quality control may be conducted easily to lower the manufacturing cost thereof. Since the 50 quality control for the products according to the present invention can be simply conducted with human eyes, the quality of every piece thereof can be properly controlled, i.e. 100% of the products can be reliable and used.

55 An embodiment of this invention is described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings in which:

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a Patent No. 1077810, issued in Japan.

60 Figure 2 is a side and top views of the parts in the present invention.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the semi-spheri-cal member in the present invention.

Figure 4 is exploded view of the parts to be as-65 sembled in the hollow cylinder of the present invention.

Figure 5 shows the first step in using the present invention.

Figure 6 shows the second step in using the present invention.

Figure 7 shows the third step in using the present invention.

Figure 8 shows the fourth step in using the present invention.

Figure 9 shows a steel cable being used in the present invention.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown an exploded view of the present invention, which comprises a hollow cylinder 201 having hole 2011 on the top for receiving a round rod 206. The inner top portion of the hollow cylinder 201 is formed into an arcuate shape for receiving a semi-spheri-cal member 302 that includes two 1/2 semi-spheri-cal members 202 and a spring clip 301 (shown in Figure 3). The center of the semi-spherical member 302 has a through hole 3021; the spring clip 301 is to be mounted in the groove 2021 so as to make the semi-spherical member 302 expansible, i.e. upon a force applied to the member 302 being higher than the tension force of the spring clip 301, the member 302 will be opened or separated slightly, i.e. the through hole 3021 becoming larger; the present invention fur further comprises a spring seat 203 and a return spring 204, a fixing seat 205 for closing the bottom opening of the hollow cylinder 201; a round rod 206 of which the outer diameter of the front end 2061 is smaller than the inner diameter of the hole 2031 in the spring seat 203, but is larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 3021 of the member 302. The outer diameter of the smallest portion 2062 of the round rod 206 is smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole 3021 in the member 302. The tail end of the round rod 206 is furnished with a round flat head 2063 for handling convenience.

Figure 4 illustrates the assembling sequence of the parts according to the present invention, in which the semi-spherical member 302, the spring seat 203, and the return spring 204 may be assembled into the hollow cylinder 201 in sequence;

then, let the fixing seat 205 be mounted, with a punching method, at the bottom of the hollow cylinder 201 to complete the assembling work; the top portion of the member 302 is suitably fitted in the arcuate top portion of the hollow cylinder 201. In order to minimize friction coefficient between the semi-spherical member 302 and the spring seal 203, the member 302 may be made of metallurgical powder metal, while the spring seat 203 may be made of plastic material.

Upon the round rod 206 being thrusted into the hollow cylinder 201, it can not pass through the hole in the semi-spherical member 302 immediately as shown in Figure 5 because of the outer diameter of the front end 2061 is bigger than the inner diameter of the through hole 3021; as a result, the member 302 will be pressed downwards. Upon the tension force of the reutrn spring 204 being increased, the reactive force applied to the round rod 206 will also be increased; as soon as

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GB 2 175 255 A

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the reactive force becomes greater than the tension force of the spring clip 301, the front end 2061 of the round rod 206 will slidably pass through the hole 3021 in the member 302 as shown in Figure 6.

5 After the front end 2061 passing through the hole of the member 302, the semi-spherical member (302) will restore its original shape, and the through hole 3021 will retain the smallest portion 2062 of the rod 206 therein as shown in Figure 7. 10 In that case, the return spring 204 will push the member 302 up to the top of the hollow cylinder 201, and the assembling work is completed as shown in Figure 8. Since the upper portion of semi-spherical member 302 is exactly fitted in the 15 arcuate top portion of the hollow cylinder 201, the two halves of the member 302 will be pushed together towards the center tightly upon being pulled upwards; in other words, as long as the outer diameter of the front end of the round rod 20 206 is slightly bigger than the diameter of the through hole 3021, the seal mechanism will be maintained in a normal operation condition.

Since the quality control of the present invention can conducted with human eyes, the quality con-25 trol can be conducted simply and easily. Since the tolerance between parts is higher than that of the conventional seal mechanism (i.e., it is merely to have the outer diameter of the front end of the round rod being bigger than the inner diameter of 30 the hole in the member 302), it can be manufactured easily and simply, and can be functioned 100% after being assembled; therefore, its manufacturing cost is low in terms of economical point of view.

35 Figure 9 illustrates that a steel cable 901 may be mounted in the present invention; one end of the steel cable 901 is fixed on the tail end (i.e., the fixing seat) of the hollow cylinder, while the other end thereof is fixed to the round rod 206. By 40 means of proper arrangement between the round rod 206 and the hollow cylinder 201, the sealing work can be done properly.

Summing up the aforesaid facts, it is deemed that the present invention has the features of nov-45 elty, practicality, and economay in comparison with the conventional seals.

The semi-spherical member 302 may be made of plastic material by moulding integrally as shown in Figure 1 so as to lower the manufacturing cost.

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Claims

1. A new seal mechanism comprising:

a hollow cylinder, of which the top is furnished 55 with a hole for a rod to pass through, and the inner top portion of said cylinder is formed into an arcuate space, while the bottom of said cylinder is an opening so as to assemble all the parts therein; a semi-spherical member, which includes two 60 halves of said semi-spherical member, having a center hole and a groove nearing the flat end of said member so as to mount a spring clip therein; then, said two halves of said semi-spherical members may be opened or closed flexibly; 65 a spring seat and a return spring;

a fixing seat; and a round rod, of which the outer diameter of the front end is bigger than the inner diameter of said semi-spherical member; and the smallest portion 70 of said semi-spherical member is to be retained in the hole of said semi-spherical member firmly without separation therefrom; and the tail end of said round rod is furnished with a round flat head so as to facilitate the sealing operation; and 75 the features of said new seal mechanism are that:

all the parts such as said semi-spherical member, said spring seat, said spring are to be mounted in said hollow cylinder in a proper spqu-80 ence; and said fixing seat is pressed and fixed to the bottom portion of said hollow cylinder; and the top portion of said semi-spherical member has the same arcuate shape as the inner top portion of said hollow cylinder; and said round rod can pass 85 through the hole in said semi-spherical member only when the reactive force applied to said round rod becomes greater than the tension force of said spring clip; then, the smallest portion of said round rod will be retained in the hole of said semi-90 spherical member without being pulled out because of the top portion of said semi-spherical member will tightly be fitted into the top portion of said hollow cylinder.

2. A new seal mechanism as claimed in Claim 95 1, wherein a steel cable may be mounted by fixing one end thereof to said fixing seat and the other end to said round rod.

3. A new seal mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said semi-spherical member is made of a

100 plastic material into one piece with opening on its peripheral edge so as to vary the size of the central hole is said member upon the said member being opened or closed.

Printed in the UK for HMSO, D8818935, 10/86, 7102.

Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London,

WC2A 1AY, from which copies may be obtained.