KR102380958B1 - Apparatus and method for forming a sealing portion in a conduit member - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and method for forming a sealing portion on a conduit member for use in a connection to another conduit member, wherein a connection between the conduit members is substantially sealed to prevent leakage of air in an air management system.

Description

Apparatus and method for forming a sealing portion in a conduit member

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for creating a sealing portion in a conduit member.

In general, conduit workpieces are commonly used in forced air heating and air conditioning systems for buildings and the like, which provide a distribution system from a furnace and/or air conditioning system to various areas of a building. Conduit workpieces are generally formed from cylindrical tubing that extend to various parts of a building or the like. Conduit members include elbows, reducers/increases, angles, connectors, tees, Y steels ( wye) and other special sections. Typically, such conduits include a cylindrical portion or length of a cylindrical flow-through outlet that is coupled to another conduit member inlet opening. In such conduit members, air loss may occur at the connections between the conduit members. As air is circulated through the conduit system, the air is dissipated through the connections, which in turn causes a loss of energy and thus creates an inefficient system. Sealing the connections between conduits increases the efficiency of HVAC systems and conserves energy, which is highly desirable. The sealing of the connection between such conduit members is generally performed after installation, for example using tape or mastic at the connection, which, although helpful in preventing air leakage, is not particularly effective and Increases installation cost. Attempts have been made to seal connections between conduit members, such as using a rubber type seal that is mounted in a groove positioned near the end of the conduit member connection portion, but the use of a rubber type seal reduces the cost of this additional member. , and its installation is required. Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and method for the automated manufacturing of a sealing portion in a conduit, which allows the connection between the conduit members to be sealed in a simplified manner.

Accordingly, the present invention, in one aspect, relates to an apparatus for forming a sealing portion on a conduit member for use in an air management system. Such an apparatus includes at least one work station configured to receive a workpiece piece. The forming assembly is configured to form, in a predetermined manner, a sealing bead within the workpiece piece, adjacent the end of the conduit member. A forming assembly includes a forming member and at least one die member for forming in a workpiece piece a sealing bead that cooperates to seal and connect an end of the conduit member to another conduit member. A control system is provided for controlling operation of a forming assembly.

The present invention also relates to an automated method for manufacturing a sealing portion on a conduit member. The method includes placing an end of the workpiece piece at a first predetermined location within a high work station that provides the workpiece piece having a cylindrical end configuration. The clamping system includes a first clamp for securing the workpiece piece in a first predetermined position, and a forming assembly including a turning head is coupled to the inner side of the workpiece piece end section. The rotating head may include a plurality of sealing beads that include a forming wheel that produces at least one sealing bead for sealing with the inner diameter of the other conduit member, the radius of which increases away from the end of the workpiece piece. The clamp is then opened to release the workpiece piece.

These and other features of the claimed invention, as well as details of the illustrated examples, may be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

1 is a plan view of a conduit member having an end portion as formed in accordance with an example of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the conduit member taken along line AA of FIG. 1 ;
3 is a top view of a forming machine according to an example for producing a sealing portion in the conduit member of FIG. 1 ;
4 is a partial top view of an example of the apparatus of FIG. 3, showing operation of the forming cassette and wheel of the exemplary machine;
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4 ;

Referring now to the drawings, an example of the present invention is directed to producing a sealing portion 20 in connection with a conduit member 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , wherein the conduit member 10 comprises a cylindrical tube ( 12) is formed. The conduit member 10 includes an end 11 having an opening 12 and a sealing portion 20 adjacent thereto, configured for coupling with other conduit members in the conduit system. The sealing end 20 helps connect the conduit member 10 to another conduit member in a manner that seals the connections between the conduit members. By way of example, the tubular sealing portion 20 of the conduit member 10 is manipulated by the apparatus and method of the present invention. The opening 12 and sealing portion 20 are designed to have a predetermined diameter for use in the apparatus and method of the present invention, although any suitable specific dimensional characteristics of the workpiece piece may be accommodated. The sealing portion 20 includes a series of sealing beads extending from an adjacent opening 12 to a spaced distance at the end 11 . In this example, the sealing bead configuration includes a first sealing bead 14 adjacent the opening 12 having a first radius from the center of the tube or member 10 . A second sealing bead 15 is disposed a short distance from the bead 14 and may have a radius similar to or slightly larger than the sealing bead 14 . A third sealing bead 16 is disposed on the sealing portion 20 at a greater distance from the sealing bead 15 and has a larger radius than the sealing bead 15 . A fourth bead 17 is disposed a short distance from the sealing bead 16 and has a slightly larger radius than the bead 16 . In the example, bead 17 serves as a stop bead to prevent further conduit members from moving further onto sealing end 20 . The at least one sealing bead 14 - 17 is dimensioned to engage in a sealing manner with the interior portion of the other conduit member. In this example, the sealing bead configuration allows the sealing portion 20 to be inserted into another conduit member, with the beads 14 and 15 first engaging the other conduit member to center that other conduit member on the sealing portion 20 . to be centered on As the additional conduit member is pushed onto the sealing portion 20 , the inner surface is then continuously joined by at least a sealing bead 16 and is tightly sealed with respect to the other conduit member to substantially prevent leakage of air. to prevent The stop bead 17 prevents further movement of the other conduit member onto the sealing portion 20 of the conduit member 10 .

The apparatus and method of the present invention may be operable to take the conduit member 10 and automatically create the sealing portion 20 within the conduit member 10 and create the final desired shape, which may require operator intervention. This can be done without it.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-5 , an example of an apparatus 50 for forming a sealing portion 20 is shown. The forming apparatus 50 includes a work piece nest 52 having a circular opening or channel 53 for receiving a workpiece piece or end portion 20 of the conduit member 10 . Nest 52 and associated structures may be provided, for example, on a stand for placing nest 52 at a standing working height. The forming machine 50 is activated by the operator after placing the workpiece piece 10 into the channel 53 of the nest 52 . An end 11 of the conduit member 10 rests on a support surface within the nest 52 at an appropriate height relative to the forming assembly 54 positioned within the nest 52 . First and second forming plates 56 having a die portion 57 formed therein are provided on opposite sides of the nest 52 . An actuator 58 moves the top slide plate 60 along the forming plate 56 towards and into contact with the conduit member 10 , thereby displacing the member 10 into the forming plates 56 . Clamp into position between As described below, the forming assembly 54 is rotated to form a sealing bead configuration on the sealing portion 20 of the conduit member 10 as shown in FIG. 1 . Upon activation, machine 50 automatically forms the desired sealing bead configuration in end portion 20 . The die 57 in this example is provided within the forming plate 56 , although other suitable configurations for forming a seal bead configuration on the end portion 20 are contemplated.

As can be seen in FIG. 4 , the forming assembly 54 may include a rotating bead 62 having a cassette 64 mounted therein. Cassette 64 carries forming wheels or rollers 66 that can be moved into engagement with workpiece piece 10 , for example, by cam bias of cassette 64 . The die portion 57 in the forming plate 56 cooperates with the rollers 66 to push the material of the conduit member 10 into the die portion 57 and form sealing beads 14 to 17 in the end portion 20 . provides a home or channel to As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the drive shaft causes rotation of the rotating bead 62 , and also transmits a drive to the cam interface engaged with the cassette 64 , and the conduit member 10 and The forming roller 66 is deployed to engage. The structure and operation of the forming assembly 54 and the rotating head 62 may be similar to those described, for example, in Patent Cooperation Treaty Application PCT/US 17/037451, or in US Pat. Nos. 9,561,536 and 7,096,585, which are incorporated herein by reference. can The rotating head 62 can be rotated with the rollers 66 extending from the head 62 upon movement of the cassette 64 at a speed such that the forming operation can be accomplished very quickly.

In this example, cassette 64 carries rollers 66 at each end. The cassette 64 is inserted into a slot on the rotating head 62 and controlled by a drive to move the roller 66 into engagement with the inner surface of the conduit member 10, thereby moving the material to the forming plate 56 to a predetermined dimension. ) into the die 57 in the In this example, at least one first sealing bead 14 - 17 is formed proximate the opening 12 , and at least one second sealing bead 14 - 17 is spaced apart from the opening 12 . The at least one first sealing bead 14-17 has a first dimension with respect to the distance it protrudes from the surface of the conduit member 10, while the at least one second sealing bead 14-17 has a conduit member ( 10) has a second dimension in relation to the distance it protrudes from the surface. The second dimension is larger than the first dimension and corresponds to the inner diameter of the conduit member 10 . In an example, the second dimension is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the conduit member 10 , and is slightly deformed by the engagement of the sealing bead and the inner diameter of the conduit member when inserting the end portion 20 into the conduit member 10 , the inner diameter with a tight seal. In this example, a stop bead 17 is also provided which is dimensioned to prevent further movement of another conduit member being bonded onto the sealing end 20 of the conduit member 10 . A stop bead 17 is disposed adjacent the sealing member 16 , which engages and seals the conduit member 10 against the inner surface of the adjacent conduit member attached to the sealing end 20 .

Machine 50 may include safety features, such as component sensors, safety guards, foot pedal operation, or the like to permit operation of machine 50 only when a component is mounted within channel 53 . . Deactivation of the forming assembly may be initiated by a kill switch, or other safety mechanisms such as a dual activation switch may be used. The control system may enable adjustment of machine motion, for example changing the dimensions of sealing beads 14 - 17, control of clamping and unclamping of workpiece pieces in machine 50, or other functions. can do it

As can be seen in FIG. 5 , in this example for forming sealing beads 14 - 17 , roller 66 includes first through fourth beading portions 70 , 71 , 72 and 73 , while , die portion 57 is provided with first to fourth corresponding first to fourth beading portions 70 , 71 , 72 and 73 to form sealing beads 14 to 17 in end portion 20 . forming groove portions 74 , 75 , 76 and 77 . The first to fourth beading portions 70 , 71 , 72 and 73 allow the material of the end portion 20 to be deformed to a desired dimension into the first to fourth forming groove portions 74 , 75 , 76 and 77 . It is formed to allow it to be. As noted above, sealing beads 14 and 15 may have smaller dimensions than sealing beads 16 and 17 , and sealing beads 17 may have larger dimensions than other sealing beads. The movement of the cassette 64 can be adjusted to change the dimensions of the sealing beads 14-17 being formed, so that the user can control the specific workpiece piece used, different material thicknesses, or other parameters in the workpiece piece or motion. For this purpose, the sealing beads 14 to 17 may be finely adjusted.

While the foregoing description has been specifically provided with respect to specific examples of systems and methods, it is to be understood that the claimed invention is not limited thereby. Exemplary embodiments have been described above. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above-described devices and methods may include modifications and variations without departing from the overall scope of the claimed subject matter. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Also, to the extent that the term "comprises" is used in the specification or claims, such term, when used as a transitive word in a claim, is similar to the term "comprising" as "comprising" is to be construed. are intended to be inclusive in a manner that

Claims (28)

delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete An apparatus for forming a sealing portion in a conduit member, comprising:
at least one work station configured to receive an end of a first conduit member and form at least one sealing bead on the end of the first conduit member;
The at least one work station includes at least one elongated sealing bead within the first conduit member at a location adjacent the at least one end of the first conduit member at a distance from the at least one end of the first conduit member. a forming assembly for forming a, wherein the at least one sealing bead is formed to have an upper surface having a predetermined diameter for frictionally engaging an inner diameter of the second duct member at a spaced location adjacent an end of the second duct member. and substantially seals with the interior of the second duct when connected for use, thereby substantially preventing evacuation of air from the connection without further sealing the connection. 22. The method of claim 21,
wherein the at least one sealing bead is positioned adjacent an end of the first duct member having a first diameter for engaging and sealing the interior of the second duct member, the stop bead having an end of the first duct member to seal the interior of the second duct member. an apparatus having a diameter greater than an inner diameter of the second duct member and positioned spaced apart from the at least one sealing bead to prevent further penetration into the second duct member. 22. The method of claim 21,
wherein the forming assembly forms a plurality of sealing beads adjacent at least one end of the first conduit member. 24. The method of claim 23,
the diameter of at least one of the plurality of sealing beads increases as the distance from the at least one end of the first conduit member increases. delete 22. The method of claim 21,
and the forming assembly forms at least one stop bead spaced from an end of the first conduit member. A method of sealing a connection between a first conduit member and a second conduit member, comprising:
a) providing a first conduit member having a cylindrical configuration and at a location adjacent the first end of at least the first conduit member at a distance spaced apart from the at least first end of the first conduit member by a distance providing at least one sealing bead extending from the side;
b) providing a second conduit member having a cylindrical configuration and an end having a diameter capable of being inserted to overlap the first end of the first conduit member;
c) said at least one sealing bead is placed inside said second conduit member to substantially seal the connection portion between said first conduit member and said second conduit member such that air does not leak without further sealing of the connection portion. inserting the first end of the first conduit member onto the end of the second conduit member until frictionally engaged with the An apparatus for forming a sealing portion in a conduit member, comprising:
at least one work station configured to receive an end of a first conduit member and form a plurality of sealing beads on at least one end of the first conduit member;
The at least one working station includes a forming assembly for forming each of a plurality of seal beads spaced apart from each other, each seal bead spaced relative to an end of the first duct member and outwardly from a side of the first duct member. a die portion extending, wherein the outer diameter of at least one of the plurality of sealing beads increases as a distance from at least one end of the first duct member increases, each of the plurality of sealing beads corresponding to a material of the first duct member a die portion formed by at least one forming wheel moved in engagement with the first duct member for pushing therein, a die portion cooperating with the at least one forming wheel defining an outer surface of each sealing bead to have a predetermined diameter; wherein at least one of the sealing beads of the device has a diameter that, when connected for use, frictionally engages and substantially seals the interior of the second duct member, thereby substantially preventing escaping of air from the connection.

Images