A SEALING ARRANGEMENT FOR GARMENTS
20180279695 ยท 2018-10-04
Inventors
Cpc classification
B63B34/26
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B63C2011/043
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A62B17/006
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
Abstract
The present inventive concept relates to a sealing arrangement for garments to sealingly connect an annular layer and a wearable layer to the sealing arrangement. The sealing arrangement comprises a sealing device and a reinforcement clip. The sealing device comprises an annular sealing body and an annular base, the latter having inner and outer annular wall portions at least partly defining a recess in the annular base. The sealing device comprises an annular sealing surface for circumferentially and sealingly connecting the annular layer to the annular base, and the annular sealing body is adapted to be locked into the recess to circumferentially and sealingly connect the wearable layer between the annular base and the annular sealing body. The reinforcement clip comprises a sealing device locking portion arranged at a first end portion of the reinforcement clip and arranged to be locked to at least one of the inner and outer annular wall portions, a counter acting portion arranged at a second end portion of the reinforcement clip, which is configured to, in use, counter act a relative movement of the outer and inner annular wall portions whereby the risk of the annular sealing body to be released from the recess is reduced.
Claims
1. A sealing arrangement for garments to sealingly connect an annular layer and a wearable layer to said sealing arrangement, said sealing arrangement comprises a sealing device and a reinforcement clip, said sealing device comprising an annular sealing body and an annular base, said annular base comprising: an inner annular wall portion, an outer annular wall portion extending circumferentially around said inner annular wall portion, a recess at least partly defined by said inner and outer annular wall portions, and an annular sealing surface for circumferentially and sealingly connecting said annular layer to said annular base; said annular sealing body being adapted to be locked into said recess to circumferentially and sealingly connect said wearable layer between said annular base and said annular sealing body; said reinforcement clip comprising a sealing device locking portion arranged at a first end portion of said reinforcement clip, a counter acting portion arranged at a second end portion of said reinforcement clip, and a connecting portion connecting said sealing device locking portion and said counter acting portion; wherein said sealing device locking portion is arranged to be locked to at least one of said inner annular wall portion and said outer annular wall portion of said sealing device and said counter acting portion is configured to, in use, counter act a relative movement of the outer and inner annular wall portions whereby the risk of said annular sealing body to be released from said recess is reduced, wherein said counter acting portion comprises a base sub portion connected to said connecting portion, and a main protruding portion extending from said base sub portion at least partly in the same direction as said connecting portion, thereby forming a main reinforcement clip recess defined by at least a part of said connecting portion, at least a part of said base sub portion and at least a part of said main protruding portion.
2. A sealing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said inner annular wall portion and said outer annular wall portion of said sealing device comprises a reinforcement clip-locking portion arranged to lock against said sealing device locking portion.
3. A sealing arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said reinforcement clip-locking portion is formed as an indentation, and said sealing device locking portion is formed as a protrusion, and wherein said protrusion is arranged to be snap-locked into said indentation.
4. (canceled)
5. A sealing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said main protruding portion is a first protruding portion and said main reinforcement clip recess is a first reinforcement clip recess, and wherein said counter holding portion comprises a second protruding portion extending from said base sub portion at least partly in the same direction as said connecting portion, thereby forming a second reinforcement clip recess defined by at least a part of said base sub portion, at least a part of said first protruding portion and at least a part of said second protruding portion.
6. A sealing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said counter acting portion comprises a protrusion and both of said inner annular and outer annular wall portions comprise an indentation, and wherein said protrusion of said counter acting portion is arranged to be snap-locked into one of said indentation.
7. A sealing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said inner annular wall portion and said outer annular wall portion is provided with a plurality of sections in the circumferential direction, each section having a stiffness different from a stiffness of a neighbouring section.
8. A sealing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said annular sealing surface is arranged in any one of the following: said inner annular wall portion, said outer annular wall portion, an annular flange connected to said outer annular wall portion, for circumferentially and sealingly connecting said annular layer by at least one of the following: adhesive means, welding, moulding, casting, laces.
9. A sealing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said annular sealing surface is arranged in said recess, and wherein said annular sealing body is adapted to be locked into said recess to circumferentially and sealingly connect said annular layer between said annular sealing surface and said annular sealing body.
10. A reinforcement clip for a sealing device having an annular base with an inner annular wall portion, an outer annular wall portion extending circumferentially around the inner annular wall portion, and a recess at least partly defined by the inner annular wall portion and the outer annular wall portion, the sealing device being arranged to sealingly connect an annular layer and a wearable garment layer in the recess by an annular sealing body adapted to be locked into the recess, said reinforcement clip comprising: a sealing device locking portion arranged at a first end portion of said reinforcement clip; a counter acting portion arranged at a second end portion of said reinforcement clip; and a connecting portion connecting said sealing device locking portion and said counter acting portion wherein said sealing device locking portion is arranged to be locked to at least one of the inner annular wall portion and the outer annular wall portion of the sealing device, and said counter acting portion is configured to, in use, counter act a relative movement of the outer and inner annular wall portions whereby the risk of the annular sealing body to be released from the recess is reduced, wherein said counter acting portion comprises a base sub portion connected to said connecting portion, and a main protruding portion extending from said base sub portion at least partly in the same direction as said connecting portion, thereby forming a main reinforcement clip recess defined by at least a part of said connecting portion, at least a part of said base sub portion and at least a part of said main protruding portion.
11. A reinforcement clip according to claim 10, wherein said sealing device locking portion is formed as a protrusion, and wherein said protrusion is arranged to be snap-locked into an indentation in at least one of the inner annular wall portion and outer annular wall portion of the sealing device.
12. (canceled)
13. A reinforcement clip according to claim 10, wherein said main protruding portion is a first protruding portion and said main reinforcement clip recess is a first reinforcement clip recess, and wherein said counter acting portion comprises a second protruding portion extending from said base sub portion at least partly in the same direction as said connecting portion, thereby forming a second reinforcement clip recess defined by at least a part of said base sub portion, at least a part of said first protruding portion and at least a part of said second protruding portion.
14. A reinforcement clip according to claim 10, wherein said counter acting portion comprises a protrusion and wherein said protrusion is arranged to be snap-locked into an indentation in the inner annular wall portion of the sealing device.
15. A reinforcement clip according to claim 10, wherein said sealing device locking portion comprises a surface configured to, in use, face at least a part of at least one of the inner annular wall portion and the outer annular wall portion of the sealing device, and wherein said surface has an area larger than a cross sectional area of said connecting portion.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0087] The present inventive concept will now be described in more detail, with reference to the illustrative and non-limiting appended drawings showing example embodiments of the inventive concept, wherein:
[0088]
[0089]
[0090]
[0091]
[0092]
[0093]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0094] The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present inventive concept, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of example embodiments of the present inventive concept, with reference to the appended drawings where the same reference numerals will be used for similar elements.
[0095]
[0096] First, the sealing device 100 will be described with reference to
[0097]
[0098] It should be understood that the sealing device 100, e.g. the annular base 110 and its related parts, e.g. the annular wall portions 112, 114, have an extension in the circumferential direction, i.e. in a direction around a periphery of the annular base 110, and an extension in the radial direction, i.e. in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction and directing from the inner annular wall portion 112 towards the outer annular wall portion 114. In other words, the sealing device 100, and the annular base 110 and the annular sealing body 160, may be described with cylindrical coordinates (, , z), the circumferential direction corresponding to the direction of the angle of the angular coordinate , the radial direction corresponding to a direction of the radial distance , and the direction perpendicular to both the circumferential direction and the radial direction corresponding to a direction of the height z.
[0099] In
[0100] An annular flange 120 in
[0101]
[0102] As shown in
[0103] In
[0104] According to at least one example embodiment, the reinforcement clip 200 comprises only the first protruding portion 226 and the first reinforcement clip recess 240, and not the second protruding portion 228 and the second reinforcement clip recess 242. The first protruding portion 226 may thus be referred to as a main protruding portion 226 and the first reinforcement clip recess 240 may be referred to as a main reinforcement clip recess 240.
[0105] It should be understood that the reinforcement clip 200 and its related portions may be described in a Cartesian coordinate system, i.e. in a coordinate system having x-, y- and z-coordinates. Thus, the reinforcement clip may be described as having an extension in the z-direction, i.e. in a direction from the sealing device locking portion 210 towards the counter acting portion 220 (in other words the length of the reinforcement clip 200), and an extension in the x-direction, i.e. in a direction from the connecting portion 230 towards the first and the second protruding portions 226, 228 (in other words the depth of the reinforcement clip 200), and an extension in the y-direction, i.e. in a direction being perpendicular to both the z- and x-directions (in other words the width of the reinforcement clip 200). When the reinforcement clip 200 is attached to the sealing device 100 (as shown in
[0106] Thus, the connecting portion 230, the first and the second protruding portions 226, 228 can be described as having a main extension in the z-direction, while the base sup portion 224 can be described as having a main extension in the x-direction. The width of the reinforcement clip 200, i.e. its extension in the y-direction is preferably uniform.
[0107] As illustrated in
[0108] The function of the sealing arrangement 1 comprising the sealing device 100 and the reinforcement clip 200 will now be described in detail with reference to
[0109] As explained above, the sealing device 100 comprises an annular sealing body 160 which is adapted to be locked into the recess 130 to circumferentially and sealingly connect the wearable layer 105 between the annular base 110 and the annular sealing body 160. The size and dimension of a cross section in the radial direction of the recess 130 corresponds largely to the size and dimension of a cross section in the radial direction of the annular sealing body 160. In the unassembled condition, the size and dimension of the recess 130 may be somewhat smaller compared to the size and dimension of the annular sealing body 160. As the annular base 110 preferable is made of a flexible material, e.g. by a plastic such as polyurethane or rubber or silicone, the size and dimension of the recess 130 may be expanded as the annular sealing body 160 is pressed into the recess 130. Thus, in the assembled condition, at least the inner annular wall portion 112 and the outer annular wall portion 114 exerts a pressure on the annular sealing body 160, via the wearable layer 105, in such a way that the wearable layer 105 is sealingly secured between the annular sealing body 160 and the recess 130, as the annular sealing body 160 is locked into the recess 130. In other words, an internal surface of (or the inside of) each of the inner annular wall portion 112 and the outer annular wall portion 114 exerts a pressure on the annular sealing body 160, via the wearable layer 105, in order to secure the wearable layer 105 between the annular base 110 and the annular sealing body 160.
[0110] The pressure of which the at least the inner annular wall portion 112 and the outer annular wall portion 114 exerts on the annular sealing body 160 is related to the stiffness of the sections. As illustrated in
[0111] The function of the reinforcement clip 200 will now be described in more detail with reference to
[0112] As the connecting portion 230 of the reinforcement clip 200 extends from the sealing device locking portion 210 along the outer annular wall portion 112, a portion of the counter acting portion 220 (such as the base sub portion 224 of the counter acting portion 220) is allowed to extend in the radial direction towards a centreline of the sealing device 100. Hereby a portion of the counter acting portion 220 (such as the first and/or the second protruding portion 226, 228) can extend into the recess 130 and thereby be secured by the inner surfaces of the inner and outer annular wall portions 112, 114. Thus, by having the sealing device locking portion 210 locked to the sealing device 110, the counter acting portion 220 being secured in the recess 130 may counter act a relative movement of the outer and inner annular wall portions 112, 114. Hereby the risk of the annular sealing body 160 to be released from the recess 130 is reduced.
[0113] As can be seen in
[0114] The second protruding portion 228, a top orifice of the second reinforcement clip recess 242, and the first protruding portion 226 is, in use (as seen in
[0115] The first and second protruding portions 226, 228 is, in use (as seen in
[0116] Thus, the reinforcement clip 200 reduces the risk of the annular sealing body 160 to creep out of the recess 130, e.g. by reducing the risk of a relative movement of the annular inner and outer wall portions 112, 114 (which otherwise would cause the recess to be enlarged), when the sealing arrangement 1 is subject to an external force.
[0117] As also illustrated in
[0118] As shown in both
[0119] The annular sealing body 160 may be released from the recess 130 when no reinforcement clip 200 is locked to the sealing device 100 by gripping a strengthening portion connecting at least the sections of the first type section 150. The user may grip and bend the strengthening portion in the radial direction such that the recess 130 is enlarged and the annular sealing body 160 may be released from the recess 130. This may be desirable when the wearable layer 105 being sealingly connected to the annular base 110 by the annular sealing body 160 is to be removed and/or replaced.
[0120] In
[0121] In
[0122] The sealing device 1101 in
[0123] Similar to the sealing device 100 in
[0124] The reinforcement clip 1200 of the sealing arrangement 1001 in
[0125] The function of the reinforcement clip 1200 in
[0126]
[0127] For the neck portion 303, the sealing arrangement 301 may sealingly and circumferentially connect the neck portion 303 around its periphery by means of e.g. adhesive, welding means, moulding means, casting means, laces or the like, to a neck seal 305. The neck seal 305 being circumferentially and sealingly connected to the sealing arrangement 301 as previously described. Similarly, the waistline 503 and a waistline seal 505, or a pair of pants 505, are sealingly and circumferentially connected to the sealing arrangement 501 around its periphery by means of e.g. adhesive, welding means, moulding means, casting means, laces or by being locked into a recess of the sealing device by an annular sealing body as previously described. The sealing arrangement 401 may circumferentially and sealingly connect the cuffs of the arms 403 to e.g. hand seals 405 or gloves 405, and the wrist of the pants 403 to e.g. a boot 405, to the sealing arrangement 401 by means previously described.
[0128] It should be noted that the sealing arrangements 1, 1001 presented here is specifically suited for an easy removal and replacement of the layer being locked into the recess 130, 1130 by the annular sealing body 160, 1160. Hence, if the wearable layer 105, 1105, for some reason are broken or dysfunctional, the wearable layer 105, 1105, may easily be replaced by removing the annular sealing body 160, 1160 and realising the wearable layer 105, 1105 and replacing it with a new layer 105, 1105.
[0129] The person skilled in the art realizes that the present inventive concept by no means is limited to the embodiments described above. For example, other distributions of the sections, other locking means for the annular sealing body, and other shapes and orientations of the annular flange than presented here are applicable and the sealing device may be used for other purposes than those explicitly mentioned here. Furthermore, other shapes and orientations of the reinforcement clip, and/or other directions of which the reinforcement clip locks to the sealing device are with the scope of the present inventive concept.