Sealing system for food applications

#This application claims priority to Italian patent application no. 102018000004906 filed on Apr. 27, 2018, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.

#The present invention relates to a sealing system for food applications, particularly a system for sealing between mechanical components clamped to a machine frame. More particularly, the shape that has been developed makes it possible to avoid cracks in the rubber of the seal, on the outer perimeter of the clamped element, thus preventing the formation of bacteria traps.

#As is known, in the food and beverages (known simply as F&B, from the English “Food and Beverages”) industry, there is increasing interest in the development of new machinery and designs for machinery intended to improve the safety and quality of food. One of the guidelines written by an engineering design group called the European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG) shows how the conventional O-ring or rubber seal commonly used on the market is a risk in the food sector, because of the possibility of creating cracks or small cavities which are completely impossible to clean, and which consequently allow bacterial growth inside them.

#The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which show some non-limiting examples of the sealing system for food applications, in which:

#FIG. 1 shows, in a top view, a cross section and associated details, a three-bolt flanged element, forming part of a first embodiment of the invention,

#FIG. 2 shows, in a top view, a cross section and associated details, a square flanged element, forming part of a second embodiment of the invention,

#Referring now to the figures, some housing elements forming part of the sealing system according to the invention are described below purely by way of example. These housing elements are used in food applications for being clamped against a machine frame and, together with an innovative rubber seal, shape the sealing system according to the present invention.

#The idea for a solution on which the present invention is based arises from the analysis of the behavior of the rubber sealing system produced according to the suggestions of the EHEDG working group, that is to say a seal to be placed on the whole base perimeter of the housing element. In fact, it is evident from this analysis that, although the “standard” rubber profile behaves as predicted in the less “stressed” area, that is to say at a certain distance from the mounting bolts, the rubber profile is, on the contrary, excessively deformed at the position of the clamping bolts.

#The idea for a solution is therefore that of implementing a special rubber profile which is not constant along the whole perimeter of the housing element, by defining the most stressed areas for each embodiment of the invention and consequently the cross section of the rubber and implementing a transition between two different rubber section profiles.