US 4,441,278 AGranted

Mounting for endless sealing strips

AssigneeThe Presray Corporation

InventorGeorge H. Covey, III

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Abstract

The disclosure relates to an assembly of a closure element, such as a door, and a continuous, endless inflatable seal. An advantageous arrangement provided for effectively continuous support of the seal without requiring clamps or the like. The seal has a mounting or base flange which is continuous, except for a limited notch. The base flange is received in a mounting slot or groove, which is also continuous except for a notch of limited length. The endless seal is installed by initially inserting the base flange into the retainer groove, in the area of the notches, and sliding the endless seal member lengthwise into the retaining slot until the entire base flange is contained within the slot. Continuous mounting support is thus provided, except in the limited area of the notches, providing for a mounting of superior strength and reliability.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A sealable closure, comprising

(a) a closure member having a substantially flat surface,
(b) an endless, continuous, elongated flexible sealing strip having a uniform, generally I-shaped cross section, with broad base and top portions interconnected by a neck having a narrow width, relative to said base and top portions,
(c) a continuous groove in said flat surface of the same length as the strip,
(d) two continuous fins, running on either side of and overhanging the bottom of said groove,
(e) said fins dividing said groove into a continuous inner channel and a continuous outer channel, separated by a throat, having a narrow width relative to the width of each of said inner and outer channels,
(f) the base portion and the neck of said strip being proportioned to fit closely but slidingly within said inner channel and said throat, respectively, of said groove,
(g) said continuous fins being arranged and configured to form an entrance slot-forming notch of limited length where said throat is wider than the base portion of said sealing strip,
(h) the base portion of said strip being formed to include a finite section of reduced width relative to the remaining sections of the base portion where the base portion is narrower than said throat,
(i) the notch being adapted to receive the base portion of said continuous strip, whereby the sealing strip may be inserted into the groove by initially placing the finite section of the base portion into the entrance slot-forming notch, sliding the base portion under the fins and into the inner channel, and sliding the sealing strip along the groove.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.