Method and apparatus for blocking the escape of fuel vapors from a fuel tank
OwnerJack Cheninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A grommet for sealing the wires extending through the wall of a fuel tank is formed by first removing a portion of the covering exposing the strands of wires within. A liquid sealing agent is applied to the strands and the strands are compressed to displace the strands. A hardener is then applied and then the strands are encapsulated in the body of the grommet.
Claims11
A method of making a grommet for hermetically sealing a plurality of wires extending from a first end of said grommet to a second end of said grommet wherein one of said plurality of wires is made up of a plurality of strands configured into a bundle, said method comprising the steps of
- removing said cover from a portion of said one of said wires exposing said strands,
- applying a liquefied sealing agent to an outer portion of said bundle of strands of said one of said wires,
- compressing said bundle of strands of said one of said wires between a pair of opposing parallel surfaces wherein said parallel surfaces are generally parallel to said one of said wires, and applying a force across said opposing surfaces to displace said strands with respect to one another,
- moving one of said opposing surfaces in a linear direction parallel to a second of said surfaces and perpendicular to the axial length of said strands to displace said strands wherein a surface of all said strands becomes wetted,
- thereafter removing said strands from said opposing parallel surfaces wherein said strands are allowed to at least partially reposition, and
- thereafter encapsulating said portion of said one of said wires in a hermetically sealed body of said grommet.
A method of making a grommet for hermetically sealing a plurality of covered wires extending from a first end of said grommet to a second end of said grommet wherein one of said plurality of wires is made up of a plurality of strands, said method comprising the steps of
- removing said cover from a portion of said one of said wires exposing said strands,
- applying a liquefied polymer to said exposed strands of said one of said wires,
- compressing said strands of said one of said wires between a pair of spaced apart parallel surfaces wherein said spaced apart parallel surfaces are generally parallel to said one of said wires,
- applying an external force to said spaced apart parallel surfaces to displace said strands with respect to one another,
- moving one of said surfaces in a linear direction parallel to a second of said parallel surfaces and perpendicular to the axial length of said strands to displace said strands wherein a surface of all of said individual strands become coated with said liquefied polymer,
- removing said strands of said one of said wires from between said spaced apart parallel surfaces wherein said strands are allowed to at least partially reposition,
- heating said strands to cause said liquefied polymer to harden, and
- encapsulating said portion of said one of said wires in a hermetically sealed body of said grommet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.