GB2288624A

GB2288624A - Seals for oven doors

Info

Publication number: GB2288624A
Application number: GB9508122A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Italo Fioravanti
Original assignee: PRO TRADE DISTRIBUTORS CC
Current assignee: PRO TRADE DISTRIBUTORS CC
Priority date: 1994-04-21
Filing date: 1995-04-21
Publication date: 1995-10-25
Also published as: GB9508122D0; ZA953127B

Abstract

A seal assembly comprises a sealing member (12, Fig 1) which is fastened to a support structure by a plurality of fastening devices 14. The sealing member has a passage in which a tongue-like portion 30 of one of the fastening devices 14 is receivable. The sealing member has a hollow sealing portion deformably mounted above the passage. Each fastening device 14 comprises a formation 36 for attaching to a support and either a single (Fig 3) or a pair of tongue-like portions 30. Each tongue-like portion 30 carries an engaging means 32 thereon for retaining the tongue-like portion 30 in position in the passage of the sealing member. <IMAGE>

Description

s SEAL ASSEffLY AND COMPONENTS THEREFOR TEIS INVENTION relates to a seal assembly. The invention has particular application in a seal assembly for a household appliance, such as an oven. More particularly, the invention relates to constituent parts of a seal assembly and to a seal assembly including such parts.

The seal assembly, in accordance with the invention, is intended to provide a seal between a door and a support structure surrounding an opening of the household appliance to inhibit the escape of fluid therefrom.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided, a component for a seal assembly for a household appliance, the component including an elongate member of a resiliently flexible material which can be cut to the desired length, the elongate member comprising a receiving portion which defines a passage for receiving a fastening device and a sealing portion deformably arranged relative to the receiving portion.

Preferably, the component, when viewed end-on, is symmetrical.

The passage may be surrounded by sufficient thickness of material to inhibit tearing when a fastener is inserted into the passage. More particularly, the material surrounding the passage may be of sufficient thickness that it can be engaged by retaining formations of such fastener. Material of the receiving portion, on each side of the passage, may be at least half as thick as a width dimension of the passage.

The sealing portion may comprise a crown portion which can be compressed towards the receiving portion. The crown portion may be connected to the receiving portion by a longitudinally extending web to facilitate lateral deflection of the crown portion relative to the sealing portion. Preferably, the crown portion is hollow.

It will be appreciated that the component, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, provides a sealing member for the seal assembly. Thus, the component may be of a silicon-based material.

Accprding to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a fastening device for fastening a sealing member of a seal assembly in position on a support structure of a household appliance, the fastening device including a substantially planar tongue-like portion which is receivable in a passage of the sealing member; an engaging means carried on the tongue-like portion for engaging the sealing member to inhibit withdrawal of the tongue-like portion from the passage of the sealing member; and an attaching formation projecting from the tonguelike portion for attaching the sealing member, in use, to the support structure of the appliance.

In one embodiment of this aspect of the invention the fastening device may include a single tongue-like portion with the attaching formation being arranged at one end of the tongue-like portion, the attaching formation projecting at an angle towards an opposed end of the tongue-like portion.

In another embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the fastening device may include two tonguelike portions arranged at a predetermined angle relative to each other. Then, the attaching formation may be arranged at a junction between the tongue-like portions.

The angle at which the two tongue-like portions are arranged will be dependent on the shape and configuration of the opening in the household appliance which is closed off by the door. Conventionally, the angle may be approximately 900.

The engaging means may comprise at least one pair of barbs, a barb being arranged on each side of the tongue-like portion. Preferably, the engaging means comprises at least two pairs of barbs, the pairs of barbs being arranged in longitudinally spaced relationship along a length of the tongue-like portion.

Each barb may be defined by a pointed projection extending towards the attaching formation.

The attaching formation may be in the form of a hook-like projection.

The fastening device may be of a corrosion resistant material or, instead, may be coated with a corrosion resistant coating.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a seal assembly for a household appliance which includes a component as described above with reference to the first aspect of the invention; and a plurality of fastening devices, each as described above with reference to the second aspect of the invention.

The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a three dimensional view of a component, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, for a seal assembly for a household appliance; Figure 2 shows a three dimensional view of a fastening device, in accordance with one embodiment of a second aspect of the invention, for a seal assembly for a household appliance; Figure 3 shows a three dimensional view of a fastening device, in accordance with another embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, for a seal assembly; and Figure 4 shows a sectional plan view of part of a seal assembly for a household appliance.

Referring firstly to Figure 4 of the drawings, a seal assembly, in accordance with the invention, for a household appliance, particularly an oven, is illustrated and is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The assembly 10 comprises a component in the form of a sealing member 12 which is fastened to a support structure (not shown) surrounding an opening of the oven by a plurality of fastening devices 14 anS/or 16.

The sealing member 12, which is shown in greater detail in Figure 1 of the drawings, is symmetrical, in profile, about an axis 18 when viewed from an end of the sealing member 12. The sealing member 12 defines a passage 20 therein. The passage 20 is surrounded by material 22 of a predetermined thickness. Preferably, the thickness T (Figure 4) of the material 22 is at least half the width W of the passage 20 to inhibit tearing or rupturing of the material 22 when the fastening device 14, 16 is inserted into the passage 20, as will be described in greater detail below.

The sealing member 12, which is of a one-piece construction, has a hollow crown portion 24 mounted above that portion 26 defining the passage 20, the crown portion being secured to the portion 26 by a longitudinally extending web 28. It will be appreciated that, with this construction, the crown portion 24 can be compressed towards the portion 26 of the sealing member 12 and the crown portion 24 can also be deflected laterally with respect to the portion 26 to effect sealing, in use. Further, due to the fact that the sealing member 12 is symmetrical about the axis 18, ease of positioning of the sealing member 12 on the support structure of the oven is facilitated.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, the fastening devices 14 and 16 respectively, are described in greater detail. In all cases, the fastening devices 14 will be used but, in certain cases, in addition, the fastening devices 16 will be used. In the case where all four sides of a rectangular opening are to be sealed, four fastening devices 14 will be provided at the corners of the rectangular seal assembly so formed, as will be described in greater detail below.

In certain cases, however, only three sides of the opening need to be sealed. In this latter case, at each corner of the seal assembly formed, a fastening device 14 will be used, whereas at the free ends of the seal assembly, fastening devices 16 will be used.

Each fastening device 14 comprises a pair of tongue-like portions 30 whereas each fastening device 16 comprises a single tongue-like portion 30. The tonguelike portions 30 of the fastening devices 14, 16 are substantially planar and carry an engaging means 32 thereon for retaining the tongue-like portion 30 in position in the passage 20 of the sealing member 12.

Each engaging means 32 comprises a plurality of barbs 34. As illustrated, two such barbs 34 are defined on each side of each tongue-like portion 30. The barbs 34 face towards an attaching formation in the form of a hook-like projection 36. As illustrated, in the case of the fastening device 14, the hook-like projection 36 is provided at the junction between the tongue-like portions 30. In the case of the fastening device 16, the hook-like projection 36 is arranged at one end of the tongue-like projection 30.

An opposed end 38 of each tongue-like portion 30 of the fastening device 16 and a free end of each tongue-like portion 30 of the fastening device 14 is rounded to facilitate insertion thereof into the passage 20 of the sealing member 12.

In use, a length of sealing member 12 is provided and is cut to the desired length by making a cut 40 (Figure 4) at an angle of approximately 45 (where sealing members 12 are to be joined at right angles to each other). It is a particular advantage of the invention that the accuracy of the angle of the cut 40 is not critical in the formation of the seal assembly 10.

In the case of a four sided seal assembly 10, one tongue-like portion 30 of a fastening device 14 is inserted into the passage 20 of a length of sealing member 12 at the end having the cut 40. Another, similarly cut, length of sealing member 12 is then inserted over the other tongue-like portion 30 of the fastening device 14 so that their cut ends 40 abut in a substantially sealing manner. The same procedure is carried out in respect of each of the remaining corners of the seal assembly 10 to provide the four sided seal assembly 10.

In the case of a three sided assembly 10, the free ends (not shown) of the lengths of sealing member 12 have fastening devices 16 inserted into the passages 20.

With the arrangement of the barbs 34 on the tongue-like portions 30, withdrawal of the fastening devices 14, 16 from the passage 20 is inhibited. Also the thickness T of the material 22 surrounding the passage 20 of the sealing member 12 is sufficiently great to inhibit tearing of the sealing member 12 by the barbs 34.

It is an advantage of the invention that, with the provision of the sealing member 12 and the fastening devices 14, 16, a seal assembly 10 can be made for each household appliance of the type requiring a seal such as an oven and it is not necessary to keep dedicated seals for each type of oven on the market. Further, the seal assembly 10 can be formed without the need for any particular expertise or specialized tools.

Claims

1. A component for a seal assembly for a household appliance, the component including an elongate member of a resiliently flexible material which can be cut to the desired length, the elongate member comprising a receiving portion which defines a passage for receiving a fastening device and a sealing portion deformably arranged relative to the receiving portion.

2. The component as claimed in Claim 1 which, when viewed end-on, is symmetrical.

3. The component as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which material of the receiving portion, on each side of the passage, is at least half as thick as a width dimension of the passage.

4. The component as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the sealing portion comprises a crown portion which can be compressed towards the receiving portion.

5. The component as claimed in Claim 4 in which the crown portion is connected to the receiving portion by a longitudinally extending web to facilitate lateral deflection of the crown portion relative to the sealing portion.

6. The component as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5 in which the crown portion is hollow.

7. A new component for a seal assembly for a household appliance substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings.

8. A fastening device for fastening a sealing member of a seal assembly in position on a support structure of a household appliance, the fastening device including a substantially planar tongue-like portion which is receivable in a passage of the sealing member; an engaging means carried on the tongue-like portion for engaging the sealing member to inhibit withdrawal of the tongue-like portion from the passage of the sealing member; and an attaching formation projecting from the tonguelike portion for attaching the sealing member, in use, to the support structure of the appliance.

9. The fastening device as claimed in Claim 8 which includes a single tongue-like portion with the attaching formation being arranged at one end of the tongue-like portion, the attaching formation projecting at an angle towards an opposed end of the tongue-like portion.

10. The fastening device as claimed in Claim 8 which includes two tongue-like portions arranged at a predetermined angle relative to each other.

11. The fastening device as claimed in Claim 10 in which the attaching formation is arranged at a junction between the tongue-like portions.

12. The fastening device as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 11 inclusive in which the engaging means comprises at least one pair of barbs, a barb being arranged on each side of the tongue-like portion.

13. The fastening device as claimed in Claim 12 in which the engaging means comprises at least two pairs of barbs, the pairs of barbs being arranged in longitudinally spaced relationship along a length of the tongue-like portion.

14. The fastening device as claimed in Claim 12 or Claim 13 in which each barb is defined by a pointed projection extending towards the attaching formation.

15. The fastening device as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 14 inclusive which is of a corrosion resistant material.

16. A new fastening device substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 2 to 4 of the drawings.

17. A seal assembly for a household appliance which includes a component as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 inclusive; and a plurality of fastening devices, each as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 16 inclusive.

18. A new seal assembly for a household appliance substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.