US3638286A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Self-locking separable seam assembly
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-04-30
•
Granted: 1972-02-01
•
Expires: 1990-04-30
Abstract
Abstract A self-locking separable seam assembly comprising a pair of strips of identical J-shape in cross section extruded from semirigid thermoplastic material featuring a thick semirigid return bend portion bordered by a relatively thin low-height lip positioned to interfere with the corresponding lip of the other strip as the strips are pulled crosswise of one another into interlocking engagement. The seam separates as the two strips are forced past one another in a direction opposite to the assembly operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Frank D Eichberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 11:56
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16L; F16L59/00; F16L59/10; A; A44; A44B; A44B19/00; A44B19/10; A44B19/16; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S174/00; Y10S174/11; Y10S24/00; Y10S24/30; Y10S24/38; Y10S24/39; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/45; Y10T24/45152; Y10T24/45173
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
A self-locking separable seam assembly comprising a pair of elongated thermoplastic strips of the same J-shape in cross section, the relatively wide thin stem portion of said J-shaped strip providing a mounting web, the return bend portion of said J-shaped strips being substantially thicker and stiffer than said mounting web and relatively highly resistant to flexure and including a thin low-height lip projecting inwardly toward said mounting web at an obtuse angle thereto with the inner rim edge thereof lying generally midway between the inner surface of said mounting web and a plane in contact with the exterior surface of said return bend portion and parallel to said mounting web, and said strips being engageable by inverting the free edges of their J-shaped portions to lie in contact with the mounting web of the other and then moving the J-shaped portions toward one another in a direction generally coplanar to their respective mounting webs until the inner edges of said inwardly projecting lips are cammed apart and into interlocking engagement one behind the other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
174 words
A self-locking separable seam assembly comprising a pair of elongated thermoplastic strips of the same J-shape in cross section, the relatively wide thin stem portion of said J-shaped strip providing a mounting web, the return bend portion of said J-shaped strips being substantially thicker and stiffer than said mounting web and relatively highly resistant to flexure and including a thin low-height lip projecting inwardly toward said mounting web at an obtuse angle thereto with the inner rim edge thereof lying generally midway between the inner surface of said mounting web and a plane in contact with the exterior surface of said return bend portion and parallel to said mounting web, and said strips being engageable by inverting the free edges of their J-shaped portions to lie in contact with the mounting web of the other and then moving the J-shaped portions toward one another in a direction generally coplanar to their respective mounting webs until the inner edges of said inwardly projecting lips are cammed apart and into interlocking engagement one behind the other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
72 words
A self-locking seam assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the inner edge of said lip is slightly closer to the adjacent surface of the associated mounting web than to the plane in contact with the exterior surface of said return bend portion, and the free inner edges of said lips being engageable to cam the lips past one another as said strips are being internested one with the other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A self-locking seam assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said strips are molded from thermoplastic having a durometer in the range of about 98 plus or minus 5 on the A scale.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
A self-locking seam assembly as defined in claim 3 characterized in that the interior bottom surface of said J-shaped return bend portion is slightly concave and effective to cam the mounting webs of the internested strips toward one another as load forces are applied to said mounting webs in a direction tending to move said webs away from one another in the plane thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
133 words
A self-locking separable seam assembly comprising a pair of elongated thermoplastic tapes of the same J-shape in cross section including a wide stem portion providing a mounting web for securing said tapes to sheet material and a trough-shaped portion along one lateral edge thereof, said trough-shaped portions being relatively thick, stiff and highly resistant to opening when the closed seam is stressed in tension transversely thereof, and the free edge of said trough-shaped portion extending inwardly across the inlet into said trough and being sufficiently flexible to be cammed past the similar lip of the other tape when the inverted trough-shaped portions of said pair of tapes are overlapped and moved laterally of one another until the two trough-shaped portions interlock with their lips fully nested in the trough of the other tape.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
133 words
A self-locking separable seam assembly comprising a pair of elongated thermoplastic tapes of the same J-shape in cross section including a wide stem portion providing a mounting web for securing said tapes to sheet material and a trough-shaped portion along one lateral edge thereof, said trough-shaped portions being relatively thick, stiff and highly resistant to opening when the closed seam is stressed in tension transversely thereof, and the free edge of said trough-shaped portion extending inwardly across the inlet into said trough and being sufficiently flexible to be cammed past the similar lip of the other tape when the inverted trough-shaped portions of said pair of tapes are overlapped and moved laterally of one another until the two trough-shaped portions interlock with their lips fully nested in the trough of the other tape.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
A separable seam assembly as defined in claim 5 characterized in that the free edge of said trough-shaped portion is generally V-shape in cross section, and the tip thereof being spaced closer to the inner surface of said wide stem portion than to a plane parallel to said stem portion and in contact with the exterior surface of said trough portion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
BE561916A
Cited
US2144755A
Cited
US2756172A
Cited
US3353548A
Cited
US3495306A
Cited
US3440993A
Cited
FR1560502A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-01-31 | 1975-08-02 | 1976-02-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-01-31 | 1979-08-02 | 1980-02-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-01-31 | 1983-08-02 | 1984-02-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |