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US5435455A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Locking device

Assignee: Volkswagen AG
•
Filing: 1990-12-20
•
Granted: 1995-07-25
•
Expires: 2010-12-20
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Abstract

Abstract In the disclosed locking plug arrangement, a locking plug consists of a cylindrical body molded from synthetic material and having an integral peripheral sealing lip and one or more integral laterally projecting catches and a cast housing with a bore to receive the plug body in sealing relation and with a transverse passage to receive a projecting catch.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ludwig Pruss

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 14:19
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16L; F16L55/00; F16L55/10; F16L55/11; F16B; F16B21/00; F16B21/06; F16B21/08

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 103 words
A sealing plug to be inserted into and locked in a bore of a housing having a passage extending transverse to the bore and located inwardly from an open end of the bore comprising a plug body having catch means projecting from the plug body to be received in the transverse passage and having a peripheral sealing surface located inwardly from the catch means in the direction of plug insertion for sealing engagement with the bore at a location inwardly in the bore from the transverse passage, the sealing surface further including means for biasing the sealing surface to engage the bore surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 103 words
A sealing plug to be inserted into and locked in a bore of a housing having a passage extending transverse to the bore and located inwardly from an open end of the bore comprising a plug body having catch means projecting from the plug body to be received in the transverse passage and having a peripheral sealing surface located inwardly from the catch means in the direction of plug insertion for sealing engagement with the bore at a location inwardly in the bore from the transverse passage, the sealing surface further including means for biasing the sealing surface to engage the bore surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 38 words
A sealing plug according to claim 1 wherein the plug body is in the form of a hollow cylinder with a closed end and has an encircling sealing lip adjacent to the closed end of the hollow cylinder.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 20 words
A sealing plug according to claim 1 wherein the plug body is substantially a hollow cylinder closed at one end.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 18 words
A sealing plug according to claim 1 wherein the plug sealing surface is integral with the plug body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 17 words
A sealing plug according to claim 1 wherein the plug is made from an injection-moldable synthetic material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 35 words
A sealing plug according to claim 1 wherein the catch means is an integral part of the plug body and is arranged to lock the plug in both angular and longitudinal directions in the bore.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 13 words
A sealing plug according to claim 1 wherein the catch means is resilient.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 61 words
A sealing plug according to claim 7 wherein the plug body has a cylindrical outer wall and wherein the catch means includes a catch member normally projecting outwardly at an angle from the cylindrical outer wall of the plug body and the resilience of the catch means permits motion of the member from its normal position toward the cylindrical outer wall.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 117 words
A locking arrangement comprising a sealing plug to be inserted into and locked in a bore of a housing having a passage extending transverse to the bore and located inwardly from an open end of the bore including a plug body having catch means projecting from the plug body to be received in the transverse passage and having a peripheral sealing surface located inwardly from the catch means in the direction of plug insertion for fluid-sealing engagement with the bore at a location inwardly in the bore from the transverse passage, and a cast housing having a bore and a transverse passage cast into the housing to receive the locking plug body and the catch means, respectively.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 117 words
A locking arrangement comprising a sealing plug to be inserted into and locked in a bore of a housing having a passage extending transverse to the bore and located inwardly from an open end of the bore including a plug body having catch means projecting from the plug body to be received in the transverse passage and having a peripheral sealing surface located inwardly from the catch means in the direction of plug insertion for fluid-sealing engagement with the bore at a location inwardly in the bore from the transverse passage, and a cast housing having a bore and a transverse passage cast into the housing to receive the locking plug body and the catch means, respectively.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 34 words
A locking arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the cross-sectional configuration of the transverse passage adjacent to the bore is arranged to receive the catch means with a predetermined clearance in the angular direction.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 88 words
A locking arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the plug body has a cylindrical outer wall and wherein the catch means includes a catch member normally projecting outwardly at an angle from the cylindrical outer wall of the plug body and is resilient to permit motion from its normal position toward the cylindrical outer wall and wherein the free end of the catch member has a surface area which engages a wall of the transverse passage to retain the plug body in axially fixed position in the bore.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 70 words
A locking arrangement according to claim 9 wherein catch means is resilient and wherein the housing bore includes a cast longitudinal groove extending from one end of the bore at least to the transverse passage so that, when the plug is pressed into the bore, the catch means is received in and guided by the groove until it reaches the transverse passage where it is resiliently moved into the passage.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 27 words
A sealing plug according to claim 1 wherein the plug body has a closed end and includes an annular projection at the end inserted into the bore.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 37 words
A sealing plug according to claim 1 wherein the plug body has a cylindrical outer wall and wherein the catch means comprises a substantially rigid catch member projecting outwardly from the cylindrical outer wall of the plug.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 43 words
A sealing plug according to claim 14 wherein the forward and rear sides of the catch member with respect to the direction of the motion of plug insertion extend from the plug body at an angle toward the rear of the plug body.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 33 words
A sealing plug according to claim 14 wherein the plug body has a polygonal aperture acessible from the rear end of the plug with respect to the direction of motion of plug insertion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 36 words
A sealing plug according to claim 16, wherein the plug body includes an inner shell and an outer shell connected by ribs and wherein the polygonal aperture is in the inner shell of the plug body.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 77 words
A sealing arrangement including a locking plug according to claim 14 and a cast housing having a bore and a transverse passage cast into the housing and having a cast longitudinal groove extending along the bore from one end at least to the region of the transverse passage to guide the catch means, the groove being angularly offset from the location of the passage and connected thereto by at least a segment of a cast-in annular groove.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3023925A Cited
US3385466A Cited
US3893487A Cited
US4627597A Cited
US4787795A Cited
EP0325898A1 Cited
US4981310A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1998-07-24 1999-01-23 1999-07-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2002-07-24 2003-01-23 2003-07-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2006-07-24 2007-01-23 2007-07-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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