Patent Application
20170088308
This disclosure relates to a joint assembly for a container.
A vehicle may include a container for retaining a fluid. The container may include a plurality of flanged portions that are joined together and sealed at a sealed connection. For example, the container may be an engine oil container formed by joining an oil pan portion to an engine block portion or the container may be a transmission fluid container formed by joining a transmission fluid pan portion to a transmission housing portion.
A joint assembly, a powertrain, and a vehicle are provided herein. The joint assembly is configured to secure together flanged portions of a container. The joint assembly includes a first container portion, a second container portion, a band strip, and a fastener. The first container portion has a first flange including a first sealing surface and a first outer surface. The second container portion has a second flange including a second sealing surface and a second outer surface. The second sealing surface is configured to cooperate with the first sealing surface to form together a sealed connection configured to retain a fluid in the container. The band strip has an inner surface. The fastener is configured to attach the band strip to one of the first and second container portions. The inner surface of the band strip is configured to engage at least one of the first and second outer surfaces such that the sealing surfaces of the first and second flanges are fixed with respect to one another when the band strip is attached to at least one of the first and second container portions.
The powertrain includes a container having flanged portions and a joint assembly configured to secure together the flanged portions of the container. The joint assembly includes a first container portion, a second container portion, a band strip, and a fastener. The first container portion has a first flange including a first sealing surface and a first outer surface having a first outer profile. The second container portion has a second flange including a second sealing surface and a second outer surface having a second outer profile. The second sealing surface is configured to cooperate with the first sealing surface to form together a sealed connection configured to retain a fluid in the container. The band strip has an inner surface including an inner profile. The fastener is configured to attach the band strip to one of the first and second container portions. The inner surface of the band strip is configured to engage at least one of the first and second outer surfaces such that the sealing surfaces of the first and second flanges are fixed with respect to one another when the band strip is attached to at least one of the first and second container portions. The outer profiles of the first and second flanges form together a V-shaped outer profile, and the inner profile of the band strip is configured to sufficiently conform to the V-shaped outer profile such that a clamping force biases the sealing surfaces of the first and second flanges toward one another.
The vehicle includes a container having flanged portions and a joint assembly configured to secure together the flanged portions of the container. The joint assembly includes a first container portion, a second container portion, a band strip, and a fastener. The first container portion has a first flange including a first sealing surface and a first outer surface. The second container portion has a second flange including a second sealing surface and a second outer surface. The second sealing surface is configured to cooperate with the first sealing surface to form together a sealed connection configured to retain a fluid in the container. The band strip has an inner surface. The fastener is configured to attach the band strip to one of the first and second container portions. The inner surface of the band strip is configured to engage at least one of the first and second outer surfaces such that the sealing surfaces of the first and second flanges are fixed with respect to one another when the band strip is attached to at least one of the first and second container portions.
The joint assembly, the powertrain, and the vehicle disclosed herein restrict the movement of the sealing surfaces of the first and second flanges of the container with respect to one another such that the fluid is retained in the container. This disclosure applies to any container having a plurality of flanged portions, to any powertrain, and to any vehicle, including but not limited to a car, a truck, a bus, a train, an airplane, and a boat.
The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present teachings are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the present teachings when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like components throughout the views,
The first container portion 12 may be made of a metal material, such as a steel, magnesium, or aluminum alloy, or may be made of a non-metal material, such as a plastic, a reinforced plastic, or a composite material. The second container portion 14 may be made of a metal material, such as a steel, magnesium, or aluminum alloy, or may be made of a non-metal material, such as a plastic, a reinforced plastic, or a composite material. The first container portion 12 and the second container portion 14 may be made of different materials having different mater properties. For example, the first container portion 12 may be made of a metal alloy material and the second container portion 14 may be made of a composite material having a thermal expansion coefficient that is different than the metal allow material.
Referring now to
The band strip 22 has an inner surface 40. The band strip 40 may be made of a metal material, such as a steel, magnesium, or aluminum alloy, or may be made of a non-metal material, such as a plastic, a reinforced plastic, or a composite material. The fastener 24 is configured to attach the band strip 22 to one of the first container portion 12 and the second container portion 14. The inner surface 40 of the band strip 22 is configured to engage at least one of the first outer surface 30 and second outer surface 36 such that the first sealing surface 28 of the first flange 26 and the second sealing surface 34 of the second flange 32 are fixed with respect to one another when the band strip 22 is attached to at least one of the first container portion 12 and the second container portion 14.
The fastener 24 may be a bolt, as shown, having threads 25, or may be any other suitable fastener. The threads 25 of the bolt 24 may be configured to engage a threaded hole 46 in one of the first and second container potions 12, 14. The bolt 24 may have a bolt axis (axis BA). The bolt axis (axis BA) may be substantially parallel to the sealing surfaces 28, 34 of the first and second flanges 26, 32 when the band strip 22 is attached to one of the first and second container portions 12, 14 via the fastener 24.
The joint assembly 20 may include a plurality of fasteners 24. The plurality of fasteners 24 may be configured to attach the band strip 22 to one or both of the first container portion 12 and the second container portion 14. The band strip 22 may be configured with one or more attachment features 42. The attachment feature 42 may include one or more slots 44. The one or more slots 44 may each have a long axis (axis LA). The long axis (axis LA) of the slot 44 may be substantially normal to the first and second sealing surfaces 28, 34. The plurality of fasteners 24 may be configured to attach the band strip 22 to one or both of the first container portion 12 and second container portion 14 through the plurality of slots 44.
Referring now to
The inner surface 40 of the band strip 22 has an inner profile 52. The inner profile 52 of the band strip 22 is configured to sufficiently conform to the outer profile 54 such that a clamping force (arrow F) biases the sealing surfaces 28, 34 of the first and second flanges 26, 32 toward one another. The inner profile 52 of the band strip 22 may be V-shaped, as shown, or may be any other suitable shape. For example, the inner profile 52 of the band strip 22 may be C-shaped, U-shaped, cove-shaped, and/or beveled.
The inner profile 52 of the band strip 22 may be complimentary with the outer profile 54 of the first and second flanges 26, 32. For example, if the outer profile 54 of the first and second flanges 26, 32 is C-shaped, the inner profile 52 of the band strip 22 may also be C-shaped.
The inner profile 52 of the band strip 22 may be configured to conform to the outer profile 54 of the first and second flanges 26, 32 over the entire inner profile 52, as shown. Alternatively, the inner profile 52 of the band strip 22 may be configured to conform to one or more portions of the outer profile 54 of the first and second flanges 26, 32. The inner surface 40 of the band strip 22 may contact a combined outer surface 62 formed by the outer surfaces 30, 36 of the first and second flanges 26, 30 over the entire inner surface 40 of the band strip 22, as shown. Alternatively, the inner surface 40 of the band strip 22 may contact the combined outer surface 62 of the first and second flanges 26, 30 over one or more portions of the inner surface 40 of the band strip 22.
The joint assembly 20 may include a seal 56 disposed between the sealing surfaces 28, 34 of the first and second flanges 26. 32. The seal 56 may be a curable sealant such as a room temperature vulcanizing rubber. Alternatively, the seal 56 may be a compression gasket, a partially cured pre-formed gasket, or any other suitable seal, as known to those skilled in the art.
Referring now to
The joint assembly 20 may include an elastomer layer 60 disposed between the inner surface 40 of the band clamp 22 and the combined outer surface 62 formed by the outer surfaces 30, 36 of the first and second flanges 26, 30. The elastomer layer 60 may be disposed between the entire inner surface 40 of the band clamp 22 and the combined outer surface 62. Alternatively, the elastomer layer 60 may be disposed between one or more portions of the inner surface 40 of the band clamp 22 and the combined outer surface 62.
Referring now to
In the embodiment shown, four band strips 22 and four elastomer layers 60 are included in the joint assembly 20. One band strip 22 is used for each straight portion of the first and second flanges 26, 32 of the first and second container portions 12, 14. In an alternative embodiment, one or more of the band strips 22 may extend around one or more of the corners 64 formed in the first and second flanges 26, 32 of the first and second container portions 12, 14. For example, for the four corner 64 and four straight portion 66 first and second flange 26, 32 configuration shown, two L-shaped band strips 22 may be used.
In another embodiment of the joint assembly 20, one or more band strips 22 may be configured to conform to first and second flanges 26, 32 that include convex or concave curved portions. Other embodiments may include a combination of a joint assembly 20 including a band strip 22 and a conventional or alternative joint assembly (not shown) to connect the first and second flanges 26, 32 of the first and second container portions 12, 14.
While the best modes for carrying out the many aspects of the present teachings have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which these teachings relate will recognize various alternative aspects for practicing the present teachings that are within the scope of the appended claims.
