Patent Application
20250179757
This disclosure relates to a hatch assembly. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a hatch assembly with an improved seal to reduce the intrusion of contaminants.
Hatches, or access doors, are commonly used to secure the openings to a variety of above ground or underground enclosures. For underground enclosures, the hatch is mounted within the ground. Underground enclosures are often used to house large municipal equipment, such as pumps, transmission lines, or pipes. These underground enclosures require a ground mounted hatch that includes a door that is pivotally connected to a surrounding frame. The door must be heavy enough to support foot and vehicle traffic. For this reason, various lift assist devices can be included to enable a single user to pivot the door to its opened position. The door must also open widely enough to allow a variety of large and heavy equipment to be loaded into the enclosure. The door ideally provides some degree of theft deterrence. Various efforts have been made over the years to improve the design and construction of access doors.
One example of such a door is U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,202 to Carralero. Carralero is commonly owned with the present application and discloses a latching mechanism for an access door. The door is ground mounted and can be pivoted between opened and closed positions. The opened position is retained with the assistance of a hold open arm. A latching lever works in connection with the hold open arm. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 9,303,441 to Bravo. Bravo, which is also commonly owned with the present application, discloses a lift assist mechanism for an access door. The door includes opened, closed, and partially opened positions. Each of these positions is achieved with the assistance of compression springs associated with the door.
Although the background art illustrates various helpful improvements in the field of hatches, none of the background art adequately addresses improved sealing mechanisms for the door. Thus, there is a need in the art for a sealed hatch design with the ability to reduce the intrusion of contaminants, such as water, dust, and debris into the associated enclosure. The sealed hatch assembly of the present disclosure is designed to fulfill these and other shortcomings present in the background art.
Disclosed is a hatch assembly with a pivotally mounted door. The door includes a surrounding gasket that cooperates with an upstanding bracket within the hatch frame upon closure. The position of the hinges allows the door to seal as it begins to close. Once fully closed, the gasket provides a peripheral and fluid tight seal that reduces or eliminates the instruction of water, dust, or other contaminants. This, in turn, allows for the protection of the equipment within the enclosure.
The disclosed access door has several important advantages. One advantage is provided by an elastomeric seal within the periphery of the door that can engage a corresponding L-shaped bracket within the periphery of the frame. When the door is closed, the bracket engages the seal to provide a fluid tight connection.
Another advantage is provided by the hinge connecting the door to the surrounding frame. This hinge is provided at a lower position with respect to the frame, whereby a fluid tight seal is formed following the earliest rotation of the door. Thereafter, the entire periphery of the door is sealed when the door is fully closed.
Yet another advantage is provided by a center beam that is provided across the opening of the enclosure. This center beam includes removable gaskets at either end to provide a fluid tight connection between the beam and the frame. The frame can be removed to allow large equipment to be positioned within the enclosure.
A still further advantage is achieved by providing a peripheral seal that is formed from a relatively soft and compressible material.
In particular, an advantage is realized by forming the seal from a silicone with a Shore A hardness of 10 as measured in accordance with the ASTM D2240 standard.
Yet another advantage is realized by providing a hatch that can be closed and sealed within a minimal number of cam locking mechanisms.
These and other advantages are achieved via an elastomeric gasket that is formed about the entire peripheral edge of the hatch door. This gasket is adapted to seat upon an L-shaped bracket formed about the periphery of the hatch frame. A center beam is also included for dividing the frame into two openings. The center beam includes a U-shaped bracket that can also form a seal with the gasket.
Various embodiments of the invention may have none, some, or all of these advantages. Other technical advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art.
For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following descriptions, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
The present disclosure relates to sealed hatch assembly. The assembly includes a pivotal door with a peripherally mounted gasket. The assembly further includes a frame with an upstanding bracket that fits into the gasket when the door is closed. With the door closed, the hatch assembly is fully sealed to prevent the intrusion of water, dust, or other contaminates. In a preferred embodiment, a beam is included for dividing the frame into two equally sized openings. In this embodiment, a door is mounted within each of the openings. The center beam includes an upstanding U-shaped bracket, with each side of the U-shaped bracket engaging the gasket along the forward edge of the corresponding door. Additional gaskets can be mounted at the ends of the beam to provide further sealing. The various components of the present disclosure, and the manner in which they interrelate, will be described in greater detail hereinafter.
With reference to
Hatch assembly (10) includes a peripheral frame (22) that is defined by opposing lengthwise and widthwise edges (24, 26). Although the depicted frame (22) is rectangular, frame (22) can be sized or dimensioned to fit any of a variety of openings. The opposing lengthwise edges (24) having both a length and a midpoint (28). For the depicted embodiment, frame (22) is dimensioned to be securely fitted within the opening (12) of the underground enclosure (14). An inner peripheral extent (32) is formed along the entire length of the opposing lengthwise and widthwise edges (24, 26). An upstanding L-shaped bracket (34) is secured along this inner peripheral extent (32). As described below, the upper edge of this L-shaped bracket (34) is adapted to fit within a peripheral gasket within the pivotal door. The depicted L-shaped bracket (34) is bolted to the peripheral extent (32) about the entire periphery of frame (22). However, it is also within the scope of the present disclosure to form bracket (34) integrally with fame (22).
Center beam (36) includes an upstanding U-shaped bracket (38) that extends between the opposing L-shaped brackets (34) on each lengthwise edge (24). As noted in
Gasket (50) used upon center beam (38) includes a centrally located and molded aperture to allow the gasket (50) to be secured to peripheral extent (32) via a threaded fastener. Gasket (50) further includes upstanding side edges within channels that accept the edges of the L-shaped bracket (34). These U-shaped gaskets (50) are positioned at the interface of the L-shaped bracket (34) and the U-shaped bracket (38) and prevent contaminant intrusion at this interface. Beam gasket (50) is depicted in
With reference again to
Each of the opposing doors (46, 48) includes a peripheral edge (54) that may take the form of a U-shaped channel. A silicone rubber gasket (56) is formed within this channel, which extends around the entire peripheral extent of each door (46, 48). In the preferred embodiment, gasket (56) is formed from a silicone with a Shore A hardness of 10 as measured in accordance with the ASTM D2240 standard. Any of a variety of silicone materials manufactured by Smooth-On, Inc. of Macungie, Pennsylvania will suffice in this regard.
In use, when either door (46, 48) is closed, the silicon gasket (56) around the periphery of each door (46, 48) engages the L-shaped (34) and U-shaped (38) brackets. Namely, three sides of each door (46,48) engage the L-shaped bracket (34) within the frame (22) whereas the forward edge of each door (46, 48) engages one side of the U-shaped bracket (38) upon the center beam (36). In each case, and as best illustrated in
An important aspect of the disclosure is that the improved sealing arrangements described above allow the hatch assembly (10) to be secured and sealed while using a minimal number of camlocks (66) as compared to the hatches of the prior art. In the depicted embodiments, only two cam locks (66) are utilized. This greatly reduces the time and effort needed to open and close hatch assembly (10). Furthermore, each camlock (66) includes a lever (66) that moves between two opposing stops (72). Thus, when rotating a corresponding nut on the outside of door (46, 48), the arm will rotate until it hits one of the two opposing stops (depending upon whether the cam lock (66) is being opened or closed). When lever (68) contacts a stop (72), further rotation of the nut will result in the tightening or loosening of the camlock (66). Camlock (66) can be secured with between 22 to 28 foot pounds of torque.
Although this disclosure has been described in terms of certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
