Patent Publication Number: US-2022228696-A1

Title: Apparatus and method for sealing an end cap on an insulated pipe system

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present application relates generally to an apparatus and method for sealing an end cap on an insulated pipe system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the invention. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     It can be beneficial in many different climates and applications to wrap a pipe in insulation and cladding. The purpose varies from helping to keep a pipe warm to protecting personnel from hot pipes. There are, however, often issues related to the ingress of moisture into these insulated systems. Moisture can cause the insulation to lose its thermal performance or cause corrosion under the insulation which damages the pipes. 
     End caps are a common part of the insulated pipe system to help prevent the ingress of moisture. It is common for the connection point between the end cap and the piping to be sealed with silicon. It is common for the silicon to breakdown over time and this breakdown is often sped up by the elements such as snow, wind, rain, heat, sun, and others. When the silicon seal breaks down, moisture may seep past the connection point between the end cap and pipe, causing damage to the insulated pipe system. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     There is provided an apparatus for sealing an end cap on an insulated pipe system. A flexible body has a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side. The top of the flexible body has an end cap receiver. The bottom of the flexible body circumferentially engages a pipe. The flexible body is sealable to the pipe by a sealant. The end cap receiver accepts an edge of an end cap. A flexible band is provided that circumferentially engages the flexible body to hold the flexible body on the pipe. 
     In one embodiment, the top of the flexible body has a band groove positioned adjacent a first side of the flexible body for receiving the flexible band. The flexible band is sized to fit within the band groove. 
     In one embodiment, the end cap receiver is positioned adjacent the second side of the flexible body. 
     In one embodiment, the end cap receiver has at least one tooth to hold, or potentially lock, the end cap within the end cap receiver. 
     In another embodiment, the end cap receiver has three teeth to hold the end cap within the end cap receiver. The teeth may be positioned on either a first wall or a second wall and in one embodiment, two teeth are positioned on the first wall and one tooth is positioned on the second wall of the end cap receiver. 
     In one embodiment, the bottom of the flexible body circumferentially engages the pipe such that the second side of the flexible body is positioned within the insulated pipe system when the end cap is positioned on a cladding of the insulated pipe system. 
     In one embodiment, the flexible body is made of silicon, plastic, rubber or metal. It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that other suitable materials may also be used. 
     In one embodiment, the flexible band is made of metal, rubber or plastic. It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that other suitable materials may also be used. 
     In one embodiment, the sealant seals both the first side and the second side of the flexible body to the pipe. 
     In one embodiment, the sealant is silicon. It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that other suitable materials may also be used. 
     There is also provided a method of sealing an end cap on an insulated pipe system. An apparatus for sealing an end cap on an insulated pipe system is provided. The apparatus has a flexible body that has a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side. The top of the flexible body has an end cap receiver. The bottom of the flexible body circumferentially engages around a pipe. The flexible body is sealable to the pipe by a sealant. The end cap receiver accepts an edge of an end cap. A flexible band is provided that circumferentially engages the flexible body to hold the flexible body on the pipe. The flexible body is positioned around the pipe adjacent to an insulation and a cladding such that the end cap receiver is engageable by the end cap when the end cap engages the cladding. The flexible band is positioned around the flexible body for holding the flexible body around the pipe. Sealant is utilized on the first side and the second side of the flexible body to seal the flexible body to the pipe. The end cap is positioned within the end cap receiver such that it engages the end cap receiver and the cladding. 
     In one embodiment, the top of the flexible body has a band groove positioned adjacent a first side of the flexible body for receiving the flexible band. The flexible band being sized to fit within the band groove. 
     In one embodiment, the end cap receiver is positioned adjacent the second side of the flexible body. 
     In one embodiment, a further step of using sealant in the end cap receiver is completed. This adds an additional seal against the ingress of moisture. 
     In one embodiment, the end cap receiver has at least one tooth to hold the end cap within the end cap receiver. 
     In another embodiment, the end cap receiver has three teeth to hold the end cap within the end cap receiver. The teeth may be positioned on either a first wall or a second wall and in one embodiment, two teeth are positioned on the first wall and one tooth is positioned on the second wall of the end cap receiver. 
     In one embodiment, the bottom of the flexible body circumferentially engages around the pipe such that the second side of the flexible body is positioned next to or in contact with the insulated pipe system when the end cap is positioned on a cladding of the insulated pipe system. 
     In one embodiment, the flexible body is made of silicon, plastic, rubber or metal. It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that other suitable materials may also be used. 
     In one embodiment, the flexible band is made of metal, rubber or plastic. It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that other suitable materials may also be used. 
     In one embodiment, the sealant seals both the first side and the second side of the flexible body to the pipe. 
     In one embodiment, the sealant is silicon. It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that other suitable materials may also be used. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which references are made to the following drawings, in which numerical references denote like parts. The drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit the scope of the invention to the particular embodiments shown. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view, partially in section, of a flexible body. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation view, in section, of the flexible body shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation view, partially in section, of the apparatus on a pipe system. 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed view of the apparatus on a pipe system shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an end view, in section, of an insulated pipe system. 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of the flexible body on a pipe. 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevation view, partially in section, of the flexible body on a pipe. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An apparatus for sealing an end cap on an insulated pipe system, generally identified by reference numeral  10 , will now be described with reference to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 7 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an apparatus  10  is used to provide a seal between an end cap  12  of an insulated pipe system  14 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , insulated pipe systems  14  have insulation  15  that wraps around a pipe  16  and is enclosed within cladding  18 . A person of skill in the art will understand that spacer wraps, low point drains and other elements may also be included within insulated pipe system  14 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , an end cap  12  is used to cap the cladding  18  to help prevent the ingress of moisture into the insulated pipe system  14  which could damage the insulation  15 , shown in  FIG. 5 , and pipe  16 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , apparatus  10  has a flexible body  20  which is held onto pipe  16  by a flexible band  22 . Flexible body  20  is made of a flexible material such as silicon, plastic, rubber or metal. Flexible band  22  is made of a flexible material such as metal, plastic or rubber. It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that flexible body  20  and flexible band  22  may be made of any other suitable material known to a person skilled in the art. Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , flexible body  20  has a top  24 , a bottom  26 , a first side  28  and a second side  30 . Top  24  of flexible body  20  has an end cap receiver  32 . Bottom  26  of flexible body  20  circumferentially engages pipe  16 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , flexible body  20  is sealable to pipe  16  by a sealant  34 . Sealant  34  may be silicon or any other suitable sealant known to a person skilled in the art. The type of sealant  34  may depend on the temperature of pipe  16 . For example, RTV (room temperature vulcanizing) silicon or high temperature RTV silicon sealant may be used in appropriate circumstances. Sealant  34  may be used on bottom  26 , first side  28 , second side  30  or any combination of these for sealing flexible body  20  to pipe  14 . In a preferred embodiment, first side  28  and second side  30  are sealed by sealant  34 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , a first end  25  and a second end  27  of flexible body  20  are positioned in contact with each other when bottom  26  of flexible body  20  circumferentially engages pipe  16 . Sealant  34  may be used along the first end  25  and the second end  27  to provide further sealing. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , first end  25  overlaps second end  27  of flexible body  20  when bottom  26  of flexible body  20  circumferentially engages pipe  16 . Sealant may be used along the first end  25 , the second end  27  or both the first end  25  and the second end  27  to provide further sealing. Referring to  FIG. 4 , end cap receiver  32  accepts an edge of end cap  12 . Flexible band  22  circumferentially engages flexible body  20  to hold flexible body  20  on pipe  16 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in the embodiment shown, flexible body  20  has a band groove  36  positioned adjacent first side  28  of flexible body  20  for receiving flexible band  22 . Flexible band  22  is sized to fit within band groove  36 . Band groove  36  acts as a guide to maintain flexible band  22  in circumferential engagement with flexible body  20  along the entire length of flexible body  20  and aids in preventing flexible band  22  from sliding off first side  28  or second side  30  of flexible body  20 . 
     In the embodiment shown, end cap receiver  32  is positioned adjacent second side  30  of flexible body  20 . It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that end cap receiver  32  may be positioned anywhere on top  24  of flexible body  20 . End cap receiver  32  must be positioned in such a way that flexible band  22  may circumferentially engage flexible body  20  without impeding access to end cap receiver  32  by end cap  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , in the embodiment shown, end cap receiver  32  has three teeth  38  used to hold end cap  12  within end cap receiver  32 . It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that the number of teeth  38  may vary from none to a plurality. In the embodiment shown, two teeth  38  are positioned on a first wall  40  of end cap receiver  32  and one tooth  38  is positioned on a second wall  42  of end cap receiver  32 . It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that the number of teeth on each of first wall  40  and second wall  42  may vary. It is preferable that teeth  38  hold end cap  12  through friction, however it is possible to have teeth that hold end cap  12  by puncturing end cap  12  if end cap  12  is pulled upwards in an attempt to remove end cap  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , in the embodiment shown, flexible body  20  circumferentially engages pipe  16  such that second side  30  of flexible body  20  is positioned within insulated pipe system  14  when end cap  12  is positioned on cladding  18  of insulated pipe system  14 . This results in second side  30  of flexible body  20  being sealed within insulated pipe system  14  where second side  30  is sheltered from weather and other elements acting upon second side  30 . It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that first side  28  of flexible body  20  may be positioned within insulated pipe system  14  where first side  28  is sheltered from weather and other elements acting upon first side  28 . 
     When in use, flexible body  20  is positioned around pipe  16  adjacent to the edge of insulation  15 , shown in  FIG. 5 , and cladding  18  such that end cap receiver  32  is engageable by end cap  12  when end cap  12  engages cladding  18  to cap insulated pipe system  14 . Flexible band  22  is positioned around flexible body  20  between first side  28  and second side  30 , or in band groove  36  when present, to hold flexible body  20  around pipe  16 . Flexible band  22  may be glued to itself to hold it together, ratcheted, removably attached or attached to itself in any method known to a person skilled in the art. While a permanent method is preferred, removable methods are acceptable. It is preferable that sealant  34  is used on both first side  28  and second side  30  of flexible body  20  to seal flexible body  20  to pipe  16 . It will be understood that sealant  34  used on bottom  26 , first side  28  and/or second side  30  of flexible body  20  may be appropriate. It is preferred that sealant  34  be positioned on the side of flexible body  20  that is positioned within insulated pipe system  18  when capped by end cap  14 . To provide additional sealing properties, end cap receiver  32  may be filled with sealant  34  prior to end cap  14  being positioned within end cap receiver  32 . When sealant  34  is used in end cap receiver  32 , end cap  14  should be inserted prior to sealant  34  drying. After flexible body  20  has been sealed with sealant, end cap  12  is positioned within end cap receiver  32  of flexible body  20  such that it engages end cap receiver  32  and cladding  18 . 
     Any use herein of any terms describing an interaction between elements is not meant to limit the interaction to direct interaction between the subject elements, and may also include indirect interaction between the elements such as through secondary or intermediary structure unless specifically stated otherwise. 
     In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements. 
     It will be apparent that changes may be made to the illustrative embodiments, while falling within the scope of the invention. As such, the scope of the following claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples and drawings described above, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.