Patent Abstract:
An apparatus for sealing an opening in an insulated covering comprises a waterproof body locatable within the opening, the body having a periphery therearound and a groove located within the periphery, the groove being sized and shaped to closely and sealably receive an edge of the opening therein and a flexible securing means extending from the waterproof body.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 13/137,568 filed Aug. 26, 2011, entitled Access Port Seal. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to plugs in general and in particular for plugs located in insulated coverings to provide access to an interior thereof. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    In many industries, it is frequently necessary to access pipes or other conduits to conduct inspection, maintenance and the like. One difficulty that arises with such pipes and conduits is that they are often insulated to protect the contents of the conduit from adverse weather and the like. In particular, in the oil and gas industry, it is common to provide insulation around such pipes with a sheath of protective sheet metal therearound. 
         [0006]    Conventionally, when it has been necessary to provide access to a pipe or the contents thereof which have an insulating layer therearound, a hole has been cut in the sheet metal and the insulation removed from that region to form a cavity for access to the pipe. After the maintenance, inspection or the like has been performed on the pipe, insulation is reinserted into the cavity and a new layer of sheet metal secured over the hole to provide a patch in the original sheet metal. Problematically, such a patch has been unsatisfactory at providing the original level of insulation and protection of the pipe from adverse weather. In particular, such sheet metal patches have been known to leak when subjected to rain or melting snow. 
         [0007]    The compromised insulation and protective sheath poses a problem for the insulation under the patch as well as the surrounding region as the insulation typically used for such applications is of a fiberglass batting or other fibrous material. Such materials are known to be intolerant of becoming wet, and being prone to compacting when damp. Such compacting of the insulation impairs the ability of the insulation to adequately insulate the pipe in that location as well as any surrounding regions which also become wet. 
         [0008]    An additional difficulty of such patches are that once they are installed, any subsequent removal thereof for future maintenance of inspection will increase the size of the screw holes thereby further increasing the ability of water to enter the insulation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed an apparatus for sealing an opening in a metal sheath surrounding an insulated pipe, the apparatus comprising a waterproof body locatable within the opening, the body having a periphery therearound and a groove located within the periphery, the groove being sized and shaped to closely and sealably receive an edge of the opening therein and a flexible securing means extending from the waterproof body. 
         [0010]    The body may be formed of a material selected from the group consisting of neoprene, rubber, silicone and closed cell foam. The body may be elongate with substantially parallel sides. The body may be circular. 
         [0011]    The groove may have a constant radius. The groove may have a radius of less than ½ inch. The groove may be located in the middle of the peripheral edge. The apparatus may further comprise a leading surface of the peripheral edge extending from the groove by a distance greater than a trailing surface of the peripheral edge. At least one of the leading and trailing surfaces peripheral edge may be rounded. 
         [0012]    The strap may be securable to the sheet metal. The strap may be integrally formed with the body. The apparatus further comprise a gasket securable to an edge of the opening in the sheet metal wherein the gasket is locatable within the groove of the body. The gasket may comprise a base ring. The strap may be securable to the base ring. The base ring may be integrally formed with the strap and the body. 
         [0013]    Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view, 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an insulated pipe having a hole cut in the insulation for access to the pipe. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention applied to the hole in the pipe. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of  FIG. 2  as taken along the line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of  FIG. 2  located within a hole in pipe insulation as taken along the line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an apparatus according to a further embodiment of the present invention applied to the hole in the pipe. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of  FIG. 5  located within a hole in pipe insulation. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an opening through pipe insulation is shown generally at  10 . The pipe  8  is surrounded by an insulating layer  12  and a sheath layer  14 . The opening is defined by an opening edge  16  having top and bottom straight edges,  18  and  20 , respectively, and first and second arcuate portions therebetween,  22  and  24 , respectively. As illustrated, the opening  10  may be located within an elbow portion  6  of the pipe and pipe insulation, however it will be appreciated that the opening may also be located within a straight portion  4  or at any other location desired by a user. 
         [0022]    With reference to  FIG. 2 , the apparatus comprises a plug body  30  sized and shaped to be sealably received within the opening  10 . The body comprises a member having front and rear surfaces,  32  and  34 , respectively, extending between top and bottom edges  36  and  38  and first and second side arcuate ends,  40  and  42 , respectively. Although the body  30  is illustrated and described as having an elongate shaped, it will be appreciated that other shapes may be utilized as well, such as, by way of non-limiting example, circular as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , oval, rectangular, square, triangular, octagonal or irregular. Additionally, although the body  30  is illustrated as being adapted for insertion into an elbow portion  6 , it will be appreciated that the body may be adapted for fitting into a straight portion  4  or other section of the sheath member  14 . For use in the straight portion  4 , the body may have a straight profile whereas for an elbow portion  6 , the body  30  may have a curved profile as illustrated matching or otherwise corresponding to the curvature of the intended section of the sheath layer  14 . According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a gasket  60  may be provided around opening edge  16  of the opening as will be further described below. 
         [0023]    Turning now to  FIG. 3 , the body  30  is illustrated in cross section. The body  30  has a thickness between the front and rear surfaces  32  and  34  which may be selected to be any suitable thickness for properly sealing the opening  10 . By way of non-limiting example, the body may have a thickness of between ½ and 2 inches (12 and 51 mm) with a thickness of approximately 1 inch (25 mm) having been found to be particularly useful. The top and bottom edges  36  and  38  and first and second sides  40  and  42  of the body define a periphery thereof. It will be appreciated that the top and bottom edges  36  and  38  are sized and shaped to correspond to the top and bottom edges  18  and  20  of the opening  10  and the first and second sides  40  and  42  are sized and shaped to correspond to the first and second arcuate portions  22  and  24  of the opening. In particular, it will be appreciated that a user may cut the opening  10  to correspond to the plug body  30  and in some instances may be provided with a cut template (not shown) to guide them in cutting the appropriate sized and shaped opening according to known methods. 
         [0024]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the periphery of the body  30  is defined by the top and bottom edges  36  and  38  and first and second sides  40  and  42  and has a substantially constant profile. The body  30  also includes a groove  44  extending around the periphery and dividing the periphery into a leading and a trailing edge,  46  and  48 , respectively. The leading edge  46  is disposed between the front surface  32  and the groove  44  and the trailing edge  48  is disposed between the groove and the rear surface  34  of the body  30 . As illustrated, the leading and trailing edge may be rounded although it will be appreciated that other profiles may also be utilized as well, such as by way of non-limiting example, chamfered, beveled or routed. As illustrated, the groove  44  may have a semi-circular cross section having a radius generally indicated at  50  of up to ½ inch (12 mm) with a radius of ¼ inch (6 mm) having been found to be particularly useful although other profiles may be utilized as well, such as, by way of non-limiting example, v-notched, arcuate, rectangular or a slot. Optionally, a strap  52  or other suitable connector may be provided for connecting the body  30  to the sheath layer  14  wherein the strap  52  is secured between the body  30  and an inner surface of the sheath layer  14  by any known means, such as, by way of non-limiting example, screws welding adhesives or the like. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the strap  52  may be separate from the body  30  or may be integrally formed therewith as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0025]    The body  30  may be formed of any suitable waterproof material, such as by way of non-limiting example, neoprene, natural or synthetic rubber, silicone or closed cell foam. The body  30  may be formed of any known suitable method, such as by way of non-limiting example, casting, machining, utilizing a router or molding. 
         [0026]    The gasket  60  may be of any suitable type and in one embodiment may have an outer radiused surface  62  and an inner slot. The outer radiused surface is sized to be sealably engaged within the groove  44  and may therefore have an outer radius of up to ½ inch (12 mm), such as by way of non-limiting example, Edge Trim sold as product ID WRE10B34 by Edge Lok Inc. of Buena Park Calif. The gasket may also include an inner slot  64  sized to be relieved over an edge of the sheath layer  14 . The gasket may be provided as a roll which may then be cut by a user or may optionally be provided as part of a kit with a length selected to fully surround a hole as cut according to a provided template. 
         [0027]    Optionally, as illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the gasket may comprise a base ring  80  which is securable to the inside of the opening edge  16 . The base ring  80  may be formed integrally with the body and strap  30  and  52  or may be formed separately therefrom and the components secured together with fasteners or the like. The base ring comprises a top flange  82  having a plurality of fastener bores  84  extending therethrough. An inner cylinder  88  extends away from said top flange  82  by a distance sufficient to provide an inner mounting surface  86 . The top flange  82  and cylinder  88  have an inner passage  85  therethrough corresponding to the diameter or size and shape of the body  30 . Although the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6  is illustrated as circular, any other outline as set out above may also be utilized. The inner passage  85  includes an annular ridge  90  inside of the top flange  82  sized to correspond to and be engaged within the groove  44  of the body so as to retain the body therein. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the base ring  80  may be secured within the opening edge  16  proximate to the outside of the sheet metal  14 . Thereafter, fasteners  94  may be passed through the bores  84  to secure the base ring to the sheet metal layer  14 . 
         [0028]    In operation a user may cut an opening  10 , optionally with the use of a provided template matched to the body  30  through the sheath layer  14  and insulating layer  12  surrounding a pipe  8 . Thereafter the cut out insulation and sheath layer opening portions may be removed to provide access to the pipe for maintenance, inspection and the like. After the user has completed their activities requiring access to the pipe  8 , the removed insulation or replacement insulation, generally indicated at  13  in  FIG. 4  may then be replaced within the opening. The gasket  60  may then be installed over the edge of the sheath layer and the body  30  inserted such that the gasket  60  is sealably received within the groove as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . If future access is required to the pipe  8 , the body  30  and replacement insulation  13  may be removed to provide access thereto and thereafter reinserted into the opening  10 . 
         [0029]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5