Gasket arrangement

Abstract

 A gasket arrangement for providing a seal between. for example, an oven and an oven door (2), comprises two elongate gaskets (4) and (6) each of which is formed into a generally rectangular shape and joined to the other gasket by a connecting means, such as a series of staples (8) or a yarn. In use, the two gaskets are arranged on either side of the oven door (2), the connecting members (8) between the two gaskets retaining the gaskets (4) and (6) in the correct position about the door (2).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a gasket arrangement, and particularly though not exclusively to a heat-resistant gasket arrangement for a door of an oven, for example a domestic oven.

[0002] It is known to provide a door of an oven with a gasket to provide a heat-resistant seal between the door and the body of the oven, and also to prevent escape of cooking smells from the oven into the kitchen. Difficulty can be experienced in securing the gasket to the door by adhesive for example because although high temperature adhesives are available they tend to emit undesirable fumes, at least when initially heated. Oven doors may be made of glass and difficulty can be experienced in securing a gasket to a surface thereof.

[0003] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gasket arrangement comprising a gasket and at least two discrete connecting members each having a first portion secured to the gasket and a second portion extending from the first portion to one side of the gasket and arranged for receiving therein a peripheral edge of a substrate and for securing the gasket to the substrate.

[0004] The gasket arrangement of the present invention may comprise a further gasket, wherein the second portion of each connecting member is secured to the further gasket and is arranged for securing the gaskets to the substrate located, in use, therebetween.

[0005] Where the gasket arrangement comprises two or more gaskets the discrete connecting members securing them together may be, for example, staples or spaced apart non-woven portions of a single continuous connecting member.

[0006] In one preferred gasket arrangement where the discrete connecting members comprise spaced apart portions of a continuous connecting member, the gaskets are loosely sewn together by non-woven stitching of a single length of yarn or thread that passes back and fore between the gaskets in an elongate zig-zag pattern, thus securely interconnecting the gaskets whilst providing a high degree of longitudinal and transverse movement therebetween; In such an arrangement, those portions of the yarn or thread that extend between the gaskets comprise said non-woven portions of the connecting member,each portion being spaced apart from the next by the zig-zag.

[0007] The gaskets may be sewn together by yarn of, for example, glass, metal, PTFE, or polyester.

[0008] The gaskets may be braided or knitted from glass-ceramic or other fibre material, and in a preferred embodiment are generally elongate and of substantially circular section. The gaskets may be internally reinforced with a stiffening rod, shaped into a closed rectangular loop, and then elastically secured together by the connecting member.

[0009] In embodiments of gasket arrangements in which two, or more, gaskets are loosely secured together by having a single length of thread or yarn sewn therebetween, the maximum separation of the gaskets and also the number of stitches, or lengths of the connecting member, per inch may conveniently be controlled by the sewing machine. The gasket arrangement of the present invention allow one or more gaskets to be conveniently secured to a substrate without employing adhesive and without the need for any special preparation of, for example drilling of apertures in, the substrate.

[0010] Several embodiments of gasket arrangement, each in accordance with the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

Figures 1a,b,c are perspective views showing respectively a substrate, an arrangement of two gaskets connected together by a plurality of connecting members, and the arrangement mounted on on the substrate;

Figure 2 shows part of the two gaskets and a connecting member of the gasket arrangement of Figure 1;

Figures 3a,b,c show the connecting member of Figure 1 and two modific- cations thereof respectively;

Figure 4 shows another gasket arrangement;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an arrangement of two gaskets connected together by a length of yarn;

Figure 6 is an enlargement of the portion A of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the gasket arrangement of Figure 5 mounted on an oven door;

Figure 8 is an elargement of a portion of a further gasket arrangement; and

Figure 9 is a section through a gasket reinforced with a metal rod.

[0011] Referring to the drawings, Figure 1a shows a rectangular glass panel 2 of the door of an oven that is to be fitted with two glass-ceramic fibre gaskets 4 and 6 interconnected by a plurality of connecting members or staples 8 as shown in Figure 1b, to provide the assembled arrangement of Figure 1c. As may be seen more clearly from Figures 2 and 3, the gaskets 4 and 6 are of circular cross-section and are interconnected by the staples 8 by penetration thereinto of respective staple legs 10. Each leg 10 is terminated by a hook or barb 12 that opposes upward withdrawal of the staple 8 from the gasket. The staple 8 is looped at a portion intermediate the legs 10 so as resiliently to urge the gaskets 4 and 6 towards each other.

[0012] Figure 3b shows a modified form of staple having two loops in its intermediate portion to provide increased inward pressure on the gaskets 4 and 6. The staple of Figure 3c, has its legs 14 angled towards each other, so that after being forced apart to receive the oven door panel 2 therebetween, the gaskets engaged by respective legs 14 are urged inwardly by the resilience of the staple into contact with the panel 2.

[0013] When using the gasket and staple arrangement on a rectilinear substrate such as the panel 2, it is found convenient, as shown in Figure 1c for example, to provide the staples 8 in pairs adjacent corners of the panel 2 with the staple legs penetrably secured into respective gaskets on opposing major faces of the panel and with the intermediate staple portions abuting the interconnecting edge of the panel 2.

[0014] The gasket arrangement is preferably supplied in assembled forms, such as shown in Figure 1b for example, being dimensioned in accordance with the particular substrate, the glass panel 2 of Figure 1a for example. The gasket arrangement is then flexed, taking advantage of its natural elasticity, so that it can be slipped over the substrate, as shown in Figure 1c for example.

[0015] It is envisaged that in some applications a gasket may be required on only one surface of the substrate, in which case the leg 10 of the staple member or members employed that does not engage the gasket need not have the hook or barb 12 thereon, being provided simply for securement of the gasket against the opposing substrate surface.

[0016] Figure 4 shows a modified gasket arrangement in which two panels 2 have the gasket 6 forming a peripheral seal therebetween, the gasket 4 abutting an opposing surface of one of the panels, and a further gasket 14 abutting an opposing surface of the other panel 2. The arrangement is shown prior to the staples 8 being urged downwardly into contact with the panels 2.

[0017] Figures 5 to 7 show a further gasket arrangement 22 comprising two braided or knitted gaskets 24 of glass-ceramic fibres that are connected together by a length, or possibly two or more lengths, of yarn or thread 28 off for example, glass, metal, PTFE or polyester fibre. The yarn 28 is sewn through the two gaskets 24 in loose fashion, both in the transverse and longitudinal directions, so that the stitches are of the form of discrete non-woven portions 30 extending between the gaskets 24 as an elongated Z. Thus, the gaskets 24 are interconnected by the portions 30 at discrete locations longitudinally thereof. The gasket arrangement 22 thereby produced is very flexible and allows for easy mounting on to a substrate such as the oven glass door 26 with the gaskets 24 on-opposing faces thereof with the lengths 30 extending over the edges of the door.

[0018] It will be appreciated from Figure 6 that the longitudinal spacing apart of the stitch lengths 30 and the transverse separation of the gaskets 24 may very conveniently be controlled during the sewing operation. By this means, the gasket arrangement 22 can be tailored to suit the required thickness of the substrate and also the required curvature of the gaskets 4 adjacent corners of a rectilinear substrate.

[0019] Referring to Figure 8, three gaskets 24 are shown interconnected by a single length of yarn in a manner analogous to that hereinbefore described. It will be appreciated, however, that each adjacent pair of gaskets may be interconnected by a separate thread.

[0020] Any of the gaskets shown in Figures 1 to 8 may be internally reinfoced with, for example, a metal rod 32, as shown in Figure 9. The reinforced gasket may be fabricated by forming the braided or knitted gasket, of circular cross-section, in an elongate length, threading a metal rod 32 through the braid or knit and then shaping the gasket into a closed rectangular loop, the ends of the loop being secured together by stapling or sewing.

[0021] Material other than glass-ceramic fibre may be employed in the construction of the gaskets, and may comprise glass, ceramic, silica or asbestos fibre material for example, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the gasket may be formed by weaving, or other suitable means. In general, the gasket may be provided by any suitably-constructed elongate member.

[0022] Preferably, as shown in Figure 1c for example, the gasket is of elongate form and is located adjacent and substantially entirely around the periphery of the substrate. It will be appreciated that the precise positioning of the gaskets on the substrate surface can be arranged by a suitable choice of length of the staple legs in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, or by suitable choice of stitch lengths 30 in the embodiment shown in Figures 5 to 8. It will also be appreciated that the gasket may extend over a greater of lesser area of the surface of the substrate than shown.

[0023] The gasket arrangements of the present invention thus provide convenient ways of securing elongate lengths of gasket together and securing the gaskets over a substrate by inserting clips in the gaskets or by having lengths of a connecting member such as yarn or thread extending between the gaskets at spaced-apart, ie, discrete, locations.

Claims

1. A gasket arrangement comprising a gasket and at least two discrete connecting members, each having a first portion secured to the gasket and a second portion extending from the first portion to one side of the gasket and arranged for receiving therein a peripheral edge of a substrate and for securing the gasket to the substrate.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, comprising at least two gaskets, wherein the first portion of each connecting member is secured to one of said gaskets and the second portion of each connecting member is secured to another of said gaskets, the connecting member being arranged for securing the gaskets to the substrate located, in use, therebetween.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting members are resilient and urge the or ea. gasket against the substrate.

4. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein each connecting member comprises a metallic material.

5. An arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein the connecting members are penetrably secured in the or each gasket.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein each connecting member portion penetrably secured in a gasket comprises a hook directed generally in opposition to the direction of insertion of the connecting member into the gasket to assist retention therein.

7. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein each connecting member comprises a staple.

8. An arrangement according to any - of claims 2 to 5, wherein said discrete connecting members is securing said one gasket to said another qasket are constituted by spaced apart non-woven portions of a single continuous connecting member.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said single continuous connecting member comprises yarn.

10. An arrangement according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said single continuous connecting member is arranged to pass back and fore in a generally zig-zag pattern between said gasket and said further gasket in such a way as to allow relative longitudinal and transverse movement between said gaskets.

11. An arrangement according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein said single continuous connecting member comprises glass, metal, polytetrafluoroethylene or polyester.

12 An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each gasket is of elongate form.

13 An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each gasket is of braided, knitted or woven construction.

14 An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each gasket comprises a heat-insulative material.

15. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each gasket comprises ceramic, glass, asbestos or silica fibres, or a combination thereof.

16. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, whereinthe or each gasket is internally reinforced.

17. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, comprising the substrate, which is a substantially planar member.

18. An arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the or each gasket is of elongate form and extends adjacent the entire periphery of a respective one of the major surfaces of the substrate.

19. An arrangement according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the gasket arrangement comprises at least two gaskets, and wherein a plurality of said discrete connecting members secured the gaskets together at intervals spaced apart along each qasket.

20. An arrangement according to anyone of claims 17 19, wherein the substrate is rectilinear, and wherein t or each gasket is secured to the substrate by pairs of said connecting members disposed over said edge of the substrate on either side of corners thereof.

21. An arrangement according to any of claims 17 to 20 wherein the planar member comprises a glass panel.

22. An arrangement according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the substrate comprises at least part of the door of an oven.

23. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each gasket is sufficiently flexible that the gasket with each or every connecting member secured thereto is mountable on the substrate.

24. An oven including a gasket arrangement according to any preceding claim.

Drawing