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  Polyolefin sealing gasketUSPTO Application #: 20080085104Title: Polyolefin sealing gasket Abstract: A semi-rigid polyolefin water heater gasket is employed to increase the speed and reduce the cost of installing a urethane leakage barrier between an inner water heater vessel and an outer shell. The gasket comprises a strip of polyolefin material that is wrapped around the exterior of an inner water vessel in the space between the inner vessel and the outer shell. This gasket provides a leakage barrier secured in this space and prevents liquid urethane from flowing beyond the gasket or gas dam ring. An adhesive can bond the gasket in the gap. (end of abstract) Agent: Charles Y. Lackey - Winston-salem, NC, US Inventor: Mark Pavlansky USPTO Applicaton #: 20080085104 - Class: 392441 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080085104. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001]1. Field of the Invention [0002]The present invention relates to a gasket used in making water heaters optimally insulated by forming a seal that prevents the flow of foamed urethane insulation out of the bottom of the heater during the assembly procedure and to a method of making water heaters using the gasket. [0003]2. Background of the Invention [0004]Water heaters have been manufactured with the goal of providing efficiently raised and maintained water temperature by using an appropriate insulating material. Once the water temperature in the heater reaches a desired level, the insulating material will help to hold that temperature at the desired level. [0005]Most water heaters contain an inner vessel that holds water and is combined with a heater that can heat the held water. An outer shell encircles the inner vessel and forms a space between it and the inner vessel which is usually filled with an insulating material. The outer shell forms the exterior of the water heater and is usually finished with a colored coating. [0006]The insulating material has historically been formed of fiberglass. Eventually, a foamed insulating material was developed using liquid chemicals which would foam when mixed and flow and be distributed in the space between the inner vessel and the outer shell before hardening. [0007]The foamed urethane was a more cost effective material to be used in the manufacturing process than fiberglass and was even more preferred since its thermal characteristics were equal to or better than those of fiberglass. The only problem with using foamed urethane produced by mixing liquid chemicals was the containment of these chemicals until they foam and harden in place. Thus leak prevention of the liquid urethane became the primary obstacle to overcome, and gaskets to prevent liquid urethane leakage were developed. [0008]Several types of gaskets have been designed. Some of them are reasonably effective in limiting urethane leakage, but most are either very expensive or inconsistent in their ability to completely stop the flow of liquid urethane as the gasket was reached. One gasket was formed as a collar which was thereafter filed with an expandable foam. Another was formed with a combination of a fiberglass wrap and a plastic envelope around the bottom of the water heater. An expandable foam was then injected into the plastic envelope which formed a gasket. Another gasket used a toroidally shaped plastic tube filed with air with the tube acting as a gasket to prevent the leakage of the liquid urethane after air is injected into the plastic tube. Another gasket embodied a wedge shaped device that opened to receive some of the liquid urethane and thereby prevented leaks from dripping beyond the gasket. Another gasket-like device uses a resilient flexible material that forms a ring around the base of the water heater. The ring is specially treated with a lubricant to place and hold it in the desired position. [0009]While many of these developments experienced some success, there is still a need to improve on the capture of wet insulating mix until it hardens, and it is to that need that the present invention is directed. SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES [0010]The present invention is a semi-rigid polyolefin water heater gasket to achieve speed in installation and to be cost competitive when compared to other useable materials. The polyolefin gasket will wrap around the exterior circumference of the inner vessel (in the space between the inner vessel and the outer shell) and provide an ample leakage barrier that prevents the liquid urethane from flowing beyond the gasket (gas dam ring). The gasket is secured to the inner vessel or outer shell by an adhesive. The adhesive bond together with the semi-rigid polyolefin foam creates a reliable leak prevention system that is efficiently installed during the manufacturing process. [0011]From the foregoing summary, it can be seen that a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a polyolefin sealing gasket for a hot water heater that overcomes defects and inefficiencies of prior art devices and provides new materials and features not previously known. [0012]Another objective of the present invention is to provide a gasket for a hot water heater that can be continuously extruded in semi-rigid form and automatically cut into preselected lengths, each such length being suitable for installation in a water heater being manufactured. [0013]Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a hot water heater gasket of the type described which is fire retardant. [0014]Yet still another objective of the present invention is to provide a gasket of the type described in which the ends of the gasket connect in a spiral overlap. [0015]A further objective of the present invention is to provide a gasket of the type described wherein the ends of which will be joined in an end-to-end relationship. [0016]Yet still a further objective of the present invention is to provide a gasket of the type described which has a circular cross section. [0017]Another objective of the present invention is to provide a gasket of the type described which has a "D" shaped cross section. [0018]And still another objective of the present invention is to provide a gasket of the type described which has a square cross section. [0019]Thus there has been outlined the more important features of the invention in order that detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In [0020]Thus there has been outlined the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In that respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its arrangement of the components set forth in the following description and illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. [0021]It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting in any respect. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of this development. It is important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent methods and products resulting therefrom that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The application is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by its claims, nor to limit its scope in any way. [0022]Thus, the objectives of the invention set forth above, along with the various features of novelty, which characterize the invention, are noted with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific results obtained by its use, reference should be made to the following detailed specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views. Continue reading... Full patent description for Polyolefin sealing gasket Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Polyolefin sealing gasket patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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