WO2003099564A1

WO2003099564A1 - Assembly, annular flange and jacket for use in such an assembly, and method for mounting such an assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2003099564A1
Application number: PCT/NL2003/000368
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan Willem Gerritsen; Gerrit Johannes Brinks
Original assignee: Perdix Technologies B.V.
Priority date: 2002-05-24
Filing date: 2003-05-19
Publication date: 2003-12-04
Also published as: AU2003241892A1; NL1020671C2

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly (1), comprising : an annular flange (3) and a jacket (2), wherein the outer periphery of at least a part of the flange is smaller than the inner periphery of the jacket. The invention also relates to a flange for use in such an assembly. The invention further relates to a jacket for use in such an assembly. The invention further relates to a method for mounting such an assembly.

Description

Assembly, annular flange and jacket for use in such an assembly, and method for mounting such an assembly

The invention relates to an assembly, comprising: an annular flange and a jacket, wherein the outer periphery of at least a part of the flange is smaller than the inner periphery of the jacket, and wherein the jacket engages with a clamp fitting on the annular flange via at least one expansible body. The invention also relates to a flange for use in such an assembly. The invention further relates to a jacket for use in such an assembly. The invention further relates to a method for mounting such an assembly.

In industry, but also in other sectors, use is often made of connections between cylindrical objects and flanges. In the textile industry in particular, millions of jackets, better known as rotary silkscreen printing templates, are used worldwide every year to print substrates, provide them with a coating or otherwise treat them. These rotary silkscreen printing templates, generally seamless and manufactured from nickel, are arranged on a machine wherein the flanges, so-called end rings, form the coupling medium between the machine and the cylindrical template. In addition to applying an assembly of the flange and the jacket in rotary printing of textiles or other materials, the assembly can also be applied as rotating transport element during the throughfeed of material layers. Another possible application of the assembly is to employ the assembly as emission filter, wherein the jacket is porous or is at least provided with at least one discharge opening.

The flanges, usually manufactured from aluminium, are traditionally fixed to the jacket on both sides by means of a physical/chemical (glue) connection such as acrylic glue. After use of the assembly the flanges are removed from the jacket and treated chemically and/or mechanically for re-use. Although the quality of the glue connection is acceptable, the use of glue has significant drawbacks, such as substantial material costs, since a layer of glue can be used only once, and considerable work effort during the mounting and removing of the flange in the jacket. After coupling of the flange to the jacket, the layer of glue applied between the flange and the jacket has to cure, which generally entails relatively long waiting times before the assembly can be effectively employed. During disassembly of the flange and the jacket there is a great risk of damaging the flange, whereby re-use of the flange is considerably limited. Another drawback of the glue connection is that, when glue residues are removed, chemicals usually have to be applied which are harmful to health and the environment.

The American patent publication US 4,044,669 describes an assembly of the type stated in the preamble, which provides a solution for several of the above stated drawbacks in mutually coupling the jacket and the flange by means of a glue connection. The flange is provided with a radial groove in which is arranged a clamping ring which can be displaced eccentrically by means of for instance an expansible body or by mechanical locking means, whereby the jacket and the flange can be mutually coupled. The actual coupling between the jacket and the flange is brought about de facto by the mutual co- action between the clamping ring (clamping means) and the locking means (expansible body or mechanical locking means). The clamping ring is preferably provided with a protruding edge adapted for co-action with a protruding edge forming part of the jacket. The known assembly has the advantage that a firm coupling can be obtained between the flange and the jacket. However, in addition to said advantage, the known assembly also has a number of drawbacks. A first drawback of the known assembly is that the assembly is structurally relatively complex because of the necessary mutual co-action between the clamping means and the locking means in order to arrive at clamping of the flange in the jacket. It is furthermore relatively expensive to provide the known assembly due to said complexity.

The invention has for its object to provide a structurally relatively simple assembly of a flange and a jacket in comparatively inexpensive manner.

The invention provides for this purpose an assembly of the type stated in the preamble, characterized in that the expansible body engages on both the flange and the jacket. Because the expansible body is adapted to engage on both the flange and the jacket, no additional components are required in order to form a solid connection between the flange and the jacket. The expansible body functions (almost) completely as clamping means.

A structurally relatively simple assembly is thus obtained, which can moreover be manufactured in relatively inexpensive manner. An additional advantage of the assembly according to the invention compared to the known assembly is that there is a certain freedom in aligning of the assembly. The relative orientation of the flange and the jacket, and therefore the effective (axial) length of the assembly, can - depending on the application of the assembly - be modified within determined limits, whereby the structurally relatively simple assembly also has a certain degree of flexibility. In the case the jackets have a certain degree of flexibility, an additional advantage of the assembly according to the invention is that after dismantling of the assembly the jackets (separated from the flanges) can - in temporarily deformed form - generally be stored in relatively compact manner. The expansible body can be brought as required into an expanded condition, wherein the dimensioning of the expansible body is such that it produces sufficient tangential and axial friction between the flange and the jacket, whereby these remain at least mutually fixed up to a minimal critical load. In rotary silkscreen printing a minimal change in the relative orientation of the flange and the jacket generally results in (visible) variations in the printed pattern. A substantial mutual fixation of the flange and the jacket is therefore generally deemed to be of very great importance. The expansible body brought into expanded state preferably also shrinks as desired, whereafter dismantling of the flange and the jacket can take place in a simple and rapid manner. A reversible expansible body is thus applied, wherein the clamp fitting is based on an increase in the size of the outer periphery of the flange or decrease in the size of the inner periphery of the jacket.

The expansible body is preferably at least partly embodied as a flexible medium container, which medium container is adapted for supply respectively discharge of a medium. The advantage of applying a medium such as a gas (compressed air) or a liquid is that the tangential load of the expansible body on the jacket is at least substantially identical at each location along the inner periphery of the jacket, or at least that part of the inner periphery of the jacket on which the medium container directly engages, whereby a regular pressure distribution on the jacket can be achieved. The medium container must then however be manufactured from a medium-tight material, to which belong, among others, fluorocarbon elastomers, silicones and rubbers. In a particular preferred embodiment the expansible body is provided with a sealing member for sealing the medium container, whereby the constant pressure exerted on the jacket by the medium container can be maintained in simple manner. In the case a gas is used as medium for filling the medium container, a valve can for instance be used. In another preferred embodiment the expansible body is manufactured from a piezo-electric material. Expansion of the expansible body then takes place if an electrical voltage is applied over the piezo-electric material. Shrinking of the material will further take place by removing the voltage from the piezo-electric material, whereby the flange is no longer clamped in the jacket with a clamp fitting and removal of the flange relative to the jacket can optionally take place.

In yet another embodiment the expansible body is manufactured from a material with a relatively high coefficient of expansion. A relatively high coefficient of expansion results in a relatively large change in the dimensioning of the expansible body when the temperature is increased. The expansible body can therefore be arranged between the flange and the jacket when relatively cold, whereby the expansible body mutually fixes the flange and the jacket after adjustment to the relatively warm application temperature, and therefore after expansion of the expansible body.

The expansible body is preferably provided with a rough surface. A rough surface increases both the tangential and the axial friction between the expansible body and the outer periphery of the flange on the one hand and between the expansible body and the inner periphery of the jacket on the other. The rough surface can also be formed by a plurality of studs or other types of protrusion arranged on the expansible body, whereby the force exerted on the flange and the jacket by each stud is relatively large, whereby the above stated friction force (in an expanded state of the expansible body) can also be relatively very high.

The flange is preferably provided with at least one groove for containing at least a part of the expansible body. The groove serves in the first place to position the expansible body relative to the flange. The groove must further be dimensioned such that the expansible body is located at least substantially in the groove in a non-expanded state, whereby placing of the flange in the jacket (during mounting) and removing the flange from the jacket (during dismantling) can take place in relatively simple manner.

However, the groove has to be embodied such that the expansible body can effect the intended clamp fitting of the flange in the jacket when in an expanded state. In addition to a first groove, a second groove optionally running parallel to the first groove can also be arranged in the flange. The groove preferably extends along at least a part of the outer periphery of the flange. As already stated, the expansible body engages on the outer periphery of the flange, whereby positioning of the groove at that position is very suitable. The groove is preferably arranged in linear manner in the flange. The expansible body can thus be arranged in linear manner in the groove, whereby, for instance in the case the expansible body is embodied as a medium-filled medium container, there generally occurs no separation - as a result of kinking of the medium container - between a number of parts of the medium received in the medium container. It is nevertheless also possible to envisage embodying the groove in non-linear manner, thus providing it with a plurality of curves. A non-linear positioning of the expansible body relative to the flange and the jacket generally results in a relatively high axial friction between the flange and the jacket, which generally enhances the degree of clamp fitting. The flange is preferably provided with at least one opening connecting to the groove for passage of at least a part of the expansible body. With reference to the above stated medium container, wherein it is provided with a medium, it is generally practical to have filling of the medium container with the medium take place not in the groove but elsewhere. A part of the medium container, such as for instance the sealing member, can thus be carried through the opening connecting onto the groove, in order to facilitate filling and emptying of the medium container. In a particular embodiment the groove has a varying depth.

It will be apparent that it is also conceivable to arrange the above described groove in an inner side of the jacket. In rotary printing use is generally made of relatively thin and slightly flexible jackets, whereby in such jackets there are no or hardly any possibilities for arranging a groove therein. This can however be envisaged in other applications, such as the stated transporting element or the emission filter.

The outer periphery of the flange is preferably connected to a piezo-electric material strip. By connecting the material strip permanently to the flange, the flange can be reused immediately after use without first re-positioning the same or a new material strip relative to the flange. In another preferred embodiment the inner periphery of the jacket is connected to a piezo-electric material strip. Such an embodiment has the same advantages as discussed above in this paragraph. The jacket preferably forms an optionally patterned template, a filter or a roller conveyor. The use of a patterned template, particularly in the form of a rotary silkscreen printing element, makes the jacket suitable for rotary silkscreen printing of material layers, such as for instance textiles. An unpatterned template can for instance be employed in coating, pre- and post-treatment of substrates, such as inter alia textile and other types of material layer. In the case that the jacket has to be applied as a roller conveyor, in particular a roller, the jacket generally takes a wholly, or at least substantially continuous form in order to be able to exert a homogeneous pressure on a material lying thereagainst.

The invention also relates to an annular flange for use in such an assembly. The flange is preferably provided with at least one groove in which is received at least one expansible body.

The invention further relates to a jacket for use in such an assembly. Advantages of the particular embodiments of the flange and of the jacket have already been described above.

The invention further relates to a method for mounting such an assembly, comprising the steps of: A) arranging at least one expansible body in a non-expanded state round the flange, B) positioning the flange and the expansible body arranged round the flange in an outer end of the jacket, and C) causing the expansible body to expand at least until a clamp fitting between the flange and the jacket is obtained. Expansion of the expansible body according to processing step C) preferably takes place by filling a receiving space forming part of the expansible body with a medium under pressure. The receiving space can herein be filled with a liquid as well as by a gas. It will be apparent that in the dismantling of the assembly steps A)-C) must be carried out in reverse sequence and with reverse operations.

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of the non-limitative embodiments shown in the following figures. Herein: figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of an assembly according to the invention, figure 2 shows a lateral cross-section of the assembly according to figure 1, figure 3 shows a part of an axial cross-section of the assembly according to figures 1 and 2, figure 4 shows a part of an axial cross-section of a second embodiment of an assembly according to the invention, figure 5a shows a view of an annular flange according to the invention, figure 5b shows a view of another annular flange according to the invention, and figure 5c shows a view of yet another annular flange according to the invention. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of an assembly 1 according to the invention. The assembly is provided here with a tubular jacket 2 and two flanges 3 arranged partly in the jacket. Jacket 2 can take both a rigid and flexible form and can optionally be provided with one or more openings. When jacket 2 is applied as rotary silkscreen printing template, jacket 2 is generally supplied in kidney shape and will deform to tubular jacket 2 prior to insertion of flanges 3. Jacket 2 engages with a clamp fitting on a part of each flange 3 by means of bringing into an expanded state a here non- visible expansible body 4 positioned between flange 3 and jacket 2.

Figure 2 shows a lateral cross-section of assembly 1 according to figure 1. The shown cross-section shows that annular expansible body 4 is positioned between jacket 2 and flange 3. By causing the expansible body 4 to expand, the friction forces between flange 3 and expansible body 4 on the one hand and between expansible body 4 and jacket 2 on the other (and thus also between flange 3 and jacket 2) will increase until complete fixation of the mutual position of flange 3 relative to jacket 2 eventually occurs during normal application and load during use of assembly 1. By bringing the expansible body into a non-expanded, shrunken state the flange can be removed from jacket 2 in relatively simple and rapid manner. Expansible body 4 is now embodied as an open, infinite ring shape. It is likewise conceivable to embody the expansible body as a closed, finite form, such as for instance a sleeve.

Figure 3 shows a part of an axial cross-section of the assembly 1 according to figures 1 and 2. The expansible body 4, which is embodied from a flexible medium container into which can be introduced a medium, in particular compressed air, is received in a groove 5 forming part of the flange. The pressure of the compressed air to be introduced into the medium container preferably lies between 2 and 10 atmosphere, in particular 6 atmosphere. The groove is shown in figure 3 as a notch in flange 3, but can also be embodied in other form, such as semicircular, rectangular, and so on. The expansible body 4 is connected to a feed conduit 6 for supplying compressed air to expansible body 4. The feed conduit is herein provided with a valve 7 in order to temporarily confine the air introduced into expansible body 4. As already stated, the dimensioning of groove 5 must on the one hand be sufficiently large relative to expansible body 4 to allow simple removal from jacket 2 of the flange 3 together with the expansible body 4 received in groove 5 in a non-expanded state, but must on the other hand be sufficiently small relative to expansible body 4 to achieve a clamp fitting of flange 3 in jacket 2 caused by the expansible body 4 in the expanded state. A part of flange 3 remote from jacket 2 is provided with coupling means 8 for coupling to an external apparatus or other object.

Figure 4 shows a part of an axial cross-section of a second embodiment of an assembly 9 according to the invention. Assembly 9 comprises a jacket 10 and a flange 11 arranged in a free outer end of jacket 10. Flange 11 is provided with semicircular groove 12 extending along the whole outer periphery of flange 11. Groove 12 functions as receiving space for a flexible tube 13, also designated as hose or gasket into which a gas can be introduced under pressure. Tube 13 is connected to a feed conduit 14 for supply of the gas. Feed conduit 14 can be sealed by means of a valve 15 connected to feed conduit 14. The feed conduit is carried through two openings 16 in the flange, whereby valve 15 is easily accessible to a user. Jacket 10 is also provided with a curved groove 17, albeit that this curved groove 17 is much less deep than the groove 12 arranged in flange 11. During expansion of tube 13 in the two grooves 12, 17 the tube will place itself in its preferred position and will fill the whole space enclosed by curved grooves 12, 17, which is not shown in figure 4. The curved groove 17 forming part of jacket 10 prevents axial displacement of flange 11 relative to jacket 10 in an expanded state of tube 13. In order to improve clamp fitting of flange 11 in jacket 10, the latter is also provided with rectangular groove 18 in which is arranged a piezo-electric material strip 19. A two-stage clamping of flange 11 in jacket 10 can thus take place, on the one hand by the flexible tube 13 filled with compressed air and on the other by expanding an electrified piezo-electric material strip 19.

Figure 5a shows a view of an annular flange 20 according to the invention. Flange 20 is provided with two parallel grooves in which are received two separate expansible bodies 21, 22. Expansible bodies 21, 22 herein serve as coupling medium during clamping of flange 20 in a jacket. The application of a plurality of expansible bodies 21, 22 generally increases the total friction between flange 20 and a jacket, whereby the intended clamp fitting can take place more rapidly. The operation and other advantages of this construction have already been described above.

Figure 5b shows a view of another annular flange 23 according to the invention. The flange is provided with a helical groove in which is arranged a single expansible body 24. The groove extends over two complete windings round flange 23. Such an embodiment has substantially the same advantages as the embodiment shown in figure 5a.

Figure 5c shows a view of yet another annular flange 25 according to the invention. Flange 25 is provided with a meandering groove in which an expansible body 26 is received. As well as the orientation shown in figures 5a and 5b, a meandering orientation of the expansible body has the result of increasing a surface area whereby clamping of flange 25 in a jacket in clamp-fitting manner can take place in a firmer manner. The meandering expansible body 25 moreover has the result that the axial friction forces present during clamping in a jacket are relatively high, whereby mutual displacement of flange 25 and the jacket can be prevented, or can at least be largely countered.

Claims

1. Assembly, comprising: an annular flange, and - a jacket, wherein the outer periphery of at least a part of the flange is smaller than the inner periphery of the jacket, and wherein the jacket engages with a clamp fitting on the annular flange via at least one expansible body, characterized in that the expansible body engages on both the flange and the jacket.

2. Assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the expansible body is at least partly embodied as a flexible medium container, which medium container is adapted for supply respectively discharge of a medium.

3. Assembly as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the expansible body is provided with a sealing member for sealing the medium container.

4. Assembly as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the expansible body is manufactured from a piezo-electric material.

5. Assembly as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the expansible body is manufactured from a material with a relatively high coefficient of expansion.

6. Assembly as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the expansible body is provided with a rough surface.

7. Assembly as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the flange is provided with at least one groove for containing at least a part of the expansible body.

8. Assembly as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the groove extends along at least a part of the outer periphery of the flange.

Assembly as claimed in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the groove is arranged in linear manner in the flange.

10. Assembly as claimed in any of the claims 7-9, characterized in that the flange is provided with at least one opening connecting to the groove for passage of at least a part of the expansible body.

11. Assembly as claimed in any of the claims 7-10, characterized in that the groove has a varying depth.

12. Assembly as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the outer periphery of the flange is connected to a piezo-electric material strip.

13. Assembly as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the inner periphery of the jacket is connected to a piezo-electric material strip.

14. Assembly as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the jacket forms a rotary silkscreen printing element.

15. Assembly as claimed in any of the claims 1-13, characterized in that the jacket forms a filter, wherein the filter is provided with at least one passage opening for a medium.

16. Assembly as claimed in any of the claims 1-14, characterized in that the jacket forms a roller conveyor.

17. Annular flange for use in an assembly as claimed in any of the claims 1-16.

18. Annular flange as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the flange is provided with at least one groove in which is received at least one expansible body.

19. Jacket for use in an assembly as claimed in any of the claims 1-16.

20. Method for mounting the assembly as claimed in any of the claims 1-16, comprising the steps of:

A) arranging at least one expansible body in a non-expanded state round the flange,

B) positioning the flange and the expansible body arranged round the flange in an outer end of the jacket, and

C) causing the expansible body to expand at least until a clamp fitting between the flange and the jacket is obtained.

21. Method as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that expansion of the expansible body according to processing step C) takes place by filling a receiving space forming part of the expansible body with a medium under pressure.