Dual shot one-way drain hole plug

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016265674-A1
Application number	US-201514656775-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 13, 2015
Priority date	Mar 13, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A one-way drain hole plug that affords for easy, quick, and proper installation into a panel having drain hole. The one-way drain hole plug includes a seal portion made from a first material and a hollow bulb portion made from a second material that is harder and/or stronger than the first material. The hardness or strength of the second material prevents the hollow bulb portion and the base attached thereto from collapsing during installation of the one-way drain hole plug into the drain hole. However, the first material is soft or pliable enough to allow sufficient deformation of the drain hole insert as it is pushed through the drain hole and provide a liquid-tight fit with the panel.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A one-way drain hole plug comprising:
a seal portion made from a first material and a hollow bulb portion made from a second material that is harder than said first material; said seal portion having a base with a panel flange and a drain hole insert, said drain hole insert having a truncated-cone shape with an inner bore and a bottom edge that is spaced apart from said panel flange, said drain hole insert also having an inclined outer sidewall extending from said bottom edge to a top edge and a sidewall channel extending through said inclined outer sidewall to said inner bore; said hollow bulb portion extending from seal portion and in fluid communication with said seal portion via said inner bore, said hollow bulb having a bottom opening; and a hollow flange with a liquid exit slot, said hollow flange extending from said hollow bulb portion and in fluid communication with said bottom opening of said hollow bulb such that liquid flows through said sidewall channel of said seal into said hollow bulb, and through said hollow flange.

2 . The one-way drain hole plug of claim 1 , wherein said first material is a thermoplastic elastomer having a hardness within a range of 30-60 Shore A and said second material is a thermoset plastic having a hardness within a range of 65-95 Shore A.

3 . The one-way drain hole plug of claim 2 , further comprising an inner cylinder extending between said panel flange of said base and said drain hole insert.

4 . The one-way drain hole plug of claim 3 , wherein said bottom edge of said drain hole insert has a diameter of d 1 and said top edge of said drain hole insert has a diameter of d 2 that is less than d 1 .

5 . The one-way drain hole plug of claim 4 , wherein said hollow flange has a first side, a second side and a bottom edge, said first side extending from said bulb to said bottom edge and said second side extending from said bulb to said liquid exit slot.

6 . The one-way drain hole plug of claim 5 , wherein said second side is made from said first material.

7 . A process for installing a one-way drain hole plug into a panel having a drain hole, the process comprising:
providing a panel having a thickness of t 1 and a drain hole with a diameter of d h ; providing a one-way drain hole plug having:
a seal made from a first material and a hollow bulb made from a second material, the second material having a second material hardness that is greater than a first material hardness of the first material;
the seal having a base attached to the hollow bulb, the base having a panel flange and a drain hole insert, the drain hole insert having a truncated-cone shape with an inner bore and a bottom edge that is spaced apart from the panel flange by a distance t 1 , the drain hole insert also having an inclined outer sidewall extending from the bottom edge to a top edge and a sidewall channel extending through the inclined outer sidewall to the inner bore;
the hollow bulb extending from the base of the seal and in fluid communication with the seal via the inner bore, the hollow bulb having a bottom opening that liquid can flow through;
installing the one-way drain hole plug by grasping the hollow bulb with at least two fingers and pushing the seal into the drain hole until the bottom edge of the drain hole insert passes through the drain hole and is located on one side of the panel and the panel flange of the base is located on an opposite side of the panel, the second material hardness of the second material preventing the hollow bulb and the seal base attached to the hollow bulb from collapsing during installation of the one-way drain hole plug.

8 . The process of claim 7 , wherein the prevention of the hollow bulb and the seal base from collapsing during installation provides a generally uniform force onto the seal as the seal is pushed into the drain hole.

9 . The process of claim 8 , further including the one-way hole drain plug having a hollow flange with a liquid exit slot, the hollow flange extending from the hollow bulb and in fluid communication with the bottom opening of the hollow bulb such that liquid flows through the sidewall channel of the seal into the hollow bulb, and through the hollow flange.

10 . The process of claim 9 , wherein the first material is a thermoplastic elastomer and the first material hardness is within a range of 30-60 Shore A and the second material is a thermoset plastic and the second material hardness is within a range of 65-95 Shore A.

11 . The process of claim 10 , further including the one-way drain hole plug having an inner cylinder extending between the panel flange of the base and the drain hole insert, the inner cylinder having an outer diameter d od that is less than or equal to the drain hole diameter of d h1 .

12 . The process of claim 11 , wherein the bottom edge of the drain hole insert has a diameter of d 1 and the top edge of the drain hole insert has a diameter of d 2 that is less than d 1 .

13 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the hollow flange has a first side, a second side and a bottom edge, the first side extending from the bulb to the bottom edge and the second side extending from the bulb to the liquid exit slot.

14 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the second side is made from the first material.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Eng & Mfg North America Inc

Inventors

• Shen Mingher Fred
• Letcher Brandon W

Classifications

• F16K25/005

  Particular materials for seats or closure elements · CPC title

• F16K24/04 Primary

  for venting only (F16K24/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D25/24 Primary

  Superstructure sub-units with access {or drainage} openings having movable or removable closures; {Sealing means therefor}(inlet covers for vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/05) · CPC title

• Y10T137/6881

  Automotive · CPC title

• Y10T137/7884

  Side vent · CPC title