Conduit body cover screw retention

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776347-B2
Application number	US-201514710153-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2010
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

An improved mechanism for retaining screws for a conduit body cover is disclosed. The screws are retained by a layer of PVC lining the inner surface of holes in the cover.

First claim

We claim:

1. An injection mold for coating a conduit body cover in a malleable material wherein said injection mold is configured to allow said malleable material to coat an inner surface of a screw hole in the conduit body cover wherein said conduit body cover top and bottom surfaces immediately around said screw hole are substantially free of said malleable material.

2. The injection mold of claim 1 wherein said injection mold further comprises a sprue through which liquefied malleable material flows into the screw hole.

3. The injection mold of claim 2 wherein said sprue is notched into a pin, said pin configured to prevent the screw hole from being filled with said malleable material.

4. The injection mold of claim 2 wherein said sprue is notched into said conduit body cover.

5. The injection mold of claim 1 further comprising a pin configured to be placed within the screw hole for a screw and said pin having a diameter less than the screw of said conduit body cover.

6. A method of making a screw retention mechanism in a cover comprising:
a. placing a pin through a hole in said cover, said pin having a diameter less than that of a screw to be retained;
b. placing said pin and said cover in an injection mold;
c. injecting a liquefied malleable material into said injection mold such that said cover top and bottom surfaces immediately around said hole are substantially free of said liquefied malleable material upon solidification; and
d. removing said pin from said cover for a malleable material-lined hole in said cover.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said malleable material is PVC.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said malleable material is rubber.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said malleable material is plastic.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein said pin has a sprue through which the liquefied malleable material flows into a space between an outer surface of said pin and an inner surface of said hole.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein said cover has a sprue through which the liquefied malleable material flows into a space between an outer surface of said pin and an inner surface of said hole.

12. The injection mold of claim 1 , wherein the screw hole is at least two screw holes.

13. The injection mold of claim 3 , wherein the screw hole is at least two screw holes.

14. The injection mold of claim 5 , wherein the screw hole is at least two screw holes.

15. The method of claim 6 , wherein said hole in said cover is at least two holes in said cover.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein said hole in said cover is at least two holes in said cover.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein said hole in said cover is at least two holes in said cover.

Assignees

• Seidel Daniel
• Scritchfield James
• Thomas & Betts Int Llc

Inventors

• Seidel Daniel
• Scritchfield James

Classifications

• F16B41/002

  Measures against loss of bolts, nuts or pins (devices for fastening nuts to surfaces F16B37/04) · CPC title

• B29C45/14598 Primary

  Coating tubular articles · CPC title

• H02G9/02

  laid directly in or on the ground, river-bed or sea-bottom; Coverings therefor, e.g. tile · CPC title

• B29K2027/06

  PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride · CPC title

• B29C45/14344 Primary

  Moulding in or through a hole in the article, e.g. outsert moulding · CPC title