A structure consisting of a gasket retainer and a gasket.

Abstract

To provide a gasket retainer which has no sharp corners, has reasonable dimensional tolerances, and can be easily formed in various manufacturing processes.SOLUTION: A retainer is formed from a thin, flat elastic material that easily recovers from slight bending. A typical gasket capture opening is composed of a smooth, non-convex contour that comprises: a long shaft large enough to allow the passage of a ring-shaped gasket with a bent edge; and a minor axis small enough to engage the opening or groove on the outer periphery of the gasket in less than one-third of the outer periphery of the gasket in an opposite portion of a nearly circular shape when flattened in parallel with a sheet material of the retainer. A fastening member can also be held by a similar opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure comprising a gasket retainer and a gasket.

Background Art

[0002] Implementation techniques of removable fluid path joints using gaskets are well known. As an early example, there is the connection of pipe members (ASA B16e - 1932) described in the work of the American Standards Association in the 1920s, which has been updated and developed over the years into the current American Society of Mechanical Engineers standard for pipes, flanges, and flanged pipe joints (ASME B 16.5 - 2009). In some cases, it is required to have a subassembly that includes a gasket arranged by a positioning part to ensure correct assembly of the joint. Patent Document 1 by Taylor and Hailing discloses such an example, and Patent Document 2 by Spence and Felber discloses a more recent example.

[0003] Typical fluid transport devices are found, for example, in fine chemical, petroleum product, or semiconductor industrial manufacturing equipment, and may be for applying vacuum or pressure, or for requiring cleanliness, or combinations thereof. The fluid path between parts for handling processing raw materials within semiconductor manufacturing equipment usually requires consideration for maintaining a high purity of the transported reactants, and generally has a smaller cross - sectional area than fluid paths used, for example, in petrochemical plants. Fluid transport systems for semiconductor manufacturing equipment generally use surface - mounted components removably attached to a substrate that includes fluid paths. The connection between each part and the substrate has a liquid conduit port with a detailed structure that depends on a specific seal design and is usually flat. Examples of the system are disclosed in Patent Document 3 by Manofsky and Fittro, and Patent Documents 4 and 5 by the inventors of the present case, Kim Ngoc Vu et al.

[0004] Known fluid path couplings (so-called C-seal couplings) utilize a complexly shaped ring-shaped metal gasket compressed between an opposing device component and at least one component having a circular counterbore recess on its surface for receiving a gasket. In some embodiments, a separation retainer is provided, which holds and centers the gasket while the coupling assembly is formed by this retainer engaging with an opening or groove on the outer circumference of the gasket. The retainer in the example system of Manofsky's Patent Document 3, already mentioned, can be seen separately in Patent Document 6 by Swensen et al. Counterbore gaskets for other separation retainers are disclosed in Patent Document 7 by Inagaki et al., and can also be seen separately in Patent Document 8 by Kojima and Aoyama et al. Yet another counterbore gasket for a separation retainer is disclosed in Patent Document 9 by Itoi et al. Further C-seal type fitting separation retainers are disclosed in Patent Document 10 by Doyle, other retainers are disclosed in Patent Document 11 by Whitlow et al., and yet another retainer, as illustrated in Figure 4 of this application, is available for purchase from Microflex Technologies (Anaheim, CA; www.microflexseals.com).

[0005] The aforementioned retainers use a thin, flat sheet of metal as the basic structural material and are designed to engage with an opening or groove on the outer circumference of the gasket. A related but non-metallic retainer disclosed in Patent Document 12 by Swensen et al. engages with a recess on the circumference of the gasket by an elastic component. Patent Document 13 by Bower and Chase et al. discloses a flat heater comprising integrally formed metallic resistive material and insulating plastic that can be used as a retainer for a C-seal gasket. Patent Document 14 by the inventors of the present application, Kim Ngoc Vu et al., discloses a retainer that overlaps with a projection on the outer circumference of a Z-seal gasket (a known type of gasket with a shear sealing structure) instead of engaging with a groove around the C-seal gasket. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 3,857,572 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 6,409,180 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 6,068,016 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 5,992,463 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent No. 6,394,138 [Patent Document 6] U.S. Patent No. 5,713,582 [Patent Document 7] U.S. Patent No. 5,797,604 [Patent Document 8] U.S. Patent No. 5,984,318 [Patent Document 9] U.S. Patent No. 5,771,919 [Patent Document 10] U.S. Patent No. 6,845,984 [Patent Document 11] U.S. Patent No. 6,945,539 [Patent Document 12] U.S. Patent No. 5,730,448 [Patent Document 13] U.S. Patent No. 7,126,094 [Patent Document 14] U.S. 6,474,700 specifications [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Figure 4 shows a plan view of a prior art retainer 400, which is used in a K1S type fluid transport element with two surface-mounted ports and is available from Microflex Technologies of Anaheim, California. The prior art retainer 400 is formed from a thin, flat, rectangular member 410 of sheet metal stainless steel and includes two circular gasket capture openings 440, 444 for use with a known C-seal gasket (not shown) and four fastening openings 431, 432, 437, 438 positioned to correspond to the corner mounting openings of a rectangular fluid transport element measuring approximately 1.115 inches (approximately 2.832 cm) × 1.115 inches (approximately 2.832 cm). Each gasket capture opening 440, 444 has two projections (four projections in total in the case of the two gasket retainers shown) 450, 460, 454, 464 projecting with triangular tips. Each nearly triangular projection is formed by a linear groove that intersects the inner circumference of the gasket retention opening, and is divided into one side of the groove and the other side formed by the arc portion intersecting the groove, with each triangular base continuing to the rest of the square-shaped member 410. A web portion 480 is interposed between one gasket retention opening 440 and the other gasket retention opening 444, so that the two retention openings are not continuous. Each fastening opening 431, 432, 437, 438 has three cantilevered projections with one end protruding for engaging with the male screw into which it is inserted. Designers should be aware that conventional retainers 400 have many small, pointed convex surfaces that can snag during handling.

[0008] The retainers shown in Patent Document 6 by Swensen et al., Patent Document 4 by Doyle, the Microflex Technologies product shown in Figure 4, and Patent Document 12 by Swensen et al. all utilize a protruding portion at one end of the retainer to engage with at least one opening or groove on the outer circumference of a C-seal type gasket. The cantilevered portion of such retainers has several relatively sharp protruding corners, making them difficult to handle and prone to damage during handling. Furthermore, special manufacturing equipment is required to form the thin arms and narrow grooves. In addition, the retainer shown in Patent Document 11 by Whitlow et al. has relatively sharp corners in its "interference region," requiring small dimensional tolerances to engage with the groove on the outer circumference of the gasket and hold the gasket in place. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention relates to a retainer for positioning at least one gasket in a plane to prevent leakage in a conduit port fitting containing at least one fluid path. The retainer is a flexible, substantially flat sheet and has a specially shaped opening for removably mounting at least one circular gasket for relative position adjustment during assembly of the fluid path fitting. The present invention is particularly suitable for, but is not limited to, elements handling high-purity fluids mounted on a substrate of a surface mount fluid transport system using multiple coupling members.

[0010] In response to the aforementioned problems recognized in the background section of this specification, the inventors have developed a gasket retainer that does not have sharp corners, has reasonable dimensional tolerances, and can be easily manufactured by a variety of processes. The retainer is made from a thin, flat, elastic material that easily returns to its shape from slight bending, and therefore metal or a suitable alternative material can be used. An example of the gasket retainer of the present invention comprises at least one gasket capture opening and at least two fastening openings. Each gasket capture opening engages with a space opening or groove on the outer circumference of the gasket in a circular, opposing portion, for no more than one-third of the circumference of the gasket.

[0011] One example of a retainer provides a smooth, recessed, oval-shaped gasket-retaining opening with an elliptical contour having a major axis large enough to allow a C-seal type gasket to pass through while curving at its edge, and a minor axis small enough to engage with a space or groove on the outer circumference of the C-seal type gasket when flattened parallel to the sheet of retainer material. In other examples, the contour of the elliptical opening is mathematically equivalent to an ellipse. These types of openings have two-fold rotational symmetry, and also have left-right symmetry and vertical symmetry.

[0012] Further examples of retainers provide an elliptical gasket-retaining opening whose inner circumference comprises at least one substantially straight portion and is further non-convex, with a length dimension large enough to allow a C-seal type gasket to pass through while bending at the edge, and a short dimension small enough to engage with a space or groove on the outer circumference of a C-seal type gasket when flattened parallel to the retainer material sheet. In other examples, at least one of the inner circumferences of the elliptical gasket-retaining opening is considerably more curved than the opposing portion. These D-shaped openings lack rotational symmetry and have only bilateral symmetry (or only vertical symmetry depending on the nominal orientation, but not both bilateral and vertical symmetry simultaneously).

[0013] Another example of a retainer provides a gasket-retaining opening with a smooth, non-convex contour, where three identically shaped peripheral portions are either nearly straight or curves of relatively large curvature. An opening with three nearly straight portions is represented as an equilateral triangle with the corresponding vertices at the ends of radii. An opening with three vertices of curves of relatively large curvature is represented as a Reuleaux triangle with the vertices at the ends of radii, similar to the shape of a tri-oval on a car racing track. These triangular openings possess three rotational symmetries and only bilateral symmetry by the bisectors of the vertices and the opposite portions (or only vertical symmetry depending on the nominal orientation, but not both bilateral and vertical symmetry simultaneously). The radii indicating the vertices of the triangular opening are chosen to be small enough to curve the edges of the peripheral portions of the identically shaped opening, forming a gap clear enough to allow the passage of a C-seal type gasket.

[0014] Each of the non-convex gasket-retaining openings of the retainer can be forced to lie coplanar with the gasket by the temporary elastic bending of the resilient retainer material. The insertion process of the retainer into the gasket-retaining opening for a typical gasket includes the step of joining the inner edge of the minor diameter portion of the opening to the deepest part of the gasket's peripheral groove, i.e., the step of bending the retainer material three-dimensionally by bringing both ends of the major diameter portion of the opening closer together and simultaneously widening the inner edges of the opposing minor diameter portions of the opening to pass through the outer diameter of the gasket. The gasket is then positioned coplanar with the portion of the retainer, the portion already joined inside the gasket's peripheral groove, and the bending of the retainer is released as the inner edges of the opposing minor diameter portions of the gasket-retaining opening are allowed to join to the gasket's peripheral groove.

[0015] In many situations, it is useful to provide a fastening opening in a gasket retainer designed to engage the threaded portion of a fastening member for the purpose of joining between mating conduit ports. Engagement of such a retainer with the threaded portion simplifies the process of joining fluid paths by being generally held as an assembly of the retainer, the fastening member, at least one gasket, and one mating conduit port. An example of a retainer provides an elliptical fastening opening having an inner peripheral portion that is not convex inwardly, a major diameter large enough to allow passage of the outer diameter of the threaded portion of the fastening member, and a minor diameter small enough to engage the groove of the threaded portion of the fastening member without bending. Any non-convex inwardly opening shape applicable to the gasket capture opening can be used for the fastening opening after scaling to appropriate dimensions. Thus, the fastening opening may be elliptical in shape, a mathematical ellipse, D-shaped, triangular, or tri-oval, or for example, some combination of these. A typical process of joining the fastening opening with an outer (male) threaded fastening member includes a step in which the fastening member rotates about the screw axis to allow the minor diameter of the fastening opening to function as a mating (female) inner thread and engage with the fastening opening.

[0016] One aspect of the present invention provides a gasket retainer for use in a fluid conveyance system comprising a base member formed of a substantially planar sheet material and a gasket capture opening disposed in the base member. Preferably, the gasket capture opening comprises at least an inner peripheral ellipse along a portion having a major diameter that allows passage of at least a circular element and a minor diameter small enough to couple to an opening, groove, or threaded portion of the outer peripheral portion of the circular element. Preferably, at least two fastening openings are disposed on opposite sides of the gasket capture opening. The inner periphery of the ellipse is, in a particular example, a smooth concave portion that mathematically corresponds to an elliptical shape.

[0017] Preferably, the major axis dimension of the elliptical shape is about 1.15 times (115%) of the minor axis dimension, and more preferably, it is about 1.25 times (125%) of the minor axis dimension. The base member preferably includes stainless steel, has a length and a width, and the major and minor diameters of the gasket capture opening are each rotated about 15 degrees with respect to one of the length and width of the base member.

[0018] One characteristic example is that the gasket capture opening has a D shape and includes approximately half of a larger ellipse cut along the minor axis by a straight portion, and both ends of the straight portion are incorporated into the curvature of the corner.

[0019] In some examples, the inner peripheral portion of the gasket capture opening does not have a convex shape inward. In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gasket retainer for use in a fluid conveyance system including a base member formed of a substantially flat sheet material and a gasket capture opening having an inner peripheral portion that is smooth and not convex and does not bend continuously. The inner periphery is formed into a substantially triangular shape in appearance of the opening by three inner peripheral portions of substantially the same shape and three curved radii where both ends of each of the three inner peripheral portions of substantially the same shape are joined. The opening is represented as substantially triangular, the opening is defined by an opening size sufficient to allow a circular element to pass through, and between each of the radii of the inner peripheral portions of substantially the same shape and the inner peripheral portion of the opposite opening, it is large enough to allow the circular element to pass through, and at the same time, a small enough gap is maintained to join the outer periphery of the circular element to an opening, groove, or threaded portion between a pair of adjacent inner peripheral portions of the same large curvature.

[0020] Preferably, the gasket retainer further includes at least two fastening openings disposed at positions facing the gasket capture opening. In some examples, the three inner peripheral portions of substantially the same shape include a relatively large curved portion that is substantially linear. The non-convex opening is represented as a roulo triangular shape or a trioval shape in a specific example.

[0021] The present invention, which has additional features and advantages, will be understood by referring to the accompanying illustrative drawings and the description below. In these accompanying drawings, similar parts throughout the figures are indicated by the same reference numerals. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0022] [Figure 1A] Figure 1A is a perspective view of a typical retainer with a gasket inserted. [Figure 1B] Figure 1B is a plan view of a typical retainer shown in Figure 1A, with the gasket omitted. [Figure 1C] Figure 1C is a detailed view of the gasket capture opening shown in Figure 1B. [Figure 1D] Figure 1D is a cross-sectional view passing through the short axis of the gasket retention opening with the gasket inserted as shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 1E] Figure 1E is a cross-sectional view passing through the long axis of the gasket retention opening with the gasket inserted as shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 1F] Figure 1F is a perspective view showing the assembly process for a known C-seal gasket and a typical retainer shown in Figure 1. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A is a detailed view of the fastening opening shown in Figure 1B. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B is a detailed view of the other fastening openings shown in Figure 1B. [Figure 2C] Figure 2C is a perspective view of a gasket and fastening member (with fluid passage elements removed for clarity) and a typical retainer shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2D] Figure 2D is a detailed cross-sectional view passing through one of the fastening openings shown in Figure 2C. [Figure 2E] Figure 2E is a detailed cross-sectional view passing through the other fastening openings shown in Figure 2C. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a typical retainer with a D-shaped gasket retention opening. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a commercially available conventional retainer. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a plan view of a retainer for a surface-mount fluid transport element with two ports. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a plan view of a retainer for a surface-mount fluid transport element with three ports. [Figure 7A] Figure 7A is a perspective view of a retainer with a triangular gasket retention opening. [Figure 7B] Figure 7B is a perspective view of a retainer with a tri-oval shaped gasket retention opening. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] Referring to the drawings, several viewpoints and embodiments of a removable captured C-seal type gasket and gasket retainer, as shown in Figure 1A as an example, are described, and parts that coincide or correspond throughout the viewpoints and embodiments are indicated by similar reference numbers. The gasket retainer 100 is formed from a thin, flat rectangular sheet piece of material or component 10. The retainer 100 includes an elliptical gasket capture opening 50 that removablely holds a C-seal gasket 90 of a known structure inside. A pair of fastening openings 31, 32 are positioned radially opposite to the gasket. Typical dimensions of a thin, flat rectangular material 10 and the relative positions of the openings 31, 32 and 50 for the design of the retainer 100 for use in a fluid transport system of a semiconductor device are shown in Figures 1B, 1C, 2A and 2B. In fluid systems using such sheet materials, the sheet material is typically full-hard 300 series stainless steel with a thickness of 0.0030 (+ / -0.0002) inches (approximately 0.00762 (+ / -0.000508) cm), but may also be a plastic or heater composite structure. The rectangular retainer 100 can be approximately 0.510 (approximately 1.2954 cm) × 1.115 inches (approximately 2.832 cm) to be adapted for use in connecting two bolt flanges in a K1S surface mount system. Note that dimensions can be modified within the scope of the invention. Openings can be made in thin, flat, full-hard 300 series stainless steel by chemical etching, precision punching, laser processing, and similar common manufacturing processes.

[0024] The typical elliptical gasket capture opening 50 shown in Figure 1C has a smooth recess of an elliptical contour that includes a major axis 60 sufficient to allow a C-seal type gasket to pass through as it curves along its edge, and a minor axis 40 sufficient to engage with the opening or groove on the outer circumference of the C-seal type gasket when flattened parallel to the retainer material sheet 10. The inventors have found that an opening with a major axis of 0.340 inches (approximately 0.8636 cm) and a minor axis of 0.272 inches (approximately 0.69088 cm) provides a gasket capture opening 50 that functions according to a known C-seal gasket 90. A true mathematical ellipse can be easily drawn of the gasket capture opening 50 using CAD (computer-aided design) techniques. An ellipse with a major axis dimension at least 1.15 times, preferably about 1.25 times (125%), the minor axis dimension corresponds to the typical opening shown in Figure 1C. The axes 40 and 60 of the gasket capture opening may be significantly rotated by approximately 15 degrees each with respect to the coordinate system of the thin, flat, rectangular member 10, which will be described later.

[0025] A known gasket 90 can be inserted into the gasket-retaining opening 50 of a typical retainer by inserting and joining the inner edge 42 of the minor axis of the opening to the deepest part of the groove 91 on the outer circumference of the gasket (Figure 1D) (see Figure 1F). At the same time, the inner edge 41 of the opposite minor axis of the opening is widened so that the maximum outer diameter 99 of the gasket can pass through, and the retainer material 10 is bent three-dimensionally so that the ends 61 and 62 of the major axis of the opening are brought closer together. At this point, the gasket 90 is located on the same plane as the retainer portion 42 (not shown in Figure 1F) that is already joined to the groove 91 on the outer circumference of the gasket. After the bending of the retainer material 10 is released, the inner edge 41 of the minor axis on the opposite side of the gasket-retaining opening 50 is also joined to the outer circumference groove 91 of the gasket. The details of gasket retention can be better understood by considering the cross-sectional view in Figure 1D, which clearly shows the outer circumference groove 91 of the gasket that is inserted into the inner edges 41 and 42 of the smaller diameter portion on the opposite side. Removing the gasket can be better understood by considering that the maximum outer diameter 99 of the gasket is separated from the inner edges 61, 62 of the larger diameter section located on the opposite side.

[0026] Another embodiment of the gasket retainer of the present invention is shown in a perspective view of Figure 3, along with a removablely captured C-seal type gasket. The retainer 300 is formed from a thin, flat rectangular member 310 of sheet material. A typical retainer 300 includes a D-shaped gasket capture opening 350 that removablely holds a C-seal gasket 390 of a known structure, and a pair of fastening openings 331, 332 located substantially adjacent to both ends of the gasket. An experienced designer will recognize that the periphery of this D-shaped opening is half of a large ellipse cut along its minor axis by a straight section 342 incorporated into curved corners 361, 362 of an appropriate radius. The gasket 390 can be inserted into the gasket capture opening 350 of a typical retainer by three-dimensionally bending the retainer material 310 and engaging the narrow radius portion 341 of the ellipse with the deepest part of the outer periphery groove 391 of the gasket. This causes the edge 342 of the straight portion of the opening to widen to allow the maximum outer diameter 399 of the gasket to pass through, while the cut-off elliptical corners 361, 362 move closer together. After this, the gasket 390 is made coplanar with the portion 341 of the retainer that is already engaged with the outer groove 391 of the gasket, thereby releasing the bending of the retainer material 310 so that the edge 342 of the straight portion of the opening can engage with the outer groove 391 of the gasket.

[0027] Another example of the gasket retainer of the present invention is clearly shown in the perspective view of Figure 7A, without any other hardware engaged. The retainer 700 is formed from a thin, flat member 710 of sheet material. A typical retainer 700 has a gasket capture opening 750 having a smooth, non-convex contour including three substantially linear, identically shaped outer periphery sections 741, 742, 743 and an equilateral triangle with apex points of appropriately sized radii 747, 748, 749. A gasket (not shown) can be inserted into the gasket capture opening 750 of a typical retainer by engaging a pair of adjacent linear sections 741, 742 with the deepest part of a groove (not shown) on the outer periphery of the gasket. This insertion is caused by three-dimensional bending of the retainer material 710, widening the edge 743 of the third linear section to allow the maximum outer diameter (not shown) of the gasket to pass through, while simultaneously moving the radii of the ends 747, 748 closer together. This action further aligns the gasket with the gasket retention openings 741 and 742 that are already engaged with the grooves on the outer circumference of the gasket, and releases the bend in the retainer material 710, thereby allowing the edge 743 of the third straight section to engage with the grooves on the outer circumference of the gasket.

[0028] Further examples of gasket retainers designed according to the present invention are shown in a perspective view of Figure 7B, with other engaging hardware omitted for clarity. The retainer 701 is formed from a thin, flat member 711 of sheet material. The retainer 101 has a gasket capture opening 751 with a smooth, non-convex contour, consisting of three identically shaped outer periphery portions 761, 762, 763 of relatively large curvature, which can be represented as a Reuleaux triangle with vertices of appropriately sized radii 767, 768, 769, similar to the tri-oval shape of an automobile racing track. Known gasket (not shown) structures can be inserted into the gasket capture opening 751 of a typical retainer by engagement through insertion of a pair of adjacent straight portions 761, 762 into the deepest part of the groove (not shown) on the outer periphery of the gasket. This insertion causes the retainer material 711 to bend three-dimensionally so that the radii of its ends 767, 768 are brought closer together, and at the same time widens the edge 763 of the third straight section to allow the maximum outer diameter (not shown) of the gasket to pass through. This action, on the one hand, aligns the gasket with the portions 761, 762 of the gasket retention opening that are already engaged with the grooves on the outer circumference of the gasket, releases the bend in the retainer material 711, and allows the edge 763 of the straight section of the third opening to also engage with the grooves on the outer circumference of the gasket.

[0029] An experienced designer may recognize that the peripheral shape of the oval convex (when viewed from the inside outward) gasket-retaining opening of the present invention does not require a continuously changing curvature as defined by a mathematical ellipse. A mathematically elliptical shape with a suitable cutout is sufficient to form a functional opening, as seen in the D-shaped opening shown in Figure 3. The functional opening may also be formed by short arc portions engaged by straight lines, with the extreme case being a triangular shape with curved angles, as seen in the opening shown in Figure 7A.

[0030] In the case of a typical tri-oval opening shown in Figure 7B, or even in the case of an opening with an elliptical contour shown in Figure 1C, each of the arc portions may have a different radius or may have substantially the same shape. In addition, the flexibility and elasticity of the thin, flat sheet material of the retainer, and the gasket retention opening having a major axis large enough to curl the edge and allow the passage of a C-seal type gasket, and a minor axis small enough to engage with the outer opening or groove of the C-seal type gasket, present key considerations in the design of the retainer. The large major axis is necessary to allow the outer groove of the initial gasket to engage with the edge of the opening, and the small minor axis is necessary to hold the gasket after it has been inserted into the opening.

[0031] Considering the retainers described in the background section of this specification, including the retainer available from Microflex Technologies (Anaheim, CA; www.microflexseals.com) shown in Figure 4, all of these designs have at least one small, pointed, localized convex portion that catches during handling, and all lack the useful recess of the present invention.

[0032] Skilled designers further appreciate the usefulness of providing a fastening opening in gasket retainers designed to engage with the threaded portion of a fastening member, which is generally provided to hold the fastening member and retainer together as a temporary subassembly. This simplifies the fluid passage connection process. Any opening shape that fits the gasket capture opening can be used for the fastening opening after appropriate dimensional scaling. Thus, typical fastening openings may be elliptical, mathematically elliptical, D-shaped, triangular, or tri-oval. Any combination of the opening selections already described can be used in the design of individual retainers.

[0033] As described above, the retainer 100 of the first example shown in Figure 1A has a pair of oval fastening openings 31, 32 radially opposite to the gasket capture opening 50. As shown in Figure 2A, the right fastening opening 31 has an elliptical contour forming a smooth recess with a major axis 35 large enough to allow the passage of the outer diameter of the threaded portion of the fastening member and a minor axis 33 small enough to engage with the threaded portion without being constrained by the root portion of the threaded portion. The fastening opening axes 33, 35 may also be significantly rotated in the coordinate system of the thin, flat rectangular member 10 to adjust for other design considerations such as the width of the web portion of the material. As shown in Figure 2B, the left fastening opening 32 similarly has an elliptical contour forming a smooth recess with a major axis 36 large enough to allow the passage of the outer diameter of the threaded portion and a minor axis 34 small enough to engage with the threaded portion without being constrained by the root portion of the threaded portion. The major axes 35 and 36 of the two fastening openings are perpendicular to each other, but other correlated relationships may be selected according to the required design.

[0034] The inventors discovered that fastening openings 31,32 with a major axis of 0.718 inches (approximately 1.82372 cm) and a minor axis of 0.142 inches (approximately 0.36068 cm) function suitably between the adjustment of both UNC-#8-32 and M4x0.7 male threads. A true mathematical ellipse can be easily drawn of the fastening openings 31,32 when CAD (computer-aided design) techniques are used. A mathematical ellipse with a major axis approximately 1 and 1 / 4 (1.25 = 125%) times the size of the minor axis corresponds to the typical fastening openings 31,32 shown in Figures 2A and 2B. A typical process for engaging the fastening members 71,72 of the external (male) threaded portion with the fastening openings 31,32 involves rotating the fastening member along the axis of the threaded portion to allow engagement with the minor axis 33,34 of the fastening opening, similar to a mating internal (female) threaded portion. In the first example retainer 100, the relationship between the fastening members 71, 72, the gasket 90, and the rectangular member 10 of the retainer is further understood by the perspective view of the assembled tool shown in Figure 2C, with the liquid flow channel elements removed from the figure for clarity. The cross-sectional detail view in Figure 2D shows how the minor axis 33 of the fastening opening 31 approximately engages with the pitch circle diameter of the fastening member 71 having a threaded portion on one of its outer circumferences. The cross-sectional detail view in Figure 2E shows how the major axis 36 of the fastening opening 32 is large enough to allow the major axis of the other inserted fastening member 72 having a threaded portion on its outer circumference to pass through.

[0035] Surface mount fluid transport system elements with multiple fluid conduit ports are well known, and the gasket retainer of the present invention, with multiple gasket retention openings, can achieve beneficial effects through appropriate arrangement of the openings. Figure 5 shows a plan view of a retainer 500 used in a surface mount K1S type fluid transport element with two ports. The retainer 500 is formed from a thin, flat, rectangular member 510 and has two oval gasket retention openings 550, 554 for known C-seal gaskets (not shown), and four fastening openings 531, 532, 537, 538 positioned corresponding to corners where valves or similar elements are provided. The sheet material is typically full-hard 300 series stainless steel with a thickness of 0.0030 (+ / -0.0002) inches (approximately 0.00762 (+ / -0.000508) cm), and the square shape is approximately 1.115 inches (approximately 2.8321 cm) x 1.115 inches (approximately 2.8321 cm). Of course, these dimensions are typical and not necessarily required to implement the concept of the invention. Each gasket capture opening 550, 554 has a long axis 560, 564 with a nominal dimension of 0.340 inches (approximately 0.8636 cm) and a short axis 540, 544 with a nominal dimension of 0.272 inches (approximately 0.69088 cm), similar to the retainer 100 discussed earlier. The improper placement of adjacent gasket retention openings 550, 554 can result in crossing of each other and loss of material web portion 580 between them, as the fluid conduit ports are typically spaced 0.305 inches (approximately 0.7747 cm) apart. The inventors found that a rotation of approximately 15 degrees in the same direction of each gasket retention opening 550, 554 provides a favorable improvement in the width of the material web portion 580 compared to simply aligning the short axes 540, 544 in a straight line, and also results in handling advantages because the axes of the openings 540, 544 and 560, 564 are simply parallel rather than aligned in a straight line. Thus, when inserting one gasket, it is less likely to interfere with the retention of adjacent gaskets.

[0036] Figure 6 shows a plan view of an example of a retainer 600 used in a surface-mount K1S type fluid transport element with three other ports. The retainer 600 is formed from a thin, flat, rectangular member 610 of sheet material and features oval gasket-retaining openings 650, 654 used in a known C-seal gasket (not shown) and four fastening openings 631, 632, 637, 638 positioned at corners where openings for valves or similar elements are provided. The sheet material is typically full-hard 300 series stainless steel with a thickness of 0.0030 (+ / -0.0002) inches (approximately 0.00762 (+ / -0.000508) cm), and the rectangular shape is approximately 1.115 inches (approximately 2.8321 cm) × 1.115 inches (approximately 2.8321 cm). Each of the gasket capture openings 650, 654, and 658 has a long axis 660, 664, and 668 with a nominal dimension of 0.340 inches (approximately 0.8636 cm), similar to the retainer 100 discussed earlier, and a short axis 640, 644, and 648 with a nominal dimension of 0.272 inches (approximately 0.69088 cm). Improper placement of adjacent gasket capture openings 650, 654, and 658 can lead to crossing of each other and loss of the web portion 680 and 681 of the material between them, especially since the fluid conduit ports are separated by 0.305 inches (approximately 0.7747 cm). The inventors discovered that rotating each gasket-retaining opening 650, 654, 658 by approximately 15 degrees in the same direction provides a desirable improvement in the width between the web portions 680, 681 of the material compared to simply aligning the short axes 640, 644, 648 in a straight line. In addition, since the axes of the openings 650, 654, 658 and 660, 664, 668 are simply parallel rather than aligned in a straight line, inserting one gasket is less likely to interfere with the retention of adjacent gaskets, resulting in handling advantages.

[0037] While various characteristic examples and embodiments of the present invention have been described, it should be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the focus. Therefore, the above description should not be understood as limiting the invention, but merely as a preferred embodiment and its embodiments, and the invention can be implemented in various ways within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. In gasket retainers used in fluid transport systems, A base member formed from a flat sheet material, The base member is provided with a gasket capture opening having a non-convex inner circumference, The gasket capture opening has a major axis large enough to allow a circular gasket to pass through, and a minor axis small enough to engage with an opening or groove on the outer circumference of the circular gasket. A gasket retainer wherein the base member is configured to bend during the installation of the circular gasket and to release the bend after installation, and the gasket retention opening is configured to bend together with the base member.

2. The gasket retainer according to claim 1, wherein the gasket retention opening is formed in an elliptical shape and has a smooth recess.

3. The gasket retainer according to claim 1, wherein the base member includes stainless steel.

4. The gasket retainer according to claim 1, wherein the base member is rectangular.

5. The gasket retainer according to claim 1, wherein the gasket retention opening includes a first gasket retention opening, and the gasket retainer further comprises a second gasket retention opening.

6. The gasket retainer according to claim 1, further comprising at least one fastening opening.

7. The gasket retainer according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of fastening openings.

8. The gasket retainer according to claim 7, wherein the pair of fastening openings are arranged radially on both sides of the gasket capture opening.

9. In gasket retainers used in fluid transport systems, A base member formed from a flat sheet material, The base member is provided with a gasket-retaining opening having a non-convex inner circumference, A gasket retainer comprising a gasket retention opening having a major axis of sufficient size to allow a circular gasket to pass through and a minor axis of sufficient size to engage with an opening or groove on the outer circumference of the circular gasket, and including a larger elliptical half cut along the minor axis by a straight section, the ends of which of the straight section are incorporated into the curves of the corners, the base member being configured to bend during the installation of the circular gasket and to release the bend after installation, and the gasket retention opening being configured to bend together with the base member.

10. The gasket retainer according to claim 9, wherein the base member includes stainless steel.

11. The gasket retainer according to claim 9, wherein the gasket retention opening is D-shaped.

12. The gasket retainer according to claim 9, wherein the base member is rectangular.

13. The gasket retainer according to claim 9, wherein the gasket retention opening includes a first gasket retention opening, and the gasket retainer further comprises a second gasket retention opening.

14. The gasket retainer according to claim 9, further comprising at least one fastening opening.

15. The gasket retainer according to claim 9, further comprising a pair of fastening openings.

16. The gasket retainer according to claim 15, wherein the pair of fastening openings are arranged radially on both sides of the gasket capture opening.

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