Sealing evacuation port and evacuating vacuum container such as space jacket

Woller, J. A.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

3 
REPLY TO 
ATTM OF: Gp 
TO s 
SUBJECT : 
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20546 
5, 1971 
USE/Scientific & Technical Information Division 
Attention:: Miss nnie M e  Morgan 
GP/Office of Assistant General 
Counsel for Patent Matters 
Announcement of NASA-Owned 
U,S. Patents in STAR 
In accordance with the procedures contained in the Code GP 
to Code U S 1  memorandum on this subject, dated June 8 ,  1970, 
the attached NASA-owned U , S ,  patent is being forwarded for 
abstracting and announcement in NASA STAR, 
The following information is provided: 
U,S, Patent No. 
Corporate Source 
Supplementary 
Corporate Source 
NASA Patent Case No,: -03290 
Enclosure: 
Copy of Patent 
MASA-HQ 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19710013780 2020-03-17T03:02:00+00:00Z
I968 
I 
J. A. WOLLER 
EVACUATION PORT SEAL 
Filed Aug. 12, 1965 
I @g 
t 
INVENTOR. 
at 
FIG. 1 is a view in section of a portion of a vacuum 
container, e.g., a flexible vacuum jacket, provided with 
a flexible tube for effecting evacuation of the container 
in accordance with this invention; 
FIG. 2 is a section similar to FIG. 1 showing a rigid 
evacuation member inserted in the flexible tube; 
FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 of 
FIG. 2; 
FIG. 4 is a section similar to FIG. 2 showing the evac- 
DISCLOSURE 
uum container and seal- FIG. 5 is a section similar to FIG. 4 showing a clamp 
ing the evacuation port of the container. A rigid evacua- 
tion tube is coated with lubricant and inserted into a rela- FIG. 6 is a section similar to FIG. 5 showing the evac- 
tively thin-walled flexible tube extending from the vacuum uation member withdrawn after application of the clamp, 
container and communicating with the evacuation port. 15 and showing a seal at the outer end of the flexible tube; 
The container is evacuated via the rigid tube which is then and 
withdrawn from the flexible tube with an attendant col- FIG. 7 is a side elevation of FIG. 6, showing the clamp 
lapse of the unsupported portion of the flexible tube. The i~ phantom. 
flexible tube is temporarily clamped while a permanent Corresponding reference characters indicate corre- 
seal is made adjacent the free end of the flexible tube 20 spending Parts throughout the several views of the 
permitting reuse of the tube for evacuating by cutting off drawings. 
the permanently sealed end portion thereof. Referring to the drawings, first more particularly to 
FIG. 1, there is indicated at 1 a vacuum container which 
may be a flexible vacuum jacket such as used in space 
The invention described herein may be manufactured 25 flight. This has an evacuation port 3 through which it 
and used by or for the Government of the United States may be evacuated. In accordance with this invention, the 
of America for governmental purposes without the pay- container 1 is provided with a relatively thin-walled flex- 
ment of any royalties thereon or therefor. ible tube 5 extending outward therefrom in communica- 
This invention relates to the sealing of the evacuation tion with the port 3. The tube 5 may be a thin gauge flex- 
Port of a vacuum container, such as a flexible vacuum 30 ible plastic tube (for example, a thin gauge flexible poly- 
jacket for space flight use, and more particularly to a ethylene tube), or it may be made of a thin gauge flexible 
method of and means for effecting such sealing. plastic/metal laminate (e.g., an aluminum foil and poly- 
The invention is particularly concerned with the pro- ethylene laminate). One end of the flexible tube is flanged 
vision of an improved mode of sealing an evacuation port out as indicated at 7 and sealed to the container around 
of a flexible vacuum jacket such as used in space flight, 35 the port 3 as indicated at 9. 
although it may be useful in connection with the sealing At 11 is indicated a rigid evacuation member, shown 
Of evacuation ports of other vacuum containers. Hereto- as constituted by a metal tube, adapted for a tight tele- 
fore sealing of such an evacuation port has been accom- scopic fit in the flexible tube 5. This rigid evacuation tube 
plished by use of a metal evacuation tube extending from is connected to the inlet of a vacuum pump (not shown). 
the jacket, the metal tube being sealed after evacuation 40 As shown in FIG. 2, the rigid evacuation tube 11 is 
of the jacket by a valve or by welding, brazing or solder. inserted in the flexible tube 5 to the point where the 
ing the tube. These prior art modes of sealing the evacw inserted end Of the rigid tube is adjacent the inner end 
ation port have not been wholly satisfactory, particular- of the flexible tube SO as to prevent collapse of the flexible 
IY as regards space flight vacuum jackets, dne to excessive tube upon evacuation of the container 1 via the evacua- 
weight of the metal tube (and if used), require- tion tube, the rigid tube being in sealed relation to the 
ments for additional structural supports under high loads, surrounding tube. 
and the possibility of damaging adjacent parts in carry- FIG. 2 shows the rigid tube inserted to the point where 
ing out the welding, brazing or soldering operation. its inserted end projects slightly from the inner end of 
Accordingly, among the several objects of the invention 5o the flexible tube, land it will be understood that it may 
may be noted the provision of an improved mode of be inserted somewhat more or less, as long as it is in- 
sealing an evacuation port of a vacuum container, and serted far enough to function as a support preventing 
particularly a flexible vacuum jacket such as used in space collapse Of the flexible tube upon itself. Preferably, a 
under high loads, and which avoids any necessity for Is 
operations such as welding, brazing or soldering which 55 be oarried out by coating the inside of the flexible tube 
damage the jacket; the provision of a mode of seal- with lubricant prior to insertion of the rigid tube to as- 
ing which is of such low weight that it is possible to have sure complete coating of the inside of the flexible tube, or 
a plurality of evacuation ports for a jacket adapted for it may be possible to carry this out by coating the rigid 
simu~taneous evacuation to reduce the time required for tube with lubricant prior to inserting it in the flexible 
evacuating the jacket; the provision of a mode of sealing tube. 
and the jacket re-evacuated and re-sealed a number of in the flexible tube 5 as shown in FIG. 2, the container 
times; and provision of a mode of sealing which is 1 is evacuated via the tube 11. When the desired degree 
inexpensive and easy to carry out. Other objects and fea- of vacuum is attained in the container, the flexible tube 
tures will be in part apparent and in part pointed out O5 5 is Slowly slipped Off the rigid tube 11 partially to with- 
hereinafter. draw the rigid tube from the flexible tube. The unsup- 
The invention accordingly comprises the constructions ported portion of the flexible tube between the container 
and methods hereinafter described, the scope of the inven- 1 and the inserted end of the rigid tube 11 collapses flat 
tion being indicated in the following claim. upon itself under ambient atmospheric pressure as indi- 
In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various cated at 15 in FIG. 4. A clamp 17 of any suitable type 
possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated, is then applied to the collapsed portion 15 of the flexible 
EVAW RT SEAL 
assignor to the J Q ~  A. Wdler, Der 
States of America as represented by the National Aero- 
nautics and Space Administration 5 
Filed Aog. 12,1965, Ser. No. 479,353 
B Claim. (61. 53-22) 
10 uation member partially withdrawn; 
flight, which involves little weight, which is self-supporting suitable vacuum lubricant of any well-kno between the tubes as indicated 
which is such that the seal may be broken when desired With the rigid evacuation tube $1 inserted and sealed 
3,415,032 
tube as shown in FIG. 5 to prevent loss of vacuum in 
the container, and the withdrawal of the rigid tube is 
completed. 
The flexible tube remains tightly sealed by the clamp to 
prevent loss of vacuum in the container, the vacuum lubri- 5 
cant 13 acting as a sealant to insure tight sealing, while 
the flexible tube is permanently sealed at least at one 
region along its length outward of the clamp as indicated 
at 19 in FIGS. 6 and 7, whereupon the clamp may be 
removed. The seal at 19 may be a heat seal, for example, 1o 
or any other suitable type, including an adhesive seal, or 
an ultrasonic seal, or a mechanical type of seal. Seals 
may be made at several places along the length of the 
flexible tube if necessary. By making the flexible tube 5 
relatively long and locating the permanent seal or seals 
toward the outer end of the flexible tube, the sealed por- 
tion of the latter may be cut off for repetitive re-use. 
In view of the above, it will be seen that the several 
objects of the invention are achieved and other advan- 
tageous results attained. 20 
What is claimed is: 
1. The method of evacuating a vacuum container hav- 
ing an evacuation port and a relatively thin-walled 
flexible tube extending from the container in communica- 
tion with the evacuation port, comprising: 
(a)  applying a vacuum lubricant coating to the ex- 
(b)  inserting said rigid evacuation tube into said flexi- 
25 
ternal surface of a rigid evacuation tube; 
. ble tube to the po&t where the inserted end of said 
rigid exacuation tube is adjacent the inner end of said 30 JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner. 
flexible tube so as to vent collapse of said flexible 
tube upon evacuation of said container via said rigid 
evacuation tube; 
(c)  evacuating said container via said rigid evacuation 
tube; 
(d) partially withdrawing said rigid evacuation tube 
from said flexible tube with attendant collapse upon 
itself of the unsupported portion of said flexible tube 
between said container and the inserted end of said 
rigid evacuation tube under ambient pressure; 
(e) applying a clamp to the collapsed portion of said 
flexible tube to prevent loss of vacuum in said con- 
tainer; 
( f )  completing the withdrawal of said rigid evacuation 
tube from said flexible tube; 
(8) permanently sealing said flexible tube adjacent the 
end thereof opposite said evacuation port while leav- 
ing a length of said flexible tube between said perma- 
nent seal and said point sealed only by said vacuum 
lubricant whereby said permanently sealed portion 
of said flexible tube may be subsequently cut off  
and said length re-used for evacuation and sealing 
of said container; 
(h) removing said clamp from said flexible tube. 
eferences Cited 
UNITED STATES PATENTS 
1,970,193 8/1934 Riebel. 


Evacuation port seal Patent

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

NASA Technical Reports Server