Foldable seal with continuous sealing profile

Abstract

The invention relates to a seal (10), in particular a gasket, which seals a gap (6) in a housing (1) extending around an inner chamber of the housing by means of at least one sealing layer. In particular, the invention relates to a frame seal which seals between a lower part and an upper part of a housing (1), such as the housing of a motor vehicle battery or the housing of a motor vehicle battery compartment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a seal, in particular a gasket, for sealing a gap in a housing extending around an inner chamber of the housing by means of at least one sealing layer. In particular, the invention relates to a frame seal which seals between a lower part and an upper part of a housing, such as the housing of a motor vehicle battery or the housing of a motor vehicle battery compartment. Background Art

[0002] Usually, the circumferential gap between the lower part and the upper part of the housing, for example, between the battery box slot of the battery box and the battery box cover, in the housing is sealed by bonding the upper part to the lower part in the gap. However, the disadvantage of doing so is that the housing is difficult to disassemble again and then reassemble in a sealed manner. Therefore, alternatively, before the cover is removably fastened, for example, by screws, the seal can also be placed circumferentially in the gap along the edge of the lower part. For this reason, circumferential elastomeric seals are usually used. The disadvantage of these elastomeric seals is that, due to the flexibility and deformability of the seal as a whole, the assembly is not very strong or requires more assembly work, because, for example, it is necessary to cut or cast a suitable groove for the elastomeric seal in the housing.

[0003] On the other hand, housings such as battery boxes are usually of larger dimensions and thus the length and / or width of the lower part enclosed by the upper part may exceed one meter. For example, a battery box for a traction battery in a vehicle is usually given dimensions of more than 1.3 meters in length and more than 0.8 meters in width.

[0004] In this case, therefore, purely elastomeric seals have the disadvantage that they may be positioned incorrectly during assembly or may slip, which means that the assembly will not be very secure. On the other hand, conventional one-piece frame seals with a continuous metal or plastic support on which the rubber sealing lip is injection-moulded as a sealing profile are difficult to manufacture in the required dimensions. In this case, tools of very large dimensions are required to manufacture the support. In addition, a large amount of material is wasted. Furthermore, a large amount of effort is required in terms of transport and assembly. Summary of the invention

[0005] Starting from this prior art, the object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved seal for sealing a housing which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.

[0006] This object is achieved by the subject of the independent technical solution. Advantageous development solutions come from the dependent technical solutions, the description and the drawings.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a seal, in particular a gasket, which is used to seal the gap in the housing. This gap can be, for example, a circumferential gap between a box and a cover of a housing (e.g., a battery box). When used as intended, a seal of the type described below is arranged in the gap, for example, between a groove and a cover of the housing, i.e., arranged circumferentially along the gap between the above-mentioned components. Therefore, as will be described in detail below, the seal preferably has an opening, which corresponds in the plane of the seal to the size of the inner chamber of the housing for the most part, and is mostly or completely enclosed by the seal. Therefore, the term "most part" can be understood to mean at least partially, i.e., partially, or preferably mostly, or particularly preferably all. The opening can also be referred to as an orifice and / or a cutout portion. Therefore, the seal or gasket seals the gap extending around the inner chamber of the housing by at least one sealing layer.

[0008] In this case, the sealing layer, which is preferably flat but not necessarily completely planar, has at least two hard parts connected by a connecting soft part (also referred to as a first soft part) which is softer than the hard parts. At least in each case, at least one (first) partial sealing profile formed on the hard part by the corresponding sealing soft part (also referred to as a second soft part) forms a continuous sealing profile, wherein at least one (second) partial sealing profile is formed by the connecting soft part. Compared to the hard part, the second soft part is likewise soft and can, for example, be made of or contain the same material as the first soft part.

[0009] The hard part may be provided with a coating on one or both of its flat surfaces (extending in the main extension plane of the seal, which may for example correspond to the neutral fiber of the hard part, or parallel thereto), which coating is preferably formed in one piece with the sealing soft part.

[0010] The continuous sealing profile is formed by the partial sealing profiles of the corresponding soft parts merging into each other. It is particularly advantageous if the partial sealing profiles merge seamlessly into each other. Therefore, at least one continuous sealing profile is provided along the sealing layer, which extends over at least two hard parts and at least one connecting soft part, so that the hard parts and their respectively associated sealing soft parts and connecting soft parts achieve a sealing effect via the corresponding partial sealing profiles.

[0011] The advantage of this is that the seal can be folded at the (multiple) connecting soft parts, so that even large-sized seals with length and width dimensions greater than 1.4mx 0.8m or greater than 2m x 1m can be produced more easily, because the individual hard parts can be generated separately in the first step and can be connected by connecting soft parts in the second step. It is not necessary to perform the second step simultaneously for all existing connecting soft parts, and the second step can be performed sequentially for different connecting soft parts. Therefore, the large-sized seals or sealing parts can also be produced using smaller and therefore cheaper machines and tools. As a result, handling during the production process also becomes easier, and logistics is simplified due to the reduced transportation volume in the folded state. Therefore, damage during transportation can also be avoided. In addition, the above-mentioned seals are reusable and do not require complex grooves for inserting molded rubber seals in the components. The aforementioned advantages also apply to seals that can be spliced ​​together, when all parts of the seal are installed on the housing, these seals are installed on the housing piece by piece, and only as a complete unit to achieve their desired effect. This can be achieved, for example, by using a plurality of open, foldable seals as described above as components of the seal.

[0012] The sealing layer can also have one or more additional sealing profiles, which are then formed in each case similarly to the described continuous sealing profile by a sealing soft part and a partial sealing profile connecting the soft parts. In this case, the additional one or more continuous sealing profiles can extend along the first continuous sealing profile, for example, extend parallel to the first continuous sealing profile. Additional partial sealing profiles can be formed on the same hard and soft parts in the same sealing layer and / or on the hard and soft parts of another sealing layer of the seal. Therefore, the sealing performance of the seal can be adapted to the desired characteristics. It is particularly advantageous if the single-layer or multi-layer gasket has such a sealing profile on its inner edge and outer edge. In the area closest to each other, the outer edge and the inner edge can be oriented in opposite directions.

[0013] In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the respective sealing soft component is applied to the associated hard component by means of an injection molding process, and the connecting soft component is applied to the hard component and / or the respective sealing soft component by means of an injection molding process. This has the following advantages: a reliable connection between the different components is achieved in a manufacturingly simple manner, and a continuous sealing profile can be formed by partial sealing profiles that merge into each other. In this case, the hard component and / or the sealing soft component extending along the hard component can be at least partially overmolded by the sealing soft component and / or the connecting soft component in the respective fastening part of the seal.

[0014] In another advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the hard part is partially or completely made of metal and / or thermoplastic and / or thermosetting material, and the soft part is partially or completely made of an elastomer or of a mixture (mixture) of different elastomers or of elastomers. Here, metal supports, in particular metal plates, for example steel (such as mild steel, carbon steel or stainless steel), or aluminum alloys are preferred. This has the advantage of particularly high robustness, thereby improving the sealing properties and reusability.

[0015] The elastomer can be or contain nitrile rubber and / or EPDM rubber and / or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and / or acrylate rubber and / or ethylene acrylate rubber and / or hydrogenated nitrile rubber and / or methyl vinyl silicone rubber and / or phenyl silicone rubber and / or phenyl vinyl methyl silicone rubber and / or trifluoropropyl vinyl methyl silicone rubber and / or fluoropolymer rubber. The aforementioned elastomers give the sealing profile a particularly reliable sealing property, which is maintained even when the seal is repeatedly deformed (e.g. folded).

[0016] The thermoplastic may be or contain polyphenylene sulfide and / or polyetherimide and / or polyimide and / or phenylpropanolamine and / or polyetheretherketone and / or polyamide.

[0017] Alternatively or additionally, the thermosetting resin may be or contain a polyester resin and / or a vinyl ester resin and / or an epoxy resin and / or a phenolic resin and / or a melamine formaldehyde resin. The aforementioned thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics are particularly advantageous for use as a support for the seal and thus for the sealing profile.

[0018] It is particularly advantageous if the seal or at least one of its components has self-extinguishing and / or flame-retardant properties. This can be achieved, for example, by using a high proportion of non-combustible fillers and / or by using at least one of the aforementioned silicones as an elastomer and / or by adding flame retardants to the soft component or by providing the hard component with flame retardants. As non-combustible fillers, metal oxides and / or metal hydroxides, in particular aluminum hydroxide and / or metal carbonates and / or silicates can be used in particular.

[0019] In another advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the hard part is flat, i.e. in a cross section perpendicular to the main extension plane of the seal and perpendicular to the local direction of the seal, the width of the hard part is several times the thickness of the hard part, for example more than five or ten times the thickness of the hard part, so that the corresponding edge, i.e. the inner edge or the outer edge, is present on the inner side of the hard part facing the opening and on the outer side of the hard part facing the outside. The edge can also be or include a rounded edge. The partial sealing profile formed by the sealing soft part extends in each case along the first edge (e.g. the outer edge) of the associated hard part, preferably only on a part of the edge, i.e. not on the entire length of the edge. The partial sealing profile formed by the connecting soft part extends accordingly along the first edge on the remaining part of the edge. Therefore, the partial sealing profile preferably extends parallel to the edge; the transition occurs in particular at the edge of the corresponding hard part or at a position a few millimeters away from it. As an alternative or in addition, the corresponding second partial sealing profile that together forms the second continuous sealing profile can, for example, extend along the corresponding second part of the second edge, for example, along the inner edge.

[0020] The sealing profiles on the outer edge and the inner edge can be identical or substantially identical; this leads to a particularly uniform compression behavior, as a result of which a particularly uniform seal can be achieved. However, it is also possible to form sealing profiles with different properties on the two edges, in order to achieve a particularly strong seal, for example by a double profile on the outer edge, while a single profile can be applied to the inner chamber (i.e. on the inner edge). In particular, different materials can also be used for the sealing profile on the inner edge and the sealing profile on the outer edge.

[0021] Furthermore, the flexible connecting part can be injection molded onto at least two differently oriented surfaces, namely onto the edge (outer edge and / or inner edge) extending along the direction of the seal and onto the surface of the end edge of the hard part oriented transversely to the direction of the seal. The flexible connecting part thus engages around the corresponding hard part in the corresponding end region, thereby increasing stability. This is particularly advantageous if the seal is not closed in an annular manner.

[0022] In another advantageous embodiment, the first material transition between the hard component and the connecting soft component, i.e., the first material change, and / or the second material transition between the connecting soft component and the sealing soft component extends at an angle other than 90°, preferably less than 60°, particularly preferably less than 45° relative to the direction of the sealing contour and / or relative to the main extension plane of the seal. This has the advantage that the sealing contour is minimally affected by the material transition, thereby improving the sealing performance.

[0023] In a further advantageous embodiment, the length of the connecting flexible part in the extension portion, which is provided for connecting the end edges of the hard parts along the direction of the sealing contour in the main extension plane of the seal, is at least 20 mm, preferably at least 30 mm, preferably at least 40 mm, preferably at least 50 mm. It can also be provided that the length of the connecting flexible part between the end edges of the adjacent hard parts does not exceed 150 mm or 100 mm. This has the advantage that the desired flexibility, in particular foldability, is achieved, but at the same time the stability generated by the hard parts is largely retained. The length of the connecting flexible part can also determine the spacing of the associated hard parts.

[0024] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the width of the connecting soft part between two hard parts is at least 5 times, preferably at least 8 times, preferably at least 10 times, greater than the sealing soft part on the edge of the hard part. It is also advantageous if the width of the connecting soft part between two hard parts is at most 100 times, preferably at most 60 times, greater than the sealing soft part on the edge of the hard part.

[0025] The width of the seal or (if sealing contours are present on both edges of the seal) the spacing between the two outer edges of these sealing contours preferably varies over the course of the seal, at most so that the width of the narrowest part is at least 50%, preferably at least 70%, preferably at least 90% of the width of the widest part. In particular, there is almost no width variation between the part where the hard part serves as a support and the part where the soft part serves as a support.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the partial sealing profile formed by the connecting soft part on the inner edge or outer edge of the hard part consists of three parts or has at least three parts. Starting from the soft part, the partial sealing profile formed by the connecting soft part first extends directly along the relevant edge of the hard part. This part will be referred to as the remaining part hereinafter, and extends at least 2mm along the relevant edge. This area is usually adjacent to the area where the sealing soft part is directly applied to the relevant edge, and the sealing soft part in this part is surrounded by the connecting soft part on its outer surface that does not point to the relevant edge. The transition portion can, for example, extend diagonally (for example, diagonally to the main extension plane of the seal and / or to the surface of the hard part at the nearest edge), and therefore, this part will be referred to as the diagonal area here, and generally extends in the range of 5 to 15mm. However, the transition portion does not have to extend with a continuous reduction in the height (e.g. perpendicular to the main extension plane of the seal and / or perpendicular to the surface of the hard component at the nearest edge) and / or the width (e.g. parallel to the main extension plane of the seal) of the connecting soft part, nor does it have to extend with a continuous increase in the height and / or width of the sealing soft part; other forms of reduction and increase are also possible, as long as the overall profile does not change significantly. This diagonal area is adjacent to an area where the outer surface of the sealing soft part is still completely surrounded by the connecting soft part, where the thickness of the connecting soft part is further reduced. However, for a stable connection of the two soft parts, the degree of reduction is much lower than that of the diagonal area. The last area of ​​the transition portion is referred to as the shell area here, and usually extends over 5 to 15 mm in the same way.

[0027] In another advantageous embodiment using an aluminum alloy as the hard component, the thickness of the sealing layer perpendicular to the main extension plane of the seal in the region of the sealing contour, in particular the thickness of the seal and the connecting soft component, is between 1.5 mm and 2.2 mm, and / or the thickness of the sealing layer in the region outside the sealing contour, in particular the thickness of the hard component, is between 1.0 mm and 2.0 mm. In another advantageous embodiment using steel as the hard component, the thickness of the sealing layer perpendicular to the main extension plane of the seal in the region of the sealing contour, in particular the thickness of the seal and the connecting soft component, is between 2.0 mm and 4.4 mm, and / or the thickness of the sealing layer in the region outside the sealing contour, in particular the thickness of the hard component, is between 1.8 mm and 4.0 mm. These dimensions have proven to be particularly advantageous for the stability and sealing properties of the seal.

[0028] In another advantageous embodiment, it is provided that outside the sealing contour, the thickness of the connecting soft part perpendicular to the main extension plane of the seal is between 50% and 110%, preferably between 50% and 100%, of the thickness of the hard part. Such relative dimensions have also proven to be particularly advantageous for the performance of the seal.

[0029] In another advantageous embodiment, it is provided that in the unfolded state of the seal, the hard parts closest to each other have no contact in the circumferential direction; the hard parts closest to each other are therefore separated from each other over their entire width by the connecting soft parts.

[0030] In another advantageous embodiment, it is arranged that when the seal is in the unfolded state, there is no contact in the circumferential direction between the sealing soft parts closest to each other on the same sealing edge; therefore, the sealing soft parts closest to each other are separated from each other over their entire width by the connecting soft parts.

[0031] In another advantageous embodiment, the two aforementioned embodiments are combined with each other so that the connecting soft part extends over the entire width of the seal, i.e. the sealing soft parts that are closest to each other in the circumferential direction on the first sealing edge and the sealing soft parts that are closest to each other in the circumferential direction on the second sealing edge are in each case separated by the connecting soft part.

[0032] However, in the folded together state, in the three aforementioned embodiments, contact may occur between elements that are not in contact with each other in the unfolded state.

[0033] In a further advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the rigid part has a plurality of through-holes, which are used for corresponding fastening means, for example screws. Through-holes can thus be provided for fastening means for connecting two housing parts via the seal, but on the other hand also for fastening means intended to connect the seal unilaterally to one part of the housing, which is advantageous, for example, in the case of preassembly of the seal on one part of the housing. In addition to screws and bolts, it is also possible to use, for example, clips or fastening pins with a flexible shaft, in particular made of plastic. On the one hand, the seal can thus be preassembled particularly easily on the associated housing; on the other hand, when the housing parts are thus connected via the seal, a uniform pressure on the sealing contour is achieved (in particular if there are two), and space can also be saved.

[0034] The seal itself can also have cantilever elements, which are used for preassembly on one or both housing parts. In this case, such elements can be formed in particular by soft parts. They can extend directly out of the (rest of the) soft part, i.e. essentially perpendicularly to the main extension plane of the gasket. If the hard part has an elastomer coating, such preassembly elements can also be formed (as a whole) by or on this coating.

[0035] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the sealing layer is a sealing layer that extends around the opening of the seal and / or the inner chamber of the housing and has at least two connected flexible parts, so that the continuous sealing contour is a sealing contour that extends around the opening of the seal and / or the inner chamber of the housing. As a result, a one-piece seal can be provided in a particularly large version, but the one-piece seal can still be easily manufactured and transported and can also be reused.

[0036] Independently of this, the seal can have more than two hard parts, i.e., for example, N hard parts, and correspondingly have more than one, i.e., N ≥ 2 (preferably N in the case of a seal extending circumferentially in a closed manner, and preferably N-1 in the case of an open seal) connecting soft parts for connecting the corresponding hard parts. Thus, a seal that can be transported compactly and is easy to manufacture can be provided, which is basically independent of the size and / or shape of the seal and the housing.

[0037] The invention also relates to a housing or housing part (also referred to as housing part), in particular a housing or housing part of a motor vehicle battery or a motor vehicle battery box, having a seal according to one of the embodiments described. In this case, the seal, which itself is easily bendable at the location of the soft part and can therefore be folded as a whole without being destroyed, is connected to the housing or housing part by a hard part in the preassembled state and is therefore no longer foldable at the connection soft part(s).

[0038] The features and feature combinations in the previous description of the specification and the features and feature combinations described in the following description of the figures and / or shown in the figures can be used not only in the respective specified combinations, but also in other combinations that do not depart from the scope of the invention. Therefore, embodiments of the invention that are not explicitly shown and explained in the drawings but appear and can be produced from the explained embodiments through a separate combination of features are also considered to be included and disclosed. Therefore, embodiments and feature combinations that do not contain all the features of the originally stated independent or dependent technical solutions should also be considered to be disclosed. In addition, embodiments and feature combinations that exceed or deviate from the feature combinations set forth in the dependency of the technical solution should be considered to be disclosed, in particular disclosed by the embodiments described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to schematic diagrams.

[0040] In the attached picture:

[0041] Figure 1 An exemplary housing and an exemplary seal are shown with a battery cell disposed therein;

[0042] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a seal, wherein the cutting plane is parallel to the main extension plane of the seal;

[0043] Figure 3A Shows Figure 2 An enlarged portion of a seal;

[0044] Figure 3B Shows Figure 3A Alternative embodiments of the portions shown;

[0045] Figure 4 a perspective view showing a detail of an exemplary embodiment of a seal in a folded state;

[0046] Figure 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a seal, with a section plane extending perpendicularly to the main extension plane;

[0047] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Another three-dimensional view of the seal, wherein the section plane has been shifted along the direction of the seal;

[0048] Figure 7 Shows Figure 5 Another perspective cross-sectional view of an example of Figure 6 The figure is shifted again compared to the one in Figure ;

[0049] Figure 8 A detail view showing the sealing profile; and

[0050] Figure 9 shows five sub Fig.9A , Fig. 9B , Fig. 9C , Fig.9D and Fig.9E An embodiment of a seal with preassembled elements is shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In the drawings, the same components or components having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0052] Figure 1A housing for a motor vehicle battery is shown as housing 1, which has battery modules 4a to 4e of a vehicle traction battery arranged therein. The housing 1 has a groove as a lower part 2 and a cover as an upper part 3. The battery modules 4a to 4e are accommodated in an inner chamber 7 of the housing 1. In this example, the housing 1 has a gap 6 between the lower part 2 and the upper part 3 above the battery modules 4a to 4e, which is the gap 6 to be sealed. Thereby, in this example, a seal 10 is inserted into the gap 6 to seal the gap 6. To this end, in this example, the seal 10 extends circumferentially around the inner chamber 7 of the housing 1 and, in the example shown, has an opening 13 ( Figure 2 ), the inner chamber 7 of the groove 2 is located in the opening 13.

[0053] The dimensions of a housing of this type usually exceed 1 m at least in the length direction or in the width direction or in both the length direction and the width direction, so that the seal 10 , which is preferably designed as a gasket, usually has a length of several meters in the circumferential direction.

[0054] Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of a seal 10 is shown in a sectional view, wherein the sectional plane extends parallel to the main extension plane of the seal 10. Thus, the present embodiment has N hard parts 11a to 11f and N connecting soft parts 12a to 12f, which connect the corresponding hard parts so that two hard parts 11a, 11b are connected by one soft part 12a in each case. In the example shown, N=6. In this case, the seal 10 with the opening 13 is correspondingly formed by the same number of hard parts 11a to 11f and soft parts 12a to 12f. This type of seal 10 can also be called an annular seal 10. In this case, the seal 10 has an inner edge 15a, 15b ( Figure 3A ) has a continuous sealing profile 14a towards the opening 13, and at the outer edges 15a', 15b' ( Figure 3A ) has another continuous sealing profile 14b facing away from the opening 13. The characteristics of the continuous sealing profiles 14a, 14b of this example will be described in more detail in the following figures with reference to the inner continuous sealing profile 14a.

[0055] In the present embodiment, the hard parts 11a to 11f also have corresponding through holes 16 for suitable fastening means. As shown, these through holes can be designed as conventional round holes, but they can also be specially designed to improve electromagnetic compatibility, for example, due to their surface having a special roughness, so that in the installed state, they establish direct metal-metal contact with fastening means, such as screws.

[0056] The width b of the seal is constant in many areas. In particular, at the transition from the hard parts 11a to 11f to the adjacent soft parts 12a to 12f, the width b of the seal does not change significantly.

[0057] Figure 3A Now it is shown that Figure 2 Detail 20 in. Here, the two hard parts 11a, 11b have inner edges 15a, 15b and outer edges 15a', 15b', as well as end edges 15a", 15b" oriented in opposite directions relative to each other. The connecting soft part 12a is arranged between the end edges 15a" and 15b". In the present example, two sealing soft parts 17a, 17a' and 17b, 17b' are injection molded on each of the two hard parts 11a, 11b, and the inner sealing soft parts 17a, 17b form inner partial sealing profiles 18a, 18b, and the outer sealing soft parts 17a', 17b' form corresponding outer partial sealing profiles 18a', 18b'. In the present example, the inner partial sealing profile 19a and the outer partial sealing profile 19a' are formed by the connecting soft part 12a. The length L of the connecting soft part 12a is the length of the connecting soft part that connects the hard parts 11a, 11b; it does not extend into the area where the partial sealing contours 19a, 19a' are adjacent to the edges of the hard parts 11a, 11b.

[0058] The inner partial sealing profiles 18a, 18b, 19a together with the corresponding partial sealing profiles of the other soft parts assigned to the other hard parts 11c to 11f and the corresponding inner partial sealing profiles of the other connecting soft parts 12b to 12f form the inner continuous sealing profile 14a. Correspondingly, the outer partial sealing profiles 18a', 19a', 18b' together with the partial sealing profiles of the other soft parts assigned to the other hard parts 11c to 11f and the outer partial sealing profiles of the other soft parts 12b to 12f form the outer sealing profile 14b. In the example shown, the detail 20 also shows that the other hard parts 11c to 11f and the associated sealing soft parts and the corresponding connecting soft parts 12b to 12f are also described mutatis mutandis.

[0059] In this example, the sealing soft parts 17a, 17a', 17b, 17b' are injection molded onto the corresponding inner edges 15a, 15b and outer edges 15a', 15b' of the corresponding hard parts 11a, 11b. Here, the sealing soft parts 17a, 17a', 17b, 17b' are injection molded only along the edges 15a, 15a', 15b, 15b' on the corresponding parts 21a, 21b of the corresponding hard parts 11a, 11b, that is, the sealing soft parts 17a, 17a', 17b' do not completely extend along the corresponding edges 15a, 15a', 15b, 15b'. In contrast, in the present example, the connecting soft part 12a is injection molded directly onto the remaining parts 22a, 22b of the hard parts 11a, 11b (not covered by the sealing soft parts 17a, 17a', 17b'), which are also injection molded directly onto the end side edges 15a", 15b" here. The connecting soft part 12a is thus engaged around the corresponding hard parts 11a, 11b in the main extension plane (xz plane) of the seal 10 and is particularly well held on the hard parts 11a, 11b. In the example shown, the sealing soft parts 17a, 17a', 17b, 17b' merge into the connecting soft part 12a not abruptly (i.e. not perpendicular to the z-direction) but smoothly along the course of the seal, i.e. in the present example along the z-direction, thereby forming an improved continuous sealing profile 14a, 14b. This transition portion will be shown in more detail in the following figure.

[0060] Figure 3B Shows Figure 3A An alternative embodiment of the portion 20 of the gasket 10 is shown. Once again, the soft part 12a is also injection-molded directly onto the end edges 15a", 15b", but the design of the end edges 15a", 15b" is different from that of the Figure 3A Although the end edge 15a" is only slightly structured, the end edge 15b" is provided with a relatively Figure 3A Those more obvious undercuts in the.

[0061] Although in Figure 3A In the embodiment, the outer sealing profile 14b is about one fifth wider than the inner sealing profile 14a, but in Figure 3B In the embodiment, the width of the inner sealing contour 14a is approximately twice that of the outer sealing contour 14b.

[0062] On the inner sealing profile 14a and the outer sealing profile 14b, the transition between the partial sealing profiles 18b, 18b' of the sealing soft parts 17b, 17b' and the partial sealing profiles 19a, 19a' of the sealing hard part 11b is substantially the same; however, the covered remaining part 22b of the hard part 11b is significantly larger than Figure 3AThe example in short.

[0063] The transition between the partial sealing contour 18a of the sealing soft part 17a of the hard part 11a and the partial sealing contour 19a of the inner sealing contour 14a is very different from the transition between the partial sealing contour 18a' of the sealing soft part 17a' of the hard part 11a and the partial sealing contour 19a' of the outer sealing contour 14b: the length of the diagonal area 23a is substantially twice that of the corresponding diagonal area 23a'. In addition, the shell area 24a is substantially twice as long as the shell area 24a'. The length of the covered remaining part 22a of the inner edge 15a is also substantially twice that of the covered remaining part 22a' of the outer edge 15a.

[0064] Figure 4 An example stereoscopic view of the described seal is shown in an example folded state. Here, it is particularly clear that the material transition M between the sealing soft parts 17a, 17a', 17b' and the connecting soft part 12a extends transversely to the running direction D of the seal (running direction D) and is offset in the running direction D relative to the material transition M' between the soft part 12a and the corresponding hard part 11a, 11b. Similarly, at least over a large part of the width b of the seal 10, a further material transition M' extends transversely to the running direction D of the seal. Figure 3A , Figure 3B In contrast, the end edges 15 a ″, 15 b ″ here are designed without any undercuts.

[0065] Figure 5 1 shows a perspective sectional view of the seal 10. Here, the section plane extends perpendicularly to the main extension plane of the seal, i.e. perpendicularly to the xz plane and perpendicularly to the running direction D of the seal 10. In this example, for better connection to the sealing soft part 17a, the connecting soft part 12a is injection molded around the sealing soft part 17a along the edge 15a part. The section shown is therefore located in the shell area 24a, see also Figure 3B The soft sealing part 17a is therefore no longer visible from the outside downstream of the visible material transition M in the running direction D, but rather along the end edge 15a of the hard part 11a" ( Figure 3A ) direction continues below the connecting soft part 12a to achieve an increased service life and better sealing performance. Such a transition is possible not only in the case of a double profile of the sealing profile as shown here, but also in the case of a single profile of the sealing profile or some other differently designed profile of the sealing profile.

[0066] Figure 6 Shown with Figure 5The corresponding three-dimensional sectional view, but the section plane is shifted in the direction opposite to the direction D of the seal. Therefore, the connecting soft part 12a ( Figure 5 ); in the illustrated portion of the seal 10, there are only the hard part 11a with the applied sealing soft part 17a and the sealing contours 14a, 18a.

[0067] at last, Figure 7 Shown with Figure 5 Compared to the corresponding three-dimensional sectional view with the section plane shifted in the positive running direction D of the seal. Here, only the connecting soft part 12a can be seen in section; therefore, the seal 10 is completely formed by the second soft part 12a, even in the area of ​​the partial sealing contour 19a, instead of Figure 5 As shown, it is partially formed by the connecting soft component 12a and partially formed by the sealing soft component 17a.

[0068] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view through a portion of the gasket 10 is shown. The figure shows, from right to left, the transition from the sole connecting part of the connecting soft part 12a to the hard part 11a, wherein the partial sealing contour 19a of the leftmost area is formed only by the sealing soft part 17a'. The connecting soft part surrounds the end edge 15a', along the diagonal edge 15a', and then extends for a few millimeters in the covered remainder 22a' of the outer edge 15a', wherein the connecting soft part 12a in the covered remainder 22a' consists exclusively of the partial sealing contour 19a. In contrast, in the diagonal area 23a', the sealing soft part 17a' is applied to the outer edge 15a', in particular by injection molding. In this diagonal area 23a', the connecting soft part 12a is not applied to the outer edge 15a', but to the sealing soft part 17a'; here, the proportion of the sealing soft part 17a' increases continuously towards the left, while the proportion of the connecting soft part 12a decreases continuously. In contrast, the sealing profile 14b does not change its profile shape in this diagonal region. In the shell region adjacent to the left side, the connecting soft part 12a now only surrounds the sealing soft part 17a' in a shell-like manner, and the thickness of the skin formed thereby decreases further toward the left side, so that on the left side of the shell region, the sealing soft part 17a' is exposed and itself forms part of the sealing profile 18a'.

[0069] Figure 9 shows four sub Fig.9A , Fig. 9B , Fig. 9C and Fig.9D The seal 10 and its parts are shown in Fig. 9B , 9C , 6D) cross-sectional view ( Fig.9A), wherein the seal has in each case an integral preassembled element 50. Fig.9E A cross-sectional view of a seal receiving separately formed pre-assembled elements is shown.

[0070] in this regard, Fig.9A The seal 10 with two sealing contours 14a, 14b is shown installed in the gap 6 between the cover 3 and the groove 2. From the outer sealing contour 14b, a projection as a preassembly element 50 extends in the direction of the cover 3, which projection is received in the cutout 30 in the cover 3 and is prevented from easy separation by the undercut 31.

[0071] Fig. 9B The pre-assembled element 50 is again shown received in the cut-out portion 30 of the cover 3, which is here opened in an upward direction. Fig.9A By way of example, the preassembly element 50 now does not extend in the region of the sealing soft part 17a' of the sealing contour 14b, but rather in the region of the hard part 12. In this case, the hard part 12 has a coating on both surfaces 41, 42, which coating (not visible) is continuous with the sealing soft part. The projection now extends in one piece from this coating and is held in a clamping manner in the cutout 30.

[0072] Fig. 9C Shown with Fig. 9B A similar preassembly element 50 , wherein the preassembly element 50 projects beyond the cover 3 and rests with the mushroom-shaped head 32 against the outer surface of the cover 3 and is thereby retained.

[0073] Fig.9D A preassembled element 50 is shown which is itself formed entirely of soft parts. It can be formed of connecting soft parts and sealing soft parts and thus, with Fig.9A The undercut 31 is cantilevered so that, on the one hand, it can be easily inserted into the through-holes 16, 30 and, on the other hand, the additional, substantially annular fastener 55 can be permanently held.

[0074] and Fig.9A similar, Fig.9EA seal 10 with two sealing profiles 14a, 14b is shown mounted in the gap 6 between the cover 3 and the groove 2. A through hole 16 is provided in the hard part 12 and a through hole 30 is provided in the cover 3. A preassembly element 50 is guided through the two through holes 16, 30, the preassembly element having a head 32 with an undercut 31 on the upper side of the cover 3 and a foot 33 with an undercut 34 on the lower side of the seal 10 towards the groove 2. The two undercuts 31, 34 prevent the preassembly element 50 from being separated from the seal 10 and the cover 3. The head 32 and the foot 33 are not completely cantilevered and can therefore be easily assembled by inserting and rotating the preassembly element 50.

Claims

1. A seal (10) which seals a gap (6) in a housing (1) and extends around an inner chamber (7) of the housing (1) by means of at least one sealing layer; It is characterized in that The sealing layer has at least two hard parts (11a-11f), which are connected by a connecting soft part (12a-12f) which is softer than the hard parts (11a-11f), wherein at least in each case at least one partial sealing contour (18a, 18a', 18b, 18b') is formed on the hard parts (11a-11f) by a corresponding sealing soft part (17a, 17a', 17b, 17b'), The parts (12a-12f) are applied to both the hard parts (11a-11f) and the corresponding sealing soft parts (17a, 17a', 17b, 17b') by an injection molding process, so that the at least one partial sealing profile (18a, 18a', 18b, 18b') together with the at least one partial sealing profile (19a, 19a') formed by the connecting soft parts (12a-12f) form a continuous sealing profile (14, 14a').

2. The seal (10) according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The respective sealing soft parts (17a, 17a', 17b, 17b') are applied to the associated hard parts (11a-11f) by an injection molding process.

3. The seal (10) according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The hard parts (11a-11f) are partially or wholly made of metal, or made of thermoplastic plastic or thermosetting plastic, and the sealing soft parts (17a, 17a', 17b, 17b') are partially or wholly made of elastomer.

4. The seal (10) according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The elastomer comprises nitrile rubber and / or EPDM rubber and / or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and / or acrylate rubber and / or ethylene acrylate rubber and / or hydrogenated nitrile rubber and / or methyl vinyl silicone rubber and / or phenyl silicone rubber and / or phenyl vinyl methyl silicone rubber and / or trifluoropropyl vinyl methyl silicone rubber and / or fluoropolymer rubber.

5. The seal (10) according to claim 3 or 4, It is characterized in that The thermoplastic comprises polyphenylene sulfide and / or polyetherimide and / or polyimide and / or phenylpropanolamine and / or polyetheretherketone and / or polyamide.

6. The seal (10) according to claim 3 or 4, It is characterized in that The thermosetting plastic comprises polyester resin and / or vinyl ester resin and / or epoxy resin and / or phenolic resin and / or melamine formaldehyde resin.

7. The seal (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized in that The hard parts (11a-11f) are flat, and the partial sealing contours (18a, 18a', 18b, 18b') formed by the sealing soft parts (17a, 17a', 17b, 17b') extend in each case only on a portion (21a, 21b) of the edge (15a, 15a', 15b') along the edge (15a, 15a', 15b') of the associated hard part (11a-11f), and the partial sealing contours (19a, 19a') formed by the connecting soft parts (12a-12f) extend on the remaining portion (22a, 22b) of the edge (15a, 15a', 15b, 15b') along the edge (15a, 15a', 15b, 15b').

8. The seal (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized in that The material transition portion (M') between the hard component (11a-11f) and the connecting soft component (12a-12f) and / or the material transition portion (M') between the connecting soft component (12a-12f) and the sealing soft component (17a, 17a', 17b, 17b') extends at an angle other than 90° relative to the direction of the continuous sealing contour (14a, 14b) and / or relative to the main extension plane of the seal (10).

9. The seal (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized in that The length (L) of the connecting flexible parts (12a-12f) is at least 20 mm.

10. The seal (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized in that The thickness of the sealing layer in the area of ​​the sealing profile (14a, 14a', 18a, 18a', 18b, 18b', 19a, 19a') is between 1.5 mm and 4.4 mm, and / or the thickness of the sealing layer in the area outside the sealing profile (14a, 14a', 18a', 18b, 18b', 19a, 19a') is as follows: for hard parts made of steel, it is between 1.0 mm and 2.0 mm, and for hard parts made of aluminum alloy, it is between 1.8 mm and 4 mm.

11. The seal (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized in that The thickness of the connecting soft part (12a-12f, 17a, 17a', 17b, 17b') outside the sealing profile is between 50% and 110% of the thickness of the hard part (11a-11f).

12. The seal (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized in that The rigid components (11a-11f) have a plurality of through holes (16) for corresponding fastening means.

13. The seal (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized in that The sealing layer is a sealing layer as follows: the sealing layer extends around the opening (13) of the sealing member (10) and / or around the inner chamber (7) of the housing (1), and has at least two connecting soft parts (12a-12f), so that the continuous sealing profile (14a, 14b) is a sealing profile extending around the opening (13) of the sealing member (10) and / or the inner chamber (7) of the housing (1).

14. The seal (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized in that The width of the seal varies over the course of the seal, such that the width of the narrowest portion is at least 50% of the width of the widest portion.

15. The seal (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The housing is a housing of a motor vehicle battery or a housing of a motor vehicle battery compartment.

16. The seal (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that The hard components (11a-11f) are made of aluminum alloy or steel.

17. The seal (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that The hard components (11a-11f) are made of aluminum plates or steel plates.

18. The seal (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that The angle is an angle smaller than 60°.

19. The seal (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that The angle is an angle smaller than 45°.

20. The seal (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that , the length (L) is at least 30 mm.

21. The seal (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that The length (L) is at least 40 mm.

22. The seal (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that The length (L) is at least 50 mm.

23. The seal (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that The thickness of the hard parts (11a-11f) is between 1.0 mm and 2.0 mm for the hard parts made of steel, and between 1.8 mm and 4 mm for the hard parts made of aluminum alloy.

24. The seal (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that The thickness of the connecting soft part (12a-12f, 17a, 17a', 17b, 17b') outside the sealing profile is between 50% and 100% of the thickness of the hard part (11a-11f).

25. The seal (10) according to claim 14, characterized in that The width of the seal varies over the course of the seal, such that the width of the narrowest portion is at least 70% of the width of the widest portion.

26. The seal (10) according to claim 14, characterized in that The width of the seal varies over the course of the seal, such that the width of the narrowest portion is at least 90% of the width of the widest portion.

27. A housing (1) or a housing part having a seal (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

28. The housing (1) or housing part according to claim 27, characterized in that The housing (1) or housing component is the housing of a motor vehicle battery (4a-4e) or the housing of a motor vehicle battery box.

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