Gas alarm
By employing a multi-seal structure of sealing plugs, end caps, and seals in the gas alarm, the problem of insufficient sealing in the downhole environment is solved, achieving protection against moisture and corrosive gas intrusion, extending service life, and simplifying the maintenance process.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing downhole gas alarm devices have insufficient sealing in humid and corrosive environments, which makes sensors and control units prone to damage and difficult to maintain.
It adopts a multi-seal structure design, including a combination of sealing plugs, end caps and seals, to form a multi-layer seal, protecting the sensor and control unit and facilitating maintenance and component replacement.
It effectively prevents moisture and corrosive gases from entering, extends the service life of the equipment, facilitates installation and maintenance, and improves sealing and flexibility.
Smart Images

Figure CN224052714U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of alarm equipment especially relates to a gas alarm. BACKGROUND
[0002] With the complication of city underground pipe network system, underground gas leakage monitoring becomes an important link to guarantee public safety. But due to the complex pipeline of gas, pipeline, valve well, valve chamber are numerous, and basically all in the dark, damp and relatively closed environment, there is a risk of gas leakage; the traditional underground gas alarm device in the prior art has many defects in practical application: one, the protection level is insufficient, the underground environment is damp, and the corrosion gas is easy to age and fail, leading to the damage of the sensor and the control unit, and the high failure rate; two, improve by increasing sealing glue injection, complex waterproof shell and other ways, but lead to bloated structure, maintenance difficulty, hinder the later maintenance and component replacement.
[0003] Based on this, the applicant considers designing a gas alarm capable of improving sealing and flexibility. CONTENT OF UTILITY MODEL
[0004] In view of the above technical problems of prior art, the utility model wants to solve the technical problem: how to provide a gas alarm capable of improving sealing and flexibility.
[0005] In order to solve the above technical problem, the utility model adopts the following technical scheme:
[0006] A kind of gas alarm, it is characterized in that, including control unit, sensor, shell and sealing plug;
[0007] The shell top side is provided with the opening for the sealing plug is inserted, the shell top is detachably connected with the end cap that the sealing plug is removed from opening is limited, the end cap bottom side and the shell and the sealing plug top side between being provided with sealing element, the sealing element covers the gap between the shell and the sealing plug;
[0008] The shell inner bottom side is provided with installation hole communicated with outside;The connecting portion of the sensor is sealingly installed in the installation hole and the detection portion is located outside the shell;
[0009] The control unit is fixedly installed in the shell interior, and the control unit and the sensor are electrically connected by cable;The control unit is used to receive the detection information of the sensor and send alarm trigger signal according to detection information.
[0010] The working principle and the advantages of the technical scheme of a kind of gas alarm are as follows:
[0011] When installing, the sealing plug is inserted into the opening of the shell, the sealing element is arranged above the gap between the shell and the sealing plug, and finally the end cover is connected to the shell, so that the end cover extrudes the sealing element between the bottom side of the end cover and the top side of the shell; the combination of the sealing plug and the end cover forms a multiple sealing structure at the top of the shell, which can effectively prevent water vapor and corrosive gas from entering the shell in a humid and corrosive environment, thereby protecting the internal control unit; the sensor is sealingly installed in the mounting hole at the bottom of the shell, so as to avoid the intrusion of the external environment into the shell through the sensor connection and affect the control unit; the sensor can detect the downhole environment in real time and transmit the detection signal to the control unit, and the control unit sends the detection signal to achieve the effect of early warning, or the control unit analyzes, processes and sends an alarm signal; when maintenance or replacement of parts is required, the end cover is opened and the sealing plug is taken out, so that the components inside the shell can be easily accessed without a complex disassembly process; the multiple sealing design of the sealing plug, the end cover and the sealing element can effectively resist the intrusion of moisture and corrosive gas, prolong the service life of the equipment, and facilitate installation and maintenance.
[0012] Further, a plurality of ring grooves for sleeving sealing rings are formed in the outer side wall of the sealing plug.
[0013] Further, the sealing element is a first sealing gasket, and the end cover is threadedly connected with the outer side wall of the top of the shell.
[0014] Further, a display screen electrically connected with the control unit is mounted on the top side of the sealing plug, a hollow part exposing the display screen is arranged on the end cover, and a transparent plate is mounted on the hollow part; the transparent plate is located above the first sealing gasket, a second sealing ring is arranged between the top side of the transparent plate and the inner bottom side of the end cover, and the display screen is electrically connected with the control unit through wires.
[0015] Further, the sealing plug is provided with a wire passing hole for accommodating an elastic wire passing plug, and a wire passing extrusion element is detachably connected to the wire passing hole and extrudes the elastic wire passing plug.
[0016] Further, the wire passing extrusion element is a wire passing bolt, the wire passing bolt is internally provided with a first through hole for passing wires, and the outer side wall is threadedly connected with the inside of the wire passing hole; a plurality of second through holes for passing wires are formed in the elastic wire passing plug, and each second through hole is only used for passing one wire.
[0017] Further, the control unit is a mainboard, and the mainboard is fixedly connected to the bottom side of the sealing plug; further comprising a power supply unit, and the power supply unit is fixedly installed in the shell and located between the sealing plug and the inner bottom side of the shell.
[0018] Further, the sensor comprises a combustible gas detection sensor group, a liquid level sensor, a vibration sensor and a well lid sensor; the combustible gas detection sensor group is used for detecting combustible gas in the installation environment of the gas alarm, the liquid level sensor is used for detecting the liquid level height in the installation environment of the gas alarm, the vibration sensor is used for detecting the vibration condition in the installation environment of the gas alarm, and the well lid sensor is used for detecting the opening state of the well lid in the installation environment of the gas alarm; each sensor is sealingly installed on an installation hole.
[0019] Further, an external antenna electrically connected with the control unit is further included, and a connecting end of the external antenna is sealingly installed on the bottom side of the shell; the control unit sends an alarm triggering signal through the external antenna.
[0020] Further, a clamp mounting structure is further included, the clamp mounting structure comprises an installation plate in contact with the outer side of the shell and an arc-shaped plate, the installation plate and the arc-shaped plate are detachably connected, and a handle is rotationally connected to the top side of the end cover. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the gas alarm of the embodiment of the utility model Figure 1 ;
[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the gas alarm of the embodiment of the utility model Figure 2 ;
[0023] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gas alarm of the embodiment of the utility model;
[0024] Figure 4 It is an enlarged schematic diagram of A in the utility model Figure 3 ;
[0025] Figure 5 It is an enlarged schematic diagram of B in the utility model Figure 3 ;
[0026] Figure 6 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the first sealing gasket, the transparent plate, the second sealing gasket, the information plate, the display screen, the sealing plug, the elastic wire passing plug and the wire passing bolt of the embodiment of the utility model;
[0027] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the mainboard of the embodiment of the utility model;
[0028] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the end cover, the installation plate and the arc-shaped plate of the embodiment of the utility model;
[0029] In the above drawings:
[0030] 11, combustible gas detection sensor group; 12, liquid level sensor; 13, vibration sensor; 14, well lid sensor; 15, external antenna;
[0031] 100, shell; 110, mounting hole; 120, end cover; 121, handle;
[0032] 200, sealing plug; 210, ring groove; 211, sealing ring; 220, wire passing hole; 230, mounting groove;
[0033] 310, elastic wire passing plug; 320, wire passing bolt;
[0034] 410, transparent plate; 421, first sealing washer; 422, second sealing washer; 430, information board;
[0035] 500, mainboard; 510, display screen;
[0036] 600, power supply unit;
[0037] 710, mounting plate; 720, arc-shaped plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0038] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.
[0039] Referring to Figures 1-8 The present embodiment provides a gas alarm, which comprises a control unit, a sensor, a shell 100, a sealing plug 200;
[0040] The top side of the shell 100 is provided with an opening for plugging the sealing plug 200, the top of the shell 100 is detachably connected with an end cover 120 for limiting the removal of the opening of the sealing plug 200, the bottom side of the end cover 120 is provided with a sealing element between the shell 100 and the top side of the sealing plug 200, and the sealing element covers the gap between the shell 100 and the sealing plug 200; the inner bottom side of the shell 100 is provided with a mounting hole 110 in communication with the outside, and the connecting end of the sensor is sealingly mounted in the mounting hole 110 and the detection part is located outside the shell 100; the control unit is fixedly installed in the inside of the shell 100, and the control unit and the sensor are electrically connected through a cable; the control unit is used for receiving the detection information of the sensor and sending an alarm trigger signal according to the detection information.
[0041] In this embodiment, the sealing plug 200 is first plugged into the opening of the shell 100 during installation, then the sealing element is arranged above the gap between the shell 100 and the sealing plug 200, and finally the end cover 120 is connected to the shell 100 to extrude the sealing element between the bottom side of the end cover 120 and the top side of the shell 100; the top of the shell 100 forms a multiple sealing structure through the combined design of the sealing plug 200 and the end cover 120, which can effectively prevent water vapor and corrosive gas from entering the inside of the shell 100 in a humid and corrosive environment, protecting the internal control unit; the sensor is sealingly mounted in the mounting hole 110 at the bottom of the shell 100, avoiding the intrusion of the external environment from the sensor connection into the shell 100 to affect the control unit; the sensor can detect the downhole environment in real time and transmit the detection signal to the control unit, and then the control unit sends the detection signal to achieve the effect of early warning, or the control unit analyzes, processes and sends an alarm signal; when maintenance or replacement of parts is needed, the end cover 120 is opened and the sealing plug 200 is taken out, so that the components inside the shell 100 can be easily accessed without complex disassembly process; the multiple sealing design of the sealing plug 200, the end cover 120 and the sealing element can effectively resist the intrusion of humid and corrosive gas, prolong the service life of the equipment, and facilitate installation and maintenance.
[0042] Preferably, as shown in Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 , a plurality of ring grooves 210 for sleeving sealing rings 211 are formed on the outer side wall of the sealing plug 200; the sealing plug 200 can sleeve a plurality of sealing rings 211 through the plurality of ring grooves 210 thereon; when the sealing plug 200 is inserted into the opening of the shell 100, the sealing ring 211 tightly fits with the inner wall of the shell 100 to form a sealing barrier; by providing a plurality of ring grooves 210 on the outer side wall of the sealing plug 200 and sleeving a plurality of sealing rings 211, multiple sealing can be achieved to improve the sealing effect of the sealing plug 200.
[0043] Preferably, as shown in Figures 3-6As shown, the sealing member is a first sealing gasket 421, and the end cover 120 is threadedly connected to the top outer sidewall of the shell 100; the first sealing gasket 421 is installed at the contact surface between the end cover 120 and the top of the shell 100, and when the end cover 120 is tightened to the top outer sidewall of the shell 100 by thread connection, the first sealing gasket 421 is compressed and elastically deformed, thereby forming a tight sealing layer between the end cover 120 and the shell 100, which can effectively prevent external water vapor, dust and corrosive gases from entering the gap between the sealing plug 200 and the shell 100; the end cover 120 and the top outer sidewall of the shell 100 are connected by thread connection, which not only provides mechanical fastening, but also ensures that the sealing gasket can be uniformly stressed during installation, and the threaded connection scheme allows the end cover 120 to be easily tightened or loosened; through the double-sealing design of the sealing plug 200 and the sealing gasket, the alarm forms two sealing barriers at the opening of the shell 100, the first barrier is provided by the sealing plug 200 and the sealing ring 211, and the second barrier is provided by the end cover 120 and the first sealing gasket 421.
[0044] Preferably, as Figures 3-6 As shown, the top side of the sealing plug 200 is provided with a display screen 510 electrically connected to the control unit, and the end cover 120 is provided with a hollow part exposing the display screen 510, and a transparent plate 410 is installed at the hollow part; the transparent plate 410 is located above the first sealing gasket 421, and a second sealing ring 211 is provided between the top side of the transparent plate 410 and the inner bottom side of the end cover 120, and the display screen 510 is electrically connected to the control unit through wires; the display screen 510 is installed on the top side of the sealing plug 200 and connected to the control unit through wires, and the display screen 510 is used to display gas concentration, device status and other information in real time, which facilitates maintenance personnel to quickly understand the working condition of the alarm; the end cover 120 is provided with a hollow part for exposing the display screen 510, and a transparent plate 410 is installed at the hollow part, which covers the display screen 510 above and plays a role in protecting the display screen 510, while allowing the display content of the display screen 510 to be clearly visible; a second sealing ring 211 is provided between the top side of the transparent plate 410 and the inner bottom side of the end cover 120, and when the end cover 120 is tightened to the top of the shell 100, the second sealing ring 211 is compressed to form a sealing layer, and the second sealing gasket 422 above the transparent plate 410 and the first sealing gasket 421 below can form a double-layer sealing to prevent external water vapor, dust and corrosive gases from entering the transparent plate 410 below through the hollow part, thereby protecting the display screen 510.
[0045] Preferably, as Figures 3-6As shown, the sealing plug 200 is provided with a wire passing hole 220 for the elastic wire passing plug 310 to be placed in, and the wire passing hole 220 is detachably connected with a wire passing extrusion piece for extruding the elastic wire passing plug 310 in it; when installing, the wire connecting the display screen 510 with the control unit is passed through the wire passing hole 220, and at the same time, the wire is passed through the elastic wire passing plug 310 and the wire passing extrusion piece; the elastic wire passing plug 310 is installed in the wire passing hole 220 of the sealing plug 200, and is used for sealing the gap when the wire is passed through the wire passing hole 220, can adapt to wires with different diameters, and can be tightly attached to the wire through elastic deformation of itself to form a sealing barrier; the wire passing extrusion piece is fixed on the outside of the wire passing hole 220 through detachable connection, and is used for extruding the elastic wire passing plug 310; after the wire is passed through the elastic wire passing plug 310, the wire passing extrusion piece further compresses the elastic wire passing plug 310 through mechanical extrusion to enhance the sealing effect and ensure the sealing between the wire and the wire passing hole 220; the combination of the elastic wire passing plug 310 and the wire passing extrusion piece ensures the sealing when the wire is passed through the wire passing hole 220, the elastic wire passing plug 310 is attached to the wire through elastic deformation of itself, and the wire passing extrusion piece further enhances the sealing effect through mechanical extrusion to prevent external water vapor, dust and corrosive gas from entering the inside of the shell 100; the wire passing extrusion piece adopts a detachable connection mode, which is convenient for installation and maintenance; when the wire or the elastic wire passing plug 310 needs to be replaced, the wire passing extrusion piece only needs to be loosened, and the operation can be easily completed without a complex disassembly process.
[0046] Preferably, as shown in the drawings, Figures 3-6 The wire passing extrusion piece is a wire passing bolt 320, the wire passing bolt 320 is internally provided with a first perforation for the wire to pass through, and the outer wall is threadedly connected with the inside of the wire passing hole 220; the elastic wire passing plug 310 is provided with a plurality of second perforations for the wire to pass through, and each second perforation is only for one wire to pass through; the wire passing bolt 320 is connected with the inside of the wire passing hole 220 through the threads of the outer wall, so that the wire passing bolt 320 can be firmly installed in the wire passing hole 220, and the wire passing bolt 320 can extrude the elastic wire passing plug 310 in the wire passing hole 220 when being screwed into the wire passing hole 220; the wire passing bolt 320 is internally provided with a first perforation for the wire to pass through; the elastic wire passing plug 310 is installed in the wire passing hole 220 and is provided with a plurality of second perforations, each of which is only for one wire to pass through, so as to avoid the wires from touching each other when two or more wires are located in one second perforation, and to form a gap that is difficult to be filled by the elastic wire passing plug 310.
[0047] Specifically, the above-mentioned elastic wire passing plug 310 is made of rubber or other similar elastic materials.
[0048] Specifically, as shown in the drawings, Figures 3-6 The top side of the sealing plug 200 is provided with a mounting groove 230 communicating with the wire passing hole 220, and the display screen 510 is installed in the mounting groove 230.
[0049] Specifically, the transparent plate 410 is a glass panel, and an information board 430 is arranged between the bottom side of the transparent plate 410 and the sealing plug 200, the edge of the information board 430 is clamped in the first sealing ring 211, and the information board 430 is provided with a hollow part exposing the display screen 510, and the information board 430 can record product information, operation mode or matters needing attention and the like.
[0050] Preferably, as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 7 , the control unit is a mainboard 500 fixedly connected to the bottom side of the sealing plug 200; and further comprising a power supply unit 600 fixedly installed in the housing 100 between the sealing plug 200 and the inner bottom side of the housing 100; the mainboard 500 as the control unit is fixedly connected to the bottom side of the sealing plug 200, and when the sealing plug 200 is taken out of the opening of the housing 100, the mainboard 500 can be taken out together, and when the sealing plug 200 is inserted into the opening of the housing 100, the installation of the mainboard 500 can be completed together; specifically, the mainboard 500 is detachably connected to the bottom side of the sealing plug 200 through a stud or other means; the power supply unit 600 provides stable power support for the entire alarm, ensuring the normal operation of the mainboard 500, the sensor, the display screen 510 and the like; specifically, the power supply unit 600 is a storage battery fixedly connected to the inner bottom side of the housing 100.
[0051] Preferably, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the sensor comprises a combustible gas detection sensor group 11, a liquid level sensor 12, a vibration sensor 13 and a manhole cover sensor 14; the combustible gas detection sensor group 11 is used for detecting the combustible gas in the installation environment of the gas alarm, the liquid level sensor 12 is used for detecting the liquid level in the installation environment of the gas alarm, the vibration sensor 13 is used for detecting the vibration condition in the installation environment of the gas alarm, and the manhole cover sensor 14 is used for detecting the opening state of the manhole cover in the installation environment of the gas alarm; each sensor is sealingly installed on an installation hole 110; each sensor is sealingly installed in an independent installation hole 110, so as to ensure that each sensor can independently operate in the underground environment without interference; by installing multiple sensors, the alarm can comprehensively monitor the underground environment, including the gas concentration, the water accumulation condition, the vibration and the manhole cover state, and the multi-dimensional monitoring can timely find potential safety hazards and improve the safety of the underground facilities; of course, the types and the number of the sensors can be selected according to actual conditions.
[0052] Preferably, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the gas alarm further comprises an external antenna 15 electrically connected with the control unit, the external antenna 15 is sealingly installed on the bottom side of the shell 100, and the control unit sends the alarm trigger signal through the external antenna 15; the external antenna 15 is sealingly installed on the bottom side of the shell 100 and receives and sends wireless signals through the electrical connection with the control unit, the design of the external antenna 15 ensures stable transmission of signals and enhances the transmission capacity of wireless signals, so that good communication effect can be maintained even in complex downhole environments, and it is ensured that signals can be reliably sent to the remote monitoring system; specifically, the external antenna 15 is sealingly installed in the mounting hole 110 as the above-mentioned sensor, and the external antenna 15 and the above-mentioned sensor are electrically connected with the control unit through the cable.
[0053] Preferably, as shown in Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 8 , the gas alarm further comprises a clamp mounting structure, the clamp mounting structure comprises a mounting plate 710 in contact with the outer side of the shell 100 and an arc-shaped plate 720, the mounting plate 710 is detachably connected with the arc-shaped plate 720, and the top side of the end cover 120 is rotationally connected with a handle 121; the clamp mounting structure is used for firmly fixing the alarm on the well wall or other supports; when the clamp mounting structure is installed, the arc-shaped plate 720 and the mounting plate 710 are wrapped on the outer sidewall of the shell 100, and then the mounting plate 710 and the arc-shaped plate 720 are connected together, and the mounting plate 710 is fixedly connected on the well wall or other supports through the mounting hole 110 or other structures thereon; the top side of the end cover 120 is rotationally connected with the handle 121, which facilitates the overall movement and carrying of the gas alarm, and the rotation of the handle 121 can conveniently twist the end cover 120, so that the end cover 120 can be quickly disassembled or installed.
[0054] Finally, it should be pointed out that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not limiting, although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present application can be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the purpose and scope of the technical solutions of the present application, and all of them should be covered in the scope of the claims of the present application.
Claims
1. A gas alarm, characterized in that, Includes control unit, sensor, housing, and sealing plug; The top side of the housing is provided with an opening for inserting the sealing plug. The top of the housing is detachably connected with an end cap that restricts the removal of the sealing plug from the opening. A sealing element is provided between the bottom side of the end cap and the housing and the top side of the sealing plug, and the sealing element covers the gap between the housing and the sealing plug. The bottom inner side of the housing has a mounting hole that communicates with the outside; the connection part of the sensor is sealed and installed in the mounting hole, and the detection part is located outside the housing; The control unit is fixedly installed inside the housing, and the control unit is electrically connected to the sensor via a cable; the control unit is used to receive the detection information from the sensor and send an alarm trigger signal based on the detection information.
2. A gas alarm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the sealing plug has multiple annular grooves for fitting sealing rings.
3. A gas alarm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing element is a first sealing gasket, and the end cap is threadedly connected to the outer side wall of the top of the housing.
4. A gas alarm as described in claim 3, characterized in that, A display screen electrically connected to the control unit is installed on the top side of the sealing plug. The end cover has a cutout portion that exposes the display screen, and a transparent plate is installed in the cutout portion. The transparent plate is located above the first sealing gasket. A second sealing ring is provided between the top side of the transparent plate and the inner bottom side of the end cover. The display screen is electrically connected to the control unit through a wire.
5. A gas alarm as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The sealing plug has a wire-passing hole for inserting the elastic wire-passing plug, and the wire-passing hole is detachably connected to a wire-passing extrusion member for extruding the elastic wire-passing plug inside.
6. A gas alarm as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The wire guide extrusion component is a wire guide bolt. The wire guide bolt has a first through hole for the wire to pass through, and the outer wall is threaded to the inside of the wire guide hole. The elastic wire guide plug has multiple second through holes for the wire to pass through, and each second through hole allows only one wire to pass through.
7. A gas alarm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit is a motherboard, which is fixedly connected to the bottom side of the sealing plug; it also includes a power supply unit, which is fixedly installed inside the housing and located between the sealing plug and the bottom side of the housing.
8. A gas alarm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The sensors include a combustible gas detection sensor group, a liquid level sensor, a vibration sensor, and a manhole cover sensor. The combustible gas detection sensor group is used to detect combustible gases in the gas alarm installation environment. The liquid level sensor is used to detect the liquid level in the gas alarm installation environment. The vibration sensor is used to detect the vibration in the gas alarm installation environment. The manhole cover sensor is used to detect the open / closed state of the manhole cover in the gas alarm installation environment. Each sensor is sealed and installed in a mounting hole.
9. A gas alarm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an external antenna electrically connected to the control unit. The connection end of the external antenna is sealed and installed on the bottom side of the housing. The control unit sends an alarm trigger signal through the external antenna.
10. A gas alarm as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a clamp mounting structure, which includes a mounting plate and an arc-shaped plate that contact the outside of the housing. The mounting plate and the arc-shaped plate are detachably connected, and a handle is rotatably connected to the top side of the end cap.