Cover for opening portion of housing

Abstract

To provide a seal structure for an opening portion of a housing that accommodates an electronic device, a mechanical device, or the like, the seal structure restraining an increase in manufacturing cost while ensuring sealing performance.SOLUTION: A cover 1 includes a flat-plate type core metal 2 that profiles a wall surface B of a housing H having an opening portion A formed therein, and has an attachment hole C for the wall surface B, and rubber 3 integrated with the core metal 2. The rubber 3 has a first seal body S1 that surrounds the opening portion A and protrudes from an inner surface 2A of the core metal 2 that faces the wall surface B, and a second seal body S2 that is further away from the opening portion A than the first seal body S1 and surrounds the first seal body S1. The first seal body S1 has a sectional shape that is compressed and deformed when the cover 1 is pressed against the housing H, and the second seal body S2 has a sectional shape that is bent and deformed in a direction away from the opening portion A when the cover 1 is pressed against the housing H.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cover for use in an opening of a housing that houses an electronic device, a mechanical device, or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] As a sealing structure for the opening of the housing, there is one in which the cover for the opening itself has a sealing function (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the seal structure of Patent Document 1, the opening cover is composed of a metal base plate and an elastomer seal bead. A groove is formed around the entire circumference of the inner surface of the base plate surrounding the opening, and the seal bead is joined around the entire circumference of the groove base of the groove.

[0004] On the other hand, there is a sealing structure for the opening of the housing in which a sealing function is provided by the opening cover and a part other than the cover (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).

[0005] In the seal structure of Patent Document 2, the housing includes an upright portion surrounding the opening and a rib standing on the opposite side of the opening across the upright portion, and the rib has a discharge surface provided adjacent to the seal surface of the upright portion. The cover has an extension portion extending along the rib and a recessed portion facing the seal surface and surrounding the opening. A seal member, which is a gasket, is accommodated over the entire periphery of the space between the seal surface and the recessed portion. The housing and the cover are made of a metallic material or a non-metallic material.

[0006] In the seal structure of Patent Document 3, the housing has a protrusion on the periphery of the opening, which extends around the entire circumference of the opening. The cover has a seal groove which extends around the entire circumference of the opening and faces the upper surface of the housing. A seal member which is a gasket is accommodated around the entire circumference of the space between the upper surface of the housing and the seal groove. The housing and the cover are made of a metal material. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-207814 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-071732 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2022-102194 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The sealing structure of the opening of the housing in Patent Document 1 requires processing a groove on the inner surface of the base plate. The sealing structures of the opening of the housing in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are difficult to assemble because the cover and the sealing member are separate, and processing is required on the housing side. Therefore, the sealing structures of the opening of the housing in Patent Documents 1 to 3 increase the manufacturing cost.

[0009] In the sealing structures for the opening of the housing in Patent Documents 1 to 3, a metal material can be used as the material for the cover for the opening of the housing. However, no measures are taken against corrosion when an iron material is used as the material for the cover.

[0010] For example, since the outer surface of the cover in Patent Documents 1 to 3 is exposed, if the cover is made of iron, there is a concern that the cover will corrode due to muddy water (especially salt water) remaining on the outer surface.

[0011] Furthermore, in the sealing structure of the opening of the housing in Patent Document 1, if iron is used as the material for the base plate, there is a concern that if muddy water (especially salt water) remains in the gap between the groove formed on the inner surface of the base plate and the seal bead, it may corrode the base plate and the housing.

[0012] Furthermore, in the sealing structure of the opening of the housing in Patent Documents 2 and 3, if iron is used as the material for the cover, there is a concern that muddy water (especially salt water) that gets into the gap between the cover and the housing may corrode the cover and the housing.

[0013] The present invention aims to suppress an increase in manufacturing costs while ensuring sealing performance in a sealing structure for an opening of a housing that houses an electronic device, a mechanical device, etc. Another aim is to facilitate corrosion prevention when an iron material is used as a material for a cover for the opening of the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] A cover for an opening of a housing according to a first aspect of the present invention is a cover made of a flat core metal having an attachment hole for a wall surface of a housing in which an opening is formed, the core metal being fitted along the wall surface, and rubber integrated with the core metal. The rubber has a first seal body surrounding the opening and protruding from an inner surface of the core metal facing the wall surface, and a second seal body surrounding the first seal body and spaced further from the opening than the first seal body. The first seal body has a cross-sectional shape that is compressively deformed when the cover is pressed against the housing, and the second seal body has a cross-sectional shape that is bent and deformed in a direction away from the opening when the cover is pressed against the housing.

[0015] According to the cover for an opening of a housing pertaining to the first aspect, the double seal structure consisting of the first seal body and the second seal body of the cover makes it easy to ensure the sealing performance of the opening of the housing.

[0016] That is, the second seal, which has a cross-sectional shape that bends and deforms in a direction away from the opening when the cover is pressed against the housing, can delay the time it takes for muddy water to penetrate to the first seal located inside due to its lip shape. This reduces the exposure of the first seal to water, making it difficult for muddy water to penetrate into the joint surface between the housing and the cover near the opening. Furthermore, since the first seal has a cross-sectional shape that is compressed and deformed when the cover is pressed against the housing, it can withstand high external and internal pressures, making it easy to ensure the sealing of the opening. For example, even if the housing is one that houses electronic devices for an automobile and the inside of the housing becomes hot and the internal pressure rises, the sealing of the opening of the housing can be ensured.

[0017] According to the cover for an opening of a housing according to the first aspect, the rubber integrated with the flat core metal is provided with the first seal body and the second seal body protruding from the inner surface of the core metal. This improves the ease of assembly when attaching the cover to the housing, and since there is no need to process the housing side, an increase in manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

[0018] A cover for an opening of a housing according to a second aspect of the present invention is the cover for an opening of a housing according to the first aspect, wherein the core is made of iron material, and the rubber has a first covering portion connecting the first sealing body and the second sealing body, a second covering portion covering the outer surface of the core opposite the inner surface, and a third covering portion connecting the first covering portion and the second covering portion.

[0019] According to the cover for the opening of the housing according to the second aspect, the core metal is not exposed when the cover is attached to the housing, so that the corrosion of the core metal made of iron material can be prevented. Therefore, there is no need to perform anti-rust treatment such as zinc plating or cationic coating on the exposed part of the core metal made of iron material, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Furthermore, on the outer surface of the second covering part, required characters, etc. according to the electronic devices housed in the housing can be engraved on the vulcanization mold during vulcanization molding of the rubber and transferred to the rubber, so that convenience and safety can be improved. For example, characters such as "High voltage danger" can be easily added to the outer surface of the second covering part.

[0020] A cover for an opening of a housing according to a third aspect of the present invention is a cover for an opening of a housing according to the first aspect, wherein the core bar is made of stainless steel or an aluminum alloy, and all or part of the outer surface of the core bar opposite the inner surface is not covered with the rubber.

[0021] According to the cover for an opening of a housing according to the third aspect, the core is made of stainless steel or aluminum alloy, so that the core is resistant to corrosion, and when the cover is attached to the housing, all or part of the outer surface of the core is exposed, so that heat dissipation is improved. Furthermore, when the core is molded, the exposed outer surface of the core can be engraved or transferred with required characters, etc., according to the electronic device, etc., to be housed in the housing, so that convenience and safety can be improved. For example, characters such as "High voltage danger" can be easily added to the outer surface of the core.

[0022] A cover for an opening of a housing according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a cover for an opening of a housing according to any one of the first to third aspects, in which a portion of the inner surface of the core metal surrounded by the first seal body is exposed.

[0023] According to the sealing cover for an opening of a housing according to the fourth aspect, the exposed part of the inner surface of the core can be used for positioning. Therefore, it is easy to position the core with respect to the mold when molding the cover, improving the positional accuracy of the core and the rubber. In addition, a support member that protrudes toward the housing can be attached to the core. Therefore, the cover can support required parts such as a sensor and can be inserted into the housing through the opening of the housing, improving convenience. Effect of the Invention

[0024] As described above, the cover for sealing the opening of the housing according to the present invention has a double seal structure consisting of the first seal body and the second seal body of the cover, which makes it easy to ensure the sealing of the opening of the housing. In addition, since the first seal body and the second seal body protruding from the inner surface of the core metal are provided on the rubber integrated with the flat core metal, the assembling process of attaching the cover to the housing is improved, and since there is no need to process the housing side, an increase in manufacturing costs can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a seal structure for an opening of a housing including a cover for the opening of the housing according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is an end view taken along the line XX in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state in which a cover is attached to a housing. FIG. [Figure 6A] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing a first modified example of the first seal body. [Figure 6B] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing a second modified example of the first seal body. [Figure 6C] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing a third modified example of the first seal body. [Figure 6D] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing a fourth modified example of the first seal body. [Figure 6E] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing a fifth modified example of the first seal body. [Figure 6F] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing a sixth modified example of the first seal body. [Figure 6G] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing a seventh modified example of the first seal body. [Figure 6H] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing an eighth modified example of the first seal body. [Figure 7A]FIG. 11 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing a first modified example of the second seal body. [Figure 7B] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing a second modified example of the second seal body. [Figure 8A] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing an example in which the second covering portion is eliminated. [Figure 8B] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing an example in which a part of the second covering portion is removed. [Figure 9] 13 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing an example in which a first covering portion is thickened and a groove portion is provided between the first seal body and the first covering portion. FIG. [Figure 10A] 13 is a view seen from the inner surface side showing an example of the first seal body when the first seal body interferes with the mounting hole. FIG. [Figure 10B] 13 is a view seen from the inner surface side showing another example of the first seal body when the first seal body interferes with the mounting hole. FIG. [Figure 10C] 13 is a view seen from the inner surface side showing still another example of the first seal body when the first seal body interferes with the mounting hole. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cutaway end view of a main portion showing an example in which a support member is attached to a core bar. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] 1 is for housing electronic devices such as an automobile inverter, ECU, MCU, etc. and mechanical devices such as a gear device, and an opening A for installing or inspecting the electronic devices, etc. is formed in a wall surface B. A cover 1 for the opening A of the housing H according to the embodiment of the present invention can be easily attached to the housing H by inserting a mounting screw E into a mounting hole C and screwing it into a screw hole D in the wall surface B of the housing H. The cover 1 can also be easily removed from the housing H by loosening and removing the mounting screw E.

[0028] 2 to 4, the cover 1 is made of a flat core metal 2 that fits along the wall surface B of the housing A in Fig. 1, and rubber 3 that is integrated with the core metal 2. The core metal 2 is made of iron material such as cold rolled steel plate (SPCC) or hot rolled steel plate (SPHC), stainless steel, aluminum alloy, etc. The rubber 3 is made of silicone rubber (VQM), nitrile rubber (NBR), acrylic rubber (ACM), fluororubber (FKM, FPM), hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR), ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), etc.

[0029] An inner surface 2A of the core 2 faces a wall surface B of the housing H shown in Fig. 1. The rubber 3 has a first seal body S1 that protrudes from the inner surface 2A of the core 2 and surrounds the opening A in Fig. 1, and a second seal body S2 that is farther away from the opening A than the first seal body S1 and surrounds the first seal body S1. In a preferred embodiment, the second seal body S2 is provided on the outer periphery of the cover 1 as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, but the second seal body S2 may be provided at a position closer to the first seal body S1 than the outer periphery.

[0030] 5, which shows the state in which the cover 1 is attached to the housing H. The first seal body S1 has a cross-sectional shape that undergoes compressive deformation when the cover 1 is pressed against the housing H, and the second seal body S2 has a cross-sectional shape that undergoes bending deformation in a direction away from the opening A when the cover 1 is pressed against the housing H.

[0031] The first seal body S1 is not limited to a semicircular or C-shaped cross-sectional shape as shown in Fig. 4, and may have various cross-sectional shapes, for example, the first modified example in Fig. 6A to the eighth modified example in Fig. 6H. The first seal body S1 may have any cross-sectional shape that is compressively deformed when the cover 1 is pressed against the housing H.

[0032] The cross-sectional shape of the second seal body S2 is not limited to a right-angled trapezoid as shown in Fig. 4, and may be a parallelogram with a tip inclined in a direction away from the opening A as shown in the first modified example of Fig. 7A or the second modified example of Fig. 7B. The second seal body S2 may have any cross-sectional shape that is bent and deformed in a direction away from the opening A when the cover 1 is pressed against the housing H. By providing an arc-shaped recess R on the outer peripheral surface of the base portion of the second seal body S2 as shown in Fig. 7B, the stress on the base portion that increases when the second seal portion S2 is elastically deformed can be alleviated.

[0033] In the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rubber 3 has a first covering portion 3A connecting the first sealing body S1 and the second sealing body S2, a second covering portion 3B covering the outer surface 2B opposite the inner surface 2A of the core wire 2, and a third covering portion 3C connecting the first covering portion 3A and the second covering portion 3B.

[0034] The thickness T3 (see FIG. 4) of the second covering portion 3B covering the outer surface 2B of the core bar 2 may be set in the range of 0.05 mm to 3.0 mm, and if there is no concern about collision with foreign objects such as flying stones, it may be set in the range of 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm.

[0035] In the case where the core 2 is made of iron, a preferred embodiment is a rubber 3 having a first covering portion 3A, a second covering portion 3B, and a third covering portion 3C as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As a result, when the cover 1 is attached to the housing H as shown in Fig. 5, the outer surface 2B of the core 2 is covered and not exposed, so that the core 2 made of iron can be prevented from corroding. Therefore, there is no need to perform rust prevention treatment such as zinc plating or cationic coating on the exposed part of the core 2 made of iron, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, on the outer surface of the second covering portion 3B, required characters, etc. according to the electronic devices housed in the housing H can be engraved on the vulcanization mold during vulcanization molding of the rubber 3, and transferred to the rubber 3, so that convenience and safety can be improved. For example, characters such as "High voltage danger" can be easily added to the outer surface of the second covering portion 3B.

[0036] In the case where the core 2 is made of stainless steel or an aluminum alloy, it is a preferred embodiment to eliminate the second covering portion 3B in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 as shown in FIG. 8A. Since the core 2 is made of stainless steel or an aluminum alloy, the core 2 is less likely to corrode, and the outer surface 2B of the core 2 is exposed when the cover 1 is attached to the housing H, so that heat dissipation is improved. When heat dissipation is particularly important, it is effective to make the core 2 from an aluminum alloy. Furthermore, when the core 2 is molded, the exposed outer surface 2B of the core 2 can be engraved or transferred with required characters or the like according to the electronic device or the like to be housed in the housing H, so that convenience and safety can be improved. For example, characters such as "High voltage danger" can be easily added to the outer surface 2B of the core 2. The second covering portion 3B may be eliminated in part rather than entirely, and for example, the outer surface 2B of the core 2 inside the bolt E may be exposed as shown in FIG. 8B.

[0037] 9, the first seal body S1 and the first covering portion 3A may be thickened and a groove portion G may be provided between the first seal body S1 and the first covering portion 3A. This allows the groove portion G to accommodate the bulging portion of the first seal body S1 that is compressed and deformed when the cover 1 is pressed against the housing H.

[0038] Here, the difference (T1-T2) between the thickness T1 of the first seal body S1 and the thickness T2 of the first covering portion 3A shown in Fig. 9 may be set to be the interference. By setting it in this way, the first seal body S1 is compressed and deformed according to the amount of tightening of the mounting screw E, and when the first covering portion 3A contacts the wall surface B of the housing H, the first covering portion 3A acts as a stopper, making it easy to adjust the interference. Also, the first covering portion 3A may be made thicker only around the mounting hole C of the cover 1, so that adjustment of the interference is completed when the first covering portion 3A around the mounting hole C contacts the wall surface B.

[0039] Depending on the size of the opening A in the housing H and the specifications of the cover 1 covering the opening A, there may be cases where the mounting hole C in the cover 1 interferes with the first seal body S1. In that case, as shown in Fig. 10A, a full-circle first seal body S1 is provided around the mounting hole C. Alternatively, as shown in Figs. 10B and 10C, a semicircular first seal body S1 is provided so as to avoid the mounting hole C. Fig. 10B or Fig. 10C is selected depending on the required specifications.

[0040] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a portion F of the inner surface 2A of the core 2 surrounded by the first seal body S1 is exposed. This allows positioning to be performed using the exposed metal portion F. This makes it easier to position the core 2 relative to the mold when molding the cover 1, improving the accuracy of the positional relationship between the core 2 and the rubber 3. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, for example, a support member Q protruding toward the housing H can be attached to the core 2 through a hole P or the like in the core 2. This allows the cover 1 to support required components such as a sensor and insert them into the housing H through an opening A of the housing H, improving convenience.

[0041] According to the cover 1 for the opening A of the housing H as described above, the double seal structure consisting of the first seal body S1 and the second seal body S2 provided in the cover 1 makes it easy to ensure the sealing of the opening A of the housing H.

[0042] That is, the second seal body S2, which has a cross-sectional shape that bends and deforms in a direction away from the opening A when the cover 1 is pressed against the housing H, can delay the time it takes for muddy water and the like to penetrate into the first seal body S1 located inward due to its lip shape. This reduces the exposure of the first seal body S1 to water, making it difficult for muddy water and the like to penetrate into the joint surface between the housing H and the cover 1 near the opening A. Furthermore, since the first seal body S1 has a cross-sectional shape that is compressed and deformed when the cover 1 is pressed against the housing H, it can withstand high external and internal pressures, making it easy to ensure the sealing of the opening A. For example, even if the housing H contains electronic devices for an automobile and the inside of the housing H becomes hot and the internal pressure rises, the sealing of the opening A can be ensured.

[0043] In addition, since the rubber 3 integrated with the flat core 2 is provided with the first sealing body S1 and the second sealing body S2 protruding from the inner surface 2A of the core 2, the assembly workability is improved when assembling the cover 1 to the housing H, and since there is no need to perform processing on the housing H side, an increase in manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

[0044] In the above description, an example has been shown in which the cover 1 has a double seal structure consisting of the first seal body S1 and the second seal body S2. The cover 1 may have a triple or more seal structure.

[0045] However, in a preferred embodiment, there is only one seal body, which has a cross-sectional shape that undergoes compressive deformation when the cover 1 is pressed against the housing H. The reason for this is that the seal body, which has a cross-sectional shape that undergoes compressive deformation when the cover 1 is pressed against the housing H, needs to have its surface pressure optimized, and if there are multiple seal bodies, the surface pressure is dispersed, for example, in half, reducing the clamping margin of each seal body. If the tightening force is increased to avoid such a reduction in the clamping margin, the core metal 2 may deform, causing the surface pressure to become uneven and inducing leakage. Alternatively, to avoid deformation of the core metal 2, a core metal 2 with higher rigidity is required, which increases manufacturing costs.

[0046] The above description of the embodiments is given by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1 Cover 2 Core wire 2A inner surface 2B Outer surface 3. Rubber 3A First Covering Part 3B 2nd covering part 3C 3rd Covering Section A Opening B Wall C Mounting hole D screw hole E Mounting screw F: The area surrounded by the first seal body G groove H-frame P hole Q Support member R recess S1 First seal body S2 Second seal body T1, T2, T3 thickness

Claims

1. A cover is made of a flat core metal having a mounting hole for a wall surface of a housing having an opening, the cover being made of rubber integrated with the core metal and having a flat core metal that fits along the wall surface, The rubber protrudes from an inner surface of the core metal facing the wall surface. A first seal body surrounding the opening; a second seal body that is spaced apart from the opening more than the first seal body and surrounds the first seal body; the first seal body has a cross-sectional shape that is compressively deformed when the cover is pressed against the housing, the second seal body has a cross-sectional shape that is bent and deformed in a direction away from the opening when the cover is pressed against the housing. Cover for the opening of the housing.

2. The core metal is made of iron material, The rubber is a first covering portion connecting the first seal body and the second seal body; A second covering portion covering an outer surface of the core bar opposite to the inner surface, and a third covering portion connecting the first covering portion and the second covering portion; having A cover for an opening of a housing according to claim 1.

3. The core metal is made of stainless steel or aluminum alloy, the whole or a part of the outer surface of the core bar opposite to the inner surface is not covered with the rubber; A cover for an opening of a housing according to claim 1.

4. a portion of the inner surface of the core metal surrounded by the first seal body is exposed; A cover for an opening of a housing according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images