Sealing device

Abstract

To reduce the cost and improve the reliability of a sealing device which forms sealing with three face mating parts of three members.SOLUTION: A first mating face 11 of a first case 1 is provided across a second meting face 12 of a second case 2 and a third mating face 13 of a third case 3. An elastically deformable seal member 7 is provided between the first mating face 11 of the first case 1 and the second meting face 12 of a second case 2, between the first mating face 11 of the first case 1 and the third mating face 13 of the third case 3, and between a fourth mating face 14 of the second case 2 and a fifth mating face 15 of the third case 3. The seal member 7 is an integrally formed single member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing device. [Background technology]

[0002] When three components (such as a case) are joined together using fastening members such as bolts in mechanical or electrical components, it may be necessary to place a sealing member such as a gasket or packing between the mating surfaces of the two opposing components to provide a seal.

[0003] In particular, when one of three components (referred to as the first component) is positioned across the other two components (referred to as the second and third components), and as a result the mating surface of the first component is positioned across the mating surface of the second component and the mating surface of the third component, a seal is required at a total of three mating surfaces: between the mating surface of the first component and the mating surface of the second component, between the mating surface of the first component and the mating surface of the third component, and between the other mating surface of the second component and the other mating surface of the third component. Note that when three components are arranged in series, only two mating surfaces are formed at separate locations, and the number of mating surfaces is different from the above example.

[0004] An example of a sealing device that provides sealing using three mating surfaces formed between three components is described in Patent Document 1 listed below. In this sealing device, as shown in Fig. 5, a front oil seal housing 103 (third component) is joined by bolts to the front of a cylinder block 102 (second component) of a diesel engine, and an oil pan 101 (first component) is joined by bolts below the cylinder block 102 and the front oil seal housing 103. A mating surface 111 (first mating surface) of the oil pan 101 is disposed so as to straddle a mating surface 112 (second mating surface) of the cylinder block 102 and a mating surface 113 (third mating surface) of the front oil seal housing 103. A liquid gasket is interposed between the mating surface 112 of the cylinder block 102 and the mating surface 113 of the front oil seal housing 103 and the mating surface 111 of the oil pan 101. Even if a step occurs between mating surface 112 of cylinder block 102 and mating surface 113 of front oil seal housing 103 due to dimensional tolerances or the like, the applied liquid gasket flows along the shape of the step, thereby preventing a decrease in sealing performance. Note that in Patent Document 1, a liquid gasket is also interposed between another mating surface 114 (fourth mating surface) of cylinder block 102 and another mating surface 115 (fifth mating surface) of front oil seal housing 103. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-130483 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when a liquid gasket is used as in the sealing device of Patent Document 1, the liquid gasket needs to be cured by a curing method such as ultraviolet curing, heat curing, or moisture curing, which requires a step of applying the liquid gasket to the mating surfaces and a step of curing the liquid gasket, which increases the number of steps and leads to a problem of increased costs.

[0007] Furthermore, if the thermal expansion coefficients of the three components differ significantly, the hardened liquid gasket that is in close contact with the mating surfaces may not be able to keep up with changes in the gap caused by thermal cycles, and the gasket may peel off from the mating surfaces when the thermal cycle is repeated.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the cost and improve the reliability of a sealing device that provides sealing at three mating surfaces of three members. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a sealing device comprising a first mating surface formed on a first member, a second mating surface formed on a second member, a third mating surface formed on a third member, a fourth mating surface formed on the second member and intersecting with the second mating surface, and a fifth mating surface formed on the third member and intersecting with the third mating surface, wherein the first mating surface of the first member is arranged to straddle the second mating surface of the second member and the third mating surface of the third member, and elastically deformable seal members are arranged between the first mating surface of the first member and the second mating surface of the second member, between the first mating surface of the first member and the third mating surface of the third member, and between the fourth mating surface of the second member and the fifth mating surface of the third member, wherein the seal members are formed as an integrally formed single member.

[0010] By making the seal member an integrally formed single component in this way, the sealing device can be completed simply by sandwiching the seal member between the three components (first, second, and third components) when assembling them. This eliminates the application and curing processes required when using a liquid gasket, reducing the number of processes and thereby lowering costs. It also prevents peeling from mating surfaces due to thermal cycling, a problem that occurs with cured liquid gaskets, improving the reliability of the sealing device.

[0011] In this sealing device, the second mating surface of the second member and the third mating surface of the third member can be arranged parallel to each other, and the fourth mating surface of the second member and the fifth mating surface of the third member can be made perpendicular to the second mating surface and the third mating surface, respectively.

[0012] In addition, in this sealing device, a seal groove for accommodating the seal member can be provided in either the first mating surface of the first member or the second mating surface of the second member, either the first mating surface of the first member or the third mating surface of the third member, and either the fourth mating surface of the second member or the fifth mating surface of the third member.

[0013] By accommodating the seal member in the seal groove in this manner, the position of the seal member is stabilized.

[0014] The sealing member can be made of rubber or resin. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost and improve the reliability of a sealing device that performs sealing at three surface mating portions of three members. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a housing incorporating a sealing device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the seal structure described in Patent Document 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment of a sealing device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In the following description, a case in which the sealing device is incorporated into a housing H will be illustrated.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a housing H incorporating a sealing device, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views of the housing H as seen from different viewpoints. In Figs. 2 to 4, devices and elements housed within the housing H are omitted from illustration.

[0019] 1 to 4, three orthogonal directions are represented by the letters "X," "Y," and "Z." For ease of explanation, the X direction will be referred to as the up-down direction, the Y direction as the front-rear direction, and the Z direction as the left-right direction. Furthermore, the tip of the arrow indicating the X direction will be referred to as "up," the tip of the arrow indicating the Y direction as "front," and the tip of the arrow indicating the Z direction as "left."

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing H is formed as a single unit by joining three cases 1 to 3 together.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 3, the first case 1 (first member) is formed in a hollow shape with one end (the upper end in Fig. 3) open, and a flat, endless first mating surface 11 is formed around the opening. In this embodiment, the first mating surface is formed in a rectangular shape. Note that Figs. 1 to 4 only show the periphery of the opening of the first case 1, and the overall shape of the first case 1 is not shown.

[0022] The second case 2 (second member) is formed with a second mating surface 12 and a fourth mating surface 14 that intersects with the second mating surface 12. The second case 2 of this embodiment is hollow and has a generally rectangular parallelepiped appearance. As shown in FIG. 4 , adjacent surfaces (the bottom surface and the front surface in this embodiment) of the second case 2 in two orthogonal directions (the up-down direction X and the front-back direction Y in this embodiment) are continuously open. A flat second mating surface 12 is formed around the periphery of the opening on one side (the bottom surface), and a flat fourth mating surface 14 is formed around the periphery of the opening on the other side (the front surface). In this embodiment, the second mating surface 12 and the fourth mating surface 14 are orthogonal to each other.

[0023] The second mating surface 12 has a shape with two front ends spaced apart in the left-right direction Z. The fourth mating surface 14 has a shape with two bottom ends spaced apart in the left-right direction Z. The front ends of the second mating surface 12 and the bottom ends of the fourth mating surface 14 are aligned.

[0024] The third case 3 (third member) is formed with a third mating surface 13 and a fifth mating surface 15 that intersects with the third mating surface 13. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the third case 3 of this embodiment is formed in a plate shape that covers the opening on the other side (front side) of the second case 2. A recess 3a that is open at the bottom end is provided on the rear end face of the third case 3. The flat third mating surface 13 is formed on the bottom surface of the third case 3, located around the bottom end of the recess 3a. In addition, a flat fifth mating surface 15 is formed around the recess 3a of the third case 3. In this embodiment, the fifth mating surface 15 is perpendicular to the third mating surface 13.

[0025] The third mating surface 13 has a shape with two end portions, each having two rear ends spaced apart in the left-right direction Z. The fifth mating surface 15 has a shape with two end portions, each having two lower ends spaced apart in the left-right direction Z. The rear end of the third mating surface 13 and the lower end of the fifth mating surface 15 are aligned.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the second case 2 and the third case 3 are arranged side by side on top of the first case 1, with the second case 2 located behind the third case. At this time, the second mating surface 12 of the second case 2 and the third mating surface 13 of the third case 3 are located on the same plane. Note that "on the same plane" here also includes minute differences in height that may occur due to manufacturing or assembly errors between the second case 2 and the third case 3, or differences in the amount of thermal expansion between the two cases.

[0027] By arranging the second case 2 and the third case 3 side by side in the front-to-rear direction on the first case 1 in this manner, the first mating surface 11 of the first case 1 is arranged to straddle the second mating surface 12 of the second case 2 and the third mating surface 13 of the third case 3. In this state, the first mating surface 11 of the first case 1 and the second mating surface 12 of the second case 2 overlap to form a first surface mating portion A, and the first mating surface 11 of the first case and the third mating surface 13 of the third case 3 overlap to form a second surface mating portion B. Furthermore, the fourth mating surface 14 of the second case 2 and the fifth mating surface 15 of the third case 3 overlap to form a third surface mating portion C. Therefore, a single unit consisting of the three components 1 to 3 has a total of three surface mating portions A to C, where two mating surfaces overlap. In other words, the housing H has three surface mating portions A to C.

[0028] A seal member 4 is disposed between the first mating surface 11 of the first case 1 and the second mating surface 12 of the second case 2, between the first mating surface 11 of the first case 1 and the third mating surface 13 of the third case 3, and between the fourth mating surface 14 of the second case 2 and the fifth mating surface 15 of the third case 3, which constitute each of the surface mating portions A to C. The seal member 4 seals the three surface mating portions A to C, preventing the intrusion of foreign matter from the outside of the housing into the sealed space within the housing or the leakage of contents (e.g., lubricating oil) stored within the housing to the outside. The seal member 4 is an integrally formed single part, and is formed in advance in a process separate from the assembly process of the housing H. The seal member 4 can be manufactured by molding an elastically deformable material, such as rubber or resin (e.g., thermoplastic polyester elastomer).

[0029] 3 and 4, the seal member 4 has an endless first seal portion 41 and an ended second seal portion 42 that rises from the first seal portion 41. Both ends (lower ends) of the second seal portion 42 are connected to the first seal portion 41. The cross-sectional shape of each portion of the seal member 4 before compression is basically circular, but may be other shapes.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first seal portion 41 is formed in a rectangular shape. The second seal portion 42 integrally includes a pair of rising portions 42a rising vertically (in the up-down direction X) from sides of the first seal portion 41 that are spaced apart in the left-right direction Z, and a connecting portion 42b extending in the left-right direction Z from the upper ends of the rising portions 42a to connect the two rising portions 42a.

[0031] A seal groove 7 for accommodating a seal member 4 is formed in one of the two mating surfaces that make up each of the surface mating portions A to C. FIG. 3 illustrates an example in which this seal groove 14 is formed in the second mating surface 12 and the fourth mating surface of the second case 2, and the third mating surface 13 of the third case 3. In FIG. 3, the seal groove formed in the second mating surface 12 is labeled "7-12," the seal groove formed in the third mating surface 13 is labeled "7-13," and the seal groove formed in the fourth mating surface 14 is labeled "7-14." It can be arbitrarily selected for each of the surface mating portions A to C which of the two opposing mating surfaces the seal groove 7 is formed in.

[0032] When assembling the housing H, for example, the first seal portion 41 of the seal member 4 is fitted into the seal groove (7-12) formed in the second mating surface 12 of the second case 2, and the second seal portion 42 is fitted into the seal groove (7-14) formed in the fourth mating surface 14 of the second case 2, and then the second case 2 is placed on the first case 1. Next, the third case 3 is placed on the first case 1 while fitting the remaining portion of the first seal portion 41 into the seal groove (7-13) of the third case 3. Thereafter, the first case 1 and the second case 2 are joined using fastening members such as bolts 5, and the second case 2 and the third case 3 are joined using fastening members such as bolts 6. In the above explanation, the case where the second case 2 is joined to the first case and then the third case 3 is joined to the second case 2 is illustrated, but the order of joining the cases 1 through 3 is arbitrary. The second case 2 and the third case 3 may be joined in advance, and then both cases 2 and 3 may be joined to the first case 1.

[0033] As the bolts 5 and 6 are tightened, the seal member 4 elastically deforms and comes into close contact with the bottom of each seal groove and the mating surface facing the bottom of the seal groove. This brings the two mating surfaces that make up each of the surface mating portions A to C (first mating surface 11 and second mating surface 12, first mating surface 11 and third mating surface 13, fourth mating surface 14 and fifth mating surface 15) into surface contact, completing the housing H shown in FIG.

[0034] In the sealing device described above, the three surface mating portions A to C are sealed by the seal member 4, which is a single component. Therefore, when assembling the housing H, the three surface mating portions A to C can be sealed simply by sandwiching the seal member between the mating surfaces. In addition, the application and curing processes required when using a liquid gasket are not required. Therefore, the cost of the sealing device, which seals at the three surface mating portions of three components, can be reduced.

[0035] Furthermore, peeling from the mating surfaces when subjected to repeated heat cycles, which is a problem with hardened liquid gaskets, can be avoided, improving the reliability of the sealing device. Even if a small step occurs between second mating surface 12 of second case 2 and third mating surface 13 of third case 3 due to factors such as manufacturing error, assembly error, or differences in thermal expansion, high sealing performance can be obtained at each of surface mating portions A to C.

[0036] Elements that can be housed in the sealed space within the housing H described above include lubricants as well as mechanical parts such as shafts, belts, bearings, gears, pistons, and ball screws. Furthermore, the housing H can also house electrical equipment such as motors, wiring, circuit boards, and connectors. It is also possible to house both the mechanical parts and electrical equipment described above within the housing H. The housing H is not particularly limited in its intended use, and can be widely used in automobiles, industrial equipment, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1. First component (first case) 2 Second component (second case) 3 Third component (third case) 4 Sealing material 5 Fastening members (bolts) 6 Fastening members (bolts) 7 Seal groove 11 First mating surface 12 Second mating surface 13 Third mating surface 14 Fourth mating surface 15 5th mating surface A First surface mating part B Second surface mating part C Third surface mating part

Claims

1. a first mating surface formed on a first member, a second mating surface formed on a second member, a third mating surface formed on a third member, a fourth mating surface formed on the second member and intersecting with the second mating surface, and a fifth mating surface formed on the third member and intersecting with the third mating surface, wherein the first mating surface of the first member is disposed so as to straddle the second mating surface of the second member and the third mating surface of the third member; A sealing device in which elastically deformable seal members are arranged between a first mating surface of the first member and a second mating surface of the second member, between the first mating surface of the first member and a third mating surface of the third member, and between a fourth mating surface of the second member and a fifth mating surface of the third member, A sealing device characterized in that the seal member is an integrally formed single member.

2. 2. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the second mating surface of the second member and the third mating surface of the third member are arranged on the same plane, and the fourth mating surface of the second member and the fifth mating surface of the third member are orthogonal to the second mating surface and the third mating surface, respectively.

3. 2. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein a seal groove for accommodating the seal member is provided in either one of the first mating surface of the first member and the second mating surface of the second member, either one of the first mating surface of the first member and the third mating surface of the third member, and either one of the fourth mating surface of the second member and the fifth mating surface of the third member.

4. 2. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the seal member is made of rubber.

5. 2. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the seal member is made of resin.

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