Storage box

Abstract

To form a packing member favorably while ensuring waterproof performance of the packing member.SOLUTION: A housing box 1 includes a main body part 2 in which an opening part 21 is formed, a cover part 3 that is attached to the main body part 2 so as to cover the opening part 21, and a packing member 4 that stops water between the main body part 2 and the cover part 3. The main body part 2 has a side wall 22 formed along an attachment direction Z of the cover part 3. In the packing member 4, a packing main body 41 that is attached to the cover part 3, a seal part 42 that is projected from the packing main body 41, and a gap part 43 that is formed opposite to the side wall 22 with respect to the seal part 42 and allows bending of the seal part 42 toward the opposite side, are formed. The seal part 42 has a first lip 42A that is projected obliquely toward the position of the side wall 22 with respect to the attachment direction Z in a state where the cover part 3 is not attached to the main body part 2, and that is formed on an end portion so as to come into contact with a side surface 22A of the side wall 22 in a state where the cover part 3 is attached to the main body part 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage box. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a storage box provided with a lid that can be opened and closed relative to a housing has been known, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. In this storage box, a packing is disposed at a position on the lid where it abuts against the housing, and this packing seals off water between the housing and the lid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-115955 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-019887 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described container, it may be difficult to attach the lid to the housing when trying to improve the watertightness. That is, in the above-described container, the lid needs to be pressed firmly against the housing to achieve high watertightness. Therefore, a strong force is required to attach the lid to the housing, which may hinder the smooth installation of the lid.

[0005] To address this issue, it is conceivable to achieve a watertight seal between the housing and the lid by abutting the gasket attached to the lid against the side of the housing. In this case, the installation direction of the lid and the abutting direction of the gasket are different, which is expected to facilitate the installation of the lid. However, if a lip is protruding from the gasket to abut against the side of the housing, manufacturing the gasket becomes difficult, leaving room for improvement. For example, the lip of the gasket protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the installation direction of the lid. In this case, when manufacturing the gasket by molding, the lip may be undercut, making molding the gasket difficult.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a storage box in which the packing member can be molded well while ensuring the waterproof function of the packing member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In other words, the storage box of the present invention comprises a main body portion that can store items inside and that forms an opening that connects the inside and outside, a cover portion that covers the opening and is attached to the main body portion, and a gasket member that is attached to the cover portion and that seals the gap between the main body portion and the cover portion, wherein the main body portion has side walls that are formed along the attachment direction of the cover portion to the main body portion and surround the interior, and the gasket member forms a gasket main body that is attached to the cover portion, a sealing portion that protrudes from the gasket main body and contacts the side wall, and a gap portion that is formed on the opposite side of the side wall from the sealing portion and allows the sealing portion to deflect to the opposite side, and the sealing portion is configured to protrude diagonally toward the side where the side wall is located in the attachment direction of the cover portion when the cover portion is not attached to the main body portion, and to have a first lip formed at its tip portion that contacts the side of the side wall when the cover portion is attached to the main body portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the storage box of the present invention, the packing member can be molded well while ensuring the waterproof function of the packing member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a storage box according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the storage box according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the container box when the main body and the cover are separated from each other. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a packing member in the storage box according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a packing member in the storage box according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the moldability of the storage box according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the moldability of the storage box according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the formability of the storage box according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of the storage box according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0011] [Embodiment] This embodiment relates to a storage box. In the following description, of the first, second, and third directions that intersect with one another, the first direction is referred to as the "depth direction X," the second direction is referred to as the "width direction Y," and the third direction is referred to as the "mounting direction Z." Here, the depth direction X, width direction Y, and mounting direction Z are mutually perpendicular. The mounting direction Z is the mounting direction of the cover part relative to the main body part, and corresponds to the height direction of the main body part and the cover part. The depth direction X and width direction Y correspond to intersecting directions that intersect with the mounting direction Z. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, each direction used in the following description represents the direction when each part is assembled to each other. Note that orthogonal here includes nearly orthogonal.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1 , the storage box 1 according to this embodiment is a box body that stores items, and is used, for example, as an electrical connection box mounted on a vehicle and storing electronic components 9, including fuses and relays. The storage box 1 includes a main body 2, a cover 3, and a packing member 4. The main body 2 is a box member with an open top and is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped. The rectangular parallelepiped here includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The main body 2 is capable of storing electronic components 9 as items therein, and has an opening 21 formed on its top surface that connects the inside and outside. The opening 21 of the main body 2 is closed by attaching the cover 3. The opening 21 is, for example, an opening that opens the entire top surface of the main body 2. In FIG. 1 , the main body 2 has a bottom, but the bottom may be open and a lower cover may be detachably attached to the open bottom.

[0013] The side walls 22 of the main body 2 are provided with latched portions 23. The side walls 22 are portions that constitute the sides of the main body 2, are formed along the mounting direction Z of the cover 3, and surround the interior of the main body 2. Four side walls 22 are formed, for example, front to back and left to right. The interior of the main body 2 is the internal space of the main body 2, and is a space surrounded by, for example, the side walls 22. The latched portions 23 are portions that are latched onto the latching portions 33 of the cover 3. The latched portions 23 have latched pieces 23A that are provided at a distance from the outer surfaces 22C of the side walls 22. For example, one latched portion 23 is provided at the top of each of the two opposing side walls 22.

[0014] The cover part 3 is an upper cover that covers the opening 21 of the main body part 2, and can be attached to the main body part 2 while covering the opening 21. The cover part 3 has a top surface part 31 and a hanging part 32. The top surface part 31 is the upper surface part of the cover part 3, and is shaped to match the shape of the main body part 2, for example, rectangular or approximately rectangular. The hanging part 32 is a wall part that extends downward from the outer edge of the top surface part 31, and is formed around the entire outer edge of the top surface part 31. The cover part 3 is provided with a locking part 33. The locking part 33 is a part that engages with the locked part 23 of the main body part 2 to hold and release the cover part 3 from the main body part 2. The locking part 33 is, for example, an outer surface of the hanging part 32. 33A and is provided at a position corresponding to the locked portion 23. The locking portion 33 has a locking arm 33B that is inserted into the inside of the locked piece 23A and locked to the locked piece 23A. The locking portion 33 constitutes a locking mechanism together with the locked portion 23. Note that this locking mechanism may have a structure other than the locking portion 33 and the locked portion 23 described above, as long as it allows the cover portion 3 to be attached and detached to the main body portion 2.

[0015] The packing member 4 is a water-stopping member that stops water from flowing between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3, and is made of, for example, resin. The packing member 4 is made of a material with lower rigidity than the cover portion 3, for example, an elastic resin such as an elastomer. The packing member 4 is provided along the lower portion of the hanging portion 32 of the cover portion 3, and is formed in a rectangular ring shape to match the shape of the lower portion of the hanging portion 32. The packing member 4 is provided, for example, by two-color molding. That is, the packing member 4 is provided, for example, by two-color molding with the cover portion 3, and is resin-molded from a different resin after the cover portion 3 is resin-molded.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the packing member 4 is provided on the cover part 3 and is disposed between the main body part 2 and the cover part 3, and serves to seal off water between the main body part 2 and the cover part 3. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the storage box 1, showing the storage box 1 in a state where approximately half of the storage box 1 is cut away. The packing member 4 is provided, for example, in a groove 34 formed in the lower part of the hanging part 32 of the cover part 3. The groove 34 forms a space that is open downward, and is formed continuously in the depth direction X and width direction Y along the lower part of the hanging part 32. It has been When the main body 2 and the cover 3 are attached to each other, the side wall 22 of the main body 2 is inserted into the groove 34 from below. The packing member 4 is interposed between the side wall 22 and the inner surface of the groove 34, thereby sealing off water between the main body 2 and the cover 3.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3 , packing member 4 is provided in groove 34 formed in cover portion 3. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of container 1, showing cover portion 3 attached to main body portion 2. Groove 34 is formed between outer wall 35 and inner wall 36, which are provided at the lower portion of hanging portion 32. Hanging portion 32 branches inward and outward at its lower portion to form inner wall 36 and outer wall 35. Inner wall 36 is a wall portion formed at the lower portion of hanging portion 32. Outer wall 35 branches outward via protrusion 37 and is located outside inner wall 36 and arranged alongside inner wall 36 at a predetermined distance from inner wall 36. Protrusion 37 protrudes outward from the lower portion of hanging portion 32, and outer wall 35 hangs down from its tip. In addition, extension portion 38 is formed below outer wall 35. Extension portion 38 is a wall portion that covers the outside of side wall 22 of main body portion 2. Groove 34 is surrounded by inner wall 36, protruding portion 37, and outer wall 35, and forms a space that is open downward. Groove 34 is formed along the extending direction of the lower portion of hanging portion 32 (depth direction X in FIG. 3).

[0018] As shown in FIG. 4, the packing member 4 is attached to the inner surface 34A of the groove 34. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the storage box 1, showing the main body 2 and the cover 3 separated from each other. The packing member 4 includes a packing body 41 and a seal portion 42. The packing body 41 is attached to the inner surface 34A of the groove 34. The packing body 41 is formed, for example, as a rectangular parallelepiped with a rectangular cross section, and is attached to the inner surface 34A of the outer wall 35 and the inner surface of the protruding portion 37. The seal portion 42 protrudes from the packing body 41 obliquely with respect to the mounting direction Z of the cover 3 and contacts the side wall 22 of the main body 2 to seal against water. That is, when the cover 3 is not mounted to the main body 2, the seal portion 42 protrudes obliquely toward the side where the side wall 22 is located with respect to the mounting direction Z of the cover 3, and when the cover 3 is mounted to the main body 2, the seal portion 42 contacts the side wall 22 of the main body 2 to seal against water between the main body 2 and the cover 3. The packing member 4 does not stop water by abutting against the upper end surface 22D of the side wall 22, but by bringing the seal portion 42 into contact with the side of the side wall 22. Therefore, the storage box 1 does not require a strong force to attach the cover portion 3 to the main body portion 2, and the cover portion 3 can be easily attached.

[0019] A gap 43 is formed in the packing member 4. The gap 43 is a space that allows the seal portion 42 to bend toward the opposite side of the side wall 22, and is formed on the opposite side of the seal portion 42 from the side wall 22. By forming the gap 43 on the opposite side of the protruding side of the seal portion 42, the seal portion 42 can bend toward the gap 43 even if the seal portion 42 has an undercut shape. This makes it possible to mold the packing member 4.

[0020] 3 and 4, the seal portion 42 has a first lip 42A and a second lip 42B. The first lip 42A and the second lip 42B contact the main body 2 to seal against water and are formed at the tip of the seal portion 42. The first lip 42A is a water-blocking lip that protrudes toward the side surface 22A of the side wall 22 of the main body 2 and seals against water by contacting the side surface 22A of the side wall 22. That is, when the cover portion 3 is attached to the main body 2, the first lip 42A contacts the side surface 22A of the side wall 22 to seal against water between the main body 2 and the cover portion 3. When the cover portion 3 is attached to the main body 2, the seal portion 42 is bent toward the gap 43 due to contact with the side surface 22A of the first lip 42A. The protruding shape of the first lip 42A may be, for example, a crescent or mountain-shaped cross section. The side surface 22A of the side wall 22 is the surface of the side wall 22 that is formed along the mounting direction Z.

[0021] The second lip 42B is a water-stopping lip that protrudes in a crescent or mountain-shaped cross section toward the upper surface 221A of the shelf portion 221 of the side wall 22 and contacts the upper surface 221A of the shelf portion 221 to stop water leakage. The shelf portion 221 is a portion that protrudes from the side surface 22A of the side wall 22 and has an upper surface 221A that is formed in a direction intersecting the side surface 22A. In other words, the shelf portion 221 protrudes in the thickness direction of the side wall 22 (the width direction Y in FIG. 4 ) at the upper part of the side wall 22, and has the shelf-like upper surface 221A by partially increasing the thickness of the side wall 22. When the cover portion 3 is attached to the main body portion 2, the second lip 42B protrudes toward the shelf portion 221 of the side wall 22 and contacts the upper surface 221A of the shelf portion 221 to stop water leakage between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3. The protruding shape of the second lip 42B is, for example, a crescent or mountain-shaped cross section. The seal portion 42 has a first lip 42A and a second lip 42B, thereby forming a two-stage lip, which improves the watertightness between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 5, the shelf portion 221 is provided so that its protruding length is equal to or greater than the width of the seal portion 42. That is, the shelf portion 221 is provided so that the width W1 of the upper surface 221A in the protruding direction (width direction Y in Fig. 5) is equal to or greater than the width W2 of the seal portion 42. Therefore, when the cover portion 3 is attached to the main body portion 2, the seal portion 42 is contained within the width W1 of the shelf portion 221 and comes into contact with the side wall 22. This enables the packing member 4 to have improved watertightness.

[0023] 6, the seal portion 42 is configured so that the second lip 42B leans toward the side surface 22A when the cover portion 3 is attached to the main body portion 2. For example, the seal portion 42 has the second lip 42B formed at the center position 42C of the seal width and angled toward the side surface 22A. As a result, when the second lip 42B comes into contact with the upper surface 221A, the second lip 42B leans toward the side surface 22A.

[0024] In Figure 3, protruding pieces 24 are formed below shelf portions 221 of side walls 22. Protruding pieces 24 are portions that protrude from side walls 22 and abut against hanging portions 32 of cover portion 3 to restrict downward movement of cover portion 3. Protruding pieces 24 are formed at upper positions of side walls 22, and are formed continuously around the entire periphery of, for example, all four side walls 22. Protruding pieces 24 are arranged to abut against the lower ends of outer walls 35. In this way, by abutting against outer wall 35, protruding pieces 24 close grooves 34, preventing water and the like from entering grooves 34 from the outside.

[0025] Next, the waterproofing property of the storage box 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4 , the cover part 3 is spaced from the main body part 2, and the upper part of the side wall 22 of the main body part 2 is inserted into the groove 34 of the cover part 3. butThat is, the cover part 3 is placed over the opening 21 of the main body part 2, and the opening 21 is covered by the cover part 3. Then, the locking part 33 of the cover part 3 and the locked part 23 of the main body part 2 are engaged with each other, and the cover part 3 is fixed to the main body part 2. but Can be installed.

[0027] In this state, as shown in Fig. 3, the packing member 4 provided in the groove 34 is disposed between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3, and prevents water from entering between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3, thereby sealing off the water. At this time, the seal portion 42 of the packing member 4 is pressed against the side wall 22. That is, the first lip 42A of the seal portion 42 is pressed against the side surface 22A, and the second lip 42B is pressed against the upper surface 221A of the shelf portion 221. In other words, the seal portion 42 forms a two-stage lip, and exhibits high water-stopping properties.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6, the cover part 3 is attached to the main body part 2. but The seal portion 42 is installed so that when the tip of the seal portion 42 abuts against the upper surface 221A of the shelf portion 221, the second lip 42B at the tip of the seal portion 42 falls toward the side surface 22A. Therefore, the first lip 42A is pressed strongly against the side surface 22A, and the watertightness of the seal portion 42 can be improved.

[0029] 5, a shelf portion 221 is formed on the side wall 22, making it difficult for water to splash directly onto the first lip 42A and the second lip 42B. and others Even if water WA enters the groove 34, the water WA enters the gap 43 and is prevented from directly entering the first lip 42A and the second lip 42B. At this time, the water WA acts on the side surface 22A to press the seal portion 42 from the gap 43 side, thereby improving the watertightness of the seal portion 42. Therefore, the packing member 4 can prevent the water WA from entering between the first lip 42A and the second lip 42B and the side wall 22. In this way, the storage box 1 has excellent watertightness between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3, and can ensure watertightness.

[0030] Next, the moldability of the storage box 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0031] In FIG. 1, the packing member 4 is manufactured by resin molding. For example, the packing member 4 is manufactured together with the cover portion 3 by two-color molding. In this case, the cover portion 3 and the packing member 4 are molded using two different resins. That is, the cover portion 3 is resin molded, and after the cover portion 3 is cooled, the packing member 4 is resin molded. Then, after the packing member 4 has cooled, the mold is opened, and the cover portion 3 and the packing member 4 are removed from the mold as an integrated molded product.

[0032] 7 shows the state immediately before the mold is opened after the cover part 3 and the packing member 4 have been molded and cooled and solidified. The cover part 3 and the packing member 4 are molded between a mold 81 and a mold 82. For example, the mold 81 is a fixed type and the mold 82 is a movable type. The direction of movement of the mold 82 is downward in FIG. 7. The movable mold 82, the cover part 3, and the packing member 4 are moved relative to the fixed mold 81 and separated from the mold 81.

[0033] Then, as shown in Figure 8, the cover part 3 and packing member 4, which are in close contact with the mold 82, are removed from the mold 82. For example, the cover part 3 and packing member 4 are separated from the mold 82 by the operation of a removal member such as an ejector pin. At this time, the seal part 42 of the packing member 4 protrudes obliquely in the removal direction (upward in Figure 8), resulting in an undercut. However, a gap 43 is formed behind the seal part 42 in the packing member 4. Therefore, when the cover part 3 and the packing member 4 are removed, the seal part 42 is deformed so as to bend toward the gap 43, preventing a strong compressive force from being applied to the seal part 42.

[0034] 9, when the cover portion 3 and the packing member 4 are further separated from the mold 82, the seal portion 42 of the packing member 4 bends toward the gap portion 43 and elastically deforms, allowing the cover portion 3 and the packing member 4 to be easily and smoothly removed from the mold 82. This makes it possible to suppress damage and plastic deformation of the packing member 4 and perform resin molding of the cover portion 3 and the packing member 4. Therefore, the storage box 1 according to this embodiment allows the cover portion 3 and the packing member 4 to be molded well.

[0035] As described above, the storage box 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a packing member 4 having a sealing portion 42 and a gap portion 43, so that the sealing portion 42 comes into contact with the side wall 22 of the main body portion 2 to ensure a water-stopping function, and the gap portion 43 allows the sealing portion 42 to bend, thereby enabling the packing member 4 to be molded well.

[0036] Furthermore, the storage box 1 of this embodiment is provided with a first lip 42A and a second lip 42B where the packing member 4 contacts the side wall 22, so that the first lip 42A and the second lip 42B form a two-stage seal, thereby improving the watertightness between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3.

[0037] Furthermore, in the storage box 1 according to this embodiment, the width W1 of the upper surface 221A of the shelf portion 221 provided on the side wall 22 of the main body portion 2 is set to be equal to or larger than the width W2 of the seal portion 42, so that even if water enters the position of the packing member 4, it is possible to prevent the water from splashing directly onto the seal portion 42. This prevents the seal portion 42 from being rolled up by the water that has entered, and ensures a waterproof function.

[0038] Although the storage box 1 according to the embodiment has been described above, the storage box according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, the storage box 1 according to this embodiment may be configured by appropriately combining the components of the embodiment and modified examples described above.

[0039] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the first lip 42A and the second lip 42B are formed in the seal portion 42 of the packing member 4 has been described, but the seal portion 42 may also be formed with only the first lip 42A. Furthermore, lips other than the first lip 42A and the second lip 42B may be formed in the seal portion 42 and brought into contact with the side surface 22A of the side wall 22 or the upper surface 221A of the shelf portion 221. Even in these cases, as in the above-described embodiment, the seal portion 42 is brought into contact with the side wall 22 of the main body 2 to ensure a watertight function, and the gap 43 allows the seal portion 42 to bend, thereby enabling the packing member 4 to be molded well.

[0040] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the cover portion 3 and the packing member 4 are formed by two-color molding has been described. However, the cover portion 3 and the packing member 4 may be manufactured separately, and the packing member 4 may be attached to the cover portion 3. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , the packing member 4 may have a packing body 41 with an L-shaped cross section that can be fitted into the upper part of the groove 34. The packing member 4 is manufactured by molding, for example, resin, rubber, or the like. Even with this type of storage box 1, as in the above-described embodiment, the seal portion 42 is in contact with the side wall 22 of the main body 2 to ensure watertightness, and the gap 43 allows the seal portion 42 to bend, thereby enabling the packing member 4 to be molded well.

[0041] In the above-described embodiment, the housing box 1 is described as being applied to an electric connection box that is mounted on a vehicle and that houses electronic components 9, but the housing box according to the present invention may also be applied to a housing box that is not mounted on a vehicle. Also, the housing box according to the present invention may be applied to a housing box that houses items other than electronic components 9. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1: Storage box 2: Main body 3: Cover part 4: Packing material 9: Electronic components (container) 21: Opening 22: Side wall 22A: Side 41: Packing body 42: Seal part 42A: First lip 42B: Second lip 43:Void part 221:Shelf 221A:Top surface W1: Width W2:Width Z: Mounting direction

Claims

1. a main body portion that can accommodate an object therein and that forms an opening that connects the inside to the outside; a cover portion attached to the main body portion and covering the opening; a packing member provided on the cover portion to seal off water between the main body portion and the cover portion, the main body portion has a side wall that is formed along a mounting direction of the cover portion to the main body portion and surrounds the interior, The packing member includes a packing body attached to the cover portion, a seal portion that protrudes from the packing body and protrudes from the side where the cover portion is located to the side where the body portion is located in the attachment direction and comes into contact with the side wall, and a gap portion that is formed on the opposite side of the seal portion from the side wall and allows the seal portion to bend toward the opposite side, the sealing portion has a first lip formed at a tip end portion thereof, the first lip being in contact with a side surface of the side wall when the cover portion is attached to the main body portion, the first lip being on a side where the side wall is located in the attachment direction of the cover portion when the cover portion is not attached to the main body portion, and the first lip being in contact with a side surface of the side wall when the cover portion is attached to the main body portion, Storage box.

2. the main body portion forms a shelf portion having an upper surface that protrudes from the side surface and is formed in a direction intersecting the side surface; the sealing portion defines a second lip formed at a tip end portion thereof and contacting the upper surface of the shelf portion when the cover portion is attached to the main body portion; The storage box according to claim 1.

3. The shelf portion is provided so that the width of the upper surface in the protruding direction is equal to or greater than the width of the seal portion. The storage box according to claim 2.

Images