Storage space seal structure

Abstract

Provided is a storage space seal structure capable of preventing the accumulation of moisture in the vicinity of a seal member. The storage space seal structure (8) comprises: a cover part (4) that covers a storage part (2) of a body (3) and forms a storage space (9); and a seal member (10) that is sandwiched between the storage part (2) and the cover part (4). The cover part (4) comprises a receiving surface (11) that is in contact with the storage part (2) on the storage space (9) side of the seal member (10). A gap (13) on the opposite side of the seal member (10) from the storage space (9) constitutes an enlarged gap part (14) having an enlarged width. The enlarged gap part (14) is defined by the seal member (10).

Description

Storage space sealing structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage space sealing structure that keeps a storage space airtight.

[0002] Conventionally, a sealing structure has been known that includes a body having a storage section, a cover section that covers the storage section, and a sealing member that keeps the storage space airtight by being sandwiched and compressed between the storage section and the cover section (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the seal structure of Patent Document 1, part of the gap along the seal member between the storage section and the cover section is made into a recessed section with a width larger than the other gap sections. The cover section also has a joint surface that overlaps with the joint surface of the storage section on the storage space side and the opposite side of the recessed section, and on the storage space side and the opposite side of the seal member.

[0004] JP 2017-172428 A

[0005] However, the sealing structure of Patent Document 1 tends to create minute gaps between the joint surfaces of the storage section and the cover section, which are located on both sides of the sealing member. This causes moisture to accumulate in the gaps due to capillary action, which can easily cause rust. As a result, the airtightness of the storage space may deteriorate over the long term.

[0006] In view of the problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to prevent moisture from accumulating near a sealing member in a storage space sealing structure.

[0007] The storage space sealing structure of the present invention comprises a body having a storage section, a cover section that covers the storage section to form a storage space, and a sealing member made of an elastic member that is sandwiched between the storage section and the cover section and elastically compressed to keep the storage space airtight.

[0008] The cover portion has a receiving surface that abuts against the storage portion on the storage space side of the seal member. A gap is provided between the storage portion and the cover portion on the opposite side of the storage space from the seal portion where the seal member abuts against the storage portion. The portion of the gap adjacent to the seal portion constitutes an enlarged gap portion where the width of the gap is enlarged. The storage space side of the enlarged gap portion is defined by the seal member.

[0009] According to the present invention, the cover portion has a receiving surface that abuts against the storage portion on the storage space side of the sealing member, a gap is provided on the opposite side of the sealing portion from the storage space, and the storage space side of the enlarged gap portion is defined by the sealing member, thereby preventing moisture from accumulating near the sealing member.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electronically controlled throttle body having a storage space seal structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of a cross section taken along line II-II in Fig. 1, and is a diagram schematically showing the storage space seal structure of the electronically controlled throttle body of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the storage space seal structure of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of a conventional seal structure. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a storage space seal structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 1, showing a discharge path when moisture accumulated in the gap between the storage section and the cover section is discharged by gravity.

[0011]

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows an electronically controlled throttle body having a storage space seal structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This throttle body 1 includes a body 3 having a storage section 2, and a cover 4 that covers the storage section 2 to define a storage space.

[0012] The storage section 2 has a side wall 5a that surrounds it. The cover section 4 has a side wall 5b that surrounds it, is fixed to the side wall 5a of the storage section 2, and together with the side wall 5a constitutes the side wall of the storage space. The side wall 5b is fixed to the side wall 5a with their opposing end faces facing each other. The storage space houses a gear mechanism that rotates a butterfly valve for opening and closing an intake passage 7 of the body 3 by a motor housed in a motor case 6 of the body 3.

[0013] Figure 2 shows the storage space seal structure 8 of the throttle body 1. As shown in Figure 2, this storage space seal structure 8 includes a seal member 10 that is sandwiched between the end face of the side wall 5a of the storage portion 2 and the end face of the side wall 5b of the cover portion 4 and is elastically compressed to keep the storage space 9 airtight.

[0014] The seal member 10 is made of an elastic material that forms a closed space along the end faces of the side walls 5 a and 5 b. The cover part 4 has a receiving surface 11 that abuts against the storage part 2 on the storage space 9 side of the seal member 10. When this receiving surface 11 abuts against the storage part 2, the seal member 10 is appropriately compressed, and the seal member 10 properly maintains the airtightness of the storage space 9.

[0015] A gap 13 is provided between the storage section 2 and the cover section 4 on the opposite side of the storage space 9 from the seal section 12 where the seal member 10 abuts against the storage section 2. The portion of the gap 13 adjacent to the seal section 12 is an enlarged gap section 14 formed by enlarging the width of the gap 13. The storage space 9 side of the enlarged gap section 14 is defined by the seal member 10. In other words, the outside of the seal member 10 is exposed to the enlarged gap section 14.

[0016] A narrowed gap 15 having a narrower gap width than the widened gap 14 is provided on the opposite side of the gap 13 from the storage space 9 than the widened gap 14. The widened gap 14 is composed of an open gap 16 that extends from the storage space 9 side defined by the seal member 10 to a predetermined position on the opposite side of the storage space 9, and a portion that bends from the predetermined position to the end of the narrowed gap 15 on the storage space 9 side.

[0017] The width of the expanded gap 14 at the end of the narrowed gap 15 is slightly narrower than that of the open gap 16. The width W1 of the open gap 16 is greater than the width W2 of the narrowed gap 15. The end of the narrowed gap 15 opposite the storage space 9 is open to the atmosphere.

[0018] 2 is similarly applied to the entire periphery of the side walls 5a and 5b surrounding the storage space 9. If the direction indicated by the arrow U in FIG. 1 is taken as the upward direction, the throttle body 1 is mounted on the vehicle in the position shown in FIG.

[0019] 1, drainage holes 17 for draining moisture accumulated in the gap 13 are provided at both ends of the lower edge of the side wall 5b of the cover part 4, which has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the storage part 2 side. The drainage holes 17 are provided by removing a part of the cover 18 covering the enlarged gap part 14 of the side wall 5b.

[0020] 6 shows the drainage path when moisture accumulated in the gap 13 (see FIG. 2) between the storage section 2 and the cover section 4 is drained by gravity. The storage space seal structure 8 is configured so that when moisture accumulated in the gap 13 is drained by gravity, it flows along the enlarged gap section 14 and the cover 18 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6 and is drained from the drain hole 17.

[0021] In this configuration, the gap 13 has an enlarged gap width at the enlarged gap portion 14 compared to the narrowed gap portion 15, and in particular, the gap width W2 of the narrowed gap portion 15 that directly communicates with the outside is significantly smaller than the gap width W1 of the open gap portion 16.

[0022] 3, even if moisture 19 enters gap 13 from the side that leads to the outside while throttle body 1 is in operation, the moisture is attracted and retained by capillary action on the narrow side of gap 13 that leads to the outside, particularly in narrow gap 15. On the other hand, capillary action does not occur in open gap 16 of enlarged gap 14, and therefore moisture is not attracted to open gap 16 by capillary action.

[0023] Even if the infiltrated moisture 19 temporarily reaches the open gap 16, the seal member 10 is exposed to the open gap 16 and there is no narrow gap between the seal member 10 and the open gap 16, so the infiltrated moisture will not be attracted to such a gap and remain there.

[0024] Conversely, the moisture 19 that has entered the expanded gap 14 is drawn toward the narrowed gap 15 by capillary action and is evaporated into the atmosphere from the portion of the narrowed gap 15 that leads to the outside. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, the moisture drawn toward the narrowed gap 15 moves downward along the cover 18 portion of the side wall 5a of the cover part 4 and is discharged from the drainage hole 17 (see Figure 1) in the side wall 5a.

[0025] Therefore, moisture does not accumulate near the sealing member 10 that defines the storage space 9 side of the expanded gap portion 14, preventing rust from occurring near the sealing member 10 and reliably ensuring the airtightness of the storage space 9 by the sealing member 10.

[0026] As described above, according to this embodiment, the enlarged gap 14 is located on the opposite side of the seal portion 12 from the storage space 9, the storage space side of the enlarged gap 14 is defined by the seal member 10, and there is no minute gap that would cause capillary action adjacent to the enlarged gap 14 side of the seal member 10, so that moisture that has entered the gap 13 can be prevented from accumulating near the seal member 10. This prevents rust from forming near the seal member 10 and effectively maintains the airtightness of the storage space 9.

[0027] In particular, since the width of the narrowed gap portion 15 is considerably narrower than that of the open gap portion 16 of the expanded gap portion 14, more effective capillary action in the narrowed gap portion 15 can more effectively prevent moisture from accumulating near the sealing member 10.

[0028] 4, in a conventional seal structure 8b in which the cover portion 4b has receiving surfaces 11b adjacent to both sides of the seal member 10b, if moisture 19 enters the enlarged gap 14b, the moisture 19 is attracted by the receiving surfaces 11b on the enlarged gap 14b side due to the strong capillary action. Once attracted, the attracted moisture 19 is adsorbed and held by the strong capillary action, and remains there for a long period of time. In comparison, it can be seen that the storage space seal structure 8 of this embodiment described above has a superior effect in preventing moisture retention.

[0029] Figure 5 shows a storage space seal structure according to a second embodiment. The cross section shown in Figure 5 is a cross section of a portion of the throttle body 1 shown in Figure 1 that is similar to the cross section shown in Figure 2. In this storage space seal structure 8c, the width of the expanded gap 14c at the end of the narrowed gap 15c is slightly wider than the open gap 16c adjacent to the seal member 10c.

[0030] In this case, the seal member 10c also defines the open gap 16c, and there is no receiving surface adjacent to the seal member 10c on the side of the open gap 16c. Therefore, the same effect as in the storage space seal structure 8 of FIG. 2 is achieved.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, the storage space seal structure 8c includes a fixing leaf spring 20 that fixes the cover portion 4c to the storage portion 2c by pressing the opposing surfaces of the cover portion 4c and the opposite surfaces of the storage portion 2c against each other.

[0032] In contrast, in a conventional seal structure, in order to secure the cover to the storage section, a female thread is provided on the storage section at a position opposite to the storage space of the seal member, and a screw hole is provided at the corresponding position on the cover section. Then, a bolt is inserted from the cover section side through a washer into the screw hole and screwed into the female thread on the storage section, thereby securing the cover to the storage section.

[0033] In this case, it is necessary to provide a receiving surface between the seal member and the bolt to properly support the cover member, which causes problems due to strong capillary action occurring in the gap of the receiving surface 11b, similar to the problem that occurs when receiving surfaces 11b are provided on both sides of the seal member 10b, as in the seal structure of Figure 4.

[0034] In this regard, according to the storage space sealing structure 8c of this embodiment, each part can be configured so that the straight line connecting the pressing points of the fixing leaf spring 20 on the opposing surface of the cover part 4c and the storage part 2c and the surface on the opposite side thereof passes through the seal member 10c, as shown in Figure 5. As a result, by simply providing the receiving surface 11c only on the storage space 9c side of the seal member 10c, the cover part 4c can be properly supported by the storage part 2c.

[0035] Therefore, according to this embodiment, since the fixing leaf spring 20 is used to fix the cover portion 4c to the storage portion 2c, it is possible to easily form a storage space sealing structure 8c that has the same effect as the storage space sealing structure 8 in Figure 2.

[0036] The storage space sealing structure of this embodiment has been described above, but this embodiment is not limited to the storage space sealing structure of a throttle body, and can also be applied to other storage space sealing structures as long as they include a body having a storage section, a cover section that covers the body to form the storage space, and a sealing member that is sandwiched between the storage section and the cover section and compressed to keep the storage space airtight.

[0037] 1...throttle body, 2, 2c...storage section, 3...body, 4, 4b, 4c...cover section, 5a, 5b...side wall, 6...motor case, 7...intake passage, 8, 8c...storage space sealing structure, 8b...seal structure, 9, 9c...storage space, 10, 10b, 10c...sealing member, 11, 11b, 11c...receiving surface, 12...sealing section, 13...gap, 14, 14b, 14c...enlarged gap section, 15, 15c...narrowed gap section, 16, 16c...open gap section, 17...drainage hole, 18...cover, 19...moisture, 20...fixing leaf spring

Claims

1. A storage space seal structure comprising: a body having a storage section; a cover section which covers the storage section to form a storage space; and a seal member made of an elastic member which is sandwiched between the storage section and the cover section and elastically compressed to keep the storage space airtight, wherein the cover section has a receiving surface which abuts against the storage section on the storage space side of the seal member, a gap is provided between the storage section and the cover section on the opposite side to the storage space of the seal section where the seal member abuts against the storage section, a portion of the gap adjacent to the seal section forms an enlarged gap section in which the width of the gap is enlarged, and the storage space side of the enlarged gap section is defined by the seal member.

2. A storage space sealing structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that a narrowed gap portion having a narrower gap width than the enlarged gap portion is provided on the opposite side of the gap to the storage space than the enlarged gap portion.

3. A fluid control device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fixing leaf spring for fixing the cover portion to the storage portion by pressing the opposing surfaces of both the cover portion and the opposite surface against the opposing surfaces.

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