Sealing device and sealing structure

Abstract

The present invention inhibits the deterioration in sealing performance and assemblability of a sealing device due to misalignment between the axis of a first member and the axis of a second member. This annular sealing device 40 is provided between a first member 22 extending along an axial direction and a tubular second member 32 through which the first member 22 is inserted along the axial direction. The sealing device 40 has: a main body part 70 made of an elastomer, the main body part 70 having an annular base 72, an inner peripheral part 80 extending in the axial direction from the inner peripheral side of the base 72 and having a seal surface 88a that contacts the first member 22, and an outer peripheral part 90 extending in the axial direction from the outer peripheral side of the base 72 and contacting the second member 32; and a reinforcing part 60 provided between the seal surface 88a and the base 72 and having higher rigidity than the inner peripheral part 80.

Description

Sealing device and sealing structure

[0001] This disclosure relates to sealing devices and sealing structures.

[0002] Conventionally, electronic devices such as inverters installed in automobiles and the like are equipped with coolers for cooling the heat-generating electronic devices with a refrigerant. The cooler has a piping connection structure that connects, for example, an equipment-side cooling pipe provided on the electronic device body and an external cooling pipe provided outside the electronic device body. As an example of a sealing device used in such a piping connection structure, a sealing device described in International Publication No. 2024 / 135416 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) is known. The sealing device described in Patent Document 1 is a sealing device that seals the space between a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion inserted into the first cylindrical portion, and comprises a cylindrical elastic body portion along the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion, the elastic body portion having at least two lip portions on its inner circumferential surface in contact with the second cylindrical portion, each extending in the circumferential direction and arranged at a predetermined interval in the direction of extension of the cylinder.

[0003] In a pipe connection structure in which an equipment-side cooling pipe and an outer cooling pipe are connected to each other, there are cases where the two cooling pipes are connected in a state where the respective axes of the two cooling pipes are misaligned. Misalignment between the two cooling pipes may cause a plurality of defects to a sealing device disposed between the two cooling pipes. For example, consider a case where an outer cooling pipe that is misaligned with respect to the axis of the equipment-side cooling pipe is inserted into a sealing device assembled to the equipment-side cooling pipe. In this case, a part of the lip portion located on the opposite side of the outer cooling pipe relative to the axis of the sealing device may not deform following the misalignment of the outer cooling pipe so as to maintain the sealing performance against the outer cooling pipe. As a result, there is a possibility that a gap may be formed between the lip portion and the outer cooling pipe. Further, there is a possibility that the sealing performance of the sealing device against the outer cooling pipe may be impaired. In order to maintain the sealing performance against the outer cooling pipe even when the axes of the two cooling pipes are misaligned, there are cases where the overall rigidity of the elastic body portion is increased to cause the elastic body portion to follow the misalignment of the outer cooling pipe. In this case, as the sealing device as a whole follows the misalignment of the outer cooling pipe, there is a possibility that a gap may be formed between the sealing device and the equipment-side cooling pipe. As a result, there is a possibility that the sealing performance of the sealing device against the equipment-side cooling pipe may be impaired. In order to achieve both sealing performances for the two cooling pipes even when the axes of the two cooling pipes are misaligned, there are cases where the interference of the sealing device with respect to the two cooling pipes is increased. In this case, the assemblability of the sealing device to each cooling pipe deteriorates.

[0004] The present disclosure aims to suppress deterioration in the sealing performance and assemblability of a sealing device caused by misalignment between the axis of a first member and the axis of a second member.

[0005] An aspect of the present disclosure is an annular sealing device provided between a first member extending in the axial direction and a cylindrical second member through which the first member is inserted in the axial direction. The sealing device is a main body made of elastomer, having an annular base; an inner circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the inner circumferential side of the base and having a sealing surface that contacts the first member; an outer circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the outer circumferential side of the base and contacting the second member; and a reinforcing portion provided between the sealing surface and the base and having higher rigidity than the inner circumferential portion.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an annular sealing device provided between a first member extending in the axial direction and a cylindrical second member through which the first member is inserted in the axial direction. The sealing device is a main body made of elastomer, having an annular base; an inner circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the inner circumferential side of the base and having a sealing surface that contacts the first member; an outer circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the outer circumferential side of the base and contacting the second member; and a reinforcing portion provided between the sealing surface and the base, the reinforcing portion moving to follow the first member when the axis of the first member is misaligned with the axis of the second member and causing the sealing surface to follow the first member.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an annular sealing device provided between a first member extending in the axial direction and a cylindrical second member through which the first member is inserted in the axial direction. The sealing device is a main body made of elastomer, having an annular base; an inner circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the inner circumferential side of the base and having a sealing surface that contacts the first member; an outer circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the outer circumferential side of the base and contacting the second member; and a reinforcing portion having higher rigidity than the inner circumferential portion, provided between the sealing surface and the base and integrally molded with the inner circumferential portion.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a sealing structure comprising: a first member extending in the axial direction; a cylindrical second member through which the first member is inserted in the axial direction; and an annular sealing device provided between the first member and the second member, the sealing device comprising: a main body made of elastomer, having an annular base; an inner circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the inner circumferential side of the base and having a sealing surface that contacts the first member; and an outer circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the outer circumferential side of the base and contacting the second member; and a reinforcing portion provided between the sealing surface and the base and having a rigidity higher than the inner circumferential portion.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a sealing structure comprising: a first cylindrical member extending axially through which a refrigerant flows; a second cylindrical member inserted through the first member axially; and an annular sealing device provided between the first member and the second member, the sealing device comprising: a main body made of elastomer, having an annular base; an inner circumferential portion extending axially from the inner circumferential side of the base and having a sealing surface that contacts the first member; an outer circumferential portion extending axially from the outer circumferential side of the base and contacting the second member; and a reinforcing portion provided between the sealing surface and the base and having higher rigidity than the inner circumferential portion.

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the sealing performance and assembly performance of the sealing device caused by misalignment between the axis of the first member and the axis of the second member.

[0011] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sealing structure according to an embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sealing device according to an embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sealing device according to a comparative embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sealing structure according to a comparative embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sealing structure when the axes of the first member and the second member according to an embodiment are misaligned. This is a schematic plan view of a reinforcing part according to a comparative embodiment.

[0012] The embodiments relating to this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The scale of the drawings is not necessarily accurate, and some features may be exaggerated or omitted.

[0013] In the following explanation, the virtual axis that is the central axis of the annular sealing device or connecting tube is called the X-axis. One direction along the X-axis is called the +X direction. The direction opposite to the +X direction is called the -X direction. The direction away from the central axis of the sealing device or connecting tube is called the radially outward direction. The direction toward the central axis of the sealing device or connecting tube is called the radially inward direction. One direction along the radial direction is called the +Y direction. The direction opposite to the +Y direction is called the -Y direction.

[0014] The structure 100 according to this embodiment is a cooling device provided for electronic equipment such as an inverter (not shown). Electronic equipment is provided for example in an automobile. Electronic equipment has a heat source that generates heat when in operation. As shown in Figure 1, the structure 100 has a first cooling pipe 20, a second cooling pipe 30, and a sealing device 40. The first cooling pipe 20 is provided on the outside of the electronic equipment body (not shown). The second cooling pipe 30 is provided on the electronic equipment body. The first cooling pipe 20 and the second cooling pipe 30 each have a flow path through which a refrigerant W can pass. The refrigerant W is an example of a fluid. The refrigerant W is, for example, water.

[0015] The first cooling pipe 20, the second cooling pipe 30, and the sealing device 40 constitute a sealing structure 12. In the sealing structure 12, the flow path of the first cooling pipe 20 and the flow path of the second cooling pipe 30 are interconnected. The first cooling pipe 20 and the second cooling pipe 30 constitute a piping connection structure.

[0016] The first cooling pipe 20 has a connecting pipe 22 and a main pipe 20a. The connecting pipe 22 is a hollow cylindrical shape extending along the axis XC1. The hollow interior of the connecting pipe 22 is a flow path through which the refrigerant W can pass. The connecting pipe 22 is a cylindrical shape having a flow path extending along the axis XC1. The axis XC1 is a virtual line along the X axis and is the central axis of the connecting pipe 22. The connecting pipe 22 has an open end 22a at the -X side end. The open end 22a opens toward the -X side. The connecting pipe 22 is an example of the first member. The main pipe 20a is a hollow cylindrical shape extending in the Y direction and is provided at the end of the connecting pipe 22 opposite to the open end 22a. The main pipe 20a is connected to the flow path of the connecting pipe 22. The main pipe 20a extends toward a heat sink (not shown).

[0017] The second cooling pipe 30 has a port portion 32 and a main pipe 30a. The port portion 32 is a hollow cylindrical shape extending along axis XB. The hollow interior of the port portion 32 is a flow path through which the refrigerant W can pass. The port portion 32 is a cylindrical shape having a flow path extending along axis XB. Axis XB is a virtual line along the X axis and is the central axis of the port portion 32. The port portion 32 has an open end 32a at the +X side end. The open end 32a opens to the +X side. The inner diameter of the port portion 32 is larger than the outer diameter of the connecting pipe 22. The port portion 32 can be positioned with the connecting pipe 22 inserted through the open end 32a. When the port portion 32 is positioned with the connecting pipe 22 inserted through it, the open end 32a is positioned on the +X side of the open end 22a of the connecting pipe 22. The port portion 32 is an example of the second member. The port section 32 has a locking portion (not shown) on its radially inward-facing wall surface. The locking portion contacts the tip of the outer circumference 90 of the sealing device 40 in the axial direction to position the sealing device 40 relative to the port section 32. The main pipe 30a is a hollow cylindrical pipe that extends in the Y direction and is provided at the end of the port section 32 opposite to the open end 32a. The main pipe 30a is connected to the flow path of the port section 32. The main pipe 30a extends toward a heat source (not shown).

[0018] The sealing device 40 is provided between the connecting pipe 22 and the port portion 32. The sealing device 40 is annular around axis XC2. Axis XC2 is a virtual line along the X axis and is the central axis of the sealing device 40. The sealing device 40 seals the space between the connecting pipe 22 and the port portion 32. The sealing device 40 has a sealing function for the connecting pipe 22 and the port portion 32. As shown in Figure 2, the sealing device 40 has a main body portion 70, a metal ring 50, and a reinforcing portion 60.

[0019] The main body portion 70 is annular in shape and contacts the connecting pipe 22 and the port portion 32. The main body portion 70 has a base portion 72, an inner circumference portion 80, and an outer circumference portion 90. The main body portion 70 further has a hollow portion 74.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the base portion 72 is a flat, annular plate oriented in the axial direction. The base portion 72 is spaced radially outward from the connecting pipe 22. The base portion 72 has an inner edge portion 72c and an outer edge portion 72d. The inner edge portion 72c is the radially inner edge of the base portion 72. The outer edge portion 72d is the radially outer edge of the base portion 72.

[0021] The inner circumference 80 is a hollow, substantially cylindrical shape that extends from the inner edge 72c of the base 72 toward the open end 22a of the connecting pipe 22. Preferably, the diameter of the inner circumference 80 decreases as it moves away from the base 72 in the axial direction. The inner circumference 80 has a connecting portion 82, a lip portion 88, and a positioning portion 84. The inner circumference 80 further has a first cylindrical surface 81. The first cylindrical surface 81 faces toward the hollow portion 74. That is, the first cylindrical surface 81 faces radially outward of the inner circumference 80.

[0022] The lip portion 88 is annular in shape with a tightening allowance for the connecting pipe 22. The lip portion 88 is convex, projecting radially inward. The lip portion 88 makes surface contact with the connecting pipe 22 by elastically deforming upon contact with the connecting pipe 22. The lip portion 88 seals the space between the lip portion 88 and the connecting pipe 22 by applying a tightening force to the connecting pipe 22. The contact surface of the lip portion 88 with respect to the connecting pipe 22 is called the sealing surface 88a. The lip portion 88 has a sealing function for the connecting pipe 22. It is preferable that the lip portion 88 is provided on the side closer to the tip of the inner circumference portion 80.

[0023] The connecting portion 82 is a hollow, substantially cylindrical shape that connects the base portion 72 and the lip portion 88. Preferably, the diameter of the connecting portion 82 decreases as it moves away from the base portion 72 in the axial direction.

[0024] The positioning portion 84 is an annular groove provided in the connecting portion 82. The positioning portion 84 is provided between the base portion 72 and the sealing surface 88a. The positioning portion 84 is provided on the side closer to the sealing surface 88a than the base portion 72. The positioning portion 84 is concave radially inward with respect to the first cylindrical surface 81. The positioning portion 84 opens radially outward. The cross-section of the positioning portion 84 is rectangular, corresponding to the outer shape of the reinforcing portion 60. The positioning portion 84 positions the reinforcing portion 60 relative to the inner circumference portion 80. The positioning portion 84 has a pair of groove walls 85 and a groove bottom 86. The groove bottom 86 is cylindrical, radially inward with respect to the first cylindrical surface 81. The pair of groove walls 85 face each other in the axial direction with respect to the groove bottom 86. It is preferable that the inner circumference portion 80 is spaced apart from the connecting pipe 22 at a position that overlaps with the positioning portion 84 in the axial direction.

[0025] The outer periphery 90 is a hollow, substantially cylindrical shape extending from the outer edge 72d of the base 72 toward the -X side. The outer periphery 90 has a second cylindrical surface 91. The second cylindrical surface 91 faces toward the hollow portion 74 side. The second cylindrical surface 91 faces radially inward of the outer periphery 90. The outer periphery 90 has a tightening allowance with respect to the port portion 32. The outer periphery 90 seals the space between the outer periphery 90 and the port portion 32 by applying a tightening force to the port portion 32. The outer periphery 90 has a sealing function with respect to the port portion 32.

[0026] The hollow portion 74 is an annular groove defined by the outer periphery 90, the base 72, and the inner periphery 80. In other words, the outer periphery 90, the base 72, and the inner periphery 80 form the hollow portion 74. The hollow portion 74 opens to the -X side.

[0027] The main body portion 70 is made of a first elastomer. The Shore A hardness of the first elastomer is preferably 20 or more and 60 or less. The Shore A hardness of the first elastomer is preferably a value measured with a Type A durometer in accordance with JIS K 6253:2012. The first elastomer is preferably one of the following: nitrile rubber (NBR), hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR), fluororubber (FKM), acrylic rubber (ACM), or silicone rubber.

[0028] The reinforcing portion 60 is annular and positioned on the positioning portion 84. The reinforcing portion 60 is provided between the base portion 72 and the sealing surface 88a. The reinforcing portion 60 is provided on the side closer to the sealing surface 88a than the base portion 72. The reinforcing portion 60 extends circumferentially along the first cylindrical surface 81. The reinforcing portion 60 has a rectangular cross-section. The axial end face of the reinforcing portion 60 is preferably in contact with the groove wall 85. The inner diameter of the annular reinforcing portion 60 is preferably in contact with the groove bottom 86.

[0029] The reinforcing portion 60 is made of a material with higher rigidity than the first elastomer. The rigidity of the reinforcing portion 60 is higher than that of the main body portion 70. In particular, the rigidity of the reinforcing portion 60 is higher than that of the inner circumference portion 80. The reinforcing portion 60 improves the rigidity of the inner circumference portion 80 around the reinforcing portion 60. The reinforcing portion 60 is made of a metal material or a resin material. The reinforcing portion 60 does not have an interference fit with respect to the positioning portion 84. The reinforcing portion 60 may have an interference fit with respect to the positioning portion 84.

[0030] The reinforcing portion 60 is preferably integrally molded with the main body portion 70. The outer circumference of the reinforcing portion 60 is preferably exposed to the hollow portion 74 over its entire circumference. In other words, the outer circumference of the reinforcing portion 60 is preferably exposed towards the outer circumference portion 90 over its entire circumference. However, only a part of the outer circumference of the reinforcing portion 60 may be exposed to the hollow portion 74. The reinforcing portion 60 may be molded separately from the main body portion 70.

[0031] The metal ring 50 is a metal ring having an L-shaped cross-section along the outer circumference 90 and the base 72. The metal ring 50 improves the rigidity of the outer circumference 90 and the base 72. The metal ring 50 is integrally molded with the main body 70 as a base material for the main body 70. Preferably, a part of the inner circumference of the metal ring 50 is exposed to the hollow portion 74.

[0032] Preferably, the metal ring 50 is integrally molded with the main body 70 together with the reinforcing portion 60. Specifically, first, the metal ring 50 and the reinforcing portion 60 are placed at predetermined positions within the internal space of a mold (not shown) having a molding surface corresponding to the sealing device 40. Then, the main body 70 is molded by injecting a first elastomer into the internal space of the mold and vulcanizing it, thereby integrating it around the metal ring 50 and the reinforcing portion 60. Through this integral molding process, a sealing device 40 is provided in which the metal ring 50, the reinforcing portion 60 and the main body 70 are integrated. In this case, the sealing device 40 may be molded so that a part of the metal ring 50 and the reinforcing portion 60 is exposed as the metal ring 50 and the reinforcing portion 60 are placed inside the mold.

[0033] (Operation and Effects) Next, the operation and effects of the sealing device 40 of the sealing structure 12 provided in the structure 100 according to the embodiment will be described. In this description, the sealing device H40 as a comparative form to the embodiment will be described using Figures 3 and 4. When the same parts as those of the sealing device 40 of the embodiment are used in the description of the sealing device H40, the reference numerals and names of those parts will be used as they are.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the comparative sealing device H40 does not have a reinforcing portion 60 compared to the sealing device 40 of the embodiment. The sealing device H40 has a main body portion H70 instead of the main body portion 70 of the embodiment. The main body portion H70 does not have a positioning portion 84 compared to the main body portion 70. Except for the above points, the structure of the sealing device H40 is equivalent to that of the sealing device 40.

[0035] Let's consider the case where the sealing device H40 is assembled to the port portion 32 and then the connecting pipe 22 is inserted into the sealing device H40. In this case, as shown in Figure 4, the connecting pipe 22 is positioned relative to the port portion 32 with its axis XC1 shifted radially to the +Y side relative to the axis XB of the port portion 32. At this time, a part of the lip portion 88 on the +Y side is pressed by the connecting pipe 22 and extends and moves to the +Y side to follow the position of the connecting pipe 22. At this time, since the main body portion H70 is made of the first elastomer, the entire lip portion 88 may not extend to move to the +Y side. In particular, if the main body portion H70 is made of an elastomer with low rigidity, a part of the lip portion 88 on the -Y side may not extend to move to the +Y side. In this case, there is a risk that a gap will be formed between a part of the lip portion 88 on the -Y side and the connecting pipe 22. Therefore, there is a risk that the sealing performance of the sealing device H40 with respect to the connecting pipe 22 will be impaired.

[0036] In order to maintain the sealing performance of the sealing device H40 to the connecting pipe 22 even when the axes XB and XC1 are misaligned, the main body H70 may be formed from a highly rigid elastomer. The Shore A hardness of the highly rigid elastomer is, for example, 70 or higher. In this case, the lip portion 88 is extended and moved to the +Y side so as to follow the connecting pipe 22 as a whole. Then, the main body H70 moves to the +Y side so as to follow the position of the connecting pipe 22 as a whole. At this time, there is a risk that a gap will be formed between a part of the -Y side of the outer circumference 90 and the port portion 32. Therefore, there is a risk that the sealing performance of the sealing device H40 to the port portion 32 will be impaired.

[0037] In order to maintain sealing performance for the connecting pipe 22 and port portion 32 even when the axes XB and XC1 are misaligned, the tightening allowance of the sealing device H40 for the connecting pipe 22 and port portion 32 may be increased. In this case, the assembly of the sealing device H40 for the connecting pipe 22 and port portion 32 becomes difficult. Specifically, the insertion load for inserting the connecting pipe 22 into the inner circumference portion 80 becomes larger. Furthermore, the insertion load for inserting the outer circumference portion 90 into the port portion 32 becomes larger. Thus, misalignment of the connecting pipe 22 and port portion 32 may cause multiple problems with the sealing device H40.

[0038] On the other hand, the sealing device 40 of the embodiment has a reinforcing portion 60 between the base portion 72 and the sealing surface 88a. In this case, first, a part of the lip portion 88 on the +Y side is pressed by the connecting pipe 22 and extends and moves to the +Y side to follow the position of the connecting pipe 22. As a part of the lip portion 88 on the +Y side moves to the +Y side, a part of the reinforcing portion 60 on the +Y side also moves to the +Y side. At this time, since the rigidity of the reinforcing portion 60 is higher than the rigidity of the main body portion 70, the reinforcing portion 60 moves to the +Y side as a whole, as shown in Figure 5. As the reinforcing portion 60 moves to the +Y side as a whole, a part of the lip portion 88 on the -Y side extends and moves to the +Y side to follow the position of the connecting pipe 22. At this time, the sealing surface 88a moves together with the lip portion 88 while maintaining contact with the connecting pipe 22 over its entire circumference. In this way, the reinforcing portion 60 moves to follow the connecting pipe 22 when the axis XC1 is misaligned with the axis XB, and the sealing surface 88a also follows the connecting pipe 22.

[0039] In this case, since the sealing surface 88a maintains contact with the connecting pipe 22, the sealing performance of the sealing device 40 with respect to the connecting pipe 22 is maintained. Even if the rigidity of the main body 70 is low, the sealing surface 88a follows the connecting pipe 22, so the rigidity of the main body 70 can be low. In this case, the amount of movement and deformation of the main body 70 to the +Y side due to the movement of the sealing surface 88a to the +Y side is small. A gap is unlikely to form between a part of the outer circumference 90 on the -Y side and the port portion 32. Therefore, the sealing performance of the sealing device 40 with respect to the port portion 32 is maintained. In this way, the sealing device 40 can achieve both sealing performance with respect to the connecting pipe 22 and the port portion 32 even when the axes XB and XC1 are misaligned. In this case, there is no need to increase the tightening allowance of the sealing device 40 with respect to the connecting pipe 22 and the port portion 32, so a decrease in the ease of assembly of the sealing device 40 with respect to the connecting pipe 22 and the port portion 32 can be suppressed. Therefore, the sealing device 40 of the sealing structure 12 can suppress the decrease in sealing performance and assembly performance caused by the misalignment between the axis XC1 of the connecting pipe 22 and the axis XB of the port portion 32. In particular, the structure 100 is a cooling device having a flow path for the refrigerant W and a piping connection structure. In the piping connection structure of the structure 100, the sealing structure 12 can suppress the leakage of the refrigerant W caused by the misalignment between the axis XC1 of the connecting pipe 22 and the axis XB of the port portion 32.

[0040] The inner circumference 80 is spaced apart from the connecting pipe 22 at a position where it overlaps with the reinforcing portion 60 in the axial direction. If the inner circumference 80 were to contact the connecting pipe 22 at a position where it overlaps with the reinforcing portion 60 in the axial direction, the contact area of ​​the inner circumference 80 with respect to the connecting pipe 22 would increase. In this case, the insertion load required to insert the connecting pipe 22 into the inner circumference 80 would increase by the amount of the increased contact area. On the other hand, in the sealing device 40 of this embodiment, the contact area with respect to the connecting pipe 22 does not increase due to the presence of the reinforcing portion 60, and therefore the insertion load required to insert the connecting pipe 22 into the inner circumference 80 does not increase. Thus, the sealing device 40 can improve the ease of assembly of the sealing device 40 to the connecting pipe 22.

[0041] The reinforcing portion 60 is provided on the side closer to the sealing surface 88a than the base portion 72. If the reinforcing portion 60 is provided on the side closer to the base portion 72 than the sealing surface 88a, there is a risk that the reinforcing portion 60 will not function sufficiently to cause the sealing surface 88a to follow the connecting pipe 22 when the axis XC1 is misaligned with the axis XB. Specifically, first, a part of the lip portion 88 on the +Y side is pressed by the connecting pipe 22 and extends and moves on the +Y side to follow the position of the connecting pipe 22. At this time, if the reinforcing portion 60 is provided on the side closer to the base portion 72 than the sealing surface 88a, there is a risk that the deformation around the lip portion 88 will be absorbed by a part of the inner circumference 80 which is on the lip portion 88 side of the reinforcing portion 60. In this case, the amount of movement of the reinforcing portion 60 accompanying the movement of a part of the lip portion 88 on the +Y side will be smaller than the amount of movement of a part of the lip portion 88 on the +Y side. Therefore, the amount of movement of a part of the lip portion 88 on the -Y side toward the +Y side will be smaller. Therefore, there is a risk that a gap may be formed between a part of the lip portion 88 on the -Y side and the connecting pipe 22. On the other hand, when the reinforcing portion 60 is provided closer to the sealing surface 88a than the base portion 72, the amount of movement of the reinforcing portion 60 accompanying the movement of a part of the lip portion 88 on the +Y side will be approximately equal to the amount of movement of a part of the lip portion 88 on the +Y side. In this case, the reinforcing portion 60 can move the lip portion 88 as a whole so that the amount of movement of a part of the lip portion 88 on the -Y side toward the +Y side is approximately equal to the amount of movement of a part of the lip portion 88 on the +Y side. Therefore, the reinforcing portion 60 makes it easier to make the lip portion 88 as a whole follow the position of the connecting pipe 22. As a result, the sealing device 40 can more easily maintain its sealing performance with respect to the connecting pipe 22. Thus, the sealing device 40 can effectively suppress the decrease in sealing performance caused by the misalignment between the axis XC1 of the connecting pipe 22 and the axis XB of the port portion 32.

[0042] The reinforcing portion 60 is annular. Consider a case where the reinforcing portion is reinforcing portion H60 which is a C-type retaining ring as shown in FIG. 6. The reinforcing portion H60 has an opening H62 opening to the +Y side. In this case, when the reinforcing portion H60 moves so as to follow the connecting pipe 22, there is a risk that the inner peripheral portion 80 may be distorted and deformed around the opening H62. In this situation, there is a risk that the inner peripheral portion 80 may reduce the sealing performance against the connecting pipe 22. On the other hand, when the reinforcing portion 60 is annular, the inner peripheral portion 80 will not be distorted and deformed around the opening H62. Therefore, according to the sealing device 40, it is possible to more effectively suppress the reduction in sealing performance caused by the positional deviation between the axis XC1 of the connecting pipe 22 and the axis XB of the port portion 32.

[0043] The inner peripheral portion 80 has a positioning portion 84. In this case, the reinforcing portion 60 can maintain a state of being fixed to the positioning portion 84. Therefore, according to the sealing device 40, the reinforcing portion 60 can be prevented from falling off from the inner peripheral portion 80.

[0044] The outer periphery of the reinforcing portion 60 is exposed to the outer peripheral portion 90 side over the entire circumference. In this case, when the reinforcing portion 60 is damaged due to aging deterioration or the like, the reinforcing portion 60 can be repaired by assembling an unused reinforcing portion 60 to the main body portion 70. Therefore, according to the sealing device 40, the sealing device 40 can be easily repaired. In this case, after the reinforcing portion 60 is molded separately from the main body portion 70 and the metal ring 50, the sealing device 40 can be assembled by attaching the reinforcing portion 60 to the main body portion 70. Therefore, according to the sealing device 40, the options for the manufacturing process of the sealing device 40 can be increased.

[0045] As described above, the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications, changes and improvements can be made within the scope of the technical idea of the present disclosure.

[0046] The reinforcing portion 60 and the positioning portion 84 are described as having a rectangular cross-section. However, the cross-sections of the reinforcing portion and the positioning portion according to the present disclosure are not limited to a rectangular shape. The reinforcing portion according to the present disclosure may have a circular cross-section. In this case, the positioning portion may have an arc-shaped cross-section corresponding to the outer shape of the reinforcing portion.

[0047] The reinforcing portion 60 is assumed to be annular. However, the reinforcing portion according to the present disclosure is not limited to an annular shape, as long as it extends in the circumferential direction along the first cylindrical surface 81 and is disposed between the base portion 72 and the sealing surface 88a. The reinforcing portion according to the present disclosure may be in an arc shape like a C-shaped retaining ring.

[0048] The sealing structure 12 to which the sealing device 40 of the embodiment is applied is assumed to be provided in an automobile or the like. However, the application target of the sealing device according to the present disclosure is not limited to automobiles and the like. The sealing device according to the present disclosure may be applied to all mobility including construction machinery and agricultural machinery.

[0049] 100 Structure 12 Sealing structure 20 First cooling pipe 22 Connection pipe (an example of a first member) 30 Second cooling pipe 32 Port portion (an example of a second member) 40 Sealing device 50 Metal ring 60 Reinforcing portion 70 Main body portion 72 Base portion 80 Inner peripheral portion 84 Positioning portion 88 Lip portion 88a Sealing surface 90 Outer peripheral portion

Claims

1. An annular sealing device provided between a first member extending in the axial direction and a cylindrical second member through which the first member is inserted in the axial direction, the sealing device comprising: a main body made of elastomer, having an annular base; an inner circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the inner circumferential side of the base and having a sealing surface that contacts the first member; an outer circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the outer circumferential side of the base and contacting the second member; and a reinforcing portion provided between the sealing surface and the base and having higher rigidity than the inner circumferential portion.

2. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the inner circumference is spaced apart from the first member at a position where it overlaps with the reinforcing portion in the axial direction.

3. The sealing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the reinforcing portion is provided on a side closer to the sealing surface than the base portion.

4. The sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reinforcing portion is annular.

5. The sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inner circumference has a positioning portion that positions in correspondence with the reinforcing portion.

6. The sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outer circumference of the reinforcing portion is exposed to the outer circumference side over its entire circumference.

7. An annular sealing device provided between a first member extending in the axial direction and a cylindrical second member through which the first member is inserted inward along the axial direction, the sealing device comprising: a main body made of elastomer, having an annular base; an inner circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the inner circumferential side of the base and having a sealing surface that contacts the first member; an outer circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the outer circumferential side of the base and contacting the second member; and a reinforcing portion provided between the sealing surface and the base, the reinforcing portion moving to follow the first member when the axis of the first member is misaligned with the axis of the second member and causing the sealing surface to follow the first member.

8. An annular sealing device provided between a first member extending in the axial direction and a cylindrical second member through which the first member is inserted in the axial direction, the sealing device comprising: a main body made of elastomer, having an annular base; an inner circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the inner circumferential side of the base and having a sealing surface that contacts the first member; an outer circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the outer circumferential side of the base and contacting the second member; and a reinforcing portion having higher rigidity than the inner circumferential portion, provided between the sealing surface and the base and integrally molded with the inner circumferential portion.

9. A sealing structure comprising: a first member extending in the axial direction; a cylindrical second member through which the first member is inserted in the axial direction; an annular sealing device provided between the first member and the second member, the sealing device comprising: a main body made of elastomer, having an annular base; an inner circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the inner circumferential side of the base and having a sealing surface that contacts the first member; an outer circumferential portion extending in the axial direction from the outer circumferential side of the base and contacting the second member; and a reinforcing portion provided between the sealing surface and the base and having higher rigidity than the inner circumferential portion.

10. A sealing structure comprising: a cylindrical first member extending axially and through which a refrigerant flows; a cylindrical second member inserted through the first member axially; an annular sealing device provided between the first member and the second member, the main body being made of elastomer, having an annular base; an inner circumferential portion extending axially from the inner circumferential side of the base and having a sealing surface that contacts the first member; an outer circumferential portion extending axially from the outer circumferential side of the base and contacting the second member; and a reinforcing portion provided between the sealing surface and the base and having higher rigidity than the inner circumferential portion.

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