JP5710359B2 - Ventilation member - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a ventilation member attached to an opening of a housing.

  Conventionally, for example, automotive electrical components such as automotive lamps and ECUs (Electrical Control Units), OA (office automation) devices, home appliances, medical devices, etc., a housing that accommodates electronic components, control boards, etc. is subject to temperature changes. An opening is provided for the purpose of alleviating pressure fluctuations in the casing or ventilating the casing, and a ventilation member is attached to the opening. This ventilation member prevents intrusion of foreign matters such as dust and water into the casing while ensuring ventilation inside and outside the casing.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a ventilation member 100 as shown in FIG. The ventilation member 100 includes a support 110 that supports the waterproof breathable membrane 120 fixed to the housing 150, a cover component 130 that covers the waterproof breathable membrane 120, and the support 110 around the opening 151 of the housing 150. A seal member 140 that seals a gap between the housing 150 and the housing 150 is provided. The support 110 has a tubular shape as a whole, and includes a flange portion 112 to which the waterproof breathable membrane 120 is attached, and an insertion portion 111 that protrudes from the flange portion 112 and is inserted into the opening 151 of the housing 150. Yes.

JP 2007-141629 A

  In recent years, for example, in automobiles, electronic control has been advanced from the environmental and safety aspects, and electrical components such as motors, sensors, and switches are increasing. In connection with this, in order to install many electrical components in a small space, the electrical components have been combined, and oil may exist in the housing.

  However, when the ventilation member 100 as shown in FIG. 7 is used in such an environment, the oil scattered in the housing adheres to the waterproof ventilation membrane 120 through the internal space of the support 110 and the air permeability is impaired. Will occur.

  In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a ventilation member that can prevent oil from adhering to a waterproof gas permeable membrane even when oil scatters in a housing.

  That is, the present invention is a ventilation member that is attached to an opening of a housing, and has a waterproof ventilation membrane and a support that supports the waterproof ventilation membrane on the outside of the housing and is closed by the waterproof ventilation membrane. A fixing member for fixing the support to the case by screwing with the support through an opening of the case, and on the opposite side of the waterproof breathable membrane A ventilation member is provided, comprising: a protection unit that covers the ventilation path.

  According to the above configuration, even if oil scatters in the housing, the oil is prevented from entering the air passage of the support body, so that the oil can be prevented from adhering to the waterproof gas permeable membrane. .

The disassembled perspective view of the ventilation member which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. Sectional view of the ventilation member shown in FIG. Sectional drawing of the ventilation member of the modification of 1st Embodiment Sectional drawing of the ventilation member which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Sectional view along line VV in FIG. Sectional drawing of the ventilation member which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. Sectional view of a conventional ventilation member

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description relates to an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these.

(First embodiment)
1 and 2 show a ventilation member 1A according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The ventilation member 1 </ b> A is attached to the opening 11 of the housing 10, and is disposed on the inside of the housing 10, the waterproof air-permeable membrane 5, the support 2 that supports the waterproof air-permeable membrane 5 on the outside of the housing 10. And a fixing member 3 for fixing the support body 2 to the housing 10 by screwing with the support body 2 through the opening 11 of the housing 10. Further, the ventilation member 1A includes an outer seal member 4A that seals a gap between the housing 10 and the support 2 around the opening 11, and a gap between the housing 10 and the fixing member 3 around the opening 11. And an inner seal member 4B that covers the waterproof breathable membrane 5 attached to the support 2.

  The waterproof gas-permeable membrane 5 is not particularly limited in its structure and material as long as it is a membrane that allows gas permeation and prevents liquid permeation (work cloth, nonwoven fabric, mesh, net, etc. made of resin or metal). For example, the waterproof breathable membrane 5 may have a configuration in which a reinforcing layer is laminated on a resin porous membrane. By providing the reinforcing layer, the waterproof air-permeable membrane 5 having high strength can be obtained.

  As a material for the resin porous membrane, a fluororesin porous body or a polyolefin porous body that can be produced by a known stretching method or extraction method can be used. Examples of the fluororesin include PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), polychlorotrifluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer, tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer, and the like. Examples of the monomer constituting the polyolefin include ethylene, propylene, 4-methylpentene-1,1 butene, and the like. A polyolefin obtained by polymerizing or copolymerizing these monomers alone can be used. Moreover, the nanofiber film porous body using polyacrylonitrile, nylon, polylactic acid, etc. can also be used. Among these, a PTFE porous body that has a small area, can ensure air permeability, and has a high function of preventing foreign substances from entering the inside of the housing is preferable.

  The resin porous film may be subjected to a liquid repellent treatment according to the usage environment of the housing 10. The liquid repellent treatment can be performed by applying a substance having a small surface tension to the porous resin membrane, drying, and curing. The liquid repellent used for the liquid repellent treatment only needs to be able to form a film having a lower surface tension than the resin porous film. For example, a liquid repellent containing a polymer having a perfluoroalkyl group is suitable. The liquid repellent agent can be applied by impregnation, spraying, or the like. Further, from the viewpoint of ensuring sufficient waterproofness, it is desirable that the average pore diameter of the resin porous membrane is 0.01 μm or more and 10 μm or less.

  As the material for the reinforcing layer, it is preferable to use a material having better air permeability than the porous resin membrane. Specifically, work cloths, nonwoven fabrics, meshes, nets, sponges, foams, porous bodies and the like made of resin or metal can be used. As a method for joining the resin porous membrane and the reinforcing layer, there are methods such as adhesive laminating, heat laminating, heat welding, ultrasonic welding, and adhesion with an adhesive.

  The thickness of the waterproof breathable membrane 5 is preferably adjusted in the range of 1 μm to 5 mm, for example, in consideration of strength and ease of fixing to the support 2. The air permeability of the resin porous membrane or the waterproof breathable membrane 5 is preferably 0.1 to 300 sec / 100 mL in terms of Gurley value.

  The support body 2 is provided with an air passage 20 penetrating the support body 2, and the air passage 20 is closed with a waterproof air-permeable membrane 5. Specifically, the support 2 has a head 22 having a waterproof breathable membrane 5 attached to the surface, and a screw shaft 21 that protrudes from the back surface of the head 22 and is inserted into the opening 11 of the housing 10. Yes. The air passage 20 has a size slightly smaller than the size of the waterproof air-permeable membrane 5 and is recessed from the surface of the head 22 and from the bottom of the recess 23 to the end surface 21 a of the screw shaft 21 in the axial direction of the screw shaft 21. The straight hole 24 extends. In other words, the air passage 20 is open to the end surface 21 a of the screw shaft 21.

  The outer seal member 4 </ b> A described above is attached to the root portion of the screw shaft 21. Further, the support 2 is provided with an abutting portion 25 that abuts against the housing 10 and regulates the deformation amount of the outer seal member 4A. In the present embodiment, the contact portion 25 has a cylindrical shape surrounding the outer seal member 4A. In other words, a groove that accommodates the outer seal member 4 </ b> A is formed by the outer peripheral surface of the root portion of the screw shaft 21, the back surface of the head portion 22, and the inner peripheral surface of the contact portion 25. However, the contact portion 25 is not necessarily arranged outside the outer seal member 4A. For example, the contact portion 25 is expanded by expanding the root portion of the screw shaft 21 so as to have a larger diameter than the opening 11. May be configured.

  The fixing member 3 is a disc-shaped nut member having a flat front surface and a back surface. In the center of the fixing member 3, a concave screw hole 31 that is screwed into the screw shaft 21 and is recessed from the surface is provided. The depth of the screw hole 31 is determined between the bottom wall 33 that forms the bottom of the screw hole 31 and the end surface 21 a of the screw shaft 21 when the fixing member 3 is screwed with the support 2 through the opening 11 of the housing 10. It is set to ensure sufficient space between them. That is, the bottom wall 33 covers the air passage 20 on the side opposite to the waterproof air-permeable membrane 5 and is provided integrally with the fixing member 3 so as to be separated from the air passage 20 and face the air passage 20. The bottom wall 33 corresponds to the protection part of the present invention.

  A plurality of through holes 34 are provided in the bottom wall 33 so as not to overlap with the opening of the air passage 20 in the axial direction of the screw hole 31. For example, the through holes 34 are provided at equiangular intervals on a circumference centered on the center of the bottom wall 33. And the path | route which opens the ventilation path 20 to the internal space of the housing | casing 10 is comprised by the space between the through-hole 34, the bottom wall 33, and the end surface 21a of the screw shaft 21.

  Furthermore, the fixing member 3 is provided with a ring-shaped groove 32 concentric with the screw hole 31 that is recessed from a flat surface. In addition, the inner seal member 4B described above is accommodated in the groove 32. In the present embodiment, since the tip surfaces of the inner wall and the outer wall facing each other across the groove 32 are located on the same plane, both the inner wall and the outer wall abut against the housing 10 to reduce the deformation amount of the inner seal member 4B. A restricting contact portion 35 is configured. However, the abutting portion 35 only needs to be on either the inner side or the outer side of the inner seal member 4B, and the height of one of the outer wall and the inner wall may be set lower than the other, or the outer wall Either the inner wall or the inner wall may be omitted.

  The support body 2 and the fixing member 3 may be made of the same material, or may be made of different materials. Such materials include PA (polyamide), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), PP (polypropylene), PPE (from the viewpoint of moldability and welding. It is preferable to use a thermoplastic resin such as polyphenylene ether.

  As the outer seal member 4A and the inner seal member 4B, general products such as an O-ring, an X-ring, and packing can be used. Further, the outer seal member 4A and the inner seal member 4B may be integrally formed on the support 2 or the fixing member 3 by insert molding or two-color molding.

  Note that both the support 2 and the fixing member 3 may be elastic bodies. In this case, the outer seal member 4A and the inner seal member 4B and the grooves for accommodating them can be omitted. The material of the elastic body is preferably a thermosetting resin elastic body such as NBR (nitrile rubber), EPDM (ethylene-propylene rubber), silicone rubber, fluorine rubber, acrylic rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber or the like. Further, an elastic resin such as a thermoplastic elastomer may be used.

  The cover component 6 includes a main portion 61 that faces the waterproof breathable membrane 5 with a predetermined interval, and a locking piece 62 that protrudes from the peripheral edge of the main portion 61. Although not shown, the tip of the locking piece 62 and the support 2 are provided with irregularities that can be engaged with each other. In addition, the support body 2 may be provided with a recess into which the tip of the locking piece 62 is fitted.

  In the ventilation member 1A of the present embodiment described above, even if oil scatters in the housing 10, the oil is prevented from entering the ventilation path 20 of the support 2 by the bottom wall 33 of the fixing member 3, Oil can be prevented from adhering to the waterproof breathable membrane 5.

  In the present embodiment, since the contact portions 25 and 35 are provided on the support body 2 and the fixing member 3, the outer seal member 4A and the inner seal member 4B push the screw shaft 21 and the screw hole 31 excessively. It can be screwed with an appropriate strength that will not be crushed.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the contact part 25 of the support body 2 surrounds the outer seal member 4A, the outer seal member 4A can be protected from external pressure.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the waterproof gas-permeable membrane 5 is covered with the cover component 6, damage to the waterproof gas-permeable membrane 5 is suppressed even when the housing 10 is washed with high-pressure water.

<Modification>
Although the screw shaft 21 is provided in the support body 2 and the screw hole 31 is provided in the fixing member 3 in the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a screw shaft 21 may be provided in the fixing member 3 and a screw hole 31 may be provided in the support 2 as in the ventilation member 1B shown in FIG. In this case, for example, the ventilation path 20 of the support 2 is constituted by a recess 23 and a plurality of through holes 26 a provided at the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 26 that forms the bottom of the screw hole 31, and the center of the screw shaft 21. An air passage 36 penetrating the fixing member 3 may be provided on the shaft. With such a configuration, the screw shaft 21 functions in the same manner as the bottom wall 33 of the above embodiment. That is, the screw shaft 21 covers the air passage 20 on the side opposite to the waterproof air-permeable membrane 5 and is provided integrally with the fixing member 3 so as to be separated from the air passage 20 and face the air passage 20.

  Further, both the outer seal member 4A and the inner seal member 4B are not necessarily provided, and only one of them may be provided.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a ventilation member 1C according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the same components as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted. This is the same in the third embodiment described later.

  The ventilation member 1C of the present embodiment has the same configuration as the ventilation member 1A of the first embodiment, except for the portion that covers the ventilation path 20 on the side opposite to the waterproof ventilation membrane 5. Specifically, the screw hole 31 of the fixing member 3 penetrates the fixing member 3, and the baffle plate 27 is integrally provided on the support body 2 via the trunk portion 29.

  The body portion 29 is disposed so as to cover the end surface 21 a of the screw shaft 21, and has a disk shape concentric with the screw shaft 21. The body 29 is formed with a notch 29a that opens radially outward from the center, and only a part of the end surface 21a of the screw shaft 21 is exposed by the notch 29a. The notch 29 a has a rounded tongue shape on the center side, and has the same width as the diameter of the air passage 20.

  The baffle plate 27 has a thickness smaller than the thickness of the body portion 29, and is arranged in the notch 29 a of the body portion 29 so that the lower surface of the baffle plate 27 and the lower surface of the body portion 29 coincide with each other. ing. The baffle plate 27 has the same shape as the notch 29a except that the length is shorter than the notch 29a, and covers other than the radially outer end, which is the tip of the notch 29a. That is, the baffle plate 27 is separated from the air passage 20 that opens to the end surface 21 a of the screw shaft 21 and faces the air passage 20. Further, the baffle plate 27 forms a path 28 that opens the communication path 20 to the internal space of the housing 10 between the baffle plate 27 and the end surface 21 a of the screw shaft 21 and the inner peripheral surface of the screw hole 31. The baffle plate 27 corresponds to the protection part of the present invention.

  In the ventilation member 1 </ b> C of the present embodiment, even if oil scatters in the housing 10, the oil is prevented from entering the ventilation path 20 of the support 2 by the baffle plate 27. Can be prevented.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a ventilation member 1D according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The ventilation member 1D of the present embodiment has a configuration in which the body 29 and the baffle plate 27 are deleted from the ventilation member 1C of the second embodiment, and the second ventilation film 7 is attached to the end surface 21a of the screw shaft 21 instead. Have. In other words, the ventilation path 20 is closed from the outside by the waterproof ventilation film 5 and from the inside by the second ventilation film 7. The 2nd ventilation film 7 is corresponded to the protection part of this invention.

  The second gas permeable membrane 7 prevents oil from passing, but preferably has oil repellency to such an extent that the oil does not clog.

  In the ventilation member 1D of the present embodiment, even if oil scatters in the housing 10, the second ventilation film 7 prevents the oil from entering the ventilation path 20 of the support 2, and therefore the waterproof ventilation film 5 Oil can be prevented from adhering to the surface.

  Moreover, if it is a structure like this embodiment, since the shape of the support body 2 and the fixing member 3 can be simplified, ventilation member 1D can be manufactured cheaply.

1A to 1D Ventilation member 2 Support body 20 Ventilation path 21 Screw shaft 21a End face 25 Contact part 27 Baffle plate (protection part)
28 Path 3 Fixing member 31 Screw hole 33 Bottom wall (protection part)
34 Through-hole 35 Contact part 4A Outer seal member 4B Inner seal member 5 Waterproof breathable film 6 Cover part 7 Second breathable film (protective part)

Claims (10)

A ventilation member attached to the opening of the housing,
Waterproof breathable membrane,
A support that supports the waterproof gas-permeable membrane on the outside of the housing, and has a ventilation path that is closed by the waterproof gas-permeable membrane;
A fixing member that is disposed inside the casing and fixes the support to the casing by screwing with the support through an opening of the casing;
A protective portion provided integrally with the fixing member so as to face the opening of the air passage away from the air passage ;
A ventilation member comprising: The ventilation member according to claim 1, wherein a space is secured between the ventilation path and the protection portion when the support body and the fixing member are screwed together. The support has a head to which the waterproof breathable membrane is attached, and a screw shaft that protrudes from the head and is inserted into the opening of the housing, and the ventilation path is an end surface of the screw shaft. Open to
The fixing member has a concave screw hole that is screwed onto the screw shaft,
Wherein the protection portion, when viewed from the axial direction of the screw hole, the through-hole so that the protective portion does not overlap with the opening facing the air passage is provided, the vent according to claim 1 or 2, Element. The ventilation member according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising an outer seal member that seals a gap between the housing and the support body around the opening. The ventilation member according to claim 4 , wherein the support body has an abutting portion that abuts against the housing and regulates a deformation amount of the outer seal member. The ventilation member according to claim 5 , wherein the contact portion has a cylindrical shape surrounding the outer seal member. The ventilation member according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , further comprising an inner seal member that seals a gap between the housing and the fixing member around the opening. The ventilation member according to claim 7 , wherein the fixing member has an abutting portion that abuts on the housing and regulates a deformation amount of the inner seal member. The ventilation member according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the support and the fixing member are elastic bodies. The ventilation member according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , further comprising a cover component attached to the support and covering the waterproof ventilation membrane.

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