Gas separation – Combined or convertible – In vented container
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-28
2002-04-02
Smith, Duane (Department: 1724)
Gas separation
Combined or convertible
In vented container
C055S385100, C055S524000, C055S527000, C055SDIG003, C096S013000, C096S014000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06364924
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air-permeable cap to be mounted on a housing for automobile headlamp or the like for rendering the housing ventilative and rendering the interior of the housing waterproof and an outdoor lamp, automobile lamp and automobile electrical component comprising the air-permeable cap.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore, an air-permeable cap has been used for housing for automobile electrical components such as automobile headlamp, rear lamp, fog lamp, turn lamp, motor, various pressure sensors, pressure switches and ECU (electronic control unit) case and devices such as portable telephone, camera, electric razor, electric toothbrush and outdoor lamp.
In some detail, the foregoing device housing can be provided with the foregoing air-permeable cap at an opening formed therein for communicating between the interior and the exterior thereof to prevent the entrance of water, dust, etc. into the interior thereof, relax the change in the pressure in the device housing due to the temperature change, allow sound to be transmitted between the interior and the exterior of the device housing or allow the release of gas produced in the device housing.
As shown in
FIG. 7
, a device housing
50
such as automobile electrical component which is subject to exposure to contaminants such as rainwater, muddy water and oil can be provided with an air-permeable cap which may be in the form of L-shaped cylindrical body
51
or U-shaped cylindrical body (not shown) or provided with a maze structure thereinside as shown in
FIG. 8
, which fits on a mounting opening
50
a
formed at the neck portion of the housing for mounting the air-permeable cap. In this arrangement, the foregoing contaminants can be prevented from being directly applied to the mounting opening
50
a
. As a result, the foregoing mounting opening
50
a
cannot be clogged, assuring the air permeability and waterproofness of the mounting opening
50
a.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, in the case where further dustproofness or waterproofness is required, a filter member
54
may be stuck to the forward end of the mounting opening
50
a
formed at the neck portion of the device housing
50
with an annular double-coated tape
55
or the like before the foregoing cylindrical body
51
is fitted on the mounting opening
50
a
formed on the neck portion. In the case where the filter member
54
has an insufficient strength, the filter member
54
may be reinforced by a reinforcing material
53
.
However, even if the foregoing cylindrical body
51
is fitted, water, dust or the like cannot be occasionally prevented from entering into the interior of the housing for devices such as automobile electrical component. When the length of the foregoing cylindrical body
51
is increased to make it more difficult for water, dust or the like to enter into the interior of the housing, it disadvantageously adds to the space required for the mounting of the cylindrical body
51
and the cost of the cylindrical body
51
. Further, when the cylindrical body
51
is with a maze structure
52
thereinside, the cylindrical body
51
is disadvantageously complicated, adding to its cost. Moreover, when the foregoing filter member
54
is used, it is disadvantageous in that a step of mounting the filter member
54
or the like must be added before the step of fitting the cylindrical body
51
.
On the other hand, the foregoing cylindrical body
51
can be easily fitted on the mounting opening
51
but can easily come off from the mounting opening
51
. By increasing the thickness of the cylindrical body
51
, the fitting force (pull strength) of the cylindrical body
51
with respect to the mounting opening
50
a
formed at the neck portion of the device housing
50
can be increased. However, when the thickness of the cylindrical body
51
is increased, it is disadvantageous in that the size of the cylindrical body
51
itself increases, adding to the space required for mounting and the cost of the cylindrical body
51
.
Known besides the foregoing cylindrical body
51
is a vent filter member proposed in JP-A-10-85536 (The term “JP-A” as used herein means an “unexamined published Japanese patent application”) (see FIG.
10
). The vent filter member comprises a substantially closed-end cylindrical cover cap
61
, a substantially cylindrical elastomer member
62
fitted in the cover cap
61
coaxially of the cover cap
61
, an air passage formed between the inner wall of the cover cap
61
and the outer wall of the elastomer member
62
and between the bottom surface of the cover cap
61
and the lower end of the elastomer member
62
, and a water-repellent membrane
64
covering an opening in the bottom of the elastomer member
62
. The top opening of the elastomer member
62
forms a mounting portion
65
at which the vent filter member is fitted on the mounting opening
50
a
of the device housing
50
.
Provided standing at the bottom surface of the cover cap
61
close to the inner wall of the cover cap are four fixing pins
66
. Formed in the peripheral portion of the elastomer member
62
are pin holes
67
corresponding to the respective fixing pins
66
. The fixing pins
66
of the cover cap
61
are inserted into the respective pin holes
67
of the elastomer member
62
in such an arrangement that the water-repellent membrane
64
is protected (the water-repellent membrane
64
and the bottom surface of the cover cap
61
are opposed to each other). The forward end of the fixing pins
66
protruding from the respective pin holes
67
are then thermally deformed. In this manner, the elastomer member
62
is positioned and fixed in the cover cap
61
.
However, the vent filter member requires a complicated structure to fix the elastomer member
62
to the cover cap
61
and thus is so great in size that it can be hardly provided in a compact form and at a reduced cost. Further, in order to fixing the elastomer member
62
to the cover cap
61
, it is necessary that the pin holes
67
of the elastomer member
62
be positioned at the respective fixing pins
66
of the cover cap
61
, requiring much time to fix the elastomer member
62
to the cover cap
61
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a compact and inexpensive air-permeable cap and an outdoor lamp, automobile lamp and automobile electrical component comprising such an air-permeable cap.
The foregoing object of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and examples.
The foregoing object of the invention is accomplished with the first subject of the invention which lies in an air-permeable cap comprising a closed-end cylindrical cover member, a substantially cylindrical body fitted in the closed-end cylindrical cover member, and an air passage formed between the inner wall of the closed-end cylindrical cover member and the outer wall of the substantially cylindrical body and between the bottom surface of the closed-end cylindrical cover member and the lower end of the substantially cylindrical body, wherein the mounting portion at which the air-permeable cap is mounted on the mounting opening of the housing is formed at the top of the substantially cylindrical body. The second subject of the invention is an outdoor lamp comprising the foregoing air-permeable cap. The third subject of the invention is an automobile lamp comprising the foregoing air-permeable cap. The fourth subject of the invention is an automobile electrical component comprising the foregoing air-permeable cap.
More specifically, the foregoing object of the invention can be attained by the following means.
(1) An air-permeable cap comprising a closed-end cylindrical cover member, a substantially cylindrical body fitted in said closed-end cylindrical cover member, and an air passage formed between the inner wall of said closed-end cylindrical cover member and the outer wall of said substantially cylindrical body and between the bottom surface of said closed-end cylindrical cover member and the
Mashiko Hiroaki
Nabata Norikane
Nishii Hiroyuki
Nitto Denko Corporation
Pham Minh-Chau T.
Smith Duane
LandOfFree
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