Packing hold structure

Details Packing hold structure Packing hold structure

1998-10-21

2001-07-24

Knight, Anthony (Department: 3626)

Seal for a joint or juncture

Seal between fixed parts or static contact against...

Contact seal for other than internal combustion engine, or...

C277S644000, C277S648000, C277S649000, C277S910000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06264206

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packing hold structure for holding a packing within a packing storage groove formed in a seal end face.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
Now,
FIG. 4
shows a waterproof connector
1
which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 7-226256 and employs a conventional packing hold structure. In
FIG. 4
, the waterproof connector
1
comprises a male connector housing
2
, and a female connector housing
4
including a hood portion
3
with which the male connector housing
2
can be fitted. In the outer periphery of the male connector housing
2
, there are provided packings
5
respectively on the leading and trailing end sides in the fitting direction thereof. In particular, in the conventional-packing hold structure, while the male connector housing
2
is fitted with the interior portion of the hood portion
3
of the female connector housing
4
, the packings
5
are held by and between the outer periphery of the male connector housing
2
and the inner surface of the hood portion
3
while they are in close contact with them, whereby the interior portions of terminal storage chambers
6
formed in the male connector housing
2
can be made waterproof.
In the thus structured waterproof connector
1
, in the outer periphery of the male connector housing
2
, there are formed packing storage grooves
7
each having a concave-shaped section, and the packings
5
each having a circular-shaped section are respectively stored within the packing storage grooves
7
in such a manner that they project from the outer periphery of the male connector housing
2
by a given height. And, the projecting portions of the packing storage grooves
7
provide seal surfaces
5
a
which can be closely contacted with the inner walls
3
a
of the hood portion
3
; that is, the seal surfaces
5
a
prevent water from invading into between the male connector housing
2
and the inner surfaces
3
a
of the hood portion
3
.
However, in the above-mentioned waterproof connector
1
, when bringing the male connector housing
2
into fit with the interior portion of the hood portion
3
, since the packings
5
are moved while they are in close contact with the inner surfaces
3
a
of the hood portion
3
, the packings
5
can be removed out from the packing storage grooves
7
. If the packings
5
are removed out from the packing storage grooves
7
, then the packings
5
are not held in their normal or proper conditions between the male connector housing
2
and the inner walls
3
a
of the hood portion
3
, so that the waterproof performance of the waterproof connector
1
is badly degraded.
Also, in the case of such butt packings as shown in
FIG. 5
which are used to prevent water from invading between equipment and a connector, there is a possibility that such butt packings can be removed while they are being carried before they are installed to the equipment.
To avoid this, there is proposed a structure in which, as shown in
FIG. 6
, a packing
9
is formed such that it includes a securing projection
9
a
, and a packing storage groove
10
is formed such that it includes in the bottom wall
10
a
thereof a securing hole
11
to which the securing projection
9
a
can be secured, whereby the packing
9
can be held within the packing storage groove
10
.
However, in this case, when storing the packing
9
into the interior portion of the packing storage groove
10
, to insert the securing projection
9
a
into the securing hole
11
, the packing
9
must be pushed into the packing storage groove
10
with a strong force. This results in the poor efficiency of an operation to assemble the packing
9
into the packing storage groove
10
.
Also, in a state where the securing projection
9
a
is not positively secured to the securing hole
11
, because the projecting height of the packing
9
from the periphery of the opening of the storage groove
10
varies, the uniform contact of the packing
9
with its mating contact surface cannot be obtained, which degrades the waterproof performance of the packing.
Further, provision of the securing projection
9
a
in the packing
9
complicates the shape of the packing
9
and, therefore, a metal mold for molding the packing
9
with such securing projection
9
a
is also complicated in shape, which results in the expensive manufacturing cost of the packing
9
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the drawbacks found in the above-mentioned conventional packing hold structures. Namely, it is an object of the invention to provide a packing hold structure which allows a packing to have a simple shape, can provide a high efficiency in an operation to assemble the packing into a packing storage groove, and can offer a high waterproof performance.
The above-mentioned object can be attained by a packing hold structure according to the invention, for holding an elastic packing within a packing storage groove formed in a seal end face, wherein, in the packing, there are provided projecting portions respectively projecting toward the two mutually opposing inner surfaces of the packing storage groove, a dimension between the top portions of the projecting portions is set larger than the width dimension of the packing storage groove, and, while the packing is stored within the packing storage groove, the projecting portions of the packing are respectively pressed against the inner surfaces (
22
,
23
) of the packing storage groove to thereby allow the packing to be held by itself within the packing storage groove.
In the present packing hold structure, if the packing is inserted into the packing storage groove, the projecting portions of the packing are respectively pressed against the two inner surfaces of the packing storage groove to thereby permit the packing to be held by itself within the packing storage groove.
In this case, since the projecting portions are simply provided in the packing in such a manner as to project toward the two mutually opposing inner surfaces of the packing storage groove, the shape of the packing can be simplified. Besides this, when inserting the packing into the packing storage groove, the packing can be inserted into the packing storage groove simply by sliding the respective projecting portions against the two inner surfaces of the packing storage groove, which can facilitate the assembling of the packing into the packing storage groove.
Further, because the packing is held by itself within the packing storage groove, not only there is no possibility that the packing can be removed unexpectedly from within the packing storage groove but also the packing can be closely contacted with its mating mounting end face at a normal position, which results in a high waterproof performance.
A packing hold structure according to the present invention, on the seal surface side of the packing and on the side of the packing facing the bottom surface side of the packing storage groove, there are formed absorbing recessed portions which absorb reactive forces generated when the projecting portions are pressed against the inner surfaces of the packing storage groove, thereby being able to restrict the expansion of the packing in a direction where the packing is projecting from the seal end face.
In the present packing hold structure, when the projecting portions of the packing are respectively contacted with the two inner surfaces of the packing storage groove, the whole packing is going to expand in a direction where the packing is projecting from the seal surface; however, since the reactive forces generated and given from the two inner surfaces of the packing storage groove are absorbed by the absorbing recessed portions of the packing, the expansion of the packing can be restricted. As a result of this, the projecting height of the packing from the seal surface can be restricted, whereby there can be obtained a good mounting condition between the packing and its mating mounting end face,

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Packing hold structure does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Packing hold structure, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Packing hold structure will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2438840