Gasket for an Electric Cable

Abstract

A grommet for an electrical cable, comprising a grommet extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end face to a second end face and having a through passage, the through passage being enclosed by an inner peripheral surface of the grommet, and at least two longitudinally spaced inwardly facing sealing lips disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the grommet, characterized in that the grommet has at least two longitudinally juxtaposed sealing regions spaced apart by a circumferential separation region, that a first sealing region of the sealing regions faces the first end face and a second sealing region of the sealing regions faces the second end face, and that the separation region has a smaller wall thickness than the sealing regions.

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. Gasket for an electrical cable having a grommet extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end face to a second end face and having a through channel, the through channel being enclosed by an inner lateral surface of the grommet, and at least two sealing lips which are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction and are arranged on the inner lateral surface of the grommet and point inwards, wherein the grommet has at least two sealing regions which are arranged next to one another in the longitudinal direction and are spaced apart from one another by a circumferential separating region, a first sealing region of the sealing regions faces the first end face and a second sealing region of the sealing regions faces the second end face, and the separation region has a smaller wall thickness than the sealing regions, wherein the at least two sealing lips are arranged next to one another in the longitudinal direction and have different cross-sectional profiles from one another, in particular, the sealing lips have alternating cross-sectional profiles, and/or the at least two sealing lips are arranged next to one another in the longitudinal direction and are inclined differently from one another with respect to the transverse plane, in particular, the sealing lips are alternately inclined.

19. Gasket of claim 18, wherein the separating region is formed by a circumferential, radially inwardly pointing groove, in particular in that the groove is a fillet.

20. Gasket of claim 19, wherein the groove extends from the first sealing region with a radially inwardly extending first slope to the second sealing region with a radially outwardly extending second slope, the first slope being inclined at a greater angle to the longitudinal axis than the second slope.

21. Gasket of claim 18, wherein at least two of the sealing lips are arranged in each of the sealing areas.

22. Gasket of claim 18, wherein the second sealing region has a wall thickness that tapers in the direction of the second end face.

23. Gasket of claim 18, wherein a radially inwardly extending longitudinal axis of the sealing lips is inclined with respect to a transverse plane extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, in particular in that the sealing lips are inclined in the direction of the second end face.

24. Gasket of claim 18, wherein at least one of the sealing lips has a pointed cross-sectional profile and/or that at least one of the sealing lips has an arcuate cross-sectional profile.

25. Gasket of claim 18, wherein a respective one of the sealing lips has side walls extending towards an end face, wherein a side wall of the side walls facing the first end face is longer than a side wall of the side walls facing the second end face.

26. Gasket of claim 18, wherein a respective one of the sealing lips spans a clear opening in the through channel, the clear opening being spanned by two opposite longitudinal sides and two opposite transverse sides.

27. Gasket of claim 26, wherein a transition between a longitudinal side and a transverse side has an inner radius.

28. Gasket of claim 26, wherein at least one of the longitudinal sides is curved radially inwards and/or that at least one of the transverse sides is curved radially outwards.

29. Gasket of claim 26, further comprising a bellows arranged between the first sealing region and the first end face.

30. Gasket of claim 26, further comprising a flange extending radially outwardly arranged on the first end face.

31. Housing with a gasket of claim 26 and at least one opening for receiving a cable, wherein the grommet is arranged projecting from the housing at the opening, or the grommet is arranged facing into the housing at the opening.

32. Housing of claim 31, further comprising a flange extending radially outwardly arranged on the first end face of the grommet, wherein the flange is clamped between a housing wall and a clamping element.

33. System comprising a housing of claim 31 having two openings and two gaskets disposed at a respective one of the openings, wherein a grommet of a first of the gaskets receives a round cable and a grommet of a second of the gaskets receives a flat cable.

Description

[0033] In the following, the subject matter will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing showing embodiments. In the drawing show:

[0034] FIG. 1a, b a housing with a gasket according to embodiments;

[0035] FIG. 2 a gasket with grommets according to embodiments;

[0036] FIG. 3a-c gaskets with grommets and inserted cables according to embodiments;

[0037] FIG. 4a, b a longitudinal section through a grommet according to an embodiment;

[0038] FIG. 5 a detailed view of a grommet according to an embodiment;

[0039] FIG. 6 a schematic view of sealing lips according to an embodiment;

[0040] FIG. 7 a detailed view of sealing lips according to an embodiment;

[0041] FIG. 8a, b a clear opening of sealing lips in a cross-section according to an embodiment.

[0042] FIG. 1a shows a housing 2. The housing 2 can be, for example, a housing of an electrical add-on part, a fuse box, a distribution box, in particular for automotive applications, or the like. The housing 2 may be formed with a gasket 4 for accommodating cables. For accommodating cables, the housing 2 has at least one opening 8 at which the gasket 4 is arranged. The gasket 4 may have one or more grommets 6. The grommets 6 are arranged directly at a respective opening 8.

[0043] In this context, it should be mentioned that gaskets 4 with two grommets 6 are predominantly shown below, but this is purely exemplary. Gaskets 4 with one grommet 6 or more than two grommets 6 are of course covered by the subject matter and all embodiments shown herein apply to corresponding numbers of grommets 6.

[0044] In FIG. 1a, the grommets 6 are shown to be arranged at the openings 8 facing outwardly, i.e., extending away from the housing 2. The arrangement of the gasket 4 on the housing 2 is effected via a clamping reception of a flange of the gasket 4, as will be shown below. A cable with its insulation can be inserted through each of the grommets 6 and thus guided through the opening 8 into the interior of the housing 2.

[0045] FIG. 1b shows another embodiment of a housing 2, but in which the grommets 6 are arranged and outwardly at different openings 8 of a single housing 2 is also possible. The facing inwardly on the housing 2. A combination of grommets 6 arranged facing both inwardly grommets 6 of the gasket 4 are designed in such a way that they have particularly good sealing properties against longitudinal water and can accommodate both flat cables and round cables in a sealing manner.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a gasket 4 in an unloaded state (without cable), so that the grommets 6 of the gasket 4 are unloaded and not deformed. It can be seen that the grommets 6 open into a flange 10. The flange 10 may have projections 12 or recesses on its surface facing in the direction of the grommets 6. Corresponding projections 12 may also be provided on the surface of the flange 10, which is not shown. The grommets 6 extend from the flange 10, into which they open in a first end face (not shown), to a second end face 14, the grommets 6 having a circumferential envelope surface. The grommet spans a through channel with a clear opening into which a cable can be inserted, as will be shown below. The gasket 4 is placed on a housing 2 such that the grommets 6 are arranged at openings 8. The gasket 4 is then pressed against a clamping element (not shown) with respect to the housing 2. The flange 10 is clamped between the clamping element and the housing 2, so that the flange 10 forms a seal against the opening 8. The through channel of the grommets 6 is used to push a cable into the housing 2.

[0047] FIG. 3a shows the gasket 4 according to FIG. 2, in which a flat cable 16 is inserted into one of the grommets 6. As can be seen, the flat cable 16 causes a deformation of the cross-section of the grommet 6. The grommet 6 rests against the flat cable 16 and forms a longitudinally watertight seal on the flat cable 16, in particular its insulation.

[0048] FIG. 3b shows a gasket 4 according to FIG. 2, in which a round cable 18 is inserted into the grommet 6. Here, too, it can be seen that the grommet 6 rests with its inner lateral surface against the insulation of the round cable 18.

[0049] FIG. 3c shows a further embodiment of a gasket 4 according to FIG. 2, in which a round cable 18 on the one hand and a flat cable 16 on the other hand are each inserted into one of the grommets 6. It can be seen that the grommets 6 are formed to receive different types of cables 16, 18, whereby, in this case, the design of the grommets 6 achieves longitudinal watertightness for a wide variety of cable cross-sections.

[0050] The grommets 6 extend in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis 20, as shown in FIG. 4a. FIG. 4a shows a longitudinal section through a grommet 6 along the longitudinal axis 20. It can be seen that the grommet 6 extends from a first end face 22 to a second end face 24. At the end faces 22, 24, the grommet 6 has an opening extending through the grommet 6 between the end faces 22, 24. At the first end face 22, the flange 10 may be provided radially outwardly on the grommet 6. Starting from the first end face 22, the grommet 6 extends along the longitudinal axis 20 in an optional bellows 26.

[0051] Starting from the bellows 26, the grommet 6 extends into a first sealing area 28a and a second sealing area 28b, wherein the sealing areas 28a, b are separated from each other by a separation area 30.

[0052] The separating region 30 is characterized by a preferably completely circumferential, or also only partially circumferential, taper of the material thickness of the grommet 6. In particular, the separating region 30 is formed by an at least partially circumferential groove. Through this separating region 30, the first sealing region 28a and the second sealing region 28b are at least partially mechanically decoupled, so that a relative movement between the sealing regions 28a, b is facilitated. This at least partial decoupling of the sealing regions 28a, b allows each sealing region 28a, b to develop its own sealing effect. An impairment of the sealing effect of one of the sealing areas 28a, b does not directly lead to an impairment of the sealing effect of the other sealing area 28a, b. The extension of the separating region in the longitudinal direction can be selected in such a way that the groove is suitable for receiving a clamping ring, cable tie or the like. As a result, a further seal can be provided via the groove in the area of the separating region.

[0053] In each of the sealing areas 28a, b, sealing lips 32 pointing in the direction of the longitudinal axis 20 are provided on the inner lateral surface of the grommet 24. The sealing lips 32 are arranged side by side, spaced apart from one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis 20, on the inner lateral surface of the grommet 6. The sealing lips 32 are completely circumferential on the inner lateral surface. In the inserted state of a cable 16, 18, as can be seen in FIG. 4b, the sealing lips 32 lie against the outer insulation of the cables 16, 18 and thus form a protection against entry from longitudinal water.

[0054] The material thickness of the grommet 6 tapers in the second sealing area towards the second end face, so that it can fit particularly well against the cable there. The design of the sealing lips 30 is shown in more detail in FIG. 5. The separating region 30 is also shown in more detail.

[0055] FIG. 5 is a detailed representation of the grommet 6 with the sealing areas 28a, b. The longitudinal extent of the sealing areas 28a, b can be different from one another, in particular the second sealing area 28b facing the second end face 24 can be shorter than the first sealing area 28a.

[0056] In FIG. 5, it can be seen that the outer lateral surface of the grommet 6, starting from the first end face 22, runs essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis 20. In the region of the separation area 30, the outer lateral surface tilts radially inwards with a first slope 34a. The angle of inclination of the slope 34a is preferably between 45° and 90° with respect to the longitudinal axis 20. Starting from the first slope 34, the outer lateral surface of the grommet 6 extends towards a groove base 36. The groove base 36 represents the region of the separation area 30 with the lowest material/wall thickness of the grommet 6. Starting from the groove base 36, a second slope 34b extends radially outwards, the slope 34b being set at a smaller angle to the longitudinal axis 20 than the first slope 34a, for example between 5° and 45°.

[0057] At the end of the second slope 34b, the outer envelope surface of the grommet 6 preferably again extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis 20, but may also extend with an inclination of between 5° and 15° with respect to the longitudinal axis 20 towards the second end face 24. The separation region 30 represents a constriction of the wall thickness of the grommet 6, thereby causing a partial mechanical decoupling of the sealing regions 28a, b.

[0058] Each of the sealing regions 28a, b has sealing lips 32a, b. It can be seen that the sealing lips 32a in the first sealing region 28a have a greater extension both in the longitudinal direction 20 and transversely thereto relative to the sealing lips 32b in the second sealing region 28b. The sealing lips 32a, b are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis 20. In the longitudinal section shown, which lies in a plane spanned by the longitudinal axis 20 and a radius of the grommet 6, the sealing lips 32a, b each have alternating cross-sectional profiles that differ from one another.

[0059] In the first sealing region 28a, pointed sealing lips 32a alternate with round/ball-shaped sealing lips 32a. The sealing lips 32a have a longitudinal extension in an extension direction 38. The extension direction 38 can be inclined by 1° to 10° relative to a radius 40 extending to the longitudinal axis 20. The inclination is preferably in the direction of the first end face 24. This realizes a larger contact area of the sealing lips 32a on the insulator of the cable 16, 18.

[0060] In the first sealing region 28a, four sealing lips 32a are provided, two pointed sealing lips 32a and two round sealing lips 32a respectively.

[0061] In the second sealing region 28b, corresponding sealing lips 32b can be formed with preferably smaller dimensions, but with the same orientation and profile shape. In FIG. 5, it can be seen that three sealing lips 32b are located in the sealing area 38b, with two round sealing lips 32b framing a tapered lip 32b. The sealing lips 32b may also be inclined with respect to a radius 40.

[0062] FIG. 6 schematically shows the inclination of the sealing lips 32. It can be seen that the direction of the longitudinal extension 38 is inclined to the radius 40 by an angle 42. The angle 42 is preferably between 1° and 45°. In particular, it is possible for inclined sealing lips 32a and non-inclined sealing lips 32a to alternate. The inclined sealing lips 32a are preferably tapered, whereas the non-inclined sealing lips 32a are round/ball-shaped.

[0063] At least four sealing lips 32a may be provided in the first sealing region 28a, wherein, starting from the first end face 22, inclined sealing lips 32a alternate with non-inclined sealing lips 32a. That is, in the longitudinal axis 20, the sealing lips 32a are inclined/non-inclined/inclined/non-inclined. Such an intermittent sequence is preferred for the first sealing region 28a. In particular, the number of sealing lips is even.

[0064] In the second sealing region 28b, the sequence of sealing lips 32b may be different, in particular a non-inclined sealing lip 32b may be followed by an inclined sealing lip 32b, which in turn is followed by a non-inclined sealing lip 32b. In particular, the number of sealing lips 32b in the second sealing region 28b may be odd. The respective outer sealing lips 32b may be round/ball-shaped and not inclined.

[0065] FIG. 7 shows an enlargement of the sealing lips 32. An inclined sealing lip 32′ may be tapered and have a first side wall 32′a, which is longer than a second side wall 32′b. A second sealing lip 32″ may be round/ball-shaped in cross-sectional profile, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0066] In a cross-section, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 20, the grommet 6 has a through channel with a clear opening. The cable 18/16 is inserted into this clear opening (clear width). The sealing lips form a receiving profile/clear opening into which the cable 16/18 can be inserted.

[0067] It is particularly preferred that the sealing lips 32 have alternating different cross-sectional profiles. Here, it is particularly preferred that successive sealing lips 32 have different clear openings, as illustrated by FIG. 8a. FIG. 8a shows a top view parallel to the longitudinal axis 20 of a sealing lip 32 having two longitudinal sides 44 and two broad sides 46. The longitudinal sides 44, like the broad sides 46, run parallel to one another and merge into one another at a radius 48. This can be, for example, the sealing lip 32′ or the sealing lip 32″.

[0068] The respective other sealing lip 32′, 32″ is shown in FIG. 8b. Here, the long sides 44 run facing each other inwardly curved and the broad sides 46 also run facing each other inwardly curved. The transitions between the long sides 44 and the wide sides 46 are formed by radii 48 that are smaller than the radii 48 according to FIG. 8a.

[0069] Due to the different clear openings, which alternate with each other, according to FIGS. 8a and 8b, longitudinal watertightness can be ensured in particular for cables with different cable cross sections, in particular round cables and flat cables.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0070] 2 Housing [0071] 4 Gasket [0072] 6 Grommet [0073] 8 Opening [0074] 10 Flange [0075] 12 Projection [0076] 14 End face [0077] 16 Flat cable [0078] 18 Round cable [0079] 20 Longitudinal axis [0080] 22, 24 End face [0081] 26 Bellows [0082] 28a, b Sealing area [0083] 30 Separation area [0084] 32 Sealing lip [0085] 34a, b Slope [0086] 36 Groove base [0087] 38 Longitudinal extension [0088] 40 Radius [0089] 42 Angle [0090] 44 Long side [0091] 46 Broad side [0092] 48 Radius