PRESSURE COMPENSATION ELEMENT

Abstract

A pressure compensation element for installation in a housing wall, comprising a base part and a cover part arranged on the base part, wherein at least one gas exchange channel, in which a gas-permeable membrane is arranged, is provided in the pressure compensation element centrally in the middle with respect to the axis of the gas flow direction, wherein the base part has, on its side facing the cover part, in the gas exchange channel or at its end, a retaining grid on which the membrane is arranged, and wherein the base part has on the outside a circumferential annular collar through which gas exchange openings lead. The base part has on its nozzle at least two groups of radially outwardly facing locking elements, wherein the locking elements of the respective groups have a uniform height in themselves but a height which is different from the respective locking elements of the other groups.

Claims

1. Pressure compensation element for installation in a housing wall, comprising a base part and a cover part arranged on the base part, wherein at least one gas exchange channel, in which a gas-permeable membrane is arranged, is provided in the pressure compensation element centrally in the middle with respect to the axis of the gas flow direction, wherein the base part has, on its side facing the cover part, in the gas exchange channel or at its end, a retaining grid on which the membrane is arranged, and wherein the base part has on the outside a circumferential annular collar through which gas exchange openings lead, wherein the base part has on its nozzle at least two groups of radially outwardly facing locking elements, wherein the locking elements of the respective groups have a uniform height in themselves but a height which is different from the respective locking elements of the other groups.

2. Pressure compensation element according to claim 1, wherein the locking elements are latching hooks.

3. Pressure compensation element according to claim 1, wherein the cover part has spacer elements in its interior.

4. Pressure compensation element according to claim 3, wherein i) the cover part whose annular wall is turned over an annular collar extending around the outside of the collar of the base part and forms a circumferential gap with the outside of the collar of the base part between the inner surface of the cover and the circumferential annular collar; ii) in the cover part, spacer elements configured together with the upper edge of the base part to form a gap between the cover inner surface and the upper edge of the base part are arranged in a circle, iii) gas exchange openings are arranged in the circumferential annular collar, wherein elements i), ii) and iii) together form a labyrinthine structure.

5. Pressure compensation element according to claim 1, wherein the membrane on the retaining grid is either bonded or welded, preferably ultrasonically welded.

6. Pressure compensation element according to claim 2, wherein the latching hooks are designed on the nozzle of the base part in such a way that the nozzle has slit-like openings.

7. Pressure compensation element according to claim 1, wherein it has a seal on the side of the collar facing the nozzle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Further advantageous embodiments and details of the invention can be found in the following description, in which the invention is described and explained in more detail on the basis of the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing, wherein the description is not to be interpreted as being limited to the drawings.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a pressure compensation element according to the invention; and

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of an assembled pressure compensation element according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] FIG. 1 shows the individual parts of a pressure compensation element according to the invention, which is designated in its entirety by the reference sign 1, in the form of an exploded view. The pressure compensation element 1 essentially has a base part 2 on which a cover part 3 is arranged. A central gas exchange channel 4 is provided in the pressure compensation element 1, in which a filter element in the form of a microporous membrane 5 is arranged. The membrane 5 is permeable to air and gas, but impermeable to water, dirt and dust; it can be referred to as a breathable membrane 5. For fixing the membrane 5 in the gas exchange channel 4 of the base part 2, a retaining grid 6 is provided, on which the membrane is arranged in a sealing manner, preferably by means of ultrasonic welding.

[0035] The base part 2 has a substantially cylindrical nozzle 11 which is provided on its outer side with locking elements, preferably latching hooks, 7A, 7B. At its end facing the cover part 3, the nozzle 11 opens into a collar 12, which has a circumferential annular collar 8.

[0036] The latching hooks 7A, 7B secure the pressure compensation element 1 to the wall of the housing in which it is inserted. In connection with the present invention, it should be noted that only 2 groups of latching hooks are shown in the drawings for clarity. However, it is equally well possible to realize three groups, four groups or even more groups of latching hooks.

[0037] The cover part 3 preferably has knobs or a bead 15 on the inside of its ring wall 13 for locking. These can be used to press the cover part over the circumferential annular collar 8 of the base part 2 and lock it in place. The ring wall 13 is designed in such a way that its lower edge does not reach the lower end of the collar 12 after assembly. Inside the cover part 3 there are a number of spacer elements 14 spaced apart from one another, preferably in the form of upright individual lamellae, which ensure that in the assembled state a gap 16 remains between the base surface of the cover part 3 and the upper edge of the collar 12 of the base part 2. The individual spacer elements 14 are preferably arranged in the form of a circle and are designed in such a way that they guide the gas flow coming from the gas exchange channel 4 outward toward the annular wall 13. There, the gas flow is then diverted and directed towards the gas exchange openings 9 located in the circumferential annular collar 8, through which the gas then exits the pressure compensation element 1.

[0038] The spacer elements 14 in conjunction with the gap 16, the gas exchange openings 9 and the annular wall 13 form a labyrinth-like structure, making it more difficult for water or foreign bodies to penetrate the pressure compensation element 1 unintentionally from the outside, and consequently achieving increased tightness against external contamination.

[0039] Thus, gas (e.g., air and moisture vapor) can be exchanged along a first channel section formed within the nozzle 11 of the base part 2 and extending to the membrane 5 and further along a second channel section extending from the membrane 5 through the attached cover part 3 to the gas exchange openings 9.

[0040] The pressure compensation element 1 can be installed in a housing wall. For this purpose, the housing wall has an installation opening adapted to the outer shape of the pressure compensation element, preferably a circular installation opening, into which the base part 2 of the pressure compensation element 1 is inserted up to the collar 12. The pressure compensation element 2 is then secured to the housing wall by means of the latching hooks 7A, 7B, which are arranged on the nozzle 11. In order to prevent even more reliably that gas or liquid can be exchanged through the installation opening in the housing wall, a sealing element, preferably in the form of an O-ring 10, can be arranged between the collar 12 of the base part 2 and the housing wall.

[0041] In FIG. 2, a preferred embodiment of the pressure compensation element 1 of the present invention is shown in assembled form. Also shown in this figure is the flow of gas from the interior of the housing through the pressure compensation element 1 of the present invention to the housing environment in a preferred embodiment.

[0042] The gas from the interior of the housing flows along A into the gas exchange channel 4 arranged centrally in the middle, then into the cover part 3, where it is diverted by the, preferably lamellar, spacer elements 14 outwardly to the annular wall 13 of the cover part 13 and from there through the gap 16 and outwardly through the gas exchange openings 9.

[0043] In the embodiment according to the invention, which is illustrated in FIG. 2, the nozzle 11 and the latching hooks 7A, 7B arranged thereon are designed in such a way that they form slit-like openings (slot openings) 17 in the wall of the nozzle. Through these slot openings 17, gas can flow from inside the housing along B in addition to the normal flow of glass along A. This means a considerable increase in the gas inflow capacity of this pressure compensation element compared to pressure compensation elements without this design and in particular compared to conventional pressure compensation elements with screw fastenings.