Abstract
A sealing element for sealing a housing opening in a housing, wherein the sealing element comprises at least one through-opening for the passage of an electrical cable into the housing. The sealing element is formed of a first subcomponent and a second subcomponent, the first subcomponent and the second subcomponent having a different hardness and the two subcomponents are made of silicone.
Claims
1. A sealing element for sealing a housing opening in a housing, wherein the sealing element comprises: a first subcomponent formed of a first silicone material having a first-hardness; and a second subcomponent formed of a second silicone material having a second-hardness, the first-hardness being greater than the second-hardness, wherein the first silicone material is cross-linked with the second silicone material at the interface between the first subcomponent and the second subcomponent, thereby bonding the first subcomponent and the second subcomponent to one another, and wherein the sealing element defines a through-opening for passage of an electrical cable into the housing.
2. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is elastically deformable.
3. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the through-opening is provided in the first subcomponent.
4. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the second subcomponent defines an undulate profile.
5. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the hardness of the first subcomponent is in a range between 60 and 90 Shore and the hardness of the second subcomponent is in a range between 20 and 50 Shore.
6. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the hardness of the silicone varies along the through-opening.
7. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the first subcomponent has a cylindrical shape, and the second subcomponent at least partially covers a surface of the first subcomponent.
8. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the first subcomponent is constructed of a mesh material and the second subcomponent at least partially covers a surface of the first subcomponent.
9. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the first subcomponent defines another through-opening that has a larger cross-section than the through-opening of the second subcomponent.
10. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is constructed in layers, wherein a first layer is formed by the first subcomponent and a second layer is formed by the second subcomponent.
11. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the through-opening varies along a region in which the sealing element surrounds the electrical cable.
12. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein a first layer thickness of the first subcomponent is greater than a second layer thickness of the second subcomponent.
13. An electrical cable assembly, comprising: an electrical cable with a contact element attached to one end of the electrical cable; a housing having a housing opening; and a sealing element according to claim 1 which sealingly surrounds the electrical cable in the housing opening.
14. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the through-opening is provided in the second subcomponent.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
(1) The present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
(2) FIG. 1 shows a sealed plug according to the prior art;
(3) FIG. 2 shows a sealing element according to a first embodiment;
(4) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the sealing element according to the first embodiment;
(5) FIG. 4 shows the first subcomponent of the sealing element according to a second embodiment;
(6) FIG. 5 shows a sealing element according to the second embodiment;
(7) FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the sealing element according to the second embodiment;
(8) FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of a sealing element according to a third embodiment;
(9) FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the sealing element with a pre-positioned contact element;
(10) FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the sealing element, wherein a contact element passes through the sealing element;
(11) FIG. 10 shows a sectional view of a housing with and inserted sealing element; and
(12) FIG. 11 shows a sectional view of a housing with an inserted sealing element and an inserted electrical cable.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(13) FIG. 2 shows a non-limiting example of a sealing element 10 according to a first embodiment. The sealing element 10 has a first cylindrical subcomponent 14. A second subcomponent 16 is mounted coaxially around the first subcomponent 14 on the surface 11 of the first subcomponent 14. The second subcomponent 16 surrounds only a part along the first cylindrical subcomponent 14. The surface of the second subcomponent 16 has a profile 19.
(14) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the first embodiment of the sealing element 10 of FIG. 2. The first subcomponent 14 of the sealing element 10 has a through-opening 12 which extends along the cylindrical body from one end to the other end. The through-opening 12 has a narrowing in the middle region. The second subcomponent 16 surrounds a middle region of the first subcomponent 14 in a sleeve-like manner.
(15) FIG. 4 shows the first subcomponent 14 of a second embodiment of the sealing element 10 in perspective view. In this embodiment, the sealing element 10 is able to seal a plurality of individual electrical cables 40. The first subcomponent 14 has an essentially cuboid shape and first openings 15, through which the electrical cables 40 can later be inserted. In this embodiment, a plurality of first openings 15 is provided in the first subcomponent 14 in a serial arrangement. Since the subcomponent 14 has a specific material thickness, the first openings 15 form tubes 20 through the first subcomponent 14.
(16) FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the sealing element 10 in perspective view. In this depiction, the second subcomponent 16 was applied to the first subcomponent 14 (FIG. 4). Here, the second subcomponent 16 covers all surfaces 11 of the first subcomponent 14 which are visible in FIG. 4, so that only the second subcomponent 16 is visible. Second openings 17 are provided in the second subcomponent 16, which are aligned with the first openings 15 of the first subcomponent 14. The second openings 17 in the second subcomponent 16 are significantly smaller than the first openings 15 in the first subcomponent 14. Together they form the through-opening 12 through the sealing element 10. A profile 19 extends around the narrow edge of the cuboid, which seals the sealing element 10 to the housing opening 31.
(17) FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the sealing element 10 according to the second embodiment (FIG. 4, FIG. 5) along the cutting edge S. The first subcomponent 14 is partially covered by the second subcomponent 16. The second subcomponent 16 has second openings 17, which are aligned with the first openings 15 of the first subcomponent 14 and thereby allow the passage of electrical cables 40 therethrough.
(18) FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the sealing element 10 according to a third embodiment. In this embodiment, the second subcomponent 16 is applied only on one side of the cuboid first subcomponent 14.
(19) FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the sealing element 10 and a contact element 41 positioned in front of the through-opening 12 in the sealing element 10. In this depiction, it can be seen that the contact element 41 has a significantly larger diameter than the second opening 17 in the second subcomponent 16.
(20) FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the sealing element 10, wherein a contact element 41 passes through the sealing element 10. This depiction shows the side of the sealing element 10 at which the first subcomponent 14 is not covered by the second subcomponent 16. The first openings 15 in the first subcomponent 14 are significantly larger than the second openings 17 in the second subcomponent 16, as a result of which material of the second subcomponent 16 can be temporarily displaced into the first opening 15 of the first subcomponent 14. The tube shape 20 of the first openings 15 guides the contact element 41 through the sealing element 10 when being inserted.
(21) FIG. 10 shows a housing 30 with inserted sealing element 10 in sectional view. The sealing element 10 is positioned in the housing opening 31. The profile 19 of the second subcomponent 16 seals against the housing opening 31. The through-opening 12 in the sealing element 10 is ready to let the cable 40 with attached contact elements 41 to be passed and thereafter to seal the cable 40.
(22) FIG. 11 shows a housing 30 with inserted sealing element 10 and inserted electrical cable 40 in sectional view. The contact element 41 is latched in the housing 30 and the electrical cable 40 attached thereto is guided through the through-opening 12 in the sealing element 10 to the outside.
(23) While this invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be so limited, but rather only to the extent set forth in the claims that follow. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, primary secondary, etc. does not denote any order of importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items.
