Venting member
A venting member includes a fastener and a gas-permeable member positioned at least partially within the fastener to allow movement of a gas through the fastener, but prevent movement of liquids.
The invention was conceived or reduced to practice in the performance of work under U.S. Government contract #N00019-93-C-0196 award by the U.S. Navy.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to venting members, and more particularly to venting members configured to vent enclosures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONEnclosures are used in a wide range of applications and generally provide a protective environment for an electrical component housed in the enclosure. Such an electrical component is housed in the enclosure typically because the component may be damaged when it is exposed to environmental agents, such as water or a lubricant.
It is sometimes desirable to vent the sealed enclosure to allow pressure equalization between the gases inside the sealed enclosure and the gases in the environment surrounding the sealed enclosure. Venting the enclosure can prevent damage to its internal components, by preventing excessive pressure or vacuum within the enclosure.
Various methods are currently used to vent an enclosure housing. One such method includes forming a hole or an aperture through the enclosure so that it is not fluid-tight. The aperture allows the passage of gases and liquids between the interior of the enclosure and the enclosure's surroundings, however, the aperture also allows liquids to enter the enclosure. To protect the electrical components, a drain hole is typically formed in the enclosure to allow liquid accumulated in the enclosure to drain. Also, the electrical component is typically potted or encased with an epoxy material to prevent contact with liquid in the enclosure. However, this method is somewhat undesirable because of the costs associated with potting electrical components and because the epoxy tends to retain heat given off by the electrical components, and in many instances the electrical components cannot be potted because the potting material degrades performance or prevents operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention attempts to address the shortcomings of current methods of venting an enclosure by providing a venting member including a fastener and a gas-permeable member positioned at least partially within the fastener to allow movement of a gas through the fastener.
The present invention also provides a vented assembly including a venting member including a fastener and a gas-permeable member positioned at least partially within the fastener to allow movement of a gas through the fastener. The vented assembly also includes at least one wall defining in part an enclosure. The fastener couples to the at least one wall to fluidly connect a space inside the enclosure and a space outside the enclosure.
Further, the present invention provides a venting member including a fastener including a body portion and a head portion. The body portion defines a longitudinal axis. The venting member also includes an aperture formed through the body portion and the head portion, and a gas-permeable member positioned at least partially within the aperture to allow gas to pass through the fastener via the aperture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSIn the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts:
Before at least one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limited.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION A venting member 10 in the form of a fastener 14 is shown in
As shown in
The gas-permeable member 46 allows the passage of gases through the aperture 30, while blocking the passage of liquids through the aperture 30. The press-fit connection between the gas-permeable member 46 and the aperture 30 ensures that substantially no liquids leak through the aperture 30. The gas-permeable member 46 may be made from a single piece of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), otherwise known by the trade name TEFLON®. Alternatively, the gas-permeable member 46 may include a core (not shown) made from another gas-permeable polymeric material and a PTFE coating over the core. In yet other constructions of the venting member (not shown), other polymers or a gas-permeable ceramic material may be used to achieve an acceptable permeability rate for a particular application of the venting member.
As shown in
The venting member 10 may be manufactured in any of a number of different ways. However, in the illustrated construction, the aperture 30 and first reduced-diameter portion 38 are initially formed in the fastener 14. The screen 50 is then inserted adjacent the first-reduced diameter portion 38, and the gas-permeable member 46 is press-fit into the aperture 30 to compress the screen 50 against the first reduced-diameter portion 38. Further, the second reduced-diameter portion 42 is formed by a crimping process to secure the gas-permeable member 46 and the screen 50 in the aperture 30.
The enclosure may house components (not shown) for use in any of a number of different applications. The venting member 10 of the present invention is especially useful for venting a enclosure housing electrical components. Such electrical components could be damaged if they were to come into contact with liquids. Since the venting member 10 allows the movement of gases between the interior and exterior of the enclosure while blocking the corresponding movement of liquids, the electrical components are protected from the liquid, and do not require additional protective structure (e.g., a potting compound). Some of the different applications whereby the venting member 10 may be used may include, but are not limited to, field electronics enclosures, outdoor lighting enclosures, avionics enclosures subject to altitude-related pressure changes, and marine applications subject to intermittent water exposure.
Claims
1. A venting member, comprising:
- a fastener; and
- a gas-permeable member positioned at least partially within the fastener to allow movement of a gas through the fastener.
2. The venting member of claim 1, wherein the fastener is at least one of a screw and a bolt.
3. The venting member of claim 1, wherein the fastener defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the fastener includes an aperture formed therethrough substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the aperture receiving the gas-permeable member.
4. The venting member of claim 1, wherein the fastener has an aperture, and wherein the gas-permeable member is positioned at least partially within the aperture.
5. The venting member of claim 1, wherein the fastener has an aperture, and wherein the gas-permeable member is press-fit within the aperture.
6. The venting member of claim 1, wherein the fastener has an aperture with opposite ends, and wherein opposite ends of the gas-permeable member are exposed to the respective opposite ends of the aperture.
7. The venting member of claim 1, further comprising a screen at least partially positioned in the fastener.
8. The venting member of claim 1, wherein the gas-permeable member is configured as a cylinder.
9. The venting member of claim 1, wherein the gas-permeable member is configured to block movement of liquids through the fastener.
10. The venting member of claim 1, wherein the fastener has an aperture, and wherein at least one portion of the aperture has a reduced diameter to retain the gas-permeable member therein.
11. A vented assembly comprising:
- a venting member including a fastener, and a gas-permeable member positioned at least partially within the fastener to allow movement of a gas through the fastener; and
- at least one wall defining in part an enclosure, the fastener coupling to the at least one wall to fluidly connect a space inside the enclosure and a space outside the enclosure.
12. The vented assembly of claim 11, wherein the fastener defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the fastener includes an aperture formed therethrough substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.
13. The vented assembly of claim 11, wherein the fastener has an aperture, and wherein the gas-permeable member is positioned at least partially within the aperture.
14. The vented assembly of claim 11, wherein the fastener has an aperture with opposite ends, and wherein opposite ends of the gas-permeable member are exposed to the respective opposite ends of the aperture.
15. The vented assembly of claim 11, further comprising a screen at least partially positioned in the fastener.
16. The vented assembly of claim 11, wherein the gas-permeable member is configured as a cylinder.
17. The vented assembly of claim 11, wherein the gas-permeable member is configured to block movement of liquids through the fastener.
18. The vented assembly of claim 11, wherein the fastener has an aperture, and wherein at least one portion of the aperture has a reduced diameter to retain the gas-permeable member therein.
19. The vented assembly of claim 11, further comprising a seal preloaded against the at least one wall by the fastener, the seal fluidly sealing the space inside the enclosure from the space outside the enclosure.
20. The vented assembly of claim 11, wherein the at least one wall includes a threaded aperture therethrough, and wherein the fastener is at least one of a screw and a bolt threadably engageable with the threaded aperture.
21. The vented assembly of claim 20, further comprising a thread-locking device coupled to at least one of the fastener and the threaded aperture, wherein the thread-locking device fluidly seals the space inside the enclosure from the space outside the enclosure when the fastener is threadably engaged with the threaded aperture.
22. A venting member comprising:
- a fastener including a body portion and a head portion, the body portion defining a longitudinal axis;
- an aperture formed through the body portion and the head portion; and
- a gas-permeable member positioned at least partially within the aperture to allow gas to pass through the fastener via the aperture.
23. The venting member of claim 22, wherein the fastener is at least one of a screw and a bolt.
24. The venting member of claim 22, further comprising a screen at least partially positioned in the fastener near the head portion of the fastener.
25. The venting member of claim 22, wherein the gas-permeable member is configured as a cylinder.
26. The venting member of claim 22, wherein the gas-permeable member is configured to block movement of liquids through the fastener via the aperture.
27. The venting member of claim 22, wherein at least one portion of the aperture has a reduced diameter to retain the gas-permeable member therein.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 2, 2004
Publication Date: Mar 2, 2006
Inventors: Stephen Gonya (Endicott, NY), Jeffrey Butler (Candor, NY), Peter Ziolkowski (Apalachin, NY)
Application Number: 10/932,488
International Classification: F24F 7/00 (20060101);