Abstract:
To provide a seal for a conducting element ( 3 ) which is positioned eccentrically in a through-hole ( 2 ) in a housing wall ( 1 ), a proposal is made for a sealing body ( 8 ) which can be moved in a radial direction ( 11 ) and which can be fixed after assembly of the conducting element ( 3 ) by means of a clamping device ( 19 ).

Description:
PRIORITY 
   This application claims foreign priority of the German application DE 10248215.2 filed on Oct. 16, 2002. 
   TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a sealing device which has a conducting element which can be inserted off-center in a through-hole in a housing wall, and which has a sealing body touching both the conducting element and the housing wall. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Sealing devices of this type are used in particular to effect an oil-tight seal on the through-hole for a connector in the wall of a gearbox housing. Because the connectors which pass through the wall of the gearbox housing have fixed connections to electronic circuits on the inside of the housing, the longitudinal axis of the connector does not always coincide with the longitudinal axis of the through-hole. The familiar way of sealing the through-hole in spite of this eccentricity is to provide a very large and soft circumferential seal around the connector, which can largely accommodate the eccentricity between the connector and the housing. 
   A disadvantage of this familiar sealing device is the unequal distribution of the sealing force around its perimeter, between the connector and the housing. Furthermore, very high total forces are required to ensure an adequate seal. 
   For this reason, connectors have been developed which can be mounted concentrically in the through-hole. However, these require an expensive mechanical compensation mechanism in the mechanical connector system. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Starting from this state of the art position, the object underlying the invention is to devise a simply-constructed sealing device with which it is possible to effect a homogeneous seal on eccentric through-holes for a conducting element. A further object underlying the invention is to devise a method of assembling the sealing device. 
   These objects can be achieved by a sealing device comprising a conducting element which can be inserted off-center in a through-hole in a housing wall, and which has a sealing body touching both the conducting element and the housing wall, wherein in the region where the sealing body contacts the conducting element and the housing wall, the cross-sectional profile of the housing wall and the conducting element has at least one recess within which the sealing body can be moved in a radial direction. 
   The objects can also be achieved by a method for sealing comprising the step of:
         using a sealing device comprising a conducting element which can be inserted off-center in a through-hole in a housing wall, and which has a sealing body touching both the conducting element and the housing wall, wherein in the region where the sealing body contacts the conducting element and the housing wall, the cross-sectional profile of the housing wall and the conducting element has at least one recess within which the sealing body can be moved in a radial direction, to seal an eccentric through-hole for a conducting element, through the housing wall of a gearbox.       

   The sealing body may have one axial seal located in the recess and a further radial seal which mates with a surface which bounds the space between the connector body and the housing wall. The sealing body can be fixed by means of a clamping device which applies a force to the sealing body in the axial direction. The recess can be formed in the conducting element. A sealing ring with an internal thread can be screwed onto the conducting element to fix the sealing body. The recess can also be formed in the housing wall. The sealing body can then be fixed by means of an adjusting ring with an external thread. An end stop can be formed on the sealing body in a position which lies within the recess. The sealing body is attached to the conducting element by means of a positive retainer. 
   The objects can further be achieved by a method for assembling a sealing device, in which a conducting element and a sealing body are used in a through-hole in a housing wall, wherein the sealing body is first located in the radial direction in at least one recess provided in the contact area in the cross-sectional profile of the housing wall and the conducting element, and is then subject to a force which acts in the axial direction by means of a clamping device which acts on the sealing body in an axial direction. 
   The sealing body can be located in a radial direction in a recess formed in the conducting element, and can be subject to a force which acts in an axial direction applied by an adjusting nut which can be screwed onto the conducting element. The sealing body can also be located in a radial direction in a recess formed in the housing wall and can be subject to a force which acts in an axial direction applied by an adjusting ring which can be screwed into the recess. 
   With the sealing device, the cross-sectional profile of the housing wall and the conducting element are shaped in such a way that in the area where they touch the sealing body there is at least one recess within which the seal can be moved in a radial direction. With this sealing device, the radial position of the sealing body can be adjusted to the position of the conducting element concerned, and hence the position of the sealing body can be chosen in every case so that the seal is effected with a uniform radial contact force. Consequently, it is only necessary to ensure that the cross-sectional profile of the housing wall and the conducting element have recesses which permit movement of the sealing element in the radial direction. Additional mechanisms, by which for example with the current state of the art the conducting element is aligned with the axis of rotation of the through-hole, are not necessary. 
   In a preferred form of embodiment, sealing elements are provided on the sealing body to work in an axial direction in the recess, while the sealing elements of the sealing body which effect a seal in the radial direction are provided in the space between the conducting element and the housing wall. This form of embodiment offers the advantage that the sealing body can be fixed by means of a clamping device which applies a force to the sealing body in an axial direction. 
   The recesses provided to allow movement of the sealing body can be either in the conducting element or in the housing wall. In a preferred form of embodiment, the recess required for movement of the sealing body is formed in the conducting element. The clamping device is a clamping ring, with an internal thread, which can be screwed down onto the sealing body to affix it. In this exemplary form of embodiment, no special tools are required to assemble the clamping ring. 
   In a derived form of embodiment, the recess to accommodate the radial movement of the sealing body is provided in the housing wall. In this case, a clamping ring with an external thread can be screwed down onto the sealing body to affix it. 
   It is expedient if the assembly of the sealing device is effected by first inserting the conducting element and the sealing body into the through-hole. The sealing body is then aligned to correspond with the position of the conducting element in relation to the through-hole, and is fixed by means of the clamping device. This produces a sealing device which is oil-tight and which is also capable of accommodating mechanical loads, due for example to vibration. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is explained below by reference to the examples in the attached drawings. These show: 
       FIG. 1  a cross-section through a first form of embodiment of the sealing device; and 
       FIG. 2  a cross-section through a second form of embodiment of the sealing device. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  shows a housing wall  1  with a through-hole  2 . A connector body  3  which has contacts  4  has been inserted into the through-hole  2 . The connector body  3  can take the form of any required conducting element which is provided to transmit signals. Because the connector body  3  is connected to an electronic component on the inside of the housing wall  1 , it is not always possible to make the longitudinal axis  5  of the connector body  3  coincide with the longitudinal axis  6  of the through-hole  2 . Rather, an offset  7  arises, and this must be compensated by means of a sealing cuff  8 . The sealing cuff  8  has a sealing lip  9  around its outer circumference, which presses against the inner side  10  of the through-hole  2 , and which seals off the through-hole  2  in the radial direction  11 . The sealing cuff  8  is positioned concentrically with the through-hole  2 . The material properties of the sealing cuff  8  are chosen so that in the region of the sealing lip  9  they create a radial sealing effect against the housing wall  1 . 
   Engagement ribs  13  are provided on the inner side  12  of the sealing cuff  8 , and these engage in the recesses  14  in the connector body  3 . The radial depth of the engagement ribs  13  and the dimensions of the recesses  14  are chosen so that the sealing cuff  8  is held by the connector body  3  during assembly. In particular, one of the engagement ribs  13  will still project into its associated recess  14  even when a diametrically opposite engagement rib  13  is inserted into the recess  14  up to its limit. The engagement ribs  13  thus serve as a positive retainer. 
   The sealing cuff  8  also has a base collar  15 , which engages into a circumferential seal groove  16  in the connector body  3 . In a derived form of embodiment, the seal groove  16  can also be replaced by a shoulder which is open in the upward direction. The base collar  15  of the sealing cuff  8  is provided with another sealing lip  17 , which effects a seal in the axial direction  18 . The base collar  15  of the sealing cuff  8  can be affixed using an adjusting nut  19 , which applies an inward force on the sealing collar  15  in the axial direction  18 . To this end, the adjusting nut  19  has an internal thread  20 , which works in conjunction with an external thread  21  on the connector body  3 . The axial sealing function is effected by the axial force applied by the adjusting nut  19 , by which the base collar  15  is pressed against a mating surface  22  in the seal groove  16 . This axial force can also be applied by a suitable bayonet fastener or some other suitable adjusting arrangement. 
   Because the connector body  3  can move within the sealing cuff  8 , any eccentricity of the two parts can be accommodated without stress. The axial seal by the sealing lip  17  only becomes effective when the adjusting nut  19  is tightened up from the outer side of the housing wall  1 . The sealing cuff  8  and the connector body  3  are then rigidly joined together via the sealing lip  17 . Any destructive compression of the axial sealing lip  17  can be prevented by a limiting stop  23  on the sealing cuff. Depending on the compression force applied by the adjusting nut  19  it is even possible that the connector body  3  subsequently remains free to move at any time relative to the sealing cuff  8 . This will be sensible in situations where thermal expansion or vibrations are to be accommodated. 
     FIG. 2  shows another exemplary form of embodiment of the sealing device. With this sealing device, the through-hole  2  is formed in a housing wall  24 , and a connector body  25  extends through the through-hole  2 . Inside the connector body  25  there can be contact structures, which are not shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   With the exemplary form of embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the through-hole  2  is sealed by a sealing collar  26 , comprising a sealing sleeve  27  which extends along the connector body  25  and a sealing disk  28  which spreads radially outwards. On the inner side  29  of the sealing sleeve  27  there is a sealing lip  30  which runs around the connector body  25 , which touches the outer side  31  of the connector body  25 . 
   On the outer side of the housing wall  24  there are recesses  32  into which the sealing disk  28  of the sealing collar  26  extends. A sealing lip  33  which is formed on the sealing disk  28 , which presses against a mating surface  34  in the recess  32 , seals off the through-hole  2  in the axial direction  18 . Here, the sealing lip  33  is subject to a force which works in the axial direction, applied by an adjusting ring  35 . This adjusting ring  35  has an external thread  36 , which engages in an internal thread  37  in the recess  32 . Any destructive compression of the sealing lip  33  can be prevented by a limiting stop  38 . 
   The sealing lips  9 ,  17 ,  30  and  33  can be seal inserts or could also be molded on or dispensed seals. Or the sealing cuff  8  or sealing collar  26  itself could also consist of a suitable sealing material, for example hard rubber, so that it effects all the sealing functions. In this situation, care must be take that the sealing cuff  8  and the sealing collar  26  apply the necessary contact force to create the radial sealing effect. 
   Using the sealing devices described here, it is possible to effect a uniform seal for eccentric connector through-holes. In this case, the fixing of the connector body  3  or  25  to the electronic components does not need to allow movement. Consequently, the design of the connector body  3  or  25  can be kept simple. 
   Even under operational conditions, the connector body  3  or  25  remains moveable relative to the sealing cuff  8  or sealing collar  26 . This allows vibrations or thermal expansions to be accommodated without the sealing device developing leaks. 
   The exemplary form of embodiment of the sealing device shown in  FIG. 1  can be installed either from the inner side of the housing wall  1  or from the outer side of the housing wall  1 . If the engagement ribs  13  are omitted, it is also possible to assemble the sealing cuff  8  after the connector body  3  has been inserted into the through-hole  2 .