Seal member and connector assembly
A sealing element comprises a raised region. The raised region includes a plurality of first ridges on a first principal face, a plurality of second ridges on a second principal face opposite to the first principal face, and a central trough. The central trough is formed between the adjacent ones of the second ridges and is located in a center of the second principal face. At least one of the first ridges located in the most outer side of the plurality of first ridges is positioned offset in a width direction relative to the plurality of second ridges.
1 . A sealing element, comprising:
a raised region, including:
a plurality of first ridges on a first principal face;
a plurality of second ridges on a second principal face opposite to the first principal face; and
a central trough formed between two adjacent ones of the plurality of the second ridges and located in a center of the second principal face, at least an outermost first ridge of the first plurality of ridges is offset in a width direction of the sealing element from the plurality of second ridges, wherein the outermost first ridge has a height greater than a height of at least one of a remainder of the plurality of first ridges arranged closer to a center of the first principal face.
2 . The sealing element according to claim 1 , further comprising a central ridge located in a center of the first principal face and between any two of the plurality of first ridges.
3 . The sealing element according to claim 2 , wherein the central ridge has a height less than heights of the plurality of first ridges.
4 . The sealing element according to claim 3 , wherein the central ridge and the central trough are aligned in the width direction of the sealing element.
5 . The sealing element according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second ridges are adapted to deflect toward the central trough in a state in which the plurality of second ridges receive a compressive load in a thickness direction of the sealing element.
6 . The sealing element according to claim 5 , wherein raised portions of the second ridges adjacent to each other across the central trough area are adapted to deflect into direct contact with one another.
7 . The sealing element according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first ridges comprise an even number of the first ridges and one central ridge on the first principal face, and the plurality of second ridges comprise an even number of the second ridges on the second principal face.
8 . The sealing element according to claim 1 , wherein vertexes of the plurality of first ridges and vertexes of the plurality of second ridges are offset from each other in the width direction of the sealing element.
9 . The sealing element according to claim 1 , wherein the central trough is tapered toward a bottom thereof such that a width of the central trough is gradually reduced.
10 . The sealing element according to claim 1 , wherein the raised region comprises a line-symmetric portion.
11 . The sealing element according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first ridges or the plurality of second ridges are asymmetric in the width direction of the sealing element.
12 . The sealing element according to claim 1 , wherein a slope angle of a sloped face of a side of each of the second ridges farther from the center of the second principal face is less than a slope angle of a sloped face of a side closer to the center, the slope angle defined relative to the width direction of the sealing element.
13 . The sealing element according to claim 1 , further comprising an extension region contiguous to the raised region.
14 . The sealing element according to claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the extension region extends in a direction distinct from a direction of the raised region.
15 . The sealing element according to claim 1 , wherein a cross sectional shape of the sealing element comprising the raised region is asymmetric relative to the center of the second principal face in the width direction of the sealing element.
16 . A connector assembly, comprising:
a first connector;
a second connector mateable to the first connector; and
a sealing element arranged between the first connector and the second connector, the sealing element including:
a raised region, having:
a plurality of first ridges on a first principal face;
a plurality of second ridges on a second principal face opposite to the first principal face; and
a central trough formed between two adjacent ones of the plurality of the second ridges, at least an outermost first ridge of the first plurality of ridges is offset in a width direction of the sealing element from the plurality of second ridges, wherein, with the first connector mated to the second connector, raised portions of the second ridges adjacent to each other across the central trough area are deflected into direct contact with one another.
17 . The connector assembling according to claim 16 , further comprising a central ridge located in a center of the first principal face and between any two of the plurality of first ridges, the central ridge has a height less than heights of the plurality of first ridges.
18 . The connector assembling according to claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first ridges or the plurality of second ridges are asymmetric in the width direction of the sealing element.
19 . The connector assembling according to claim 18 , wherein a slope angle of a sloped face of a side of each of the second ridges farther from the center of of the second principal face is less than a slope angle of a sloped face of a side closer to the center, the slope angle defined relative to the width direction of the sealing element.
20 . A sealing element, comprising:
a raised region, including:
a plurality of first ridges on a first principal face;
a plurality of second ridges on a second principal face opposite to the first principal face, a slope angle of a sloped face of a side of each of the second ridges farther from the center of the second principal face is less than a slope angle of a sloped face of a side closer to the center, the slope angle defined relative to a width direction of the sealing element; and
a central trough formed between two adjacent ones of the plurality of the second ridges and located in a center of the second principal face, at least an outermost first ridge of the first plurality of ridges is offset in the width direction of the sealing element from the plurality of second ridges.