Vent Member and Vent Structure

Abstract

A vent structure 100 A of the present invention includes a housing 91 and a vent member 13 A attached to an opening portion 91 k of the housing 91 . The vent member 13 A is provided with a support body 11 having a through hole 11 h to serve as a gas passage between the interior and the exterior of the housing 91 and a gas permeable membrane 6 fixed to the support body 11 so as to close the through hole 11 h . Assuming that a thickness direction of the gas permeable membrane is a height direction, a height H 1 of the support body 11 from a second opening end face 11 q (aligned with an outer surface 91 p of the housing 91 ) to a first opening end face 11 p on the other side is set to 4 mm or more.

1 . A vent member to be attached to a housing that needs ventilation, comprising:
 a support body having a through hole to serve as a gas passage between the interior and the exterior of the housing; and   a gas permeable membrane fixed to the support body so as to close the through hole, wherein:   assuming that a thickness direction of the gas permeable membrane is a height direction,   the support body is formed so that the through hole extends in the height direction from one opening end face to the other opening end face, and   the height from the one opening end face to the other opening end face is set to 4 mm or more.   
   
   
       2 . The vent member according to  claim 1 , wherein the gas permeable membrane is disposed on the one opening end face. 
   
   
       3 . The vent member according to  claim 1 , wherein the support body includes a cover forming a clearance between the gas permeable membrane and itself while covering the gas permeable membrane on the side opposite to the side that is attached to the housing. 
   
   
       4 . The vent member according to  claim 1 , wherein the gas permeable membrane is disposed in the through hole. 
   
   
       5 . The vent member according to  claim 4 , wherein the height from the other opening end face to the gas permeable membrane is set to 4 mm or more. 
   
   
       6 . The vent member according to  claim 4 , wherein the gas permeable membrane is fixed to the support body inside the through hole by having its own peripheral portion integrated with the resin of which the support body is composed. 
   
   
       7 . The vent member according to  claim 6 , wherein the peripheral portion of the gas permeable membrane is embedded into the support body. 
   
   
       8 . The vent member according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the gas permeable membrane includes a main membrane body including a resin porous membrane and a gas-permeable reinforcement member attached to the main membrane body so as to cover at least one of the principal surfaces of the main membrane body, and   a peripheral portion of the main membrane body and that of the reinforcement member are both embedded into the support body.   
   
   
       9 . The vent member according to  claim 8 , wherein the reinforcement member includes a mesh made of metal or resin. 
   
   
       10 . The vent member according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the support body includes a stepped portion formed along an entire circumference inside the through hole, and a cross-sectional area of the through hole with respect to a lateral direction perpendicular to the height direction changes discontinuously at the stepped portion, and   the gas permeable membrane is disposed on the stepped portion.   
   
   
       11 . The vent member according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the gas permeable membrane includes a main membrane body including a resin porous membrane and a gas-permeable reinforcement member attached to the main membrane body so as to cover at least one of the principal surfaces of the main membrane body, and   the gas permeable membrane is fixed to the support body so that the reinforcement member is in contact with a seating face of the stepped portion.   
   
   
       12 . The vent member according to  claim 10 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the through hole with respect to the lateral direction decreases discontinuously at the stepped portion from the side that is to be attached to the housing toward the opposite side. 
   
   
       13 . The vent member according to  claim 11 , wherein the reinforcement member includes a mesh. 
   
   
       14 . The vent member according to  claim 13 , wherein the mesh is composed of a resin having substantially the same composition as that of the resin of which the support body is composed, and fixed to the stepped portion of the support body by welding. 
   
   
       15 . The vent member according to  claim 1 , wherein the support body includes a baffle disposed in the through hole to prevent air or liquid from traveling straight in the through hole. 
   
   
       16 . The vent member according to  claim 2 , further comprising a reinforcement member whose peripheral portion is fixed to the support body so as to sandwich the gas permeable membrane between the support body and itself. 
   
   
       17 . The vent member according to  claim 16 , wherein the peripheral portion of the reinforcement member extends outward beyond the opening end face of the support body on the side on which the gas permeable membrane is disposed, then turns around to a side surface of the support body and is fixed to the support body. 
   
   
       18 . The vent member according to  claim 16 , wherein the reinforcement member includes a mesh made of metal or resin. 
   
   
       19 . A vent member to be attached to a housing that needs ventilation, comprising:
 a support body having a through hole to serve as a gas passage between the interior and the exterior of the housing; and   a gas permeable membrane fixed to the support body so as to close the through hole, wherein   the support body includes a base portion to be connected to the housing, an area of the base portion defined by an outline of a lateral cross-section perpendicular to a thickness direction of the gas permeable membrane increases continuously or stepwise from the side on which the gas permeable membrane is disposed toward the side that is to be connected to the housing.   
   
   
       20 . The vent member according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 the lateral cross-sectional outline of the base portion is approximately circular and an outer diameter of the base portion increases continuously, and   the through hole is formed so as to extend in the thickness direction of the gas permeable membrane from an end face on the large-diameter side to an opening end face on the small-diameter side of the base portion.   
   
   
       21 . The vent member according to  claim 20 , wherein the height of the base portion from the end face on the large-diameter side to the opening end face on the small-diameter side is set to 4 mm or more. 
   
   
       22 . A vent member to be attached to a housing that needs ventilation, comprising:
 a support body having an interior space to serve as a gas passage between the interior and the exterior of the housing and an opening portion through which the interior space communicates with the exterior of the housing; and   a gas permeable membrane fixed to the support body so as to close the opening portion, wherein:   assuming that a thickness direction of the gas permeable membrane is a height direction,   one of the end faces of the support body in the height direction serves as a predetermined bonding surface that is to be bonded to the housing directly or via another member, and   the height from the predetermined fixing surface to the end face on the other side on which the opening portion is formed is set to 4 mm or more.   
   
   
       23 . The vent member according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 the support body includes a plurality of the opening portions, and   a plurality of the gas permeable membranes are fixed to the support body so as to close each of these opening portions.   
   
   
       24 . A vent structure, comprising:
 a housing that needs ventilation; and   a vent member, according to  claim 1 , attached to an opening portion of the housing.   
   
   
       25 . A vent structure, comprising:
 a housing that needs ventilation; and   a vent member, according to  claim 19 , attached to an opening portion of the housing.   
   
   
       26 . A vent structure, comprising:
 a housing that needs ventilation; and   a vent member, according to  claim 22 , attached to an opening portion of the housing.