阅读说明：本技术 壳体组件及其密封系统 (Housing assembly and sealing system thereof ) 是由 鲍韬 肖钰 于 2019-01-30 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种壳体组件包括第一壳体、第二壳体、凹槽、密封元件和安装装置。第一壳体包括具有远侧开口端的中空部分。第二壳体包括沿第一方向插入中空部分中的凸缘部分。凹槽围绕凸缘部分形成闭合轨道。密封元件设置在凹槽内。安装装置便于将第二壳体安装在第一壳体上,使得凸缘部分保持在中空部分内。凹槽在其垂直于第一方向的深度方向上延伸并且在其中容纳密封元件,使得当凸缘部分插入或容纳在中空部分中时,密封元件牢固地保持在凸缘部分和中空部分的内壁之间。(A housing assembly includes a first housing, a second housing, a groove, a sealing element, and a mounting device. The first housing includes a hollow portion having a distal open end. The second housing includes a flange portion inserted into the hollow portion in the first direction. The groove forms a closed track around the flange portion. The sealing element is disposed within the groove. The mounting means facilitates mounting of the second housing on the first housing such that the flange portion is retained within the hollow portion. The groove extends in a depth direction thereof perpendicular to the first direction and accommodates therein the seal member such that the seal member is securely held between the flange portion and an inner wall of the hollow portion when the flange portion is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion.)

1. A housing assembly (100) comprising:

a first housing (10) comprising a hollow portion (12) having a distal open end (12 a);

-a second casing (20) comprising a flange portion (22) adapted to be inserted in the hollow portion (12) along a first direction "a";

-a groove (15, 24) adapted to form a closed track around the flange portion (22);

-a sealing element (30) adapted to be arranged in the groove (15, 24); and

-mounting means adapted to facilitate mounting of the second housing (20) on the first housing (10) such that the flange portion (22) is retained within the hollow portion (12);

characterized in that said groove (24) extends in a depth direction thereof perpendicular to the first direction "A" and is adapted to receive a sealing element (30) therein, such that the sealing element (30) is firmly held between the flange portion (22) and the inner wall (14) of the hollow portion (12) when the flange portion (22) is inserted or received in the hollow portion (12).

2. The housing assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the sealing element (30) is compressed between the flange portion (22) and at least one inner wall of the hollow portion (12).

3. The housing assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the first housing (10) is configured by assembling a first housing part (10a) and a second housing part (10 b).

4. The housing assembly (100) of claim 3, wherein the hollow portion (12) is disposed on at least one of the first housing portion (10a) and the second housing portion (10 b).

5. The housing assembly (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the groove (15, 24) is arranged on at least one of the flange portion (22) and the inner wall (14) of the first housing (10).

6. The housing assembly (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the groove (24) is arranged along the flange portion (22) and the at least one inner wall (14) of the first housing (10) is adapted to limit the disengagement of the sealing element (30) from the groove (24) when the flange portion (22) is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion (12).

7. The housing assembly (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the groove (15) is arranged along at least one inner wall (14) of the first housing (10) and the flange portion (22) is adapted to limit the disengagement of the sealing element (30) from the groove (15) when the flange portion (22) is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion (12).

8. The housing assembly (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the groove (15, 24) has a parabolic cross-section.

9. The housing assembly (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing element (30) is in the form of a closed loop.

10. The housing assembly (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing element (30) is adapted to be received in a force-fitting manner in a recess (24).

11. The housing assembly (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing element (30) has a cross-section larger than a cross-section of the groove (15, 24).

12. The housing assembly (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing element (30) is made of a rubber material, in particular Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber.

13. A heater housing (20) comprising a flange portion (22), said flange portion (22) being adapted to be inserted into a hollow portion (12) of a heating, ventilating and air conditioning housing (10) along a first direction "A" through a distal open end (12a) thereof, said heater housing (20) comprising:

-a groove (15, 24) adapted to form a closed track around the flange portion (22);

-a sealing element (30) adapted to be arranged in a force-fitting manner in the groove (15, 24);

characterized in that said groove (24) extends in a depth direction thereof perpendicular to the first direction "A" and is adapted to receive a sealing element (30) therein, such that the sealing element (30) is firmly held between the flange portion (22) and the inner wall (14) of the hollow portion (12) when the flange portion (22) is inserted or received in the hollow portion (12).

14. A heating ventilation and air conditioning housing (10) comprising a hollow portion (12) having a distal open end, the hollow portion (12) being configured to receive at least a portion of a heater housing (20), the heater housing (20) comprising:

a flange portion (22) adapted to be inserted in the hollow portion (12) along a first direction "A"; and

-a sealing element (30) adapted to be arranged in a force-fitting manner in the groove (15, 24);

characterized in that the grooves (15, 24) are adapted to form a closed track around the flange portion (22) and extend in a depth direction thereof perpendicular to the first direction "A" and are adapted to receive a sealing element (30) therein, such that the sealing element (30) is firmly held between the flange portion (22) and the inner wall (14) of the hollow portion (12) when the flange portion (22) is inserted or received in the hollow portion (12).

15. A method of assembling a first housing (10) and a second housing (20), the method comprising the steps of:

-housing a sealing element (30) within a groove (24), said groove (24) forming a closed track around a flange portion (22) formed on the second housing (20);

-mounting the second housing (20) on the first housing (10) such that the flange portion (22) is inserted into the hollow portion (12) of the first housing (10) along a first direction "a" perpendicular to the depth direction of the groove (24) such that the sealing element (30) received in the groove (24) in a force-fitting manner is firmly held between the flange portion (22) and the inner wall (14) of the hollow portion (12) when the flange portion (22) is inserted or received in the hollow portion (12).

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a housing assembly formed by configuring a sealed connection between a first housing and a second housing, and in particular, to a housing assembly for a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system.

Background

The first and second housings are assembled in a first direction (e.g., a longitudinal direction) to form a housing assembly. The connection between a first housing, such as a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) housing, and a second housing, such as a Positive Thermal Coefficient (PTC) heater housing, needs to be an air/water tight sealed connection. In the case of conventional housing assemblies, the sealing means for configuring the sealed connection between the first housing and the second housing utilize a seal formed of foam or rubber, in particular Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber. A foam or rubber seal is disposed between complementary tongue and groove members disposed on the first and second housings. Specifically, the sealing means of the conventional housing assembly includes inserting a foam or rubber seal into the groove segment by segment as the tongue is inserted into the groove. Such sealing arrangements are inefficient in providing an effective seal between the first and second housings, are relatively difficult to install/assemble, involve skilled labor and involve more installation/assembly time and effort. Furthermore, with such a sealing device, the mounting of the second housing on the first housing in the longitudinal direction is such that, for example, a tongue extending from the second body is accommodated in a groove, for example, provided on the first housing, wherein the groove already accommodates a foam or rubber seal. The tongue may further press against the foam or rubber seal, which may thus be displaced or slide out of the groove during assembly due to the forces constantly acting thereon when mounting the second housing on the first housing. Therefore, it is inconvenient and troublesome to assemble the rubber seal into the groove, and it is necessary to constantly push the foam or the rubber seal into the groove to hold the rubber seal in the groove. Furthermore, the service life of the rubber seal and the reliability of the sealing system are significantly reduced due to the deforming forces exerted by the tongue extending from the second housing on the delicate foam or rubber seal received in the groove arranged on the first housing.

Accordingly, there is a need for a housing assembly configured with such a sealing arrangement that securely holds a foam or rubber seal in place when a first housing is mounted on a second housing in a certain direction (e.g., a longitudinal direction), thereby simplifying the assembly process of the first and second housings together and also facilitating the configuration of a sealed connection therebetween. Further, there is a need for a housing assembly configured with a seal arrangement that improves the service life of the rubber seal. Further, there is a need for a housing assembly configured with a sealing device that effectively provides a seal, facilitates installation, and involves reduced installation/assembly time and effort.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a housing assembly provided with a sealing means which securely holds a sealing element, such as a rubber seal, in place when a first housing is mounted on a second housing in a longitudinal direction, thereby simplifying the assembly process.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a housing assembly configured with a seal that is easy to install and involves reduced installation/assembly time and effort.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a housing assembly configured with a sealing device that provides an effective seal.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a housing assembly for a seal assembly that improves the useful life of the seal.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a housing assembly configured with a sealing device that requires less maintenance.

In this specification, some elements or parameters may be indexed, such as a first element and a second element. In this case, unless otherwise noted, the index is used only to distinguish and name similar but not identical elements. No priority should be inferred from such an index, as these terms can be switched without traitoring the invention. Additionally, the index does not imply any order of installing or using the elements of the invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a housing assembly comprising a first housing, a second housing, a groove, a sealing element and a mounting means. The first housing includes a hollow portion having a distal open end. The second housing includes a flange portion configured to be inserted into the hollow portion in a first direction "a", e.g., a longitudinal extension direction of the hollow portion. The groove forms a closed track around the flange portion. The sealing element is disposed within the groove. The mounting means facilitates mounting of the second housing on the first housing such that the flange portion is retained within the hollow portion. The groove extends in a depth direction thereof perpendicular to the first direction and accommodates therein the seal member such that the seal member is securely held between the flange portion and an inner wall of the hollow portion when the flange portion is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion.

According to an embodiment, the sealing element is compressed between the flange portion and at least one inner wall of the hollow portion.

Typically, the first housing is configured by assembling a first housing part and a second housing part.

Also, a hollow portion is disposed on at least one of the first housing portion and the second hollow portion.

Typically, the groove is disposed on at least one of the flange portion and an inner wall of the first housing.

In particular, a groove is disposed along the flange portion, and at least one inner wall of the first housing restricts the sealing member from being disengaged from the groove when the flange portion is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion.

Alternatively, a groove is disposed along at least one inner wall of the first housing, and the flange portion restricts the sealing member from being disengaged from the groove when the flange portion is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion.

Typically, the groove is a parabolic groove.

Preferably, the sealing element is in the form of a closed loop.

Typically, the sealing element is accommodated in the recess in a force-fitting manner.

Furthermore, the cross-section of the sealing element is larger than the cross-section of the groove.

Typically, the sealing element is made of a rubber material, in particular Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber.

Preferably, the first housing is a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) housing and the second housing is a Positive Thermal Coefficient (PTC) heater housing.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a heating ventilation and air conditioning housing is disclosed, comprising a hollow portion having a distal open end, the hollow portion configured to receive at least a portion of a heater housing, the heater housing comprising:

a flange portion configured to be inserted into the hollow portion along a first direction "a";

a sealing element configured to be disposed in a force-fitting manner within the groove 15, 24; and is

Characterized in that the groove is adapted to form a closed track around the flange portion and extends in a depth direction thereof perpendicular to the first direction "a" and accommodates therein a sealing element such that the sealing element is securely held between the flange portion and an inner wall of the hollow portion when the flange portion is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a heater housing is disclosed, comprising a flange portion configured to be inserted into a hollow portion of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning housing along a first direction "a" through a distal open end thereof, the heater housing comprising:

a groove forming a closed track around the flange portion;

a sealing element which is arranged in the recess in a force-fitting manner;

characterized in that the groove extends in a depth direction thereof perpendicular to the first direction "a" and accommodates therein the sealing member such that the sealing member is firmly held between the flange portion and an inner wall of the hollow portion when the flange portion is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion.

Also, a method of assembling a first housing and a second housing is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: receiving a sealing element within a groove forming a closed track around a flange portion formed on the second housing; thereafter, the second housing is mounted on the first housing such that the flange portion is inserted into the hollow portion of the first housing along a first direction "a" perpendicular to a depth direction of the groove, such that the seal member accommodated in the groove in a force-fitting manner is securely held between the flange portion and an inner wall of the hollow portion when the flange portion is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion.

Drawings

Other features, details and advantages of the invention may be inferred from the following description of the invention. A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a housing assembly configured with a sealing arrangement for sealingly mounting a second housing to a first housing, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the housing assembly of FIG. 1 configured by assembling a first housing and a second housing;

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view depicting the sealing arrangement of the housing assembly of FIG. 1, wherein the sealing element is received in a groove disposed on a flange portion of the second housing and an inner wall of the first housing limits disengagement of the sealing element from the groove;

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view depicting a sealing arrangement according to another embodiment for the housing assembly of FIG. 1, wherein a groove is disposed on an inner wall of the first housing and a flange portion of the second housing limits disengagement of the sealing element from the groove;

FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of the first housing of FIG. 1 configured with a hollow portion; and

fig. 6 shows an isometric view of the second housing of fig. 1, with the groove forming a closed track along a flange portion that can be received in the hollow portion of the first housing shown in fig. 5.

It must be noted that the attached drawings disclose the invention in sufficient detail to enable it to be realized, said drawings contributing to a better definition of the invention when required. However, the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments disclosed in the specification.

Detailed Description

The present invention relates to a housing assembly configured with a sealing arrangement for configuring a sealed connection between a first housing, such as a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) housing, and any other subsystem housing, such as a Positive Thermal Coefficient (PTC) heater housing, in a first direction "a" (e.g., a longitudinal direction). The housing assembly includes a first housing, a second housing, a groove, a sealing element, and a mounting device. The first housing includes a hollow portion having a distal open end. The second housing includes a flange portion configured to be inserted into the hollow portion in a first direction "a". The groove forms a closed track around the flange portion. The sealing element is configured to be disposed within the groove. The mounting means facilitates mounting of the second housing on the first housing such that the flange portion is retained within the hollow portion. The groove extends in a depth direction thereof perpendicular to the first direction "a" and accommodates therein the sealing member such that the sealing member is securely held between the flange portion and the inner wall of the hollow portion when the flange portion is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion. This arrangement restricts the sealing member from being disengaged from the groove when the second housing is mounted on the first housing in the first direction "a". However, the housing assembly of the present invention configured with a sealing device is also suitable for use in any other application where a secure, leak-proof, and convenient configuration of a sealed connection is desired between any two bodies or housings used in a vehicular or non-vehicular environment.

Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a housing assembly 100 configured with a sealing arrangement for configuring a sealed connection between a first housing 10, e.g. a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) housing, and a second housing 20, e.g. a Positive Thermal Coefficient (PTC) heater housing. A Positive Thermal Coefficient (PTC) heater housing is mounted in a first direction, such as the longitudinal direction shown by arrow "a" on a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) housing. The housing assembly 100 includes a first housing 10, a second housing 20, grooves 15, 24, a sealing element 30, and a mounting device.

The first housing 10 includes a hollow portion 12 having a distal open end 12 a. Generally, the first casing 10 is configured by assembling a first casing section 10a and a second casing section 10 b. The hollow portion 12 is disposed on at least one of the first housing portion 10a and the second housing portion 10 b. The first housing 10 may be configured by assembling more than two housing parts together, and thus the hollow part may be configured on at least one housing part, the housing parts being assembled to configure the first housing 10.

The second housing 20 includes a flange portion 22 configured to be inserted into the hollow portion 12 in the first direction "a".

The grooves 15, 24 form a closed track around the flange portion 22. The grooves 15, 24 are disposed on at least one of the flange portion 22 and the inner wall 14 of the first housing 10, and are parabolic. Referring to fig. 3 of the drawings, the groove 24 generally includes a closed end 24a, an open end 24b, and a sidewall connecting the open end 24b to the closed end 24 a. Similarly, referring to FIG. 4, the groove 15 extending inwardly from the inner wall 14 of the hollow portion 12 generally includes an open end 15 b. The grooves 15, 24 extend in the depth direction thereof perpendicular to the first direction "a" and receive the sealing member therein, so that the sealing member 30 is securely held between the flange portion 22 and the inner wall 14 of the hollow portion 12. As shown in particular in fig. 3, when the flange portion 22 is inserted into the hollow portion 12 along the first direction "a" and when the flange portion 22 is received in the hollow portion 12, the groove 24 is disposed along the flange portion 22 and the at least one inner wall 14 of the first housing 10 restricts the sealing element 30 from being disengaged from the groove 24. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 4, when the flange portion 22 is inserted into the hollow portion 12 in the first direction "a" and when the flange portion 22 is accommodated in the hollow portion 12, the groove 15 is arranged along at least one inner wall 14 of the first housing 10, and the flange portion 22, particularly, an outer wall of the flange portion 22 restricts the sealing member 30 from being disengaged from the groove 15. According to another embodiment, a first part of the grooves 15, 24 is arranged on the flange portion 22 and a second part of the grooves 15, 24 is arranged on the inner wall 14 of the first housing 10 such that when the second housing 20 is mounted on the first housing 10, the first and second parts of the grooves 15, 24 are aligned with each other to jointly configure a closed track around the flange portion 22.

The sealing element 30 is in the form of a closed loop which is complementary to the closed track formed by the grooves 15, 24 around the flange portion 22. In this case, the grooves 15, 24 are provided on either one of the inner wall 14 and the flange portion 22 of the first casing 10, the sealing member 30 is accommodated in the open ends 15b, 24b of the grooves 15, 24, while the closed end 24a of the groove 24 or the inner wall 14 of the hollow portion 12 provides back support for the sealing member 30, and the side walls of the grooves 15, 24 facilitate clamping and seating of the sealing member 30 accommodated in the grooves 15, 24. When the second housing 20 is mounted on the first housing by using a different mounting means, the grooves 15, 24 are in turn accommodated in the hollow portion 12 together with the sealing member 30 accommodated therein and held within the hollow portion 12. The sealing element 30 is accommodated in the recesses 15, 24 in a force-fitting manner. Typically, the sealing element 30 is in the form of a closed loop, and the sealing element 30 is compressed between the flange portion 22 and at least one inner wall of the hollow portion 12, as shown in fig. 3 and 4. In order to achieve a force-fitting arrangement of the sealing element 30 within the grooves 15, 24, the dimensions of the closed track along which the grooves 15, 24 are formed are larger than the dimensions of the closed loop of the sealing element 30 and the cross-section of the sealing element 30 is formed larger than the cross-section of the grooves 15, 24. Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the sealing element 30 in its uncompressed configuration is depicted by dashed lines, while the sealing element 30 in its compressed configuration is depicted by solid lines. Furthermore, the sealing element 30 generally has a complementary configuration to the grooves 15, 24. For example, in the case where the grooves 15, 24 are U-shaped grooves, the sealing element 30 has a circular cross-section which can be accommodated in the U-shaped grooves. In another example, where the grooves 15, 24 are V-shaped grooves, the sealing element 30 has a V-shaped cross-section complementary to the V-shaped grooves. The sealing element 30 is a foam or rubber material. For example, the sealing member 30 is an Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber. However, the invention is not limited to any particular material from which the sealing element 30 is constructed, and the sealing element 30 may be any material as long as the sealing element 30 is sufficiently flexible to stretch and accommodate in the grooves 15, 24, albeit in a size smaller than the closed orbit around the flange portion 22 along which the grooves 15, 24 are formed.

Instead of one groove, it is also possible to arrange more than one groove along a closed track around the flange portion 22 or the inner wall 14 of the hollow portion 12, wherein each groove accommodates a separate sealing element 30. Since one or more grooves 15, 24 are provided on the flange portion 22 or the inner wall 14 of the hollow portion 12, it is possible to achieve a better sealing between the first casing 10 and the second casing 20 of the respective sealing members 30 accommodated in the plurality of grooves between the inner wall of the hollow portion 12 and the flange portion 22. Alternatively, the recesses 15, 24 may have partitions to accommodate different pluralities of sealing elements 30 for configuring enhanced sealing. However, the present invention is not limited to any particular number, configuration and arrangement of grooves 15, 24 and sealing elements 30 retained in grooves 15, 24, so long as at least one groove 15, 24 is capable of securely retaining at least one sealing element 30 therein, and there is a force-fit connection between at least one groove 15, 24 and at least one sealing element 30, and at least one groove 15, 24 and at least one sealing element 30 together are capable of configuring a sealing connection between first housing 10 and second housing 20.

As shown in fig. 3, with the grooves 15, 24 configured along a closed track and on the flange portion 22, at least one inner wall of the hollow portion 12 slides parallel to the direction "a" to securely retain the sealing element 30 between the at least one inner wall of the hollow portion 12 and the closed end 24a of the groove 24 to limit movement of the sealing element 30 received and retained in the groove 24 and to retain the sealing element 30 within the groove 24. As shown in fig. 4, in the case where the groove 15 is configured to follow the inner wall of the first housing 10, at least one outer wall of the flange portion 22 is slid parallel to the direction "a" to securely hold the sealing member 30 between the at least one outer wall of the flange portion 22 and the closed end of the groove 15. However, the present invention is not limited to any particular configuration or arrangement for limiting the movement of the sealing element 30 received and retained in the grooves 15, 24 to retain the sealing element 30 within the grooves 15, 24 and between the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. By this configuration, the sealing member 30 is held between the first casing 10 and the second casing 20 to provide effective sealing between the first casing 10 and the second casing 20 even when the second casing 20 is mounted on the first casing 10 by using the complementary engaging members 16, 26 formed on the first casing 10 and the second casing 20. More specifically, the second housing 20 is mounted on the first housing 10 without exerting any force on the sealing member 30 in any way or interfering with the position of the sealing member 30 provided between the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. In particular, the sealing element 30 is retained in the grooves 15, 24 and configures an effective seal between the first housing 10 and the second housing 20.

The complementary engagement elements 16, 26 formed on the first and second housings 10, 20 keep the first and second housings 10, 20 engaged with each other and thus keep the grooves 15, 24, in which the sealing element 30 is housed, within the hollow portion 12 of the first housing 10, so that the sealing element 30 is firmly held within the grooves 15, 24 and between the first and second housings 10, 20 for configuring an effective seal between the first and second housings 10, 20. An effective seal between the first casing 10 and the second casing 20 prevents condensate (e.g., condensate formed near an evaporator disposed inside the first casing 10) from escaping through any gaps in the interface between the first casing 10 and the second casing 20. This arrangement also prevents the intrusion of dust between the sealing member 30 and the engaging member, particularly at least one of the inner wall 14 of the hollow portion 12, the outer wall of the flange portion 22 or the closed end 24a of the groove 15, 24. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of the sealing arrangement depicting a sealing element 30 arranged between the inner wall 14 of the hollow portion 12 of the first housing 10 and the closed end 24a of the groove 24, the groove 24 being arranged on the second housing 20 for holding the sealing element 30, in particular a rubber seal, therebetween and for arranging a sealing connection between the first housing 10 and the second housing 20.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of an assembly configured by hermetically mounting the second housing 20 on the first housing 10, wherein the first housing 10 is a heating ventilation and air conditioning housing configured by assembling a first housing portion 10a and a second housing portion 10 b. The sealing system of the invention can also be used to construct a sealed connection between the first housing portion 10a and the second housing portion 10b of the first housing 10, in particular a heating ventilation and air conditioning housing. Fig. 5 shows an isometric view of the first housing 10 configured with a hollow portion 12. Fig. 6 shows an isometric view of the second housing 20, wherein the groove 24 is configured along the flange portion 22, which may be received in the distal open end 12a of the hollow portion 12 of the first housing 10.

In one example, the mounting means includes complementary engagement elements 16, 26 to facilitate mounting of the second housing 20 on the first housing 10. In particular, the complementary engagement elements 16, 26 are in the form of apertured flanges provided on the first and second housings 10, 20. In particular, the holes of the holed flanges are aligned with respect to each other, and bolts are passed through the aligned holes to facilitate mounting of the second casing 20 on the first casing 10 in this direction. In other examples, the mounting means comprise complementary engagement elements 16, 26 in the form of snap-fit engagement elements configured on the first and second housings 10, 20 to facilitate mounting of the second housing 20 on the first housing 10 in this direction. However, the present invention is not limited to any particular configuration, arrangement or number of complementary engagement elements 16, 26 configured on the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 to facilitate mounting of the second housing 20 on the first housing 10, as long as the complementary engagement elements 16, 26 are capable of securely but removably mounting the second housing 20 on the first housing 10. This removable mounting arrangement provides for easy serviceability of components held within the second housing, such as a Positive Thermal Coefficient (PTC) heater held within the second housing 20.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the first casing 10 is a heating ventilation and air conditioning casing comprising a hollow portion 12 having a distal open end 12a, the hollow portion 12 being configured to accommodate at least a portion of a second casing 20, the second casing 20 being a heater casing comprising:

a flange portion 22 configured to be inserted into the hollow portion 12 along a first direction "a";

a sealing element 30 configured to be disposed in a force-fitting manner within the grooves 15, 24; and is

It is characterized in that the grooves 15, 24 form a closed track around the flange portion 22 and extend in a depth direction thereof perpendicular to the first direction "a" and accommodate therein the sealing element 30 such that the sealing element 30 is firmly held between the flange portion 22 and the inner wall 14 of the hollow portion 12 when the flange portion 22 is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion 12.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the second casing 20 is a heater casing comprising a flange portion 22, said flange portion 22 being configured to be inserted in a first direction "a" through its distal open end into the hollow portion 12 of the first casing 10 in the form of a heating ventilation and air conditioning casing, said heater casing comprising:

grooves 15, 24 forming a closed track around the flange portion 22;

sealing elements 30, which are arranged in a force-fitting manner in the recesses 15, 24;

characterized in that said grooves 15, 24 extend in the direction of their depth perpendicular to the first direction "a" and house a sealing element 30 therein, so that when the flange portion 22 is inserted or housed in the hollow portion 12, the sealing element 30 is firmly held between the flange portion 22 and the inner wall of the hollow portion 12.

Further, a method of assembling the first and second housings 10 and 20 is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: receiving a sealing element 30 within the grooves 15, 24, said grooves 15, 24 forming a closed track around the flange portion 22 formed on the second housing 20; thereafter, the second housing 20 is mounted on the first housing 10 such that the flange portion 22 is inserted into the hollow portion 12 of the first housing 10 along the first direction "a" perpendicular to the depth direction of the grooves 15, 24, such that when the flange portion 22 is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion 12, the seal member 30 is accommodated within the grooves 15, 24 in a force-fitting manner and is firmly held between the flange portion 22 and the inner wall of the hollow portion 12.

A person skilled in the art may make several modifications and improvements to the housing assembly as described above, as long as it comprises the first housing, the second housing, the groove, the sealing element and the mounting means. The first housing includes a hollow portion having a distal open end. The second housing includes a flange portion configured to be inserted into the hollow portion in a first direction "a". The groove forms a closed track around the flange portion. The sealing element is disposed within the groove. The mounting means facilitates mounting of the second housing on the first housing such that the flange portion is retained within the hollow portion. The groove extends in a depth direction thereof perpendicular to the first direction and accommodates therein the seal member such that the seal member is securely held between the flange portion and an inner wall of the hollow portion when the flange portion is inserted or accommodated in the hollow portion.

In no event should the invention be limited to the embodiments specifically described in this document, as other embodiments are possible. The invention shall extend to any equivalent means and any technically operating combination of means.