GORE^® Protective Vents Increase Performance of Protective Cases by Eliminating Vacuum

Pelican Products, Inc., is a global leader in designing and manufacturing protective cases that are virtually indestructible. These cases are used to transport high-end, sensitive equipment anywhere in the world without compromising performance and availability. With cases that carry anything from tablets and laptops to tools and large field equipment, Pelican engineers every case for a lifetime of reliable performance without breakage, even in extremely harsh environments.

The Pelican 0450 Mobile Tool Chest is a large chest to house tools for maintenance and field engineers. Originally designed to serve as the United States Army’s General Mechanics Tool Kit, this tool chest can be opened as soon as it hits the ground, even after being dropped from an aircraft. At the same time, the rugged construction of the case protects the tools so they arrive in full working order, organized and easy to access.

The harsh environments in which these tool chests are used mean that they need rugged seals to protect tools from contaminants such as water, dirt and sand. Pelican’s engineering team integrated O-ring gaskets into the design to ensure a tight seal when the drawer compartment and the lid are closed.

These gaskets provide excellent protection; however, they can potentially cause pressure differentials inside the chest when altitude or temperature changes occur. With several decades of experience designing products for challenging applications, the Pelican engineers knew that they needed to account for pressure differentials. The 0450 Mobile Tool Chest would be transported around the world and often dropped from an airplane. Rapid altitude changes can cause pressure on the seals to increase from about 2 psi (140 mbar) to almost 16 psi (1,105 mbar) in the short period it takes to reach the ground. If not equalized, this rapid pressure change would create an internal vacuum. Eliminating that possibility would enable the case to be opened immediately upon arrival, regardless of the ambient temperature or pressure. The tool chest also needed to meet the IEC ingress protection standard 67. Therefore, an open hole or tortuous path could not be used for equalizing pressure in the case.

Having used GORE Protective Vents in most of their other protective cases, the engineering team decided to incorporate over-molded O-ring vents into the 0450 Mobile Tool Chest – one in the top lid and one in the drawer compartment. These breathable vents allow air to flow in and out of the chest freely, quickly equalizing pressure. In addition, the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane used in the vent construction serves as a barrier to prevent liquid, dirt, salt and other contaminants from entering the chest and damaging the tools.

According to Scott Nicholson, Director of Worldwide Quality at Pelican Products, Inc., “Our reputation is based on the reliability of our products, and we cannot afford to have a case fail to open or allow the equipment to be damaged from water. We have incorporated GORE Protective Vents into every case design because of the consistent performance of their venting technology. We rely on Gore’s commitment to delivering a quality product time and time again. Over ten years, we have incorporated more than 10 million vents in our products, and not one has failed.”