JP7536675B2 - Grommets and grommet installation methods - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a grommet that protects a wire harness that is routed across a through hole in the vehicle body and a through hole in the back door in a vehicle such as an automobile, and a method for installing the grommet.

For example, in a vehicle such as an automobile, when a wire harness is routed across a first through hole provided in a first panel such as a door and a second through hole provided in a second panel such as the body, the wire harness is routed by being inserted through a hollow grommet.

For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a grommet of this type is known that is composed of a vehicle body side mounting part (large diameter cylindrical part) that is attached to a through hole in the vehicle body, a door side mounting part (large diameter cylindrical part) that is attached to a through hole in the back door, and a grommet main body (small diameter cylindrical part) that connects the vehicle body side mounting part and the door side mounting part.

In Patent Document 1, the vehicle body side mounting portion of the grommet is pulled out toward the vehicle body through the through hole of the back door, and then attached to the through hole of the vehicle body. In this case, it is conceivable to make the through hole of the back door larger than the through hole of the vehicle body so that the vehicle body side mounting portion of the grommet can pass through the through hole of the back door.

However, if the through-hole of the back door is made larger than the through-hole of the vehicle body, the window frame of the back door will become thicker, which can lead to problems such as poor appearance of the vehicle or reduced rigidity of the back door. For this reason, it is desirable for the through-hole of the back door to be an opening of approximately the same size as the through-hole of the vehicle body, but this creates the problem of it being difficult to pull out the vehicle body side mounting part through the through-hole of the back door and towards the vehicle body.

Patent No. 5147477

In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a grommet and a method for attaching a mounting part to a second through hole by passing the mounting part through the first through hole, even if the first through hole is approximately the same size as the second through hole.

This invention is a grommet that is composed of a grommet body through which a wire harness that is routed across a first through hole of a first panel and a second through hole of a second panel is inserted, and an attachment portion that is provided at the end of the grommet body and is attached to the second through hole, and the attachment portion is configured to be able to pass through the first through hole by being pulled out from the second panel side, and is connected to an end of the grommet body and is composed of a substantially annular flange portion that is larger than the first through hole, a cover portion that extends tapered from the flange portion in the separation direction to cover the separation direction side away from the flange portion toward the opposite side of the grommet body, and that holds the periphery of the second through hole between the flange portion and the cover portion, and a tubular portion that extends from the tapered end of the cover portion, and the cover portion is characterized in that it is composed of a substantially conical cover body that extends tapered from the flange portion, and a protrusion that protrudes from the outer surface of the cover body so as to be able to receive a load in the separation direction.

The first through hole of the first panel and the second through hole of the second panel are through holes provided in adjacent thin plate-like members in a vehicle such as an automobile, and refer to a through hole in a door panel and a through hole in a vehicle body, for example.
According to this aspect of the invention, even if the first through hole of the grommet is substantially the same size as the second through hole, the mounting portion can be attached to the second through hole by passing it through the first through hole.

Specifically, the tubular portion of the grommet can function as a handle that the worker holds in order to pull out the mounting portion of the grommet that has been inserted into the first through-hole. This allows the worker to easily pull the mounting portion of the grommet that has been inserted into the first through-hole from the second panel side.

At this time, by pulling the tubular portion of the grommet while applying a load in the separating direction to the protrusion, the worker can pull the mounting portion out of the first through hole.
More specifically, since the cover body is formed in a generally conical shape extending in the separation direction, when a load in the separation direction is applied to the protrusion, the grommet cover body starts to bend and deform from the protrusion so that the portion of the cover body closer to the flange than the protrusion rotates in the separation direction. Therefore, the cover body can apply a tensile load in the separation direction to a portion of the flange.

As a result, a part of the flange portion can be deformed in the separation direction so as to rotate in the separation direction around the connection point of the grommet body as a fulcrum, and therefore the outer shape of the flange portion of the grommet can be deformed to a size that allows it to be pulled out of the first through hole.
Therefore, even if the first through hole of the grommet is approximately the same size as the second through hole, the mounting portion can be attached to the second through hole by passing it through the first through hole.

As an aspect of the present invention, the protrusion may be formed closer to the tube portion than a substantial center of the cover body in the separating direction.
With this configuration, the grommet can increase the tensile load in the separation direction acting on a portion of the flange portion compared to a case in which the protrusion is provided closer to the flange portion than approximately the center in the separation direction, thereby enabling the grommet to reliably deform a portion of the flange portion.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the protrusion may be formed on a portion of the cover body that has a substantially flat cross section in a cross section taken along the separating direction.
With this configuration, the grommet can bend and deform the cover body more efficiently than, for example, a case in which a protrusion is provided on a portion of the cover body that has a curved cross-sectional shape. Therefore, the grommet can more reliably deform a portion of the flange portion.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the flange portion may be provided with a tapered surface on an outer circumferential edge on the grommet body side.
According to this configuration, when the flange portion passes through the first through hole, the grommet can suppress contact between the outer peripheral edge of the flange portion and the peripheral edge of the first through hole, making it easier to pull out the flange portion from the first through hole compared to a case in which the grommet does not have a tapered surface.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the attachment portion may be adjacent to the protrusion and may be provided with a slit cut out from the tip of the tubular portion to the vicinity of the protrusion.
At least one slit is sufficient, and preferably two slits are sufficient with the protrusion therebetween.

With this configuration, the tubular portion of the grommet can deform in the separating direction in response to the deformation of the cover body in the separating direction. As a result, the tubular portion of the grommet can further promote the deformation of the cover body and apply a larger tensile load to a portion of the flange portion. This allows the grommet to more reliably deform a portion of the flange portion.

As a further aspect of the present invention, at least a portion of an inner surface of the cover body extending from the protrusion to the tube portion may be formed to be substantially flat in a cross section along the separating direction.
According to this configuration, when the mounting portion is pulled out from the first through hole, the grommet can also apply a tensile load in the separating direction to the wire harness, so that the mounting portion and the wire harness can be pulled out from the first through hole at approximately the same time.

Specifically, when a load is applied to the protrusion toward the wire harness located inside the mounting portion, the portion of the grommet cover body extending from the protrusion to the tube portion deforms toward the wire harness and comes into contact with the wire harness.

In this case, because the inner surface of the cover body is formed in a substantially flat shape, the grommet can ensure a larger contact area between the inner surface of the cover body and the wire harness compared to when the inner surface of the cover body has an uneven shape.

Therefore, when the mounting portion is pulled out from the first through hole, the grommet can suppress relative movement between the mounting portion and the wire harness and can also apply a tensile load in the separating direction to the wire harness.
This allows the mounting portion and the wire harness to be pulled out of the first through hole substantially simultaneously when the mounting portion is pulled out of the first through hole.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the protrusion may have a protruding height of 1 mm or more from the outer surface of the cover body.
According to this configuration, the grommet can reliably allow an operator to recognize the position of the protrusion, and can reliably bear the load in the separating direction.

Furthermore, the protrusion is easier for an operator's fingers to latch onto than a protrusion with a protruding height of less than 1 mm, and therefore the protrusion can prevent the operator's fingers from slipping when the operator applies a load to the protrusion in the separating direction.
This allows the grommet to improve both the ease and safety of the operation of pulling out the mounting portion from the first through hole.

The present invention also relates to a method for attaching a grommet comprising a grommet body into which a wire harness is inserted, the wire harness being routed across a first through hole of a first panel and a second through hole of a second panel, and an attachment portion provided at an end of the grommet body and attached to the second through hole, the method comprising: attaching the grommet body to an end of the grommet body; a substantially annular flange portion to which an end of the grommet body is connected; a cover portion tapered from the flange portion in the direction away from the flange portion so as to cover the side in the direction away from the flange portion toward the opposite side to the grommet body; and a tubular portion extending from the end of the tapered side of the cover portion; and attaching the cover portion and the tubular portion of the attachment portion to the first panel side toward the second panel side. The method includes an insertion process of inserting the flange portion of the mounting part, which is larger than the first through hole, from the second panel side, an extraction process of pulling the flange portion of the mounting part, which is larger than the first through hole, out from the second panel side, and an attachment process of clamping the periphery of the second through hole between the flange portion of the mounting part that has passed through the first through hole and the cover part, and attaching the mounting part to the second panel. The extraction process is characterized in that the cover body extends from the flange portion in a tapered, approximately conical shape, and the protrusions of the cover part, which are protruding from the outer surface of the cover body, receive a load in the separation direction and deform a part of the flange portion in the separation direction, thereby making it possible to extract the flange portion from the first through hole.

According to this invention, the method of mounting the grommet allows the mounting part to be attached to the second through hole by passing it through the first through hole, even if the first through hole is approximately the same size as the second through hole.

The present invention provides a grommet and a method for attaching a mounting part to a second through hole by passing the mounting part through the first through hole, even if the first through hole is approximately the same size as the second through hole.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the grommet in an attached state. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an outline of the mounting direction of the grommet. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of the grommet as viewed from above and in the front direction. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of the grommet as viewed from below and rearward; FIG. 4 is a front view showing the appearance of the grommet. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5 . 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 5 . FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the second mounting portion along the line AA. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the insertion process of the second mounting portion in a cross section taken along the line A-A. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the removal process of the second mounting portion in a cross section taken along the line A-A. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the removal process of the second mounting portion in a cross section taken along the line A-A.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
The grommet 3 of this embodiment protects a wire harness W that connects a battery and an electrical device in a vehicle such as an automobile. Such a grommet 3 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8.

1 shows a plan view of the grommet 3 in an installed state, FIG. 2 shows an explanatory diagram of the installation direction of the grommet 3, FIG. 3 shows an external perspective view of the grommet 3 as viewed from above and in the front, and FIG. 4 shows an external perspective view of the grommet 3 as viewed from below and in the rear.
Furthermore, Figure 5 shows a front view of the grommet 3, Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Figure 5, Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Figure 5, and Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of the second mounting portion 30.

In addition, the arrow X in the figure indicates the front-to-rear direction of the grommet 3 (hereinafter referred to as the front-to-rear direction X), and the arrow Y indicates the width direction (hereinafter referred to as the width direction Y) which is a direction approximately perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction X in a plan view.
Furthermore, in the front-rear direction X, the direction from the first panel 1 to the second panel 2 is defined as the front, and the direction from the second panel 2 to the first panel 1 is defined as the rear. In addition, the upper side in FIG. 2 is defined as the upper side of the grommet 3, and the lower side in FIG. 2 is defined as the lower side of the grommet 3.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, a wire harness W is arranged so as to bridge a first panel 1 and a second panel 2 that constitute a vehicle.
Here, the first panel 1 is, for example, a back door panel supported on the body of a vehicle so as to be freely opened and closed. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a first through hole 1a having a substantially circular shape in a front view is formed in the first panel 1 so as to penetrate in the front-rear direction X.

On the other hand, the second panel 2 is, for example, a panel constituting the body of a vehicle, and is disposed facing the first panel 1 at a predetermined distance forward in the front-rear direction X. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second panel 2 is formed with a second through-hole 2a that penetrates in the front-rear direction X and is generally deformed in front view at a position spaced apart on one side Ya in the width direction Y from the first through-hole 1a.
The first through hole 1a of the first panel 1 and the second through hole 2a of the second panel 2 are formed to have substantially the same diameter.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the above-mentioned wire harness W is arranged across the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 by being inserted into the first through hole 1 a of the first panel 1 and the second through hole 2 a of the second panel 2.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1 , the wire harness W passes through the first through hole 1a along the front-rear direction X, is arranged approximately linearly between the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 toward one side Ya in the width direction Y, and is bent toward the front-rear direction X to pass through the second through hole 2a.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the wire harness W is inserted into a grommet 3 that is disposed across a first panel 1 and a second panel 2 and has a generally crank-like shape in a plan view.
The grommet 3 is made of a flexible material such as synthetic rubber, and has an internal space through which the wire harness W can be inserted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the grommet 3 is composed of a first mounting portion 10 that is attached to the first through hole 1a, a grommet body 20 that extends from the first mounting portion 10 to one side Ya in the width direction Y, and a second mounting portion 30 that is provided at the end of the grommet body 20 and is attached to the second through hole 2a.

As shown by the arrow M in Figure 2, the grommet 3 is configured so that the second mounting portion 30, which is inserted through the first through hole 1a toward the second panel 2, can be pulled out from the second panel 2 side and passed through the first through hole 1a, and then attached to the second through hole 2a.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first attachment portion 10 covers the first through hole 1a of the first panel 1 and is formed so as to be able to fit into the first through hole 1a.
Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 to 6 , the first mounting portion 10 is composed of a flange portion 11 having a generally annular shape when viewed from the front in the fore-and-aft direction X, and a hollow cover portion 12 extending forward in the fore-and-aft direction X from the flange portion 11.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first mounting portion 10 is attached to the first panel 1 with the flange portion 11 and the cover portion 12 sandwiching the periphery of the first through hole 1a.
In addition, the first mounting portion 10 may have any suitable shape as long as it can be attached by fitting into the first through hole 1a of the first panel 1, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted in this embodiment.

The grommet body 20 is formed in a shape that allows the wire harness W led out from the first mounting portion 10 to be inserted therein. As shown in FIG. 5, the grommet body 20 extends from a position above the approximate center of the first mounting portion 10 in a front view.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the grommet body 20 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape extending generally linearly in the width direction Y between the first panel 1 and the second panel 2. In addition, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the grommet body 20 has a bellows portion 20a formed in the vicinity of the approximate center in the width direction Y.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the end of the grommet body 20 on one side Ya in the width direction Y is bent forward in the front-rear direction X and connected to the second mounting part 30, and the end of the grommet body 20 on the other side Yb in the width direction Y is bent backward in the front-rear direction X and connected to the first mounting part 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second attachment portion 30 covers the second through hole 2a of the second panel 2 and is formed so as to be able to fit into the second through hole 2a.
Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 to 6, the second mounting portion 30 is composed of a flange portion 31 to which an end of the grommet body 20 is connected, a cover portion 32 extending in a tapered manner from the flange portion 31 toward the front side in the fore-and-aft direction X, and a tubular portion 33 extending from the cover portion 32 toward the front side in the fore-and-aft direction X.

In addition, the second attachment portion 30 has the flange portion 31 , the cover portion 32 , and the tube portion 33 arranged approximately coaxially with respect to an axial center along the front-rear direction X at the end of the grommet body 20 .
As shown in FIG. 1, the second mounting portion 30 is attached to the second panel 2 with the flange portion 31 and the cover portion 32 sandwiching the periphery of the second through hole 2a.

Next, the second attachment portion 30 will be described in detail. To facilitate the following explanation, the direction from the rear to the front in the front-rear direction X, i.e., the front-rear direction X from the first panel 1 to the second panel 2, will be described as the separation direction Xa away from the flange portion 31.

As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the flange portion 31 has a thickness in the separation direction Xa, is larger than the first through hole 1a and the second through hole 2a, and is formed in a generally circular ring shape in a front view having an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the flange portion 11 of the first mounting portion 10.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the inner circumferential surface of the flange portion 31 is formed to have substantially the same diameter as the inner diameter of the grommet body 20 .

Specifically, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the flange portion 31 is formed by coaxially arranging a cone portion 311 having a generally truncated cone shape to which the grommet body 20 is connected, and a flat portion 312 extending from the cone portion 311 in the separation direction Xa.

The cone portion 311 is formed in a generally truncated cone shape with a smaller diameter than the second through hole 2a on the grommet body 20 side and a larger diameter than the second through hole 2a on the cover portion 32 side. Therefore, the outer peripheral surface of the cone portion 311 is formed into a tapered surface 31a whose diameter gradually increases from the grommet body 20 side in the separation direction Xa.
As shown in FIG. 4, three ribs 313 are formed on the small diameter end face (the end face on the grommet body 20 side) of this cone portion 311 so as to extend downward from the grommet body 20 in a substantially radial pattern.

On the other hand, the flat plate portion 312 is formed in a generally circular plate shape with an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the large diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the cone portion 311. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, a peripheral portion 314 is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the flat plate portion 312 on the cover portion 32 side, standing in the separation direction Xa.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cover portion 32 extends in a tapered manner from the flange portion 31 in the separation direction Xa so as to cover the separation direction Xa side of the flange portion 31.
More specifically, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the cover portion 32 is composed of a cover main body 321 extending from the flange portion 31 in an approximately truncated cone shape, and a protrusion portion 322 protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the cover main body 321.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, in a cross section along the separation direction Xa, the cover body 321 is composed of an expanded diameter portion 321a whose outer diameter gradually expands as it moves from the flange portion 31 in the separation direction Xa, and a reduced diameter portion 321b whose outer diameter gradually decreases as it moves from the expanded diameter portion 321a in the separation direction Xa.

The outer diameter of the expanded diameter portion 321 a is smaller than the outer diameter of the flat portion 312 on the small diameter side, and expanded to an outer diameter approximately the same as the inner diameter of the peripheral portion 314 of the flange portion 31 on the large diameter side.
As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the outer diameter of the reduced diameter portion 321b is reduced from the expanded diameter portion 321a in the separation direction Xa so that the inclination of the outer circumferential surface with respect to the separation direction Xa is approximately constant in a cross section along the separation direction Xa.

Therefore, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the outer circumferential surface of the reduced diameter portion 321b is formed into a cross-sectional shape that is substantially flat in a cross section taken along the separating direction Xa.
The tip of this reduced diameter portion 321 b on the separating direction Xa side is reduced in diameter to a size smaller than the outer diameter of the grommet body 20 .

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the inner surface of the cover body 321 extends in the separation direction Xa with a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the flange portion 31, and then gradually becomes thinner in diameter in the separation direction Xa so that the thickness of the reduced diameter portion 321b is approximately constant.
For this reason, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, in a cross section along the separation direction Xa, the cover body 321 has a thick portion near the boundary between the enlarged diameter portion 321a and the reduced diameter portion 321b, which is thicker than other portions.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the reduced diameter portion 321b of the cover body 321 has a flat plate portion whose cross-sectional shape in a cross section along the separation direction Xa is a substantially flat plate shape in which both the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface are substantially flat and extend in a substantially straight line.

On the other hand, the protrusion 322 is formed as a deformation operation part that receives a load in the separation direction Xa and deforms a part of the flange part 31. As shown in FIG. 1, this protrusion 322 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cover body 321 on the side opposite to the first attachment part 10 in a plan view.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the protrusion 322 is formed on the flat plate portion of the reduced diameter portion 321b, closer to the tube portion 33 than the approximate center of the cover body 321 in the separation direction Xa. The protrusion 322 is an approximate rectangle measuring 5 mm square, and is formed so that the protrusion height from the outer circumferential surface of the cover body 321 is 1 mm or more.

The tubular portion 33 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape extending in the separation direction Xa from the end of the cover body 321. The tip of the tubular portion 33, which is the tip in the separation direction Xa, is formed in a shape that expands in diameter radially outward.
The cylindrical portion 33 is divided into a first half 33a and a second half 33b opposed to each other in the width direction Y by two slits 34 described later.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, in this second mounting portion 30, two slits 34 are formed in opposition to each other in the up-down direction, cut out over a length in the front-rear direction X from the tip of the tube portion 33 to the vicinity of the protrusion 322. In other words, the two slits 34 are formed adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the second mounting portion 30, sandwiching the protrusion 322 therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 8, the slit 34 is composed of a circular opening portion that is opened in a substantially circular shape when viewed from above, and a rectangular opening portion that is opened in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above.
More specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the circular opening portion of the slit 34 is formed so that its front end is located at the end of the protrusion 322 on the separating direction Xa side in plan view. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 8, the rectangular opening portion of the slit 34 is formed so as to extend from the circular opening portion to the tip of the tube portion 33 in plan view.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 8, in a vertical cross section along the separation direction Xa, the tubular portion 33 is divided into a first half portion 33a located on one side Ya in the width direction Y and having an outer peripheral surface continuous with the protrusion portion 322, and a second half portion 33b having an inner peripheral surface facing the first half portion 33a on the other side Yb in the width direction Y.

Next, a method of attaching the first attachment portion 10 and the second attachment portion 30 of the grommet 3 configured as described above to the first panel 1 and the second panel 2, respectively, will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 9 to 11.
Note that Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the insertion process of the second mounting portion 30 in a cross section taken along the line A-A, with Figure 9(a) showing an explanatory diagram of the state in which the tubular portion 33 of the second mounting portion 30 has been inserted into the first through hole 1a, and Figure 9(b) showing an explanatory diagram of the state in which the second mounting portion 30 is held.

Figures 10 and 11 are explanatory diagrams illustrating the removal process of the second attachment portion 30 in the cross section taken along the line A-A. Figure 10(a) shows an explanatory diagram of the operation for deforming the flange portion 31, and Figure 10(b) shows an explanatory diagram of the state in which part of the flange portion 31 has been deformed.

Furthermore, FIG. 11(a) shows an explanatory diagram of the process in which the flange portion 31 is pulled out of the first through hole 1a, and FIG. 11(b) shows an explanatory diagram of the process in which the second mounting portion 30 passes through the first through hole 1a.
For clarity of illustration, the wire harness W and the right hand RH of the operator are illustrated by two-dot chain lines in Figs. 9 to 11 .

First, as shown by the arrow M in FIG. 2, the worker inserts the second mounting portion 30 of the grommet 3, through which the wire harness W has been inserted, into the first through-hole 1a from the first panel 1 toward the second panel 2. At this time, the worker inserts the tube portion 33 and the cover portion 32 of the second mounting portion 30 into the first through-hole 1a in that order, as shown in FIG. 9(a).

Then, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the worker grasps the tube portion 33 that has passed through the first through hole 1a and pulls it toward the second panel 2 (in the separation direction Xa) until the protrusion portion 322 passes through the first through hole 1a.

When the protrusion 322 passes through the first through hole 1a, the worker starts the pulling-out process of pulling out the flange portion 31, which has an outer diameter larger than that of the first through hole 1a, from the second panel 2 side.
9(b) and 10(a), the worker moves the thumb of the right hand RH gripping the tube portion 33 to the protrusion 322. After that, the worker applies a load to the protrusion 322 in the separation direction Xa as shown by the thick arrow in FIG.
At this time, the worker applies a load to the protrusion 322 in the separating direction Xa by, for example, rotating the flint of a lighter, which is an ignition tool.

When a load is applied to the protrusion 322 in the separation direction Xa, the cover body 321 of the second attachment part 30 starts to bend and deform starting from the protrusion 322 so that the part from the protrusion 322 to the end on the flange part 31 side rotates in the separation direction Xa, as shown in FIG. 10(b). In other words, the cover body 321 bends and deforms so that the thick part near the boundary between the enlarged diameter part 321a and the reduced diameter part 321b moves in the separation direction Xa.

At this time, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b), in a cross section along the separation direction Xa, the first half portion 33a of the tubular portion 33 of the second mounting portion 30 displaces in the separation direction Xa in response to the deformation of the cover main body 321.
Furthermore, since the protrusion portion 322 is subjected to not only a load in the separation direction Xa but also a load in the width direction Y toward the wire harness W, the cover body 321 and the tubular portion 33 of the second mounting portion 30 are deformed so as to be displaced toward the other side Yb in the width direction Y.

Therefore, the inner circumferential surface of the cover body 321 between the protrusion 322 and the tubular portion 33, and the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 33 come into contact with the wire harness W, as shown in FIG. 10(b).
Although detailed illustration is omitted, when an operator holds the tubular portion 33, the second half portion 33b deforms toward the wire harness W so as to approach the first half portion 33a, and the inner surface of the second half portion 33b comes into contact with the wire harness W.

In this way, the cover portion 32 and the tube portion 33 deform integrally in the separation direction Xa and the other side Yb in the width direction Y, so that the tensile load in the separation direction Xa and the tensile load in the width direction Y on the other side Yb act on a part of the flange portion 31 located on an extension of an imaginary line connecting the first half portion 33a of the tube portion 33 and the protrusion portion 322. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the part of the flange portion 31 deforms so as to rotate in the separation direction Xa around the fulcrum near the connection point with the grommet body 20.

After deforming a portion of the flange portion 31, the worker tilts the second mounting portion 30 toward the second panel 2 (in the direction of the thick arrow in Figure 11 (a)) while applying a load to the protrusion portion 322 in the separation direction Xa, as shown in Figure 11 (a) , so that a portion of the deformed flange portion 31 is displaced toward the second panel 2.
At this time, the worker abuts the cover body 321 facing the portion where the protrusion portion 322 is provided against the periphery of the first through hole 1a in the width direction Y, and tilts the second mounting portion 30 using the periphery of the first through hole 1a as a fulcrum.

Then, the worker pulls the second mounting portion 30 together with the wire harness W toward the second panel 2 side, thereby pulling out a part of the deformed flange portion 31 from the first through hole 1a.
When a portion of the deformed flange portion 31 passes through the first through hole 1a, the worker repositions his/her right hand RH holding the tubular portion 33 so as to hook his/her thumb over the portion of the deformed flange portion 31, as shown in FIG. 11(b).

Thereafter, the worker pulls the second mounting portion 30 while twisting it in the width direction Y, as shown by the thick arrow in Figure 11 (b), thereby pulling the second mounting portion 30 out of the first through hole 1a and positioning it between the first panel 1 and the second panel 2.
When the second mounting portion 30 is moved between the first panel 1 and the second panel 2, the worker clamps the peripheral edge of the first through hole 1a between the flange portion 11 and the cover portion 12 of the first mounting portion 10, as shown in Figure 1, and attaches the first mounting portion 10 to the first panel 1.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the worker clamps the periphery of the second through hole 2a between the flange portion 31 and cover portion 32 of the second mounting portion 30 that has passed through the first through hole 1a, and attaches the second mounting portion 30 to the second panel 2. In this manner, the method of attaching the grommet 3 is to arrange the grommet 3 across the first panel 1 and the second panel 2.

As described above, the grommet 3 of this embodiment is composed of a grommet body 20 through which the wire harness W is inserted, the wire harness W being arranged across the first through hole 1a of the first panel 1 and the second through hole 2a of the second panel 2, and a second mounting portion 30 which is provided at an end of the grommet body 20 and is attached to the second through hole 2a.
The second attachment portion 30 of the grommet 3 is configured to be able to be pulled out from the second panel 2 side and pass through the first through hole 1a.

The second mounting portion 30 is connected to an end of the grommet body 20 and includes a generally annular flange portion 31 larger than the first through hole 1a, and a cover portion 32 extending tapered from the flange portion 31 in the separation direction Xa so as to cover the separation direction Xa side, and clamping the periphery of the second through hole 2a between the flange portion 31 and the cover portion 32.
Furthermore, the second attachment portion 30 includes a tubular portion 33 extending from the tapered end of the cover portion 32 .

The cover portion 32 is composed of a roughly conical cover main body 321 extending tapered from the flange portion 31, and a protrusion portion 322 protruding from the outer surface of the cover main body 321 so as to be capable of receiving a load in the separation direction Xa.
As a result, even if the first through hole 1a of the grommet 3 is approximately the same size as the second through hole 2a, the second mounting portion 30 can be attached to the second through hole 2a by passing it through the first through hole 1a.

Specifically, the tubular portion 33 of the grommet 3 can function as a handle that the worker holds in order to pull out the second mounting portion 30 of the grommet 3 that has been inserted through the first through hole 1a. This allows the worker to easily pull the second mounting portion 30 of the grommet 3 that has been inserted through the first through hole 1a from the second panel 2 side.

At this time, by pulling the tubular portion 33 of the grommet 3 while applying a load in the separating direction Xa to the protrusion portion 322, the worker can pull out the second mounting portion 30 from the first through hole 1a.
More specifically, since the cover body 321 is formed in a generally conical shape extending in the separating direction Xa, when a load in the separating direction Xa is applied to the protrusion 322, the cover body 321 of the grommet 3 starts to bend and deform starting from the protrusion 322 so that the portion on the flange portion 31 side relative to the protrusion 322 rotates toward the separating direction Xa. Therefore, the cover body 321 can apply a tensile load in the separating direction Xa to a portion of the flange portion 31.

As a result, a part of the flange portion 31 can be deformed in the separation direction Xa so as to rotate in the separation direction Xa with the connection point of the grommet body 20 as a fulcrum. Therefore, the outer shape of the flange portion 31 of the grommet 3 can be deformed to a size that allows it to be pulled out of the first through hole 1 a.
Therefore, even if the first through hole 1a of the grommet 3 is approximately the same size as the second through hole 2a, the second mounting portion 30 can be attached to the second through hole 2a by passing it through the first through hole 1a.

The protrusion 322 is formed closer to the tube portion 33 than the approximate center of the cover body 321 in the separation direction Xa.
According to this configuration, the grommet 3 can make the tensile load in the separation direction Xa acting on a part of the flange portion 31 larger than when the protrusion 322 is provided closer to the flange portion 31 than approximately the center in the separation direction Xa. Therefore, the grommet 3 can reliably deform the part of the flange portion 31.

The protrusion 322 is formed on a portion of the cover body 321 whose cross section along the separation direction Xa is substantially flat.
According to this configuration, the grommet 3 can bend and deform the cover body 321 more efficiently than when, for example, the protrusion 322 is provided on a portion of the curved cross-sectional shape of the cover body 321. Therefore, the grommet 3 can more reliably deform a portion of the flange portion 31.

The flange portion 31 has a tapered surface 31a on the outer circumferential edge on the grommet body 20 side.
According to this configuration, when the flange portion 31 passes through the first through hole 1a, the grommet 3 can suppress contact between the outer peripheral edge of the flange portion 31 and the peripheral edge of the first through hole 1a. Therefore, the grommet 3 can make it easier to pull out the flange portion 31 from the first through hole 1a compared to a case in which the tapered surface 31a is not provided.

The second attachment portion 30 is provided with a slit 34 adjacent to the protrusion 322 and cut out from the tip of the tubular portion 33 to the vicinity of the protrusion 322 .
According to this configuration, the tubular portion 33 of the grommet 3 can deform in the separating direction Xa following the deformation of the cover body 321 in the separating direction Xa. Therefore, the tubular portion 33 of the grommet 3 can further promote the deformation of the cover body 321 and apply a larger tensile load to a portion of the flange portion 31. This allows the grommet 3 to deform a portion of the flange portion 31 more reliably.

Further, the inner surface of the cover body 321 is formed so that at least the portion from the protrusion 322 to the tube portion 33 is substantially flat in a cross section along the separation direction Xa.
According to this configuration, when the second mounting portion 30 is pulled out from the first through hole 1a, the grommet 3 can also apply a tensile load in the separation direction Xa to the wire harness W, so that the second mounting portion 30 and the wire harness W can be pulled out from the first through hole 1a at approximately the same time.

Specifically, when a load toward the wire harness W located inside the second mounting portion 30 is applied to the protrusion 322, the portion of the cover body 321 of the grommet 3 from the protrusion 322 to the tube portion 33 deforms toward the wire harness W and comes into contact with the wire harness W.

In this case, since the inner surface of the cover body 321 is formed in a substantially flat shape, the grommet 3 can ensure a large contact area between the inner surface of the cover body 321 and the wire harness W compared to when the inner surface of the cover body 321 has an uneven shape.

Therefore, when the second mounting portion 30 is pulled out from the first through hole 1a, the grommet 3 suppresses relative movement between the second mounting portion 30 and the wire harness W, and can also apply a tensile load in the separation direction Xa to the wire harness W.
As a result, when the second mounting portion 30 of the grommet 3 is pulled out from the first through hole 1a, the second mounting portion 30 and the wire harness W can be pulled out from the first through hole 1a substantially simultaneously.

Moreover, the protrusion 322 protrudes from the outer surface of the cover body 321 by a height of 1 mm or more.
According to this configuration, the grommet 3 can reliably allow an operator to recognize the position of the protrusion 322, and can reliably bear the load in the separating direction Xa.

Furthermore, the protrusion 322 is more likely to catch the operator's finger than when the protrusion height is less than 1 mm. Therefore, when the operator applies a load to the protrusion 322 in the separation direction Xa, the protrusion 322 can prevent the operator's finger from slipping.
This allows the grommet 3 to improve both the workability and safety when pulling out the second mounting portion 30 from the first through hole 1a.

The protrusion 322 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape of 5 mm square. This allows the grommet 3 to have an area for the operator's fingers to catch, and also ensures that it can withstand the load in the separation direction Xa.

The mounting method of the grommet 3 in this embodiment is a mounting method for a grommet 3 that is configured with a grommet body 20 through which the wire harness W is inserted and that is routed across the first through hole 1a of the first panel 1 and the second through hole 2a of the second panel 2, and a second mounting portion 30 that is provided at the end of the grommet body 20 and is attached to the second through hole 2a.

The method of mounting the grommet 3 includes a substantially annular flange portion 31 to which the end of the grommet body 20 is connected, a cover portion 32 extending tapered from the flange portion 31 in the separation direction Xa so as to cover the separation direction Xa side, and a tube portion 33 extending from the tapered end of the cover portion 32. The method includes a step of inserting the cover portion 32 and the tube portion 33 of the second mounting portion 30 into the first through hole 1a of the first panel 1 toward the second panel 2 side.

The grommet 3 is attached by a pulling-out process in which the flange portion 31 of the second mounting portion 30, which is larger than the first through-hole 1a, is pulled out from the second panel 2, and an attachment process in which the flange portion 31 of the second mounting portion 30 that has passed through the first through-hole 1a is clamped at the periphery of the second through-hole 2a between the cover portion 32 and the flange portion 31 of the second mounting portion 30, which has passed through the first through-hole 1a, and attached to the second panel 2.

The extraction process is a process in which the cover body 321, which extends from the flange portion 31 in a tapered, approximately conical shape, and the protrusion 322 of the cover portion 32, which is formed on the outer surface of the cover body 321, receive a load in the separation direction Xa and deform a part of the flange portion 31 in the separation direction Xa, thereby making it possible to extract the flange portion 31 from the first through hole 1a.

According to this, even if the first through hole 1a is approximately the same size as the second through hole 2a, the second mounting part 30 can be attached to the second through hole 2a by passing it through the first through hole 1a.

In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence with the above-mentioned embodiment,
The mounting portion of the present invention corresponds to the second mounting portion 30 of the embodiment,
The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

For example, in the above embodiment, the first panel 1 and the second panel 2 are configured as components of a vehicle such as an automobile, but the panel is not limited to a vehicle such as an automobile as long as it is a thin plate-like member to which the grommet 3 can be attached.
Further, although the grommet 3 has a generally crank-like shape in plan view, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a grommet extending generally linearly in plan view, or a grommet generally arc-shaped in plan view.
Further, although the cylindrical portion 33 of the second attachment portion 30 is grasped with the right hand RH of the operator, this is not limited thereto, and the cylindrical portion 33 may be grasped with the left hand of the operator.

In addition, the grommet 3 has the first mounting portion 10 and the second mounting portion 30, but is not limited thereto and may have only the second mounting portion. Even in this case, the first through hole 1a and the second through hole 2a have approximately the same diameter.
In addition, the first mounting portion 10 and the second mounting portion 30 are generally circular when viewed from the front, but are not limited thereto, and may be generally elliptical when viewed from the front. In this case, the protrusion of the second mounting portion is formed so as to be located on the major axis of the generally elliptical shape when viewed from the front.

Further, although the cylindrical portion 33 extends in the separation direction Xa from the cover portion 32, the present invention is not limited to this.
Further, although two slits 34 are provided in the second attachment portion 30, the present invention is not limited to this and one slit or three or more slits may be provided.

In addition, although the cover portion 32 is configured to have one protrusion 322, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of protrusions may be provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the protrusion 322 may be provided at an appropriate position in the circumferential direction.
Furthermore, although the protrusion 322 is approximately rectangular, this is not limited to this, and the protrusion may be any suitable shape, such as circular, oblong, or triangular, as long as the shape is such that an operator can hook his or her finger thereon and that the protrusion can withstand the load in the separation direction Xa.

1...First panel 1a...First through hole 2...Second panel 2a...Second through hole 3...Grommet 20...Grommet body 30...Second mounting portion 31...Flange portion 31a...Tapered surface 32...Cover portion 33...Cylinder portion 34...Slit 321...Cover body 322...Protrusion portion W...Wire harness Xa...Separation direction

Claims (8)

a grommet body through which a wire harness is inserted, the wire harness being routed across the first through hole of the first panel and the second through hole of the second panel;
a mounting portion provided at an end of the grommet body and attached to the second through hole,
The mounting portion is
The second panel is configured to be pulled out from the second panel and pass through the first through hole,
an annular flange portion to which an end of the grommet body is connected and which is larger than the first through hole;
a cover portion that extends tapered from the flange portion in the separation direction so as to cover a side of the grommet body that is away from the flange portion and that sandwiches a periphery of the second through hole between the flange portion and the cover portion;
and a cylindrical portion extending from a tapered end of the cover portion,
The cover portion is
A substantially cone-shaped cover body extending tapered from the flange portion;
a grommet comprising a protrusion protruding from an outer surface of the cover body so as to be capable of receiving a load in the separating direction. The protrusion is
The grommet according to claim 1 , wherein the grommet is formed closer to the cylindrical portion than a substantial center of the cover body in the separating direction. The protrusion is
3. The grommet according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the cover body taken along the separating direction is formed into a substantially flat plate-like portion. The flange portion is
The grommet according to claim 1 , wherein a tapered surface is provided on an outer peripheral edge of the grommet body. The mounting portion is
5. The grommet according to claim 1, further comprising a slit adjacent to the protrusion, the slit being cut from the tip of the cylindrical portion to the vicinity of the protrusion. The inner surface of the cover body is
The grommet according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion extending from the protruding portion to the cylindrical portion is formed to be substantially flat in a cross section along the separating direction. The protrusion is
The grommet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the height of the protrusion from the outer surface of the cover body is 1 mm or more. A method for attaching a grommet including a grommet body into which a wire harness is inserted, the wire harness being routed across a first through hole of a first panel and a second through hole of a second panel, and an attachment portion provided at an end of the grommet body and attached to the second through hole, comprising:
an insertion process of inserting the cover portion and the tubular portion of the mounting portion, which is configured of a substantially annular flange portion to which an end of the grommet body is connected, a cover portion extending tapered from the flange portion in a separation direction so as to cover a side away from the flange portion toward a side opposite the grommet body, and a tubular portion extending from an end of the cover portion on the tapered side, into the first through hole of the first panel toward the second panel;
a pulling process of pulling out the flange portion of the mounting portion, which is larger than the first through hole, from the second panel side;
an attachment process of attaching the mounting portion to the second panel by clamping a periphery of the second through hole between the flange portion of the mounting portion that has passed through the first through hole and the cover portion;
The drawing step includes:
A grommet installation method comprising: a cover body extending from the flange portion in a tapered, approximately conical shape; and a protrusion protruding from the outer surface of the cover body; when the protrusion of the cover portion receives a load in the separation direction, it deforms a portion of the flange portion in the separation direction, thereby making it possible to pull the flange portion out of the first through hole.

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