JP7633813B2 - Grommet, wire harness, and method for attaching wire harness - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a grommet, a wire harness, and a method for installing a wire harness.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a clamp that has the functions of attaching a pipe harness, in which electric wires pass through a metal pipe, to a vehicle body and fitting and fixing a grommet onto the pipe harness. This clamp has a thin hinge that connects two parts having a pair of semicircular inner surfaces, a locking part and a locked part that are provided on the divided ends of each part and lock them together, a vehicle body fixing part provided on one of the parts, and a circumferential grommet fixing protrusion provided on the semicircular inner surface of each part. The clamp then covers each part with a cylindrical part of a grommet made of rubber or elastomer that fits onto the pipe harness, and fixes the grommet fixing protrusions of each part by pressing them against the entire outer periphery of the cylindrical part of the grommet.

JP 2013-67292 A

In the invention of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a cylindrical portion of a grommet is fitted to the outer periphery of a metal pipe (pipe harness) through which multiple electric wires pass, and the grommet fixing protrusions of each part of the clamp are pressed against the entire outer periphery of the cylindrical portion of the grommet to seal water. However, in the invention of Patent Document 1, when the ends of multiple electric wires are connected to a connector, each electric wire is passed through a metal pipe and then connected to the connector in the vehicle. For this reason, the invention of Patent Document 1 requires a lot of wiring work, which takes a lot of time, and is difficult to work in a narrow vehicle. In addition, the invention of Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration sealing the gaps that occur between multiple electric wires in the grommet part. Generally, sealing the gaps that occur between multiple electric wires is performed by pouring in a silicone waterproofing liquid and hardening it, but it is difficult to sufficiently seal the gaps with waterproofing liquid for large diameter electric wires that have larger gaps.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a grommet, a wire harness, and a method for attaching a wire harness that can improve work efficiency and ensure waterproof performance.

To achieve the above object, the grommet of the present invention comprises an annular water-stopping section that is fitted into a through hole formed in an attachment panel to stop water, a number of tubular sections that pass through the water-stopping section, a communication section that connects the tubular sections along the line of the tubular sections to connect the insides of the tubular sections together, and a pressing member that presses all of the tubular sections and the communication sections inward from the periphery when a wiring material is inserted into each of the tubular sections, thereby pressing the inner circumferential surface of each of the tubular sections against the outer circumferential surface of each of the wiring materials.

In order to achieve the above object, the wire harness according to the present invention has a plurality of electrically conductive wiring materials and a grommet arranged to bundle the wiring materials, and the grommet has an annular water-stopping section that is inserted into a through hole formed in an attachment panel to stop water, a plurality of tubular sections that pass through the water-stopping section, a communication section that connects the tubular sections along the arrangement of the plurality of tubular sections to connect the insides of the tubular sections into one, and a pressing member that presses all the tubular sections and the communication section inward from the periphery when the wiring materials are inserted into the respective tubes of the tubular sections, and presses the inner peripheral surface of each of the tubular sections against the outer peripheral surface of each of the wiring materials.

In order to achieve the above object, the method of mounting a wire harness according to the present invention includes a plurality of electrically conductive wiring materials, a connector to which the wiring materials are connected together, and a grommet provided in a manner to bundle the wiring materials together, the grommet having an annular water-stopping portion that is inserted into a through hole formed in a mounting panel to stop water, a plurality of tubular portions that penetrate the water-stopping portion, a communication portion that connects the tubular portions along the arrangement of the plurality of tubular portions to connect the insides of the tubular portions together, and a state in which the wiring materials are inserted into each of the tubular portions. and a pressing member that presses all of the tubular portions and the communicating portions inward from the periphery and presses the inner peripheral surface of each of the tubular portions against the outer peripheral surface of each of the wiring materials. The method includes the steps of collectively expanding each of the tubular portions connected together in the grommet, inserting the connector and each of the wiring materials into each of the expanded tubular portions, and pressing each of the tubular portions and the communicating portions inward from the periphery with the pressing member and pressing the inner peripheral surface of each of the tubular portions against the outer peripheral surface of each of the wiring materials.

The grommet, wire harness, and wire harness installation method of the present invention have the effect of improving work efficiency and ensuring watertight performance.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a grommet according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the grommet according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the grommet and the wire harness according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the grommet and the wire harness according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for attaching the wire harness according to the embodiment. 6A to 6C are partial perspective views illustrating a procedure for attaching the wire harness according to the embodiment. 7A to 7C are partial perspective views illustrating a procedure for attaching the wire harness according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view illustrating a procedure for attaching the wire harness according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the wire harness according to the embodiment after installation. FIG. 10 is an enlarged front view of the wire harness according to the embodiment after installation.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiment include those that are easily replaceable by a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[Embodiment]
The grommet 1 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is incorporated into a wire harness WH to be wired in a vehicle or the like. Here, the wire harness WH is, for example, a wiring material W used for power supply or signal communication to connect each device mounted on a vehicle, and is connected to each device by a connector 200 (see FIG. 8 ) or the like. The wire harness WH includes a wiring material W having conductivity and a grommet 1 provided on the wiring material W and through which the wiring material W is inserted. The wire harness WH may further include various components such as exterior members such as a corrugated tube, a resin tape, and a protector, an electrical connection box, and a fixing device. The wiring material W is, for example, an electric wire. The electric wire is a conductor portion (core wire) made of a plurality of conductive metal wires, the outside of which is covered with an insulating covering portion. Here, the wiring material W is, for example, a thick electric wire used in a high-voltage system. The wire harness WH bundles and aggregates a plurality of wiring materials W, and various devices are electrically connected via connectors 200 etc. provided at the ends of the bundled wiring materials W.

The grommet 1 is applied to the through hole 101 formed in the mounting panel 100 to be mounted when wiring the wiring material W across two spaces divided by the mounting panel 100 as a boundary. The mounting panel 100 is, for example, a metal plate constituting the body of a vehicle, and the through hole 101 penetrates the mounting panel 100 in the plate thickness direction. The two spaces divided by the mounting panel 100 are typically the interior space (e.g., the cabin) and the exterior space (e.g., the engine compartment). The grommet 1 is assembled to the through hole 101 in a state in which the wiring material W of the wire harness WH is inserted and sheathed around the wiring material W, thereby protecting the wiring material W passing through the through hole 101 and waterproofing the through hole 101. The grommet 1 has functions such as waterproofing the through hole 101, dustproofing, and soundproofing. The configuration of grommet 1 will be explained in detail below with reference to each figure.

In the following description, for convenience, of the first, second, and third directions that intersect with each other, the first direction will be referred to as the "axial direction X", the second direction will be referred to as the "width direction Y", and the third direction will be referred to as the "height direction Z". The axial direction X, width direction Y, and height direction Z are typically mutually perpendicular. Here, the axial direction X corresponds to the plate thickness direction of the mounting panel 100 described above, and corresponds to the insertion direction of the wiring material W and grommet 1 into the through hole 101. In other words, the axial direction X is the direction along the extension direction of the wiring material W inserted into the grommet 1. The width direction Y and height direction Z correspond to the extension direction of the mounting panel 100. Here, for the sake of clarity, the wiring material W is described as being linearly wired along the axial direction X, but this is not limiting, and the wiring material W inserted into the grommet 1 may be partially bent or curved so as to deviate from the axial direction X when the grommet 1 is attached to the mounting panel 100. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the directions used in the following description are described as directions when the grommet 1 is assembled to the mounting panel 100.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the grommet 1 of this embodiment includes a grommet body 10, a grommet inner 20, and a pressing member 30.

The grommet body 10 is composed of a main body portion 11, a tubular portion 12, a communication portion 13, and a flexible portion 14, which are integrated together to form an elastic body. The grommet body 10 is formed from an insulating elastic resin material that has low rigidity and high flexibility, such as rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer (e.g., ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM)).

The main body 11 is a portion that, when attached to the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100, waterproofs the through hole 101 and through which the wiring material W is inserted along the axial direction X. The main body 11 is configured to include a waterproof portion 11A and a blocking portion 11B, and is formed in a dome shape as a whole.

The water-stopping portion 11A is formed in an annular shape so as to surround the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100. The water-stopping portion 11A is a portion that contacts the water-stopping surface 102, which is configured as one surface facing the axial direction X of the mounting panel 100, and stops water between the water-stopping surface 102. The water-stopping portion 11A of this embodiment is configured to include a first lip portion 11Aa and a second lip portion 11Ab. The first lip portion 11Aa is formed in a tongue shape so that the tip faces the water-stopping surface 102, and is formed as an annular outer peripheral portion along the annular shape of the water-stopping portion 11A. The second lip portion 11Ab is formed in a tongue shape so that the tip faces the water-stopping surface 102, and is formed as an annular inner peripheral portion along the annular shape of the water-stopping portion 11A. The first lip portion 11Aa and the second lip portion 11Ab are integrally connected to each other at their base ends. When the grommet 1 is attached to the through hole 101, the first lip portion 11Aa and the second lip portion 11Ab are configured to elastically deform and adhere to the water-stopping surface 102 around the periphery of the through hole 101, thereby sealing the entire periphery of the through hole 101.

The blocking portion 11B is formed integrally with the base ends of the first lip portion 11Aa and the second lip portion 11Ab in the water stop portion 11A, and is formed to block the annular shape of the water stop portion 11A. Therefore, the blocking portion 11B is configured to cover and block the through hole 101 together with the water stop portion 11A on the water stop surface 102 side of the mounting panel 100 to which the water stop portion 11A is in close contact. As shown in FIG. 3, a continuous annular groove portion 11C is formed on the inner surface of the main body portion 11 between the blocking portion 11B and the water stop portion 11A.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the tube portion 12 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape integral with the main body portion 11, and the wiring material W is inserted inside along the axial direction X. The tube portion 12 is provided integrally with the blocking portion 11B. The tube portion 12 is configured to extend from the blocking portion 11B along the axial direction X so as to move away from the water-stopping surface 102 of the mounting panel 100, and to penetrate the blocking portion 11B. Therefore, the wiring material W inserted into the tube portion 12 is arranged to penetrate the main body portion 11. A plurality of the tube portions 12 are formed side by side. In this embodiment, two tube portions 12 are formed side by side along the width direction Y. One tube portion 12 inserts one wiring material W. One wiring material W is typically configured as one electric wire.

The inner circumferential surface 12B of the tube portion 12 protrudes toward the inside of the tube 12A, and ribs 12C are formed along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical shape. A plurality of ribs 12C are formed in the axial direction X, which is the extension direction of the tube portion 12. In this embodiment, the ribs 12C are formed at a total of three locations: at the tip of the tube portion 12 that extends away from the occlusion portion 11B, and midway along the extension.

The communication portion 13 is formed to connect the multiple tube portions 12. The communication portion 13 connects each tube portion 12 along the arrangement of the multiple tube portions 12. The communication portion 13 connects the tube interiors 12A of the multiple tube portions 12 as one ring. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the communication portion 13 includes a pair of communication walls 13A facing each other in the height direction Z, and a communication hole 13B formed between the inner wall surfaces 13C of the facing communication walls 13A. Each communication wall 13A is provided along the width direction Y so as to connect each tube portion 12 in the arrangement direction of the multiple tube portions 12. Each communication wall 13A is formed to extend in the same manner as the tube portion 12 along the axial direction X in which the tube portion 12 extends. The communication wall 13A is formed in a constricted shape with respect to the outer circumferential surface 12D of the plurality of tube portions 12 having a substantially cylindrical shape, and communicates with a part of each tube portion 12. The communication wall 13A is formed such that the distance in the height direction Z between the pair of opposing inner wall surfaces 13C is wider at the center side in the arrangement direction (here, the width direction Y) of the tube portions 12 than at the end sides in the arrangement direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, in the communication portion 13, the pair of inner wall surfaces 13C are formed to be slightly curved so that the distance G1 at the center side in the arrangement direction of the tube portions 12 is wider than the distance G2 at the end sides in the arrangement direction. In other words, the pair of inner wall surfaces 13C are formed to be slightly curved so that they gradually approach each other in the height direction Z as they go from the center side to both ends along the arrangement direction of the tube portions 12. The communication holes 13B are provided to divide the opposing inner wall surfaces 13C of each communication wall 13A, and are formed continuously in the axial direction X, connecting the cylindrical interiors 12A of the multiple cylindrical sections 12 as a single ring.

As shown in FIG. 3, the flexible portion 14 is provided so as to surround the tubular portion 12 and the communication portion 13, and is formed so as to connect the tubular portion 12 and the communication portion 13 to the blocking portion 11B. The flexible portion 14 is formed in a bellows shape and is allowed to bend in the width direction Y, the height direction Z, and the axial direction X.

The grommet inner 20 is a member on which the grommet body 10 is attached and through which the wiring material W is inserted inside, and which can be fitted along the edge of the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the grommet inner 20 includes a main body 21, a claw portion 22, and a flange portion 23. The grommet inner 20 is formed as a rigid body having higher rigidity than the grommet body 10 by integrating the main body 21, the claw portion 22, and the flange portion 23. The grommet inner 20 is formed of a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene (PP) having higher rigidity than the grommet body 10. The main body 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction X along the shape of the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100, and the cylindrical shape is divided into a first member 21A and a second member 21B. The first member 21A and the second member 21B are formed symmetrically, and the claws 21Aa, 21Ba and the holes 21Ab, 21Bb are fitted together to form a cylindrical shape. The claws 22 are formed to protrude outward from the outer peripheral surfaces of the first member 21A and the second member 21B of the main body 21. The claws 22 are provided so as to hook onto the edge of the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100, and the main body 21 is attached to the edge of the through hole 101. The flange 23 extends toward the outside of the main body 21 at one end of the cylindrical shape of the main body 21, and is provided continuously in the circumferential direction along the cylindrical shape of the main body 21. The flange 23 is formed by dividing the first member 21A and the second member 21B of the main body 21. The flange 23 is inserted into a groove 11C formed in the main body 11 of the grommet body 10. The grommet inner 20 is formed into a cylindrical shape by fitting the first member 21A and the second member 21B together with the grommet body 10, with the flange 23 inserted into the groove 11C of the body 11 of the grommet body 10, and in this state, the claw 22 is hooked onto the edge of the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100, as shown in FIG. 3. The grommet body 10 mounted in the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100 by the grommet inner 20 exerts water-stopping performance by contacting the water-stopping surface 102 of the mounting panel 100 with the first lip 11Aa and the second lip 11Ab of the water-stopping portion 11A. Note that here, the first member 21A and the second member 21B are described as being formed separately, but they may be formed by being connected in a hinge shape so that they can be opened and closed relative to each other.

The pressing member 30 is a member that is attached around the tubular portion 12 and the communicating portion 13 of the grommet body 10. The pressing member 30 is formed as a rigid body with higher rigidity than the grommet body 10. The pressing member 30 is formed of a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene (PP) that has higher rigidity than the grommet body 10. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pressing member 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to surround the outer circumferential surfaces 12D, 13D (see Figure 4) of each tubular portion 12 and the communicating portion 13, and the cylindrical shape is divided into a first member 30A and a second member 30B. The first member 30A and the second member 30B are formed in a symmetrical shape, and the claws 30Aa, 30Ba and the flanges 30Ab, 30Bb are fitted together to form a cylindrical shape. The pressing member 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and presses the cylindrical portion 12 and the communication portion 13 of the grommet body 10 inward from the periphery. When pressing, the pressing member 30 is configured to include a cylindrical pressing portion 30C and a protruding pressing portion 30D. The cylindrical pressing portion 30C and the protruding pressing portion 30D are formed by dividing into a first member 30A and a second member 30B. The cylindrical pressing portion 30C is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to surround each cylindrical portion 12 of the grommet body 10, and the cylindrical shape is divided into approximately half into the first member 30A and the second member 30B. The cylindrical pressing portions 30C of the first member 30A and the second member 30B are formed as semicircular ribs 30Ca surrounding each cylindrical portion 12. The ribs 30Ca forming the cylindrical pressing portion 30C are provided in a plurality of positions in the axial direction X, which is the extension direction of the tubular portion 12. In this embodiment, the ribs 30Ca forming the cylindrical pressing portion 30C are formed at three positions in the axial direction X. The protruding pressing portion 30D is disposed outside the communicating portion 13 of the grommet body 10, and is formed separately as a first member 30A and a second member 30B. As described above, the communicating portion 13 is formed such that the outer peripheral surface 13D is constricted with respect to the outer peripheral surfaces 12D of the plurality of substantially cylindrical tubular portions 12, and the protruding pressing portion 30D disposed outside the communicating portion 13 is formed to protrude between the plurality of cylindrical pressing portions 30C so as to be inserted into the constricted shape of the outer peripheral surface 13D of the communicating portion 13. The protruding pressing portion 30D is formed as a rib 30Da that is inserted into the constricted shape of the outer peripheral surface 13D of the communicating portion 13. The rib 30Da forming the protruding pressing portion 30D has a surface that presses the communication portion 13 and is formed flat and continuous in the width direction Y, which is the arrangement direction of the multiple tube portions 12. The ribs 30Da forming the protruding pressing portion 30D are provided in a plurality of positions in the axial direction X, which is the extension direction of the tube portions 12. In this embodiment, the ribs 30Da forming the protruding pressing portion 30D are formed at three positions in the axial direction X. The ribs 30Da forming the protruding pressing portion 30D are formed continuously with the rib 30Ca forming the cylindrical pressing portion 30C. Note that, although the first member 30A and the second member 30B are described here as being formed separately, they may be formed by being connected in a hinge shape so that they can be opened and closed relative to each other.

Now, with reference to Figures 6 to 10, we will explain the installation procedure, which is a method for installing the wire harness WH using the grommet 1 described above. Note that Figure 6 illustrates the tubular portion 12 and the communication portion 13, and omits the main body portion 11 and the flexible portion 14.

First, as shown in FIG. 6, in the grommet 1, each tubular portion 12 connected together by the communication portion 13 is expanded together. The expansion device 300 is used to expand the tubular portion 12. The expansion device 300 includes a drive device (not shown), a plurality of moving parts 301 that are moved closer to or farther away from each other by the drive device, and rod-shaped insertion parts 302 fixed to each moving part 301. The expansion device 300 moves each moving part 301 with each insertion part 302 in a parallel state by the drive device. Then, in the expansion device 300, each insertion part 302 is arranged close to each other in a state where each moving part 301 is moved closer to each other, and each insertion part 302 is inserted into each tubular portion 12 connected together, and then each moving part 301 is moved away from each other by the drive device. Then, the expander 300 expands each of the connected tube sections 12 together using each of the insertion sections 302 that are spaced apart from each other. This is the expansion step (S1) shown in FIG. 5.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the connector 200 and multiple wiring materials W connected to the connector 200 are inserted into the cylindrical interior 12A of each cylindrical portion 12 that has been expanded into one. This is the insertion process (S2) shown in FIG. 5.

After the connector 200 and the wiring material W are inserted, the expansion by the expander 300 is stopped and each tubular portion 12 and communication portion 13 is returned to its original shape, as shown in FIG. 7.

7 and 8, the pressing member 30 presses each tubular portion 12 and the communicating portion 13 inward from the periphery in the height direction Z, pressing the inner peripheral surface 12B of each tubular portion 12 against the outer peripheral surface of each wiring material W. The pressing member 30 has a divided first member 30A and a second member 30B, so that the wiring material W inserted into each tubular portion 12 can be passed through its own cylindrical shape. This pressing member 30 can be obtained by molding the same member, because the first member 30A and the second member 30B are formed symmetrically. This is the pressing process (S3) shown in FIG. 5.

Then, the first member 21A and the second member 21B of the grommet inner 20 are assembled to the grommet body 10 so that the wiring material W passes through the cylindrical inside, and the first member 21A and the second member 21B are fitted together. The grommet inner 20 can be easily inserted into the groove 11C of the grommet body 10 because it has the divided first member 21A and the second member 21B. Also, the grommet inner 20 can be easily fitted into the grommet body 10 while avoiding the wiring material W because it has the divided first member 21A and the second member 21B. This grommet inner 20 can be obtained by molding the same member because the first member 21A and the second member 21B are formed symmetrically. Through the above steps, a wire harness WH is formed in which grommets 1 are attached to multiple wiring materials W connected to the connector 200.

Then, the end of the wiring material W opposite to the end to which the connector 200 is connected is inserted into the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100, and the main body 21 of the grommet inner 20 is fitted into the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100. As a result, with the flange 23 inserted into the groove 11C of the main body 11 of the grommet main body 10, the claw portion 22 hooks onto the edge of the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100, and the grommet inner 20 is attached to the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100 together with the grommet main body 10.

As described above, the grommet 1 and the wire harness WH of this embodiment include an annular water-stopping portion 11A that is attached to the through hole 101 formed in the mounting panel 100 to stop water, a plurality of tubular portions 12 that pass through the water-stopping portion 11A, a communication portion 13 that connects each of the tubular portions 12 along the arrangement of the plurality of tubular portions 12 and connects the tubular interiors 12A of each of the tubular portions 12 into one, and a pressing member 30 that presses all of the tubular portions 12 and the communication portion 13 inward from the periphery when the wiring material W is inserted into each of the tubular interiors 12A of each of the tubular portions 12, thereby pressing the inner circumferential surface 12B of each of the tubular portions 12 against the outer circumferential surface of each of the wiring material W.

With this grommet 1 and wire harness WH, the insides 12A of the tubular portions 12 through which the wiring materials W are inserted are connected together by the communication portions 13, so that the connector 200 to which multiple wiring materials W are connected can be inserted together with each wiring material W into the insides 12A of each tubular portion 12. Therefore, with this grommet 1 and wire harness WH, it is not necessary to pass each of the multiple wiring materials W through the tubular portions 12 before connecting them to the connector 200. As a result, with this grommet 1 and wire harness WH, the number of steps required for wiring can be reduced, improving work efficiency. Moreover, with this grommet 1 and wire harness WH, the inner circumferential surface 12B of each tubular portion 12 is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of each wiring material W by the pressing member 30, so that watertight performance can be ensured.

In addition, in the grommet 1 of this embodiment, the communication portion 13 is formed in a constricted shape relative to the outer peripheral surfaces 12D of the multiple tubular portions 12, and the pressing member 30 includes multiple tubular pressing portions 30C that press the tubular portions 12, and protruding pressing portions 30D that are located between the multiple tubular pressing portions 30C and press the communication portion 13.

According to this grommet 1, the pressing member 30 presses the outer peripheral surface 12D of each tubular portion 12 with each cylindrical pressing portion 30C to press each tubular portion 12 against the outer peripheral surface of each wiring material W to stop water, and presses the communication portion 13 formed in a constricted shape relative to the outer peripheral surface 12D of the multiple tubular portions 12 with the protruding pressing portion 30D to stop water between each tubular portion 12 in which the communication portion 13 is provided. In this way, according to this grommet 1, the pressing member 30 can stop water between the tubular portion 12 and the wiring material W with the cylindrical pressing portion 30C, and can stop water between each cylindrical pressing portion 30C with the protruding pressing portion 30D. As a result, this grommet 1 can ensure water stopping performance.

In addition, in the grommet 1 of this embodiment, the communication portion 13 is formed such that the distance along the pressing direction (height direction Z) between a pair of inner wall surfaces 13C that face each other in the pressing direction by the protruding pressing portion 30D is wider at the center side of the arrangement direction of the tubular portions 12 than at the ends of the arrangement direction, and the protruding pressing portion 30D is formed flat in the arrangement direction.

According to this grommet 1, in the communicating portion 13 pressed by the protruding pressing portion 30D formed flat in the arrangement direction of the tubular portions 12, the pressing stroke is larger at the center side in the arrangement direction of the tubular portions 12 than at the ends in the arrangement direction due to the difference in the spacing along the pressing direction. Therefore, according to this grommet 1, the amount of pressing is larger at the center side in the arrangement direction of the tubular portions 12, and the center side is deformed toward both ends in the arrangement direction closer to the tubular portions 12. As a result, according to this grommet 1, the communicating portion 13 can be pressed evenly. Specifically, according to this grommet 1, the opposing communicating walls 13A of the communicating portion 13 are pressed evenly without uneven pressing, increasing the degree of adhesion of each communicating wall 13A, so that the communicating hole 13B is blocked without gaps, improving the water-stopping performance. Moreover, with this grommet 1, the protruding pressing portion 30D is formed flat in the direction in which the tubular portions 12 are arranged, so that the communication portion 13 is pressed flat to form a tight fit, improving water-stopping performance.

In addition, in the grommet 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the shape of each tubular portion 12 before being pressed by the pressing member 30 is formed to be wider than the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the wiring material W, and as shown in FIG. 10, when pressed by the pressing member 30, it deforms to fit the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the wiring material W.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, each tubular portion 12 of the grommet 1 is formed with the part farthest from the communicating portion 13 as a base point 12E, and as it approaches the communicating portion 13 along the arrangement direction (width direction Y) from the base point 12E, it spreads out in the height direction Z, which is the pressing direction. Therefore, when pressed by the pressing member 30, the tubular portion 12 deforms so that the inner peripheral surface 12B comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the wiring material W, and takes a shape that follows the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the wiring material W. As a result, with this grommet 1, the inner peripheral surface 12B of the tubular portion 12 deforms so that it is evenly pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the wiring material W, improving water-stopping performance.

In addition, in the grommet 1 of this embodiment, the pressing member 30 includes ribs 30Ca that press against each tubular portion 12 and ribs 30Da that press against the communication portion 13.

According to this grommet 1, the pressing member 30 includes ribs 30Ca that press against each tubular portion 12, which increases the degree of adhesion when the inner circumferential surface 12B of the tubular portion 12 is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the wiring material W, thereby improving the water-stopping performance. Moreover, according to this grommet 1, the pressing member 30 includes ribs 30Da that press against the communicating portion 13, which increases the degree of adhesion of the communicating portion 13, thereby improving the water-stopping performance.

In the grommet 1 of this embodiment, the tubular portion 12 has multiple ribs 12C formed on the inner surface 12B in the axial direction X along which the tubular portion 12 extends. In the grommet 1 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the pressing member 30 presses the tubular portion 12 against the multiple ribs 12C of the tubular portion 12 such that the multiple ribs 30Ca are staggered in the axial direction X. In this way, with this grommet 1, the ribs 12C on the inner surface 12B of the tubular portion 12 can be effectively pressed against the outer surface of the wiring material W, improving water-stopping performance.

The method for installing the wire harness WH of this embodiment also includes the steps of expanding all of the tubular sections 12 connected together in the grommet 1, inserting the connector 200 and each of the wiring materials W into each of the expanded tubular sections 12, and pressing each of the tubular sections 12 and the communication sections 13 inward from the periphery with the pressing member 30 to press the inner circumferential surface 12B of each of the tubular sections 12 against the outer circumferential surface of each of the wiring materials W.

According to this method of mounting the wire harness WH, the connector 200 to which multiple wiring materials W are connected is inserted together with each of the wiring materials W into the cylindrical interior 12A of each tubular portion 12, eliminating the need to pass each of the wiring materials W through the through holes 101 formed in the mounting panel 100 and then through the tubular portion 12 before connecting them to the connector 200 inside the vehicle. As a result, this grommet 1 can reduce the amount of work required for wiring and improve work efficiency. Moreover, this grommet 1 ensures watertight performance because the pressing member 30 presses the inner surface 12B of each tubular portion 12 against the outer surface of each wiring material W.

The grommet 1, wire harness WH, and mounting method of the wire harness WH according to the embodiment of the present invention described above are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In addition, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH according to this embodiment may be constructed by appropriately combining the components of the embodiment and modified examples described above.

In the above explanation, the wiring material W has been described as being made of thick electric wires used in high-voltage systems, but it is not limited to this and may be made of a metal rod, a bundle of electric wires, etc. A metal rod is a rod-shaped member having conductivity, the outside of which is covered with an insulating coating. A bundle of electric wires is a bundle of electric wires.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 grommet 11A water stop portion 12 cylindrical portion 12A cylindrical interior 12B inner peripheral surface 12C rib 12D outer peripheral surface 13 communicating portion 13C inner wall surface 13D outer peripheral surface 30 pressing member 30C cylindrical pressing portion 30Ca rib 30D protruding pressing portion 30Da rib 100 mounting panel 101 through hole 200 connector W wiring material WH wire harness

Claims (5)

An annular water stop part that is attached to a through hole formed in the mounting panel to stop water;
A plurality of tubular portions passing through the water stop portion;
a communication portion that communicates with each of the cylindrical portions along the arrangement of the plurality of cylindrical portions to connect the interiors of the cylindrical portions into one;
A pressing member that presses all of the tubular portions and the communication portions inward from the periphery while the wiring material is inserted into each of the tubular portions, and presses the inner peripheral surface of each of the tubular portions against the outer peripheral surface of each of the wiring materials;
Equipped with
The communication portion is formed in a constricted shape so as to connect outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of cylindrical portions,
the pressing member includes a plurality of cylindrical pressing portions each pressing the cylindrical portion, and a protruding pressing portion located between the plurality of cylindrical pressing portions and pressing the communication portion,
The communication portion is formed such that a distance along the pressing direction between a pair of inner wall surfaces facing each other in a pressing direction by the protruding pressing portion is wider at a center side in the arrangement direction than at end sides in the arrangement direction,
The protruding pressing portion is formed flat in the arrangement direction.
Grommet. Each of the tubular portions is formed such that the shape before being pressed by the pressing member is expanded relative to the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the wiring material, and is deformed to conform to the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the wiring material as it is pressed by the pressing member.
The grommet of claim 1 . The pressing member includes a rib that presses each of the cylindrical portions and a rib that presses the communication portion.
The grommet according to claim 1 or 2. A plurality of conductive wiring materials;
A grommet provided in a manner to bundle the wiring materials;
having
The grommet is
An annular water stop part that is attached to a through hole formed in the mounting panel to stop water;
A plurality of tubular portions passing through the water stop portion;
a communication portion that communicates with each of the cylindrical portions along the arrangement of the plurality of cylindrical portions to connect the interiors of the cylindrical portions into one;
A pressing member that presses all of the tubular portions and the communication portions inward from the periphery while the wiring material is inserted into each of the tubular portions, and presses the inner peripheral surface of each of the tubular portions against the outer peripheral surface of each of the wiring materials;
Equipped with
The communication portion is formed in a constricted shape so as to connect outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of cylindrical portions,
the pressing member includes a plurality of cylindrical pressing portions each pressing the cylindrical portion, and a protruding pressing portion located between the plurality of cylindrical pressing portions and pressing the communication portion,
The communication portion is formed such that a distance along the pressing direction between a pair of inner wall surfaces facing each other in a pressing direction by the protruding pressing portion is wider at a center side in the arrangement direction than at end sides in the arrangement direction,
The protruding pressing portion is formed flat in the arrangement direction.
Wire harness. A plurality of conductive wiring materials;
A connector to which the wiring materials are connected together;
A grommet provided in a manner to bundle the wiring materials;
having
The grommet is
An annular water stop part that is attached to a through hole formed in the mounting panel to stop water;
A plurality of tubular portions passing through the water stop portion;
a communication portion that communicates with each of the cylindrical portions along the arrangement of the plurality of cylindrical portions to connect the interiors of the cylindrical portions into one;
A pressing member that presses all of the tubular portions and the communication portions inward from the periphery while the wiring material is inserted into each of the tubular portions, and presses the inner peripheral surface of each of the tubular portions against the outer peripheral surface of each of the wiring materials;
Equipped with
The communication portion is formed in a constricted shape so as to connect outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of cylindrical portions,
the pressing member includes a plurality of cylindrical pressing portions each pressing the cylindrical portion, and a protruding pressing portion located between the plurality of cylindrical pressing portions and pressing the communication portion,
The communication portion is formed such that a distance along the pressing direction between a pair of inner wall surfaces facing each other in a pressing direction by the protruding pressing portion is wider at a center side in the arrangement direction than at end sides in the arrangement direction,
The protruding pressing portion is formed flat in the arrangement direction.
A method for installing a wire harness, comprising the steps of:
a step of connecting the tubular portions along a line of the plurality of tubular portions by the connecting portion formed in a constricted shape so as to connect the outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of tubular portions in the grommet, thereby expanding the interiors of the tubular portions connected together;
A step of inserting the connector and each of the wiring materials into each of the expanded tubular portions;
pressing each of the tubular portions with each of the cylindrical pressing portions of the pressing member, and pressing the communicating portions inward from the periphery, the communicating portions being formed such that the spacing along the pressing direction of a pair of the inner wall surfaces opposing the pressing direction by the protruding pressing portions is wider at the center side of the arrangement direction than at the ends of the arrangement direction, by the flat protruding pressing portions of the pressing member in the arrangement direction, thereby pressing the inner peripheral surfaces of each of the tubular portions against the outer peripheral surfaces of each of the wiring materials;
A method for installing a wire harness comprising:

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