JP7832014B2 - Grommets and wire harnesses - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to grommets and wire harnesses.

As an example of a conventional grommet mounted on a vehicle, Patent Document 1 discloses a grommet that is mounted on the wire harness body and fitted into a through-hole formed in the vehicle body panel. The grommet comprises a grommet body and an annular sealing member. The grommet body includes a cylindrical wire harness insertion portion through which the wire harness body is inserted, an overhang portion formed to extend around the wire harness insertion portion, and a panel mounting portion that is attached to the vehicle body panel with one main surface of the overhang portion facing the vehicle body panel. The annular sealing member is provided on one main surface of the overhang portion so as to surround the wire harness insertion portion.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-187979

By the way, the grommet described in Patent Document 1 above has room for further improvement, for example, in terms of assembly into through holes.

This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a grommet and a wire harness that can be properly assembled.

To achieve the above objective, the grommet according to the present invention comprises: a main body portion interposed between a cable guide inserted into a through-hole that penetrates the mounting object axially and the inner surface of the through-hole; an arm lock portion provided on the main body portion along the axial direction and engaging with the edge of the through-hole when the main body portion is positioned in the through-hole; and a rib portion formed projecting from the main body portion in a direction intersecting the axial direction and extending along the axial direction, contacting the inner surface of the through-hole when the main body portion is positioned in the through-hole. The main body portion is provided on the insertion end side of the through-hole and has a guide tapered surface that guides the insertion operation of the main body portion into the through-hole along the axial direction. The rib portion is positioned to contact the mounting object in place of the guide tapered surface after the guide tapered surface and the mounting object come into contact, but before the arm lock portion begins to contact the mounting object.

To achieve the above objective, the wire harness according to the present invention comprises a conductive cable guide and a grommet provided on the cable guide, the grommet being provided in a through hole that penetrates the object to be attached along the axial direction and interposed between the cable guide inserted inside and the inner surface of the through hole, an arm lock portion provided on the main body along the axial direction and locked to the edge of the through hole when the main body is provided in the through hole, and a part that protrudes from the main body in a direction intersecting the axial direction and extends along the axial direction The device is constructed and comprises a rib portion that contacts the inner surface of the through-hole when the main body portion is installed in the through-hole. The main body portion has a guide tapered surface provided on the insertion end side of the through-hole, which guides the insertion of the main body portion into the through-hole along the axial direction. The rib portion is positioned to contact the mounting object in place of the guide tapered surface after the guide tapered surface and the mounting object have come into contact, but before the arm lock portion begins to contact the mounting object.

The grommet and wire harness according to the present invention have the effect of allowing for proper assembly.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet and wire harness according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet and wire harness according to Embodiment 1. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet according to Embodiment 1. Figure 4 is a front view of the main body of the grommet according to Embodiment 1. Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the grommet according to Embodiment 1, including the arm lock portion. Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the grommet according to Embodiment 1, including the rib portion. Figure 7 is a partial perspective view of the grommet according to Embodiment 1, including the hook portion. Figure 8 is a schematic side view showing an example of assembly of the grommet into the through hole according to Embodiment 1. Figure 9 is a schematic side view showing an example of assembly of the grommet into the through hole according to Embodiment 1. Figure 10 is a schematic side view showing an example of assembly of a grommet into a through-hole according to Embodiment 1. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet and wire harness according to Embodiment 2. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet and wire harness according to Embodiment 2. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet according to Embodiment 2. Figure 14 is a schematic side view showing an example of the operation of the grommet according to Embodiment 2.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the invention is not limited by these embodiments. Furthermore, some of the components in the following embodiments are easily substituted or substantially identical to those that are easily substituted by those skilled in the art.

[Embodiment]
The grommet 1 of this embodiment, shown in Figures 1 and 2, is incorporated into a wire harness WH1 routed in a vehicle or the like. Here, the wire harness WH1 is, for example, a bundle of multiple wiring materials W used for power supply and signal communication to connect various devices mounted on a vehicle, and the multiple wiring materials W are connected to each device with connectors or the like. The wire harness WH1 comprises conductive wiring materials W and a grommet 1 provided on the wiring materials W through which the wiring materials W are inserted. In addition, the wire harness WH1 may also include various components such as corrugated tubing, resin tape, protectors and other exterior members, electrical connection boxes, and fasteners. The wiring materials W are, for example, made of metal rods, electric wires, bundles of electric wires, etc. The metal rod is a conductive rod-shaped member with an insulating covering on its outside. An electric wire consists of a conductor (core wire) made up of multiple conductive metal strands, with the outside covered by an insulating sheath. An electric wire bundle is a bundle of such electric wires. A wire harness WH1 bundles and aggregates multiple wiring members W, and various devices are electrically connected to them via connectors and the like provided at the ends of the bundled wiring members W.

The grommet 1 is applied to the through-hole 101 formed in the mounting panel 100 to which the grommet 1 is attached, when routing the cable material W across two spaces separated by the mounting panel 100. The mounting panel 100 is, for example, a metal plate that constitutes the body of a vehicle. The two spaces separated by the mounting panel 100 are typically the interior space and the exterior space of the vehicle. The through-hole 101 penetrates the mounting panel 100 along the thickness direction. In this embodiment, the through-hole 101 is formed in a substantially circular shape.
The grommet 1 is made of an insulating resin material. The grommet 1 is assembled into the through hole 101 with the cable routing material W inserted through it and the grommet 1 surrounding the cable routing material W, thereby restricting the routing path of the cable routing material W passing through the through hole 101 and protecting the cable routing material W.

The grommet 1 of this embodiment is typically applied to a through-hole 101 where watertightness is not required, and primarily serves to restrict the path of the cable routing material W and protect the through-hole 101 from the panel edge (the edge of the portion of the mounting panel 100 that forms the through-hole 101). Therefore, the grommet 1 of this embodiment is typically made of a highly rigid synthetic resin material (e.g., polypropylene (PP)) which has relatively high rigidity compared to highly flexible elastic resin materials (e.g., rubber or thermoplastic elastomer). Under this configuration, the grommet 1 of this embodiment achieves a structure that allows for proper assembly into the through-hole 101 by giving it a predetermined shape. The configuration of the grommet 1 will be described in detail below with reference to the figures. Unless otherwise specified, the directions used in the following description refer to the directions when the parts of the grommet 1 are assembled together and attached to the mounting panel 100.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the grommet 1 of this embodiment comprises a main body portion 10, an arm lock portion 20, a rib portion 30, a flange portion 40, and an annular member 50.

The main body portion 10 constitutes the primary part of the grommet 1. The main body portion 10 is provided in a through-hole 101 that penetrates the mounting object 100 along the axial direction AD, and is interposed between the cable routing material W inserted inside and the inner surface (inner surface) 101a of the through-hole 101. The axial direction AD corresponds to the thickness direction of the mounting panel 100 described above, and corresponds to the insertion direction of the cable routing material W and the grommet 1 into the through-hole 101. In other words, the axial direction AD is the direction along the extension direction of the cable routing material W inserted into the grommet 1. For the sake of clarity, the cable routing material W is shown here as being routed linearly along the axial direction AD, but this is not limited to this configuration. The cable routing material may be routed in a bent or curved direction relative to the axial direction AD when the grommet 1 is attached to the mounting panel 100.

The main body portion 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape along the inner circumferential surface 101a of the through hole 101. Here, the main body portion 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape centered on the central axis C along the axial direction AD. The main body portion 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with various shapes added, such as concave portions, convex portions, notched portions, and curved portions. The internal space of the main body portion 10 constitutes the insertion space portion S1. The insertion space portion S1 is a space for inserting the cable material W. In other words, the main body portion 10 has an insertion space portion S1 formed inside for inserting the cable material W. The cable material W is inserted into this insertion space portion S1 formed inside the main body portion 10 along the axial direction AD.

Furthermore, the main body portion 10 of this embodiment has a guide tapered surface 11 and a slit portion 12.

The guide tapered surface 11 is provided on the insertion tip 10a side of the main body 10 toward the through hole 101. That is, the guide tapered surface 11 is formed on one end side of the main body 10 in the axial direction AD, and the main body 10 is inserted into the through hole 101 from the side of the guide tapered surface 11 along the axial direction AD. The guide tapered surface 11 constitutes a part that guides the insertion operation of the main body 10 into the through hole 101 along the axial direction AD. The guide tapered surface 11 constitutes an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the axial direction AD. The guide tapered surface 11 is formed as a tapered surface that is substantially annular in shape with a central axis C and whose outer diameter gradually decreases as it approaches the insertion tip 10a side along the axial direction AD. In other words, the guide tapered surface 11 is formed as a substantially frustoconical annular shape that tapers toward the insertion tip 10a side along the axial direction AD. Furthermore, the guide tapered surface 11 is formed as an inclined surface that gradually approaches the central axis C as it moves along the axial direction AD toward the insertion tip 10a. Here, the guide tapered surface 11 is formed in a roughly annular shape (roughly a frustoconical annular shape) with various shapes such as notches added.

The slit portion 12 is a notched portion formed in the main body portion 10 along the axial direction AD. The slit portion 12 is formed in the main body portion 10 from the insertion tip 10a side to the insertion rear end 10b side (opposite the insertion tip 10a side) of the through hole 101. Here, the slit portion 12 is formed in the main body portion 10, penetrating from the portion where the guide tapered surface 11 is formed, along the axial direction AD towards the insertion rear end 10b. Multiple slit portions 12 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction CD; in this case, four are provided. The circumferential direction CD corresponds to the direction along the central axis C.

In this embodiment, the main body 10 is composed of a plurality of divided bodies 10A and 10B, and a locking portion 10C that locks the plurality of divided bodies 10A and 10B together. Here, the main body 10 is composed of two divided bodies 10A and 10B. The divided bodies 10A and 10B are each formed in a substantially semicircular trough shape. The locking portion 10C has a pair of male lock-shaped portions 10Ca formed on one mating surface of the divided bodies 10A and 10B, and a pair of female lock-shaped portions 10Cb that can engage with the male lock-shaped portion 10Ca formed on the other mating surface of the divided bodies 10A and 10B. The divided bodies 10A and 10B are assembled together at the locking portion 10C with the male lock-shaped portion 10Ca and the female lock-shaped portion 10Cb engaging with each other in a state where they face each other along the radial direction RD, thereby forming a substantially cylindrical main body 10 and creating the insertion space S1 described above inside. The radial direction RD corresponds to the direction perpendicular to the central axis C. The guide tapered surface 11 and slit portion 12 described above are formed by dividing them into these divided bodies 10A and 10B. Specifically, the guide tapered surface 11 is formed in a substantially annular shape across divided body 10A and divided body 10B. Two slit portions 12 are formed in divided body 10A, and two in divided body 10B. Here, divided body 10A includes a tape-wrapping portion 13 that protrudes in the axial direction AD on the insertion tip 10a side of the guide tapered surface 11. The tape-wrapping portion 13 is the part that is secured by wrapping tape around the cable material W inserted into the grommet 1.

The arm lock portion 20 is provided on the main body portion 10 along the axial direction AD, and is the part that engages with the edge of the through hole 101 when the main body portion 10 is positioned in the through hole 101. The arm lock portion 20 is cantilevered within the slit portion 12. In this embodiment, a total of four arm lock portions 20 are provided, one in each of the four slit portions 12. That is, here, two arm lock portions 20 are formed in the divided body 10A and two in the divided body 10B.

Specifically, the arm lock section 20 is composed of an arm section 21 and a locking claw section 22 (see also Figure 5, etc.).

The arm portion 21 is a flexible, arm-shaped section. The arm portion 21 is formed in the main body portion 10, projecting cantileveredly from the end on the insertion tip 10a side toward the slit portion 12. The arm portion 21 is cantilevered at the insertion tip 10a side end of the main body portion 10, specifically at the portion where the guide tapered surface 11 is formed, and extends within the slit portion 12 along the axial direction AD toward the insertion rear end 10b side. The base end (the end on the insertion tip 10a side) supported by the guide tapered surface 11 is a fixed end, while the tip end (the end on the insertion rear end 10b side) in the axial direction AD is a free end. This configuration allows the arm portion 21 to be elastically deformable along the radial direction RD, supported in a cantilevered manner.

The locking claw portion 22 is a claw-shaped part that can lock onto the edge of the through hole 101. The locking claw portion 22 is formed in a claw shape that protrudes outward in the radial direction RD (opposite to the central axis C) from the middle of the arm portion 21. The locking surface 22a (see Figure 5, etc.) of the locking claw portion 22, where the tip side (rear insertion end 10b side) in the axial direction AD contacts and locks onto the edge of the through hole 101.

Furthermore, the arm portion 21 has a tapered surface 21a (see Figure 5, etc.) on the outer surface in the radial direction RD between the base end on the guide tapered surface 11 side and the locking claw portion 22. Also, the locking claw portion 22 has a tapered surface 22b (see Figure 5, etc.) on the surface opposite to the locking surface 22a (towards the insertion tip 10a) with respect to the axial direction AD. Both the tapered surface 21a and the tapered surface 22b constitute inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the axial direction AD. Both the tapered surface 21a and the tapered surface 22b are formed as inclined surfaces that gradually approach the central axis C as they move toward the insertion tip 10a side along the axial direction AD. Here, the taper angle θ22 of the tapered surface 22b of the locking claw portion 22 with respect to the axial direction AD (see Figure 5, etc.) is greater than the taper angle θ21 of the tapered surface 21a of the arm portion 21 with respect to the axial direction AD (see Figure 5, etc.).

The rib portion 30 is formed to protrude from the main body portion 10 along the radial direction RD intersecting the axial direction AD and to extend along the axial direction AD, and is the portion that abuts against the inner circumferential surface 101a of the through hole 101 when the main body portion 10 is installed in the through hole 101. The rib portion 30 is formed on the main body portion 10 at the portion from the guide tapered surface 11 to the insertion rear end 10b side. At this portion, the rib portion 30 is formed as a linear projection that protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 10 in the radial direction RD and extends linearly along the axial direction AD. Here, the rib portion 30 constitutes a linear projection with a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the extension direction. The rib portion 30 extends along the axial direction AD between the guide tapered surface 11 and the insertion rear end 10b. Multiple rib sections 30 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction CD; in this case, 13 rib sections are provided (see Figure 4 in particular). The rib sections 30 are provided at least on both sides of the circumferential direction CD of each slit section 12, and are also provided generally evenly along the circumferential direction CD in other areas. Here, seven rib sections 30 are formed on the divided body 10A, and six on the divided body 10B. Note that some of the rib sections 30 on the divided body 10A side and the rib sections 30 on the divided body 10B side are located adjacent to each other at one edge of the joint surface between the divided body 10A and the divided body 10B.

Specifically, the rib portion 30 is composed of a rib tapered surface 31 and a straight portion 32 (see also Figure 6, etc.).

The rib tapered surface 31 is provided on the rib portion 30 on the insertion tip 10a side of the main body portion 10 relative to the through hole 101. The rib tapered surface 31 constitutes the portion that centers (aligns) the main body portion 10 as it is inserted into the through hole 101 along the axial direction AD. The rib tapered surface 31 is an inclined surface that is tilted with respect to the axial direction AD. The rib tapered surface 31 is formed as an inclined surface that gradually approaches the central axis C as it moves toward the insertion tip 10a side along the axial direction AD.

The rib tapered surface 31 is formed to be continuous with the guide tapered surface 11 at the insertion rear end 10b side of the guide tapered surface 11. The rib tapered surface 31 is formed as a linear surface with a relatively narrow width along the circumferential direction CD (width in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction) compared to the guide tapered surface 11; in other words, it is formed as a linear portion with a relatively narrow contact area with the inner circumferential surface 101a of the through hole 101, etc. Here, the rib tapered surface 31 is formed as a surface with a relatively narrow width along the circumferential direction CD compared to the tapered surface 21a of the arm portion 21 and the tapered surface 22b of the locking claw portion 22. Furthermore, the taper angle θ31 of the rib tapered surface 31 with respect to the axial direction AD (see Figure 6, etc.) is smaller than the taper angle θ11 of the guide tapered surface 11 with respect to the axial direction AD (see Figure 6, etc.). Here, the taper angle θ31 of the rib tapered surface 31 is relatively small compared to the taper angle θ21 of the tapered surface 21a of the arm portion 21 (see Figure 5, etc.) and the taper angle θ22 of the tapered surface 22b of the locking claw portion 22 (see Figure 5, etc.).

The straight section 32 is provided in the rib section 30 from the rib tapered surface 31 toward the insertion rear end 10b. In other words, the straight section 32 is located in the rib section 30 toward the insertion rear end 10b than the rib tapered surface 31. When the main body section 10 is installed in the through hole 101, the straight section 32 is interposed between the main body section 10 and the inner circumferential surface 101a of the through hole 101, and by contacting the inner circumferential surface 101a, it constitutes a portion that eliminates the play between the main body section 10 and the inner circumferential surface 101a in the radial direction RD. The straight section 32 extends linearly along the axial direction AD, forming a straight surface that is approximately parallel to the axial direction AD (in other words, approximately parallel to the central axis C). The straight section 32 extends along the axial direction AD to the insertion rear end 10b.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rib portion 30 is positioned to contact the mounting panel 100 in place of the guide tapered surface 11 after the guide tapered surface 11 and the mounting panel 100 come into contact, but before the arm lock portion 20 begins to contact the mounting panel 100.

Specifically, as described above, the rib tapered surface 31 of the rib portion 30 is formed to be continuous with the guide tapered surface 11 at the insertion rear end 10b side of the guide tapered surface 11. Furthermore, the rib tapered surface 31 is formed to protrude outward from the tapered surface 21a of the arm portion 21 in the radial direction RD, at a position on the insertion tip 10a side of the locking claw portion 22 of the arm lock portion 20 in the axial direction AD (see Figure 5, etc.). This configuration allows the rib portion 30 to contact the mounting panel 100 in place of the guide tapered surface 11, before the locking claw portion 22 of the arm lock portion 20 begins to contact the mounting panel 100 during the insertion operation into the through hole 101 of the main body portion 10.

The flange portion 40 is a plate-shaped portion that protrudes radially RD from one end of the main body portion 10 in the axial direction AD, in this case, from the end on the insertion rear end 10b side. When the main body portion 10 is installed in the through hole 101, the flange portion 40 is located on the opposite side of the mounting panel 100 with respect to the axial direction AD from the side where the locking claw portion 22 of the arm lock portion 20 is located (see also Figure 10, etc.). In other words, the flange portion 40 is formed in a position that sandwiches the mounting panel 100 between the locking claw portion 22 with respect to the axial direction AD. The flange portion 40 is formed in a plate shape with the axial direction AD being the thickness direction, and various shapes such as notches are added. Here, the flange portion 40 is formed by dividing it into divided parts 10A and 10B that constitute the main body portion 10. In other words, the flange portion 40 is formed in a roughly arc shape (roughly fan-shaped) with various shapes such as notches added to the ends on the insertion rear end 10b side of each of the divided bodies 10A and 10B.

The annular member 50 is formed in an annular shape around the axial direction AD and is interposed between the mounting panel 100 and the flange portion 40 with respect to the axial direction AD, and is elastically deformable (see also Figure 10, etc.). Here, the annular member 50 is formed in a substantially circular shape along the circumferential direction CD with the central axis C as the center. The annular member 50 is composed of, for example, an O-ring or the like with a substantially circular cross-sectional shape along the axial direction AD. With the main body portion 10 provided in the through hole 101, the annular member 50 is interposed between the mounting panel 100 and the flange portion 40 and, by elastically deforming, constitutes a cushioning material that absorbs rattle and vibration-induced impact noise.

Furthermore, the flange portion 40 of this embodiment is configured to include a through-hole portion 42 and a hook portion 43 as a holding structure 41 for holding the annular member 50 (see also Figure 7, etc.).

The through-hole portion 42 is a portion that penetrates the flange portion 40 along the axial direction AD. In an axial view along the axial direction AD, the through-hole portion 42 is formed as a substantially trapezoidal notch at the outer end of the flange portion 40 in the radial direction RD. Multiple through-hole portions 42 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction CD; in this case, there are three. The through-hole portions 42 are formed by dividing the main body portion 10 into divided parts 10A and 10B. One through-hole portion 42 is provided in each divided part 10A and 10B, and another is provided so as to straddle the mating surface between divided part 10A and divided part 10B.

The hook portion 43 is a part that holds a part of the annular member 50 offset into the through-hole portion 42 along the axial direction AD. A total of three hook portions 43 are provided, one for each of the multiple through-hole portions 42. The hook portion 43 is formed in the flange portion 40 so as to protrude into the through-hole portion 42 from the edge of the through-hole portion 42 on the inner side (central axis C side) in the radial direction RD. More specifically, the hook portion 43 is composed of a radially extending portion 43a and an axially extending portion 43b. The radially extending portion 43a is formed so as to protrude outward along the radial direction RD from the side of the flange portion 40 where the annular member 50 is located, in other words, from the side facing the mounting panel 100 along the axial direction AD. The axially extending portion 43b is formed by bending from the outer tip of the radially extending portion 43a in the radial direction RD, projecting along the axial direction AD toward the insertion rear end 10b, and is located within the through-hole portion 42.

The hook portion 43 is formed into a roughly L-shaped hook by the radially extending portion 43a and the axially extending portion 43b. A portion of the annular member 50 is hooked onto the radially extending portion 43a and the axially extending portion 43b, and held within the through-hole portion 42. In this state, the hook portion 43 holds the portion of the annular member 50, which is positioned on the mounting panel 100 side of the flange portion 40, offset within the through-hole portion 42 along the axial direction AD. As described above, the annular member 50 is held in a shape where the portion offset within the through-hole portion 42 by the hook portion 43 is meandering with respect to the axial direction AD.

The grommet 1, configured as described above, is attached to the cable guide W and then assembled into the through hole 101. Here, the grommet 1 is constructed with the main body 10 divided into two parts, 10A and 10B. After the two parts are assembled to the cable guide W, they are locked together by the locking portion 10C, integrating them as a single main body 10. This results in the grommet 1 having the cable guide W inserted into the insertion space S1 inside the main body 10. The cable guide W inserted into the insertion space S1 is then secured to the grommet 1 by being wrapped in tape around the tape-wrapping portion 13. In this case, since the grommet 1 has a structure that secures the cable guide W to the tape-wrapping portion 13 by tape wrapping, it can easily accommodate differences in specifications, outer diameter, etc., of the cable guide W being inserted, thus simplifying the assembly process.

In this state, the end of the cable guide W located on the insertion tip 10a side of the main body 10 of the grommet 1 is inserted through the through hole 101, and the insertion tip 10a of the main body 10 is inserted (pulled in) into the through hole 101 along the axial direction AD. At this time, as shown in Figure 8, the guide tapered surface 11 provided on the insertion tip 10a side of the main body 10 of the grommet 1 contacts the edge of the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100, guiding the insertion of the main body 10 into the through hole 101 along the axial direction AD.

Then, as the main body 10 of the grommet 1 is further pushed into the through hole 101, as shown in Figure 9, the rib portion 30 begins to contact the edge of the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100, instead of the guide tapered surface 11, as the main body 10 is inserted into the through hole 101. This causes the grommet 1 to transition from a state where the guide tapered surface 11, which has a relatively large contact area with the edge of the through hole 101, is in contact with the edge of the through hole 101, to a state where the rib portion 30, which has a relatively small contact area with the edge of the through hole 101, is in contact with the edge of the through hole 101. At this time, as shown in Figure 9, the grommet 1 begins with the tapered rib surface 31 of the rib portion 30 contacting the edge of the through hole 101, thereby centering the main body portion 10 relative to the through hole 101.

As the grommet 1 is inserted into the through hole 101, with the main body 10 being centered by the rib tapered surface 31, the tapered surface 22b of the locking claw 22 of the arm lock portion 20 begins to contact the edge of the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100. Then, as the grommet 1 is further inserted into the through hole 101, the tapered surface 22b of the locking claw 22 is pressed against the edge of the through hole 101, causing the arm portion 21 of the arm lock portion 20 to bend, and the locking claw 22 advances to the other side of the mounting panel 100. As shown in Figure 10, when the locking claw portion 22 of the grommet 1 fully extends to the other side of the mounting panel 100, the bent arm portion 21 returns to its original position, and the locking surfaces 22a of each locking claw portion 22 engage with the edge of the through hole 101. This completes the assembly of the grommet 1 into the through hole 101 and ensures adequate holding force to maintain its assembled state in the through hole 101. Furthermore, because the grommet 1 is held in the through hole 101 via this arm lock portion 20, it can be properly assembled into the through hole 101 without requiring additional mounting holes in the mounting panel 100, such as when using a so-called offset clip. This can, for example, improve the flexibility of vehicle layout.

As shown in Figure 10, the grommet 1 has its main body 10 fitted into the through hole 101, with the locking claws 22 of each arm lock portion 20 engaged with the edge of the through hole 101. The straight portion 32 of the rib portion 30 is interposed between the outer circumferential surface of the main body 10 and the inner circumferential surface 101a of the through hole 101, and contacts the inner circumferential surface 101a. As a result, the straight portion 32 of the grommet 1 eliminates the play between the main body 10 and the inner circumferential surface 101a in the radial direction RD.

Furthermore, as described above, with the main body 10 of the grommet 1 fitted into the through hole 101 and the locking claws 22 of each arm lock portion 20 locked to the edge of the through hole 101, the annular member 50 is interposed between the mounting panel 100 and the flange portion 40, and its elastic deformation absorbs rattle and vibration-induced knocking noises.

Furthermore, as described above, the grommet 1, with its main body 10 fitted into the through-hole 101 and the locking claws 22 of each arm lock portion 20 locked to the edge of the through-hole 101, restricts the path of the cable guide W inserted into the insertion space S1 with the main body 10 and protects it from the panel edge at the through-hole 101. In this case, even if, for example, the tape fixing the cable guide W to the tape winding piece 13 peels off and the cable guide W is released from its fixation, the grommet 1 can protect the cable guide W from the panel edge by interposing the main body 10 between the cable guide W and the panel edge, as described above.

As described above, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 are assembled into the through hole 101 by having the main body portion 10 installed in the through hole 101 and the arm lock portion 20 engaging with the edge of the through hole 101 in the mounting panel 100. When the grommet 1 is assembled into the through hole 101, the main body portion 10 can restrict the path of the wiring material W inserted into the insertion space portion S1 and protect it from the panel edge at the through hole 101. Furthermore, when the grommet 1 is assembled into the through hole 101, the rib portion 30 is interposed between the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 10 and the inner circumferential surface 101a of the through hole 101, and by contacting the inner circumferential surface 101a, the play between the main body portion 10 and the inner circumferential surface 101a in the radial direction RD can be reduced. As a result, the grommet 1 can suppress relative movement (offset) between the grommet 1 and the through hole 101, thereby suppressing, for example, the generation of knocking noise due to vibration. Furthermore, the grommet 1 can maintain a state where sufficient engagement is secured between, for example, the locking surface 22a of the arm lock portion 20 and the edge of the through hole 101, thus properly maintaining its assembled state in the through hole 101.

In this configuration, when the grommet 1 is assembled into the through hole 101, the guide tapered surface 11 provided on the insertion tip 10a side of the main body 10 guides the insertion operation of the main body 10 into the through hole 101 along the axial direction AD. Furthermore, as the grommet 1 is inserted into the through hole 101, before the arm lock portion 20 begins to contact the edge of the through hole 101, the grommet 1 can transition from a state where the guide tapered surface 11, which has a relatively large contact area with the edge of the through hole 101, is in contact with the edge of the through hole 101 (for example, a surface contact state) to a state where the rib portion 30, which has a relatively small contact area with the edge of the through hole 101, is in contact with the edge of the through hole 101 (for example, a line contact state). As a result, the grommet 1 can suppress the frictional resistance generated between it and the edge of the through-hole 101 during insertion, thereby reducing the force required for insertion into the through-hole 101 (insertion force). Consequently, the grommet 1 can be easily assembled into the through-hole 101, improving assembly efficiency.

As described above, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled into the through hole 101 with improved ease of installation and proper assembly. As a result, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can achieve improved manufacturing efficiency and reduced manufacturing costs.

Here, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 described above can be precisely centered relative to the through hole 101 when they are assembled into the through hole 101, thanks to the rib tapered surface 31 provided on the insertion tip 10a side of the rib portion 30. This allows the grommet 1 to be easily controlled in its mounting position. At this time, since the taper angle θ31 of the rib tapered surface 31 is smaller than the taper angle θ11 of the guide tapered surface 11, the grommet 1 can smoothly transition from a state where the through hole 101 and the guide tapered surface 11 are in contact to a state where the through hole 101 and the rib tapered surface 31 are in contact, suppressing snagging. As a result, the grommet 1 can further reduce the force required to insert it into the through hole 101 (insertion force). As a result, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled to the through hole 101 with further improved ease of installation and can be properly assembled.

Furthermore, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 described above can absorb rattle and vibration-induced noise by having the annular member 50 interposed between the mounting panel 100 and the flange portion 40 when the grommet 1 is assembled into the through hole 101, and by elastically deforming. As a result, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled more properly. Moreover, by using existing products conforming to JIS standards, for example, for the annular member 50 used in the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1, further manufacturing costs can be reduced.

Here, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 described above are held in the flange portion 40 by the hook portion 43, offsetting a portion of the annular member 50 into the through-hole portion 101. This makes it more difficult for the annular member 50 to detach from the flange portion 40 compared to, for example, a case where the annular member 50 is simply hooked onto the hook portion, thus preventing the annular member 50 from falling off during transportation. Furthermore, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled more properly as described above.

Furthermore, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 described above can be integrated as a single unit by locking the main body 10 together with the wire harness WH1 after the main body 10 is divided into two parts, 10A and 10B, and then assembled to the wire harness W. This allows the wire harness W to be easily inserted into the insertion space S1, even if a connector or the like is provided at the end of the wire harness W, thereby improving the ease of assembly to the wire harness W. As a result, the grommet 1 can be assembled to the wire harness W on a manufacturing line without requiring dedicated equipment for inserting the wire harness W, thus reducing assembly time. In this respect as well, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled more properly.

[Embodiment 2]
The wire harness and grommet according to Embodiment 2 differ from those in Embodiment 1 in the shape of the flange portion, etc. In the following, components similar to those in the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations of common configurations, operations, and effects will be omitted as much as possible (the same applies hereinafter).

The wire harness WH2 of this embodiment, shown in Figures 11, 12, and 13, differs from the wire harness WH1 described above in that it includes a grommet 201 instead of grommet 1. The grommet 201 differs from the grommet 1 described above in that it includes a flange portion 240 instead of flange portion 40, and does not include an annular member 50, but instead includes an elastically deformable portion 260. The flange portion 240 differs from the flange portion 40 described above in that it does not include a holding structure 41 (through hole portion 42, hook portion 43). The other configurations of the wire harness WH2, grommet 201, and flange portion 240 are substantially the same as those of the wire harness WH1, grommet 1, and flange portion 40 described above.

The elastic deformation portion 260, when the main body portion 10 is installed in the through hole 101, contacts the mounting panel 100 and deforms elastically, generating a biasing force that biases the main body portion 10 to one side in the axial direction AD. The elastic deformation portion 260 is formed integrally with the flange portion 240. The elastic deformation portion 260 is formed protruding outward from the outer end of the flange portion 240 in the radial direction RD. Furthermore, the elastic deformation portion 260 is formed in an umbrella-shaped curved form that is slightly inclined toward the insertion tip 10a side with respect to the axial direction AD. As a result, the elastic deformation portion 260 can deform elastically when it contacts the mounting panel 100 when the main body portion 10 is installed in the through hole 101. Here, the elastic deformation portion 260 is formed by dividing it into divided parts 10A and 10B that constitute the main body portion 10, similar to the flange portion 240. In other words, the elastically deformable portion 260 is formed in a roughly arc shape (roughly a fan shape) along the outer circumference of the flange portion 240, with various shapes such as notches added to it.

As shown in Figure 14, the grommet 201, configured as described above, has its main body 10 fitted into the through hole 101, with the locking claws 22 of each arm lock portion 20 locked to the edge of the through hole 101. The elastic deformation portion 260 then contacts the mounting panel 100 and elastically deforms towards the insertion rear end 10b between the mounting panel 100 and the flange portion 240. As a result, the grommet 201 is subjected to a biasing force (elastic pressing force) directed toward the insertion rear end 10b along the axial direction AD by the restoring force of the elastic deformation portion 260 (the elastic force generated by the elastic deformation of the elastic deformation portion 260) after the elastic deformation occurs when the elastic deformation portion 260 contacts the mounting panel 100. The mounting panel 100 acts as a reaction force receiver. As a result, the grommet 201 is biased so that the locking surface 22a of the arm lock portion 20 is pressed toward the mounting panel 100 along the axial direction AD. In other words, the grommet 201 can be biased in a direction that reduces the play between the locking surface 22a of the arm lock portion 20 and the mounting panel 100 by utilizing the spring properties of the elastic deformation portion 260. As a result, the grommet 201 can suppress relative movement along the axial direction AD with respect to the mounting panel 100.

The grommet 201 and wire harness WH2 described above, like the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1, can improve ease of assembly into the through hole 101 and can be properly assembled.

Furthermore, as described above, when the grommet 201 and wire harness WH2 are assembled into the through hole 101, the elastic deformation portion 260, which is integrally formed with the flange portion 240, comes into contact with the mounting panel 100 and undergoes elastic deformation. The biasing force generated by this elastic deformation portion 260 biases the entire grommet 1, including the main body portion 10, to one side in the axial direction AD. As a result, the relative movement of the grommet 201 and wire harness WH2 along the axial direction AD relative to the mounting panel 100 can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the generation of rattle and vibration-induced knocking noises. In this respect as well, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled more properly.

Furthermore, the grommets and wire harnesses according to the embodiments of the present invention described above are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

The divided body 10A and divided body 10B described above do not necessarily have to be completely separate; for example, they may be connected to each other via a hinge so that they can rotate relative to each other. Furthermore, the main body 10 does not necessarily have to be divided into multiple divided bodies 10A and 10B; it may be formed as a single component in a substantially cylindrical shape.

In the above explanation, the taper angle θ31 of the rib tapered surface 31 was described as being smaller than the taper angle θ11 of the guide tapered surface 11, and relatively smaller compared to the taper angle θ21 of the tapered surface 21a and the taper angle θ22 of the tapered surface 22b. However, this is not the only explanation.

In the above description, the grommet 1 was described as comprising a flange portion 40 and an annular member 50, but it is not limited to this configuration; it may also be configured without a flange portion 40 and an annular member 50.

In the above description, the hook portion 43 was described as holding a part of the annular member 50 offset within the through-hole portion 42 along the axial direction AD. However, the explanation is not limited to this, and a part of the annular member 50 may be held without offset. Furthermore, the flange portion 40 does not necessarily include the through-hole portion 42 and the hook portion 43 as part of the holding structure 41.

The grommet and wire harness according to this embodiment may be constructed by appropriately combining the components of the embodiments and modifications described above.

1, 201 Grommet 10 Main body 10A, 10B Divided body 10C Locking part 10a Insertion tip 10b Insertion rear end 11 Guide tapered surface 12 Slit part 13 Tape winding piece part 20 Arm lock part 21 Arm parts 21a, 22b Tapered surface 22 Locking claw part 22a Locking surface 30 Rib part 31 Rib tapered surface 32 Straight parts 40, 240 Flange part 41 Holding structure 42 Through hole part 43 Hook part 43a Radially extending part 43b Axial extending part 50 Annular member 100 Mounting panel (to be mounted)
101 Through hole 101a Inner peripheral surface (inner surface)
260 Elastic deformation section AD Axial direction C Central axis CD Circumferential direction RD Radial direction S1 Insertion space section W Cable material WH1, WH2 Wire harness θ11, θ21, θ22, θ31 Taper angle

Claims (8)

A main body is provided in a through-hole that penetrates the object to be mounted along the axial direction, and is interposed between the cable material inserted inside and the inner surface of the through-hole,
An arm lock portion is provided on the main body along the axial direction and engages with the edge of the through hole when the main body is provided in the through hole,
The main body portion is formed to protrude in a direction intersecting the axial direction and to extend along the axial direction, and the main body portion is provided in the through hole and the rib portion is in contact with the inner surface of the through hole,
The main body portion is provided on the insertion end side of the through hole and has a guide tapered surface that guides the insertion operation of the main body portion into the through hole along the axial direction.
The rib portion is positioned to contact the mounting object in place of the guide tapered surface after the guide tapered surface and the mounting object come into contact as the main body is inserted into the through hole, and before the arm lock portion begins to come into contact with the mounting object, and has a rib tapered surface provided on the insertion end side of the main body relative to the through hole, which centers the main body as the main body is inserted into the through hole along the axial direction.
The rib tapered surface is formed to be continuous with the guide tapered surface at the insertion end side of the main body portion of the guide tapered surface.
Grommet. A flange portion is further provided, which is formed in a plate shape protruding from one end of the main body in the axial direction along a direction intersecting the axial direction, and is located on the opposite side of the axial direction from the side on which the locking claw portion of the arm lock portion is located, with respect to the mounting object, when the main body is provided in the through hole,
The rib portion is provided on the insertion rear end side of the rib tapered surface, extends linearly along the axial direction, is connected to the flange portion, and has a straight portion that abuts against the inner surface of the through hole when the main body portion is provided in the through hole.
The grommet according to claim 1. The taper angle of the rib tapered surface with respect to the axial direction is smaller than the taper angle of the guide tapered surface with respect to the axial direction.
The grommet according to claim 1 or 2. The system comprises an annular member formed in an annular shape around the axial direction, interposed between the mounting object and the flange portion with respect to the axial direction, and capable of elastic deformation.
The grommet according to claim 2. The flange portion includes a through-hole portion that penetrates along the axial direction, and a hook portion that holds a part of the annular member offset within the through-hole portion along the axial direction.
The grommet according to claim 4. A plate-shaped portion is formed projecting from one end of the main body in the axial direction along a direction intersecting the axial direction, and when the main body is provided in the through hole, a flange portion is located on the side opposite to the side where the locking claw portion of the arm lock portion is located, with respect to the mounting object in the axial direction,
The system includes an elastic deformation portion formed integrally with the flange portion, which, when the main body portion is provided in the through hole, contacts the mounting object and deforms elastically, generating a biasing force that biases the main body portion to one side in the axial direction.
The grommet according to claim 1 or claim 2. The main body includes a plurality of divided parts and a locking part that locks the plurality of divided parts together.
The grommet according to claim 1 or claim 2. A conductive wiring material,
The cable member comprises a grommet,
The grommet is,
A main body is provided in a through hole that penetrates the object to be mounted along the axial direction, and is interposed between the cable material inserted inside and the inner surface of the through hole,
An arm lock portion is provided on the main body along the axial direction and engages with the edge of the through hole when the main body is provided in the through hole,
The main body portion is formed to protrude in a direction intersecting the axial direction and to extend along the axial direction, and the main body portion is provided in the through hole and the rib portion is in contact with the inner surface of the through hole,
The main body portion is provided on the insertion end side of the through hole and has a guide tapered surface that guides the insertion operation of the main body portion into the through hole along the axial direction.
The rib portion is positioned to contact the mounting object in place of the guide tapered surface after the guide tapered surface and the mounting object come into contact as the main body is inserted into the through hole, and before the arm lock portion begins to come into contact with the mounting object, and has a rib tapered surface provided on the insertion end side of the main body relative to the through hole, which centers the main body as the main body is inserted into the through hole along the axial direction.
The rib tapered surface is formed to be continuous with the guide tapered surface at the insertion end side of the main body portion of the guide tapered surface.
Wire harness.