Grommet structure and method for manufacturing wire harness

Abstract

To provide a grommet structure that is adaptable to multiple specifications.SOLUTION: A grommet structure 1 includes one or more grommets 2. Each grommet 2 includes a hollow tubular portion 10 into which a wire W is inserted, and a hollow main body portion 20 that is extended from the tubular portion 10 and is fitted into a through hole Pa formed in a mounting target P. The main body portion 20 includes a recess 23 that has a groove shape in an outer side surface of the main body portion 20 and receives an edge portion of the through hole Pa, and a projection 26 that stands from an inner side surface of the main body portion 20 corresponding to the groove bottom of the recess 23. The stand height G1 of the projection 26 is equal to or smaller than the groove depth G2 of the recess 23. In a case where two or more grommets 2 are provided, one of adjacent grommets 2 is housed in the hollow of the other grommet 2, the tubular portion 10 of the one grommet 2 overlaps with the tubular portion 10 of the other grommet 2, and further, and the projection 26 of the other grommet 2 is housed in the recess 23 of the one grommet 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a grommet structure having one or more grommets, and a method for manufacturing a wire harness using the grommet structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, for example, when routing a bundle of electric wires constituting a wire harness so as to pass through a body panel (such as a dash panel) that separates the inside and outside of the passenger compartment of an automobile, a grommet may be attached to close the gap between the bundle of electric wires and a through-hole in the body panel from the viewpoint of waterproofing, soundproofing, etc. A grommet generally has a tubular portion through which the electric wires are inserted and a main body portion that is fitted into the through-hole, and the main body portion presses against and comes into contact with the edge of the through-hole to close the gap between the main body portion and the through-hole (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-010638 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, the diameter of the through-hole in a vehicle body panel or the like to which a grommet is attached may vary depending on the specifications of the automobile in which the wire harness is installed. For example, the greater the number of electrical components and power sources electrically connected through the wire harness, the greater the number of electric wires and the thicker the bundle of electric wires, which tends to result in a larger diameter through-hole. Therefore, typically, multiple types of grommets corresponding to such multiple specifications (e.g., multiple types of grommets having body portions of different sizes for each through-hole diameter) are prepared in advance, and then a grommet suitable for each specification is selected during the manufacture of the wire harness. However, in order to avoid the complication of managing grommet part numbers and to streamline the manufacturing process of the wire harness, it is desirable to use a common grommet as much as possible to accommodate multiple specifications.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a grommet structure and a method for manufacturing a wire harness that can accommodate a plurality of specifications. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the grommet structure according to the present invention is characterized as follows.

[0007] A grommet structure comprising one or more grommets, Each of the one or more grommets is The connector has a hollow cylindrical portion that is elastically deformable in the radial direction and through which an electric wire is inserted, and a hollow main body portion from which the cylindrical portion extends and which is fitted into a through hole of an attachment target, The main body portion is a groove-shaped concave portion provided on the outer surface of the main body portion and adapted to receive an edge portion of the through hole, and a protruding portion provided on the inner surface of the main body portion and erected from a position corresponding to the groove bottom of the concave portion, The height of the raised ridge portion is equal to or less than the depth of the groove of the recessed ridge portion, The grommet structure is When a plurality of the grommets are provided, adjacent first and second grommets are arranged such that the second grommet is housed within the hollow of the first grommet, the tubular portion of the second grommet overlaps the tubular portion of the first grommet, and the convex portion of the first grommet is inserted into the concave portion of the second grommet. It has a grommet structure.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the manufacturing method of the wire harness according to the present invention is characterized as follows.

[0009] A method for manufacturing a wire harness having the grommet structure and an electric wire, comprising: removing the other grommets located outside the one grommet from the grommet structure having a plurality of grommets so that the one grommet having the body portion of a size corresponding to the hole diameter of the through hole to be attached is exposed at the outermost part; and inserting the electric wire into the cylindrical portion of the grommet located at the innermost part of the grommet structure. It is a manufacturing method of a wire harness. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the grommet structure and the manufacturing method for a wire harness of the present invention, when the grommet structure includes multiple grommets, the grommet structure has an overlapping structure in which a second grommet is housed within the hollow of an adjacent first grommet. Therefore, by removing the other grommets located outside the exposed grommet from the grommet structure having multiple grommets so that a grommet having a body portion corresponding to the diameter of the through hole to be attached is exposed at the outermost position, a grommet structure that can be properly fitted into the through hole can be constructed. Generally, the larger the diameter of the through hole, the greater the number of electric wires and the thicker the electric wire bundle. However, because the cylindrical portion of the grommet is elastically deformable, even such a thick electric wire bundle can be properly inserted into the grommet structure by expanding the cylindrical portion of the innermost grommet as needed. In this way, the grommet structure and the manufacturing method of the wire harness of this configuration do not require the conventional method of managing part numbers of multiple types of grommets having main bodies of different sizes for each through-hole diameter, and can accommodate multiple specifications using a single grommet structure.

[0011] Furthermore, in the grommet structure of the present invention, the height of the raised ribs on the inner surface of the main body is equal to or less than the depth of the recessed ribs on the outer surface of the main body, so that the raised ribs of adjacent first grommets are properly inserted into the recessed ribs of the second grommet, engaging the two and preventing unintended separation of the grommets. Additionally, the overlapping of the tubular portions of the first and second grommets prevents the intrusion of water and other contaminants through the gap between the two grommets. Furthermore, the raised ribs are positioned corresponding to the groove bottoms of the recessed ribs, increasing the rigidity of the recessed ribs and their surroundings, preventing unintended separation of the grommet structure from the edge of the through hole. Furthermore, the raised ribs prevent the intrusion of water and other contaminants from the outside into the hollow of the grommet structure. Even if the grommet structure is composed of only one grommet, the same effects as above can be achieved: increased rigidity of the recessed ribs and their surroundings and preventing the intrusion of water and other contaminants.

[0012] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the invention set forth below, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grommet structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main part of the grommet structure shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 2 in which grommets located outside a grommet having a size corresponding to the diameter of the through hole in the vehicle body panel are removed, and the grommet structure is constructed by stacking multiple grommets. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 2 in which the grommets outside the grommet having a size corresponding to the hole diameter of the through hole in the vehicle body panel are removed, leaving the grommet structure consisting only of the innermost grommet. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, a grommet structure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Typically, as shown in Fig. 1 etc., when routing a bundle of electric wires W through a body panel P (such as a dash panel) that separates the interior and exterior of a vehicle cabin, the grommet structure 1 is attached to a through hole Pa (see Fig. 2) in the body panel P in order to close a gap between the bundle of electric wires W and the through hole Pa in the body panel P. By passing the bundle of electric wires W through a tubular portion 10 (described later) of the grommet structure 1, a wire harness 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention is obtained (see Fig. 1 etc.).

[0015] Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, "upper" and "lower" will be defined as shown in FIG. 1 etc. Note that the "vertical direction" is defined merely for the sake of convenience, and does not necessarily correspond to the vertical direction of the vehicle when the grommet structure 1 is mounted on the vehicle. In the example shown in FIG. 1 etc., the "upper" side corresponds to the inside of the vehicle cabin relative to the vehicle body panel P, and the "lower" side corresponds to the outside of the vehicle cabin relative to the vehicle body panel P. In other words, the "vertical direction" can be rephrased as the "interior-exterior direction." Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1 etc., the direction perpendicular to the "vertical direction" will be referred to as the "radial" direction.

[0016] In this example, the grommet structure 1 includes a plurality (five) of grommets 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, and 2e, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the grommets 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, and 2e, they may each be simply referred to as "grommets 2."

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in the grommet structure 1, two adjacent grommets 2 are designed so that the inner grommet 2 is housed within the hollow of the adjacent outer grommet 2, allowing the adjacent grommets 2 to overlap each other. Specifically, adjacent grommets 2a, 2b are designed so that the inner grommet 2b is housed within the hollow of the outer grommet 2a, allowing the grommets 2a, 2b to be overlapped with each other; adjacent grommets 2b, 2c are designed so that the inner grommet 2c is housed within the hollow of the outer grommet 2b, allowing the grommets 2b, 2c to be overlapped with each other; adjacent grommets 2c, 2d are designed so that the inner grommet 2d is housed within the hollow of the outer grommet 2c, allowing the grommets 2c, 2d to be overlapped with each other; and adjacent grommets 2d, 2e are designed so that the inner grommet 2e is housed within the hollow of the outer grommet 2d, allowing the grommets 2d, 2e to be overlapped with each other.

[0018] When the grommet structure 1 is in use, the grommet 2 located inside the grommet 2 having a size corresponding to the outer diameter of the wire bundle W is removed so that the grommet 2 is located at the innermost position, and the grommet 2 located outside the grommet 2 having a size corresponding to the hole diameter of the through hole Pa in the vehicle body panel P is removed so that the grommet 2 having a size corresponding to the hole diameter of the through hole Pa in the vehicle body panel P is exposed at the outermost position. As a result, when in use, the grommet structure 1 may be configured with multiple grommets 2 stacked on top of each other (see FIGS. 2 and 5), or may be configured with only a single grommet 2 (see FIG. 6). In this way, the grommet structure 1 is compatible with various specifications (specifically, various combinations of the outer diameter of the wire bundle W and the hole diameter of the through hole Pa in the vehicle body panel P).

[0019] The shape of each grommet 2 constituting the grommet structure 1 will be described in detail below. The overall shape of each grommet 2 is similar to the overall shape of other grommets 2, except for the radial and vertical dimensions of each element constituting the overall shape. Each grommet 2 is a molded product made of an elastic material (e.g., rubber), and as shown in FIG. 2, is integrally provided with a hollow tubular portion 10 and a hollow main body portion 20. The tubular portion 10 has a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. The tubular portion 10 is elastically deformable in the radial direction and is the portion through which the wire bundle W is inserted. An annular outer protrusion 11 that protrudes radially outward is provided on the outer surface of the open end (upper end) of the tubular portion 10 (see also FIG. 3). An annular inner protrusion 12 that protrudes radially inward is provided on the inner surface of the open end (upper end) of the tubular portion 10, and an annular groove portion 13 that is recessed radially outward when the inner protrusion 12 is pressed against it is formed adjacent to the lower side of the inner protrusion 12 (see also Figure 3).

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, main body 20 has a disk-shaped flange portion 21 that protrudes radially outward from the lower end of tubular portion 10, and a cylindrical hanging portion 22 that extends downward from the outer peripheral edge of flange portion 21. An annular groove portion 23 that is recessed radially inward is provided at approximately the center in the up-down direction on the outer surface of hanging portion 22 (see also Fig. 4). Groove portion 23 is a portion that is fitted into the edge of through hole Pa in vehicle body panel P.

[0021] An upper thick portion 24 having a thickness (radial thickness) greater than the thickness (radial thickness) of hanging portion 22 at the groove bottom of recessed streak portion 23 is provided on the outer surface of hanging portion 22 adjacent to the upper side of recessed streak portion 23, and a lower thick portion 25 having a thickness (radial thickness) greater than the thickness (radial thickness) of hanging portion 22 at the groove bottom of recessed streak portion 23 is provided on the outer surface of hanging portion 22 adjacent to the lower side of recessed streak portion 23 (see also FIG. 4 ). An annular protruding streak portion 26 protruding radially inward is provided on the inner surface of hanging portion 22 at a vertical position corresponding to the groove bottom of recessed streak portion 23. In each grommet 2, protruding height G1 of protruding streak portion 26 is equal to or less than groove depth G2 of recessed streak portion 23 (see FIG. 7 ). In this example, the protrusion height G1 of the convex rib portion 26 of the outer grommet 2 of adjacent grommets 2 is equal to or less than the groove depth G2 of the concave rib portion 23 of the inner grommet 2 of adjacent grommets 2. In this example, the groove depth G2 of the concave rib portion 23 of each grommet 2 is approximately the same. Note that the groove depth G2 refers to the maximum radial distance from the groove bottom of the concave rib portion 23 to the opening surface of the concave rib portion 23.

[0022] 2 and 3 (see particularly FIG. 3), when the inner grommet 2 is housed within the hollow of the adjacent outer grommet 2, the tubular portion 10 of the inner grommet 2 overlaps the inside of the tubular portion 10 of the outer grommet 2, and the outer protrusion 11 of the inner grommet 2 fits into the groove 13 of the tubular portion 10 of the outer grommet 2, so that the inner protrusion 12 of the outer grommet 2 and the outer protrusion 11 of the inner grommet 2 come into contact in the vertical direction (the axial direction of the tubular portion 10), and the open end of the tubular portion 10 of the outer grommet 2 is offset upward from the open end of the tubular portion 10 of the inner grommet 2. In other words, the length of the tubular portion 10 of each grommet 2 is determined to achieve this arrangement. In this way, the inner protrusions 12 of the tubular portions 10 of adjacent outer grommets 2 and the outer protrusions 11 of the inner grommet 2 are in contact in the vertical direction, thereby preventing water and the like from entering the gaps between the overlapping tubular portions 10. Note that, contrary to this example, the length of the tubular portions 10 of each grommet 2 may be determined so that the open end of the tubular portion 10 of the outer grommet 2 is offset downward from the open end of the tubular portion 10 of the inner grommet 2.

[0023] Furthermore, when the inner grommet 2 is housed within the hollow of the adjacent outer grommet 2, as shown in Figures 2 and 4 (see Figure 4 in particular), the convex rib portion 26 of the outer grommet 2 is housed in the concave rib portion 23 of the inner grommet 2, the inner surfaces of the upper and lower thick portions 24, 25 of the outer grommet 2 are in contact with the outer surfaces of the upper and lower thick portions 24, 25 of the inner grommet 2, respectively, and the protruding height G1 of the convex rib portion 26 of the outer grommet 2 is less than the groove depth G2 of the concave rib portion 23 of the inner grommet 2 (see Figure 4). In this way, the convex rib portion 26 of the outer grommet 2 fits into and engages with the concave rib portion 23 of the inner grommet 2, thereby preventing unintended separation of the two adjacent grommets 2. Furthermore, the inner surfaces of the upper and lower thick portions 24, 25 of the outer grommet 2 come into contact with the outer surfaces of the upper and lower thick portions 24, 25 of the inner grommet 2, respectively, so that the upper and lower thick portions 24, 25 of the grommet 2 exposed at the outermost position are supported by the upper and lower thick portions 24, 25 of the inner grommet 2, respectively. As a result, when the edge of the through hole Pa in the vehicle body panel P is fitted into the recessed portion 23 of the grommet 2 exposed at the outermost position, the grommet structure 1 can be firmly fixed to the vehicle body panel P. The details of the shape of each grommet 2 have been described above.

[0024] 2, the grommet structure 1 is configured by stacking all five grommets 2 so that the grommet 2e having the tubular portion 10 whose size corresponds to the outer diameter of the wire bundle W is located at the innermost position, and the grommet 2a having the groove portion 23 whose size corresponds to the hole diameter of the through hole Pa in the vehicle body panel P is exposed at the outermost position. In this example, the wire bundle W is inserted into the tubular portion 10 of the innermost grommet 2e using a tool such as a grommet switch to form a wire harness 3 including the grommet structure 1 and the wire bundle W, and the groove portion 23 of the grommet 2a exposed at the outermost position is fitted over the edge of the through hole Pa in the vehicle body panel P, thereby fixing the grommet structure 1 to the vehicle body panel P. The vertical position of the edge of the through hole Pa of the vehicle body panel P fitted into the recessed portion 23 of the outermost exposed grommet 2a is approximately aligned with the vertical position of the protruding portion 26 of the outermost exposed grommet 2a (see FIG. 4). The tubular portion 10 of the outermost exposed grommet 2a and the bundle of electric wires W may be wound together using tape (not shown). This further firmly bonds the tubular portions 10 of the five grommets 2 to one another, further preventing water and the like from entering the gaps between the overlapping tubular portions 10.

[0025] 2, convex rib portion 26 is erected on the inner surface of hanging portion 22 corresponding to the groove bottom of concave rib portion 23 of grommet 2a exposed at the outermost position, thereby increasing the overall rigidity of concave rib portion 23 of grommet 2a, and by fitting the edge of through hole Pa into concave rib portion 23 of grommet 2a, grommet structure 1 can be firmly fixed to vehicle body panel P. In addition, convex rib portion 26 of outer grommet 2 fits into and engages with concave rib portion 23 of adjacent inner grommets 2, thereby preventing unintended separation of grommets 2 (specifically, grommets 2a and 2b, grommets 2b and 2c, grommets 2c and 2d, and grommets 2d and 2e). In addition, the inner surfaces of the upper and lower thick portions 24, 25 of adjacent outer grommets 2 are in contact with the outer surfaces of the upper and lower thick portions 24, 25 of the inner grommet 2. As a result, the upper and lower thick portions 24, 25 of grommet 2a, which is exposed at the outermost position, are supported by the upper and lower thick portions 24, 25 of the multiple inner grommets 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, respectively, thereby firmly fixing the grommet structure 1 to the vehicle body panel P. Furthermore, the inner protrusion 12 of adjacent outer grommets 2 and the outer protrusion 11 of the inner grommet 2 are in contact in the vertical direction (axial direction of tubular portion 10). This prevents water and the like from entering the gaps between the overlapping tubular portions 10 (specifically, between the tubular portions 10 of the grommets 2a and 2b, between the tubular portions 10 of the grommets 2b and 2c, between the tubular portions 10 of the grommets 2c and 2d, and between the tubular portions 10 of the grommets 2d and 2e). Furthermore, since the inner protrusion 12 at the open end of the tubular portion 10 of the innermost grommet 2e is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the wire bundle W, water and the like is prevented from entering the gaps between the wire bundle W and the open end of the tubular portion 10 of the grommet 2e.

[0026] 5, grommet structure 1 is configured by removing grommets 2a and 2b and overlapping three grommets 2c, 2d, and 2e so that grommet 2e, having a tubular portion 10 sized to correspond to the outer diameter of wire bundle W, is positioned at the innermost position, and grommet 2c, having a recessed stripe portion 23 sized to correspond to the hole diameter of through hole Pa in vehicle body panel P, is exposed at the outermost position. In this example, wire bundle W is inserted into tubular portion 10 of grommet 2e, positioned at the innermost position, using a tool such as a grommet switch, to configure grommet structure 1 and wire harness 3 including wire bundle W, and the edge of through hole Pa in vehicle body panel P is fitted into recessed stripe portion 23 of grommet 2c, exposed at the outermost position, to fix grommet structure 1 to vehicle body panel P. The vertical position of the edge of the through hole Pa in the vehicle body panel P fitted into the recessed portion 23 of the outermost exposed grommet 2c is approximately aligned with the vertical position of the protruding portion 26 of the outermost exposed grommet 2c (see FIG. 5). The tubular portion 10 of the outermost exposed grommet 2c and the bundle of electric wires W may be wrapped together using tape (not shown). This further securely attaches the tubular portions 10 of the three grommets 2 to one another, further preventing water and the like from penetrating the gaps between the overlapping tubular portions 10. The operation and effect of the grommet structure 1 shown in FIG. 5 are similar to those of the grommet structure 1 shown in FIG. 2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0027] 6, the grommet structure 1 is configured with only a single grommet 2e, with grommets 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d removed, so that grommet 2e having a tubular portion 10 sized to correspond to the outer diameter of the wire bundle W is positioned at the innermost position, and grommet 2e having a recessed stripe portion 23 sized to correspond to the hole diameter of through hole Pa in the vehicle body panel P is exposed at the outermost position. In this example, the wire bundle W is inserted into the tubular portion 10 of the innermost grommet 2e using a tool such as a grommet switch, thereby configuring a wire harness 3 including the grommet structure 1 and the wire bundle W, and the recessed stripe portion 23 of the grommet 2e exposed at the outermost position is fitted over the edge of the through hole Pa in the vehicle body panel P, thereby fixing the grommet structure 1 to the vehicle body panel P. The vertical position of the edge of the through hole Pa of the vehicle body panel P fitted into the recessed portion 23 of the grommet 2e exposed at the outermost portion is approximately aligned with the vertical position of the protruding portion 26 of the grommet 2e exposed at the outermost portion (see FIG. 6). The tubular portion 10 of the grommet 2e exposed at the outermost portion and the bundle of electric wires W may be wound together using tape (not shown).

[0028] In the example shown in FIG. 6 , protruding ribs 26 are provided on the inner surface of hanging portion 22 corresponding to the groove bottom of recessed rib portion 23 of grommet 2e exposed at the outermost position, thereby increasing the overall rigidity of recessed rib portion 23 of grommet 2e, and by fitting the edge of through hole Pa into recessed rib portion 23 of grommet 2e, grommet structure 1 can be firmly fixed to vehicle body panel P. In addition, inner protrusion 12 at the opening end of tubular portion 10 of grommet 2e located on the innermost side is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of wire bundle W, thereby preventing water and the like from entering the gap between the opening end of tubular portion 10 of grommet 2e and wire bundle W. In addition, the presence of upper and lower thick-walled portions 24, 25 at positions adjacent above and below recessed rib portion 23 in hanging portion 22 of grommet 2e exposed at the outermost position also has the effect of increasing the rigidity of grommet 2e itself.

[0029] <Actions and Effects> As described above, the grommet structure 1 is configured by stacking a plurality of grommets 2 so that an inner grommet 2 is housed within the hollow of an adjacent outer grommet 2. Therefore, by removing the grommets 2 located outside of a grommet 2 having an outer shape corresponding to the diameter of the through hole Pa in the vehicle body panel P so that the grommet 2 is exposed at the outermost part, the grommet structure 1 can be properly attached to the through hole Pa.

[0030] Furthermore, since the protruding rib portion 26 is erected on the inner surface of the main body portion 20 corresponding to the groove bottom of the recessed rib portion 23, the overall rigidity of the recessed rib portion 23 is increased, and by fitting the edge of the through hole Pa into the recessed rib portion 23, the grommet structure 1 can be firmly fixed to the vehicle body panel P. In addition, since the erecting height G1 of the protruding rib portion 26 is equal to or less than the groove depth G2 of the recessed rib portion 23, the protruding rib portion 26 enters and engages with the recessed rib portions 23 of adjacent grommets 2, thereby preventing unintended separation of the grommets 2. Note that even when there is only one grommet 2, the same effect of increasing the rigidity of the recessed rib portion 23 is exerted.

[0031] Furthermore, because the thick portions 24, 25 of adjacent grommets 2 are in contact with each other, by fitting the edge of the through hole Pa into the recessed rib portion 23 of the grommet 2 exposed at the outermost side, the thick portions 24, 25 of the grommet 2 exposed at the outermost side are supported by the thick portions 24, 25 of the inner grommet 2. This allows the grommet structure 1 to be firmly fixed to the vehicle body panel P. Note that even if there is only one grommet 2, the presence of the thick portions 24, 25 has the effect of increasing the rigidity of the grommet 2 itself.

[0032] Furthermore, the inner protrusion 12 and the outer protrusion 11 provided at the open ends of the tubular portions 10 of adjacent grommets 2 come into contact with each other in the axial direction of the tubular portions 10, thereby preventing water and other contaminants from entering the gaps between the overlapping tubular portions 10. Even when there is only one grommet 2, the presence of the inner protrusion 12 at the open end of the tubular portion 10 closes the gap between the open end and the wire bundle W, thereby providing the effect of preventing water and other contaminants from entering the tubular portion 10. As described above, the grommet structure 1 according to this embodiment can be adapted to various specifications.

[0033] <Other aspects> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc. are possible as appropriate. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited thereto.

[0034] Here, the features of the embodiments of the grommet structure 1 and the manufacturing method of the wire harness 3 according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [6].

[0035] [1] A grommet structure (1) comprising one or more grommets (2), Each of the one or more grommets (2) The device has a hollow cylindrical portion (10) that is elastically deformable in the radial direction and through which an electric wire (W) is inserted, and a hollow main body portion (20) from which the cylindrical portion (10) extends and which is fitted into a through hole (Pa) of an attachment object (P), The main body portion (20) is a groove-shaped concave portion (23) provided on the outer surface of the main body portion (20) and adapted to receive an edge portion of the through hole (Pa); and a convex portion (26) provided on the inner surface of the main body portion (20) and erected from a position corresponding to the groove bottom of the concave portion (23), The vertical height (G1) of the convex rib portion (26) is equal to or less than the groove depth (G2) of the concave rib portion (23), The grommet structure (1) is When a plurality of the grommets (2) are provided, adjacent first and second grommets (2) are arranged such that the second grommet (2) is housed in the hollow of the first grommet (2), the tubular portion (10) of the first grommet (2) overlaps the tubular portion (10) of the second grommet (2), and the convex portion (26) of the first grommet (2) is inserted into the concave portion (23) of the second grommet (2). Grommet structure (1).

[0036] The grommet structure of the above configuration [1], when including multiple grommets, has an overlapping structure in which a second grommet is accommodated within the hollow of an adjacent first grommet. Therefore, by removing the other grommets located outside the grommet to be exposed from the grommet structure having multiple grommets so that the grommet with a body portion sized to correspond to the diameter of the through hole to be attached is exposed at the outermost position, a grommet structure that can be properly fitted into the through hole can be constructed. Note that, as the diameter of a through hole increases, the number of electric wires tends to increase, resulting in a thicker bundle of electric wires. However, because the cylindrical portion of the grommet is elastically deformable, by expanding the cylindrical portion of the innermost grommet as needed, such a thick bundle of electric wires can be properly inserted into the grommet structure. Thus, the grommet structure of this configuration does not require the part number management of multiple types of grommets with body portions of different sizes for each through hole diameter, as in the conventional case, and can accommodate multiple specifications using a single grommet structure.

[0037] Furthermore, because the height of the raised ribs on the inner surface of the main body is equal to or less than the depth of the recessed ribs on the outer surface of the main body, the raised ribs of adjacent first grommets are properly inserted into the recessed ribs of the second grommet, engaging the two and preventing unintended separation of the grommets. Additionally, the overlapping of the tubular portions of the first and second grommets prevents the intrusion of water and other contaminants through the gap between the two grommets. Furthermore, because the raised ribs are positioned corresponding to the groove bottoms of the recessed ribs, the rigidity of the recessed ribs and their surroundings is increased, preventing unintended separation of the grommet structure from the edge of the through hole. Furthermore, the raised ribs prevent the intrusion of water and other contaminants from the outside into the hollow of the grommet structure. Even when a grommet structure is composed of only one grommet, the same effects as described above are achieved: increased rigidity of the recessed ribs and their surroundings and the prevention of intrusion of water and other contaminants.

[0038] [2] A grommet structure (1) comprising one or more grommets (2), Each of the one or more grommets (2) The device has a hollow cylindrical portion (10) that is elastically deformable in the radial direction and through which an electric wire (W) is inserted, and a hollow main body portion (20) from which the cylindrical portion (10) extends and which is fitted into a through hole (Pa) of an attachment object (P), The main body portion (20) is a groove-shaped groove portion (23) provided on the outer surface of the main body portion (20) to receive the edge portion of the through hole (Pa); and a pair of thick portions (24, 25) provided to sandwich the groove portion (23) in the fitting direction of the main body portion (20) into the through hole (Pa), the thickness of the main body portion (20) at the thick portions (24, 25) being thicker than the thickness of the main body portion (20) at the groove bottom of the groove portion (23), The grommet structure (1) is When a plurality of the grommets (2) are provided, adjacent first and second grommets (2) are arranged such that the second grommet (2) is housed in the hollow of the first grommet (2), the tubular portion (10) of the second grommet (2) overlaps the tubular portion (10) of the first grommet (2), and the inner surface of the thick portions (24, 25) of the first grommet (2) and the outer surface of the thick portions (24, 25) of the second grommet (2) are in contact with each other. Grommet structure (1).

[0039] According to the grommet structure of the configuration [2] above, similar to the configuration [1] above, by removing the other grommets located outside the grommet to be exposed from the grommet structure having multiple grommets so that the grommet having a main body portion of a size corresponding to the hole diameter of the through hole to be attached is exposed at the outermost part, a grommet structure that can be properly fitted into the through hole can be constructed.

[0040] Furthermore, the overlapping of the tubular portions of the first and second grommets prevents water and other contaminants from entering through the gap between the grommets. Additionally, because the thick portions of the first and second grommets are in contact with each other, when the groove portion of the grommet exposed at the outermost portion of the grommet structure is inserted into the through hole, the thick portion of the grommet exposed at the outermost portion is supported by the thick portion of the grommet located inside. As a result, the rigidity of the groove portion and its surroundings is increased, preventing the grommet structure from unintentionally separating from the edge of the through hole. Even when the grommet structure is composed of only one grommet, the presence of a pair of thick portions sandwiching the groove portion effectively increases the rigidity of the groove portion and its surroundings.

[0041] [3] A grommet structure (1) comprising one or more grommets (2), Each of the one or more grommets (2) The device has a hollow cylindrical portion (10) that is elastically deformable in the radial direction and through which an electric wire (W) is inserted, and a hollow main body portion (20) from which the cylindrical portion (10) extends and which is fitted into a through hole (Pa) of an attachment object (P), The cylindrical portion (10) is an outer protrusion (11) provided on an outer surface of the open end of the cylindrical portion (10) and protruding radially outward from the cylindrical portion (10); and an inner protrusion (12) provided on an inner surface of the open end and protruding radially inward from the cylindrical portion (10), The grommet structure (1) is When a plurality of the grommets (2) are provided, adjacent first and second grommets (2) are arranged such that the second grommet (2) is housed in the hollow of the first grommet (2), the tubular portion (10) of the first grommet (2) overlaps the tubular portion (10) of the second grommet (2), and the inner protrusion (12) of the first grommet (2) and the outer protrusion (11) of the second grommet (2) contact each other in the axial direction of the tubular portion (10). Grommet structure (1).

[0042] According to the grommet structure of the configuration [3] above, similar to the configuration [1] above, by removing the other grommets located outside the grommet to be exposed from the grommet structure having multiple grommets so that the grommet having a main body portion of a size corresponding to the hole diameter of the through hole to be attached is exposed at the outermost part, it is possible to form a grommet structure that can be properly fitted into the through hole.

[0043] Furthermore, the overlapping of the tubular portions of the first grommet and the second grommet prevents water and other contaminants from entering through the gap between the two grommets. Additionally, the inner protrusion provided at the open end of the tubular portion of the first grommet and the outer protrusion provided at the open end of the tubular portion of the second grommet contact each other in the axial direction of the tubular portions, further effectively preventing water and other contaminants from entering the gap between the overlapping tubular portions. Even if the grommet structure is composed of only one grommet, the presence of the inner protrusion at the open end of the tubular portion reduces the gap between the open end and the electric wire, thereby effectively preventing water and other contaminants from entering the tubular portion.

[0044] [4] In the grommet structure (1) described in any one of [1] to [3] above, When a plurality of the grommets (2) are provided, the opening end of the tubular portion (10) of the first grommet (2) and the opening end of the second grommet (2) are arranged so as to be offset in the axial direction of the tubular portion (10). Grommet structure (1).

[0045] According to the grommet structure of the configuration [4] above, the open end of the tubular portion of the first grommet and the open end of the second grommet are arranged so as to be offset in the axial direction of the tubular portion. Therefore, when removing some grommets from multiple grommets to match the diameter of a through hole, the number of overlapping grommets can be easily confirmed by looking at the offset location of the open end of the tubular portion, improving workability.

[0046] [5] A method for manufacturing a wire harness (3) having the grommet structure (1) according to any one of [1] to [3] above and an electric wire (W), a step of removing other grommets (2) located outside one grommet (2) from the grommet structure (1) having a plurality of grommets (2) so that one grommet (2) having the main body portion (20) of a size corresponding to the hole diameter of the through hole (Pa) of the attachment object (P) is exposed at the outermost part; and inserting the electric wire (W) into the cylindrical portion (10) of the grommet (2) located at the innermost part of the grommet structure (1). A method for manufacturing a wire harness (3).

[0047] In the manufacturing method of the wire harness having the configuration [5] above, when the grommet structure includes multiple grommets, the grommet structure has an overlapping structure in which a second grommet is accommodated in the hollow of an adjacent first grommet. Therefore, by removing the other grommets located outside the exposed grommet from the grommet structure having multiple grommets so that a grommet having a body portion corresponding to the diameter of the through hole to be attached is exposed at the outermost position, a grommet structure that can be properly fitted into the through hole can be constructed. Generally, the larger the diameter of the through hole, the greater the number of electric wires and the thicker the electric wire bundle. However, because the cylindrical portion of the grommet is elastically deformable, by expanding the cylindrical portion of the innermost grommet as needed, such a thick electric wire bundle can be properly inserted into the grommet structure. In this way, the manufacturing method of the wire harness of this configuration does not require the management of part numbers of multiple types of grommets having different sizes of main body portions for each through hole diameter, as in the conventional method, and can accommodate multiple specifications using a single grommet structure.

[0048] [6] In the manufacturing method of the wire harness (3) described in [5] above, The method further includes a step of winding the tubular portion (10) of the one grommet (2) and the electric wire (W) together using a tape-shaped part after the step of inserting the electric wire (W). A method for manufacturing a wire harness.

[0049] According to the manufacturing method of the wire harness having the configuration [6] above, the outermost exposed cylindrical portion of the grommet and the electric wire are wound together using a tape-shaped part, which makes it possible to more firmly adhere the multiple cylindrical portions together, thereby more effectively preventing water and the like from entering the gaps between the overlapping cylindrical portions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 Grommet structure 2 grommets 3 Wire harness 10 Cylindrical part 11 Outer protrusion 12 Inner protrusion 20 Main body 23 Concave section 24 Upper thick part (thick part) 25 Lower thick part (thick part) 26 Convex portion P Body panel (installation target) Pa through hole W Wire bundle (wire)

Claims

1. A grommet structure having a plurality of grommets, Each of the plurality of grommets includes: The connector has a hollow cylindrical portion that is elastically deformable in the radial direction and through which an electric wire is inserted, and a hollow main body portion from which the cylindrical portion extends and which is fitted into a through hole of an attachment target, The main body portion is a groove-shaped concave portion provided on the outer surface of the main body portion and adapted to receive an edge portion of the through hole, and a protruding portion provided on the inner surface of the main body portion and erected from a position corresponding to the groove bottom of the concave portion, The height of the raised ridge portion is equal to or less than the depth of the groove of the recessed ridge portion, The grommet structure is Adjacent first and second grommets are arranged such that the second grommet is housed within the hollow of the first grommet, the tubular portion of the second grommet overlaps the tubular portion of the first grommet, and the convex portion of the first grommet is inserted into the concave portion of the second grommet. Grommet construction.

2. A grommet structure having a plurality of grommets, Each of the plurality of grommets includes: The connector has a hollow cylindrical portion that is elastically deformable in the radial direction and through which an electric wire is inserted, and a hollow main body portion from which the cylindrical portion extends and which is fitted into a through hole of an attachment target, The main body portion is a groove-shaped recessed streak portion provided on the outer surface of the main body portion and adapted to receive an edge portion of the through hole; and a pair of thickened portions provided so as to sandwich the recessed streak portion in the fitting direction of the main body portion into the through hole, the thickness of the main body portion at the thickened portions being greater than the thickness of the main body portion at the groove bottom of the recessed streak portion, The grommet structure is Adjacent first and second grommets are arranged such that the second grommet is housed within the hollow of the first grommet, the tubular portion of the second grommet overlaps the tubular portion of the first grommet, and an inner surface of the thick portion of the first grommet and an outer surface of the thick portion of the second grommet are in contact with each other. Grommet construction.

3. A grommet structure having a plurality of grommets, Each of the plurality of grommets includes: The connector has a hollow cylindrical portion that is elastically deformable in the radial direction and through which an electric wire is inserted, and a hollow main body portion from which the cylindrical portion extends and which is fitted into a through hole of an attachment target, The cylindrical portion is an outer protrusion provided on an outer surface of the open end of the cylindrical portion and protruding radially outward from the cylindrical portion; and an inner protrusion provided on an inner surface of the open end and protruding radially inward from the cylindrical portion, The grommet structure is Adjacent first and second grommets are arranged such that the second grommet is housed within the hollow of the first grommet, the cylindrical portion of the second grommet overlaps the cylindrical portion of the first grommet, and the inner protrusion of the first grommet and the outer protrusion of the second grommet contact each other in the axial direction of the cylindrical portions. Grommet construction.

4. In the grommet structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, an open end of the cylindrical portion of the first grommet and an open end of the second grommet are arranged so as to be offset in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion; Grommet construction.

5. A method for manufacturing a wire harness having the grommet structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and an electric wire, removing the other grommets located outside the one grommet from the grommet structure having a plurality of grommets so that the one grommet having the body portion of a size corresponding to the hole diameter of the through hole to be attached is exposed at the outermost part; and inserting the electric wire into the cylindrical portion of the grommet located at the innermost part of the grommet structure. A method for manufacturing a wire harness.

6. The method for manufacturing the wire harness according to claim 5, The method further includes a step of winding the cylindrical portion of the one grommet and the electric wire together using a tape-shaped part after the step of inserting the electric wire. A method for manufacturing a wire harness.

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