Cable grommet and electrical harness

Abstract

A cable gland body (11) of a cable gland (10) comprises: a large-diameter tubular portion (12); a first (13) and a second (14) small-diameter tubular portion arranged respectively on two sides of the through hole of an element to which the attachment is made; a sound-insulating portion (15) that covers the through hole, the sound-insulating portion (15) being configured such that a lateral stop surface is folded to face an external radial side of the cable gland body (11) and has a pleated shape, and an external diameter of the sound-insulating portion (15) is smaller than an internal diameter of the through hole. Fig. 5

Description

Title of the invention: Cable grommet and electrical harness technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable gland and an electrical harness. Context

[0002] When an electrical wire enters a pre-formed through hole in a plate material, a conventionally known grommet is attached to the peripheral edge of the through hole to protect the electrical wire from the peripheral edge of the hole. Document JP2012-239321A describes a technique for a grommet provided with a grommet body for retaining an electrical wire when the electrical wire enters the through hole provided in a vehicle body panel serving as the element at which the attachment is made. The grommet body is provided with an umbrella-shaped portion (umbrella-shaped sound insulation portion) extending from the outer peripheral portion of a tubular electrical harness support to a panel attachment portion, which is a portion that is attached to the vehicle body panel.By providing this umbrella-shaped section, the grommet is designed to eliminate sound leakage around the part that attaches to the through hole in the vehicle's body panel. Summary.

[0003] In the cable gland described in document JP2012-239321A, the external diameter of the umbrella-shaped part that suppresses sound leakage is greater than the internal diameter of the through hole through which the electrical wire enters, and thus the umbrella-shaped part interferes with the element at which the fixing is made, when the cable gland is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole, which results in poor machinability when the cable gland is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole.

[0004] The present invention was implemented by taking into consideration this type of problem in such conventional techniques. One object of the present invention is to provide a grommet that can eliminate interference with an element at which the attachment is made when the grommet is fixed to the peripheral edge of a through hole and is thus advantageous for improving machinability when the grommet is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole, and for providing an electrical harness using the grommet.

[0005] A cable gland according to the present invention is provided with a cable gland body for retaining, on the inner periphery side, an electrical wire entering through a through hole provided in an element to which the retention is achieved, the cable gland body including: a large diameter tubular part locked onto a peripheral edge of the through hole; a first tubular part of small diameter arranged on one side of an opening of the through hole and a second tubular part of small diameter arranged on the other side of the opening of the through hole; and an umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation section extending from an inner peripheral side to an outer peripheral side of the cable gland body and covering the opening of the hole protruding from another side, in which: The acoustic insulation portion is configured so that it can be folded so that an internal lateral surface of the acoustic insulation portion faces an external radial side of the cable gland body with a folded portion as the base point, and the acoustic insulation portion in a state in which the internal lateral surface of the acoustic insulation portion is folded to face the external radial side of the cable gland body and has a pleated shape having a plurality of folds in a circumferential direction, and an external diameter of the acoustic insulation portion in this state is less than an internal diameter of the through hole.

[0006] In the cable gland according to the present invention, the folded part can be provided in a position further away from the element to which the attachment is made than an external peripheral edge of the acoustic insulation part in a direction of the length of the cable gland body.

[0007] In the cable gland according to the present invention, a tubular part with an expandable diameter can be provided between the second tubular part of small diameter and the tubular part of large diameter, The acoustic insulation section can be formed to extend from an external surface of the second small-diameter tubular section or the expandable-diameter tubular section, and An annular groove extending along a circumferential direction of the cable gland body can be formed between the external surface of the second small-diameter tubular part or the expandable-diameter tubular part and an external lateral surface of the sound-insulating part.

[0008] In the cable gland according to the present invention, an external peripheral edge of the acoustic insulation part can be provided with a closing part in order to close a space between the element to which the fixing is made and the external peripheral edge of the acoustic insulation part.

[0009] In the cable gland according to the present invention, a groove extending in a radial direction from the cable gland body can be provided in an external lateral surface near the external peripheral edge in the acoustic insulation part.

[0010] In the cable gland according to the present invention, a rib extending in a radial direction from the cable gland body can be provided on an external lateral surface of the acoustic insulation part.

[0011] An electrical harness according to the present invention includes the cable gland described above.

[0012] The above configuration makes it possible to propose a grommet which can eliminate interference with an element at which the fixing is made, when the grommet is fixed to the peripheral edge of a through hole and is thus advantageous for improving machinability when the grommet is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole and for providing an electrical harness using the grommet. Brief description of the drawings

[0013] [Fig-1] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a cable gland according to a first mode of implementation. [Fig.2] Fig.2 is a cross-sectional view of the wire pass-through according to the first embodiment. [Fig.3] Fig.3 is an exploded view of the cable gland according to the first embodiment. [Fig.4] The [Fig.4] is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a part of the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation in the first embodiment is folded. [Fig.5] The [Fig.5] is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation part in the first embodiment is folded. [Fig.6] Fig.6 is a perspective view of an example of a cable pass-through according to a second embodiment. [Fig.7] The [Fig.7] is a cross-sectional view of the wire passage according to the second embodiment. [Fig.8] Fig.8 is an exploded view of the cable gland according to the second embodiment. [Fig.9] The [Fig.9] is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a part of the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation in the second embodiment is folded. [Fig. 10] The [Fig. 10] is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation part in the second embodiment is folded. [Fig. 11] The [Fig. 11] is a perspective view illustrating an example of a cable pass-through according to a third embodiment. [Fig. 12] The [Fig. 12] is a cross-sectional view of the wire passage according to the third embodiment. [Fig. 13] The [Fig. 13] is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a part of umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation in the third embodiment is folded. [Fig. 14] The [Fig. 14] is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation part in the third embodiment is folded. Detailed description

[0014] Various embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] A cable gland is described in detail below according to the embodiments shown in the drawings. The dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for simplicity and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0016] [First embodiment] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cable gland 10 according to the first embodiment, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cable gland 10 according to the first embodiment. By way of example, the cable gland 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of a through hole 2 pre-formed in a vehicle body panel 1 serving as the element at which the fixing is made, and protects an electrical wire W that enters the through hole 2 from the peripheral edge of the through hole 2. The shape of the opening of the through hole 2 is circular in this embodiment. The electrical wire W may be a bundle of wires. In the following description, the upper side refers to the side in the direction toward the through hole 2 when the cable gland 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, and the lower side refers to its opposite side.

[0017] The vehicle body panel 1 comprises, by way of example, a panel 1 arranged on one side of the vehicle body panel 1 (engine compartment side) and an insulator 1b (acoustic insulation material) arranged on the other side of the vehicle body panel 1 (interior side of the vehicle).

[0018] Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the cable gland 10. The cable gland 10 is provided with a cable gland body 11 and an internal protection device 30. Furthermore, the cable gland body 11 can be directly fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2 without connecting the internal protection device 30 to the cable gland body 11.

[0019] The cable gland body 11 is a tubular element that holds the electrical wire W arranged on its inner peripheral side. The cable gland body 11 is formed from a flexible material such as rubber. The cable gland body 11 comprises a large-diameter tubular portion 12, a first small-diameter tubular portion 12 diameter 13, a second tubular part of small diameter 14 and a part of acoustic insulation 15.

[0020] The internal protection device 30 is connected to the large diameter tubular part 12. The external diameter of the large diameter tubular part 12 is greater than the opening diameter of the through hole 2. The large diameter tubular part 12 includes a mounting groove 16 and a lip 17.

[0021] The mounting groove 16 is formed in an annular manner on the outer peripheral side of the large diameter tubular part 12 and when the internal protection device 30 is connected to the large diameter tubular part 12, flanges 33 of the protection device 30 are mounted in the mounting groove 16. In addition, a recess 18 engaging with a convex part 33a formed in some of the flanges 33 may be provided in a part of the mounting groove 16.

[0022] The lip 17 is an annular sealing gasket and protrudes from the side of the vehicle body panel 1 from an external peripheral edge surface 12a opposite the vehicle body panel 1. The lip 17 may consist of an internal peripheral lip 17a and an external peripheral lip 17b. When the grommet 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, the internal peripheral lip 17a and the external peripheral lip 17b deform elastically in the direction of the sagging of the side of the external peripheral edge surface 12a and adhere to the peripheral edge surface of the through hole 2 provided on a surface of the vehicle body panel 1. This prevents water or similar substances from entering from the external side to the internal side of the grommet 10 through a gap between the lip 17 and the surface of the vehicle body panel 1 opposite the lip 17.

[0023] The first small-diameter tubular section 13 is continuous with the side of the large-diameter tubular section 12 opposite the side opposite the vehicle body panel 1, via a first enlarged-diameter tubular section 19 and a bellows-shaped tube 20, and retains the electrical wire W on its inner peripheral side. The first small-diameter tubular section 13 is arranged on one side of the opening of the through hole 2 (engine compartment side) and has an inner surface in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the electrical wire W over a predetermined length. The inner diameter of the first small-diameter tubular section 13 is smaller than the inner diameter of the large-diameter tubular section 12 and slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the electrical wire W, or nearly equal to the outer diameter of the electrical wire W.This prevents water or similar from entering from the outside to the inside of the cable gland 10 via a gap between the inner surface of the first small-diameter tubular part 13 and the outer peripheral surface of the electrical wire W. The first small-diameter tubular part 13 is formed with a flexible material, and thus the first small tubular part. diameter 13 deforms according to a change in the position of the electrical wire W. In addition, a first annular sealing gasket 13a can be provided on the internal peripheral surface of the first small diameter tubular part 13 and the first annular sealing gasket 13a is configured to close the space between the internal peripheral surface of the first small diameter tubular part 13 and the electrical wire W.

[0024] The second small-diameter tubular section 14 is continuous with the side of the large-diameter tubular section 12 opposite the vehicle body panel 1, via a second enlarged tubular section of diameter 21, and retains the electrical wire W on its inner peripheral side. The second small-diameter tubular section 14 is arranged on the other side of the opening of the through hole 2 (inner side of the vehicle) and has an inner surface in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the electrical wire W over a predetermined length. The inner diameter of the second small-diameter tubular section 14 is smaller than the inner diameter of the large-diameter tubular section 12 and slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the electrical wire W, or nearly equal to the outer diameter of the electrical wire W.This prevents water or similar substances from entering from the outside to the inside of the cable gland 10 via a gap between the inner surface of the second small-diameter tubular section 14 and the outer peripheral surface of the electrical wire W. The second small-diameter tubular section 14 is made of a flexible material, and thus it deforms according to a change in the position of the electrical wire W. Furthermore, a second annular seal 14a can be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the second small-diameter tubular section 14, and this second annular seal 14a is configured to close the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the second small-diameter tubular section 14 and the electrical wire W. In addition, a tab 14b for tape winding can provide an extension at the tip of the second small-diameter tubular section 14.

[0025] The sound insulation portion 15 is formed in an umbrella or flange shape on the outer peripheral side of the second tubular portion with an enlarged diameter 21 and extends from the inner peripheral side to the outer peripheral side of the cable gland body 11. That is to say, the sound insulation portion 15 is formed as an umbrella or flange extending from the outer surface of the second tubular portion with an enlarged diameter 21. When the cable gland 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2 and the sound insulation portion 15 is expanded, as illustrated in [Fig. 1] and [Fig. 2], an outer peripheral edge 15a provided at the tip of the sound insulation portion 15 adheres to the peripheral edge surface of the through hole 2 provided on the other surface of the panel. vehicle body 1. That is to say, the external diameter of the sound insulation part 15, in a state in which the sound insulation part 15 is expanded as illustrated in [Fig. 1] and [Fig. 2], is greater than the opening diameter of the through hole 2. For this reason, a closed sound insulation gap is formed between the sound insulation part 15 and the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, and thus it is possible to suppress the transmission of sound (sound leakage) entering the interior of the vehicle from the engine compartment via the gap between the vehicle body panel 1, the sound insulation part 15 and the peripheral edge of the through hole 2. The sound insulation part 15 can also be formed in an umbrella or flange shape extending from the external surface of the second small-diameter tubular part 14.

[0026] Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation part 15, in the first embodiment, is contracted from an expanded state and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state in which the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation part 15, in the first embodiment, is contracted from the expanded state.

[0027] In this embodiment, the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation portion 15 is configured so that it can be folded so that a lateral buttress surface 15b of the acoustic insulation portion 15 faces the outer radial side of the cable gland body 11, with a folded portion 22 as its base point. Of the front and rear surfaces of the acoustic insulation portion 15, the lateral buttress surface 15b is an internal lateral surface that abuts against the peripheral edge of the through hole 2.The acoustic insulation part 15 in a state in which the lateral abutment surface 15b of the acoustic insulation part 15 is folded to face the external radial side of the cable gland body 11, has a pleated shape having a plurality of folds 23 in the circumferential direction, and an external diameter DI of the acoustic insulation part 15 in this state is less than an internal diameter D2 of the through hole 2 (DI < D2). In order to allow the position in which the lateral stop surface 15b of the sound insulation part 15 is folded, to be high relative to the outer peripheral edge 15a, the folding part 22 is provided in a position further from the vehicle body panel 1 than the outer peripheral edge 15a of the sound insulation part 15 in the length direction of the cable gland body 11 in a state in which the insulation part 15 is not folded, as shown in [Fig.2].The folding portion 22 also includes a folding groove 24 formed along the circumferential direction in the lateral abutment surface 15b of the acoustic insulation portion 15. That is to say, the folding groove 24 is provided in the lateral abutment surface 15b of the acoustic insulation portion 15 in order to make a . Part of the lateral buttress surface 15b of the acoustic insulation section 15 is thinned and then bent in a direction towards the peripheral edge surface of the through hole 2. Meanwhile, an internal peripheral edge 15c, which is a connecting part with the second tubular section of enlarged diameter 21 in the acoustic insulation section 15, is provided in a lower position relative to the external peripheral edge 15a. When the cable gland 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, the internal peripheral edge 15c, which is provided at the base end of the acoustic insulation section 15, can be partially positioned inside the through hole 2.

[0028] In this embodiment, an annular groove 25 is formed along the circumferential direction of the cable gland body 11 between the outer surface of the second tubular section with an enlarged diameter 21 and an unrestricted lateral surface 15d of the acoustic insulation section 15. Of the front and rear surfaces of the acoustic insulation section 15, the unrestricted lateral surface 15d is an outer lateral surface, which is the surface opposite the inner lateral surface (restricted lateral surface 15b). When the acoustic insulation section 15 is formed to extend from the outer surface of the second tubular section with a small diameter 14, the annular groove 25 can be formed between the outer surface of the second tubular section with a small diameter 14 and the unrestricted lateral surface 15d of the acoustic insulation section 15.

[0029] In the illustrated examples of this embodiment, although no folds remain in the acoustic insulation part 15 in a state in which the acoustic insulation part 15 is expanded, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the shape, when the acoustic insulation part 15 is expanded, is not limited to the present configuration, and some folds may remain on the acoustic insulation part 15. Moreover, as illustrated in [Fig. 1] and [Fig. 2], the circumferential length of the outer peripheral edge 15a with the acoustic insulation part 15 expanded is approximately the same as that of the outer peripheral edge 15a with the acoustic insulation part 15 contracted, as illustrated in [Fig. 4] and [Fig. 5].

[0030] The internal protective device 30, illustrated in [Fig. 3], is an annular element that supports the cable gland body 11 and is held at the peripheral edge of the through hole 2. The internal protective device 30 is made of a material that is more rigid than the cable gland body 11, such as resin. Furthermore, the internal protective device 30 consists of a pair of elements divided into two parts by a virtual plane comprising the central axis of the internal protective device 30 itself, i.e., a combination of a first internal element 31a and a second internal element 31b.

[0031] The internal protection device 30, as a whole, has a main body 32 which is an annular structure consisting of a plurality of walls and flanges 33 which are annular plates.

[0032] The main body 32 comprises, for example, an outer peripheral wall 32a, an upper wall 32b, and an inner peripheral wall 32c. When the grommet 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, the outer peripheral wall 32a is a wall that is opposite the peripheral edge of the through hole 2 along the plane direction of the vehicle body panel 1. The upper wall 32b is a wall that is continuous with the upper and outer peripheral ends of the outer peripheral wall 32a and extends toward the inner peripheral side. The inner peripheral wall 32c is a wall that is continuous with the inner peripheral end of the upper wall 32b and approximately parallel to the outer peripheral wall 32a.

[0033] The flanges 33 project radially inwards from the lower peripheral edge of the internal peripheral wall 32c. The flanges 33 are mounted in the mounting groove 16 when the internal protective device 30 is connected to the cable gland body 11, as described above. Furthermore, the flanges 33 have a convex portion 33a which engages with the recess 18 when mounted in the mounting groove 16 according to the position of the recess 18 pre-formed in the mounting groove 16. The rotation of the internal protection device 30 relative to the cable gland body 11 on the basis of the central axis of the large diameter tubular portion 12 is eliminated due to the convex portion 33a engaging with the recess 18. The convex portion 33a can be formed in the respective flanges 33 of the first internal element 31a and the second internal element 31b.At the same time, the mounting groove 16 of the cable gland body 11 may have a plurality of recesses 18 corresponding to the respective convex parts 33a.

[0034] Here, when the internal protective device 30 is a combination of a pair of elements consisting of the first internal element 31a and the second internal element 31b, the first internal element 31a and the second internal element 31b may have the same semi-circular shape. The first internal element 31a and the second internal element 31b also comprise two lateral walls 32d which abut each other in the circumferential direction when combined. Of the two side walls 32d, one side wall 32d is provided with a hook 34 and the other side wall 32d is provided with a groove 35. When the first internal element 31a and the second internal element 31b are combined, the hook 34 of the first internal element 31a is mounted in the groove 35 of the second internal element 31b, and the hook 34 of the second internal element 31b is mounted in the groove 35 of the first internal element 31a.

[0035] The first internal element 3la and the second internal element 31b can be connected via a hinge, for example, instead of the connecting mechanism by means of the hook 34 and the groove 35. Although the case in which the internal protective device 30 is divided into two internal elements is described by way of example, it can be divided into three or more internal elements.

[0036] Furthermore, the internal protective device 30 also has a plurality of internal latches 40 that lock the main body 32 to the periphery of the through hole 2 when a portion of the main body 32 is inserted into the through hole 2. In the present embodiment, the internal latches 40 are provided in four positions at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, as a whole, of the internal protective device 30. That is, the internal latches 40 are provided in two positions in the first internal element 31a and also in two positions in the second internal element 31b. The number of internal latches 40 is not particularly limited and may be a number other than four.

[0037] Each internal lock 40 includes a lock hook 41.

[0038] The locking hook 41 is provided along the outer peripheral wall 32a of the main body 32 and deforms elastically in the direction connecting the inner and outer sides of the outer peripheral wall 32a. The locking hook 41 has a projection that is in contact with or engages with the peripheral edge of the through hole 2. Here, a state in which the projection engages with the peripheral edge of the through hole 2 refers to the state of the projection relative to the through hole 2 when the internal locks 40 lock the main body 32 onto the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, that is, when the cable gland 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2.The projection protrudes outwards with a ridge line along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral wall 32a as its apex and is usually positioned outside the outer periphery of the outer peripheral wall 32a. That is to say, the elastic deformation of the locking hook 41 is caused by the displacement of the projection due to the contact of the projection with the peripheral edge of the through hole 2. Moreover, in a state in which the projection is engaged with the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, when the peripheral edge of the through hole 2 enters the lower end groove of the projection, the main body 32 is held in a fixed position relative to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2.

[0039] In the internal protection device 30, since the internal locks 40 are provided in four positions in the circumferential direction, each projection included in a total of four lock hooks 41 projects along the radial direction on the basis of the central axis of the main body 32.

[0040] The operation of the cable pass-through 10 is then described.

[0041] First, regarding the assembly of the cable gland 10, an operator prepares the body The cable gland 11 is connected to the electrical wire W, which is arranged on its inner peripheral side, and the internal protective device 30 is secured to the large-diameter tubular section 12 of the cable gland body 11. The internal protective device 30 is pre-divided into a first internal element 31a and a second internal element 31b. Therefore, once the electrical wire W has already entered the through hole 2 provided in the vehicle body panel 1, the internal protective device 30 can be easily attached to the large-diameter tubular section 12 of the cable gland body 11 by combining each of the internal elements to sandwich the large-diameter tubular section 12 of the cable gland body 11 from both sides. The above operation secures the cable gland 10 to the electrical wire W.

[0042] Next, regarding the fixing of the cable gland 10 to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, when the electrical wire W has not yet entered the through hole 2, the operator passes the electrical wire W, which is exposed from the side of the second small-diameter tubular part 14 of the cable gland body 11, through the through hole 2. Then, the operator pushes the entire cable gland 10 towards the side of the through hole 2 by inserting the main body 32 of the internal protection device 30 into the through hole 2. At this moment, each locking hook 41 of the internal locks 40 is elastically deformed because the projections are displaced while being in contact with the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, thus allowing the insertion of the main body 32 into the through hole 2.When the main body 32 is inserted into the insertion completion position, each locking hook 41 is elastically restored to be locked onto the peripheral edge of the through hole 2. When the internal protection device 30 is in a locked state, as above, the lip 17 of the grommet body 11 adheres tightly to the peripheral edge surface of the through hole 2 provided on the surface of the vehicle body panel 1. That is to say, the vehicle body panel 1 is sandwiched between the protrusions on the side of the internal protection device 30 and the lip 17 on the side of the grommet body 11. Thus, the grommet 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2 in order to close the through hole 2.

[0043] Furthermore, when the cable gland 10 is fixed, the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation portion 15 is in a state such that the lateral stop surface 15b of the acoustic insulation portion 15 is folded to face the external radial side of the cable gland body 11, with the folded portion 22 as the base point (see Figures 4 and 5). The acoustic insulation portion 15 in a state in which the lateral stop surface 15b of the acoustic insulation portion 15 is folded to face the external radial side of the cable gland body forms a pleated shape having a plurality of folds 23 in the circumferential direction, and the external diameter DI of the acoustic insulation portion 15 in this state is less than the internal diameter D2 of the through hole 2. For this reason, by inserting the grommet 10 into the through hole 2 with the acoustic insulation portion 15 contracted, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the interference of the acoustic insulation portion 15 with the peripheral edge of the through hole 2 is eliminated, thus allowing the grommet 10 to be easily inserted into the through hole 2. After the grommet 10 has been fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, as described above, the acoustic insulation portion 15 is expanded by bending in the direction of the vehicle body panel 1, thus allowing the outer peripheral edge 15a of the acoustic insulation portion 15 to adhere tightly to the peripheral edge surface of the through hole 2 provided on the surface of the vehicle body panel 1.

[0044] The effect of the cable pass-through 10 is then described.

[0045] The cable gland 10, according to a first aspect of this embodiment, is provided with the cable gland body 11 to retain, on the inner periphery side, the electrical wire W entering the through hole 2 provided in the element at which the attachment is made (vehicle body panel 1). The cable gland body 11 comprises the large-diameter tubular portion 12 locked onto the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, the first small-diameter tubular portion 13 arranged on one side of the opening of the through hole 2, and the second small-diameter tubular portion 14 arranged on the other side of the opening of the through hole 2. The cable gland body 11 includes the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation portion 15, which extends from the inner periphery side to the outer periphery side of the cable gland body 11 and covers the opening of the through hole 2 from the other side.The acoustic insulation portion 15 is configured such that the inner lateral surface of the acoustic insulation portion 15 (lateral stop surface 15b) is folded to face the outer radial side of the cable gland body 11, with the folded portion 22 as the base point. The acoustic insulation portion 15, in a state in which the inner lateral surface of the acoustic insulation portion 15 (lateral stop surface 15b) is folded to face the outer radial side of the cable gland body, has a pleated shape having a plurality of folds 23 in the circumferential direction, and the outer diameter DI of the acoustic insulation portion 15 in this state is less than the inner diameter D2 of the through hole 2.

[0046] The sound insulation portion 15 is formed in an umbrella or flange shape extending from the outer surface of the second tubular portion with an enlarged diameter 21. The outer diameter of the sound insulation portion 15, in a state where the sound insulation portion 15 is expanded, as illustrated in [Fig. 1] and [Fig. 2], is greater than the inner diameter D2 of the through hole 2. Simultaneously, the sound insulation portion 15, in a state where the lateral buttress surface 15b of the sound insulation portion 15 is folded back to face on the external radial side of the cable gland body a pleated shape having a plurality of pleats 23 in the circumferential direction, and the external diameter DI of the acoustic insulation part 15 in this state, is less than the internal diameter D2 of the through hole 2. For this reason, by inserting the cable gland 10 into the through hole 2 with the acoustic insulation part 15 contracted, as illustrated in [Fig.4] and [Fig.5], the interference of the acoustic insulation part 15 with the peripheral edge of the through hole 2 is eliminated, thus allowing the cable gland 10 to be easily inserted into the through hole 1.

[0047] As described above, the present embodiment makes it possible to provide the grommet 10 which can eliminate interference with the vehicle body panel 1, when the grommet 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2 and is thus advantageous for improving machinability when the grommet 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2.

[0048] In the cable gland 10 according to a second aspect of the present embodiment, the folding part 22 is provided in a position further away from the element at which the fixing is made (vehicle body panel 1) than the outer peripheral edge 15a of the acoustic insulation part 15 in the length direction of the cable gland body 11.

[0049] By allowing the position in which the lateral buttress surface 15b of the acoustic insulation part 15 is folded to be high relative to the outer peripheral edge 15a, it is possible to complicate the return of the acoustic insulation part 15 from the expanded state, as illustrated in [Fig. 1] and [Fig. 2], to the contracted state, as illustrated in [Fig. 4] and [Fig. 5]. Furthermore, in a state in which the acoustic insulation part 15 is expanded, sufficient force can be obtained to compress the vehicle body panel 1 using the outer peripheral edge 15a of the acoustic insulation part 15, thus allowing the outer peripheral edge 15a of the acoustic insulation part 15 to adhere tightly to the peripheral edge surface of the through hole 2.

[0050] In the cable gland 10 according to a third aspect of the present embodiment, the tubular portion with an expandable diameter (second tubular portion with an enlarged diameter 21) is provided between the second tubular portion with a small diameter 14 and the tubular portion with a large diameter 12, and the acoustic insulation portion 15 is formed to extend from the external surface of the second tubular portion with a small diameter 14 or the tubular portion with an expandable diameter (second tubular portion with an enlarged diameter 21). The annular groove 25 extending along the circumferential direction of the cable gland body 11 is formed between the external surface of the second tubular portion with a small diameter 14 or the tubular portion with an expandable diameter (second tubular portion with an enlarged diameter 21) and the peri- surface external sphere of the acoustic insulation part 15 (lateral surface without stop 15d).

[0051] The annular groove 25 is provided between the external surface of the second small-diameter tubular part 14 or the second enlarged-diameter tubular part 21 and the lateral surface without stop 15d of the acoustic insulation part 15. Therefore, when the acoustic insulation part 15 is inverted from a contracted state to an expanded state, a portion of the base end of the acoustic insulation part 15, which is about to transition into an elliptical shape, can be released by the annular groove 25, and thus the force, when the acoustic insulation part 15 is inverted, can be reduced.Furthermore, even when the internal wire W is moved into a state in which the cable gland 10 is fixed to the electrical wire W, the movement of the electrical wire W is not easily transmitted to the entire acoustic insulation portion 15, thus complicating the return of the acoustic insulation portion 15 from the expanded state to the contracted state.

[0052] An electrical harness according to the present embodiment is provided with the cable gland 10 according to any one of the first to third aspects described above.

[0053] The present embodiment makes it possible to propose an electrical harness which can eliminate interference with the vehicle body panel 1, when the grommet 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2 and is thus advantageous for improving machinability when the grommet 10 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2.

[0054] [Second embodiment] A 10A cable gland is then described according to the second embodiment. It should be noted that the components substantially identical to those of the 10A cable gland described above are designated by the same reference numbers, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0055] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cable gland 10A according to the second embodiment, and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cable gland 10A according to the second embodiment. Figure 8 is an exploded view of the cable gland 10A. Furthermore, Figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which an umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation portion 15 in the second embodiment is contracted from an expanded state, and Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation portion 15 in the second embodiment is contracted from an expanded state.

[0056] In the cable gland 10A according to this embodiment, the outer peripheral edge 15a of the sound insulation portion 15 is provided with a closing portion 26 in order to close the gap between the vehicle body panel 1 and the outer peripheral edge 15a of the sound insulation portion 15 when the sound insulation portion 15 is expanded, as illustrated in [Fig. 6] and [Fig. 7]. In the In this embodiment, few folds remain in the acoustic insulation part 15 and a plurality of closure parts 26 are provided in the circumferential direction of the cable gland body 1 IA with respect to the outer peripheral edge 15a of the acoustic insulation part 15 in order to close the gap that may occur between the vehicle body panel 1 and the outer peripheral edge 15a of the acoustic insulation part 15. In addition, the closure parts 26 may be provided in the crest parts of the folds 23 in the acoustic insulation part 15.The cable gland 10A according to this embodiment, improves the sound insulation property of the sound insulation part 15 by means of the closure part 26 closing the space between the vehicle body panel 1 and the outer peripheral edge 15a of the sound insulation part 15 when the umbrella-shaped sound insulation part 15 is expanded.

[0057] Furthermore, in the cable gland 10A according to this embodiment, a groove 27 extending in the radial direction of the cable gland body 1 IA is provided in the unstopped lateral surface 15d near the outer peripheral edge 15a in the acoustic insulation portion 15. In this embodiment, a plurality of grooves 27 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the cable gland body 11A relative to the outer peripheral edge 15a of the acoustic insulation portion 15 provided with the closure portion 26. In addition, the grooves 27 may be provided in the crest portions of the folds 23 in the acoustic insulation portion 15.The cable gland 10A according to this embodiment improves the flexibility of the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation part 15 by providing grooves 27 in the non-stopped lateral surface 15d of the acoustic insulation part 15, thus minimizing the gap that may occur between the vehicle body panel 1 and the cable gland 10A.

[0058] Furthermore, in the cable gland 10A according to this embodiment, a rib 28 extending along the radial direction of the cable gland body 1 IA is provided on the unstopped lateral surface 15d of the acoustic insulation portion 15. In this embodiment, a plurality of ribs 28 are provided on the unstopped lateral surface 15d of the acoustic insulation portion 15 at intervals in the circumferential direction of the cable gland body 11 A. In addition, the ribs 28 may be provided in the crest portions of the folds 23 in the acoustic insulation portion 15.The 10A cable gland according to this embodiment increases the rigidity of the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation portion 15 by providing ribs 28 on the unstopped lateral surface 15d of the acoustic insulation portion 15, thus eliminating the fact that the acoustic insulation portion 15 is hollow towards the side of the through hole 2 when the acoustic insulation portion 15 is expanded.

[0059] Furthermore, in the 10A cable gland according to the present embodiment, the folding part 22 includes a first fold groove 24 formed along the circumferential direction in the lateral abutment surface 15b of the acoustic insulation part 15 and a second fold groove 29 formed along the circumferential direction in the unstopped lateral surface 15d of the acoustic insulation part 15. That is to say, the first fold groove 24 is provided in the lateral abutment surface 15b of the acoustic insulation part 15 in order to make a part of the lateral abutment surface 15b of the acoustic insulation part 15 thin and to facilitate its folding in a direction towards the peripheral edge surface of the through hole 2.Meanwhile, the second fold groove 29 is provided in the unstopped lateral surface 15d of the acoustic insulation part 15 in order to make a part of the unstopped lateral surface 15d of the acoustic insulation part 15 thin and facilitate its folding in a direction towards the peripheral edge surface of the through hole 2. The cable gland 10A according to this embodiment allows the base point to be fixed when the acoustic insulation part 15 is folded because the fold part 22 includes the first fold groove 24 on the side of the stopped lateral surface 15b of the acoustic insulation part 15 and the second fold groove 29 on the side of the unstopped lateral surface 15d of the acoustic insulation part 15.

[0060] As illustrated in [Fig. 8], ribs 36 are provided on the outer peripheral wall 32a in a main body 32A of the internal protection device 30A in order to eliminate the need to fix the internal protection device 30A to the cable gland body 11A in an inclined position. In the cable gland 10A according to this embodiment, pairs of ribs 36 and 36, provided with a locking hook 41 between them, are formed on the outer peripheral wall 32a of the main body 32A of the internal protection device 30A, and ribs 36 that are provided in an intermediate position between adjacent locking hooks 41 in the circumferential direction are also formed on the outer peripheral wall 32a of the main body 32A of the internal protection device 30A.The 10A cable gland according to this embodiment reduces the load which is generated when the internal peripheral surface of the through hole 2 comes against the ribs 36 and is applied to the locking hooks 41, because the internal protection device 30A has ribs 36 to suppress the inclination.

[0061] Furthermore, the large-diameter tubular portion 12 of the cable gland body 1 IA and the main body 32A of the internal protection device 30A are respectively provided with positioning projections 18a and 37, which prevent the internal protection device 30A from being attached to the cable gland body 11A in an incorrect orientation. In the cable gland 10A according to this embodiment, the positioning projection 37 on the side of the internal protection device 30A is formed in a semi-circular shape and is provided on the upper surface of the tip of the convex portion 33a. In Simultaneously, the positioning protrusion 18a on the side of the cable gland body 1 IA is formed in a semi-circular shape and located near the recess 18 in the large-diameter tubular portion 12 of the cable gland body 11 A. In the cable gland 10 A according to this embodiment, the cable gland body 11 A and the internal protective device 30 A respectively comprise the positioning protrusion 18a and the positioning protrusion 37, which are configured to prevent incorrect attachment. This configuration eliminates the possibility of the internal protective device 30 A being attached to the cable gland body 11 A in a state where the internal protective device 30 A is incorrectly oriented with respect to the length direction (vertical direction) of the cable gland body 11 A.Furthermore, by visually confirming that the positioning protrusion 37 on the side of the internal protection device 30A comes against the positioning protrusion 18a on the side of the cable gland body 11 A, it is possible to eliminate the incorrect fixing of the internal protection device 30A.

[0062] As in the case of the grommet 10 described above, the grommet 10A illustrated in Figures 6 to 10, makes it possible to eliminate interference with the vehicle body panel 1, when the grommet 10A is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, thus improving machinability when the grommet 10A is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2.

[0063] [Third embodiment] Next, a 10B cable gland is described according to the third embodiment. It should be noted that the components substantially identical to those of the 10 and 10A cable glands described above are designated by the same reference numbers, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0064] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the cable gland 10B according to the third embodiment, and Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the cable gland 10B according to the third embodiment. Furthermore, Figure 13 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which an umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation portion 15 in the third embodiment is contracted from an expanded state, and Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation portion 15 in the third embodiment is contracted from an expanded state.

[0065] As illustrated in Figures 11 to 14, the cable gland 10B according to the present embodiment does not include an internal protection device, and the cable gland body 1 IB is fixed directly to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2. An annular wall 12b is formed along the circumferential direction of the cable gland body 1 IB on the external peripheral part of the large diameter tubular part 12 of the cable gland body 11B.

[0066] As in the case of the cable gland 10 and the cable gland 10A described above, the cable gland 10B illustrated in figures 11 to 14 allows for the elimination of interference with the vehicle body panel 1 when the grommet 10B is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2, thus improving machinability when the grommet 10B is fixed to the peripheral edge of the through hole 2.

[0067] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to it and the configuration of the parts may be replaced by any configuration having a similar function, as long as they are within the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

Demands

1. Cable gland (10, 10A, 10B) comprising a cable gland body (11, 11A, 1 IB) configured to retain, on the side of an internal periphery of the cable gland body (11,1 IA, 1 IB), an electrical wire (W) entering through a through hole (2) provided in an element to which the retention is achieved, the cable gland body (11,1 IA, 1 IB) comprising: a large diameter tubular part (12) lockable on a peripheral edge of the through hole (2); a first small-diameter tubular portion (13) configured to be arranged on one side of a through-hole opening (2) and a second small-diameter tubular portion (14) configured to be arranged on another side of the through-hole opening (2); and an umbrella-shaped acoustic insulation portion (15) extending from an inner peripheral side to an outer peripheral side of the cable gland body (11, 1 IA, 1 IB) and configured to cover the through-hole opening (2) from said other side, wherein: the sound insulation portion (15) is configured so that it can be folded so that an internal lateral surface of the sound insulation portion faces an external radial side of the cable gland body (11, 11 A, 1 IB) with a folded portion (22) as the base point, and characterized in that the sound insulation part (15) in a state in which the internal lateral surface of the sound insulation part (15) is folded to face the external radial side of the cable gland body (11, 11 A, HB) has a pleated shape having a plurality of folds (23) in a circumferential direction, and an external diameter (D1) of the sound insulation part (15) in this state is intended to be less than an internal diameter (D2) of the through hole (2).

2. Cable gland (10, 10A, 10B) according to claim 1, wherein: a tubular portion with an expandable diameter (21) is provided between the second tubular portion of small diameter (14) and the tubular portion of large diameter (12), the acoustic insulation portion (15) is formed to extend from an external surface of the second tubular portion of small diameter (14) or the tubular portion with an expandable diameter (21), and an annular groove (25) extending along a circumferential direction. The normality of the cable pass-through body (11,1 IA, 1 IB) is formed between the external surface of the second small diameter tubular part (14) or the expandable diameter tubular part (21) and an external lateral surface of the acoustic insulation part (15).

3. Cable gland (10A, 10B) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein: an outer peripheral edge (15a) of the acoustic insulation part (15) is provided with a closing part (26) in order to close a space between the element to which the fixing is made and the outer peripheral edge (15a) of the acoustic insulation part (15).

4. Cable gland (10A, 10B) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: a groove (27) extending in a radial direction from the cable gland body (1 IA, 1 IB) is provided in an external lateral surface near the external peripheral edge (15a) in the sound insulation portion (15).

5. Cable gland (10A, 10B) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: a rib (28) extending in a radial direction from the cable gland body (1 IA, 1 IB) is provided on an external lateral surface of the sound insulation part (15).

6. Electrical harness including the cable gland (10, 10A, 10B) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.