Grommet and wire harness

Abstract

To provide a grommet and a wire harness that can reduce the burden on operations to assemble a routing material to the grommet.SOLUTION: A grommet is assembled to a wire harness routed in a vehicle, and comprises: a grommet body part 2 that has split bodies 3A, 3B assembled to each other; first seal parts that are interposed between the grommet body part and an attachment panel 100 to seal water; and second seal parts 21A (...) that are interposed between the split bodies to seal water. The grommet body part forms an insertion space 2a into which the routing material is inserted. One split body 3A (3B) is formed to be capable of opening the insertion space 2a relative to the other split body 3B (3A) toward a direction orthogonal to an extension direction of the routing material that passes through the insertion space. The first seal part and the second seal part are formed continuously over attachment faces 11A (...) of the grommet to the attachment panel and split surfaces 12A (...) of the split bodies.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a grommet and a wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional waterproofing techniques for grommets include, for example, a grommet that joins together a pair of resin segments, in which a sealing member made of an elastic material is attached to only one of a pair of opposing segments of the pair of resin segments (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-251769 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when inserting a wiring material into a conventional grommet, an expansion device for the grommet and an insertion jig for the wiring material are required, so there is room for improvement in terms of the burden on the worker in the assembly work.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a grommet and a wire harness that can reduce the burden of assembly work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the grommet of the present invention is constructed by combining a plurality of divided bodies with each other, and comprises a grommet main body portion which is attached to a through hole formed in an attachment panel, a first sealing member which is interposed between the grommet main body portion and the attachment panel to provide watertightness when the grommet main body portion is attached to the through hole, and a second sealing member which is interposed between the plurality of divided bodies to provide watertightness, wherein the grommet main body portion forms an insertion space through which a wiring material is inserted by combining the plurality of divided bodies with each other, and one of the divided bodies is formed to be able to open the insertion space in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the wiring material passing through the insertion space relative to the other divided bodies, and has a dividing surface which faces the other divided bodies in an assembled state in which the plurality of divided bodies are combined with each other, and a mounting surface which is formed continuously with one end of the dividing surface in the extension direction and faces the attached surface of the attachment panel in the attached state, and wherein the first sealing member and the second sealing member are formed continuously across the mounting surface and the dividing surface. Effect of the Invention

[0007] Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the grommet and the wire harness of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the burden of the work of assembling the wiring material to the grommet. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a grommet and a wire harness according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the grommet according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of one of the divided bodies that constitute the grommet. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the other of the divided bodies that constitute the grommet. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the grommet immediately prior to combining the two divided bodies. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second seal member according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a second seal member according to a first modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a second seal member according to a second modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a second seal member according to a third modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a second seal member according to a fourth modified example of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A grommet and a wire harness according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. That is, the components in the following embodiment include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine or that are substantially the same, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0010] [Embodiment] The grommet 1 shown in Fig. 1 is incorporated in a wire harness WH to be routed in a vehicle or the like, and is applied to a through hole 103 formed in a mounting panel 100 when routing a wiring material W through the through hole 103 across two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100 as a boundary. The mounting panel 100 is, for example, a metal plate constituting the body of a vehicle. The through hole 103 penetrates the mounting panel 100 in the plate thickness direction from a panel front surface 101 to a panel back surface 102. The two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100 as a boundary are, for example, an interior space and an exterior space of the vehicle.

[0011] The wire harness WH is configured to connect wiring material W used for power supply and signal communication to each device mounted on a vehicle at once using a connector or the like in order to connect the devices to each other. The wire harness WH of this embodiment includes a conductive wiring material W and a grommet 1 provided on the wiring material W and through which the wiring material W is inserted. The wire harness WH may further include various other components such as exterior members such as a corrugated tube, a resin tape, and a protector, an electrical connection box, and a fixture.

[0012] The wiring material W is composed of, for example, a metal rod, an electric wire, an electric wire bundle, etc. A metal rod is a conductive rod-shaped member whose outside is covered with an insulating covering. An electric wire is a conductor part (core wire) made of multiple conductive metal wires whose outside is covered with an insulating covering. A wire bundle is a bundle of such electric wires. A wire harness WH is, for example, a bundle of multiple electric wires that are aggregated, and various devices are electrically connected via connectors or the like provided at the ends of the bundled electric wire bundle.

[0013] The grommet 1 is attached in close contact with the panel surface 101, which is the mounting surface of the mounting panel 100, to protect the wiring material W passing through the through hole 103 and waterproof the through hole 103. The grommet 1 has functions such as dustproofing and soundproofing in addition to waterproofing the through hole 103. The configuration of the grommet 1 will be described in detail below with reference to the respective drawings.

[0014] In the following description, for convenience, of the illustrated X, Y, and Z directions, the X direction refers to the "depth direction X," the Y direction refers to the "width direction Y," and the Z direction refers to the "insertion / removal direction Z." The depth direction X, width direction Y, and insertion / removal direction Z are mutually perpendicular. Here, the insertion / removal direction Z corresponds to the plate thickness direction of the mounting panel 100, and the depth direction X and width direction Y correspond to the extension direction of the mounting panel 100. The insertion / removal direction Z refers to the direction in which the grommet 1 is inserted into or removed from the mounting panel 100, and the illustrated Z1 direction is the "insertion direction Z1," and the illustrated Z2 direction is the "removal direction Z2."

[0015] The grommet 1 is composed of a grommet body 2 made up of two divided bodies 3A, 3B, and two seal members 4A, 4B.

[0016] The grommet body 2 is configured by combining the divisional bodies 3A and 3B with each other, and is attached to a through hole 103 formed in the mounting panel 100. The grommet body 2 forms an insertion space 2a through which the wiring material W is inserted by combining the divisional bodies 3A and 3B with each other. In an assembled state in which the divisional bodies 3A and 3B are combined with each other, the insertion space 2a communicates with the outside through a body opening 2b that opens to one side of the grommet body 2 in the depth direction X, and also communicates with the outside through a body opening 2c that opens to the other side of the depth direction X. In an attached state in which the grommet body 2 is attached to the through hole 103, the grommet body 2 has mounting surfaces 11A and 11B that face the panel surface 101 of the mounting panel 100.

[0017] The mounting surfaces 11A and 11B are provided on the grommet body 2 on the side of the body opening 2c, and the shape of the grommet body 2 as viewed from the insertion direction Z1 side is continuous and annular along the opening end of the body opening 2c. The mounting surfaces 11A and 11B also have first holding grooves 13A and 13B that are continuous and annular along the opening end of the body opening 2c as viewed from the insertion direction Z1 side of the grommet body 2 and are recessed toward the removal direction Z2 side. The first holding groove 13A accommodates and holds a part of the seal member 4A, and the first holding groove 13B accommodates and holds a part of the seal member 4B. The mounting surface 11A and the first holding groove 13A are formed on the divided body 3A side in the width direction Y of the grommet body 2. The mounting surface 11B and the first holding groove 13B are formed on the divided body 3B side in the width direction Y of the grommet body 2.

[0018] The divisional bodies 3A and 3B are both molded from an insulating resin material or the like. One of the divisional bodies 3A and 3B, the divisional body 3A (or 3B), is formed to be able to open the insertion space 2a in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the wiring material W passing through the insertion space 2a relative to the other divisional body 3B (or 3A). As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the divisional bodies 3A and 3B are formed to be plane-symmetrical with respect to a plane perpendicular to the mounting panel 100 along the depth direction X. The divisional bodies 3A and 3B are locked to each other by four locking structures 3C. The locking structure 3C has a locking hole 15A formed on the outer surface along the divisional surface 12A of the divisional body 3A, and a locking protrusion 15B that can engage with the locking hole 15A formed on the outer surface along the divisional surface 12B of the divisional body 3B.

[0019] The division surfaces 12A and 12B are surfaces of one division body 3A (or 3B) facing the other division body 3B (or 3A) in an assembled state in which the division bodies 3A and 3B are assembled together. The division surface 12A is formed adjacent to the storage space 10A formed in the division body 3A so that the wiring material W can be stored, and is located on both sides of the storage space 10A. The division surface 12A has a second retaining groove 14A formed along the storage space 10A and recessed into the inside of the division body 3A. The second retaining groove 14A is located on both sides of the storage space 10A. The division surface 12B is formed adjacent to the storage space 10B formed in the division body 3B so that the wiring material W can be stored, and is located on both sides of the storage space 10B. The second retaining groove 14B is located on both sides of the storage space 10B. The dividing surface 12B has a second retaining groove 14B formed along the accommodation space 10B and recessed into the inside of the divided body 3B. The second retaining groove 14A accommodates and holds another part of the sealing member 4A, and the second retaining groove 14B accommodates and holds another part of the sealing member 4A.

[0020] The sealing members 4A, 4B are interposed between the divided bodies 3A, 3B when the divided bodies 3A, 3B are assembled together, and are also interposed between the grommet body 2 and the mounting panel 100 to provide a watertight seal when the grommet body 2 is attached to the through hole 103. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, both of the sealing members 4A, 4B have bent or curved portions along the way, but are formed in a band shape overall.

[0021] The seal member 4A is composed of a first seal portion 20A, which is an example of a first seal member, and a second seal portion 21A, which is an example of a second seal member, and the first seal portion 20A and the second seal portion 21A are continuously formed across the mounting surface 11A and the dividing surface 12A. Specifically, when the seal member 4A is assembled to the dividing body 3A, the first seal portion 20A is housed and held in the first holding groove 13A of the mounting surface 11A, and the second seal portion 21A is housed and held in the second holding groove 14A of the dividing surface 12A. The seal member 4A is arranged in the order of the second seal portion 21A, the first seal portion 20A, and the second seal portion 21A from one end to the other end in the extension direction of the seal member 4A. A bent portion P is formed between the first seal portion 20A and the second seal portion 21A.

[0022] The seal member 4B is composed of a first seal portion 20B, which is an example of a first seal member, and a second seal portion 21B, which is an example of a second seal member, and the first seal portion 20B and the second seal portion 21B are continuously formed across the mounting surface 11B and the dividing surface 12B. Specifically, in a state where the seal member 4B is assembled to the divided body 3B, the first seal portion 20B is housed and held in the first holding groove 13B of the mounting surface 11B, and the second seal portion 21B is housed and held in the second holding groove 14B of the dividing surface 12B. The seal member 4B is arranged in the order of the second seal portion 21B, the first seal portion 20B, and the second seal portion 21B from one end to the other end in the extension direction of the seal member 4B. A bend portion P is formed between the first seal portion 20B and the second seal portion 21B.

[0023] The first seal portion 20A has a first band-shaped portion 22A and a first water-stopping portion 24A, and the first seal portion 20B has a first band-shaped portion 22B and a first water-stopping portion 24B. The first band-shaped portion 22A is a portion that is held along the mounting surface 11A, and the first band-shaped portion 22B is a portion that is held along the mounting surface 11B. The first water-stopping portion 24A is formed from the first band-shaped portion 22A toward the outside, and is a portion that stops water between the mounting panel 100 and the grommet body portion 2 in an attached state in which the grommet body portion 2 is attached to the through hole 103. The first water-stopping portion 24B is formed from the first band-shaped portion 22B toward the outside, and is a portion that stops water between the mounting panel 100 and the grommet body portion 2 in an attached state. Both of the first water-stopping portions 24A and 24B are formed in an uneven shape. The cross-sectional shape of the first water-stopping portion 24A in the extending direction is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the first water-stopping portion 24B in the extending direction.

[0024] The second seal portion 21A has a second band-shaped portion 23A and a second water-stopping portion 25A, and the second seal portion 21B has a second band-shaped portion 23B and a second water-stopping portion 25B. The second band-shaped portion 23A is a portion that is held along the dividing surface 12A, and the second band-shaped portion 23B is a portion that is held along the dividing surface 12B. The second water-stopping portion 25A is formed from the second band-shaped portion 23A toward the outside, and is a portion that stops water from flowing between the divided bodies 3A and 3B in an assembled state in which the divided bodies 3A and 3B are combined with each other. The second water-stopping portion 25B is formed from the second band-shaped portion 23B toward the outside, and is a portion that stops water from flowing between the divided bodies 3A and 3B in an assembled state. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the second water stopper portions 25A, 25B are both formed in an uneven shape, and when the two divided bodies 3A, 3B are assembled together, the second water stopper portions 25A, 25B of the second seal portions 21A, 21B provided on the divided bodies 3A, 3B fit together (see Figures 5 and 6). Figure 5 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the grommet immediately before the divided bodies 3A, 3B are assembled.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 6, the second water-stopping portion 25A has a base end surface 30A extending in the extension direction of the second water-stopping portion 25A, and a convex surface 31A protruding from the base end surface 30A toward the outside and having a rectangular cross-sectional shape in the extension direction. That is, the second water-stopping portion 25A is formed in an uneven shape by combining the base end surface 30A and the convex surface 31A. As shown in FIG. 6, the second water-stopping portion 25B has a base end surface 30B extending in the extension direction of the second water-stopping portion 25B, and a convex surface 31B protruding from the base end surface 30B toward the outside and having a rectangular cross-sectional shape in the extension direction. That is, the second water-stopping portion 25B is formed in an uneven shape by combining the base end surface 30B and the convex surface 31B. The base end surfaces 30A and 30B have the same cross-sectional shape in the extension direction. The convex surfaces 31A, 31B have the same cross-sectional shape in the extending direction. In the assembled state, the second water-stopping portions 25A, 25B are fitted together by the convex surface 31A abutting against the base end surface 30B opposite to the width direction Y, and the convex surface 31B abutting against the base end surface 30A opposite to the width direction Y.

[0026] Conventional grommets are formed into a cylindrical shape from an insulating elastic resin material (e.g., ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM)) that has low rigidity and high flexibility, such as rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer. When inserting a wiring material W into such a grommet, it is necessary to widen the through hole of the grommet, for example, using an expander. Alternatively, a jig having a capped through hole is inserted from one side of the through hole of the grommet to remove the cap, and the wiring material W is inserted from the other side of the through hole of the jig, and then the jig is removed from the grommet to pass the wiring material W through the grommet.

[0027] With the above-mentioned configuration, the grommet 1 of this embodiment can accommodate the wiring material W in either the storage space 10A or the storage space 10B, and by combining the divided body 3A to which the sealing member 4A is assembled with the divided body 3B to which the sealing member 4B is assembled, it is possible to insert the wiring material W into the grommet 1.

[0028] As described above, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH according to this embodiment are configured by combining the divided bodies 3A, 3B with each other, and have the grommet main body 2 that is attached to the through hole 103 of the mounting panel 100, so that no jig or equipment is required for inserting the wiring material W into the grommet 1, reducing the number of work steps and the workload. Also, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH do not require a dedicated workbench for inserting the wiring material W into the grommet 1, so that the worker does not have to move between processes and the workload can be reduced.

[0029] Furthermore, in the grommet 1 and wire harness WH according to this embodiment, the first seal portion 20A and the second seal portion 21A are formed continuously across the mounting surface 11A and the dividing surface 12A, and the first seal portion 20B and the second seal portion 21B are formed continuously across the mounting surface 11B and the dividing surface 12B. This allows the grommet 1 and wire harness WH to collectively seal off the mounting surfaces 11A, 11B and the dividing surfaces 12A, 12B, thereby reducing the number of water-stopping locations and improving the water-stopping performance compared to conventional seal members.

[0030] In addition, in the grommet 1 and the wire harness WH according to the present embodiment, the second water stop parts 25A, 25B are formed in an uneven shape, and in an assembled state in which the two divided bodies 3A, 3B are assembled together, the second water stop parts 25A, 25B of the second seal parts 21A, 21B provided on the divided bodies 3A, 3B are fitted together. As a result, the grommet 1 and the wire harness WH can increase the creeping distance of the water stop surface between the divided bodies 3A, 3B, and can improve the water stop performance compared to, for example, a conventional water stop structure in which flat water stop parts that are not formed in an uneven shape are abutted against each other. In addition, in the grommet 1 and the wire harness WH, the first water stop parts 24A, 24B are both formed in an uneven shape. As a result, the grommet 1 and the wire harness WH can reproduce a state in which the convex surfaces are continuously in contact with the panel surface 101 of the mounting panel 100, and can improve the water stop performance.

[0031] In the above embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of each of the convex surfaces 31A and 31B in the extension direction of the second water stopper 25A or 25B is rectangular, but this is not limited thereto. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the second seal member according to a first modified example of the embodiment. In Fig. 7, the cross-sectional shape of each of the convex surfaces 31A1 and 31B1 in the extension direction of the second water stopper 25A or 25B is curved at the tip side.

[0032] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a second seal member according to a second modified example of the embodiment. In Fig. 8, the second water-stopping portions 25A and 25B are both formed in a wavy shape in which peaks 32 and valleys 33 are alternately arranged in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the second water-stopping portions 25A and 25B. In the assembled state, the second water-stopping portions 25A and 25B according to the second modified example are fitted together by one peak 32 abutting against the other valley 33 or the base end face 30B in the width direction Y and the other peak 32 abutting against the one valley 33 or the base end face 30A in the width direction Y.

[0033] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a second seal member according to a third modified example of the embodiment. In Fig. 9, the convex surface 31A2 has an inverted trapezoidal cross section in the extension direction of the second water stopper 25A. In the grommet 1 and the wire harness WH according to the third modified example of the embodiment, the second water stopper 25A, 25B protrudes outward from the base end surface 30A, and has the convex surface 31A2 having an inverted trapezoidal cross section in the extension direction of the second water stopper 25A (25B).

[0034] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a second seal member according to a fourth modified example of the embodiment. In Fig. 10, the cross-sectional shape of the convex surface 31A3 in the extension direction of the second water stopper 25A is formed to be circular at the tip end side and rectangular at the base end face side. In the grommet 1 and the wire harness WH according to the fourth modified example of the embodiment, the second water stopper 25A, 25B protrudes outward from the base end face 30A, and has the convex surface 31A3 in which the cross-sectional shape of the second water stopper 25A (25B) in the extension direction is formed to be circular at the tip end side and rectangular at the base end face side.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the division bodies 3A, 3B are divided symmetrically with respect to a plane perpendicular to the mounting panel 100 along the depth direction X, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the division bodies may be formed by a plane where the division planes 12A, 12B intersect, and the division body 3A may be approximately 3 / 4 the size of the entire grommet body 2, and the division body 3B may be approximately 1 / 4 the size of the entire grommet body 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Grommet 2 Grommet body 2a Insertion space 3A,3B split body 4A, 4B Sealing material 11A, 11B Mounting surface 12A,12B split surface 20A, 20B First seal part 21A, 21B Second seal part 23A, 23B Second belt section 25A,25B 2nd water stop section 30A,30B Base end surface 31A,31B Convex 100 Mounting Panel 101 Panel surface 103 Through hole WH Wire harness

Claims

1. a grommet body portion configured by combining a plurality of divided bodies and being attached to a through hole formed in an attachment panel; a first seal member interposed between the grommet body and the mounting panel to provide a waterproof seal when the grommet body is attached to the through hole; a second seal member interposed between the plurality of divided bodies to provide a watertight seal; The grommet body portion is By combining the plurality of division bodies with each other, an insertion space through which the wiring material is inserted is formed, One of the divided bodies is The insertion space is formed so as to be openable in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the wiring material passing through the insertion space with respect to the other divided body, a division surface that faces one of the division bodies in an assembled state in which the division bodies are assembled together; a mounting surface that is formed continuously with one end of the dividing surface in an extending direction and faces a mounting surface of the mounting panel in the mounted state; The first seal member and the second seal member are The mounting surface and the dividing surface are continuously formed. A grommet characterized by:

2. The first seal member is A first band-shaped portion held along the mounting surface; a first water-stopping portion that is formed from the first band-shaped portion toward the outside and that stops water from entering between the mounting panel and the grommet body portion in the attached state, The second seal member is A second band-shaped portion held along the dividing surface; a second water stop portion that is formed from the second band portion toward the outside and that stops water from flowing between the plurality of divided bodies in the assembled state; The second water stop portion is formed in an uneven shape, and the second water stop portions of the second seal members provided on the plurality of divided bodies are fitted to each other in the assembled state. The grommet of claim 1 .

3. The second water stopping portion is A base end surface; a convex surface that protrudes outward from the base end surface and has a rectangular cross-sectional shape in the extension direction of the second water stopper portion; The grommet of claim 2.

4. The second water stopping portion is A base end surface; a convex surface that protrudes outward from the base end surface and has a cross-sectional shape in an extension direction of the second water stopper portion that is formed by a curve at a tip end side; The grommet of claim 2.

5. The second water stopping portion is The second seal member is formed in a wavy shape with alternating peaks and valleys in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the second seal member. The grommet of claim 2.

6. A conductive wiring material; A grommet is provided on the wiring material, The grommet is a grommet body portion configured by combining a plurality of divided bodies and being attached to a through hole formed in an attachment panel; a first seal member interposed between the grommet body and the mounting panel to provide a waterproof seal when the grommet body is attached to the through hole; a second seal member interposed between the plurality of divided bodies to provide a watertight seal; The grommet body portion is By combining the plurality of division bodies with each other, an insertion space through which the wiring material is inserted is formed, One of the divided bodies is The insertion space is formed so as to be openable in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the wiring material passing through the insertion space with respect to the other divided body, a division surface that faces one of the division bodies in an assembled state in which the division bodies are assembled together; a mounting surface that is formed continuously with one end of the dividing surface in an extending direction and faces a mounting surface of the mounting panel in the mounted state; The first seal member and the second seal member are The mounting surface and the dividing surface are continuously formed. A wire harness comprising:

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