Grommet and wiring harness

Abstract

To provide a grommet and a wire harness capable of appropriately preventing external exposure of a branch part of a wiring material.SOLUTION: A grommet 1 includes: a main body part 2 into which a wiring material W can be inserted along an axial direction X; and a housing part 3 which protrudes from one end part of the main body part 2 in the axial direction X, is formed in a first branching direction Y and a second branching direction Z which intersect the axial direction X and are different from each other, and houses a branching part Wa of the wiring material W. The housing part 3 has a lid-shaped part 10 that is formed so as to open and close a slit 13 formed from a first opening end 15 through to a second opening end 16, and to cover the branch part Wa with the slit 13 being closed in a housed state. The lid-shaped part 10 has an engagement hole 17 that engages with an engagement projection 21 provided on the main body part 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to grommets and wire harnesses.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional grommets have been provided that are easy to assemble while ensuring the waterproofness of the branch portion of the wiring material (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in conventional grommets, it is difficult to wind a tape around the central portion of the lid-like portion that covers the branch portion of the wiring material, so the tape winding operation is not performed. On the other hand, there is room for improvement because the central portion of the lid-like portion that is not tape-wound may open slightly during the wiring operation of the wire harness, for example, and the branch portion of the wiring material may be exposed to the outside.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a grommet and a wire harness that can appropriately prevent the external exposure of the branch portion of the wiring material.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the grommet according to the present invention fits into a through hole that penetrates the object to be attached along the axial direction to stop water in the through hole, and has a main body portion into which a cable can be inserted along the axial direction inside, and a housing portion that protrudes from one end of the main body portion in the axial direction, intersects the axial direction, and is formed in two different directions, and houses the branch portion of the cable. The housing portion has a first opening end from which a first cable that branches from the branch portion in one of the two directions is led out in the housing state where the housing portion houses the branch portion, and a second opening end from which a second cable that branches from the branch portion in the other of the two directions is led out in the housing state, and a lid portion that can open and close a slit formed from the first opening end to the second opening end and is formed so as to cover the branch portion with the slit in the closed state in the housing state. The lid portion has a locking hole that is locked to a locking projection provided on the main body portion.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the grommet and the wire harness according to the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to appropriately prevent the external exposure of the branch portion of the cable housed in the grommet.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by the following embodiments. That is, the constituent elements in the following embodiments include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0010] [Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a grommet and a wire harness according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the grommet according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view showing a schematic configuration of a locking structure of a lid portion in the grommet according to the embodiment.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the grommet 1 of the present embodiment is incorporated into a wire harness WH routed in a vehicle or the like. Here, the wire harness WH is, for example, a collective component formed by bundling a plurality of wiring materials W used for power supply and signal communication for connecting between various devices mounted on a vehicle, and connecting the plurality of wiring materials W to each device with a connector or the like. The wire harness WH includes a wiring material W having conductivity and a grommet 1 provided in the wiring material W through which the wiring material W is inserted. The wire harness WH may further include various component parts such as an outer member such as a corrugated tube, a resin tape, a protector, an electrical connection box, and a fixture.

[0012] In the following description, for the sake of convenience, among the illustrated X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, the X direction is defined as the "axial direction X", the Y direction is defined as the "first branch direction Y", and the Z direction is defined as the "second branch direction Z". The axial direction X, the first branch direction Y, and the second branch direction Z intersect with each other. The axial direction X corresponds to the thickness direction of the mounting panel 100 shown in the figure and corresponds to the insertion direction of the wiring material W and the grommet 1 into the through hole 101. The first branch direction Y and the second branch direction Z intersect the axial direction X and are not in the same direction as each other. The first branch direction Y and the second branch direction Z may be in directions along each other. In addition, each direction used in the following description will be described as the direction in the state where the grommet 1 is assembled to the mounting panel 100 unless otherwise specified.

[0013] The wiring material W is composed of, for example, a wire bundle formed by bundling a plurality of electric wires. The electric wire is formed by covering the outside of a conductor part (core wire) made of a plurality of conductive metal strands with a covering part having insulating properties. The wiring material W has flexibility and softness as a whole. The wiring material W is composed of a main line WM, a branch part Wa, a first wiring material W1, and a second wiring material W2.

[0014] The main line WM is a part that is wired in one of the two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100 shown in FIG. 1 as a boundary. The main line WM is led out to one space side from an opening (not shown) provided on one side in the axial direction X of the grommet 1. The main line WM is fixed to the grommet 1 by winding a tape member (not shown).

[0015] The branch part Wa is a part that branches the main line WM in two directions of the first branch direction Y and the second branch direction Z and is accommodated inside the grommet 1.

[0016] The first cable member W1 corresponds to a branch line with respect to the main line WM, extends along the first branch direction Y from the branch portion Wa, and is routed to the other of the two spaces partitioned with the mounting panel 100 as a boundary. The first cable member W1 is led out from the first opening 11 provided on one side in the first branch direction Y of the grommet 1 to the other space side. The portion led out from the first opening 11 in the first cable member W1 is wound together with a part of the grommet 1 by the tape member T. That is, the tape member T is wound around the grommet 1 from the first cable member W1 across the grommet 1 along both sides in the first branch direction Y centering on the first opening 11, whereby the first cable member W1 is fixed to the grommet 1.

[0017] The second cable member W2 corresponds to a branch line with respect to the main line WM, extends along the second branch direction Z from the branch portion Wa, and is routed to the other of the two spaces partitioned with the mounting panel 100 as a boundary. The second cable member W2 is led out from the second opening 12 provided on one side in the second branch direction Z of the grommet 1 to the other space side. The portion led out from the first opening 11 in the second cable member W2 is wound together with a part of the grommet 1 by the tape member T. That is, the tape member T is wound around the grommet 1 from the second cable member W2 across the grommet 1 along both sides in the second branch direction Z centering on the second opening 12, whereby the second cable member W2 is fixed to the grommet 1.

[0018] The grommet 1 is applied to the through-hole 101 when laying the wiring material W across two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100 with the through-hole 101 formed in the mounting panel 100 which is the object to be mounted as the boundary. The mounting panel 100 is, for example, a metal plate constituting a vehicle body or the like, and the through-hole 101 penetrates the mounting panel 100 along the plate thickness direction. The two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100 are typically the interior space of the vehicle (e.g., the cabin) and the exterior space of the vehicle (e.g., the engine compartment). And the grommet 1 is assembled to the through-hole 101 in a state where the wiring material W of the wire harness WH is inserted therethrough and is externally mounted around the wiring material W, thereby protecting the wiring material W passing through the through-hole 101 and preventing water leakage (waterproofing) through the through-hole 101. The grommet 1 has functions such as dustproofing and sound insulation in addition to waterproofing of the through-hole 101.

[0019] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the grommet 1 of the present embodiment is a seal member in which the wiring material W is inserted along the axial direction X inside and can prevent water leakage between the grommet 1 and the through-hole 101 of the mounting panel 100. The grommet 1 includes a main body portion 2 attached to the mounting panel 100 and a housing portion 3 that houses the branch portion Wa of the wiring material W, and these are integrally formed as an elastic body. The grommet 1 is formed of an insulating elastic resin material (e.g., ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), etc.) having low rigidity and high flexibility, such as rubber or thermoplastic elastomer.

[0020] The main body portion 2 is a portion that fits into the through-hole 101 penetrating the mounting panel 100 along the axial direction X to prevent water leakage through the through-hole 101 and allows the wiring material W to be inserted therethrough along the axial direction X inside. The main body portion 2 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with the axial direction X as the central axis. The main body portion 2 has a cylindrical space (not shown) extending in the axial direction X through which the wiring material WM is inserted and a locking projection 21.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the locking projection 21 is formed to project outward from the main body portion 2 and is a portion for locking the lid-shaped portion 10 that constitutes the accommodating portion 3. The locking projection 21 is formed on the main body mating portion 2a provided on the accommodating portion 3 side in the axial direction X of the main body portion 2. The locking projection 21 has a locking portion 22 that is locked to the locking hole 17. The locking portion 22 is inserted into the locking hole 17 formed in the lid-shaped portion 10 of the accommodating portion 3 and is locked to the locking hole 17 to fix the lid-shaped portion 10 that constitutes the accommodating portion 3 to the main body portion 2. The locking portion 22 is fitted inside the notch 17a provided in the locking hole 17 in a state of being inserted into the locking hole 17. The locking portion 22 has return portions 22a on both sides in the width direction of the locking projection 21 shown in FIG. 3, respectively.

[0022] The pair of return portions 22a are each formed so as to fold back from the tip in the extending direction of the locking portion 22 toward the main body mating portion 2a side. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the pair of return portions 22a sandwiches the locking hole forming portion 14 formed in the lid-shaped portion 10 of the accommodating portion 3 between the tip on the main body mating portion 2a side in the extending direction of the locking portion 22 and the main body mating portion 2a in a state where the locking projection 21 is fitted into the notch 17a of the locking hole 17.

[0023] A part or all of the surface of the main body mating portion 2a is a portion that contacts the locking hole forming portion 14 formed in the lid-shaped portion 10 of the accommodating portion 3 in a state where the accommodating portion 3 accommodates the branch portion Wa of the wiring material W. Here, the accommodating state means a state where the main line WM is inserted into the main body portion 2 and the branch portion Wa is accommodated in the accommodating portion 3 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The main body mating portion 2a is formed on the main body portion 2 side between the main body portion 2 and the accommodating portion 3.

[0024] The accommodating portion 3 projects from one end of the main body portion 2 in the axial direction X, intersects the axial direction X, and is formed in the first branch direction Y and the second branch direction Z that are different from each other, and is a portion for accommodating the branch portion Wa of the wiring material W. The accommodating portion 3 has a lid-shaped portion 10, a first opening 11, a second opening 12, a slit 13, a locking hole forming portion 14, a first opening end 15, a second opening end 16, and a locking hole 17.

[0025] The lid portion 10 enables opening and closing of a slit 13 formed from a first opening end 15 to a second opening end 16, and in a housing state where the housing portion 3 houses the branch portion Wa through the slit 13, it is a portion formed such that the slit 13 is in a closed state and the lid portion 10 covers the branch portion Wa. The lid portion 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape from one side in the first branch direction Y toward the other side in the second branch direction Z when the slit 13 is in a closed state. One end in the circumferential direction of the lid portion 10 is connected to the main body portion 2 and the other end is separated from the main body portion 2 to form the slit 13 when the slit 13 is in a closed state. The lid portion 10 is fixed to the main body portion 2 by locking of a locking hole 17 and a locking projection 21 when the slit 13 is in a closed state.

[0026] The first opening 11 is a portion that opens toward the first branch direction Y side when the slit 13 is in a closed state. The first opening 11 is formed at one end in the first branch direction Y when the locking hole 17 of the lid portion 10 is locked to the locking projection 21 of the main body portion 2 and the lid portion 10 is in a closed state. The first opening 11 has a first opening end 15. The shape of the first opening end 15 when viewed from one side in the first branch direction Y is formed in an annular shape. The first opening end 15 becomes non-annular due to the slit 13 when the slit 13 is in an open state. In a state where the first opening end 15 is non-annular, the first cable member W1 is housed inside through the slit 13, and in a state where the first opening end 15 is annular, the periphery of the first opening 11 is wound by a tape member T together with the first cable member W1.

[0027] The second opening 12 is a portion that opens toward the second branch direction Z side when the slit 13 is in a closed state. The second opening 12 is formed at one end in the second branch direction Z when the locking hole 17 of the lid-like portion 10 is locked to the locking projection 21 of the main body portion 2 and the lid-like portion 10 is in a closed state. The second opening 12 has a second opening end 16. The shape of the second opening end 16 as viewed from one side in the second branch direction Z is formed in an annular shape. The second opening end 16 becomes non-annular due to the slit 13 when the slit 13 is in an open state. In a state where the second opening end 16 of the second opening 12 is non-annular, the second cable routing member W2 is housed inside through the slit 13, and in a state where the second opening end 16 is annular, the periphery of the second opening 11 is wound together with the second cable routing member W2 by the tape member T.

[0028] The slit 13 is formed extending from the first opening end 15 to the second opening end 16. The slit 13 is formed to be openable and closable by elastic deformation of the lid-like portion 10, and in an open state, the routing of the first cable routing member W1, the second cable routing member W2, and the branch portion Wa in the cable routing member W is possible.

[0029] The locking hole forming portion 14 is formed in the lid-like portion 10 and forms a part of the opening end of the slit 13. The locking hole forming portion 14 is formed in a flat plate shape and has a certain width along the extending direction of the slit 13. The locking hole forming portion 14 is formed to face and contact the main body mating portion 2a of the main body portion 2 when the slit 13 is in a closed state. The locking hole 17 is formed in a substantially central portion in the extending direction of the lid-like portion 10. Here, the extending direction of the lid-like portion 10 is defined as the direction along the extending direction of the slit 13.

[0030] The locking hole 17, together with the locking projection 21, constitutes a locking structure, and the lid-shaped portion 10 is fixed to the main body portion 2 side by being locked to the locking projection 21. The locking hole 17 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape according to the shape of the locking projection 21 as viewed from the extending direction of the locking projection 21, and has a notch 17a on the slit 13 side. The notch 17a is formed so as to be recessed toward the slit 13 side in the locking hole forming portion 14. The notch 17a is a portion into which the locking portion 22 is fitted in the locked state where the locking hole 17 is locked to the locking projection 21.

[0031] In the grommet 1 and the wire harness W / H of the present embodiment, the lid-shaped portion 10 formed so that the slit 13 can be opened and closed has a locking hole 17 formed in a substantially central portion in the extending direction of the lid-shaped portion 10, and the main body portion 2 has a locking projection 21 at a position facing the locking hole 17 when the slit 13 is in a closed state. Thereby, in the grommet 1 and the wire harness W / H, for example, when assembling the wiring material W to the grommet 1, the assembly worker locks the locking hole 17 to the locking projection 21, so that the lid-shaped portion 10 is fixed to the main body portion 2 side, and the slit 13 can be maintained in a closed state without performing tape winding on a substantially central portion in the extending direction of the lid-shaped portion 10.

[0032] As described above, the grommet 1 and the wire harness W / H according to the present embodiment are provided with a housing portion 3 that is formed in the first branching direction Y and the second branching direction Z respectively from the main body portion 2 through which the wiring material W is inserted and that houses the branching portion Wa of the wiring material W. The housing portion 3 is formed of an elastic member capable of opening and closing the slit 13 formed from the first opening end 15 to the second opening end 16, and in the housed state, has a lid-shaped portion 10 formed so that the slit 13 covers the branching portion Wa in a closed state. The lid-shaped portion 10 has a locking hole 17 that is locked to the locking projection 21 provided on the main body portion 2.

[0033] With the above configuration, the grommet 1 and the wire harness W / H according to this embodiment can lock the substantially central portion in the extending direction of the lid-shaped portion 10, which is difficult to wind with tape, to the main body portion 2. As a result, even when, for example, during the packaging of the wire harness W / H or during the wiring operation of the wire harness W / H, the peripheries of the first opening 11 and the second opening 12 are fixed by the tape members T respectively, it is possible to prevent the slit 3 of the lid-shaped portion 10 from opening and the branch portion Wa of the wiring material W from being exposed or protruding outside. Further, with the above configuration, the grommet 1 and the wire harness W / H can maintain the closed state of the slit 13, and can improve the sealing degree of the grommet 1 located between the two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100 as a boundary. As a result, in the grommet 1 and the wire harness W / H, the slit is not easily opened due to the locking structure provided in the main body portion 2 and the lid-shaped portion 10 of the grommet 1, and the sound insulation and soundproofing properties of the grommet 1 attached to the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100 can be improved.

[0034] Further, the grommet 1 and the wire harness W / H have a notch 17a formed such that the locking hole 17 is recessed toward the slit 13 side, and the locking portion 22 has a pair of folded-back portions 22a. Thereby, in the locked state where the locking hole 17 is locked to the locking projection 21, the grommet 1 and the wire harness W / H are in a state where the locking portion 22 fits into the notch 17a and sandwiches the locking hole forming portion 14 between the pair of folded-back portions 22a and the main body mating portion 2a, making it easy to maintain the closed state of the slit 13.

[0035] Further, the grommet 1 and the wire harness W / H have a flat locking hole forming portion 14 formed in the lid-shaped portion 10 and forming a part of the opening end of the slit 13, and the locking hole forming portion 14 has a locking hole 17 formed at a substantially central portion in the extending direction of the lid-shaped portion 10. Thereby, when assembling the wiring material W to the grommet 1, for example, an assembler can pinch the locking hole forming portion 14. Then, by closing or opening the lid-shaped portion 10 while pinching the locking hole forming portion 14, the assembler can easily open and close the slit 13.

[0036] Next, the grommet 1A and the wire harness W / H according to a modification of the embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the grommet according to the modification of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a locking structure of the lid-shaped portion in the grommet according to the modification of the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a temporarily locked state of the lid-shaped portion in the grommet according to the modification of the embodiment.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the grommet 1A according to the modification is different from the grommet 1 in that the locking projection 21A has a rib 23. The locking projection 21A will be described below.

[0038] The locking projection 21A has a locking portion 22 and a rib 23. The rib 23 is formed to extend from the locking portion 22 in the extending direction of the locking projection 21 or the locking portion 22 and is located on the tip side in the extending direction of the locking portion 22. The rib 23 is formed to be insertable into the locking hole 17 prior to the locking portion 22 with respect to the locking hole 17. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, when the locking projection 21 is locked to the locking hole 17, the rib 23 inserts into the locking hole 17 before the locking portion 22 inserts into the locking hole 17.

[0039] In the grommet 1A and the wire harness W / H according to the modification example, in the locking projection 21A, a rib 23 is provided outward from the locking portion 22. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the rib 23 protrudes from the locking hole 17 ahead of the locking portion 22. As a result, when assembling the wiring material W to the grommet 1A, for example, the assembler can pinch the rib 23 protruding ahead of the locking portion 22 from the locking hole 17. Then, by pulling while pinching up the rib 23, the entire locking projection 21A is elastically deformed in the extending direction of the locking portion 22, and a pair of return portions 22a of the locking portion 22 contract in the width direction of the locking portion 22, enabling the locking portion 22 to easily pass through the locking hole 17.

[0040] As described above, in the grommet 1A and the wire harness W / H according to the modification example of the present embodiment, when the assembler inserts the rib 23 into the locking hole 17, pinches the rib 23, and pulls it, the locking of the locking portion 22 to the locking hole 17 becomes easy, and the load of the locking operation of the lid-shaped portion 10 by the assembler can be reduced.

[0041] In the above-described embodiment and modification example, it is assumed that the first branching direction Y and the second branching direction Z intersect the axial direction X and are not in the same direction as each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and they may be in the same direction.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0042] 1 Grommet 2 Body portion 3 Accommodating portion 10 Lid-shaped portion 13 Slit 15 First opening end 16 Second opening end 17 Locking hole 21 Locking projection 22 Locking portion 100 Mounting panel 101 Through hole W / H Wire harness W Wiring material Wa Branch portion W1 First cable member W2 Second cable member

Claims

1. A grommet that fits into a through-hole that penetrates an object to be attached along an axial direction to stop water leakage in the through-hole, and has a main body portion into which a wire harness can be inserted along the axial direction, and a housing portion that protrudes from one end of the main body portion in the axial direction, intersects the axial direction, and is formed in two different directions, and houses a branch portion of the wire harness. The housing portion has a first opening end from which a first wire harness that branches from the branch portion in one of the two directions is led out in a housing state where the housing portion houses the branch portion, and a second opening end from which a second wire harness that branches from the branch portion in the other of the two directions is led out in the housing state, and has a lid portion that can open and close a slit formed from the first opening end to the second opening end, and is formed so as to cover the branch portion with the slit in a closed state in the housing state. The lid portion has a locking hole that is locked to a locking projection provided on the main body portion. A grommet characterized by the above.

2. The locking projection has a locking portion that is locked to the locking hole, and a rib that extends from the locking portion in the extending direction of the locking projection and can be inserted into the locking hole prior to the locking portion. The grommet according to claim 1.

3. A wire harness comprising a conductive wire harness and a grommet provided on the wire harness. The grommet fits into a through-hole that penetrates an object to be attached along an axial direction to stop water leakage in the through-hole, and has a main body portion into which a wire harness can be inserted along the axial direction, and a housing portion that protrudes from one end of the main body portion in the axial direction, intersects the axial direction, and is formed in two different directions, and houses a branch portion of the wire harness. The housing portion has a first opening end from which a first wire harness that branches from the branch portion in one of the two directions is led out in a housing state where the housing portion houses the branch portion, and a second opening end from which a second wire harness that branches from the branch portion in the other of the two directions is led out in the housing state, and has a lid portion that can open and close a slit formed from the first opening end to the second opening end, and is formed so as to cover the branch portion with the slit in a closed state in the housing state. The lid portion has a locking hole that is locked to a locking projection provided on the main body portion. A wire harness characterized by the above.

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