Vehicle grommet peripheral structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle grommet peripheral structure which can avoid interference between a grommet and a fender panel.SOLUTION: A vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 includes a grommet 102 which covers a predetermined portion of a harness, extending from a portion covered with a side door of a side body of a vehicle to the side door, in a cylindrical form and in which bellows 124, 126, 128 are formed on a surface. The vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 further includes: a fender panel 108 which the grommet 102 pulled by the side door approaches when the side door is opened; and a recessed part 132 which is provided at a portion, which comes closest to the fender panel 108, of the grommet 102 when the side door is opened and prevents interference between the grommet 102 and the fender panel 108 even if the side door is opened.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a grommet peripheral structure for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a corrugated tube having a rigid portion, a gradually changing portion, and a bellows portion. The rigid portion has a first semicircular portion made of bellows and a second semicircular portion formed straight. Patent Document 1 states that the presence of the first semicircular portion suppresses bending of the rigid portion when the sliding door is in a half-open state, and suppresses interference of the rigid portion with the weatherstrip. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-47642 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] On the other hand, even for side doors that open and close using hinges rather than slides, harnesses are often extended from the vehicle side body. These harnesses extend from the part of the side body that is covered by the side door to the side door, and are used to supply power to operate the power window of the side door and to send and receive various signals.

[0005] Such harnesses are usually cylindrically covered and protected by grommets made of elastic material such as rubber. However, when a side door is opened, the harness is pulled by the side door, approaching the fender panel, and the grommet covering the harness may interfere with the fender panel, causing the harness to break.

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide a grommet peripheral structure for a vehicle that can avoid interference between the grommet and the fender panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a representative configuration of the present invention is a grommet peripheral structure for a vehicle that includes a grommet that cylindrically covers a predetermined portion of a harness that extends from a portion of the vehicle side body that is covered by the side door to the side door, and has a bellows formed on its surface, the vehicle grommet peripheral structure further including a fender panel to which the grommet approaches when pulled by the side door when the side door is opened, and an interference avoidance portion that is provided at the portion of the grommet that is closest to the fender panel when the side door is opened, and that avoids interference between the grommet and the fender panel even when the side door is opened. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, interference between the grommet and the fender panel can be avoided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle grommet and its surrounding structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the grommet of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the grommet of FIG. 1 and a grommet according to a first modified example. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of the grommet of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of a grommet included in a vehicle grommet peripheral structure according to a comparative example; [Figure 6] 10 is a side view of a grommet included in a vehicle grommet peripheral structure according to a comparative example. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a grommet according to a second modified example. [Figure 8]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a grommet according to a third modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention is a grommet peripheral structure for a vehicle that includes a grommet that cylindrically covers a predetermined portion of a harness that extends from a portion of the vehicle side body that is covered by the side door to the side door, and has a bellows formed on its surface, and is characterized in that the vehicle grommet peripheral structure further includes a fender panel to which the grommet approaches when pulled by the side door when the side door is opened, and an interference avoidance portion that is provided at the portion of the grommet that is closest to the fender panel when the side door is opened, and that avoids interference between the grommet and the fender panel even when the side door is opened.

[0011] According to the present invention, an interference avoidance portion is provided at the portion of the grommet that is closest to the fender panel when the side door is opened, which would normally cause interference with the fender panel. This interference avoidance portion makes it possible to prevent interference between the grommet and the fender panel.

[0012] The interference avoidance portion may be a cylindrical recess that is recessed deeper than the bellows of the grommet.

[0013] The recess ensures a clearance between the grommet and the fender panel, thereby avoiding interference with the fender panel. Furthermore, because the recess is cylindrical and more concave than the bellows, it has greater rigidity than the surrounding bellows. Therefore, even if the grommet is pulled by the side door, the recess remains straight and is less likely to deform toward the fender panel, allowing the grommet to maintain the clearance. This more reliably avoids interference between the grommet and the fender panel.

[0014] The interference avoidance portion may be a first rib that is placed across the bellows of the grommet along the extension direction of the harness.

[0015] This configuration improves the rigidity of the portion of the grommet across which the first rib extends, and this portion remains straight even when the grommet is pulled by the side door, making it less likely to deform and approach the fender panel. This prevents interference between the grommet and the fender panel.

[0016] The thickness of the recess may be greater than the thickness of the bellows of the grommet.

[0017] The recess has a greater rigidity than the bellows because it does not have a bellows, but the above configuration makes the recess thicker than the bellows of the grommet, further improving the rigidity of the recess. Therefore, the recess can more reliably avoid interference between the grommet and the fender panel.

[0018] The vehicle grommet surrounding structure may further include a second rib extending across the recess in the direction in which the harness extends.

[0019] The recess has inherently higher rigidity than a bellows-type recess because it does not have a bellows, but with the above configuration, the second rib extends across the recess, further improving the rigidity of the recess. Therefore, the recess can more reliably avoid interference between the grommet and the fender panel.

[0020] The vehicle grommet peripheral structure may further include a side body side rib or a side door side rib extending across the bellows at the end of the grommet on the side body side or the side door side in the direction in which the harness extends.

[0021] The above configuration improves the rigidity of the end of the grommet where the side body rib or the side door rib is inserted, and the end remains straight even when the grommet is pulled by the side door. This prevents the interference avoidance part from moving, further improving the effectiveness of avoiding interference between the grommet and the fender panel. [Example]

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in these embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and, unless otherwise specified, do not limit the present invention. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows F (Forward) and B (Backward), the left and right directions in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows L (Leftward) and R (Rightward), and the up-down direction is indicated by arrows U (Upward) and D (Downward). Note that, in this embodiment, a configuration in which a side door 106 opens and closes by a hinge system is described, but this configuration is also applicable to a configuration in which the side door opens and closes by a sliding system.

[0024] 1, the vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 includes a grommet 102. The grommet 102 cylindrically covers a predetermined portion of a harness 112 that extends from a covered portion 104a of a side body 104 of the vehicle that is covered by a side door 106 (see FIG. 4) to the side door 106.

[0025] One end of the grommet 102 is inserted into a mounting hole 104b of the side body 104. One end of the harness 112 is electrically connected to a battery (not shown) mounted in the side body 104. The other end of the harness 112 is connected to electrical components (not shown) (electronic lock, power window, etc.) attached to the side door 106. Note that in FIG. 1, the grommet 102 indicated by a solid line is when the side door 106 is open, and the grommet 102 indicated by a two-dot chain line is when the side door 106 is closed.

[0026] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the grommet 102 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of the grommet 102 of Fig. 1. The grommet 102 shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3(a) is formed in a cylindrical (tubular) shape. In this embodiment, the grommet 102 is configured in a cylindrical shape, but it may also be configured in a polygonal shape. The grommet 102 is configured from a synthetic resin such as rubber and is flexible.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 and 3(a), grommet 102 has bellows 124, 126, and 128 in which concave and convex portions (concave grooves and convex stripes) are alternately arranged along direction L in which harness 112 extends. Bellows 124 is provided in a first region X1 at one end side in direction L in which harness 112 extends. Bellows 126 is provided in a second region X2 at the other end side in direction L in which harness 112 extends. Bellows 128 is provided in a third region X3 between bellows 124 and 126.

[0028] 3(a), these bellows 124, 126, 128 are formed with a plurality of alternating arc-shaped convex ridges and arc-shaped concave grooves in a cross section when viewed in a cross section cut along the direction L in which the harness 112 extends. In particular, both the front and back surfaces of the bellows 124, 126, 128 (the back surface here refers to the inner surface of the hole) are formed in a bellows shape (uneven) when viewed in a cross section cut along the direction L in which the harness 112 extends.

[0029] 2, the convex shapes and concave grooves of bellows 124, 126 are formed over the entire circumference (360°) of harness 112. The convex shapes and concave grooves of bellows 128 are formed over half the circumference (180°) of harness 112.

[0030] 2 and 3(a), the vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 also includes a recess 132 as an interference avoidance portion. The recess 132 is disposed in a third region X3 of the grommet 102 between a first region X1 on one end side and a second region X2 on the other end side, the third region X3 being closest to the fender panel 108 when the side door 106 is open (see FIG. 4). The recess 132 does not have a bellows. The recess 132 is provided on the opposite side of the bellows 128.

[0031] The recess 132 is provided over a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction of the harness 112. In this embodiment, this predetermined angle is 180°. However, this predetermined angle may be other angles as long as it can avoid the fender panel 108 (see FIGS. 1 and 4).

[0032] The thickness T1 of recess 132 is equal to the thickness t of the surrounding bellows 124, 126, and 128. However, cylindrical recess 132 without bellows is less likely to bend than bellows 124, 126, and 128 and has high rigidity.

[0033] Returning now to the description of grommet 102 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, grommet 102 has a connection portion 142 on the outside of bellows 124 for connection to side body 104. Connection portion 142 has an inclined pipe 142a that is inclined with respect to the end face of bellows 124. Connection portion 142 has a fixing portion 142b for fixing harness 112. In addition, grommet 102 has a connection portion 144 on the outside of bellows 126 for connection to side door 106.

[0034] 2 and 3(a), the vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 includes a side body-side rib 152 that is placed across the bellows 124 of the end (first region X1) of the grommet 102 on the side body 104 side in the direction L in which the harness 112 extends. The vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 also includes a side door-side rib 154 that is placed across the bellows 126 of the end (second region X2) of the grommet 102 on the side door 106 side in the direction L in which the harness 112 extends. The side body-side rib 152 and the side door-side rib 154 are arranged at the same position in the circumferential direction of the harness 112.

[0035] The side-body-side rib 152 is fixed to the connecting portion 142 and one protruding portion 124a of the bellows 124. This prevents the portion of the bellows 124 across which the side-body-side rib 152 extends from shrinking. The side-door-side rib 154 is fixed to the connecting portion 144 and three protruding portions 126a, 126b, and 126c of the bellows 126. This prevents the portion of the bellows 126 across which the side-door-side rib 154 extends from shrinking.

[0036] The number of protrusions to which the ribs 152, 154 are fixed may be changed as appropriate depending on the vehicle model or location to which the grommet 102 is applied. The width of the ribs 152, 154 in the circumferential direction of the harness 112 is smaller than the width of the recess 132 in the circumferential direction of the harness 112.

[0037] 1, the vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 also includes a fender panel 108. The fender panel 108 is flush with the side door 106 when the side door 106 is closed. When the side door 106 is opened, the grommet 102 is pulled by the side door 106 and approaches the fender panel 108. The vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 also includes a side body 104 in front of the driver's seat as shown in FIG. 1. The vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 also includes a side door 106, shown in FIG. 4, to the right of the driver's seat.

[0038] In this embodiment, a grommet used for wiring in the side door 106 has been described as an example, but a similar configuration may also be applied to a grommet used for wiring in the back door in order to avoid interference with components of the vehicle body.

[0039] Next, the operation of the vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 when the side door 106 is opened or closed will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a side view of the grommet 102 included in the vehicle grommet peripheral structure 100 of Figure 1. When the side door 106 is opened, the grommet 102 is bent due to movement of the harness 112. Then, as shown in Figure 4, the recess 132 forms a clearance G between itself and the fender panel 108.

[0040] At the same time, the portion of bellows 124 that is fixed by side body-side rib 152 is prevented from shrinking, and the portion that is not fixed by side body-side rib 152 is prevented from moving toward the front of the vehicle. At the same time, the portion of bellows 126 that is fixed by side door-side rib 154 is prevented from shrinking, and the portion that is not fixed by side door-side rib 154 is prevented from moving toward the front of the vehicle. In contrast, the vehicle rear sides of bellows 124, 126 are not restricted by ribs.

[0041] Therefore, when the side door 106 is opened, the grommet 102 bends in a direction away from the fender panel 108, with the portion between the bellows 124 and the recess 132 as an inflection point P1 and the portion between the bellows 126 and the recess 132 as an inflection point P2. Then, the recess 132 moves away from the fender panel 108.

[0042] As described above, with the configuration of this embodiment, the portion of grommet 102 that is closest to fender panel 108 when side door 106 is opened, which would normally be at risk of interfering with fender panel 108, does not interfere with fender panel 108 thanks to recess 132 provided there as an interference avoidance portion. Note that a similar effect can be obtained when rib 304 in FIG. 7 is used as the interference avoidance portion.

[0043] Furthermore, recess 132 allows clearance G to be secured between grommet 102 and fender panel 108, thereby making it possible to avoid interference with fender panel 108.

[0044] Furthermore, recess 132 has a cylindrical shape that is more recessed than bellows 124, 126, and 128, and therefore has improved rigidity compared to the surrounding bellows 124, 126, and 128. Therefore, even if grommet 102 is pulled by side door 106, recess 132 remains straight and is less likely to deform and approach fender panel 108, allowing grommet 102 to maintain the above-mentioned clearance G. This makes it possible to more reliably avoid interference between grommet 102 and fender panel 108.

[0045] Furthermore, since the recess 132 is recessed between the bellows 124, 126, the recess 132 is more likely to move away from the fender panel 108 when the side door 106 is opened than if there was only one bellows next to the recess 132.

[0046] Furthermore, the rigidity of the end of the grommet 102 across which the side body-side rib 152 or the side door-side rib 154 extends is improved, and this end remains straight even when the grommet 102 is pulled by the side door 106. This end prevents the recess 132 (or the rib 304 in FIG. 7 if used) from moving, further improving the effect of avoiding interference between the grommet 102 and the fender panel 108. If both the side body-side rib 152 and the side door-side rib 154 are provided, the grommet 102 remains in a V-shape, further preventing interference with the fender panel 108.

[0047] Here, the significance of the configuration of this embodiment will be explained using a comparative example. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of grommet 502 included in a grommet peripheral structure for a vehicle according to the comparative example. Fig. 6 is a side view of grommet 502 included in a grommet peripheral structure for a vehicle according to the comparative example. As shown in Fig. 5, grommet 502 has bellows 522 with alternating concave and convex grooves and ridges along direction L in which harness 112 extends, and connection portions 142, 144 disposed on both ends. At the center of grommet 502 in direction L in which harness 112 extends, bellows 522 has elliptical surfaces 522a to 522d formed by flattening the surface of bellows 522 into an elliptical shape. This comparative example does not have recess 132 and ribs 152, 154 as in this embodiment.

[0048] 6, when side door 106 is opened or closed, elliptical surfaces 522a to 522d of grommet 502 interfere with fender panel 108 due to insufficient clearance between them. The surfaces of bellows 522 on both end sides facing fender panel 108 contract and bend toward fender panel 108, further increasing the possibility that elliptical surfaces 522a to 522d of grommet 502 may interfere with fender panel 108.

[0049] [First Modification] Fig. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view of grommet 202 included in a vehicle grommet peripheral structure according to a first modified example. As with grommet 202 shown in Fig. 3(b), thickness T2 of recess 133 in this modified example is thicker than thickness t of bellows 124, 126, and 128 of grommet 202. Note that a modified example similar to the first modified example shown in Fig. 3(b) may be created by attaching another member to recess 132 in Fig. 3(a) to set the thickness thicker than that of bellows 124, 126, and 128 of grommet 102.

[0050] Since recess 132 does not have a bellows, it is already more rigid than bellows 124, 126, and 128. However, if recess 132 is configured to have a wall thickness greater than the bellows of grommet 102, the rigidity of recess 132 can be further improved. Even if grommet 202 is pulled by side door 106, recess 132 remains straight. Therefore, recess 132 can more reliably avoid interference between grommet 102 and fender panel 108.

[0051] [Second Modification] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a grommet 302 included in a vehicle grommet peripheral structure according to a second modified example. In the grommet 302 of Fig. 7, the recess 132 is not formed in the third region X3, and the grommet 302 has a bellows 330 that extends around the entire circumferential direction of the harness 112, and is provided with a rib 304 as a first rib that spans the bellows 330 of the grommet 102 along the extension direction L of the harness 112.

[0052] The rigidity of the portion of grommet 302 across which rib 304 extends is improved, and this portion remains straight even when grommet 302 is pulled by side door 106, making it less likely to deform and approach fender panel 108. This makes it possible to avoid interference between grommet 302 and fender panel 108.

[0053] In this second modified example, rib 304 is disposed at the same position in the circumferential direction of grommet 302 relative to ribs 152, 154, but rib 304 may be disposed at a position rotated approximately 45° to 90° in the circumferential direction of grommet 402 relative to ribs 152, 154. In this case, rib 304 does not protrude further toward fender panel 108 than bellows 330, and therefore rib 304 does not narrow the clearance between bellows 330 and fender panel 108.

[0054] [Third Modification] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a grommet 402 included in a vehicle grommet peripheral structure according to a third modified example. The grommet 402 in Fig. 8 includes a rib 404 in the recess 132 as a second rib that extends along the direction L in which the harness 112 extends. The rib 404 is disposed at a position rotated approximately 45° around the circumference of the grommet 402 from the ribs 152, 154.

[0055] The recess 132 does not have a bellows, and therefore is already more rigid than a bellows. However, if the rib 404 is configured to span the recess 132, the rigidity of the recess 132 is further improved. The grommet 402 is pulled by the side door 106, and the recess 132 is kept straight. Therefore, the recess 132 can more reliably avoid interference between the grommet 102 and the fender panel 108.

[0056] In this third modified example, rib 404 is disposed at a position rotated approximately 45° in the circumferential direction of grommet 402 from ribs 152, 154, and is not disposed between recess 132 and fender panel 108. This prevents clearance G between recess 132 and fender panel 108 from becoming smaller due to rib 404.

[0057] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0058] Furthermore, the present invention can be practiced by freely combining inventions described in the claims and examples, regardless of the dependent relationships of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0059] The present invention can be used in a vehicle grommet peripheral structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 100... Vehicle grommet peripheral structure, 102, 202, 302, 402, 502... Grommet, 104... Side body, 104a... Covered portion, 104b... Mounting hole, 106... Side door, 108... Fender panel, 112... Harness, 114... Sheath, 124, 126, 128, 222, 522... Bellows, 124a, 126a... Convex strip, 132, 133... Concave , 142...connection portion, 142a...inclined pipe, 142b...fixing portion, 144...connection portion, 152...side body side rib, 154...side door side rib, 304...rib (first rib), 404...rib (second rib), 522a...elliptical surface, G...clearance, P1, P2...inflection point, t...belt thickness, T1, T2...recess thickness, X1...first region, X2...second region, X3...third region

Claims

1. A grommet peripheral structure for a vehicle includes a grommet having a cylindrical shape and a bellows-like surface that covers a predetermined portion of a harness extending from a portion of a side body of a vehicle that is covered by a side door to the side door, and the vehicle grommet peripheral structure further comprises: a fender panel to which the grommet approaches when the side door is opened and pulled by the side door; a grommet surrounding structure for a vehicle, characterized in that it is provided with an interference avoidance portion that is provided in a portion of the grommet that is closest to the fender panel when the side door is opened, and that prevents interference between the grommet and the fender panel even when the side door is opened.

2. 2. The vehicle grommet peripheral structure according to claim 1, wherein the interference avoidance portion is a cylindrical recess that is recessed deeper than the bellows of the grommet.

3. 2. The vehicle grommet peripheral structure according to claim 1, wherein the interference avoidance portion is a first rib that is disposed across the bellows of the grommet along the extension direction of the harness.

4. 3. The vehicle grommet peripheral structure according to claim 2, wherein the recess has a thickness greater than a thickness of the bellows of the grommet.

5. 3. The vehicle grommet peripheral structure according to claim 2, further comprising a second rib extending across the recess in the direction in which the harness extends.

6. The vehicle grommet peripheral structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a side body side rib or a side door side rib extending across the bellows at the end of the grommet on the side body side or the side door side along the extension direction of the harness.

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