Door hole cover

Abstract

To provide a door hole cover that offers excellent workability for cable assembly. [Solution] A door hole cover 22 capable of closing a door hole 20 that penetrates the inner panel 4 of a car door 1 comprises a plate-shaped cover body portion 27 that can face the door hole, a cover outer peripheral portion 28 provided along the outer circumference of the cover body portion, which can face the edge of the door hole and can be coupled to the inner panel, an insertion hole 33 that penetrates the cover outer peripheral portion and can receive a cable, a passage portion 34 connecting the insertion hole and the outer edge of the cover outer peripheral portion, an opening / closing portion 40 that is pivotably provided on the cover outer peripheral portion and opens and closes the passage portion by pivoting, and a sealing member 55 provided on the surface of the cover outer peripheral portion that can face the inner panel.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a door hole cover.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] It is known that a door hole is provided in an inner panel of an automobile door for arranging a cable. A door hole cover is provided in the door hole to prevent rainwater and the like from entering the interior side of the vehicle. The door hole cover of Patent Document 1 includes a cover member formed with a through hole through which a cable can be inserted, a seal member provided at a peripheral edge of the cover member, and a lid body formed with an insertion portion through which the cable can be inserted and covering the through hole from the vehicle exterior side.

[0003] The door hole cover of Patent Document 2 is a cylindrical plug inserted into the door hole. At the center of the door hole cover, there are provided a harness hole for passing a harness, and a flexible tongue piece for opening and closing the harness hole.

RELATED ART DOCUMENTS

PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0004]

PATENT DOCUMENT 1

PATENT DOCUMENT 2

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0005] However, in any of the door hole covers of Patent Documents 1 and 2, when assembling the cable to the door hole cover, the cable must be inserted into the door hole cover from the end portion. Therefore, in a state where both ends of the cable are connected to other devices, the cable cannot be assembled to the door hole cover. As described above, the conventional door hole cover has a problem that the assembling workability of the cable to the door hole cover is poor.

[0006] In view of the above background, the object of the present invention is to provide a door hole cover that offers excellent workability for cable assembly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a door hole cover (22) capable of closing a door hole (20) that penetrates the inner panel (4) of a car door (1), comprising: a plate-shaped cover body (27) that can face the door hole; a cover outer periphery (28) provided along the outer circumference of the cover body, capable of facing the edge of the door hole and capable of being coupled to the inner panel; an insertion hole (33) that penetrates the cover outer periphery and can receive a cable; a passage (34) connecting the insertion hole and the outer edge of the cover outer periphery; an opening / closing part (40) that is pivotably provided on the cover outer periphery and opens and closes the passage by pivoting; and a sealing member (55) provided on the surface of the cover outer periphery that can face the inner panel.

[0008] According to this embodiment, a door hole cover with excellent cable assembly workability can be provided. By operating the opening / closing member to open the passage, the worker can place the cable through the passage into the insertion hole. After the cable is placed in the insertion hole, the passage is closed by the opening / closing member, thereby preventing rainwater and other liquids from passing through the passage.

[0009] In the above embodiment, the outer periphery of the cover has a first wall (35A) and a second wall (35B) defining the passage, the base end of the opening / closing part has a hinge (41) pivotably coupled to the first wall, and the tip of the opening / closing part may have a locking part (42) that engages with the inner panel side end of the second wall.

[0010] In this embodiment, the locking portion is locked to the inner panel end of the second wall, thereby maintaining the opening and closing member in a closed state over the passage.

[0011] In the above embodiment, a portion of the sealing member may be provided on a surface of the opening / closing section that can face the inner panel.

[0012] According to this embodiment, the opening and closing part can be tightly fitted to the edge of the door hole via a sealing member, thereby improving the sealing performance of the opening and closing part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] With the above configuration, it is possible to provide a door hole cover that offers excellent workability for cable assembly. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Cross-sectional view of a door with a door hole cover according to the embodiment installed. [Figure 2] Perspective view of the door hole cover mounting structure as seen from the outside of the vehicle. [Figure 3] Perspective view of the door hole cover mounting structure as seen from inside the vehicle. [Figure 4] Perspective view of door hole cover [Figure 5] Perspective view of a door hole cover with the sealing component omitted. [Figure 6] A perspective view showing a magnified view of the opening and closing mechanism of the door hole cover. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view of the opening and closing mechanism of the door hole cover. [Figure 8] Plan view of the door hole cover as seen from the first side. [Figure 9] A perspective view showing the cable attached to the door hole cover with the opening mechanism in the open position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The following describes an embodiment of the door hole cover with reference to the drawings.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, a vehicle door 1 includes a door panel 2 serving as a skeleton member, and a door trim 3 provided to cover the vehicle interior side surface of the door panel 2. The door panel 2 has an inner panel 4 and an outer panel 5 formed from steel plates. The inner panel 4 is disposed on the vehicle interior side of the outer panel 5 that forms the outer surface of the vehicle body. The inner panel 4 is joined to the outer panel 5 at the front edge, the lower edge, and the rear edge, excluding the upper edge. A first space 7 is formed between the inner panel 4 and the outer panel 5.

[0017] In the first space 7, a window glass 8 and an elevating device 9 for the window glass 8 are disposed. The window glass 8 moves up and down through an opening formed between the upper edge of the inner panel 4 and the upper edge of the outer panel 5. At the upper edge of the inner panel 4 and the upper edge of the outer panel 5, a weather strip which is a seal member in sliding contact with the window glass 8 is provided. At the rear end portion of the first space 7, a door latch device 11 that detachably engages with a striker provided on the vehicle body is disposed.

[0018] The door trim 3 is formed from a resin material. The door trim 3 is disposed on the vehicle interior side of the inner panel 4. A second space 12 is formed between the door trim 3 and the inner panel 4. The inner panel 4 is provided with devices such as a door handle 14 for operating the door latch device 11, a window switch 15 for operating the elevating device 9, and a speaker.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, a door hole 20 is formed in the inner panel 4. The door hole 20 penetrates the inner panel 4 in the thickness direction. The door hole 20 connects the first space 7 and the second space 12. A cable 21 connecting the respective devices passes through the door hole 20 and extends from the first space 7 to the second space 12. The cable 21 may be, for example, a control cable connecting the door handle 14 and the door latch device 11, or a wire harness connecting the window switch 15 and the elevating device 9.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the door hole 20 is closed by the door hole cover 22. The structure in which the door hole cover 22 is attached to the inner panel 4 and the door hole 20 is closed by the door hole cover 22 is called the door hole cover mounting structure 18.

[0021] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the door hole cover 22, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the door hole cover 22 with the sealing member 55 omitted. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the door hole cover 22 is formed in a plate shape and has a first surface 22A facing the inner panel 4 side and a second surface 22B opposite to the first surface 22A. The door hole cover 22 has a cover body portion 27 and a cover outer peripheral portion 28 provided along the outer circumference of the cover body portion 27. The cover outer peripheral portion 28 may be formed in an annular shape along the outer circumference of the cover body portion 27. On the first surface 22A, the cover body portion 27 protrudes more than the cover outer peripheral portion 28, and a stepped portion 29 is formed at the boundary between the cover body portion 27 and the cover outer peripheral portion 28. The stepped portion 29 improves the rigidity of the door hole cover 22. The stepped portion 29 may be formed in a shape that can be fitted into the door hole 20.

[0022] The door hole cover 22 covers the door hole 20 from the inside of the inner panel 4. The cover body 27 faces the door hole 20. The cover outer periphery 28 overlaps with the edge 30 of the door hole 20 when viewed from a direction along the axis of the door hole 20. That is, a part of the cover outer periphery 28 faces and abuts against the edge 30 of the door hole 20. In detail, the cover outer periphery 28 faces the interior side surface 4A of the inner panel 4 that constitutes the edge 30 of the door hole 20 in the thickness direction of the cover body 27. When viewed from the thickness direction of the cover body 27, the door hole 20 is positioned inside the outer edge 28A of the cover outer periphery 28. That is, when viewed from the thickness direction of the cover body 27, the entire door hole 20 overlaps with the door hole cover 22.

[0023] The door hole cover 22 has a through hole 33 and a passage portion 34 connected to the through hole 33. The through hole 33 penetrates the outer periphery 28 of the cover and connects to the door hole 20, and is also capable of receiving a cable 21. The passage portion 34 connects the through hole 33 and the outer edge 28A of the outer periphery 28 of the cover. Specifically, the passage portion 34 passes through the outer periphery 28 of the cover from the through hole 33 and opens to the outer edge 28A of the outer periphery 28 of the cover. That is, the passage portion 34 extends from the through hole 33 to the outer edge 28A of the outer periphery 28 of the cover. The passage portion 34 penetrates the outer periphery 28 of the cover in the thickness direction. The through hole 33 and the passage portion 34 cooperate to form a recess 35. The recess 35 is recessed from the outer edge 28A of the outer periphery 28 of the cover toward the center of the door hole cover 22 and penetrates the door hole cover 22 in the thickness direction.

[0024] As shown in Figure 6, the outer periphery 28 of the cover has a first wall 35A and a second wall 35B that define the passage portion 34. The first wall 35A and the second wall 35B are separated from each other and face each other at a distance. The first wall 35A and the second wall 35B extend in parallel. One end of each of the first wall 35A and the second wall 35B is connected to the outer edge 28A of the outer periphery 28 of the cover. The other end of each of the first wall 35A and the second wall 35B is connected to a third wall 35C. The third wall 35C is formed as an arc-shaped concave surface. The other ends of the first wall 35A and the second wall 35B and the third wall 35C define the insertion hole 33.

[0025] The distance between the first wall 35A and the second wall 35B is formed to be greater than the diameter of the cable 21 so that the cable 21 can pass through the passage 34. On the other hand, it is preferable that the distance between the first wall 35A and the second wall 35B is close to the diameter of the cable 21 so that the gap between the cable 21 and the first wall 35A and the second wall 35B is small. The diameter of the third wall 35C is formed to be greater than the diameter of the cable 21 so that the cable 21 can pass through the insertion section. On the other hand, it is preferable that the diameter of the third wall 35C is close to the diameter of the cable 21 so that the gap between the cable 21 and the third wall 35C is small.

[0026] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the outer periphery 28 of the cover is provided with an opening / closing section 40 for opening and closing the passage section 34. The opening / closing section 40 is pivotably mounted on the outer periphery 28 of the cover and opens and closes the passage section 34 by pivoting. The base end of the opening / closing section 40 has a hinge 41 pivotably coupled to the first wall 35A. The tip of the opening / closing section 40 has a locking section 42 that locks onto the inner panel 4 side end of the second wall 35B. The opening / closing section 40 has a plate-shaped main body section 43 to which the hinge 41 and the locking section 42 are coupled.

[0027] The thickness of the main body portion 43 is smaller than the thickness of the outer periphery portion 28 of the cover. The hinge 41 is preferably an integral hinge formed integrally with the main body portion 43 and the outer periphery portion 28 of the cover. The hinge 41 is thinner than the main body portion 43 and is flexible. The hinge 41 is located at the end of the first wall 35A on the side of the first surface 22A. The axis of rotation of the hinge 41 is preferably parallel to the intersection line of the first surface 22A and the first wall 35A.

[0028] The main body 43 of the opening / closing section 40 swings or rotates around the hinge 41, thereby positioning the opening / closing section 40 in a closed position and an open position. As shown in Figure 7, when the opening / closing section 40 is in the closed position, the main body 43 of the opening / closing section 40 extends along the first surface 22A from the first wall 35A to the second wall 35B. When the opening / closing section 40 is in the closed position, the passage section 34 is closed by the opening / closing section 40, preventing the passage of the cable 21. When the opening / closing section 40 is in the open position, the main body 43 of the opening / closing section 40 extends parallel to the first wall 35A. When the opening / closing section 40 is in the open position, the main body 43 may face the first wall 35A or protrude outward from the first surface 22A. The hinge 41 may bias the opening / closing section 40 to the closed position by a restoring force.

[0029] As shown in Figure 7, the locking portion 42 is preferably a thin piece protruding parallel to the main body portion 43 from the tip of the main body portion 43. The locking portion 42 has higher flexibility than the main body portion 43. The locking portion 42 is preferably arranged on the same plane as the surface of the main body portion 43 on the first surface 22A side. When the opening / closing portion 40 is in the closed position, the locking portion 42 is in contact with the first surface 22A beyond the end of the second wall 35B. The contact of the locking portion 42 with the first surface 22A restricts the movement of the opening / closing portion 40 toward the first wall 35A side.

[0030] As shown in Figure 6, the main body portion 43 has an inner edge 43A and an outer edge 43B. The inner edge 43A cooperates with the first wall 35A, the second wall 35B, and the third wall 35C to define the insertion hole 33. The inner edge 43A is preferably formed in a concave arc shape to reduce the gap with the outer surface of the cable 21. The outer edge 43B extends along a virtual line extrapolated from the outer edge 28A of the outer periphery portion 28 of the cover.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, the outer periphery 28 of the cover has a plurality of fastening portions 51. Each fastening portion 51 is formed in a plate shape and extends away from the cover body portion 27. Each of the plurality of fastening portions 51 abuts against the interior side surface 4A of the inner panel 4 and is fastened to the inner panel 4. The plurality of fastening portions 51 are fastened to the inner panel 4 by a plurality of fastening members 52. The plurality of fastening members 52 may be clips attached to the corresponding fastening portions 51. The plurality of fastening members 52 protrude from each of the fastening portions 51 toward the inner panel 4. As shown in Figure 2, the plurality of fastening members 52 may be coupled to a plurality of coupling holes 53 formed in the inner panel 4.

[0032] As shown in Figures 4, 7, and 8, the door hole cover 22 has a sealing member 55 provided on a surface of the outer periphery 28 of the cover that can face the inner panel 4. The sealing member 55 may be made of a waterproof material. The sealing member 55 may be bonded to the first surface 22A of the outer periphery 28 of the cover. The sealing member 55 may have a flexible sealing layer 55A and an adhesive layer 55B that bonds the sealing layer 55A to the outer periphery 28 of the cover. The sealing layer 55A may be made of, for example, ethylene propylene diene rubber, nitrile rubber, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, etc. Alternatively, the sealing layer 55A may be made of a foaming material. The sealing layer 55A may be made of, for example, ethylene propylene diene rubber, nitrile rubber, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, etc. The adhesive layer 55B may be made of a known synthetic resin adhesive or double-sided tape.

[0033] The sealing member 55 is provided in an annular shape along the outer circumference 28 of the cover such that its first end 56 and second end 57 are in close proximity. A portion of the sealing member 55 is provided on a surface of the opening / closing section 40 that can face the inner panel 4. The first end 56 of the sealing member 55 is provided on the inner panel 4 side of the locking section 42 of the opening / closing section 40. The tip of the first end 56 may be positioned at the tip of the locking section 42. The first end 56 of the sealing member 55 is bonded to the opening / closing section 40 and swings together with the opening / closing section 40.

[0034] The second end 57 is positioned offset from the second wall 35B so as not to obstruct the rotation of the opening / closing section 40. The second end 57 is positioned opposite the tip of the locking section 42 when it is in the closed position. When the opening / closing section 40 is in the closed position, it is preferable that the first end 56 and the second end 57 are in contact with each other or face each other with a small gap between them.

[0035] The method for attaching the door hole cover 22 to the inner panel 4 is as follows: First, the worker places the cable 21 through the passage 34 into the insertion hole 33. At this time, the worker may push the main body 43 of the opening / closing part 40 with the side of the cable 21 to move the opening / closing part 40 to the open position. This opens the passage 34, allowing the cable 21 to pass through the passage 34. Alternatively, the worker may push the opening / closing part 40 with their finger to move it to the open position.

[0036] Next, the operator moves the side of the cable 21 through the passage 34 into the insertion hole 33 while maintaining the opening / closing section 40 in the open position. At this time, the first end 56 of the sealing member 55 deforms, which allows the cable 21 to pass through the passage 34. As a result, the cable 21 is positioned in the insertion hole 33, as shown in Figure 9. As the cable 21 is positioned in the insertion hole 33, the side of the cable 21 separates from the main body 43 of the opening / closing section 40, and the opening / closing section 40 moves to the closed position due to the restoring force. The sealing member may be attached to the portion of the outer surface of the cable 21 corresponding to the insertion hole 33, and the cable 21 may be press-fitted into the insertion hole 33 together with the sealing member. The sealing member seals the gap between the outer surface of the cable 21 and the edge of the insertion hole 33 (first wall 35A, second wall 35B, third wall 35C, inner edge 43A). The sealing member may be formed from, for example, a foamed material (sponge) and wrapped around the outer surface of the cable 21.

[0037] Next, the operator grasps the opening / closing part 40 and positions it in the closed position (see Figure 8). At this time, the locking part 42 deforms and passes over the end of the second wall 35B on the first surface 22A side, and locks onto the end of the second wall 35B on the first surface 22A side. That is, the locking part 42 comes into contact with the first surface 22A. This restricts the movement of the opening / closing part 40 toward the first wall 35A side (open position side). In this state, the first end 56 and the second end 57 of the sealing member 55 come into contact with each other or face each other with a small gap between them.

[0038] Next, the worker installs the door hole cover 22 with the cable 21 attached into the door hole 20. At this time, the cable 21 moves axially within the insertion hole 33. As a result, the cover body 27 faces the door hole 20, and the cover outer periphery 28 and opening / closing portion 40 contact the edge 30 of the door hole 20 via the sealing member 55. At this time, the positioning of the door hole cover 22 relative to the insertion hole 33 may be determined by fitting the cover body 27 into the insertion hole 33. In addition, each clip of each fastening portion 51 connects to the coupling hole 53 of the inner panel 4. As a result, the door hole cover 22 is installed in the door hole 20, and the door hole 20 is closed. In this way, the door hole cover mounting structure 18 is formed (see Figures 2 and 3). The sealing member 55 deforms between the cover outer periphery 28 and opening / closing portion 40 and the edge 30 of the door hole 20, sealing the gap between the cover outer periphery 28 and opening / closing portion 40 and the edge 30 of the door hole 20. At this time, the first end 56 and the second end 57 deform and come into close contact with each other.

[0039] The above method for attaching the door hole cover 22 to the inner panel 4 includes the steps of: placing the cable 21 in the insertion hole 33 via the passage portion 34; moving the opening / closing portion 40 to the closed position after the cable 21 has been placed in the insertion hole 33, and closing the passage portion 34; bringing the outer peripheral portion 28 of the cover into contact with the edge portion 30 of the door hole 20 via the sealing member 55; and fastening the outer peripheral portion 28 of the cover to the inner panel 4. The step of placing the cable 21 in the insertion hole 33 via the passage portion 34 may include the step of moving the opening / closing portion 40 to the open position and opening the passage portion 34.

[0040] In the door hole cover mounting structure 18, the locking portion 42 of the opening / closing portion 40 is sandwiched between the edge portion 30 of the door hole 20 and the first surface 22A. As a result, the opening / closing portion 40 is maintained in the closed position.

[0041] Since the passage section 34 connects the insertion hole 33 and the outer edge 28A of the outer periphery 28 of the cover, the worker can directly insert the middle section of the cable 21 into the insertion hole 33. This improves the ease of assembly of the cable 21 to the door hole cover 22. The worker can place the cable 21 in the insertion hole 33 through the passage section 34 by operating the opening / closing section 40 to open the passage section 34. After the cable 21 is placed in the insertion hole 33, the opening / closing section 40 closes the passage section 34, preventing rainwater and other liquids from passing through the passage section 34. Since the opening / closing section 40 is integrally formed with the outer periphery 28 of the cover, there is no need to assemble the opening / closing section 40 to the passage section 34, and the opening / closing section 40 will not fall off the passage section 34. This also improves the ease of assembly of the cable 21 to the door hole cover 22.

[0042] The door hole cover 22 is integrated into a single unit that includes a sealing member 55. Therefore, when installing the door hole cover 22 to the door hole 20, it is not necessary to apply sealant to the door hole cover 22 or the edge 30 of the door hole 20. This improves work efficiency.

[0043] This concludes the description of specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be broadly modified and implemented. For example, the insertion hole 33 may be formed in the cover body portion 27. In this case, the passage portion 34 may traverse the outer peripheral portion 28 of the cover and also be formed in the cover body portion 27. Furthermore, the opening and closing portion 40 may be extended to match the shape of the passage portion 34. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1: Door 4: Inner panel 18: Door hole cover mounting structure 20: Door Hole 21: Cable 22: Door Hole Cover 27: Cover body 28: Outer edge of the cover 28A: Outer edge 30: Edge 33: Through hole 34:Aisle section 35A: 1st wall 35B: 2nd wall 40: Opening / closing part 41: Hinge 42: Locking part 43: Main body 55: Sealing material

Claims

1. A door hole cover capable of closing a door hole that penetrates the inner panel of an automobile door, A plate-shaped cover body portion that can face the aforementioned door hole, A cover outer periphery is provided along the outer circumference of the cover body, is capable of facing the edge of the door hole, and is capable of being coupled to the inner panel, The cover has an insertion hole that penetrates the outer periphery and can receive a cable, A passage connecting the insertion hole and the outer edge of the outer periphery of the cover, An opening / closing part is provided on the outer circumference of the cover so as to be swingable, and opens and closes the passage by swinging, A door hole cover having a sealing member provided on a surface of the outer periphery of the cover that is facing the inner panel.

2. The outer periphery of the cover has a first wall and a second wall that define the passage portion. The base end of the opening / closing section has a hinge that is pivotably connected to the first wall. The door hole cover according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the opening / closing portion has a locking portion that engages with the end of the second wall on the inner panel side.

3. The door hole cover according to claim 1, wherein a part of the sealing member is provided on a surface that can face the inner panel of the opening and closing portion.

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