Grommet inner and grommet

Abstract

To provide a grommet inner capable of preventing noise, and a grommet, to which the grommet inner is mounted.SOLUTION: A grommet inner 20 constituting a grommet 1 together with a grommet body 10 is constituted by a tubular inner body 21, inside which an electric wire WH penetrates, and a flange part 22 arranged on one end side of the inner body 21 and extending radially outward. The inner body 21 is constituted by a first inner separation part 31 and a second inner separation part 41 separated from each other in a peripheral direction, and is provided with a lock fixing part 25 for fixing the first inner separation part 31 and the second inner separation part 41 in the peripheral direction. The lock fixing part 25 is constituted by a lock part 33 provided to the adjacent first inner separation part 31, and a locked part 43, which is provided to the adjacent second inner separation part 41 and in which the lock part 33 is inserted. The lock part 33 is provided with an insertion side deformation part 34 crashed and press-deformed by inserting the lock part 33 in the locked part 43.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a grommet inner that constitutes a grommet that protects an electric wire that is inserted into a panel, for example, and to a grommet having the grommet inner attached thereto. [Background technology]

[0002] The electrical equipment installed in the vehicle body and the electrical equipment installed inside the doors that are attached to the vehicle body so as to be freely opened and closed are separated by door panels and body panels (hereinafter referred to as "panels") and are electrically connected via electric wires inserted into insertion holes provided in each panel.

[0003] This electric wire is prevented from interfering with the periphery of the insertion hole and being damaged by being inserted into a cylindrical grommet such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1. In detail, the grommet disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a flexible resin mounting part that is attached to the panel, and a grommet inner that is attached to the mounting part and inserted into an insertion hole provided in the panel.

[0004] Then, with the electric wire fixed to the electric wire fixing portion extending forward in the insertion direction from the mounting portion using tape or the like, the electric wire fixing portion is inserted into the insertion hole, and the panel is sandwiched between the mounting portion and the grommet inner, so that the electric wire can be inserted into the insertion hole without interfering with and damaging the peripheral edge of the insertion hole.

[0005] The grommet inner disclosed in Patent Document 1 is composed of a separable separation body having a substantially identical shape, and has an engaging protrusion on one circumferential end face of the separation body, and an engaging recess with which the engaging protrusion can engage on the other circumferential end face. This allows the grommet inner to be attached to a desired position of the electric wire. However, the grommet inner that fits the separation body as in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that rattle occurs between the engaging protrusion and the engaging recess, generating abnormal noise. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-180019 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a grommet inner that can prevent the generation of abnormal noise, and a grommet equipped with the grommet inner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This invention provides a grommet that protects an electric wire passing through a through hole provided in a panel, comprising a cylindrical grommet body, a grommet inner that is attached to an end of the grommet body and fixed to the through hole, and that is composed of a cylindrical inner body that is inserted into the through hole and through which the electric wire passes inside, and a flange portion that is arranged on one end side of the inner body and extends radially outward, the inner body being composed of inner separation portions that are separated in the circumferential direction, and a fixing portion that fixes the separated inner separation portions to each other in the circumferential direction, the fixing portion being composed of a fixing piece that is provided on one side of the adjacent inner separation portions and extends along the circumferential direction, and an inserted portion that is provided on the other side of the adjacent inner separation portions and into which the fixing piece is inserted, and at least one of the opposing portions between the fixing piece and the inserted portion is provided with a deformation portion that is crushed and pressure-deformed when the fixing piece is inserted into the inserted portion.

[0009] The present invention also provides a grommet comprising the above-mentioned grommet inner and a cylindrical grommet body through which an electric wire is inserted, the grommet inner being attached to an end of the grommet body.

[0010] The above-mentioned separation means that at least a part in the circumferential direction is separated, that is, it includes a case where both ends in the circumferential direction are separated, or a case where only the side where the fixing part is provided is separated and the opposite side in the circumferential direction is connected via a hinge or the like. The inner separator may be separated into two or more pieces.

[0011] The fixing portion is not particularly limited as long as it can fix adjacent inner separation portions to each other, and includes cases where the fixing portion is fixed by engagement or fitting by inserting the fixing piece into the inserted portion. The deformation portion may be provided on at least one of the fixed piece and the inserted portion.

[0012] According to this invention, by inserting the fixing piece into the inserted part, the deforming part is pressed and deformed, and the gap between the inserted part and the fixing piece can be eliminated. Therefore, the inner separated parts can be fixed to each other while preventing the inner separated parts from rattling. This allows the inner main body to be attached to the electric wire later, and prevents abnormal noise from being generated from the fixing part between the attached inner separated parts.

[0013] As an aspect of the present invention, the deformation portion may include an insertion-side deformation portion erected in an insertion direction in which the electric wire is inserted. According to this invention, the gap occurring in the insertion direction between the fixed piece and the inserted portion can be filled by the insertion-side deformation portion, so that rattling of the fixed portion in the insertion direction can be prevented.

[0014] As a further aspect of the present invention, the insertion-side deformation portion may be provided on both sides in the insertion direction. The above-mentioned "both sides in the insertion direction" includes the cases where, when the fixed piece is inserted into the inserted portion, the fixed piece stands upright from both sides in the insertion direction toward the inserted portion, the fixed piece stands upright from the inside of the inserted portion toward the fixed piece, and the fixed piece stands upright from one side of the fixed piece in the insertion direction toward the inserted portion and from the other side of the inserted portion in the insertion direction toward the fixed piece.

[0015] According to this invention, the deformation portions are pressed and deformed on both sides of the fixed portion in the insertion direction, so that rattling of the fixed portion in the insertion direction can be more reliably prevented, and the position of the fixed portion can be adjusted so that the inner separation portions are in a more appropriate position relative to each other.

[0016] As a further aspect of the present invention, the deformation portion may include a radial deformation portion protruding in a radial direction of the inner body on at least one of the fixed piece and the inserted portion. According to this invention, by inserting the fixed piece into the inserted part, the radially deforming part is pressed and deformed in the radial direction, so that the radially deforming part can fill the gap that occurs in the radial direction between the fixed piece and the inserted part, thereby preventing rattling of the inner body in the radial direction.

[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, the fixed piece or the inserted portion may be provided on one circumferential side of the inner separation portion, and a pivot portion pivotally connected to another of the inner separation portions may be provided on the other circumferential side of the inner separation portion.

[0018] The pivot portion may be configured to integrally connect the inner separation portions together, or may be configured to be pivotable by combining parts provided on the inner separation portions together. In other words, the inner separation portions may be configured as one unit or as separate parts via the pivot portion.

[0019] When there are three or more inner separate parts, there may be one or more pivot parts. For example, when the inner body is composed of three inner separate parts, two of the inner separate parts may be fixed to each other by a fixing part, and the remaining inner separate part and the two inner separate parts fixed to each other by the fixing parts may be connected to each other by a pivot part.

[0020] According to this invention, the fixing piece can be inserted into the insertion portion provided on the other inner separated part simply by pivoting the inner separated part via the pivot portion, so that the inner separated parts can be easily fixed to each other and the grommet inner can be easily assembled to the electric wire.

[0021] In addition, since the fixed piece can be inserted into the inserted part simply by pivoting the inner separated parts, the fixed piece can be reliably inserted into the inserted part and the deformed part can be deformed by pressure contact, so that rattling between the inner separated parts can be easily and reliably prevented.

[0022] In another aspect of the present invention, the inner body may be formed by integrating the two inner separation parts via the pivot part, the pivot part being provided on an arc portion that is circular or rectangular with rounded corners when viewed from the insertion direction of the electric wire, and the fixing part may be provided at a position opposite the pivot part. The above-mentioned circular shape or rounded rectangular shape includes a perfect circle or ellipse, as well as an egg-shaped oval shape, or a track shape made up of an arc portion and a long side portion.

[0023] According to this invention, the fixing piece protrudes in the tangential direction of the arc portion of the inner body at the arc portion facing the pivot portion, so that the fixing piece can be easily and reliably inserted into the inserted portion by pivoting the pivot portion as a pivot axis. Therefore, the inner separated parts can be reliably fixed to each other, and the deformed part can be deformed by pressure welding, so that rattling can be more reliably prevented. Also, because the two inner separated parts are integrally formed, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0024] In another aspect of the present invention, one of the inner separation parts that are fixed to each other may be provided with an engaging protrusion that protrudes toward the other inner separation part, and the other inner separation part may be provided with a concave engaging recess into which the engaging protrusion is engaged.

[0025] According to this invention, the mating convex portion fits into the mating recess, thereby preventing the inner separation portions from being misaligned with each other. That is, one of the inner separation portions can be positioned properly relative to the other in the insertion direction. This allows the fixing piece to be properly inserted into the inserted portion, and the deformed portion can be reliably deformed by pressing. Furthermore, the mating convex portion fits into the mating recess, thereby more reliably preventing rattling of the fixing portion. Furthermore, the grommet inner can be properly attached to the grommet body, so that the grommet can be reliably fixed to the panel.

[0026] As an aspect of the present invention, the fixing portion may be disposed on a radially outer side of the inner body, and the fitting recess may be formed by recessing a radially inner side of the inner body at a position corresponding to the fixing portion.

[0027] According to this invention, the mating convex portion does not interfere with the electric wire, and the inner separated portions can be prevented from being misaligned with each other. Also, by arranging the mating convex portion and the mating concave portion at positions corresponding to the fixing portion in the inserted state in which the fixing piece is inserted into the inserted portion, the mating convex portion and the mating concave portion can be arranged to reliably prevent the inner separated bodies from being misaligned with each other, and the fixing piece can be inserted into the desired position in the inserted portion to fix the inner separated bodies to each other.

[0028] As a further aspect of the present invention, the length of the fitting convex portion along the insertion direction in which the electric wire is inserted may be shorter than that of the fixing piece. According to this invention, the tolerance of the fitting protrusion relative to the fitting recess can be made smaller than the tolerance of the fixing piece relative to the inserted portion. Therefore, by fitting the fitting protrusion into the fitting recess, the fixing piece can be positioned at a more appropriate position in the inserted portion. This makes it possible to more reliably fix the fixing piece to the inserted portion and more reliably deform the deforming portion by pressure welding.

[0029] In another aspect of the present invention, the flange portion is composed of a flange separation portion that is integrally formed with each of the multiple inner separation portions, and a flange convex portion protruding along the circumferential direction of the inner main body is provided on one side of the flange separation portion, and a flange recess into which the flange convex portion fits is provided on an adjacent flange separation portion.

[0030] This invention prevents radial displacement of the inner separation portion and the flange separation portion, allowing the fixing piece to be positioned at a desired position in the insertion portion. Also, by preventing displacement of the flange separation portion, the flange portion can be securely attached to the grommet body, and the grommet can be securely fixed to the panel. Furthermore, by providing the flange convex portion and the flange concave portion on the flange separated portion, it is possible to prevent the inner separated portion from being displaced in the radial direction without reducing the rigidity of the inner main body. Effect of the Invention

[0031] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a grommet inner that can prevent the generation of abnormal noise, and a grommet equipped with the grommet inner. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the grommet attached to the panel. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4]3A to 3C are a schematic plan view, a schematic side view, and a schematic front view of a grommet inner in a closed state. [Diagram 5] 3A and 3B are schematic plan and front views of the grommet inner in an open state. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a locking and fixing portion in the inner grommet. [Figure 7] 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a locking and fixing portion in a process of closing the open grommet inner. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the grommet inner in a closed state. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the grommet inner in a closed state. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a grommet inner according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the grommet 1 is a protective member that protects an electric wire WH that passes through a through hole P1 provided in a body panel P. The grommet 1 is composed of a cylindrical grommet body 10 and a grommet inner 20 that is attached to an end of the grommet body 10 and fixed to the through hole P1. The grommet 1 and the grommet inner 20 will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 9.

[0034] Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of grommet 1 attached to a body panel P, and Fig. 2 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of grommet 1. In Figs. 1 and 2, in order to clarify the structure of grommet 1, the body panel P is shown by a dotted line and is illustrated as being in a see-through state for the sake of convenience.

[0035] Fig. 3(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the inner grommet 20 seen from above on the rear side, and Fig. 3(b) shows a schematic perspective view of the inner grommet 20 seen from below on the front side. Figs. 4(a), 4(b) and 4(c) show a schematic plan view, a schematic side view and a schematic front view, respectively, of the inner grommet 20 in a closed state. Figs. 5(a) and 5(b) show a schematic plan view and a schematic front view of the inner grommet 20 in an open state, and Fig. 5(c) shows an enlarged schematic front view of the locking portion 33 of the inner grommet 20 in an open state.

[0036] Fig. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the locking fixing portion 25 of the grommet inner 20 in the open state. Specifically, Fig. 6(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 5(a), and Fig. 6(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 5(a).

[0037] Fig. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the locking and fixing portion 25 in the process of closing and locking the open grommet inner 20. Specifically, Fig. 7(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in Fig. 5(b), and Fig. 7(b) shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in a state in which the locking portion 33 has been inserted into the locked portion 43. Fig. 8(a) shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in the closed grommet inner 20, and Fig. 8(b) shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the locking and fixing portion 25 in Fig. 8(a).

[0038] Fig. 9(a) shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the grommet inner 20 in a closed state, and Fig. 9(b) shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the locking and fixing portion 25 in Fig. 9(a). Fig. 10(a) shows an enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the grommet inner 20 in another embodiment in an open state, and Fig. 10(b) shows an enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the locking and fixing portion 25 of the grommet inner 20 in another embodiment in a closed state.

[0039] 1 is defined as a height direction H, a direction perpendicular to the height direction H and in which cylindrical portion 11 constituting grommet body 10 extends is defined as a longitudinal direction L, and a direction perpendicular to the height direction H and the longitudinal direction L is defined as a width direction W. In addition, in FIG. 1, the upper side along the height direction H is defined as the upper side Hu, the lower side is defined as the lower side Hd, the left side along the longitudinal direction L is defined as the rear side Lb, the right side is defined as the front side Lf, and the right side along the width direction W is defined as the right side Wr, and the right side is defined as the left side Wl.

[0040] For example, in an automobile having a body panel P that forms an opening (not shown, hereinafter referred to as "rear opening") at the rear of the vehicle body, and a back door panel (not shown) that is attached to the body panel P via a hinge to close the rear opening so as to be freely opened and closed, the grommet 1 is attached so as to bridge the body panel P and the back door panel. An electric wire WH that connects electrical devices (not shown) that are arranged separated by the body panel P and the back door panel is inserted inside.

[0041] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the grommet 1 is composed of a cylindrical grommet body 10 through which an electric wire WH is inserted, and a grommet inner 20 that is attached to the end of the grommet body 10 and fixed to the through hole.

[0042] The grommet main body 10 is a hollow cylindrical body made of flexible resin, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is composed of a cylindrical portion 11 formed of a long cylinder, a body side mounting portion 12 provided at one end side (front Lf) of the cylindrical portion 11, and a tailgate side mounting portion 13 provided at the other end side (rear Lb) of the cylindrical portion 11.

[0043] The cylindrical portion 11 is a columnar body formed with a hollow cross section, and electric wires WH that electrically connect electrical devices separated by a panel can be inserted into the internal space. The central portion of the cylindrical portion 11 is configured in an accordion shape, and the back door panel can be curved relative to the body panel P in response to opening and closing.

[0044] The body side mounting part 12 is a hollow tubular body connected to one end side (front Lf) of the cylindrical part 11, and is attached to the body panel P. A tape fixing part 121 for fixing the electric wire WH with tape extends from the body side mounting part 12 along the height direction H. The body side mounting part 12 is configured so that an inner grommet 20 can be attached thereto.

[0045] The back door side mounting portion 13 is a hollow cylindrical body connected to the other end side (rear Lb) of the cylindrical portion 11, and is attached to the back door panel. The back door side mounting portion 13 is configured so that a separate grommet inner (not shown) different from the grommet inner 20 can be attached thereto.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 3, the grommet inner 20 that can be attached to the body side mounting portion 12 is configured with a cylindrical inner body 21 that is inserted into the through hole P1 and through which the electric wire WH passes, and a flange portion 22 that is disposed on the lower end side of the inner body 21 and extends radially outward. In addition, an inner locking portion 23 is provided at a predetermined position on the outer circumferential surface of the inner body 21.

[0047] Here, the radial direction refers to the direction radially extending from the central axis of the cylindrical inner body 21, which is configured in an oval shape when viewed in a plane, the radially outer side refers to the direction extending from the central axis of the inner body 21 toward the outside along the radial direction, and the radially inner side refers to the direction extending toward the central axis of the inner body 21 along the radial direction.

[0048] As shown in Figures 3 and 4(a), the inner body 21 is an approximately cylindrical body configured in an elliptical (track-shaped) shape when viewed in a plane, and is composed of long axis portions 211, 211 formed in a straight line when viewed in a plane, and a front arc portion 212 and a rear arc portion 213 formed in a semicircular shape when viewed in a plane, whose ends connect both ends of the long axis portions 211, 211.

[0049] The inner body 21 is configured in an elliptical shape with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the through-hole P1 provided in the body panel P, and as shown in Fig. 4(b), the rear arc portion 213 is configured to be slightly higher than the long shaft portions 211, 211 and the front arc portion 212. The upper end portion of the inner body 21 is configured such that the outer circumferential surface is slightly inclined radially inward as it extends upward.

[0050] The central portions of the long shaft portions 211, 211, the front arc portion 212 and the rear arc portion 213 are recessed radially inward, and from this recessed portion, an inner locking portion 23 protrudes radially outward, which clamps the body panel P together with the body side mounting portion 12 to which the flange portion 22 is assembled, and fixes the grommet 1 to the body panel P.

[0051] As shown in Figures 3, 4(a) to 4(c), the inner locking portion 23 is integrally formed with a first support portion 231 extending radially outward from the central portion of the long shaft portion 211, 211 recessed radially inward or the front arc portion 212 or the rear arc portion 213, a first elastic deformation portion 232 connected to the radially outer side of the first support portion 231, and a first locking claw portion 233 extending downward from the first elastic deformation portion 232.

[0052] The first support portion 231 is a plate-like body that protrudes radially outward from the upper end portions of the long shaft portion 211 and the front arc portion 212. Note that since the rear arc portion 213 protrudes upward compared to the front arc portion 212, the first support portion 231 corresponding to the rear arc portion 213 protrudes radially outward from a position Hd slightly below the upper end of the rear arc portion 213.

[0053] The first elastic deformation portion 232 extends downward Hd from the tip (the radially outer end portion) of the first support portion 231. The first locking claw portion 233 has an outer surface that widens radially outward as it extends downward Hd from the tip of the first elastic deformation portion 232, and an inner surface that widens radially outward as it extends downward Hd. The lower surface of the first locking claw portion 233 is formed in a tapered shape that slopes radially inward as it extends downward Hd.

[0054] In the inner locking portion 23 configured in this manner, the first support portion 231 protrudes radially outward, and the first elastic deformation portion 232 and the first locking claw portion 233 extend downward Hd from the tip of the first support portion 231. A space is formed between the inner locking portion 23 (first locking claw portion 233) and the long shaft portions 211, 211 or the front arc portion 212 and the rear arc portion 213, allowing the first locking claw portion 233 to move radially inward. The outer surface of the first locking claw portion 233 is configured to protrude slightly from the outer circumferential surface of the inner main body 21.

[0055] The flange portion 22 is a flat plate having an elliptical shape in a plan view, which extends radially outward from the lower end of the inner main body 21. A cutout portion 221 is provided in a part of the flange portion 22, which is cut radially inward so as to engage with the body side mounting portion 12 when the grommet inner 20 is attached to the body side mounting portion 12. In addition, an insertion hole is provided along the height direction H at a location corresponding to the inner locking portion 23.

[0056] The grommet inner 20 thus configured is composed of a first separated body 30 and a second separated body 40 that are partially separated in the circumferential direction. The first separated body 30 and the second separated body 40 are connected at the front Lf via a hinge portion 24, and are configured so as to be locked and fixed in the circumferential direction by a locking and fixing portion 25 provided on the opposite side of the hinge portion 24.

[0057] As shown in Figure 5, the first separation body 30 is composed of a first inner separation portion 31 which is a cylindrical body having a semi-elliptical shape in a planar view and which stands upright along the height direction H, and a first flange separation portion 32 which extends radially outward from the lower end of the first inner separation portion 31.

[0058] The first inner separation part 31 formed in a semi-elliptical shape in a plan view corresponds to the long shaft part 211 on the left side Wl of the inner main body 21, a part of the left side Wl of the front arc part 212, and a part of the left side Wl of the rear arc part 213. In detail, the arc part formed at the end part of the front Lf of the first inner separation part 31 corresponds to the front arc part 212 extending from the long shaft part 211 on the left side Wl by about one-fourth of the arc length. In other words, the end part of the front Lf of the first inner separation part 31 is an intermediate part between the inner locking part 23 provided on the front Lf and the end part of the front Lf of the long shaft part 211 on the left Wl.

[0059] On the other hand, the arc portion corresponding to the end of the rear Lb of the first inner separation part 31 corresponds to the rear arc portion 213 extending from the long shaft part 211 on the left Wl by approximately three-quarters of the arc length. In other words, the end of the front Lf of the first inner separation part 31 is an intermediate part between the inner locking part 23 provided on the rear Lb and the end of the long shaft part 211 on the right Wr on the rear Lb.

[0060] A hinge portion 24 is provided along the height direction H on the radially outer side of the front Lf end of the first inner separation portion 31 formed in this semi-elliptical shape, and a locking portion 33 constituting the locking fixing portion 25 extends along the tangent direction of the rear arc portion 213 at the rear Lb end of the first inner separation portion 31.

[0061] The hinge portion 24 provided on the left side Wl of the front arc portion 212 of the front Lf integrally connects the first separation body 30 and the second separation body 40 described later, configuring the second separation body 40 to be freely pivotable relative to the first separation body 30.

[0062] The locking portion 33 is composed of a flat fixing piece 331 protruding from the right end Wr of the first inner separation portion 31, and a locking protrusion 332 protruding radially outward from the tip of the fixing piece 331. The fixing piece 331 protrudes from the radial center of the first inner separation part 31 in the tangential direction of the rear arc part 213 at the end part on the right side Wr of the first inner separation part 31, and is composed of a flat plate part 331a formed in a substantially rectangular shape at the base end side, and a tapered part 331b having a substantially isosceles trapezoidal shape tapering from the tip of the flat plate part 331a toward the protruding direction. The lower end of the flat plate part 331a is located at a position corresponding to the upper end of the first flange separation part 32, and the upper end of the flat plate part 331a is located slightly below the first support part 231 at Hd.

[0063] The flat plate portion 331a thus configured is provided with insertion-side deformation portions 34 that stand in the height direction H from both ends in the height direction H (see FIG. 6(a)). More specifically, the insertion-side deformation portions 34 are configured to have a generally triangular cross section that tapers as they protrude in the height direction H when viewed from the protruding direction of the fixed piece 331.

[0064] The locking protrusion 332 protrudes outward in the normal direction of the fixed piece 331 at the center of the tapered portion 331b in the height direction H. Specifically, the locking protrusion 332 is configured in a generally right-angled triangular shape in a plan view, protruding outward in the normal direction of the fixed piece 331 as it moves from the tip of the tapered portion 331b toward the flat plate portion 331a. The length of the locking protrusion 332 in the height direction H is approximately half the length of the tip of the tapered portion 331b in the height direction H.

[0065] Further, the base end side of the flat plate portion 331a is provided with an inner fitting protrusion 35 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape protruding inward in the normal direction. The length of the inner fitting protrusion 35 in the height direction H is formed to be shorter than the length of the flat plate portion 331a in the height direction H. More specifically, the length of the inner fitting protrusion 35 in the height direction H is approximately half the length of the tip portion of the tapered portion 331b in the height direction H. The length of the inner fitting protrusion 35 in the extension direction of the locking portion 33 is approximately half the length of the flat plate portion 331a in the extension direction of the locking portion 33.

[0066] The first flange separation portion 32 extends radially outward from the lower end of the first inner separation portion 31, and a notch is provided at a location corresponding to the hinge portion 24 to allow the second separation body 40 to pivot relative to the first separation body 30. In addition, a flange protrusion 36 having the same plate thickness as the first flange separation portion 32 and extending along the locking portion 33 from the radially inner end of the first flange separation portion 32 is provided at a position corresponding to the locking portion 33 in the first flange separation portion 32. The flange protrusion 36 has a width that is approximately half the width of the first flange separation portion 32 in the radial direction, and a length that is approximately equal to the length of the inner fitting protrusion 35 in the extension direction of the locking portion 33.

[0067] As shown in Figure 5, the second separation body 40 is composed of a second inner separation portion 41 which is a cylindrical body having a semi-elliptical shape in a planar view and stands upright along the height direction H, and a second flange separation portion 42 which extends radially outward from the lower end of the second inner separation portion 41.

[0068] The second inner separation part 41 formed in a semi-elliptical shape in a plan view corresponds to the long shaft part 211 on the right side Wr of the inner main body 21, a part of the front Lf of the front arc part 212, and a part of the rear Lb of the rear arc part 213. In detail, the arc part formed at the end part of the rear Lb of the second inner separation part 41 corresponds to the rear arc part 213 extending from the long shaft part 211 on the right side Wr by about a quarter of the arc length. In other words, the end part of the rear Lb of the second inner separation part 41 is an intermediate part between the inner locking part 23 provided on the rear Lb and the end part of the long shaft part 211 on the right side Wr at the rear Lb.

[0069] On the other hand, the arc portion corresponding to the end of the front Lf of the second inner separation part 41 corresponds to the front arc portion 212 extending from the long shaft part 211 on the right Wr by approximately three-quarters of the arc length. In other words, the end of the front Lf of the second inner separation part 41 is an intermediate part between the inner locking part 23 provided on the front Lf and the end of the front Lf of the long shaft part 211 on the left Wl.

[0070] A hinge portion 24 is provided along the height direction H on the radially outer side of the front Lf end of the second inner separation part 41 configured in this manner. In addition, a locked portion 43 to which the locking portion 33 is locked is provided at the rear Lb end of the second inner separation part 41 adjacent to the first inner separation part 31. The locked portion 43 constitutes the locking fixing part 25 together with the locking part 33.

[0071] As shown in Figure 6 (b), the engaged portion 43 is a hollow frame body configured to allow the engaging portion 33 to be inserted therethrough, and is composed of shaft portions 431, 431 that stand radially outward from the second inner separation portion 41, an outer bridging portion 432 that connects the radially outer ends of the shaft portions 431, 431, and an inner bridging portion 433 that connects the radially inner ends of the shaft portions 431, 431, and an insertion space S is formed into which the engaging portion 33 can be inserted.

[0072] The shafts 431, 431 are erected radially outward from positions corresponding to the upper end of the rear arcuate portion 213 and the lower end of the second inner separation portion 41. The distance between the shafts 431, 431 is longer than the length of the flat plate portion 331a in the height direction H and shorter than the distance between the tip of the insertion-side deformation portion 34 on the upper Hu and the tip of the insertion-side deformation portion 34 on the lower Hd. In other words, when the locking portion 33 is inserted into the locked portion 43, the insertion-side deformation portion 34 is configured to interfere with the shafts 431, 431. The length of the locked portion 43 in the tangential direction of the second inner separation portion 41 is slightly shorter than the flat plate portion 331a.

[0073] Further, the inner bridge portion 433 constituting the radially inner side of the locked portion 43 is provided with an inner fitting recess 44 formed by recessing the central portion of the base end side of the shaft portions 431, 431 toward the tangent direction of the rear arc portion 213. The length of the inner fitting recess 44 in the height direction H is configured to be substantially the same as the length of the height direction H of the insertion-side deformation portion 34, and the inner fitting protrusion 35 is configured to fit into the inner fitting recess 44 by inserting the locking portion 33 into the insertion space S.

[0074] In addition, the length of the inner fitting convex portion 35 and the inner fitting recess 44 in the height direction H is shorter than the length of the locking portion 33 and the locked portion 43 in the height direction H, and the tolerance of the insertion side deformation portion 34 relative to the inner fitting recess 44 is smaller than the tolerance of the locking portion 33 relative to the locked portion 43.

[0075] The second flange separation portion 42 extends radially outward from the lower end of the second inner separation portion 41, and a notch is provided at a location corresponding to the hinge portion 24 to allow the second separation body 40 to pivot relative to the first separation body 30. In addition, a flange recess 45 is provided at a position corresponding to the locked portion 43 in the second flange separation portion 42, recessed from the radial inner end of the second flange separation portion 42 along the tangential direction of the second flange separation portion 42.

[0076] The flange recess 45 has a width that is approximately half the width of the second flange separation portion 42 in the radial direction, and a length that is approximately equal to the length in the extension direction of the inner fitting protrusion 35. In addition, a portion of the radial outer side of the flange recess 45 is cut out.

[0077] Next, a method for pivoting the second separated body 40 thus configured relative to the first separated body 30 about the hinge portion 24 as a pivot axis, and for locking and fixing the first separated body 30 and the second separated body 40 together, will be briefly described. First, the grommet inner 20 with the first separator 30 and the second separator 40 open is placed at a predetermined position on the electric wire WH that has been inserted into the grommet body 10 and fixed with tape to the tape fixing portion 121 (see FIG. 7(a)).

[0078] Then, by pivoting the second separation body 40 relative to the first separation body 30 with the hinge portion 24 as a pivot axis, the tip of the locking portion 33 is inserted into the insertion space S formed in the locked portion 43 (see FIG. 7(b)). At this time, since the locking portion 33 protrudes in the tangential direction of the rear arc portion 213 and the tapered portion 331b is configured in a tapered shape, the locking portion 33 is guided into the insertion space S simply by pivoting the second separation body 40 relative to the first separation body 30.

[0079] Furthermore, by pivoting the second separator 40 relative to the first separator 30, the flat portion 331a is inserted into the insertion space S, and the insertion-side deformation portions 34, 34 come into contact with the inner surfaces of the shaft portions 431, 431, which are the opposing portions, and are pressed and deformed. Also, the inner fitting convex portion 35 and the flange convex portion 36 are fitted into the inner fitting recess 44 and the flange recess 45 (see FIGS. 8(a) and (b)).

[0080] Here, since the tolerance of the insertion-side deformation portion 34 relative to the inner fitting recess 44 is smaller than the tolerance of the locking portion 33 relative to the locked portion 43, the inner fitting protrusion 35 fits into the inner fitting recess 44, and the first separation body 30 and the second separation body 40 are disposed at predetermined positions in the height direction H. Therefore, the locking portion 33 is disposed in the center of the locked portion 43, and the insertion-side deformation portion 34 on the upper Hu and the insertion-side deformation portion 34 on the lower Hd are uniformly in contact with the inner surface of the shaft portions 431, 431. Therefore, the insertion-side deformation portions 34, 34 are uniformly pressed and deformed by the shaft portions 431, 431, and rattling in the height direction H between the locking portion 33 and the locked portion 43 can be prevented (see Figs. 9(a) and 9(b)). Furthermore, by fitting the inner fitting protrusion 35 into the inner fitting recess 44, misalignment between the first separator 30 and the second separator 40 in the height direction H can be prevented.

[0081] Furthermore, in the process of inserting the locking portion 33 into the locked portion 43, the flange convex portion 36 fits into the flange concave portion 45, so that it is possible to prevent the first separated body 30 and the second separated body 40 from being misaligned in the radial direction, and the flange convex portion 36 fitted into the flange concave portion 45 and the inner fitting convex portion 35 fitted into the inner fitting concave portion 44 allow the locking portion 33 to be disposed at a desired position relative to the locked portion 43. This not only prevents the first separated body 30 and the second separated body 40 from being misaligned in the height direction H and the radial direction, but also ensures that the locking convex portion 332 is securely locked to the center portion of the outer bridge portion 432, so that the locking portion 33 can be securely locked and fixed to the locked portion 43.

[0082] Furthermore, by preventing misalignment of the second separator 40 in the height direction H and the radial direction relative to the first separator 30, the first separator 30 and the second separator 40 are disposed at desired positions in the height direction H and the radial direction, so that the strength of the grommet inner 20 is not reduced and the grommet inner 20 can be attached to the desired position of the body side attachment portion 12. This allows the grommet 1 to be reliably fixed to the body panel P.

[0083] In this manner, the grommet inner 20 constitutes the grommet 1 that protects the electric wire WH that passes through the through hole P1 provided in the body panel P together with the cylindrical grommet body 10, and is attached to an end of the grommet body 10 and fixed to the through hole P1. The grommet inner 20 is composed of a cylindrical inner body 21 that is inserted through the through hole P1 and through which the electric wire WH passes, and a flange portion 22 that is disposed on one end side of the inner body 21 and extends in the radially outward direction. The inner body 21 is composed of a first inner separation portion 31 and a second inner separation portion 41 that are separated in the circumferential direction, and is provided with a locking and fixing portion 25 that fixes the separated first inner separation portion 31 and second inner separation portion 41 in the circumferential direction. The locking fixing portion 25 is composed of a locking portion 33 provided on the adjacent first inner separation portion 31 (first separation body 30) and extending circumferentially, and a locked portion 43 provided on the second inner separation portion 41 (second separation body 40) adjacent to the first separation body 30, into which the locking portion 33 is inserted, and the locking portion 33 is provided with an insertion side deformation portion 34 that is crushed and pressure-deformed when the locking portion 33 is inserted into the locked portion 43.

[0084] In the grommet inner 20 configured in this manner, by inserting the locking portion 33 into the locked portion 43, the insertion-side deformation portion 34 is pressed and deformed, and a gap between the locked portion 43 and the locking portion 33 can be eliminated. This makes it possible to fix the first separated body 30 and the second separated body 40 in the circumferential direction while preventing rattling between the first separated body 30 and the second separated body 40. This makes it possible to later attach the inner body 21 to the electric wire WH, and prevents abnormal noise from being generated from the locking and fixing portion 25 of the attached first separated body 30 and second separated body 40.

[0085] Further, the insertion-side deformation portion 34 is erected toward the height direction H in which the electric wire WH is inserted. This allows the insertion-side deformation portion 34 to fill a gap occurring in the height direction H between the locking portion 33 and the locked portion 43, thereby preventing rattling of the locking fixing portion 25 in the height direction H.

[0086] Furthermore, the insertion-side deformation portions 34 are provided on both sides in the height direction H. As a result, the insertion-side deformation portions 34 are pressed and deformed on both sides of the locking and fixing portion 25 in the height direction H, so that wobbling of the locking and fixing portion 25 in the height direction H can be more reliably prevented and the position of the locking and fixing portion 25 can be adjusted so that the first separate body 30 and the second separate body 40 are in more appropriate positions.

[0087] Further, a locking portion 33 is provided on one circumferential side of the first separated body 30, and a hinge portion 24 pivotally connected to the second separated body 40 is provided on the other circumferential side of the first separated body 30. This makes it possible to insert the locking portion 33 into the locked portion 43 provided on the second separated body 40 simply by pivoting the second separated body 40 relative to the first separated body 30 via the hinge portion 24. This makes it possible to easily fix the first separated body 30 and the second separated body 40, and also makes it possible to easily assemble the grommet inner 20 to the electric wire WH.

[0088] Furthermore, by pivoting the second separation body 40 relative to the first separation body 30, the locking portion 33 can be inserted into the locked portion 43, and the locking portion 33 can be reliably inserted into the locked portion 43 to deform the insertion-side deformation portion 34 by pressure. Therefore, rattling between the first separation body 30 and the second separation body 40 can be easily and reliably prevented.

[0089] In addition, the inner body 21 is integrally formed with two first inner separation parts 31 and a second inner separation part 41 via a hinge part 24, and the hinge part 24 is provided in an arc part (rear arc part 213) configured in a rounded rectangular shape when viewed from the height direction H through which the electric wire WH is inserted, and the locking fixing part 25 is provided in a position opposite the hinge part 24.

[0090] In this way, the locking portion 33 protrudes in the tangential direction of the arc portion (rear arc portion 213) of the inner main body 21 from the arc portion (rear arc portion 213) facing the hinge portion 24, so that the locking portion 33 can be easily and reliably inserted into the locked portion 43 via the hinge portion 24. Therefore, the first inner separation portion 31 and the second inner separation portion 41 can be reliably fixed, and the insertion side deformation portion 34 can be pressure-deformed, so that rattling can be more reliably prevented. Also, since the first separation body 30 and the second separation body 40 are integrally configured, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0091] Furthermore, the first inner separation part 31, which is fixed to each other, is provided with an inner mating protrusion 35 that protrudes toward the second inner separation part 41, and the second inner separation part 41 is provided with a concave inner mating recess 44 into which the inner mating protrusion 35 is fitted.

[0092] Therefore, by fitting the inner fitting protrusion 35 into the inner fitting recess 44, it is possible to prevent the first separator 30 and the second separator 40 from being displaced in the height direction H. That is, the second inner separator 41 can be positioned properly in the height direction H with respect to the first inner separator 31. This allows the locking portion 33 to be properly inserted into the locked portion 43 in the height direction H, and the insertion side deformation portion 34 can be deformed by pressure contact reliably. In addition, by fitting the inner fitting protrusion 35 into the inner fitting recess 44, it is possible to more reliably prevent the locking fixing portion 25 from rattling. Furthermore, since the grommet inner 20 can be reliably attached to the body side mounting portion 12, the grommet 1 can be reliably fixed to the body panel P.

[0093] Moreover, the locking and fixing portion 25 is disposed on the radially outer side of the inner body 21, and the inner fitting recess 44 is formed by recessing the radially inner side of the inner body 21 at a position corresponding to the locking and fixing portion 25. This prevents the inner fitting protrusion 35 from interfering with the electric wire WH, and prevents the first separated body 30 and the second separated body 40 from being displaced. Moreover, by disposing the inner fitting protrusion 35 and the inner fitting recess 44 at a position corresponding to the locking and fixing portion 25 in an inserted state in which the locking portion 33 is inserted into the locked portion 43, it is possible to reliably prevent the first separated body 30 and the second separated body 40 from being displaced, and to reliably fix the first separated body 30 and the second separated body 40 by inserting the locking portion 33 into a desired position in the locked portion 43.

[0094] Furthermore, since the length of the inner fitting protrusion 35 along the height direction H in which the electric wire WH is inserted is shorter than that of the locking portion 33, the tolerance between the inner fitting protrusion 35 and the inner fitting recess 44 can be made smaller than the tolerance between the locking portion 33 and the inserted portion. Therefore, by fitting the inner fitting protrusion 35 into the inner fitting recess 44, the locking portion 33 can be disposed at a more appropriate position in the inserted portion, the locking portion 33 can be more reliably fixed to the locked portion 43, and the deformed portion can be more reliably deformed by pressure welding.

[0095] In addition, the flange portion 22 is composed of a first flange separation portion 32 and a second flange separation portion 42 which are integrally formed with the first inner separation portion 31 and the second inner separation portion 41, and the first flange separation portion 32 is provided with a flange convex portion 36 which protrudes along the circumferential direction of the inner main body 21, and the second flange separation portion 42 adjacent to the first flange separation portion 32 is provided with a flange recess 45 into which the flange convex portion 36 fits.

[0096] This makes it possible to prevent radial positional deviation of the first inner separation portion 31 and the second inner separation portion 41 and the first flange separation portion 32 and the second flange separation portion 42, thereby allowing the locking portion 33 to be inserted into a desired position in the locked portion 43. Furthermore, by preventing positional deviation between the first flange separation portion 32 and the second flange separation portion 42, the flange portion 22 can be securely attached to the body side mounting portion 12, and the grommet 1 can be securely fixed to the body panel P.

[0097] Furthermore, by providing the flange convex portion 36 and the flange concave portion 45 in the first flange separation portion 32 and the second flange separation portion 42, it is possible to prevent the flange portion 22 from shifting in the radial direction without reducing the rigidity of the inner body 21.

[0098] In the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, the panel corresponds to the body panel P, and similarly The through hole corresponds to the through hole P1, The electric wire corresponds to the electric wire WH. The grommet corresponds to grommet 1, The grommet body corresponds to the grommet body 10, The grommet inner is compatible with the grommet inner 20. The inner body corresponds to the inner body 21, The flange portion corresponds to the flange portion 22, The inner separation portion corresponds to the first inner separation portion 31 and the second inner separation portion 41, The fixing portion corresponds to the locking fixing portion 25, The fixing piece corresponds to the locking portion 33, The inserted portion corresponds to the locked portion 43, The deformation portion corresponds to the insertion side deformation portion 34, The insertion direction corresponds to the height direction H, The insertion side deformation portion corresponds to the insertion side deformation portion 34, The pivot portion corresponds to the hinge portion 24, The fitting protrusion corresponds to the inner fitting protrusion 35, The fitting recess corresponds to the inner fitting recess 44, The flange separation portion corresponds to the first flange separation portion 32 and the second flange separation portion 42, The flange protrusion corresponds to the flange protrusion 36, The flange recess corresponds to the flange recess 45, The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0099] For example, in this embodiment, the grommet inner 20 is composed of a first separation body 30 and a second separation body 40 that are integrally formed via a hinge portion 24. However, for example, a fixable structure such as a locking fixing portion 25 may be provided instead of the hinge portion 24, so that the first separation body 30 and the second separation body 40 can be completely separated, or an assembly member that can pivot the first separation body 30 and the second separation body 40 instead of the hinge portion 24 may be provided at the ends of the separable first separation body 30 and second separation body 40.

[0100] In the present embodiment, the grommet inner 20 is separated into two parts, the first separation body 30 and the second separation body 40, but is not limited to two parts and may be separated into three or more parts. In this case, a plurality of hinge portions 24 may be provided.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the locking portion 33 and the locked portion 43 are locked and fixed by inserting the locking portion 33 into the insertion space S and locking the locking protrusion 332 to the outer bridge portion 432. However, as long as the first separation body 30 and the second separation body 40 can be fixed, this configuration is not necessary and they may be, for example, fitted together.

[0102] In the present embodiment, the insertion-side deformation portions 34 are provided at both ends of the flat plate portion 331a in the height direction H, but may be provided, for example, only on one of the upper Hu or lower Hd sides of the flat plate portion 331a, or may be erected along the insertion space S from the inner wall of the shaft portion 431 instead of the flat plate portion 331a. Also, the insertion-side deformation portions 34 may be provided only on one of the upper Hu or lower Hd sides of the flat plate portion 331a, and may be erected along the insertion space S from the other inner wall of the shaft portion 431.

[0103] Furthermore, instead of the insertion-side deformation portion 34, a radially-side deformation portion 37 may be provided which stands radially outward from the radially-outer surface of the flat plate portion 331a (see FIG. 10(a)). This radially-side deformation portion 37 stands radially outward from the radially-outer surface of the flat plate portion 331a in a tapered triangular shape along the normal direction of the flat plate portion 331a, and when the locking portion 33 is inserted into the insertion space S, it comes into contact with the outer bridge portion 432 and is deformed by pressure (see FIG. 10(b)). This allows the radially-direction gap generated between the locking portion 33 and the locked portion 43 to be filled by the radially-side deformation portion 37, and prevents rattling between the first separated body 30 and the second separated body 40. The radially inward deformation portion 37 may be erected from the inner surface of the outer bridge portion 432 radially inward, and a configuration may be provided in which both the insertion-side deformation portion 34 and the radially inward deformation portion 37 are provided.

[0104] In addition, in this embodiment, the grommet inner 20 is configured to have a rounded rectangular shape in a plan view, but it may be configured to have a circular shape such as a perfect circle, an ellipse, or an egg-shaped oval. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the locking portion 33 may be provided on the second inner separation portion 41, and the locked portion 43 may be provided on the first inner separation portion 31, or the locking portion 33 and the locked portion 43 may be provided at other locations on the rear arc portion 213, or at locations other than the rear arc portion 213. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1 Grommet 10 Grommet body 20 Grommet inner 21 Inner body 22 Flange 24 Hinge part 25 Locking fixing part 30 1st separation body 31 First inner separation part 32 First flange separation part 33 Locking part 34 Insertion side deformation part 35 Inner fitting protrusion 36 Flange protrusion 40 Second separation body 41 Second inner separation part 42 Second flange separation part 43 Locked part 44 Inner fitting recess 45 Flange recess H Height direction P Body Panel P1 through hole WH electric wire

Claims

1. A grommet for protecting an electric wire passing through a through hole provided in a panel is configured together with a cylindrical grommet body, and a grommet inner is attached to an end of the grommet body and fixed to the through hole, a cylindrical inner body that is inserted into the through hole and through which the electric wire passes; a flange portion disposed on one end side of the inner body and extending in a radially outward direction, The inner body includes: The inner separator is configured with inner separation parts that are separated in the circumferential direction, and a fixing part is provided that fixes the separated inner separation parts to each other in the circumferential direction, The fixing portion is A fixing piece is provided on one side of the adjacent inner separation portion and extends in a circumferential direction; and an insertion portion provided on the other side of the adjacent inner separation portion and into which the fixing piece is inserted, At least one of the opposing portions of the fixed piece and the inserted portion is provided with a deformation portion that is crushed and deformed by pressure when the fixed piece is inserted into the inserted portion. Grommet inner.

2. The deformation portion includes an insertion side deformation portion that is erected in the insertion direction of the electric wire. The grommet inner according to claim 1 .

3. The insertion side deformation portion is provided on both sides in the insertion direction. The grommet inner according to claim 2 .

4. As the deformation portion, At least one of the fixed piece and the inserted part is provided with a radially deforming part protruding in a radial direction of the inner body. The grommet inner according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The fixed piece or the inserted portion is provided on one side in the circumferential direction of the inner separation portion, A pivot portion is provided on the other circumferential side of the inner separation portion and is pivotally connected to the other inner separation portion. The grommet inner according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The inner body is integrally formed with the two inner separation parts via the pivot part, The pivot portion is provided on an arc portion that is configured to have a circular shape or a rounded rectangular shape when viewed from a direction in which the electric wire is inserted, The fixed portion is provided at a position opposite to the pivot portion. The grommet inner according to claim 5 .

7. One of the inner separation parts fixed to each other is provided with a fitting protrusion protruding toward the other inner separation part, The other inner separation portion is provided with a recessed fitting portion into which the fitting protrusion is fitted. The grommet inner according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The fixing portion is disposed radially outward of the inner body, The fitting recess is formed by recessing the radially inner side of the inner body at a position corresponding to the fixing portion. The grommet inner according to claim 7.

9. The length of the fitting protrusion along the insertion direction of the electric wire is shorter than that of the fixing piece. The grommet inner according to claim 8.

10. The flange portion is composed of flange separation portions integrally formed with each of the plurality of inner separation portions, On one side of the flange separation portion, A flange protruding portion is provided protruding along a circumferential direction of the inner body, The adjacent flange separation portion is provided with a flange recess into which the flange protrusion is fitted. The grommet inner according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The grommet inner according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and a cylindrical grommet body through which an electric wire is inserted. The grommet inner is attached to an end of the grommet body. Grommet.

Images