Grommets and Wire Harnesses

Abstract

To provide a grommet and a wiring harness which can incline and arrange appropriately a wire harnessing material.SOLUTION: A grommet comprises a fitting part 11 which is annular to be fitted at the inner rim of an open hole 31, a cylinder part 12 which is provided at the inside of the fitting part 11 and extends in a penetration direction of the open hole 31 to insert a wire harnessing material W inside, a bellows portion 13 which is provided between the fitting part 11 and the cylinder part 12 and formed to connect together a mountain hold part 131 and a valley part 132, and a flat part 14 which is provided between the fitting part 11 and the cylinder part 12 and connected with the bellows portion 13 and has a flat plate shape. The bellows portion 13 and the flat part 14 support the cylinder part 12 relative to the fitting part 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, as a grommet and a wire harness, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, a grommet is attached to a through hole for inserting a wiring material such as a pipe, and the grommet seals between the through hole and the wiring material. This grommet has a folded part formed in the seal part between the through hole and the wiring material, and the folded part brings the seal part closer to the wiring material, thereby improving the sealing performance against high water pressure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-40940 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned grommet and wire harness, the wiring material inserted into the through hole may not be tilted to be appropriately positioned. For example, in the above-mentioned grommet and wire harness, when attempting to tilt the wiring material, the tube portion of the grommet through which the wiring material is inserted and the mounting portion that mounts the grommet to the through hole are likely to come into contact with each other, and it may be difficult to tilt the wiring material and install it without any problems.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a grommet and a wire harness that enable proper wiring by tilting the wiring material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In other words, the grommet of the present invention is a grommet that is attached to a through hole formed in a vehicle panel and through which a wiring material is inserted, and includes a ring-shaped mounting portion that is attached to the inner edge of the through hole, a tubular portion that is provided inside the mounting portion and extends in the penetrating direction of the through hole and allows the wiring material to be inserted therein, a bellows portion that is provided between the mounting portion and the tubular portion and is formed by connecting a mountain fold portion and a valley fold portion, and a flat portion that is provided between the mounting portion and the tubular portion and is connected to the bellows portion and has a flat plate shape, and the bellows portion and the flat portion are configured to support the tubular portion relative to the mounting portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the grommet and the wire harness of the present invention, the wiring material can be appropriately routed by tilting it. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grommet according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the grommet taken along line II-II of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the deformation state of the bellows portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the assembly of the grommet and the wire harness. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the grommet and the wire harness in an attached state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In addition, the components in the following embodiments include those that are replaceable and easy for a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the wire harness according to the embodiment, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the grommet and the wire harness taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an explanatory view of deformation of the bellows portion, Fig. 4 is an explanatory view of assembly of the grommet and the wire harness, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the attached state of the grommet and the wire harness.

[0011] 1 and 2, the grommet 1 is a member that is attached to a through hole 31 formed in a panel 3 and covers and protects a wiring material W that is inserted through the through hole 31. The wire harness WH is configured to include the grommet 1 and the wiring material W. For example, the wire harness WH is configured by incorporating the grommet 1 into the wiring material W that is to be wired in a vehicle.

[0012] The wire harness WH is, for example, a bundle of wiring materials W to form an assembly part, and electrically connects between devices mounted on a vehicle. The wire harness WH may be configured to include other parts such as a corrugated tube and a resin tape. The wiring material W is conductive, connects between devices mounted on a vehicle, and is used for power supply and signal communication. The wiring material W is, for example, configured of a metal rod, an electric wire, an electric wire bundle, a pipe that sheathes the electric wire bundle, and the like. The metal rod is a rod-shaped member having conductivity, the outside of which is covered with an insulating covering. The electric wire is a conductor part (core wire) made of a plurality of conductive metal wires, the outside of which is covered with an insulating covering. The electric wire bundle is a bundle of the electric wires. The pipe that sheathes the electric wire bundle is a cylinder that covers the outer periphery of the electric wire bundle.

[0013] The panel 3 is a vehicle panel, for example a floor panel provided on the floor of a vehicle body. The panel 3 is an object to which the grommet 1 is attached, and is made of a plate-like member provided in a horizontal direction. For ease of explanation, a part of the panel 3 is shown as an oval in FIG. 1. The overall shape of the panel 3 is, for example, a shape that corresponds to the structure of the vehicle.

[0014] A through hole 31 is formed in the panel 3. The through hole 31 is a hole for inserting a wire harness WH, and penetrates the front and back of the panel 3 to communicate the vehicle exterior side with the vehicle interior side of the panel 3. In Figs. 1 and 2, the lower side of the panel 3 is the vehicle exterior side, and the upper side is the vehicle interior side. Fig. 1 shows a case where the through hole 31 is opened in an elliptical shape, but the through hole 31 may be opened in a shape other than an elliptical shape.

[0015] In this embodiment, the direction in which the through-hole 31 penetrates is referred to as the penetration direction. This penetration direction is a direction perpendicular to the panel 3. Moreover, the radial direction of the through-hole 31 is simply referred to as the radial direction.

[0016] The grommet 1 is made of an elastic body that is elastically deformable, such as rubber or an elastic resin material. The grommet 1 is attached to the through hole 31 via a bracket 2, for example. The grommet 1 fills the gap between the wiring material W and the inner edge of the through hole 31 to protect the wiring material W and to stop water from entering the inside and outside of the vehicle. The grommet 1 may also function as a member that provides dustproofing and soundproofing for the vehicle.

[0017] The bracket 2 is a member for attaching the grommet 1 to the panel 3, and is made of, for example, a metal plate. The bracket 2 is formed larger than the grommet 1 when viewed from the penetration direction, and forms an opening 21 for inserting the tubular portion 12 of the grommet 1 and the wiring material W. The inner edge portion 211 of the opening 21 has a cross-sectional shape that is bent to match the shape of the joint portion 113 of the grommet 1. In other words, the inner edge portion 211 is formed into a shape that can be fitted into the joint portion 113. The bracket 2 is attached to the panel 3 by pressing the grommet 1, which is placed in the through hole 31, against the panel 3 side.

[0018] The bracket 2 is provided with a hooked portion 22. The hooked portion 22 is a portion for hooking the cover 4, and is, for example, plate-shaped and provided so as to protrude in the penetration direction. For example, two hooked portions 22 are provided on either side of the opening 21. A hook hole 221 is formed in the hooked portion 22. The bracket 2 is formed with fastening holes 23. The fastening holes 23 are holes for inserting fastening members such as bolts. For example, four fastening holes 23 are formed around the opening 21.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the grommet 1 includes an attachment portion 11, a tubular portion 12, a bellows portion 13, and a flat portion 14. The attachment portion 11 is a portion for attaching the grommet 1 to a through hole 31. The attachment portion 11 is annular, and is disposed along the inner edge of the through hole 31. The attachment portion 11 includes an insertion portion 111, a lip portion 112, and a joint portion 113. The insertion portion 111 is tubular, has an outer diameter equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole 31, and is inserted into the inside of the through hole 31. By inserting the insertion portion 111 into the through hole 31, movement of the grommet 1 in a direction parallel to the panel 3 is restricted.

[0020] The lip portion 112 is provided radially outward from the insertion portion 111, and is formed on a surface facing the panel 3. The lip portion 112 is provided so as to protrude toward the panel 3 and to abut against the panel 3. The lip portion 112 is formed, for example, as a continuous ridge that surrounds the periphery of the insertion portion 111. When the lip portion 112 is pressed against the panel 3, the grommet 1 seals the inside and outside of the through hole 31, and the grommet 1 exerts its waterproofing function.

[0021] The joint portion 113 is formed at a position opposite to the panel 3 with respect to the lip portion 112, and is a portion that is joined to the bracket 2 and supports the bracket 2. The joint portion 113 is joined to the bracket 2, for example, by engaging an inner edge portion 211 of an opening portion 21 formed in the bracket 2. Specifically, the joint portion 113 forms a groove 113a that accommodates the inner edge portion 211, and the inner edge portion 211 is inserted and held in the groove 113a. The shape of the groove 113a is formed to match the shape of the inner edge portion 211 so as to fit with the inner edge portion 211. The groove 113a is formed by recessing the outer circumferential surface of the mounting portion 11 radially inward, and is formed over the entire circumference along the circumferential direction.

[0022] The tubular portion 12 is a portion for inserting the wiring material W, and is provided on the inside (center side) of the mounting portion 11 and extends in the penetrating direction of the through hole 31. The tubular portion 12 is supported by the bellows portion 13 and the flat portion 14 provided on the inside of the mounting portion 11. The tubular portion 12 is a cylinder having an inner diameter that allows the wiring material W to be inserted, and protects the wiring material W by inserting the wiring material W. For example, the tubular portion 12 is provided perpendicular to the panel 3 when the wiring material W is not inserted. Therefore, the grommet 1 can also be used by inserting the wiring material W that is arranged perpendicular to the panel 3. In addition, since the tubular portion 12 is provided perpendicular to the panel 3, when the grommet 1 is manufactured by molding, the structure is easy to remove the mold and easy to mold. Therefore, the manufacturing of the grommet 1 becomes easy, and the grommet 1 can be manufactured at low cost. When the wiring material W is arranged obliquely relative to the panel 3, the tubular portion 12 inclines obliquely together with the wiring material W.

[0023] The bellows portion 13 is provided between the mounting portion 11 and the tubular portion 12, and is formed by connecting a mountain fold portion 131 and a valley fold portion 132. For example, the bellows portion 13 is provided connected to the tubular portion 12, and when the tubular portion 12 is tilted, the bellows portion 13 deforms to facilitate the tilting of the tubular portion 12. The mountain fold portion 131 and the valley fold portion 132 are formed by folding back in opposite directions. For example, the mountain fold portion 131 is formed by folding back in the direction toward the inside of the vehicle, and the valley fold portion 132 is formed by folding back in the direction toward the outside of the vehicle. In FIG. 2, the bellows portion 13 is formed by one mountain fold portion 131 and one valley fold portion 132, but the mountain fold portion 131 and the valley fold portion 132 may be formed by repeating a plurality of times.

[0024] The bellows portion 13 is provided in an area on one side of the flat portion 14 in the penetration direction of the through hole 31. For example, the bellows portion 13 is provided only in an area on one side of the flat portion 14 in the penetration direction of the through hole 31. In FIG. 2, the bellows portion 13 is provided in an area on the vehicle exterior side (lower side in FIG. 2) of the flat portion 14. That is, the mountain fold portion 131 and the valley fold portion 132 are provided in an area on the vehicle exterior side with respect to the installation position of the flat portion 14. In FIG. 2, the bellows portion 13 is provided in an area in the direction in which the tubular portion 12 is provided with respect to the flat portion 14. In this way, since the bellows portion 13 is provided in an area on one side of the penetration direction with respect to the flat portion 14, when the tubular portion 12 is tilted on the vehicle exterior side as shown in FIG. 3, the rotation center C of the tubular portion 12 can be positioned on the vehicle exterior side with respect to the flat portion 14. This suppresses interference between the tilted tubular portion 12 and the mounting portion 11.

[0025] Note that a part of the bellows portion 13 may be provided in an area on the other side of the flat portion 14 in the penetration direction of the through hole 31. In other words, if most of the bellows portion 13 is provided in an area on one side of the flat portion 14 in the penetration direction of the through hole 31, when the tubular portion 12 is tilted, the rotation center C of the tubular portion 12 can be moved in the penetration direction from the position of the flat portion 14. Even in this case, interference between the tubular portion 12 and the attachment portion 11 can be suppressed.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 2, flat portion 14 has a flat plate shape, is provided between mounting portion 11 and tubular portion 12, and is formed so as to be continuous with bellows portion 13. For example, flat portion 14 is provided between bellows portion 13 and mounting portion 11. That is, bellows portion 13 is connected to the outside of tubular portion 12, flat portion 14 is connected to the outside of bellows portion 13, and flat portion 14 is provided between bellows portion 13 and mounting portion 11. By providing flat portion 14 in this manner, when tubular portion 12 is tilted, as shown in Fig. 3, it is possible to rotate and tilt tubular portion 12 at a position away from mounting portion 11.

[0027] 2, flat portion 14 is formed to be larger in the radial direction than bellows portion 13. That is, in a vertical cross section of grommet 1, flat portion 14 is formed to be longer in the radial direction than bellows portion 13. That is, radial length L2 of flat portion 14 is longer than radial length L1 of bellows portion 13. By forming flat portion 14 to be large in this manner, it becomes possible to provide tube portion 12 away from mounting portion 11.

[0028] Next, a method for assembling and attaching the grommet and the wire harness according to this embodiment will be described.

[0029] First, as shown in Fig. 4, the wiring material W is inserted into the grommet 1. For example, the grommet 1, which is an elastic body, is expanded in diameter and the wiring material W is inserted into the tubular portion 12. Then, the wiring material W is inserted into the bracket 2. That is, the wiring material W is inserted into the opening 21 of the bracket 2, and the grommet 1 is placed at the position of the opening 21. Then, the grommet 1 and the bracket 2 are joined. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the inner edge portion 211 of the bracket 2 is inserted into the groove 113a of the grommet 1, and the bracket 2 is held by the grommet 1.

[0030] Then, a cover 4 is attached to the bracket 2. The cover 4 is a member that covers the grommet 1, and is formed to a size that can accommodate the grommet 1. When the cover 4 is attached to the panel 3, it also functions as a member that supports the tubular portion 12 and the wiring material W at an angle relative to the panel 3. For example, the cover 4 presses the tubular portion 12 with its inner surface, supporting the tubular portion 12 at an angle. Installation of this cover 4 makes it easy to wire the wiring material W at an angle relative to the panel 3. The cover 4, together with the grommet 1 and the bracket 2, constitutes a grommet assembly 10.

[0031] When assembling the cover 4, the cover 4 is brought close to the bracket 2 so as to cover the grommet 1, and the hooked portion 22 of the bracket 2 is hooked by the hooking portion 41 of the cover 4. The hooking portion 41 is configured to have, for example, a hook for hooking the hooked portion 22. By attaching the cover 4 to the bracket 2, the wiring material W, the grommet 1, the bracket 2 and the cover 4 are assembled as a single unit to form the wire harness WH.

[0032] Then, the bracket 2 and the cover 4 are fastened together to the panel 3 by a fastening member (not shown). At this time, the bracket 2 presses and attaches the grommet 1 to the panel 3. This completes the installation of the grommet 1 and the wire harness WH. By assembling the grommet 1 with the bracket 2 and fixing the bracket 2 to the panel 3 with a fastening member such as a bolt, the grommet 1 can be firmly attached to the panel 3.

[0033] Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the wiring material W and the tubular portion 12 are provided at an incline with respect to the panel 3. The tubular portion 12 is supported by the mounting portion 11 via the bellows portion 13 and the flat portion 14. Therefore, when the tubular portion 12 is tilted, the bellows portion 13 is deformed, and the tubular portion 12 can be provided at an incline without difficulty. That is, when the tubular portion 12 is tilted, the bellows portion 13 on the inner side of the inclination is folded, and the bellows portion 13 on the outer side of the inclination is deformed so as to expand, and the tubular portion 12 can be tilted without generating a large stress on the bellows portion 13. In addition, by providing the flat portion 14, the tubular portion 12 can be tilted at a position away from the mounting portion 11. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the tilted tubular portion 12 from contacting the mounting portion 11. Therefore, the grommet 1 can be appropriately wired by tilting the tubular portion 12 and the wiring material W.

[0034] Moreover, the bellows portion 13 is provided in an area on the vehicle exterior side (lower side in FIG. 5 ) with respect to the flat portion 14. Therefore, when the tubular portion 12 is tilted on the vehicle exterior side, the rotation center C of the tubular portion 12 can be located on the vehicle exterior side with respect to the flat portion 14. Therefore, the grommet 1 can prevent the tubular portion 12 from contacting the mounting portion 11 even if the tubular portion 12 is tilted significantly. In other words, the grommet 1 can arrange the tubular portion 12 and the wiring material W at a large inclination without bringing the tubular portion 12 into contact with the mounting portion 11. As a result, the grommet 1 can properly arrange the wiring material W even when the wiring material W is arranged at a large inclination.

[0035] Moreover, the flat portion 14 is formed larger in the radial direction than the bellows portion 13. Therefore, the tubular portion 12 can be provided away from the mounting portion 11. Therefore, the grommet 1 is prevented from contacting the mounting portion 11 even if the tubular portion 12 is tilted. As a result, the grommet 1 can properly route the wiring material W even in severe wiring conditions where the wiring material W is greatly tilted.

[0036] As described above, in the grommet 1 and wire harness WH according to this embodiment, the bellows portion 13 and the flat portion 14 support the tubular portion 12, so that the tubular portion 12 can be easily tilted by deformation of the bellows portion 13, and the tubular portion 12 can be tilted at a position away from the mounting portion 11. Therefore, the grommet 1 and the wire harness WH prevent the tubular portion 12 and the mounting portion 11 from contacting each other, and the wiring material W can be tilted and properly wired.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the grommet 1 and wire harness WH of this embodiment, the bellows portion 13 is provided in an area on one side of the flat portion 14 in the penetration direction, so that even if the tubular portion 12 is tilted, contact between the tubular portion 12 and the mounting portion 11 can be prevented.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the grommet 1 and wire harness WH of this embodiment, the flat portion 14 is formed to be larger in the radial direction than the bellows portion 13, so that the tubular portion 12 can be tilted at a position away from the mounting portion 11, making it difficult for the tubular portion 12 to come into contact with the mounting portion 11.

[0039] Moreover, in the grommet 1 and wire harness WH according to this embodiment, the bellows portion 13 is connected to the tubular portion 12, and the flat portion 14 is provided between the bellows portion 13 and the mounting portion 11. Therefore, in the grommet 1 and wire harness WH, when the tubular portion 12 through which the wiring material W is inserted is tilted, the tubular portion 12 can be tilted at a position away from the mounting portion 11. Therefore, in the grommet 1 and wire harness WH, contact between the tubular portion 12 and the mounting portion 11 is suppressed, and the wiring material W can be tilted to be properly wired.

[0040] Moreover, the wire harness WH according to the present embodiment includes the cover 4 that covers the grommet and is attached to the panel 3, and thus supports the tubular portion 12 at an incline with respect to the panel 3 when the cover 4 is attached to the panel 3. This makes it easy to route the wiring material W at an incline with respect to the panel 3.

[0041] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated above, the above embodiment is merely an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, the specifications of each configuration, shape, and the like (structure, type, direction, format, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) can be appropriately changed and implemented.

[0042] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the grommet 1 and the wire harness WH are described as being attached to the panel 3, which is a floor panel of a vehicle, but the present invention may also be applied to the case where the grommet 1 and the wire harness WH are attached to a vehicle panel other than a floor panel or to other panels.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the grommet 1 is attached to the panel 3 using the bracket 2, but the grommet 1 may be attached to the panel 3 without using the bracket 2. For example, the grommet 1 may be attached by fitting it into the inner edge of the through hole 31 of the panel 3.

[0044] 2 of the above embodiment, the case where the tubular portion 12 is provided at the center position of the grommet 1 is described, but the tubular portion 12 may be provided at a position offset from the center of the grommet 1. In this case, the flat portion 14 does not need to be formed larger than the bellows portion 13 around the entire circumference of the tubular portion 12, but only needs to be formed larger than the bellows portion 13 around at least a part of the circumference of the tubular portion 12. In particular, the flat portion 14 should be formed larger than the bellows portion 13 in an area where the tubular portion 12 is inclined. Even if the flat portion 14 is formed in this way, when the tubular portion 12 is inclined, contact between the tubular portion 12 and the attachment portion 11 can be suppressed, and the same effect as the above embodiment can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Grommet 2 Bracket 3 Panel (vehicle panel) 4 Cover 11 Mounting part 12 Cylinder part 13 Bellows section 14 Flat area 31 Through hole 131 Mountain Fold 132 Valley fold C Rotation center W Routing material WH Wire harness

Claims

1. A mounting portion having an annular shape and attached to an inner edge of a through hole formed in a vehicle panel; A cylindrical portion provided inside the mounting portion, extending in a penetrating direction of the through hole, and through which a wiring material is inserted; a bellows portion provided between the mounting portion and the tubular portion and formed by connecting a mountain fold portion and a valley fold portion; a flat portion provided between the mounting portion and the cylindrical portion, connected to the bellows portion, and having a flat plate shape; the bellows portion and the flat portion support the cylindrical portion relative to the mounting portion, The bellows portion is connected to the cylindrical portion, The flat portion is provided between the bellows portion and the mounting portion. Grommet.

2. The grommet according to claim 1 , wherein the bellows portion is provided in an area on one side of the flat portion in the penetration direction.

3. The flat portion is formed larger in the radial direction than the bellows portion.

3. The grommet according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A conductive wiring material; A grommet provided on the wiring material; a cover that covers the grommet and is attached to a vehicle panel; The grommet is A mounting portion having an annular shape and attached to an inner edge of a through hole formed in a vehicle panel; A cylindrical portion provided inside the mounting portion, extending in a penetrating direction of the through hole, and through which a wiring material is inserted; a bellows portion provided between the mounting portion and the tubular portion and formed by connecting a mountain fold portion and a valley fold portion; a flat portion provided between the mounting portion and the cylindrical portion, connected to the bellows portion, and having a flat plate shape; the bellows portion and the flat portion support the cylindrical portion relative to the mounting portion, The cover supports the tubular portion at an incline with respect to the vehicle panel when the cover is attached to the vehicle panel. Wire harness.

5. A conductive wiring material; A grommet is provided on the wiring material, The grommet is A mounting portion having an annular shape and attached to an inner edge of a through hole formed in a vehicle panel; A cylindrical portion provided inside the mounting portion, extending in a penetrating direction of the through hole, and through which a wiring material is inserted; a bellows portion provided between the mounting portion and the tubular portion and formed by connecting a mountain fold portion and a valley fold portion; a flat portion provided between the mounting portion and the cylindrical portion, connected to the bellows portion, and having a flat plate shape; the bellows portion and the flat portion support the cylindrical portion relative to the mounting portion, The bellows portion is connected to the cylindrical portion, The flat portion is provided between the bellows portion and the mounting portion. Wire harness.

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