Corrugated mounting structure and annular member

Abstract

To provide a corrugate mounting structure capable of preventing water immersion from a gap between a corrugate tube and a grommet in a connected portion to the inside and capable of easily recovering a water cutoff performance even if the water cutoff performance is reduced between the corrugate tube and the grommet, and an annular member.SOLUTION: A corrugate mounting structure comprises: a corrugate tube 10 in which small diameter parts 11 and large diameter parts 12 are formed alternately in a length direction X; a grommet 20 of which the end is externally fitted to an end of the corrugate tube 10; and an annular member 30 mounted to a connected portion 60 where the corrugate tube 10 and the grommet 20 are connected. The annular member 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape having elasticity and includes: a corrugate external fitting part 31 externally fitted to the corrugate tube 10 in the connected portion 60; a grommet external fitting part 32 externally fitted to the grommet 20 in the connected portion 60; and an annular connection part 33 integrally connecting the corrugate external fitting part 31 and the grommet external fitting part 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a corrugated tube mounting structure, which is a structure for mounting a corrugated tube and a grommet, and to an annular member mounted on a connecting portion where the corrugated tube and the grommet are connected. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, when routing a high-voltage electric wire, a corrugated tube through which the high-voltage electric wire is inserted and a grommet fitted onto the end of the corrugated tube may be used. At the connecting portion where the corrugated tube and the grommet are connected, the corrugated tube and the grommet are in close contact with each other, thereby preventing water from seeping in between the connected corrugated tube and the grommet.

[0003] For example, the grommet described in Patent Document 1 has an inner lip that protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the connecting portion. Therefore, when the grommet is fitted onto the corrugated tube, not only are the corrugated tube and the grommet closely attached to each other at the connecting portion, but the inner lip also engages with the small diameter portion of the corrugated tube, which is formed in a bellows-like cylindrical shape with alternating small diameter portions and large diameter portions.

[0004] As described above, the inner lip engages with the small diameter portion of the corrugated tube, which lengthens the path for water to seep in between the outer surface of the corrugated tube and the inner surface of the grommet at the connecting portion, thereby more effectively preventing water from seeping into the interior from between the grommet and the corrugated tube at the connecting portion.

[0005] However, in the grommet described in Patent Document 1, if the water-stopping performance from the space between the grommet and the corrugated tube at the connecting portion to the interior is reduced due to deterioration over time or damage to the inner lip, the grommet itself must be replaced, and the water-stopping performance cannot be easily restored. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-42023 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The object of this invention is to provide a corrugated tube mounting structure and annular member that can prevent water from entering the interior from between the corrugated tube and the grommet at the connecting portion, and that can easily restore the water-stopping performance between the corrugated tube and the grommet even if it deteriorates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This invention is provided with a corrugated tube in which small diameter portions and large diameter portions are formed alternately along the longitudinal direction, a grommet whose end is fitted onto the end of the corrugated tube, and an annular member attached to a connecting portion where the corrugated tube and the grommet are connected, the annular member being tubular and having elasticity, and including a corrugated outer fitting portion fitted onto the corrugated tube at the connecting portion, a grommet outer fitting portion fitted onto the grommet at the connecting portion, and an annular connecting portion integrally connecting the corrugated outer fitting portion and the grommet outer fitting portion. The corrugated tube fitting portion is disposed between the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet, and is in contact with the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface, and the annular connecting portion is folded back so as to straddle the end of the grommet on the corrugated tube insertion end side. It is characterized by a corrugated mounting structure.

[0009] The present invention also provides a corrugated tube having small diameter portions and large diameter portions alternately formed along the longitudinal direction, a corrugated tube fitting portion that fits onto a grommet whose end is fitted onto an end of the corrugated tube, and an annular connecting portion that integrally connects the corrugated tube fitting portion and the grommet fitting portion, the corrugated tube outer fitting portion is disposed between an outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube and an inner peripheral surface of the grommet, and abuts against the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface, and the annular connecting portion is folded back so as to straddle an end portion of the grommet on a corrugated tube insertion end side, The corrugated tube is characterized in that it is an annular member that is attached to the connecting portion where the corrugated tube and the grommet are connected.

[0010] The connecting portion includes not only the portion where the grommet is fitted onto the corrugated tube and where the corrugated tube and the grommet overlap, but also a range of a predetermined length on both sides of the overlapping portion in the longitudinal direction.

[0011] The annular member only needs to be in watertight contact between the corrugated outer fitting portion and the outer surface of the corrugated tube, and between the grommet outer fitting portion and the outer surface of the grommet, and may be in close contact around the entire circumference or only a portion of each. The annular member may be made of a resin having elasticity and configured so that the corrugated tube can be inserted therein. The annular member may also be made of a heat-shrinkable material.

[0012] The corrugated tube outer fitting portion may contact the corrugated tube at one location or at multiple locations. Also, the corrugated tube outer fitting portion may have a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction and may contact the corrugated tube over the predetermined length. Furthermore, when the corrugated tube fitting portion abuts against a plurality of locations on the corrugated tube, at least one of the locations may have a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction.

[0013] This invention makes it possible to prevent water from entering the interior from between the corrugated tube and the grommet at the connecting portion, and also makes it possible to easily restore the water-stopping performance between the corrugated tube and the grommet even if it deteriorates.

[0014] More specifically, the annular member attached to the connecting portion abuts the corrugated outer fitting portion against the corrugated tube, and the grommet outer fitting portion abuts against the grommet. The annular connecting portion that integrally connects the corrugated tube outer fitting portion and the grommet outer fitting portion surrounds the boundary between the corrugated tube and the grommet in the connecting portion.

[0015] Therefore, the annular member can block the path through which water seeps into the interior from between the corrugated tube and the grommet at the connecting portion (hereinafter referred to as the "water seepage path") over the entire circumference. In this way, the annular member blocks the water intrusion path, thereby preventing water from infiltrating into the interior from between the corrugated tube and the grommet, and thereby making it possible to stop water leakage.

[0016] Furthermore, since the annular member is provided separately from the corrugated tube and the grommet, even if the annular member loses sufficient watertightness due to deterioration over time or damage caused by water or water pressure, for example, the watertightness can be easily restored by simply replacing the annular member without having to replace the corrugated tube or the grommet themselves. Furthermore, the annular member can be made of a material different from that of the grommet or by changing its shape, thereby achieving the desired water-stopping performance.

[0017] Therefore, as described above, it is possible to prevent water from seeping into the interior from between the corrugated tube and the grommet at the connecting portion, and even if the water-stopping performance between the corrugated tube and the grommet deteriorates, it can be easily restored.

[0018] In addition, the corrugated outer fitting portion is arranged between the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet, and abuts against the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface, and the annular connecting portion is folded over so as to straddle the end portion of the grommet on the corrugated insertion end side. The corrugated gate insertion end side of the grommet refers to the side of the grommet into which the corrugated gate is inserted.

[0019] As a result, the corrugated outer fitting portion is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface, and the corrugated outer fitting portion can directly seal the space between the corrugated tube and the grommet.

[0020] Furthermore, the corrugated tube fitting portion adheres tightly to the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface due to a repulsive force against the sandwiched pressure, thereby reliably filling the gap between the corrugated tube and the grommet, thereby reliably preventing water from entering the interior through the gap between the corrugated tube and the grommet.

[0021] Furthermore, if multiple corrugated outer fitting portions are provided, at least one of which is fitted onto the exposed portion of the corrugated tube that is exposed from the grommet, and at least one of which is positioned between the corrugated tube and the grommet, water-stopping performance can be improved.

[0022] In other words, water is first stopped by the part of the corrugated outer fitting that fits into the exposed part, and if water seeps in beyond that part, the water can be stopped by the corrugated outer fitting part that is positioned between the corrugated tube and the grommet. Therefore, the corrugated outer fitting portion can improve the watertightness by blocking water in two stages. .

[0023] Furthermore, if the corrugated outer fitting portion has a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction and extends from the exposed portion to the portion located between the corrugated tube and the grommet, the water-stopping performance can be further improved. That is, the corrugated outer fitting portion and the corrugated tube are in contact with each other over a longer range along the longitudinal direction, thereby improving the watertightness.

[0024] As an aspect of the present invention, the corrugated tube outer fitting portion may be fitted onto an exposed portion of the connecting portion of the corrugated tube that is exposed from the grommet. According to this invention, the annular member is arranged with the corrugated outer fitting portion, the annular connecting portion, and the grommet outer fitting portion in this order from the corrugated insertion end side, which is the direction in which the corrugated is inserted into the grommet.

[0025] Therefore, the annular member can cover the outer periphery of the end of the grommet on the corrugated tube insertion end side, which is the boundary between the corrugated tube and the grommet, at the connecting portion with the annular connecting portion. This makes it possible to reliably prevent water from entering the interior through the gap between the corrugated tube and the grommet.

[0026] In addition, after the corrugated tube and the grommet are fitted together, the annular member can be attached to cover the connecting portion, which makes it easier to attach the annular member and improves workability.

[0027] Furthermore, even if the annular member becomes unable to provide sufficient watertight performance due to deterioration over time or damage, the annular member can be easily removed by rolling it up and replaced, thereby improving the workability when replacing the annular member.

[0028] In another aspect of the present invention, a clamping annular member may be provided that is arranged between the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet and abuts so as to be sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface.

[0029] According to this invention, the clamping annular member is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the corrugated tube and the grommet at the connecting portion, thereby blocking the water ingress path around the entire circumference so as to directly seal the space between the corrugated tube and the grommet.

[0030] Furthermore, the clamping annular member adheres tightly to the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface due to the repulsive force against the pressure sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface, thereby reliably filling the gap between the corrugated tube and the grommet.

[0031] In addition, the repulsive force generated by the clamped annular member acts on the grommet from the inside toward the outside diameter, so that the grommet on which the repulsive force acts is pressed tightly against the grommet outer fitting portion that fits onto the outside of the grommet.

[0032] In other words, the repulsive force of the clamping annular member ensures that the grommet and the grommet outer fitting portion are tightly attached to each other, thereby reliably preventing water from seeping in between the corrugated tube and the grommet.

[0033] Furthermore, even if water seeps in beyond the annular member, the clamping annular member can stop the water from entering. In other words, the water-stopping effect of the clamping annular member is added to the water-stopping effect of the annular member, thereby improving the water-stopping performance.

[0034] In another aspect of the present invention, at least a portion of the annular connecting portion may abut against an end portion of the grommet on the corrugated insertion end side. According to this invention, the annular connecting portion can abut and support the open end portion of the grommet on the corrugated insert end side, which means that the annular connecting portion can suppress deformation of the open end portion of the grommet, preventing the grommet outer fitting portion from separating from the outer peripheral surface of the grommet due to unintended deformation of the end portion of the grommet.

[0035] In other words, even if an external force, such as the elastic force of the grommet outer fitting portion that is attached to the grommet, acts on the corrugated insertion end side of the grommet, the annular connecting portion provides support, thereby suppressing deformation of the end of the grommet.

[0036] This ensures that the grommet outer fitting portion and the outer peripheral surface of the grommet are in close contact with each other, preventing a decrease in waterproofing performance.

[0037] Furthermore, if the corrugated outer fitting portion is positioned between the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet, the repulsive force of the corrugated outer fitting portion sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface can also prevent the end of the grommet from deforming in such a way that its diameter expands. That is, the corrugated outer fitting portion and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet are reliably brought into close contact with each other, thereby preventing a decrease in waterproofing performance.

[0038] As another aspect of the present invention, the corrugated outer fitting portion may be provided with a small diameter fitting portion that fits onto the small diameter portion of the corrugated tube. According to this invention, the small diameter fitting portion of the annular member is fitted into the small diameter portion of the corrugated tube, thereby preventing the annular member from moving relative to the corrugated tube in the longitudinal direction. This prevents the corrugated outer fitting portion from unintentionally falling off or becoming detached from the corrugated tube, which would otherwise prevent sufficient watertight performance from being obtained.

[0039] Furthermore, when an external force acts on the corrugated tube in the bending direction, the small diameter fitting portion fitted into the small diameter portion at the radially inner portion in the bending direction prevents the large diameter portions on both sides in the longitudinal direction from coming close to each other.

[0040] In other words, by fitting the small diameter fitting portion into the small diameter portion, deformation of the corrugated tube at that portion can be suppressed, and the annular member can be prevented from separating from the outer surface of the corrugated tube as the corrugated tube is bent.

[0041] Therefore, even if the entire corrugated tube is bent into a desired shape, deformation of the corrugated tube is suppressed at the fitting point where the small diameter fitting portion fits, and the corrugated outer fitting portion can be maintained in close contact with the outer surface of the corrugated tube.

[0042] Furthermore, when the corrugated outer fitting portion is positioned between the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet, the corrugated outer fitting portion is supported on the outer radial side by the grommet and on the inner radial side by the corrugated tube. Therefore, pressure is applied to the corrugated outer fitting portion when the corrugated tube and the grommet are sandwiched between them, causing the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet to come into close contact with each other.

[0043] In addition, the small diameter fitting portion provided on the corrugated outer fitting portion is deformed by the pressure acting from the corrugated tube and the grommet so as to fit into a groove formed by the small diameter portion of the corrugated tube and the large diameter portions on both sides of the small diameter portion in the longitudinal direction. In this way, the small diameter fitting portion and the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube can be reliably brought into close contact with each other.

[0044] In another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of small diameter fitting portions may be provided and may be fitted onto a plurality of the small diameter portions. According to this invention, each of the multiple small diameter fitting portions is fitted into the small diameter portion, so that it is possible to more reliably prevent the corrugated outer fitting portion from unintentionally falling off or becoming detached from the corrugated tube, which would result in insufficient water-stopping performance being obtained.

[0045] In another aspect of the present invention, the grommet is provided with a grommet fitting portion on the outer periphery thereof. and A locking portion for locking may be provided.

[0046] The locking portion may be provided integrally with the grommet or may be a separate body. The locking portion may be provided around the entire circumference of the grommet or may be provided on only a portion of the circumference.

[0047] According to this invention, the grommet outer fitting portion is engaged with the engaging portion of the grommet, thereby preventing the grommet outer fitting portion from coming off the grommet and reliably preventing a decrease in water-stopping performance.

[0048] In another aspect of the present invention, a corrugated engagement portion protruding radially inward may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the grommet, and the corrugated engagement portion may be positioned to fit into the small diameter portion of the corrugated tube. The corrugated engagement portion may be provided over the entire inner circumferential surface of the grommet, or may be provided on a portion of the inner circumferential surface, as long as it fits into the small diameter portion of the corrugated tube.

[0049] According to this invention, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the water-stopping performance caused by the annular member, and further to improve the water-stopping performance. More specifically, since the corrugated tube outer fitting portion is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube as described above, when the corrugated tube and the grommet move relative to each other, the corrugated tube outer fitting portion moves accordingly due to friction, which may cause the annular member having the corrugated tube outer fitting portion to come off the corrugated tube or the grommet.

[0050] If the annular member is unintentionally detached in this way, the water penetration path at the connecting portion is exposed, and the waterproofing performance is reduced, i.e., there is a risk of water penetration between the corrugated tube and the grommet.

[0051] In contrast, by fitting the corrugated engagement portion into the small diameter portion, the relative movement between the corrugated tube and the grommet can be restricted, preventing the annular member from coming off the grommet and preventing a decrease in water-stopping performance.

[0052] Furthermore, since the corrugated tube engaging portion is fitted into the small diameter portion, the corrugated tube engaging portion is positioned in the gap between the corrugated tube and the grommet, thereby improving the watertightness by adding the watertight effect of the corrugated tube engaging portion in addition to the annular member.

[0053] In another aspect of the present invention, the corrugated tube engaging portion may be positioned at a position on the corrugated tube where it engages with the small diameter portion closer to the end of the corrugated tube than the position where the corrugated outer fitting portion is fitted onto it. According to this invention, the corrugated outer fitting portion of the annular member is positioned closer to the end of the grommet than the corrugated locking portion, so that the water is stopped by the annular member having the corrugated outer fitting portion before the corrugated locking portion that engages with the small diameter portion.

[0054] In this way, water that penetrates beyond the annular member is stopped by the corrugated locking portion, so the degree of deterioration and risk of damage due to contact with water and water pressure is greater for the annular member, which comes into contact with more water, than for the corrugated locking portion.

[0055] In this way, by positioning the corrugated outer fitting portion provided on the easily replaceable annular member on the corrugated insertion end side, deterioration over time and damage to the corrugated engagement portion, which cannot be easily replaced, can be suppressed, and the water-stopping performance can be restored while the product can be used for a longer period of time.

[0056] In another aspect of the present invention, a band is provided which is fixed to the outer periphery of the grommet, A band fixing portion for receiving the band may be provided on an outer peripheral surface of the grommet including a radially outer region of the corrugated engagement portion.

[0057] The band may be in close contact with the outer periphery of the grommet and suppress expansion of the diameter of the grommet. The band may be capable of reducing the diameter of the inner side of the grommet at the band fixing portion by tightening the outer periphery of the grommet. Examples of the band include a cable tie, a rubber band, etc.

[0058] According to this invention, by tightening the band, it is possible to prevent unintended expansion of the diameter of the portion of the grommet including the region where the corrugated engagement portion is provided. That is, the corrugated tube engaging portion can be reliably fitted to the small diameter portion, the relative movement between the corrugated tube and the grommet can be reliably restricted, and the corrugated tube can be prevented from slipping off the grommet.

[0059] Furthermore, by tightening the grommet using the band, the radially inner region of the band fixing portion of the grommet is reduced in diameter, allowing the corrugated locking portion to be pushed toward the small diameter portion, thereby preventing the engagement between the corrugated locking portion and the small diameter portion from accidentally coming loose.

[0060] Therefore, the corrugated engagement portion can be securely fitted into the small diameter portion, the relative movement between the corrugated tube and the grommet can be more reliably restricted, and the annular member can be more effectively prevented from being exposed from the grommet, thereby more effectively preventing a decrease in water-stopping performance.

[0061] Then, by pushing the corrugated locking portion inward in the diameter, the corrugated locking portion and the small diameter portion come into close contact with each other, and the gap between the corrugated tube and the grommet can be filled by the corrugated locking portion, thereby further improving water-stopping performance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0062] This invention makes it possible to provide a corrugated tube mounting structure and annular member that can prevent water from entering the interior from between the corrugated tube and the grommet at the connecting portion, and that can easily restore the water-stopping performance between the corrugated tube and the grommet even if it deteriorates. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0063] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the appearance of the corrugated tube mounting structure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the corrugated wiring mounting structure with the cable ties removed. [Figure 3] An explanatory diagram of each part of the corrugated mounting structure with the cable ties removed. [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram of cable ties. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating how to assemble each part of the corrugated steel mounting structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating how to assemble each part of the corrugated steel mounting structure. [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram of the corrugated tube mounting structure in which the entire corrugated tube is bent. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an annular member according to another embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an annular member according to another embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an annular member according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0064] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows an external perspective view of the corrugated tube mounting structure 1, and Fig. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the corrugated tube mounting structure 1. Note that in Fig. 2, the binding band 50 is not shown.

[0065] 3 shows an explanatory diagram of the corrugated tube 10, grommet 20, annular member 30, sandwiching annular member 40, and cable tie 50 that constitute the corrugated tube mounting structure 1. In detail, FIG. 3(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the corrugated tube 10, FIG. 3(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the grommet 20, FIG. 3(c) shows a cross-sectional view of the annular member 30, and FIG. 3(d) shows a cross-sectional view of the sandwiching annular member 40.

[0066] Fig. 4 shows an explanatory diagram of cable tie 50. More specifically, Fig. 4(a) shows a schematic perspective view of a portion of cable tie 50, and Fig. 4(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of cable tie 50 with band portion 52 inserted into buckle 51.

[0067] 5 and 6 are explanatory diagrams illustrating how to assemble the corrugated tube mounting structure 1. More specifically, Fig. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of a state in which a grommet 20 is fitted onto the corrugated tube 10 to which a clamping annular member 40 is attached, and Fig. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view of a state in which an annular member 30 is fitted onto the grommet 20 in the state of Fig. 5(a). Also, Figure 6(a) shows a cross-sectional view of the state in which a cable tie 50 is attached to the band fixing portion 22 of the grommet 20 in the state shown in Figure 5(b), and Figure 6(b) shows an enlarged view of the α portion in Figure 6(a).

[0068] Figure 7 shows an explanatory diagram of the corrugated tube mounting structure 1 in a state where the corrugated tube 10 is bent as a whole. More specifically, Figure 7(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the corrugated tube mounting structure 1 in a state where the corrugated tube 10 is bent, and Figure 7(b) shows an enlarged view of the β portion in Figure 7(a).

[0069] 1, the direction along the longitudinal direction of the corrugated tube 10 is defined as the longitudinal direction X. Furthermore, in the longitudinal direction X, the left side in FIG. 1, which is the direction in which the corrugated tube 10 is inserted into the grommet 20, i.e., the side where the corrugated tube 10 is inserted into the grommet 20, is defined as the +X direction, and the opposite side is defined as the -X direction.

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the corrugated wiring mounting structure 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape into which a wire harness WH to be arranged in a vehicle can be inserted. The corrugated tube mounting structure 1 comprises a cylindrical corrugated tube 10, a cylindrical grommet 20 whose end is fitted onto the end of the corrugated tube 10, a cylindrical annular member 30 attached to a connecting portion 60 where the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 are connected, a clamping annular member 40 sandwiched between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20, and a cable tie 50 attached to the outer periphery of the grommet 20.

[0071] The connecting portion 60 is a portion where the annular member 30 fits over the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20. In the connecting portion 60, a portion exposed from the grommet 20 is defined as an exposed portion 61 (see FIG. 5(b)).

[0072] The corrugated tube 10 is a hollow protective tube through which a wire harness WH can be inserted. As shown in Fig. 3(a), the corrugated tube 10 has a bellows structure in which small diameter sections 11, each having an outer circumferential surface recessed radially inward, and large diameter sections 12, each having an outer circumferential surface protruding radially outward, are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction X.

[0073] The small diameter portion 11 and the large diameter portion 12 are each formed in a cylindrical shape, and the outer diameter and inner diameter of the small diameter portion 11 are smaller than the outer diameter and inner diameter of the large diameter portion 12. That is, the corrugated tube 10 is formed in the shape of a bendable bellows-like tube by alternately and continuously forming small diameter portions 11 and large diameter portions 12.

[0074] The small diameter portion 11 and the large diameter portions 12 on both sides of the small diameter portion 11 in the longitudinal direction X, which are continuous with the small diameter portion 11, form a groove portion 13 recessed radially inward of the corrugated tube 10. The groove 13 is formed to have a generally trapezoidal cross section that narrows toward the radially inner side of the corrugated tube 10 (see FIG. 3(a)).

[0075] The grommet 20 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape that can be fitted onto the outside of the corrugated tube 10 inserted from the +X direction. In this specification, only the end portion of the grommet 20 is illustrated, but the entire grommet may be cylindrical, or other portions not illustrated may have any suitable shape.

[0076] The outer surface of the grommet 20 is provided with a ring-shaped locking portion 21 that protrudes around the entire circumference to lock onto the ring-shaped locking portion 34 of the ring-shaped member 30 described later, and a groove-shaped band fixing portion 22 that is recessed in an approximately band-like shape around the entire circumference to accommodate the cable tie 50 described later.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20 is provided with a corrugated engaging portion 23 that protrudes radially inward by a predetermined length. The end of the cylindrical grommet 20 on the +X direction side is defined as a grommet end 24 .

[0078] 3(b), the cross section of the annular locking portion 21 is formed to be approximately semicircular, and the radius thereof is formed to be approximately the same length as the thickness of the annular member 30. The annular locking portion 21 is provided at a location, in the -X direction from the grommet end portion 24, separated by a length slightly shorter than twice the sum of the length of the small diameter portion 11 along the longitudinal direction X and the length of the large diameter portion 12 along the longitudinal direction X.

[0079] In this embodiment, the annular locking portion 21 is formed by a protrusion extending radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the grommet 20 around the entire circumference, but it may also be provided on a part of the outer peripheral surface, or the annular locking portion 21 may be formed separately from the grommet 20.

[0080] The band fixing portion 22 is formed with a width slightly greater than the sum of twice the length of the small diameter portion 11 along the longitudinal direction X and the length of the large diameter portion 12 along the longitudinal direction X. The end of the band fixing portion 22 on the +X direction side is positioned in the -X direction from the grommet end 24 at a distance slightly longer than five times the total length of the small diameter portion 11 and the large diameter portion 12 in the longitudinal direction X (see Figure 5(a)).

[0081] The band fixing portion 22 formed by a band-shaped groove along the circumferential direction has, at one location in the circumferential direction, a buckle fixing groove 221 into which a buckle 51 of a binding band 50 described later fits (see FIG. 2). The buckle fixing groove 221 is formed as a groove having the same depth as the band fixing portion 22, and is formed so that its length along the longitudinal direction X is longer than the length along the longitudinal direction X of the band fixing portion 22. The band fixing portion 22 formed in this manner is configured to accommodate the binding band 50 wound around the outer periphery of the grommet 20.

[0082] The corrugated locking portion 23, which protrudes radially inward from the inner surface of the grommet 20, is composed of two annular corrugated locking pieces 231 formed so as to protrude radially inward around the entire circumference from the portion of the inner surface of the grommet 20 corresponding to the band fixing portion 22 (see Figure 3(b)).

[0083] Each of the two corrugated tube engaging pieces 231 is formed so as to narrow radially inward, i.e., formed as a rib having a roughly triangular cross section, and configured to fit into the groove portion 13 of the corrugated tube 10.

[0084] The corrugated locking piece 231, which is roughly triangular in cross section, has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 11 and smaller than the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 12, and is formed with a height approximately equal to the groove depth of the groove portion 13. The corrugated locking pieces 231 are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction X at intervals slightly wider than the intervals between the large diameter portions 12 .

[0085] By fitting the corrugated locking piece 231 of the corrugated locking portion 23 configured in this manner into the two groove portions 13 across the large diameter portion 12 of the corrugated tube 10, it is possible to restrict the relative movement of the grommet 20 and the corrugated tube 10 along the longitudinal direction X.

[0086] 3(c), the annular member 30 is made of elastic resin and has a cylindrical shape with a substantially uniform thickness. The thickness of the annular member is formed to be slightly thicker than the difference between the inner diameter of the grommet 20 and the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 12.

[0087] Of the cylindrical annular member 30, a portion that is a predetermined length from the end on the +X direction side and that fits externally onto the corrugated tube 10 is called the corrugated outer fitting portion 31, and a portion of the annular member 30 that is a predetermined length from the end on the -X direction side and that fits externally onto the grommet 20 is called the grommet outer fitting portion 32. The intermediate portion connecting the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 and the grommet outer fitting portion 32 is an annular connecting portion 33 .

[0088] The corrugated outer fitting portion 31 is formed into a cylindrical shape that is approximately L-shaped in cross section, and is made up of an outer fitting portion main body 311 whose inner diameter is formed slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 12, and a small diameter fitting portion 312 that extends radially inward from the end of the outer fitting portion main body 311 on the +X direction side. The small diameter fitting portion 312 is reduced in diameter until its inner diameter becomes substantially the same as the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 11 , and is formed so as to be able to fit into the small diameter portion 11 .

[0089] The grommet outer fitting portion 32 has a range extending from the end of the annular member 30 on the -X direction side, which is slightly longer than the sum of twice the length of the small diameter portion 11 along the longitudinal direction X and the length of the large diameter portion 12 along the longitudinal direction X. The annular connecting portion 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 12, and smoothly and integrally connects the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 and the grommet outer fitting portion 32.

[0090] 3(d), the sandwiching annular member 40 is made of elastic resin and has an egg-shaped cross section with its tip facing inward. The length of the sandwiching annular member 40 in the longitudinal direction X is slightly shorter than the length of the small diameter portion 11 in the longitudinal direction X. The cross section of the sandwiching annular member 40 may be circular, elliptical, or the like. The annular sandwiching member 40 has an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 11 and an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the grommet 20 .

[0091] Therefore, when the clamping annular member 40 is attached to the corrugated tube 10, the inner diameter thereof fits into the small diameter portion 11, and the member is deformed so as to be crushed by the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner surface of the grommet 20 and to fit closely into the groove portion 13, thereby preventing the member from coming off the gap between the corrugated tube and the grommet and sealing the gap.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 4, the binding band 50 includes a buckle 51 formed in a housing shape and a band-like band portion 52 extending from the buckle 51. The buckle 51 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a length in the longitudinal direction X that is slightly shorter than the length in the longitudinal direction X of the buckle fixing groove 221. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the buckle 51 is provided with a band locking hole 53 that penetrates in a predetermined direction and through which the band portion 52 can be inserted and irreversibly locked.

[0093] The band locking hole 53 penetrates the buckle 51 in a rectangular shape when viewed from the direction in which the band portion 52 is inserted. As shown in Figure 4(b), the band locking hole 53 has a band locking piece 531 on the side that abuts against the inner surface of the band portion 52 when bent into a ring shape and inserted, which engages with a lockable piece 521 provided on the band portion 52, which will be described later.

[0094] The band locking pieces 531 are arranged in a row and protrude toward the inner surface of the band locking hole 53, with the base end inclined in the insertion direction of the band portion 52 and the tip end in a triangular cross section that is approximately perpendicular to the inner surface of the band portion 52.

[0095] Band portion 52 is provided with locked pieces 521 on its inner peripheral surface when bent into a ring shape and inserted into band locking hole 53, which lock with band locking pieces 531. These locked pieces 521 are provided with a plurality of aligned pieces that are triangular in cross section and protrude at an angle on the tip side, with the base end side in the insertion direction of insertion into band locking hole 53 being approximately perpendicular to the main surface of band portion 52. That is, the locked piece 521 is formed so that, when the band portion 52 is inserted into the band locking hole 53, the base end side of the locked piece 521 in the insertion direction and the tip side of the band locking piece 531 engage with each other.

[0096] The band portion 52 is bent into a ring shape and inserted into the band locking hole 53 of the buckle 51 configured in this manner. As a result, the base end surface of the locked piece 521 in the insertion direction comes into contact with the tip end surface of the band locking piece 531, thereby locking the band portion 52, which has been inserted into the band locking hole 53, and preventing it from accidentally coming off the buckle 51.

[0097] At this time, since the band portion 52 has multiple engaging pieces 521 arranged in a row along the insertion direction, by inserting the band portion 52 into the band engaging hole 53 to the desired length, the diameter of the band portion 52 bent into a ring shape can be adjusted to the desired size.

[0098] Next, a method for assembling the corrugated tube mounting structure 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the corrugated tube 10 with the sandwiching annular member 40 disposed in the small diameter portion 11 is inserted into the grommet 20 from the +X direction.

[0099] The outer diameter of the clamping annular member 40 arranged in the small diameter portion 11 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the grommet 20, and the inner diameter of the clamping annular member 40 is formed to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 11. As a result, the clamping annular member 40 abuts against the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner surface of the grommet 20, filling the groove portion 13 of the corrugated tube 10 and biting into the inner surface of the grommet 20, thereby adhering closely to both.

[0100] In this way, the clamping annular member 40 is tightly attached to the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner surface of the grommet 20, thereby filling the gap that occurs between the outer diameter of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner diameter of the grommet 20 without any gaps.

[0101] Then, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the annular member 30 is attached to the connecting portion 60 of the corrugated tube 10, the grommet 20, and the sandwiching annular member 40 that are attached as shown in FIG. 5(a). Specifically, the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 of the annular member 30 is fitted onto the exposed portion 61 of the connecting portion 60 of the corrugated tube 10 that is exposed from the grommet 20, and the grommet outer fitting portion 32 of the annular member 30 is fitted onto the end portion of the grommet 20.

[0102] The corrugated outer fitting portion 31 that fits onto the outside of this corrugated tube 10 is formed so that the inner diameter of the outer fitting portion main body 311 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 12, so that a portion of the outer fitting portion main body 311 is in close contact with the large diameter portion 12.

[0103] Furthermore, since the inner diameter of the small diameter fitting portion 312 of the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 is formed slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 11, the tip of the small diameter fitting portion 312 expands slightly as if it is crushed, and comes into close contact with the small diameter portion 11.

[0104] In addition, the grommet fitting portion 32, which is on the -X direction side of the elastic annular member 30 and fits onto the grommet 20, has its end on the -X direction side stretched and expanded in diameter, and is fitted onto the end on the +X direction side of the grommet 20. At this time, the grommet outer fitting portion 32 is engaged with the annular locking portion 21, thereby restricting relative movement between the annular member 30 and the grommet 20 in the longitudinal direction X. The portion of the annular member 30 that is engaged with the annular locking portion 21 is referred to as an annular locked portion 34 (see FIG. 5(b)).

[0105] In this way, the grommet fitting portion 32 that fits onto the outside of the grommet 20 is attached so as to cover the end of the grommet 20 on the +X direction side, and the annular locked portion 34 is locked to the annular locking portion 21. Furthermore, since the inner diameter of the grommet outer fitting portion 32 is formed smaller than the outer diameter of the grommet 20, the restoring force of the grommet outer fitting portion 32, which has been expanded in diameter to be attached to the end of the grommet 20, causes the grommet outer fitting portion 32 to adhere tightly to the outer peripheral surface of the grommet 20.

[0106] Furthermore, by attaching the annular member 30 so as to cover the connecting portion 60, the annular connecting portion 33 comes into contact with the grommet end portion 24 (see FIG. 5(b)). Then, as shown in Figure 6(a), the assembly of the corrugated tube mounting structure 1 is completed by attaching a cable tie 50 to the band fixing portion 22 of the grommet 20 in the corrugated tube 10, grommet 20, annular member 30, and clamping annular member 40 that are attached as shown in Figure 5(b).

[0107] As shown in FIG. 6(b), when the grommet 20 is fastened with the binding band 50, the inner circumferential surface of the portion corresponding to the band fixing portion 22 and the corrugated locking portion 23 are reduced in diameter. Therefore, the water-stopping performance can be improved by securely fitting the corrugated engagement portion 23 into the groove portion 13 while bringing the inner diameter of the corrugated engagement portion 23 and the inner surface of the band fixing portion 22 close to the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10.

[0108] The corrugated tube mounting structure 1 configured in this manner comprises a corrugated tube 10 having small diameter portions 11 and large diameter portions 12 formed alternately along the longitudinal direction X, a grommet 20 whose end is fitted onto the end of the corrugated tube 10, and an annular member 30 attached to a connecting portion 60 where the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 are connected, the annular member 30 being tubular and having elasticity, and comprising a corrugated outer fitting portion 31 that fits onto the corrugated tube 10 at the connecting portion 60, a grommet outer fitting portion 32 that fits onto the grommet 20 at the connecting portion 60, and an annular connecting portion 33 that integrally connects the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 and the grommet outer fitting portion 32.

[0109] This makes it possible to prevent water from seeping into the interior from between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 at the connecting portion 60, and also makes it possible to easily restore the water-stopping performance between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 even if it deteriorates.

[0110] More specifically, the annular member 30 attached to the connecting portion 60 has the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 abutting against the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet outer fitting portion 32 abutting against the grommet 20 . An annular connecting portion 33 that integrally connects the corrugated tube outer fitting portion 31 and the grommet outer fitting portion 32 surrounds the boundary between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 in the connecting portion 60 .

[0111] Therefore, the annular member 30 can block the water intrusion path, which is the path through which water infiltrates from between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 at the connecting portion 60 to the inside, over the entire circumference. In this way, the annular member 30 blocks the water intrusion path, thereby preventing water from infiltrating into the interior from between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20, and making it possible to stop water leakage.

[0112] Furthermore, the annular member 30 is provided separately from the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20. Therefore, even if sufficient watertight performance is no longer obtained due to deterioration over time or damage to the annular member 30 caused by water or water pressure, for example, the watertight performance can be easily restored by simply replacing the annular member 30, without having to replace the corrugated tube 10 or the grommet 20 themselves.

[0113] Therefore, as described above, it is possible to prevent water from entering the interior from between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 at the connecting portion 60, and even if the water-stopping performance between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 deteriorates, it can be easily restored.

[0114] The corrugated tube outer fitting portion 31 is fitted onto an exposed portion 61 exposed from the grommet 20 at the connecting portion 60 of the corrugated tube 10 . As a result, the annular member 30 is arranged with the corrugated outer fitting portion 31, the annular connecting portion 33, and the grommet outer fitting portion 32 in this order from the +X direction side, which is the direction in which the corrugated is inserted into the grommet 20.

[0115] Therefore, in the connecting portion 60 of the annular member 30, the grommet end portion 24, which is the boundary between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20, can be covered from the outer periphery by the annular connecting portion 33. This makes it possible to reliably prevent water from entering the interior through the gap between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 .

[0116] In addition, after the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 are fitted together, the annular member 30 can be attached so as to cover the connecting portion 60. In other words, the annular member 30 can be easily attached, improving workability.

[0117] Furthermore, even if the annular member 30 becomes unable to provide sufficient watertight performance due to deterioration over time or damage, the annular member 30 can be easily removed by rolling it up, and can be easily replaced. In other words, the workability when replacing the annular member 30 can be improved.

[0118] In addition, a clamping annular member 40 is provided, which is arranged between the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20 and abuts so as to be sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20.

[0119] As a result, the clamping annular member 40 is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 at the connecting portion 60, thereby blocking the water ingress path around the entire circumference so as to directly seal the space between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20.

[0120] Furthermore, the clamping annular member 40 adheres closely to the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner surface of the grommet 20 due to the repulsive force against the pressure when it is clamped between the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner surface of the grommet 20, thereby reliably filling the gap between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20.

[0121] In addition, the repulsive force generated by the clamped annular member 40 acts on the grommet 20 from the inside toward the outside diameter, so that the grommet 20 on which the repulsive force acts is pressed tightly against the grommet outer fitting portion 32 that fits externally onto the grommet 20.

[0122] In other words, the repulsive force of the clamping annular member 40 can reliably bring the grommet 20 and the grommet outer fitting portion 32 into close contact, thereby reliably preventing water from entering the interior from between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20.

[0123] Furthermore, even if water seeps in beyond the annular member 30, the water can be stopped by the clamping annular member 40. In other words, the water stopping effect is not only achieved by the annular member 30 but also by the clamping annular member 40, improving the water stopping performance.

[0124] Furthermore, because the annular connecting portion 33 abuts against the grommet end portion 24, the annular connecting portion 33 can abut against and support the open grommet end portion 24. In other words, the annular connecting portion 33 suppresses deformation of the open grommet end portion 24, and prevents the grommet outer fitting portion 32 and the outer peripheral surface of the grommet 20 from separating from each other due to unintended deformation of the grommet end portion 24.

[0125] That is, even if an external force, for example, the elastic force of the grommet outer fitting portion 32 attached to the grommet 20, acts on the grommet end portion 24, the annular connecting portion 33 supports the grommet end portion 24, thereby preventing deformation of the grommet end portion 24.

[0126] This ensures that the grommet outer fitting portion 32 and the outer peripheral surface of the grommet 20 are in close contact with each other, preventing a decrease in waterproofing performance.

[0127] The corrugated tube outer fitting portion 31 is provided with a small diameter fitting portion 312 that fits onto the small diameter portion 11 of the corrugated tube 10 . As a result, the annular member 30 can be prevented from moving relative to the corrugated tube 10 in the longitudinal direction X by fitting the small diameter fitting portion 312 into the small diameter portion 11 of the corrugated tube 10.

[0128] In this way, it is possible to prevent the corrugated tube fitting portion 31 from unintentionally falling off or becoming detached from the corrugated tube 10, which would result in insufficient watertight performance being obtained.

[0129] Furthermore, when an external force acts on the corrugated tube 10 in the bending direction, the inner portion in the bending direction of the small diameter fitting portion 312 arranged on the outer periphery of the small diameter portion 11 prevents adjacent large diameter portions 12 from coming close to each other.

[0130] More specifically, in this corrugated tube mounting structure 1, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the corrugated tube 10 may be used by bending it entirely. When the corrugated tube 10 is bent as a whole, the small diameter fitting portion 312 of the annular member 30 and the sandwiching annular member 40 are arranged to fit into the groove portion 13, as shown in Figure 7(b), so that deformation of the inside of the bending direction of the corrugated tube 10 in the direction approaching the large diameter portion 12 that constitutes the groove portion 13 is suppressed.

[0131] Therefore, even if the corrugated tube 10 is bent overall for routing, the corrugated tube 10 can be deformed at two locations: the small diameter fitting portion 312 and the sandwiching annular member 40. In other words, deformation of the corrugated tube 10 can be restricted in the range where the small diameter fitting portion 312 and the sandwiching annular member 40 are arranged, and it is possible to reliably prevent the annular member 30 and the sandwiching annular member 40 from separating from the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20 as the corrugated tube 10 is bent.

[0132] In other words, by fitting the small diameter fitting portion 312 into the small diameter portion 11, deformation of the corrugated tube 10 at that portion can be suppressed, and the annular member 30 can be prevented from separating from the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 as the corrugated tube 10 is bent.

[0133] Therefore, even if the entire corrugated tube 10 is bent into the desired shape, deformation of the corrugated tube 10 is suppressed at the fitting point where the small diameter fitting portion 312 fits, and the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 can be maintained in close contact with the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10.

[0134] Additionally, an annular locking portion 21 is provided on the outer periphery of the grommet 20 to lock onto the grommet outer fitting portion 32 . As a result, the grommet outer fitting portion 32 is locked to the annular locking portion 21 of the grommet 20, thereby preventing the grommet outer fitting portion 32 from coming off the grommet 20 and reliably preventing a decrease in waterproofing performance.

[0135] Additionally, a corrugated engagement portion 23 that protrudes radially inward is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20, and the corrugated engagement portion 23 is arranged to fit into the small diameter portion 11 of the corrugated tube 10. This makes it possible to prevent the water-stopping performance of the annular member 30 from being reduced, and further to improve the water-stopping performance.

[0136] More specifically, as described above, the corrugated tube outer fitting portion 31 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 10. Therefore, when the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 move relative to each other, the corrugated tube outer fitting portion 31 also moves due to friction, and there is a risk that the annular member 30 having the corrugated tube outer fitting portion 31 will come off the corrugated tube 10 or the grommet 20.

[0137] If the annular member 30 is unintentionally detached in this way, a water penetration path at the connecting portion 60 is exposed, and the waterproofing performance is reduced. In other words, there is a risk of water penetration between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20.

[0138] In contrast, by fitting the corrugated engaging portion 23 into the small diameter portion 11, the relative movement between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 can be restricted, preventing the annular member 30 from coming off the grommet 20 and preventing a decrease in water-stopping performance.

[0139] Furthermore, since the corrugated locking portion 23 is fitted into the small diameter portion 11, the corrugated locking portion 23 is disposed in the gap between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20. Therefore, the water-stopping effect not only of the annular member 30 but also of the corrugated locking portion 23 is added, thereby improving the water-stopping performance. The corrugated tube engaging portion 23 is disposed at a position on the corrugated tube 10 where it fits into the small diameter portion 11 on the −X direction side of the corrugated tube 10 relative to the location where the corrugated tube outer fitting portion 31 fits.

[0140] As a result, the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 of the annular member 30 is positioned on the side of the grommet end portion 24, and therefore water is stopped by the annular member 30 having the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 before the corrugated locking portion 23 that engages with the small diameter portion 11.

[0141] In this way, water that penetrates past the annular member 30 is first stopped by the corrugated locking portion 23, so the annular member 30, which comes into contact with more water, is at a greater risk of deterioration or damage due to contact with water or water pressure than the corrugated locking portion 23.

[0142] In this way, by positioning the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 provided on the easily replaceable annular member 30 on the +X direction side, deterioration over time and damage to the corrugated locking portion 23, which cannot be easily replaced, can be suppressed, and the water-stopping performance can be restored while the product can be used for a longer period of time.

[0143] In addition, a cable tie 50 is provided to be fixed to the outer periphery of the grommet 20, and a band fixing portion 22 is provided on the outer periphery of the grommet 20 including the radially outer region of the corrugated engagement portion 23 to fit the cable tie 50 therein. As a result, by tightening the binding band 50, unintentional expansion of the diameter of the portion of the grommet 20 including the area where the corrugated locking portion 23 is provided can be prevented.

[0144] That is, the corrugated tube engaging portion 23 can be securely fitted to the small diameter portion 11, the relative movement between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 can be securely restricted, and the corrugated tube 10 can be prevented from slipping off the grommet 20.

[0145] In addition, by tightening the grommet 20 using the cable tie 50, the inner diameter area of ​​the band fixing portion 22 in the grommet 20 is reduced in diameter, allowing the corrugated locking portion 23 to be pushed toward the small diameter portion 11, thereby preventing the engagement between the corrugated locking portion 23 and the small diameter portion 11 from accidentally coming loose.

[0146] Therefore, the corrugated engagement portion 23 can be securely fitted into the small diameter portion 11, the relative movement between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 can be more reliably restricted, and the annular member 30 can be more reliably prevented from being exposed from the grommet 20, thereby more reliably preventing a decrease in water-stopping performance.

[0147] Then, by pushing the corrugated engagement portion 23 inward in the diameter, the corrugated engagement portion 23 and the small diameter portion 11 come into close contact, and the gap between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 can be filled by the corrugated engagement portion 23, thereby further improving the water-stopping performance.

[0148] Other examples of the above-mentioned corrugated tube mounting structure will be described below. In this description, parts that are the same as or equivalent to the configuration of the corrugated tube mounting structure 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0149] In the corrugated tube mounting structure 1x described below, as shown in Figure 8, the annular member 30 is folded back at the grommet end 24, and the corrugated tube outer fitting portion 31 of the annular member 30 is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the inner surface of the grommet 20 and the small diameter portion 11.

[0150] 8A and 8B are schematic diagrams of a corrugated tube mounting structure 1x according to another embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 8A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the annular member 30 in the corrugated tube mounting structure 1x, and Fig. 8B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the corrugated tube mounting structure 1x.

[0151] As shown in FIG. 8, the annular member 30 constituting the corrugated tube mounting structure 1x is attached in a state where the end portion of the elastic annular member 30 on the +X direction side is folded back. As shown in Fig. 8(b), this annular member 30 is arranged so that the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 is sandwiched between the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20 and the small diameter portion 11. The annular connecting portion 33 is arranged so as to abut against and straddle the grommet end portion 24.

[0152] As a result, the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20, and is crushed to fill the groove portion 13. Therefore, the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 can directly and reliably seal the space between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20.

[0153] Furthermore, the corrugated tube fitting portion 31 adheres tightly to the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20 due to a repulsive force against the sandwiched pressure, thereby reliably filling the gap between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20. In other words, it is possible to reliably prevent water from seeping into the interior from between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20.

[0154] In the corrugated tube mounting structure 1x configured in this manner, the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 is positioned between the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20, and abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20, and the annular connecting portion 33 is folded back so as to straddle the grommet end portion 24.

[0155] As a result, the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner surface of the grommet 20, and the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 can directly seal the space between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20.

[0156] Furthermore, the corrugated tube fitting portion 31 adheres tightly to the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20 due to a repulsive force against the sandwiched pressure, thereby reliably filling the gap between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20. In other words, it is possible to reliably prevent water from seeping into the interior from between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20.

[0157] In other words, the water is first stopped by the part of the small diameter fitting portion 312 that fits into the exposed portion 61, and if water seeps in beyond that part, the water can be stopped by the small diameter fitting portion 312 that is positioned between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20. Therefore, the small diameter fitting portion 312 can improve the watertightness by blocking water in two stages.

[0158] Furthermore, since the corrugated tube outer fitting portion 31 extends from the exposed portion 61 to the portion disposed between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20, the waterproof performance can be further improved. That is, the corrugated tube fitting portion 31 is supported on the radially outer side by the grommet 20 and on the radially inner side by the corrugated tube 10 . Therefore, pressure is applied to the corrugated tube fitting portion 31 when it is sandwiched between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 , and the corrugated tube fitting portion 31 comes into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the grommet 20 .

[0159] In addition, the small diameter fitting portion 312 provided on the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 is deformed by the pressure acting from the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20 so as to fit into the groove portion 13 formed by the small diameter portion 11 of the corrugated tube 10 and the large diameter portions 12 on both sides of the small diameter portion 11 in the longitudinal direction X. In this way, the small diameter fitting portion 312 and the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 10 can be brought into tight contact with each other reliably.

[0160] In the corrugated mounting structure 1x, the annular member 30 is arranged by folding the cylindrical annular member 30 back at the grommet end 24, but the annular member 30 may also be formed in a folded state.

[0161] In addition, in the corrugated tube mounting structure 1y described below, as shown in FIG. 9, an annular member 30y having a plurality of corrugated tube outer fitting portions 31y is attached. 9A and 9B are explanatory diagrams of a corrugated tube mounting structure 1y according to another embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 9A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an annular member 30y attached to the corrugated tube mounting structure 1y, and Fig. 9B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the corrugated tube mounting structure 1y to which the annular member 30y is attached.

[0162] As shown in Figure 9(a), the annular member 30y is composed of a cylindrical corrugated outer fitting portion 31y extending along the longitudinal direction X, a grommet outer fitting portion 32, and an annular connecting portion 33 connecting the corrugated outer fitting portion 31y and the grommet outer fitting portion 32.

[0163] The cylindrical corrugated outer fitting portion 31y is composed of a cylindrical outer fitting portion main body 311y that fits onto the large diameter portion 12 of the corrugated tube 10, and four small diameter fitting portions 312y that protrude radially inward from the inner surface of the outer fitting portion main body 311y.

[0164] The outer fitting portion main body 311y is formed to be slightly longer than three times the combined length of the small diameter portion 11 and the large diameter portion 12. An annular connecting portion 33 is integrally attached to the outer circumferential surface of the outer fitting portion main body 311y near the center in the longitudinal direction X.

[0165] The small diameter fitting portions 312y provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer fitting portion main body 311y are formed so that their inner diameters are slightly smaller than the outer shape of the small diameter portion 11, and are arranged at four locations along the longitudinal direction X so as to fit into the groove portions 13 of the corrugated tube 10. Therefore, by fitting the small diameter fitting portions 312y onto the small diameter portion 11 of the corrugated tube 10, it is possible to restrict the relative movement of the annular member 30y and the corrugated tube 10 along the longitudinal direction X, and it is possible to reliably prevent the corrugated tube 10 from coming loose.

[0166] The corrugated tube mounting structure 1y having the annular member 30y configured in this manner is fitted onto the corrugated tube 10 with the grommet outer fitting portion 32 folded back in the +X direction. Then, the corrugated tube 10 and the corrugated outer fitting portion 31y of the annular member 30y are inserted into the inside of the grommet 20 until the grommet end portion 24 abuts against the annular connecting portion 33 of the annular member 30y that is fitted onto the corrugated tube 10, and the grommet 20 is fitted onto the corrugated tube 10 with the annular member 30y fitted onto it.

[0167] From this state, the grommet outer fitting portion 32, which has been folded back toward the +X direction, is folded back toward the -X direction, and the annular locked portion 34 is locked to the annular locking portion 21, thereby forming the corrugated mounting structure 1y.

[0168] In this way, the corrugated tube 10 with the annular member 30y attached thereto can be inserted until the grommet end portion 24 abuts against the annular connecting portion 33 of the annular member 30y, with the grommet outer fitting portion 32 folded back toward the +X direction and the -X direction side of the corrugated tube outer fitting portion 31y exposed. In other words, by inserting the corrugated tube 10 until the grommet end portion 24 abuts against the annular connecting portion 33, the corrugated tube 10 can be placed in the appropriate insertion position, improving workability.

[0169] In the corrugated tube mounting structure 1y configured in this manner, the small diameter fitting portions 312 are provided at four locations and fitted into the small diameter portions 11 at four locations. This more reliably prevents the annular member 30 having the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 from unintentionally falling off or becoming detached from the corrugated tube 10, which would result in insufficient watertight performance being obtained.

[0170] In addition, small diameter fitting portions 312y are provided in four locations, two of which are fitted onto the exposed portion 61 exposed from the grommet 20 of the corrugated tube 10, and the other two are positioned between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20, thereby improving water-stopping performance.

[0171] In other words, the water is first stopped by the portion of the small diameter fitting portion 312y that fits into the exposed portion 61, and if water seeps in beyond that portion, the water can be stopped by the small diameter fitting portion 312y that is positioned between the corrugated tube 10 and the grommet 20. Therefore, the small diameter fitting portion 312y can improve the water stopping performance by stopping water in two stages.

[0172] In addition, in the corrugated steel mounting structure 1z described below, as shown in Figure 10, an annular member 30z formed in a cylindrical shape with an approximately L-shaped cross section and a clamping annular member 40z that fits into multiple groove portions 13 are attached.

[0173] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of a corrugated tube mounting structure 1z according to another embodiment. In detail, Fig. 10A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the annular member 30 constituting the corrugated tube mounting structure 1z, Fig. 10B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the clamping annular member 40z constituting the corrugated tube mounting structure 1z, and Fig. 10C shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the corrugated tube mounting structure 1z to which the annular member 30z and the clamping annular member 40z are attached.

[0174] The corrugated tube mounting structure 1z is composed of a corrugated tube 10, a grommet 20, a cylindrical annular member 30z, and a sandwiching annular member 40z. As shown in Figure 10(a), the annular member 30z is formed in a cylindrical shape that is approximately L-shaped in cross section, and a corrugated outer fitting portion 31z that protrudes radially inward extends from the end of the cylindrical grommet outer fitting portion 32 on the +X direction side via an annular connecting portion 33.

[0175] The clamping annular member 40z is made of elastic resin and is formed by alternately arranging thick annular portions 41z having an egg-shaped cross-sectional shape with the tip facing radially inward and thin annular portions 42z formed in a cylindrical shape thinner than the thick annular portions 41z.

[0176] The thick annular portions 41z and the thin annular portions 42z are arranged alternately, with the thin annular portions 42z being arranged at the ends on the +X direction side, with two of each being arranged alternately.

[0177] The thick-walled annular portion 41z has a length along the longitudinal direction X that is the same as the length along the longitudinal direction X of the small diameter portion 11. The thick-walled annular portion 41z has an outer diameter that is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the grommet 20, and an inner diameter that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 11.

[0178] The corrugated tube mounting structure 1z having the annular member 30y and the clamping annular member 40z configured in this manner is configured such that, as shown in Figure 10(b), the clamping annular member 40, which is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the corrugated tube 10 and the annular member 30, is exposed on the +X direction side beyond the grommet end 24, so as to abut against the annular member 30y that is fitted externally onto the connecting portion 60.

[0179] This not only arranges the annular member 30y and the sandwiching annular member 40, but also arranges the annular member 30y and the sandwiching annular member 40 so that they abut, thereby extending the water ingress path, thereby reliably preventing water ingress.

[0180] In correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, The corrugated tube mounting structure of the present invention corresponds to the corrugated tube mounting structure 1 of the embodiment, Similarly, The corrugated tube is compatible with the corrugated tube 10. The small diameter portion corresponds to the small diameter portion 11, The large diameter portion corresponds to the large diameter portion 12, The grommet is compatible with grommet 20. The locking portion corresponds to the annular locking portion 21, The band fixing portion corresponds to the band fixing portion 22, The corrugated locking portion corresponds to the corrugated locking portion 23, The annular member corresponds to the annular member 30, The corrugated outer fitting portion corresponds to the corrugated outer fitting portion 31, The grommet outer fitting portion corresponds to the grommet outer fitting portion 32, The annular link corresponds to the annular link 33, The locked portion corresponds to the annular locked portion 34, The clamping ring corresponds to the clamping ring 40, The band is compatible with cable ties 50, The corrugated insertion end corresponds to the +X direction side, The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0181] For example, in this embodiment, the cable tie 50 is used to tighten the outer periphery of the grommet 20, thereby reducing the diameter of the radially inner region of the band fixing portion 22 of the grommet 20, but it is sufficient if it adheres closely to the outer periphery of the grommet 20 and suppresses the diameter expansion of the grommet 20. Specifically, a rubber band may be attached to the band fixing portion 22 of the grommet 20.

[0182] In addition, the annular member 30 has the corrugated outer fitting portion 31 and the outer surface of the corrugated tube 10, and the grommet outer fitting portion 32 and the outer surface of the grommet 20 each in close contact over the entire circumference, but as long as they are in contact in a way that allows water to be stopped, it is also possible for only a portion of each to be in close contact.

[0183] In the present embodiment, the annular locking portion 21 is provided integrally with the grommet 20, but it may be a separate body. In addition, the annular locking portion 21 is provided around the entire circumference of the grommet 20, but it may be provided on only a part of the circumference. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the annular member 30 and the sandwiching annular member 40 are configured as separate bodies, but they may also be configured as an integrated body.

[0184] In addition, in this embodiment, the corrugated engaging portion 23 is provided around the entire inner circumferential surface of the grommet 20, but it may be provided on a part of the inner circumferential surface of the grommet 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0185] 1, 1X, 1y, 1z... Corrugated mounting structure 10. Corrugated tube 11...Small diameter section 12 Large diameter section 13 Groove 20 Grommet 21 Annular locking portion 22 Band fixing part 23 Corrugated locking part 24 Grommet end 30, 30y, 30z... Annular member 31, 31y, 31z... Corrugated outer fitting part 32 Grommet outer fitting part 33. Annular joint 34...Annular locked part 40, 40z clamping ring member 50 Cable ties 60...Connection part 61...Exposed part 221 Band fixing groove 312,312y...Small diameter fitting part WH···Wire harness X: Longitudinal direction

Claims

1. a corrugated tube in which small diameter portions and large diameter portions are alternately formed along the longitudinal direction; a grommet having an end fitted onto the end of the corrugated tube; an annular member attached to a connecting portion where the corrugated tube and the grommet are connected; The annular member comprises: It is an elastic cylindrical shape, a corrugated outer fitting portion that fits onto the corrugated tube at the connecting portion; a grommet fitting portion that fits onto the grommet at the connecting portion; an annular connecting portion that integrally connects the corrugated outer fitting portion and the grommet outer fitting portion; the corrugated tube fitting portion is disposed between an outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube and an inner peripheral surface of the grommet, and abuts against the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface, The annular connecting portion is folded back so as to straddle the end portion of the grommet on the corrugated insert end side. Corrugated mounting structure.

2. The corrugated outer fitting portion is In the connecting portion of the corrugated tube, an exposed portion exposed from the grommet is fitted onto the outside. The corrugated mounting structure according to claim 1 .

3. At least a portion of the annular connecting portion abuts against an end portion of the grommet on the corrugated inserting end side. The corrugated sheet mounting structure according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The corrugated outer fitting portion is provided with a small diameter fitting portion that fits with the small diameter portion of the corrugated tube. The corrugated sheet mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A plurality of the small diameter fitting portions are provided and fitted into the plurality of small diameter portions. The corrugated mounting structure according to claim 4.

6. A locking portion that locks with the grommet outer fitting portion is provided on the outer periphery of the grommet.

6. The corrugated sheet mounting structure according to claim 1.

7. A corrugated engaging portion is provided on an inner peripheral surface of the grommet, the corrugated engaging portion protruding radially inward, The corrugated tube engaging portion is disposed so as to fit into the small diameter portion of the corrugated tube.

7. The corrugated sheet mounting structure according to claim 1.

8. The corrugated tube engaging portion is disposed at a position where it fits into the small diameter portion on the end side of the corrugated tube, rather than a position where the corrugated tube outer fitting portion fits into the small diameter portion. The corrugated mounting structure according to claim 7.

9. A band is provided which is fixed to the outer periphery of the grommet, A band fixing portion in which the band fits is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the grommet, including the radially outer region of the corrugated engagement portion. The corrugated sheet mounting structure according to claim 7 or 8.

10. a corrugated fitting portion that fits onto a corrugated tube having small diameter portions and large diameter portions alternately formed along a longitudinal direction; a grommet fitting portion that fits onto a grommet whose end is fitted onto the end of the corrugated tube; an annular connecting portion that integrally connects the corrugated outer fitting portion and the grommet outer fitting portion; the corrugated tube fitting portion is disposed between an outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube and an inner peripheral surface of the grommet, and abuts against the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface, The annular connecting portion is folded back so as to straddle the end portion of the grommet on the corrugated insert end side, It is attached to the connecting portion where the corrugated tube and the grommet are connected. Annular member.

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