Grommet

Abstract

To absorb the tolerance in an axial length of a routing member.SOLUTION: A grommet has: a grommet body 1A in which an insertion path 1a for inserting a linear part of a routing member We is formed; and a connection body 1B that is connected to the grommet body on the outside of the grommet body. The connection body has: a holding body 40A that is accommodated in an accommodation chamber 502 in which a routing member insertion hole 502a for passing the routing member between two spaces is provided one each on both space sides, and that is held in the accommodation chamber so as to be relatively movable in a routing axis direction of the linear part; and a connection body 40B that connects the holding body to the grommet body. The connection body is a wall body that connects between the grommet body and the holding body, intersects these in the routing axis direction, and is flexible in the routing axis direction, and the holding body is shaped to allow for an inner wall 502b on two routing member insertion hole sides in the accommodation chamber to have a clearance in the routing axis direction, and is shaped so as to have the connection body deformed due to deflection and enable a part of it to intrude into one of the two routing member insertion holes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, when a wiring material such as an electric wire is passed through an insertion portion such as a through-hole or a groove between two spaces, a grommet is sometimes placed in the insertion portion to protect the wiring material from the periphery of the insertion portion. The grommet is sometimes made liquid-proof to prevent liquids such as water from passing between the two spaces through the insertion portion. For example, this type of grommet is disclosed in Patent Document 1 listed below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-106091 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional grommets are fixedly held in place by being fitted into the insertion portion, which makes it difficult for the conventional grommets to absorb deviations within the tolerance range of the length of the wiring material.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a grommet that can accommodate the tolerance of the axial length of the wiring material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention comprises a grommet body having an insertion passage formed therein for inserting a straight portion of a wiring material, and a connecting body connected to the grommet body outside the grommet body, wherein the connecting body is accommodated in a storage chamber having a wiring material insertion hole for passing the wiring material between two spaces on each side of the spaces, and the connecting body comprises a retaining body held in this storage chamber so as to be relatively movable in the wiring axis direction of the straight portion, and a connecting body connecting the retaining body to the grommet body, wherein the connecting body is a wall body that connects the grommet body and the retaining body, intersects the wiring axis direction, and has flexibility in the wiring axis direction, and the retaining body is shaped to be able to leave a gap in the wiring axis direction relative to the inner walls of the two wiring material insertion hole sides of the storage chamber, and is shaped to be able to deform as the connecting body flexes and allow a part of it to enter either of the two wiring material insertion holes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the grommet according to the present invention, the retainer is formed in a shape that allows a gap to be formed in the wiring axial direction relative to the inner wall of the accommodation chamber on the two wiring material insertion hole sides. Therefore, the grommet can move relative to the accommodation chamber in the wiring axial direction by the gap, thereby absorbing deviations in the length of the wiring material within the tolerance range. Furthermore, in the grommet according to the present invention, the retainer is formed in a shape that gives flexibility to the connector in the wiring axial direction and allows deformation as the connector bends, allowing a portion of it to enter one of the two wiring material insertion holes. Therefore, the grommet can further absorb deviations in the length of the wiring material within the tolerance range. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a grommet in a closed state according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the grommet in the closed state according to the embodiment, as viewed from the protruding body side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the grommet in the closed state according to the embodiment, as viewed from the lip side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the grommet relatively moved to the outside of the container box. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the grommet moved relatively to the inside of the container box. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a grommet according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0010] [Embodiment] One embodiment of a grommet according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0011] Reference numeral 1 in Figures 1 to 5 indicates a grommet of this embodiment. This grommet 1 is disposed in a through-hole (hereinafter referred to as "routing material insertion hole") through which a wiring material We (Figures 1 and 2) passes between two spaces. It protects the wiring material We from the periphery of the wiring material insertion hole in the partition between the two spaces and prevents liquids such as water from passing between the two spaces through the gap between the periphery and the wiring material We. Therefore, this grommet 1 is molded from a flexible synthetic resin material such as synthetic rubber. Here, the wiring material We refers to, for example, an electric wire (such as an electric wire serving as a communication line or a power supply line). The partition between the two spaces may be, for example, a plate-like member such as a panel of a vehicle body, or the wall of a housing box such as an electrical junction box.

[0012] The grommet 1 has a grommet body 1A having an insertion passage 1a formed therein for inserting the straight portion of the wiring material We, and a connecting body 1B connected to the grommet body 1A outside the grommet body 1A (Figures 1 to 5).

[0013] The grommet 1 is held in place by placing its connector 1B in the wiring material insertion hole via the connector 1B. In this example, the grommet 1 is attached to a storage box 500 (FIG. 2). In this case, the storage box 500 includes a box body 501 having an insertion opening for inserting an object to be stored, and a cover (not shown) for covering the insertion opening. The wall of the box body 501 is provided with a storage chamber 502, which is a chamber with wall portions protruding from the periphery of the notch to both space sides (the internal space side of the box body and the space outside the box body), and has wiring material insertion holes 502a provided on both space sides. In this storage box 500, the two wiring material insertion holes 502a are arranged opposite each other in the axial direction of the straight portion of the wiring material We (hereinafter referred to as the "wiring axis direction"), and the connecting body 1B is stored in the storage chamber 502, and the connecting body 1B is held within this storage chamber 502.

[0014] The grommet body 1A includes a main body 10 having an insertion passage 1a split into two insertion grooves 11 in the axial direction of the straight portion of the wiring material We, with the opening of one of the insertion grooves 11 serving as an insertion opening 11a for the wiring material We, and a movable body 20 having the other insertion groove 21 split into two in the insertion passage 1a, with the opening of the other insertion groove 21 serving as an insertion opening 21a for the wiring material We (FIGS. 1 to 4). A connector 1B is connected to one end of the grommet body 1A in the axial direction. The grommet body 1A also includes a protrusion 30 protruding coaxially from the other end of the main body 10 in the axial direction (FIGS. 1 to 3).

[0015] The main body 10 shown here has one-side insertion grooves 11 at two locations aligned in the direction of the wiring axis. Each of the insertion grooves 11 extends to the end of the protruding body 30 in the protruding direction (FIG. 1). Also, the movable body 20 shown here is provided for each insertion passage 1a (i.e., for each one-side insertion groove 11).

[0016] The connector 1B has a holder 40A that is held in the housing chamber 502 so as to be relatively movable in the wiring axis direction, and a connector 40B that connects the holder 40A to the grommet body 1A (FIGS. 1 to 5).

[0017] The retaining body 40A is formed in a shape that allows a gap to be provided in the wiring axis direction from the inner wall 502b of the accommodation chamber 502 on the side of the two wiring material insertion holes 502a (FIG. 2). Here, the connecting body 40B connects the grommet body 1A and the retaining body 40A, crosses the wiring axis direction, and is formed as a wall that has flexibility in the wiring axis direction. Therefore, the retaining body 40A is formed so that it can deform as the connecting body 40B bends. The retaining body 40A shown here is formed in a shape that allows it to deform as the connecting body 40B bends, and to insert a portion of it into one of the two wiring material insertion holes 502a (FIGS. 6 and 7).

[0018] Specifically, the connecting body 1B has a first connecting body 41 connected to one end of the main body 10 in the wiring axis direction, and a second connecting body 42 for each movable body 20 connected to one end of the movable body 20 in the wiring axis direction (Figures 3 and 5).

[0019] The grommet 1 has hinges 50 that connect the main body 10 and the movable body 20 and also connect the first link body 41 and the second link body 42, and that allow the main body 10 and the movable body 20 and the first link body 41 and the second link body 42 to rotate relatively between an open state and a closed state around a rotation axis extending in the wiring axis direction (FIGS. 3 and 4). This hinge 50 is provided for each combination of the movable body 20 and the second link body 42. That is, in this grommet 1, the main body 10 and the movable body 20 are integrated via the hinges 50, and the main body 10, the two movable bodies 20, and portions of the two hinges 50, plus the protrusions 30, form the grommet main body 1A. In addition, in this grommet 1, the first connecting body 41 and the second connecting body 42 are integrated via a hinge 50, and the first connecting body 41, the two second connecting bodies 42, and the remaining two hinges 50 form a connecting body 1B.

[0020] In the grommet 1, by providing this hinge 50, the main body 10, the movable body 20, the first connecting body 41 and the second connecting body 42 are arranged in the following positional relationship in the closed state and the open state.

[0021] When in the closed state, the main body 10 and the movable bodies 20 abut their respective ends (hereinafter referred to as "first external slit peripheral portions") 12, 22 around the axis of the wiring material We to form an external slit (hereinafter referred to as "first external slit") 61 between the first external slit peripheral portions 12, 22 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4). This first external slit 61 is provided for each movable body 20. When in the closed state, the main body 10 and the movable bodies 20 align the insertion openings 11a, 21a of one insertion groove 11 and the other insertion groove 21 to form an insertion passage 1a. When in the closed state, the main body 10 and the two movable bodies 20 have an external shape that is a rectangle.

[0022] When in a closed state, the first connecting body 41 and the two second connecting bodies 42 form an external slit (hereinafter referred to as the "second external slit") 62 between the second external slit peripheral portions 42a, 42b, which are formed by abutting the respective ends (hereinafter referred to as the "second external slit peripheral portions") 42a, 42b of the two second connecting bodies 42 (Figures 1 to 4).

[0023] The first connecting body 41 and the two second connecting bodies 42 are roughly divided into a portion that forms an annular body (here, a rectangular annular body) with a slit in the wiring axis direction when in the closed state, and an annular wall body that connects the annular body to the grommet body 1A and has a slit that connects to the slit in the annular body. In the connecting body 1B, the annular body becomes the retaining body 40A, and the annular wall body becomes the connecting body 40B (FIG. 5). In the connecting body 1B, the slits in the retaining body 40A (wall body) and the connecting body 40B (annular wall body) become the second external slits 62. The connecting body 40B is formed as a wall body that connects the inner peripheral surface of the retaining body 40A to the outer peripheral surface of the grommet body 1A.

[0024] In this connecting body 1B, in the closed state, the inner space of the holding body 40A becomes a communication passage 1b that connects the two insertion passages 1a (Fig. 5). This communication passage 1b also connects the two insertion passages 1a to one of the two spaces (here, the internal space of the box body).

[0025] In this grommet 1, the two first external slits 61 and the second external slit 62 are formed as a single trident-shaped slit in which one end of each slit is gathered in one place when closed (FIG. 2). In this case, a single Y-shaped slit is formed in which the second external slit 62 branches into the two first external slits 61.

[0026] In this grommet 1, the hinge 50 rotates relative to one another between the open and closed states in conjunction with the relative rotation of the main body 10 and the movable body 20 between the open and closed states, between one side and the other of the slits (second external slits 62) of the retaining body 40A and the connecting body 40B in the connecting body 1B (i.e., between one second connecting body 42 and the other second connecting body 42).

[0027] In the open state, the main body 10 and the movable body 20 expand the width of the first external slit 61 to expose the insertion openings 11a, 21a of the respective insertion grooves 11, 21 from the first external slit 61, and in this open state, the wiring material We is inserted into the respective insertion grooves 11, 21 from the first external slit 61. In addition, in the open state, the first connecting body 41 and the two second connecting bodies 42 expand the width of the second external slit 62 to expose the wall surfaces (respective inner wall surfaces) of the communicating passage 1b from the second external slit 62, and in this open state, the wiring material We is inserted from the second external slit 62. In other words, in this grommet 1, when the main body 10, the movable body 20, and the first connecting body 41 and the second connecting body 42 are in the open state, one wiring material We can be assembled from one of the first external slits 61 and the second external slit 62, and the other wiring material We can be assembled from the other of the first external slits 61 and the second external slit 62.

[0028] In this grommet 1, a first external slit 61 is provided for each movable body 20 between the main body 10 and the movable body 20, and a second external slit 62 is provided between the first linking body 41 and the second linking body 42. In this grommet 1, due to the relative positions of the main body 10, movable body 20, first linking body 41, second linking body 42, and hinge 50, when the main body 10 and movable body 20 and the first linking body 41 and second linking body 42 are in a closed state, the two first external slits 61 and the second external slit 62 form a single slit with one end connected at one point. Here, the two first external slits 61 and the second external slit 62 form a single trident-shaped (Y-shaped) slit. Therefore, in this grommet 1, when the main body 10, the movable body 20, the first linking body 41, and the second linking body 42 are in the open state, the width of the second external slit 62 can be made wider than the width of each of the first external slits 61. Therefore, when assembling the wiring material We in this grommet 1, the wiring material We can be inserted first through the wider second external slit 62, and then the wiring material We can be inserted through the first external slit 61, thereby improving the assembling work of the wiring material We.

[0029] This grommet 1 has a lip 70 that protrudes from the inner peripheral surfaces 11b, 21b of each insertion groove 11, 21 and abuts the ends 71a, 71b of the wiring material We around its axis when closed, forming an internal slit 63 between the ends 71a, 71b and tightly contacting the outer peripheral surface of the wiring material We ( FIG. 3 ). This lip 70 is provided for each insertion passage 1a (i.e., for each combination of one insertion groove 11 and the other insertion groove 21). In the closed state, the lip 70 shown here is a cantilevered cylinder whose cylindrical axis is aligned with the wiring axis, and tightly contacts the outer peripheral surface of the wiring material We around its entire circumference. In the open state, the lip 70 widens the width of the internal slit 63, exposing the inner wall surface from the internal slit 63. In this open state, the wiring material We is inserted through the internal slit 63.

[0030] This grommet 1 is made of a flexible synthetic resin material such as synthetic rubber, and is molded as a single component in which the grommet body 1A (main body 10, movable body 20, protruding body 30), connecting body 1B (first connecting body 41, second connecting body 42), hinge 50 and lip 70 are integrated.

[0031] As described above, in the grommet 1 of this embodiment, the retaining body 40A is formed in a shape that allows a gap to be formed in the wiring axis direction relative to the inner wall 502b of the accommodation chamber 502 on the side of the two wiring material insertion holes 502a (FIG. 2). Therefore, the grommet 1 can move relative to the accommodation chamber 502 in the wiring axis direction by the gap (FIGS. 6 and 7), thereby absorbing deviations within the tolerance range of the length of the wiring material We. Therefore, the grommet 1 can improve the ease of assembly of the wiring material We pulled outward from the accommodation box 500 to, for example, a vehicle body.

[0032] Furthermore, in the grommet 1 of this embodiment, the connector 40B is flexible in the wiring axis direction, and the retainer 40A is formed in a shape that allows the connector 40B to deform as it bends and insert a portion of it into one of the two wiring material insertion holes 502a (FIGS. 6 and 7). This allows the grommet 1 to further absorb deviations within the length tolerance of the wiring material We. Therefore, the grommet 1 can further improve the ease of assembly of the wiring material We pulled outward from the storage box 500 to, for example, a vehicle body.

[0033] Here, in this grommet 1, it is preferable that portions of the second outer slit peripheries 42a, 42b abut against each other when the retainer 40A is inserted into one of the two wiring material insertion holes 502a (FIGS. 6 and 7). As a result, in this grommet 1, at least portions of the second outer slit peripheries 42a, 42b are always in contact with each other in the closed state, thereby reducing the intrusion of liquids such as water. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1 grommet 1A Grommet body 1B Connector 1a Insertion passage 10 subjects 11,21 Insertion groove 11a, 21a insertion slot 20 Movable body 40A holding body 40B Concatenation 50 hinges 62 Second external slit (slit) Containment Room 502 502a Cable insertion hole 502b interior wall We wiring material

Claims

1. A grommet body having an insertion passage formed therein through which a straight portion of a wiring material is inserted; a connector connected to the grommet body outside the grommet body; and The connecting body includes a retaining body that is accommodated in an accommodation chamber provided on each of the two spaces with a wiring material insertion hole for passing the wiring material between the two spaces, and that is held in this accommodation chamber so as to be relatively movable in the wiring axis direction of the straight portion, and a connecting body that connects the retaining body to the grommet body, the connecting body is a wall body that connects the grommet body and the holding body, crosses the wiring axis direction, and has flexibility in the wiring axis direction, A grommet characterized in that the retaining body is shaped so that a gap can be created in the direction of the wiring axis relative to the inner wall on the two wiring material insertion hole sides of the storage chamber, and is shaped so that it can deform as the connecting body flexes and allow a portion of it to insert into either of the two wiring material insertion holes.

2. The retainer is formed as an annular body having a slit in the wiring axis direction, 2. The grommet according to claim 1, wherein the connector is formed as a wall that connects the inner peripheral surface of the holder to the outer peripheral surface of the grommet body.

3. The grommet body is The insertion passage is divided into two in the wiring axis direction, and one of the insertion grooves is provided at two locations aligned in the wiring axis direction, and an opening of the one of the insertion grooves serves as an insertion port for the wiring material; and a movable body for each of the insertion passages, the movable body having the other insertion groove divided into two in the insertion passage and having an opening of the other insertion groove as an insertion port for the wiring material; and a hinge for each of the movable bodies that connects the main body and the movable body and rotates the main body and the movable body relatively between an open state and a closed state around a rotation axis that extends in the wiring axis direction; the connecting body has a slit connected to the slit of the holding body, 3. The grommet of claim 2, wherein the hinge rotates relative to one side of the slit between the holding body and the connecting body in the connecting body in conjunction with the relative rotation between the open state and the closed state of the main body and the movable body.

Images