Grommets and wire harnesses

Abstract

To provide a grommet and a wire harness capable of properly being assembled.SOLUTION: A grommet 1 applied to a wire harness WH1 has a body part 10 interposed between a wire harnessing material W and an inner surface 101a of a through hole 101, an arm lock part 20 latched to a marginal part of the through hole 101 in a state where the body part 10 is provided in the through hole 101, and a rib part 30 abutting on the inner surface 101a of the through hole 101 in a state where the body part 10 is provided in the through hole 101. The body part 10 has a guide taper surface 11 guiding an insertion operation to the through hole 101 of the body part 10. The rib part 30 is provided at a position where it abuts on an attached object 100 instead of the guide taper surface 11 after the guide taper surface 11 and the attached object 100 are abutted and before the arm lock part 20 starts to abut on the attached object 100 together with the insertion operation to the through hole 101 of the body part 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to grommets and wire harnesses.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional grommet mounted on a vehicle, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a grommet that is mounted in a through-hole formed in a vehicle body panel while being externally mounted on a wire harness main body portion. The grommet includes a grommet main body portion and an annular seal member. The grommet main body portion includes a cylindrical wire harness insertion portion through which the wire harness main body portion is inserted, an overhanging portion formed so as to overhang around the wire harness insertion portion, and a panel attachment portion that is attached to the vehicle body panel with one main surface of the overhanging portion facing the vehicle body panel. The annular seal member is provided on one main surface of the overhanging portion so as to surround the wire harness insertion portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the grommet described in Patent Document 1 above has room for further improvement, for example, in terms of assembly into the through-hole.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a grommet and a wire harness that can be properly assembled.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the grommet according to the present invention is provided in a through hole that penetrates the object to be mounted along the axial direction and is interposed between a cable material inserted inside and the inner surface of the through hole; an arm lock portion provided in the main body along the axial direction and engaging with the edge of the through hole when the main body is provided in the through hole; and a rib portion that protrudes from the main body in a direction intersecting the axial direction and extends along the axial direction, and contacts the inner surface of the through hole when the main body is provided in the through hole. The main body is provided on the insertion end side of the through hole and has a guide tapered surface that guides the insertion operation of the main body into the through hole along the axial direction, and the rib portion is provided in a position that contacts the object to be mounted in place of the guide tapered surface after the guide tapered surface and the object to be mounted come into contact, but before the arm lock portion begins to contact the object to be mounted.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the wire harness according to the present invention comprises a conductive cable guide and a grommet provided on the cable guide, the grommet being provided in a through hole that penetrates the object to be attached along the axial direction and interposed between the cable guide inserted inside and the inner surface of the through hole, an arm lock portion provided on the main body along the axial direction and locked to the edge of the through hole when the main body is provided in the through hole, and a part that protrudes from the main body in a direction intersecting the axial direction and extends along the axial direction The present invention provides a main body portion that is in contact with the inner surface of the through hole when the main body portion is provided in the through hole, the main body portion is provided on the insertion end side of the through hole and has a guide tapered surface that guides the insertion operation of the main body portion into the through hole along the axial direction, and the rib portion is provided in a position that contacts the mounting object in place of the guide tapered surface after the guide tapered surface and the mounting object come into contact as the main body portion is inserted into the through hole, but before the arm lock portion begins to come into contact with the mounting object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The grommet and wire harness according to the present invention have the effect of being able to be properly assembled. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet and wire harness according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet and wire harness according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a front view of the main body of the grommet according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the grommet according to Embodiment 1, including the arm lock portion. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the grommet according to Embodiment 1, including the rib portion. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a partial perspective view of the grommet according to Embodiment 1, including the hook portion. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic side view showing an example of how the grommet according to Embodiment 1 is assembled into the through-hole. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic side view showing an example of assembly of the grommet into the through hole according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a schematic side view showing an example of how the grommet according to Embodiment 1 is assembled into the through-hole. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet and wire harness according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet and wire harness according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 14]Figure 14 is a schematic side view illustrating an example of the operation of the grommet according to Embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Furthermore, some of the components in the following embodiments may be easily substituted or substantially identical to those that are easily substituted by those skilled in the art.

[0011] [Embodiment] The grommet 1 of this embodiment, shown in Figures 1 and 2, is incorporated into a wire harness WH1 routed in a vehicle or the like. Here, the wire harness WH1 is, for example, a bundle of multiple wiring materials W used for power supply and signal communication to connect various devices mounted on a vehicle, and the multiple wiring materials W are connected to each device with connectors or the like. The wire harness WH1 comprises conductive wiring materials W and a grommet 1 provided on the wiring materials W through which the wiring materials W are inserted. In addition, the wire harness WH1 may also include various components such as corrugated tubing, resin tape, protectors and other exterior members, electrical connection boxes, and fasteners. The wiring materials W are, for example, made of metal rods, electric wires, bundles of electric wires, etc. A metal rod is a conductive rod-shaped member with an insulating coating on the outside. An electric wire is a conductor (core wire) consisting of multiple conductive metal strands with an insulating coating on the outside. A wire bundle is a bundle of wires. The wire harness WH1 bundles and consolidates multiple wiring members W, and various devices are electrically connected to them via connectors and the like provided at the ends of the bundled wiring members W.

[0012] The grommet 1 is applied to the through-hole 101 formed in the mounting panel 100 which is the object to be mounted, when wiring the wiring material W across two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100 as a boundary. The mounting panel 100 is, for example, a metal plate constituting the vehicle body or the like. The two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100 as a boundary are typically the interior space and the exterior space of the vehicle. The through-hole 101 penetrates the mounting panel 100 along the plate thickness direction. The through-hole 101 of the present embodiment is formed in a substantially circular shape. The grommet 1 is formed of a resin material having insulating properties. And the grommet 1 is assembled to the through-hole 101 in a state where the wiring material W is inserted and is externally mounted around the wiring material W, thereby regulating the wiring path of the wiring material W passing through the through-hole 101 and protecting the wiring material W.

[0013] The grommet 1 of the present embodiment is typically applied to the through-hole 101 that does not require water tightness, and mainly regulates the path of the wiring material W and protects it from the panel edge (the edge of the portion of the mounting panel 100 where the through-hole 101 is formed). For this reason, the grommet 1 of the present embodiment is typically formed of a high synthetic resin material (for example, polypropylene (PP)) having relatively high rigidity compared to an elastic resin material (for example, rubber or thermoplastic elastomer, etc.) having high flexibility. Under such a configuration, the grommet 1 of the present embodiment realizes a configuration that can be properly assembled to the through-hole 101 by giving a predetermined shape. Hereinafter, the configuration of the grommet 1 will be described in detail with reference to each drawing. In addition, each direction used in the following description will be described as the direction in a state where each part of the grommet 1 is assembled to each other and is attached to the mounting panel 100, unless otherwise specified.

[0014] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the grommet 1 of the present embodiment includes a main body portion 10, an arm lock portion 20, a rib portion 30, a flange portion 40, and an annular member 50.

[0015] The main body portion 10 constitutes the main part of the grommet 1. The main body portion 10 is provided in a through-hole 101 that penetrates the mounting target 100 along the axial direction AD, and is interposed between the cable harness W inserted therein and the inner peripheral surface (inner surface) 101a of the through-hole 101. The axial direction AD corresponds to the thickness direction of the mounting panel 100 described above, and corresponds to the insertion direction of the cable harness W and the grommet 1 with respect to the through-hole 101. In other words, the axial direction AD is a direction along the extending direction of the cable harness W inserted into the grommet 1. Here, for the sake of easy understanding, the cable harness W is illustrated as being linearly routed along the axial direction AD, but it is not limited to this. In the state where the grommet 1 is attached to the mounting panel 100, it may be routed in a direction bent or curved with respect to the axial direction AD.

[0016] The main body portion 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape along the inner peripheral surface 101a of the through-hole 101. Here, the main body portion 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape centered on the central axis C along the axial direction AD. The main body portion 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with various shapes such as concave portions, convex portions, notch portions, and curved portions added. The main body portion 10 has an internal space portion that constitutes an insertion space portion S1. The insertion space portion S1 is a space portion for inserting the cable harness W. That is, the main body portion 10 has an insertion space portion S1 formed therein for inserting the cable harness W. The cable harness W is inserted into this insertion space portion S1 formed inside the main body portion 10 along the axial direction AD.

[0017] And the main body portion 10 of the present embodiment has a guide tapered surface 11 and a slit portion 12.

[0018] The guide tapered surface 11 is provided on the insertion tip 10a side of the main body 10 toward the through hole 101. That is, the guide tapered surface 11 is formed on one end side of the main body 10 in the axial direction AD, and the main body 10 is inserted into the through hole 101 from the side of the guide tapered surface 11 along the axial direction AD. The guide tapered surface 11 constitutes a part that guides the insertion operation of the main body 10 into the through hole 101 along the axial direction AD. The guide tapered surface 11 constitutes an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the axial direction AD. The guide tapered surface 11 is formed as a tapered surface that is substantially annular in shape with a central axis C and whose outer diameter gradually decreases as it approaches the insertion tip 10a side along the axial direction AD. In other words, the guide tapered surface 11 is formed as a substantially frustoconical annular shape that tapers toward the insertion tip 10a side along the axial direction AD. Furthermore, the guide tapered surface 11 is formed as an inclined surface that gradually approaches the central axis C as it moves toward the insertion tip 10a along the axial direction AD. Here, the guide tapered surface 11 is formed in a roughly annular shape (roughly a frustoconical annular shape) with various shapes such as notches added.

[0019] The slit portion 12 is a notched portion formed in the main body portion 10 along the axial direction AD. The slit portion 12 is formed in the main body portion 10 from the insertion tip end 10a side to the insertion rear end 10b side (opposite the insertion tip end 10a side) relative to the through hole 101. Here, the slit portion 12 is formed in the main body portion 10, penetrating from the portion where the guide tapered surface 11 is formed, along the axial direction AD toward the insertion rear end 10b. Multiple slit portions 12 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction CD; in this case, there are four. The circumferential direction CD corresponds to the direction along the central axis C.

[0020] In this embodiment, the main body 10 is composed of a plurality of divided bodies 10A and 10B, and a locking portion 10C that locks the plurality of divided bodies 10A and 10B together. Here, the main body 10 is composed of two divided bodies 10A and 10B. The divided bodies 10A and 10B are each formed in a substantially semicircular trough shape. The locking portion 10C has a pair of male lock-shaped portions 10Ca formed on one mating surface of the divided bodies 10A and 10B, and a pair of female lock-shaped portions 10Cb that can engage with the male lock-shaped portion 10Ca formed on the other mating surface of the divided bodies 10A and 10B. The divided bodies 10A and 10B are assembled together at the locking portion 10C with the male lock-shaped portion 10Ca and the female lock-shaped portion 10Cb engaging with each other in a state where they face each other along the radial direction RD, thereby forming a substantially cylindrical main body 10 and creating the aforementioned insertion space S1 inside. The radial direction RD corresponds to the direction perpendicular to the central axis C. The guide tapered surface 11 and slit portion 12 described above are formed by dividing them into these divided bodies 10A and 10B. That is, the guide tapered surface 11 is formed in a substantially annular shape across divided body 10A and divided body 10B. Two slit portions 12 are formed in divided body 10A and two in divided body 10B. Here, divided body 10A is configured to include a tape-wrapping piece 13 that protrudes in the axial direction AD on the insertion tip 10a side of the guide tapered surface 11. The tape-wrapping piece 13 is the part that is fixed by wrapping tape around the cable material W inserted into the grommet 1.

[0021] The arm lock portion 20 is provided on the main body portion 10 along the axial direction AD, and is the portion that engages with the edge of the through hole 101 when the main body portion 10 is provided in the through hole 101. The arm lock portion 20 is cantilevered within the slit portion 12. In this embodiment, a total of four arm lock portions 20 are provided, one in each of the four slit portions 12. That is, here, two arm lock portions 20 are formed in the divided body 10A and two in the divided body 10B.

[0022] Specifically, the arm lock section 20 is composed of an arm section 21 and a locking claw section 22 (see also Figure 5, etc.).

[0023] The arm portion 21 is a flexible, arm-shaped part. The arm portion 21 is formed in the main body portion 10 so as to protrude cantilevered from the end on the insertion tip 10a side toward the through hole 101 toward the slit portion 12. The arm portion 21 is cantilevered at the end of the main body portion 10 on the insertion tip 10a side, in this case, at the part where the guide tapered surface 11 is formed, and extends within the slit portion 12 toward the insertion rear end 10b side along the axial direction AD. The base end of the arm portion 21 (the end on the insertion tip 10a side) supported at the part where the guide tapered surface 11 is formed is a fixed end, and the tip end in the axial direction AD (the end on the insertion rear end 10b side) is a free end. With this configuration, the arm portion 21 is cantilevered and elastically deformable toward the radial direction RD.

[0024] The locking claw portion 22 is a claw-shaped part that can lock onto the edge of the through hole 101. The locking claw portion 22 is formed in a claw shape that protrudes outward in the radial direction RD (opposite to the central axis C) from the middle of the arm portion 21. The locking claw portion 22 has a locking surface 22a (see Figure 5, etc.) on the tip side (insertion rear end 10b side) in the axial direction AD that contacts and locks onto the edge of the through hole 101.

[0025] Furthermore, the arm portion 21 has a tapered surface 21a (see Figure 5, etc.) on the outer surface in the radial direction RD between the base end on the guide tapered surface 11 side and the locking claw portion 22. Also, the locking claw portion 22 has a tapered surface 22b (see Figure 5, etc.) on the surface opposite to the locking surface 22a (towards the insertion tip 10a) with respect to the axial direction AD. Both the tapered surface 21a and the tapered surface 22b constitute inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the axial direction AD. Both the tapered surface 21a and the tapered surface 22b are formed as inclined surfaces that gradually approach the central axis C as they move toward the insertion tip 10a side along the axial direction AD. Here, the taper angle θ22 (see Figure 5, etc.) of the tapered surface 22b of the locking claw portion 22 with respect to the axial direction AD is greater than the taper angle θ21 (see Figure 5, etc.) of the tapered surface 21a of the arm portion 21 with respect to the axial direction AD.

[0026] The rib portion 30 is formed by protruding from the main body portion 10 along the radial direction RD intersecting the axial direction AD and extending along the axial direction AD, and is the portion that abuts against the inner circumferential surface 101a of the through hole 101 when the main body portion 10 is installed in the through hole 101. The rib portion 30 is formed on the main body portion 10 at the portion from the guide tapered surface 11 to the insertion rear end 10b side. At this portion, the rib portion 30 is formed as a linear projection that protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 10 in the radial direction RD and extends linearly along the axial direction AD. Here, the rib portion 30 constitutes a linear projection with a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the extension direction. The rib portion 30 extends along the axial direction AD between the guide tapered surface 11 and the insertion rear end 10b. Multiple rib portions 30 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction CD; in this case, 13 are provided (see Figure 4 in particular). The rib portions 30 are provided on at least both sides of the circumferential CD of each slit portion 12, and are also provided fairly evenly in the circumferential CD of other parts. Here, seven rib portions 30 are formed on the divided body 10A and six on the divided body 10B. In addition, some of the rib portions 30 provided on the divided body 10A side and the rib portions 30 on the divided body 10B side are located adjacent to each other at one edge of the mating surface between the divided body 10A and the divided body 10B.

[0027] Specifically, the rib section 30 is composed of a rib tapered surface 31 and a straight section 32 (see also Figure 6, etc.).

[0028] The rib tapered surface 31 is provided on the insertion tip 10a side of the main body 10 relative to the through hole 101 in the rib portion 30. The rib tapered surface 31 constitutes the part that centers the main body 10 as it is inserted into the through hole 101 along the axial direction AD. The rib tapered surface 31 constitutes an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the axial direction AD. The rib tapered surface 31 is formed as an inclined surface that gradually approaches the central axis C as it moves toward the insertion tip 10a side along the axial direction AD.

[0029] The rib tapered surface 31 is formed to be continuous with the guide tapered surface 11 at the insertion rear end 10b side of the guide tapered surface 11. The rib tapered surface 31 is formed as a linear surface with a relatively narrow width along the circumferential direction CD (width in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction) compared to the guide tapered surface 11; in other words, it is formed as a linear portion with a relatively narrow contact area with the inner circumferential surface 101a of the through hole 101, etc. Here, the rib tapered surface 31 is formed as a surface with a relatively narrow width along the circumferential direction CD compared to the tapered surface 21a of the arm portion 21 and the tapered surface 22b of the locking claw portion 22. Furthermore, the taper angle θ31 of the rib tapered surface 31 with respect to the axial direction AD (see Figure 6, etc.) is smaller than the taper angle θ11 of the guide tapered surface 11 with respect to the axial direction AD (see Figure 6, etc.). Here, the taper angle θ31 of the rib tapered surface 31 is relatively small compared to the taper angle θ21 of the tapered surface 21a of the arm portion 21 (see Figure 5, etc.) and the taper angle θ22 of the tapered surface 22b of the locking claw portion 22 (see Figure 5, etc.).

[0030] The straight portion 32 is provided in the rib portion 30 on the insertion rear end 10b side from the rib tapered surface 31. In other words, the straight portion 32 is the part of the rib portion 30 that is located on the insertion rear end 10b side of the rib tapered surface 31. When the main body portion 10 is installed in the through hole 101, the straight portion 32 is interposed between the main body portion 10 and the inner circumferential surface 101a of the through hole 101 and contacts the inner circumferential surface 101a, thereby forming a portion that eliminates the play between the main body portion 10 and the inner circumferential surface 101a in the radial direction RD. The straight portion 32 extends linearly along the axial direction AD and forms a straight surface that is substantially parallel to the axial direction AD (in other words, substantially parallel to the central axis C). The straight portion 32 extends along the axial direction AD to the insertion rear end 10b.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rib portion 30 is positioned to contact the mounting panel 100 in place of the guide tapered surface 11 after the guide tapered surface 11 and the mounting panel 100 come into contact, but before the arm lock portion 20 begins to come into contact with the mounting panel 100, as the main body portion 10 is inserted into the through hole 101.

[0032] Specifically, as described above, the rib tapered surface 31 of the rib portion 30 is formed to be continuous with the guide tapered surface 11 at the insertion rear end 10b side of the guide tapered surface 11. Furthermore, the rib tapered surface 31 is formed to protrude outward from the tapered surface 21a of the arm portion 21 in the radial direction RD at a position on the insertion tip 10a side of the locking claw portion 22 of the arm lock portion 20 in the axial direction AD (see Figure 5, etc.). With this configuration, the rib portion 30 can be configured to come into contact with the mounting panel 100 instead of the guide tapered surface 11, before the locking claw portion 22 of the arm lock portion 20 begins to come into contact with the mounting panel 100 as the rib portion 30 is inserted into the through hole 101 of the main body portion 10.

[0033] The flange portion 40 is a plate-shaped portion that protrudes radially RD from one end of the main body portion 10 in the axial direction AD, in this case the end on the insertion rear end 10b side. The flange portion 40 is located on the opposite side of the mounting panel 100 with respect to the mounting panel AD from the side where the locking claw portion 22 of the arm lock portion 20 is located (see also Figure 10, etc.). In other words, the flange portion 40 is formed in a position that sandwiches the mounting panel 100 between itself and the locking claw portion 22 with respect to the mounting panel AD. The flange portion 40 is formed in a plate shape with the axial direction AD being the thickness direction, and various shapes such as notches are added. Here, the flange portion 40 is formed by dividing it into divided parts 10A and 10B that constitute the main body portion 10. In other words, the flange portion 40 is formed in a roughly arc shape (roughly fan shape) with various shapes such as notches added to the end on the insertion rear end 10b side of each of the divided bodies 10A and 10B.

[0034] The annular member 50 is formed in an annular shape around the axial direction AD and is interposed between the mounting panel 100 and the flange portion 40 with respect to the axial direction AD, and is elastically deformable (see also Figure 10, etc.). Here, the annular member 50 is formed in a substantially annular shape along the circumferential direction CD with the central axis C as the center. The annular member 50 is made of, for example, an O-ring or the like, whose cross-sectional shape along the axial direction AD is substantially circular. With the main body portion 10 provided in the through hole 101, the annular member 50 is interposed between the mounting panel 100 and the flange portion 40 and elastically deforms, thereby forming a cushioning material that absorbs rattle and impact noise caused by vibration.

[0035] Furthermore, the flange portion 40 of this embodiment is configured to include a through-hole portion 42 and a hook portion 43 as a holding structure 41 for holding the annular member 50 (see also Figure 7, etc.).

[0036] The through-hole portion 42 is a portion that penetrates the flange portion 40 along the axial direction AD. When viewed along the axial direction AD, the through-hole portion 42 is formed as a substantially trapezoidal notch at the outer end of the flange portion 40 in the radial direction RD. Multiple through-hole portions 42 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction CD; in this case, there are three. The through-hole portion 42 is formed by dividing the main body portion 10 into divided parts 10A and 10B. One through-hole portion 42 is provided in each divided part 10A and 10B, and one is provided so as to straddle the mating surface between divided part 10A and divided part 10B.

[0037] The hook portion 43 is a part that holds a part of the annular member 50 offset into the through hole portion 42 along the axial direction AD. There are a total of three hook portions 43, one for each of the multiple through holes 42. The hook portion 43 is formed in the flange portion 40 so as to protrude into the through hole portion 42 from the edge on the inside (central axis C side) of the radial direction RD of the through hole portion 42. More specifically, the hook portion 43 is composed of a radially extending portion 43a and an axially extending portion 43b. The radially extending portion 43a is formed so as to protrude outward along the radial direction RD from the side of the flange portion 40 where the annular member 50 is located, in other words, from the side facing the mounting panel 100 along the axial direction AD. The axially extending portion 43b is formed to bend from the outer tip of the radially extending portion 43a in the radial direction RD, projecting along the axial direction AD toward the insertion rear end 10b, and is located within the through hole portion 42.

[0038] The hook portion 43 is formed in a substantially L-shaped hook form by the radially extending portion 43a and the axially extending portion 43b, and a part of the annular member 50 is hooked onto the radially extending portion 43a and the axially extending portion 43b and held within the through hole portion 42. In this state, the hook portion 43 holds the portion of the annular member 50 that is hooked onto the hook portion 43 on the mounting panel 100 side of the flange portion 40, offsetting it within the through hole portion 42 along the axial direction AD. As described above, the annular member 50 is held in a shape in which the portion offset into the through hole portion 42 by the hook portion 43 is meandering with respect to the axial direction AD.

[0039] The grommet 1, configured as described above, is attached to the cable guide W and then assembled into the through hole 101. Here, the grommet 1 is constructed with the main body 10 divided into two parts, 10A and 10B. After the two parts are assembled to the cable guide W, they are locked together by the locking part 10C, integrating them into a single main body 10. As a result, the grommet 1 is in a state where the cable guide W is inserted into the insertion space S1 inside the main body 10. The grommet 1 is then secured to the cable guide W inserted into the insertion space S1 by wrapping it with tape around the tape-wrapping piece 13. In this case, since the grommet 1 has a structure in which the cable guide W is secured to the tape-wrapping piece 13 by tape wrapping, it can easily accommodate differences in specifications, outer diameter, etc., of the cable guide W being inserted, thus simplifying the assembly process.

[0040] In this state, the grommet 1 has the end of the cable material W located on the insertion tip 10a side of the main body 10 inserted into the through hole 101, and the insertion tip 10a of the main body 10 is inserted (pulled in) into the through hole 101 along the axial direction AD. At this time, as shown in Figure 8, the grommet 1 has a guide tapered surface 11 provided on the insertion tip 10a side of the main body 10 that contacts the edge of the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100, guiding the insertion operation of the main body 10 into the through hole 101 along the axial direction AD.

[0041] Then, as the main body 10 of the grommet 1 is further pushed into the through hole 101, as shown in Figure 9, the rib portion 30 begins to contact the edge of the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100, instead of the guide tapered surface 11, as the main body 10 is inserted into the through hole 101. This causes the grommet 1 to transition from a state where the guide tapered surface 11, which has a relatively large contact area with the edge of the through hole 101, is in contact with the edge of the through hole 101, to a state where the rib portion 30, which has a relatively small contact area with the edge of the through hole 101, is in contact with the edge of the through hole 101. At this time, as shown in Figure 9, the grommet 1 begins with the tapered rib surface 31 of the rib portion 30 coming into contact with the edge of the through hole 101, causing the tapered rib surface 31 to center the main body portion 10 relative to the through hole 101.

[0042] As the grommet 1 is inserted into the through hole 101, with the main body 10 being centered by the rib tapered surface 31, the tapered surface 22b of the locking claw portion 22 of the arm lock portion 20 begins to contact the edge of the through hole 101 in the mounting panel 100. As the grommet 1 is further inserted into the through hole 101, the tapered surface 22b of the locking claw portion 22 is pressed against the edge of the through hole 101, causing the arm portion 21 of the arm lock portion 20 to bend, and the locking claw portion 22 extends to the other side of the mounting panel 100. As shown in Figure 10, when the locking claw portion 22 has fully extended to the other side of the mounting panel 100, the bent arm portion 21 returns to its original position, and the locking surfaces 22a of each locking claw portion 22 are locked to the edge of the through hole 101. As a result, the grommet 1 is assembled into the through hole 101, and sufficient holding force is ensured to maintain its assembled state in the through hole 101. Furthermore, since the grommet 1 is held in the through hole 101 via this arm lock portion 20, it can be properly assembled into the through hole 101 without having to provide mounting holes in the mounting panel 100 other than the through hole 101, as is the case when using a so-called offset clip, thus improving the flexibility of the vehicle layout, for example.

[0043] As shown in Figure 10, the grommet 1 has its main body 10 fitted into the through hole 101, with the locking claws 22 of each arm lock portion 20 locked to the edge of the through hole 101. The straight portion 32 of the rib portion 30 is interposed between the outer circumferential surface of the main body 10 and the inner circumferential surface 101a of the through hole 101, and contacts the inner circumferential surface 101a. As a result, the straight portion 32 of the grommet 1 eliminates the play between the main body 10 and the inner circumferential surface 101a in the radial direction RD.

[0044] Furthermore, as described above, with the main body portion 10 of the grommet 1 fitted into the through hole 101 and the locking claw portion 22 of each arm lock portion 20 locked to the edge of the through hole 101, the annular member 50 is interposed between the mounting panel 100 and the flange portion 40 and elastically deforms, thereby absorbing rattle and impact noise caused by vibration.

[0045] Then, as described above, the grommet 1, with its main body 10 fitted into the through hole 101 and the locking claws 22 of each arm lock portion 20 locked to the edge of the through hole 101, restricts the path of the cable material W inserted into the insertion space S1 with the main body 10 and protects it from the panel edge at the through hole 101. In this case, even if, for example, the tape fixing the cable material W to the tape winding piece 13 peels off and the cable material W is released from its fixation, the grommet 1 can protect the cable material W from the panel edge as described above by interposing the main body 10 between the cable material W and the panel edge.

[0046] As described above, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 are assembled into the through-hole 101 by having the main body portion 10 installed in the through-hole 101 and the arm lock portion 20 engaging with the edge of the through-hole 101 in the mounting panel 100. When the grommet 1 is assembled into the through-hole 101, the main body portion 10 can restrict the path of the wiring material W inserted through the insertion space portion S1 and protect it from the panel edge at the through-hole 101. Furthermore, when the grommet 1 is assembled into the through-hole 101, the rib portion 30 is interposed between the outer surface of the main body portion 10 and the inner surface 101a of the through-hole 101 and contacts the inner surface 101a, thereby reducing the play between the main body portion 10 and the inner surface 101a in the radial direction RD. As a result, the grommet 1 can suppress relative movement (offset) between the grommet 1 and the through-hole 101, and for example, the generation of knocking noise due to vibration can be suppressed. Furthermore, the grommet 1 can maintain a state in which sufficient engagement is secured between the locking surface 22a of the arm lock portion 20 and the edge of the through hole 101, thereby properly maintaining its assembled state in the through hole 101.

[0047] In this configuration, when the grommet 1 is assembled into the through hole 101, the guide tapered surface 11 provided on the insertion tip 10a side of the main body 10 guides the insertion operation of the main body 10 into the through hole 101 along the axial direction AD. Furthermore, as the grommet 1 is inserted into the through hole 101, before the arm lock portion 20 begins to contact the edge of the through hole 101, the grommet 1 can transition from a state in which the guide tapered surface 11, which has a relatively large contact area with the edge of the through hole 101, is in contact with the edge of the through hole 101 (for example, a surface contact state) to a state in which the rib portion 30, which has a relatively small contact area with the edge of the through hole 101, is in contact with the edge of the through hole 101 (for example, a line contact state). As a result, the grommet 1 can suppress the frictional resistance generated between it and the edge of the through hole 101 during the insertion operation into the through hole 101, thereby reducing the force required for insertion into the through hole 101 (insertion force). Consequently, the grommet 1 can be easily assembled into the through hole 101, improving assembly workability.

[0048] As described above, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled into the through hole 101 with improved ease of installation and proper assembly. As a result, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can achieve improved manufacturing efficiency and reduced manufacturing costs.

[0049] Here, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 described above can be precisely centered relative to the through hole 101 when assembled into the through hole 101, thanks to the rib tapered surface 31 provided on the insertion tip 10a side of the rib portion 30. This allows the grommet 1 to be easily controlled in its mounting position. At this time, since the taper angle θ31 of the rib tapered surface 31 is smaller than the taper angle θ11 of the guide tapered surface 11, the grommet 1 can smoothly transition from a state where the through hole 101 and the guide tapered surface 11 are in contact to a state where the through hole 101 and the rib tapered surface 31 are in contact, suppressing snagging. As a result, the force required to insert the grommet 1 into the through hole 101 (insertion force) can be further reduced. As a result, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled to the through hole 101 with further improved ease of installation and can be properly assembled.

[0050] Furthermore, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 described above can absorb rattle and vibration-induced noise by having the annular member 50 interposed between the mounting panel 100 and the flange portion 40 and undergoing elastic deformation when the grommet 1 is assembled into the through hole 101. As a result, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled more properly. In addition, the manufacturing costs of the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be further reduced by using existing products that conform to, for example, JIS standards for the annular member 50 used.

[0051] In this configuration, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 described above are held in the flange portion 40 by the hook portion 43, offsetting a portion of the annular member 50 into the through-hole portion 101. This makes it more difficult for the annular member 50 to detach from the flange portion 40 compared to, for example, simply by hooking a portion of the annular member 50 onto the hook portion, thus preventing the annular member 50 from falling off during transportation. Furthermore, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled more properly as described above.

[0052] Furthermore, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 described above can be integrated as a single unit by locking the main body 10 together with the main body 10, which is divided into two parts, 10A and 10B. After the two parts are assembled to the wiring material W, they are locked together by the locking part 10C. This allows the grommet 1 to easily insert the wiring material W into the insertion space S1, even if a connector or the like is provided at the end of the wiring material W, thereby improving the ease of assembly to the wiring material W. As a result, the grommet 1 can be assembled to the wiring material W on a manufacturing line, for example, without requiring dedicated equipment for inserting the wiring material W, thus reducing the number of man-hours required for assembly. In this respect as well, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled more properly.

[0053] [Embodiment 2] The wire harness and grommet according to Embodiment 2 differ from those in Embodiment 1 in the shape of the flange portion, etc. In the following, components similar to those in the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations of common configurations, operations, and effects will be omitted as much as possible (the same applies hereinafter).

[0054] The wire harness WH2 of this embodiment, shown in Figures 11, 12, and 13, differs from the wire harness WH1 described above in that it includes a grommet 201 instead of a grommet 1. The grommet 201 differs from the grommet 1 described above in that it includes a flange portion 240 instead of a flange portion 40, does not include an annular member 50, and includes an elastically deformable portion 260. The flange portion 240 differs from the flange portion 40 described above in that it does not include a retaining structure 41 (through hole portion 42, hook portion 43). The other configurations of the wire harness WH2, grommet 201, and flange portion 240 are substantially the same as those of the wire harness WH1, grommet 1, and flange portion 40 described above.

[0055] The elastically deformable portion 260, when the main body portion 10 is installed in the through hole 101, contacts the mounting panel 100 and deforms elastically, generating a biasing force that biases the main body portion 10 to one side in the axial direction AD. The elastically deformable portion 260 is formed integrally with the flange portion 240. The elastically deformable portion 260 is formed protruding outward from the outer end of the radial direction RD of the flange portion 240. Furthermore, the elastically deformable portion 260 is formed in an umbrella-shaped curved form that is slightly inclined toward the insertion tip 10a side with respect to the axial direction AD. As a result, the elastically deformable portion 260 can deform elastically when it contacts the mounting panel 100 when the main body portion 10 is installed in the through hole 101. Here, the elastically deformable portion 260 is formed by dividing it into divided parts 10A and 10B that constitute the main body portion 10, similar to the flange portion 240. In other words, the elastically deformable portion 260 is formed in a roughly arc shape (roughly fan shape) along the outer circumference of the flange portion 240, with various shapes such as notches added to it.

[0056] As shown in Figure 14, the grommet 201, configured as described above, has its main body 10 fitted into the through hole 101, with the locking claws 22 of each arm lock portion 20 locked to the edge of the through hole 101. The elastic deformation portion 260 then contacts the mounting panel 100 and elastically deforms towards the insertion rear end 10b between the mounting panel 100 and the flange portion 240. As a result, the grommet 201 is subjected to a biasing force (elastic pressing force) directed toward the insertion rear end 10b along the axial direction AD by the restoring force of the elastic deformation portion 260 (the elastic force generated by the elastic deformation of the elastic deformation portion 260) as it deforms elastically upon contact with the mounting panel 100. In other words, the grommet 201 can be biased as a whole in a direction that reduces the play between the locking surface 22a of the arm lock portion 20 and the mounting panel 100 by utilizing the spring properties of the elastic deformation portion 260. As a result, the grommet 201 can suppress relative movement along the axial direction AD with respect to the mounting panel 100.

[0057] As described above, the grommet 201 and wire harness WH2, like the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1, can be assembled into the through hole 101 with improved ease of installation and proper assembly.

[0058] Furthermore, as described above, when the grommet 201 and wire harness WH2 are assembled into the through hole 101, the elastic deformation portion 260, which is integrally formed with the flange portion 240, comes into contact with the mounting panel 100 and undergoes elastic deformation. The biasing force generated by this elastic deformation portion 260 biases the entire grommet 1, including the main body portion 10, to one side in the axial direction AD. As a result, the relative movement of the grommet 201 and wire harness WH2 along the axial direction AD with respect to the mounting panel 100 can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the generation of rattle and knocking noises due to vibration. In this respect as well, the grommet 1 and wire harness WH1 can be assembled more properly.

[0059] Furthermore, the grommets and wire harnesses according to the embodiments of the present invention described above are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0060] The divided body 10A and divided body 10B described above do not have to be completely separated; for example, they may be connected to each other via a hinge so that they can rotate relative to each other. Also, the main body 10 does not have to be divided into multiple divided bodies 10A and 10B in the first place; it may be formed in a substantially cylindrical shape from a single member.

[0061] In the above explanation, the taper angle θ31 of the rib tapered surface 31 was described as being smaller than the taper angle θ11 of the guide tapered surface 11, and relatively smaller compared to the taper angle θ21 of the tapered surface 21a and the taper angle θ22 of the tapered surface 22b, but this is not the only explanation.

[0062] In the above description, the grommet 1 was described as comprising a flange portion 40 and an annular member 50, but it is not limited to this configuration, and may also be configured without a flange portion 40 and an annular member 50.

[0063] In the above description, the hook portion 43 was described as holding a part of the annular member 50 offset within the through-hole portion 42 along the axial direction AD, but it is not limited to this, and a part of the annular member 50 may be held without offset. Also, the flange portion 40 does not have to include the through-hole portion 42 and the hook portion 43 as a holding structure 41.

[0064] The grommet and wire harness according to this embodiment may be constructed by appropriately combining the components of the embodiments and modified examples described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1,201 Grommets 10 Main body 10A, 10B split body 10C Locking part 10a Insertion tip 10b Insertion end 11 Guide tapered surface 12 Slit section 13 Tape-wound portion 20 Armlock section 21 Arm section 21a, 22b Tapered surface 22 Locking claw portion 22a Locking surface 30 Rib section 31 Rib tapered surface 32 Straight section 40, 240 flange section 41 Retention structure 42 Through hole 43 Hook section 43a Radial extension 43b Axial extension 50 Annular member 100 Mounting Panel (for mounting) 101 Through hole 101a Inner peripheral surface (inner surface) 260 Elastic deformation part AD Axial direction C center axis CD circumferential direction RD radial direction S1 Insertion space W Routing material WH1, WH2 Wire Harness θ11, θ21, θ22, θ31 Taper angles

Claims

1. A main body is provided in a through-hole that penetrates the object to be mounted along the axial direction, and is interposed between the cable material inserted inside and the inner surface of the through-hole, An arm lock portion is provided on the main body along the axial direction and engages with the edge of the through hole when the main body is provided in the through hole, The main body portion is formed to protrude in a direction intersecting the axial direction and to extend along the axial direction, and the main body portion is provided in the through hole and the rib portion is in contact with the inner surface of the through hole, The main body portion is provided on the insertion end side of the through hole and has a guide tapered surface that guides the insertion operation of the main body portion into the through hole along the axial direction. The rib portion is positioned to contact the mounting object in place of the guide tapered surface after the guide tapered surface and the mounting object come into contact as the main body is inserted into the through hole, and before the arm lock portion begins to come into contact with the mounting object, and has a rib tapered surface provided on the insertion end side of the main body relative to the through hole, which centers the main body as the main body is inserted into the through hole along the axial direction. The rib tapered surface is formed to be continuous with the guide tapered surface at the insertion end side of the main body portion of the guide tapered surface. Grommet.

2. The main body portion is formed in a plate shape, protruding from one end of the main body portion in the axial direction along a direction intersecting the axial direction, and further comprises a flange portion located on the opposite side of the mounting object in the axial direction from the side on which the locking claw portion of the arm lock portion is located, with respect to the axial direction, The rib portion is provided on the insertion rear end side of the rib tapered surface, extends linearly along the axial direction, is connected to the flange portion, and has a straight portion that abuts against the inner surface of the through hole when the main body portion is provided in the through hole. The grommet according to claim 1.

3. The taper angle of the rib tapered surface with respect to the axial direction is smaller than the taper angle of the guide tapered surface with respect to the axial direction. The grommet according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The system comprises an annular member formed in an annular shape around the axial direction, interposed between the mounting object and the flange portion with respect to the axial direction, and capable of elastic deformation. The grommet according to claim 2.

5. The flange portion includes a through-hole portion that penetrates along the axial direction, and a hook portion that holds a part of the annular member offset within the through-hole portion along the axial direction. The grommet according to claim 4.

6. A plate-shaped portion is formed projecting from one end of the main body in the axial direction along a direction intersecting the axial direction, and when the main body is provided in the through hole, a flange portion is located on the side opposite to the side where the locking claw portion of the arm lock portion is located, with respect to the mounting object in the axial direction, The system includes an elastic deformation portion formed integrally with the flange portion, which, when the main body portion is provided in the through hole, contacts the mounting object and deforms elastically, generating a biasing force that biases the main body portion to one side in the axial direction. The grommet according to claim 1 or claim 2.

7. The main body includes a plurality of divided parts and a locking part that locks the plurality of divided parts together. The grommet according to claim 1 or claim 2.

8. A conductive wiring material, The cable member comprises a grommet, The grommet is, A main body is provided in a through hole that penetrates the object to be mounted along the axial direction, and is interposed between the cable material inserted inside and the inner surface of the through hole, An arm lock portion is provided on the main body along the axial direction and engages with the edge of the through hole when the main body is provided in the through hole, The main body portion is formed to protrude in a direction intersecting the axial direction and to extend along the axial direction, and the main body portion is provided in the through hole and the rib portion is in contact with the inner surface of the through hole, The main body portion is provided on the insertion end side of the through hole and has a guide tapered surface that guides the insertion operation of the main body portion into the through hole along the axial direction. The rib portion is positioned to contact the mounting object in place of the guide tapered surface after the guide tapered surface and the mounting object come into contact as the main body is inserted into the through hole, and before the arm lock portion begins to come into contact with the mounting object, and has a rib tapered surface provided on the insertion end side of the main body relative to the through hole, which centers the main body as the main body is inserted into the through hole along the axial direction. The rib tapered surface is formed to be continuous with the guide tapered surface at the insertion end side of the main body portion of the guide tapered surface. Wire harness.

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