Grommets and wire harnesses

Abstract

To provide a grommet and a wire harness capable of appropriately preventing external exposure of a branch part of a wiring material.SOLUTION: A grommet 1 includes: a main body part 2 into which a wiring material W can be inserted along an axial direction X; and a housing part 3 which protrudes from one end part of the main body part 2 in the axial direction X, is formed in a first branching direction Y and a second branching direction Z which intersect the axial direction X and are different from each other, and houses a branching part Wa of the wiring material W. The housing part 3 has a lid-shaped part 10 that is formed so as to open and close a slit 13 formed from a first opening end 15 through to a second opening end 16, and to cover the branch part Wa with the slit 13 being closed in a housed state. The lid-shaped part 10 has an engagement hole 17 that engages with an engagement projection 21 provided on the main body part 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventional grommets have been provided that are easy to assemble while ensuring the waterproofness of the branching portion of the wiring material (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in conventional grommets, it is difficult to wind a tape around the central portion of the lid-shaped portion that covers the branching portion of the wiring material, so the tape winding operation is not performed. On the other hand, there is room for improvement because the central portion of the lid-shaped portion that is not tape-wound may slightly open during the wiring operation of the wire harness, for example, and the branching portion of the wiring material may be exposed to the outside.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a grommet and a wire harness that can appropriately prevent the external exposure of the branching portion of the wiring material.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the grommet according to the present invention comprises: a main body portion that fits into a through hole that penetrates the object to be attached along the axial direction and seals the through hole, and through which a cable guide can be inserted along the axial direction; and a housing portion that protrudes from one end of the main body portion in the axial direction, intersects the axial direction, and is formed toward two different directions, housing the branch portion of the cable guide, wherein the housing portion has a first open end through which a first cable guide branching from the branch portion to one of the two directions is led out in the housing state in which the housing portion houses the branch portion; a second open end through which a second cable guide branching from the branch portion to the other of the two directions is led out in the housing state; and a lid-like portion that allows a slit formed from the first open end to the second open end to be opened and closed, and is formed so that in the housing state the slit covers the branch portion when closed, wherein the lid-like portion has a locking hole that locks against a locking projection provided on the main body portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The grommet and wire harness according to the present invention have the effect of properly preventing the branching portion of the wiring material housed inside the grommet from being exposed to the outside. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a grommet and wire harness according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a partially enlarged view showing the schematic configuration of the locking structure of the lid-shaped portion in the grommet according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a grommet according to a modified embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the locking structure of the lid-shaped portion in a grommet according to a modified embodiment. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the temporary locking state of the lid-like portion in a grommet according to a modified embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. That is, the components in the embodiments described below include those that are easily conceivable by those skilled in the art, or that are substantially the same, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0010] [Embodiment] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a grommet and wire harness according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a grommet according to the embodiment. Figure 3 is a partially enlarged view showing the schematic configuration of the locking structure of the lid-shaped portion in the grommet according to the embodiment.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the grommet 1 of this embodiment is incorporated into a wire harness WH routed in a vehicle or the like. Here, the wire harness WH 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 WH 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 WH may also include various other components such as corrugated tubing, resin tape, protectors and other exterior members, electrical connection boxes, and fasteners.

[0012] For convenience, in the following explanation, the X direction will be referred to as the "axial direction X," the Y direction as the "first branching direction Y," and the Z direction as the "second branching direction Z." The axial direction X, the first branching direction Y, and the second branching direction Z intersect with each other. The axial direction X corresponds to the thickness direction of the mounting panel 100 shown in the figure, and corresponds to the insertion direction of the cable material W and grommet 1 into the through hole 101. The first branching direction Y and the second branching direction Z intersect with the axial direction X and are not in the same direction as each other. The first branching direction Y and the second branching direction Z may be parallel to each other. Unless otherwise specified, the directions used in the following explanation refer to the directions when the grommet 1 is assembled to the mounting panel 100.

[0013] The wiring harness W is composed of, for example, a bundle of multiple electric wires. An electric wire consists of a conductor (core wire) made up of multiple conductive metal strands, with the outside covered by an insulating sheath. The wiring harness W as a whole is flexible and pliable. The wiring harness W is composed of a main line WM, a branch section Wa, a first wiring harness W1, and a second wiring harness W2.

[0014] The main cable WM is the portion routed within one of two spaces separated by the mounting panel 100 shown in Figure 1. The main cable WM is led out into one of the spaces through an opening (not shown) provided on one side of the grommet 1 in the axial direction X. The main cable WM is fixed to the grommet 1 by winding a tape member (not shown).

[0015] The branch section Wa is the part where the main line WM is branched in two directions, the first branching direction Y and the second branching direction Z, and is housed inside the grommet 1.

[0016] The first cable member W1 corresponds to a branch line to the main line WM, is formed extending from the branching section Wa along the first branching direction Y, and is routed to the other of the two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100. The first cable member W1 is led out to the other space from the first opening 11 provided on one side of the first branching direction Y of the grommet 1. The portion of the first cable member W1 led out from the first opening 11 is wound around the grommet 1 together with a part of the grommet 1 by the tape member T. In other words, the grommet 1 is fixed to the first cable member W1 by the tape member T being wound from the first cable member W1 to the grommet 1 along both sides of the first branching direction Y with the first opening 11 as the center.

[0017] The second cable member W2 corresponds to a branch line to the main line WM, and is formed extending from the branching section Wa along the second branching direction Z, and is routed into the other of the two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100. The second cable member W2 is led out to the other space from the second opening 12 provided on one side of the grommet 1 in the second branching direction Z. The portion of the second cable member W2 that is led out from the first opening 11 is wound around the grommet 1 together with a part of the grommet 1 by the tape member T. In other words, the grommet 1 is fixed to the second cable member W2 by the tape member T being wound from the second cable member W2 to the grommet 1 along both sides of the second branching direction Z with the second opening 12 as the center.

[0018] The grommet 1 is applied to the through-hole 101 formed in the mounting panel 100 to be mounted, and is used when laying the wiring material W across two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100. The mounting panel 100 is, for example, a metal plate constituting a vehicle body or the like, and the through-hole 101 penetrates the mounting panel 100 along the plate thickness direction. The two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100 are typically the interior space (e.g., the cabin) and the exterior space (e.g., the engine compartment) of the vehicle. The grommet 1 is assembled to the through-hole 101 in a state where the wiring material W of the wire harness WH is inserted therethrough and is externally mounted around the wiring material W, thereby protecting the wiring material W passing through the through-hole 101 and preventing water leakage (waterproofing) through the through-hole 101. The grommet 1 has functions such as dust prevention and sound insulation in addition to waterproofing of the through-hole 101.

[0019] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the grommet 1 of the present embodiment is a sealing member in which the wiring material W is inserted along the axial direction X inside, and can prevent water leakage between the grommet 1 and the through-hole 101 of the mounting panel 100. The grommet 1 includes a main body portion 2 attached to the mounting panel 100 and a housing portion 3 for housing the branch portion Wa of the wiring material W, and these are integrally formed as an elastic body. The grommet 1 is formed of an insulating elastic resin material (e.g., ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), etc.) having low rigidity and high flexibility, such as rubber or thermoplastic elastomer.

[0020] The main body portion 2 is a portion that fits into the through-hole 101 penetrating the mounting panel 100 along the axial direction X to prevent water leakage through the through-hole 101, and the wiring material W can be inserted therethrough along the axial direction X inside. The main body portion 2 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with the axial direction X as the central axis. The main body portion 2 has a cylindrical space (not shown) extending in the axial direction X through which the wiring material WM is inserted, and a locking projection 21.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the locking projection 21 is formed to protrude outward from the main body 2 and is a part that locks the lid-shaped part 10 that constitutes the housing 3. The locking projection 21 is formed on the main body fitting part 2a provided on the housing 3 side in the axial direction X of the main body 2. The locking projection 21 has a locking part 22 that locks into a locking hole 17. The locking part 22 is inserted through the locking hole 17 formed in the lid-shaped part 10 of the housing 3, and by locking into the locking hole 17, it fixes the lid-shaped part 10 that constitutes the housing 3 to the main body 2. When the locking part 22 is inserted through the locking hole 17, it is fitted inside the notch 17a provided in the locking hole 17. The locking part 22 has return parts 22a on both sides in the width direction of the locking projection 21 shown in Figure 3.

[0022] Each of the pair of return portions 22a is formed to fold back from the tip of the locking portion 22 in the extending direction toward the main body fitting portion 2a. As shown in Figure 3, when the locking projection 21 is fitted into the notch 17a of the locking hole 17, each of the pair of return portions 22a sandwiches the locking hole forming portion 14 formed in the lid-shaped portion 10 of the housing portion 3 between the tip of the locking portion 22 toward the main body fitting portion 2a in the extending direction and the main body fitting portion 2a.

[0023] The main body joining portion 2a is the part of its surface that, in whole or in part, contacts the locking hole forming portion 14 formed on the lid-like portion 10 of the housing portion 3 when the housing portion 3 is in a housing state in which the branch portion Wa of the cable material W is housed. Here, the housing state means the state in which the main cable WM is inserted through the main body portion 2 and the branch portion Wa is housed in the housing portion 3, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The main body joining portion 2a is formed on the main body portion 2 side between the main body portion 2 and the housing portion 3.

[0024] The housing section 3 protrudes from one end of the main body section 2 in the axial direction X, intersects with the axial direction X, and is formed toward two different first branching directions Y and second branching directions Z, and is a section that houses the branching section Wa of the cable material W. The housing section 3 has a lid-like section 10, a first opening 11, a second opening 12, a slit 13, a locking hole forming section 14, a first open end 15, a second open end 16, and a locking hole 17.

[0025] The lid-like portion 10 is formed to open and close the slit 13 that extends from the first open end 15 to the second open end 16, and is formed so that when the slit 13 is closed, the lid-like portion 10 covers the branching portion Wa when the slit 13 is closed. When the slit 13 is closed, the lid-like portion 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape from one end of the first branching direction Y to the other end of the second branching direction Z. When the slit 13 is closed, one end of the lid-like portion 10 in the circumferential direction is connected to the main body portion 2, and the other end is spaced apart from the main body portion 2 to form the slit 13. When the slit 13 is closed, the lid-like portion 10 is fixed to the main body portion 2 by the locking of the locking hole 17 and the locking projection 21.

[0026] The first opening 11 is the portion that opens toward the first branching direction Y when the slit 13 is closed. The first opening 11 is formed at one end of the first branching direction Y when the locking hole 17 of the lid portion 10 is locked to the locking projection 21 of the main body portion 2 and the lid portion 10 is closed. The first opening 11 has a first open end 15. The first open end 15 is formed in an annular shape when viewed from one side of the first branching direction Y. When the slit 13 is open, the first open end 15 becomes non-annular due to the slit 13. When the first open end 15 is non-annular, the first cable material W1 is housed inside through the slit 13, and when the first open end 15 is annular, the perimeter of the first opening 11 is wound together with the first cable material W1 by the tape member T.

[0027] The second opening 12 is the portion that opens toward the second branching direction Z when the slit 13 is closed. The second opening 12 is formed at one end in the second branching direction Z when the locking hole 17 of the lid portion 10 is locked to the locking projection 21 of the main body portion 2 and the lid portion 10 is closed. The second opening 12 has a second opening end 16. The shape of the second opening end 16, when viewed from one side in the second branching direction Z, is annular. When the slit 13 is open, the second opening end 16 becomes non-annular due to the slit 13. When the second opening end 16 is non-annular, the second cable material W2 is housed inside through the slit 13, and when the second opening end 16 is annular, the perimeter of the second opening 11 is wound around the second cable material W2 together with the tape member T.

[0028] The slit 13 is formed extending from the first open end 15 to the second open end 16. The slit 13 is formed to open and close by the elastic deformation of the lid-like portion 10, and when open, it allows the passage of the first cable member W1, the second cable member W2, and the branching portion Wa in the cable member W.

[0029] The locking hole forming portion 14 is formed in the lid-shaped portion 10 and forms a part of the opening end of the slit 13. The locking hole forming portion 14 is formed in a flat plate shape and has a constant width along the extending direction of the slit 13. When the slit 13 is closed, the locking hole forming portion 14 is formed to face and contact the main body mating portion 2a of the main body portion 2. The locking hole forming portion 14 has a locking hole 17 formed in the approximately central part of the extending direction of the lid-shaped portion 10. Here, the extending direction of the lid-shaped portion 10 is the direction along the extending direction of the slit 13.

[0030] The locking hole 17, together with the locking projection 21, constitutes a locking structure, and the lid-shaped portion 10 is fixed to the main body portion 2 by locking onto the locking projection 21. The locking hole 17 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape to match the shape of the locking projection 21 when viewed from the extending direction of the locking projection 21, and has a notch 17a on the slit 13 side. The notch 17a is formed in the locking hole forming portion 14 so as to be recessed toward the slit 13 side. The notch 17a is the portion into which the locking portion 22 is fitted when the locking hole 17 is locked to the locking projection 21.

[0031] In this embodiment, the grommet 1 and wire harness W / H have a lid-like portion 10 formed to allow the slit 13 to be opened and closed, which has a locking hole 17 formed in approximately the center of the lid-like portion 10 in the extending direction, and the main body portion 2 has a locking projection 21 at a position facing the locking hole 17 when the slit 13 is closed. As a result, when assembling the wiring material W to the grommet 1, for example, the assembly worker can lock the locking hole 17 with the locking projection 21, thereby fixing the lid-like portion 10 to the main body portion 2, and making it possible to maintain the closed state of the slit 13 without wrapping tape around approximately the center of the lid-like portion 10 in the extending direction.

[0032] As described above, the grommet 1 and wire harness W / H according to this embodiment are formed extending from the main body 2 through which the wire harness W is inserted, toward the first branching direction Y and the second branching direction Z respectively, and include a housing portion 3 for housing the branch portion Wa of the wire harness W. The housing portion 3 is formed of an elastic member that can open and close a slit 13 formed from a first open end 15 to a second open end 16, and has a lid-like portion 10 formed so that the slit 13 covers the branch portion Wa when closed in the housing state. The lid-like portion 10 has a locking hole 17 that locks with a locking projection 21 provided on the main body 2.

[0033] In this embodiment, the grommet 1 and wire harness W / H, with the above configuration, make it possible to secure the approximately central portion in the extending direction of the lid-shaped portion 10, which is difficult to wrap with tape, to the main body portion 2. As a result, the grommet 1 and wire harness W / H can prevent the slit 3 of the lid-shaped portion 10 from opening and exposing or protruding the branch portion Wa of the wiring material W, even though the periphery of the first opening 11 and the second opening 12 are fixed by tape members T, for example, when packaging the wire harness W / H or during wiring work on the wire harness W / H. Furthermore, with the above configuration, the grommet 1 and wire harness W / H can maintain the closed state of the slit 13, improving the airtightness of the grommet 1 located between two spaces partitioned by the mounting panel 100. As a result, the grommet 1 and wire harness W / H are prevented from easily opening due to the locking structure provided on the main body 2 and lid-like portion 10 of the grommet 1, thereby improving the sound insulation and soundproofing of the grommet 1 which is attached to the through hole 101 of the mounting panel 100.

[0034] Furthermore, the grommet 1 and wire harness W / H have a notch 17a formed so that the locking hole 17 is recessed toward the slit 13, and the locking portion 22 has a pair of return portions 22a. As a result, when the grommet 1 and wire harness W / H are locked in place with the locking hole 17 locked to the locking projection 21, the locking portion 22 fits into the notch 17a, causing the locking hole forming portion 14 to be sandwiched between the pair of return portions 22a and the main body matching portion 2a, making it easier to maintain the closed state of the slit 13.

[0035] Furthermore, the grommet 1 and wire harness W / H have a flat plate-shaped locking hole forming portion 14 formed on the lid-shaped portion 10, which forms a part of the opening end of the slit 13, and the locking hole forming portion 14 has a locking hole 17 formed in the approximately central part in the extending direction of the lid-shaped portion 10. As a result, when assembling the grommet 1 and wire harness W / H, for example, the assembler can grasp the locking hole forming portion 14. The assembler can then easily open and close the slit 13 by closing and opening the lid-shaped portion 10 while grasping the locking hole forming portion 14.

[0036] Next, a modified grommet 1A and wire harness W / H according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the grommet according to the modified embodiment. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the locking structure of the lid portion in the grommet according to the modified embodiment. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the temporary locking state of the lid portion in the grommet according to the modified embodiment.

[0037] The modified grommet 1A differs from the grommet 1 in that the locking projection 21A has a rib 23, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6. The locking projection 21A will be described below.

[0038] The locking projection 21A has a locking portion 22 and a rib 23. The rib 23 is formed extending from the locking portion 22 in the direction of extension of the locking projection 21 or the locking portion 22, and is located on the leading end side in the direction of extension of the locking portion 22. The rib 23 is formed so that it can be inserted into the locking hole 17 before the locking portion 22. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, when the rib 23 locks into the locking hole 17 with the locking projection 21, it passes through the locking hole 17 before the locking portion 22 passes through the locking hole 17.

[0039] In the modified grommet 1A and wire harness W / H, a rib 23 is provided on the locking projection 21A extending outward from the locking portion 22. As shown in Figure 6, the rib 23 protrudes from the locking hole 17 before the locking portion 22. As a result, when assembling the wire harness W to the grommet 1A, for example, the assembler can grasp the rib 23 that protrudes from the locking hole 17 before the locking portion 22. By grasping and pulling the rib 23, the assembler elastically deforms the entire locking projection 21A in the direction of extension of the locking portion 22, causing the pair of return portions 22a of the locking portion 22 to contract in the width direction of the locking portion 22, allowing the locking portion 22 to easily pass through the locking hole 17.

[0040] As described above, the modified grommet 1A and wire harness W / H of this embodiment make it easier for the assembly worker to lock the locking portion 22 into the locking hole 17 by inserting the rib 23 into the locking hole 17 and then pinching and pulling the rib 23, thereby reducing the burden on the assembly worker in locking the lid portion 10.

[0041] In the above embodiments and modifications, the first branching direction Y and the second branching direction Z are assumed to intersect with respect to the axial direction X and not be in the same direction as each other. However, the invention is not limited to this, and they may be in the same direction. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 1 grommet 2 Main body 3. Storage area 10 Lid-shaped part 13 slits 15 First open end 16 Second open end 17 Locking hole 21 Locking protrusion 22 Locking part 100 Mounting Panel 101 Through hole W / H Wire Harness W Routing material Wa branch section W1 First Securing Rigging Material W2 Second Securing Cable

Claims

1. The mounting object is fitted into a through-hole that penetrates the object along the axial direction, sealing the through-hole, and the main body portion is capable of inserting a cable guide material through the interior along the axial direction, The main body portion comprises a housing portion that protrudes from one end in the axial direction, intersects the axial direction, and is formed toward two different directions, and accommodates the branch portion of the cable member, The aforementioned housing section is In the housing state in which the housing section houses the branching section, the first open end from which the first cable member branching from the branching section in one of the two directions is led, In the aforementioned housing state, a second cable member is led out from the branching portion to the other of the two directions, The slit formed extending from the first open end to the second open end is made openable and closable, and the lid-like portion is formed such that, in the housing state, the slit covers the branching portion when closed, The aforementioned lid-like portion is The main body has a locking hole which is locked to a locking projection provided on the main body. A grommet characterized by the following features.

2. The aforementioned locking projection is A locking portion that engages with the aforementioned locking hole, The locking portion has a rib that extends in the direction of extension of the locking projection and is insertable into the locking hole before the locking portion. The grommet according to claim 1.

3. A conductive wiring material, The cable member comprises a grommet, The grommet is, The mounting object is fitted into a through-hole that penetrates the object along the axial direction, sealing the through-hole, and the main body portion is capable of inserting a cable guide material through the interior along the axial direction, The main body portion comprises a housing portion that protrudes from one end in the axial direction, intersects the axial direction, and is formed toward two different directions, and accommodates the branch portion of the cable member, The aforementioned housing section is In the housing state in which the housing section houses the branching section, the first open end from which the first cable member branching from the branching section in one of the two directions is led, In the aforementioned housing state, a second cable member is led out from the branching portion to the other of the two directions, The slit formed extending from the first open end to the second open end is made openable and closable, and the lid-like portion is formed such that, in the housing state, the slit covers the branching portion when closed, The aforementioned lid-like portion is The main body has a locking hole which is locked to a locking projection provided on the main body. A wire harness characterized by the following features.

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