Grommet assembly, and control cable assembly

Abstract

A grommet assembly comprises a grommet and a retainer. The grommet has an insertion part and a grommet-side attachment part. The insertion part includes an insertion hole through which a control cable is inserted, and a fitting part for fitting the retainer. The retainer is attached to the grommet-side attachment part. The retainer has a fitted part and a retainer-side attachment part. The fitted part is fitted with the fitting part. The retainer-side attachment part is attached to the grommet-side attachment part. The fitting part is fitted with the fitted part in a front side direction C including an axial direction along an axis M of the insertion hole. The insertion part further includes a guide part that guides the fitted part to a position P at which the fitted part is fitted with the fitting part. The guide part is provided at a different position in the circumferential direction of the insertion part with respect to the fitting part. Such a structure can provide the grommet assembly in which the grommet and the retainer are easily attached and hardly come off.

Description

Grommet Assembly and Control Cable Assembly

[0001] The present invention relates to a grommet assembly and a control cable assembly.

[0002] A control cable has one end connected to an operating part such as a shift lever provided inside the vehicle and the other end connected to an operating object such as a transmission provided outside the vehicle, and is routed through a through hole provided in the vehicle body.

[0003] Grommets are provided in the through holes of the vehicle body to prevent foreign matter such as water, exhaust gas, or dust from entering the vehicle interior from the outside (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a grommet assembly in which a grommet is integrated with a retainer. The grommet and the retainer are integrated by inserting a protrusion of the grommet into a small hole of the retainer.

[0005] International Publication No. 2013-118774 Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 5-79127

[0006] However, when the grommet and the retainer are integrated by the protrusion, the grommet can come off the retainer if the outer casing is accidentally pushed in the axial direction when attaching the control cable to the vehicle body, which requires the grommet to be reattached to the retainer, making the work more difficult.

[0007] On the other hand, if the number of protrusions is increased or the engagement force of the protrusions is increased in order to make it difficult for the grommet to come off the retainer, the attachment of the grommet to the retainer becomes difficult (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In the configuration shown in Patent Document 2, the protrusions of the grommet are attached to the column cover while being deflected, so if the protrusions are made larger in order to improve the holding force, the attachment becomes difficult.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a grommet assembly and a control cable assembly in which the grommet and the retainer are easily attached and are difficult to come off.

[0009] A grommet assembly according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a grommet and a retainer. The grommet has an insertion portion and a grommet-side mounting portion. The insertion portion includes an insertion hole through which a cable is inserted and a fitting portion into which the retainer is fitted. The retainer is attached to the grommet-side mounting portion. The retainer has a fitted portion and a retainer-side mounting portion. The fitted portion is fitted with the fitting portion. The retainer-side mounting portion is attached to the grommet-side mounting portion. The fitting portion fits with the fitted portion in a restricting direction including an axial direction along the axis of the insertion hole. The insertion portion further includes a guide portion that guides the fitted portion to a predetermined position where it fits with the fitting portion. The guide portion is provided at a different position circumferentially of the insertion portion relative to the fitting portion.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a grommet assembly and a control cable assembly in which the grommet and the retainer are easily attached and are difficult to come off.

[0011] 3B is a side view showing the control cable assembly 1. FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the grommet assembly as viewed from the front side. FIG. 3D is a perspective view of the grommet assembly as viewed from the back side. FIG. 3E is a plan view of the grommet assembly. FIG. 3F is a cross-sectional view between A and A in FIG. 2C. FIG. 3G is a perspective view of the grommet as viewed from the front side. FIG. 3H is a plan view of the grommet. FIG. 3I is a side view of the grommet as viewed along arrow B in FIG. 3B. FIG. 3I is a perspective view of the retainer as viewed from the front side. FIG. 3J is a perspective view of the retainer as viewed from the back side. FIG. 3P is a plan view of the retainer. FIG. 3P is a perspective view for explaining assembly of the retainer to the grommet. FIG. 3P is a perspective view for explaining assembly of the retainer to the grommet. FIG. 3P is a perspective view for explaining assembly of the retainer to the grommet. FIG. 3P is a side view showing the retainer assembled to the grommet.

[0012] Hereinafter, a control cable assembly and a grommet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0013] 1 is a side view showing the control cable assembly 1. The control cable assembly 1 includes a control cable 2 and a grommet assembly 3.

[0014] The control cable 2 connects, for example, a shift lever disposed inside the vehicle cabin and a transmission disposed outside the cabin. The control cable 2 has, for example, a cylindrical outer casing 2a and an inner cable 2b threaded inside the outer casing 2a. The control cable 2 transmits the operation of the shift lever to the transmission. The control cable 2 is led from the cabin to the exterior through an opening 4a formed in a panel 4. The surface facing the interior of the vehicle is indicated by 4b. The grommet assembly 3 is arranged to cover the opening 4a of the panel 4. The control cable 2 is inserted through an insertion hole 31 (see FIG. 2D ) provided in the grommet assembly 3. The control cable 2 is led from the cabin to the exterior through the insertion hole 31 of the grommet assembly 3. The grommet assembly 3 is fixed to the panel 4 with a bolt or the like.

[0015] (Grommet assembly 3) Fig. 2A is a perspective view of the grommet assembly 3 as viewed from the front side. Fig. 2B is a perspective view of the grommet assembly 3 as viewed from the rear side. Fig. 2C is a plan view of the grommet assembly 3. Fig. 2D is a cross-sectional view between A and A in Fig. 2C.

[0016] 2A to 2D, the grommet assembly 3 includes a grommet 11 and a retainer 12. The grommet 11 is formed from an elastic material such as rubber. The retainer 12 is made of metal, but the material is not particularly limited as long as it can hold the grommet 11.

[0017] (Grommet 11) FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the grommet 11 as viewed from the front side. FIG. 3B is a plan view of the grommet 11. FIG. 3C is a side view of the grommet 11 as viewed in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 3B. As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the grommet 11 has an insertion portion 21, a grommet-side mounting portion 22, and a pair of anti-rotation protrusions 23. The retainer 12 is attached to the grommet-side mounting portion 22. As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3C, the grommet-side mounting portion 22 has a planar portion 25 and a rib 26. The planar portion 25 is flat. The rib 26 is disposed on the surface of the planar portion 25 facing in the rear direction D (described below). The rib 26 is formed to surround an insertion hole forming portion 33 (described below). In this embodiment, the planar portion 25 has a plane extending in a direction perpendicular to a central axis (described below).

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3B , the insertion portion 21 is disposed approximately in the center of the grommet-side mounting portion 22. When the grommet 11 and the retainer 12 are combined, the insertion portion 21 is inserted into the insertion hole 51 of the retainer 12. As shown in the plan view of FIG. 3B , the insertion portion 21 has an outer shape formed along a circle. The center of this circle is defined as a central axis O. The grommet-side mounting portion 22 is formed point-symmetrically with respect to the central axis O. A pair of bolt holes 22 a are formed in the grommet-side mounting portion 22. Each bolt hole 22 a is a through-hole formed in the grommet-side mounting portion 22. The pair of bolt holes 22 a are formed point-symmetrically with respect to the central axis O.

[0019] 3A and 3B , the insertion section 21 has an insertion hole 31, an insertion section main body 32, an insertion hole forming section 33, a pair of fitting sections 34, and a pair of guide sections 35. The control cable 2 is inserted through the insertion hole 31.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3A , the insertion section body 32 protrudes in the front direction from the flat surface 25 of the grommet-side mounting section 22. The insertion section body 32 is cylindrical. For the sake of explanation, the direction perpendicular to the grommet-side mounting section 22 and in which the insertion section body 32 protrudes is referred to as the front direction C. However, depending on the arrangement, the front direction of the grommet assembly 3 is not limited to the front. The direction opposite to the front direction C is referred to as the back direction D. The insertion section body 32 is formed point-symmetrically about a central axis O in a plan view. The central axis O is parallel to the front direction C. In the plan view of FIG. 3B , a counterclockwise direction L and a clockwise direction R, which is the opposite direction to the counterclockwise direction L, are shown about the central axis O.

[0021] The insertion hole forming portion 33 forms the insertion hole 31. The insertion hole forming portion 33 is hollow and cylindrical. The insertion hole forming portion 33 penetrates the insertion portion main body 32 from the front side to the back side. If the axis of the insertion hole forming portion 33 is designated as M, as shown in FIG. 3C , the axis M of the insertion hole forming portion 33 is inclined with respect to the front side direction C. As shown in FIG. 3B , the insertion hole forming portion 33 is positioned off the central axis O of the insertion portion 21 and toward the right side in the figure.

[0022] The pair of fitting portions 34 are fitted with the retainer 12. As shown in FIG. 3C , the pair of fitting portions 34 are formed by a pair of protrusions 36 arranged on the insertion portion main body 32 and a side surface 32a of the insertion portion main body 32 on the back side direction D side of the protrusions 36. A space 37 is formed between each protrusion 36 and the grommet-side mounting portion 22. As shown in FIG. 3B , the pair of protrusions 36 protrude from the insertion portion main body 32. The pair of protrusions 36 are formed point-symmetrically with respect to the central axis O. As shown in FIG. 3C , each protrusion 36 protrudes from the insertion portion main body 32 radially outward from the central axis O. As shown in FIG. 3C , each protrusion 36 is arranged closer to the front side direction C of the insertion portion main body 32.

[0023] One of the fitting portions 34 is formed by one of the protrusions 36 and the side surface 32a, and the other fitting portion 34 is formed by the other of the protrusions 36 and the side surface 32a. A fitted portion 53 of the retainer 12 (described later) fits into a space 37 on the back side (D) of each of the protrusions 36, thereby fitting the fitted portion 53 with the fitting portion 34 in the front side (C). Each of the fitting portions 34 has a locking portion 38. The locking portion 38 corresponds to a portion of the fitting portion 34 on the surface 36t of the protrusion 36 on the back side (D) side. The locking portion 38 locks the fitted portion 53 in the front side (C). As a result, when an external force acts on the grommet 11 in the back side (D), movement of the grommet 11 in the back side (D) is restricted, preventing the grommet 11 from coming off the retainer 12 in the back side (D).

[0024] When attaching the retainer 12 to the grommet 11, the pair of guide portions 35 guide the fitted portions 53 of the retainer 12 to a predetermined position where they are fitted into the fitting portions 34. As shown in Fig. 3B , the pair of guide portions 35 are arranged at different positions in the circumferential direction from the pair of fitting portions 34. In the counterclockwise direction L of the circumferential direction, the fitting portions 34, guide portion 35, fitting portion 34, and guide portion 35 are arranged in this order. The pair of guide portions 35 are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the central axis O.

[0025] Each guide portion 35 has a first guide portion 41 and a second guide portion 42. The pair of first guide portions 41 are arranged around the periphery of the insertion portion main body 32. The pair of first guide portions 41 are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the central axis O in a plan view.

[0026] Each first guide portion 41 is arranged along the counterclockwise direction L from the end of the protrusion 36 on the counterclockwise direction L side. In the counterclockwise direction L, the protrusion 36, the first guide portion 41, the protrusion 36, and the first guide portion 41 are arranged in this order. As shown in Fig. 3A , the first guide portion 41 protrudes from the grommet-side mounting portion 22 toward the front side direction C. As shown in Fig. 3B , in a plan view, the outer periphery 36a of the protrusion 36 and the outer periphery 41a of the first guide portion 41 are connected and form a circular shape.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3C , the first guide portion 41 has an inclined surface 41s facing the front direction C and an inclined surface 41t facing the rear direction D. The inclined surface 41s inclines toward the grommet-side mounting portion 22 as it progresses in the counterclockwise direction L from the surface 36s on the front direction C side of the convex portion 36, and is connected to the flat surface 25 of the grommet-side mounting portion 22. The inclined surface 41t inclines toward the grommet-side mounting portion 22 as it progresses in the counterclockwise direction L from the surface 36t on the rear direction D side of the convex portion 36, and is connected to the flat surface 25 of the grommet-side mounting portion 22. As shown in FIG. 3B , a gap 39 is formed between the end of the first guide portion 41 on the counterclockwise direction L side and the adjacent convex portion 36 in the counterclockwise direction L.

[0028] The second guide portion 42 is disposed on the convex portion 36 adjacent to the first guide portion 41 in the counterclockwise direction L. The second guide portion 42 is an end portion of the convex portion 36 on the clockwise direction R side. The second guide portion 42 has an inclined surface 42s that is inclined so as to approach the grommet-side mounting portion 22 from the end on the clockwise direction R side toward the counterclockwise direction L.

[0029] The pair of anti-rotation protrusions 23 prevent rotation of the retainer 12 relative to the grommet 11. The pair of anti-rotation protrusions 23 are arranged point-symmetrically about the central axis O. The pair of anti-rotation protrusions 23 are arranged on the grommet-side mounting portion 22. Each of the anti-rotation protrusions 23 protrudes from the grommet-side mounting portion 22 in the front-side direction C.

[0030] 3B , each anti-rotation protrusion 23 is disposed radially outward from the end of the convex portion 36 on the clockwise R side. The shape and number of anti-rotation protrusions 23 are not particularly limited as long as they suppress relative rotation of the retainer 12 with respect to the grommet in the removal direction (rotation toward the clockwise R side in this embodiment) and do not inhibit relative rotation of the retainer 12 with respect to the grommet in the attachment direction (rotation toward the counterclockwise L side in this embodiment) when attaching the retainer 12 to the grommet.

[0031] (Retainer 12) Fig. 4A is a perspective view of the retainer 12 as viewed from the front side, Fig. 4B is a perspective view of the retainer 12 as viewed from the back side, and Fig. 4C is a plan view of the retainer 12.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the retainer 12 has an insertion hole 51, a retainer side mounting portion 52, and a pair of fitted portions 53.

[0033] 2A and 2D, the insertion portion 21 of the grommet 11 is inserted into the insertion hole 51. The retainer-side attachment portion 52 is attached to the grommet-side attachment portion 22 of the grommet 11. As shown in Fig. 4C, the insertion hole 51 has an outer shape that is circular when centered on the above-mentioned central axis O (Fig. 2C), and a fitted portion 53, which will be described later, extends from the peripheral edge portion 62 toward the central axis.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B , the retainer-side mounting portion 52 has a flat portion 61 and a peripheral portion 62. As shown in FIG. 2D , the flat portion 61 covers the surface of the flat portion 25 of the grommet-side mounting portion 22 on the front side direction C. This restricts movement of the grommet 11 in the front side direction C and prevents the grommet 11 from separating from the retainer 12 in the front side direction C. The peripheral portion 62 is disposed on the side surface of the flat portion 61. The peripheral portion 62 is formed from the periphery of the flat portion 61 toward the back side direction D. The peripheral portion 62 covers the side surface of the flat portion 25 of the grommet-side mounting portion 22. A pair of bolt holes 61 a is formed in the flat portion 61 of the retainer 12. The pair of bolt holes 61 a is formed to face the pair of bolt holes 22 a of the grommet-side mounting portion 22.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4A , the pair of fitted portions 53 are disposed on the edge 51 e of the insertion hole 51. As shown in FIG. 4C , the pair of fitted portions 53 are formed from the flat portion 61 toward the central axis O. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 2A , the pair of fitted portions 53 are fitted with the fitting portion 34 of the grommet 11. The pair of fitted portions 53 are formed point-symmetrically about the central axis O. The fitted portions 53 are formed along the circumferential direction about the central axis O. Each fitted portion 53 has a rising portion 71, a protruding flat portion 72, and an introduction portion 73. The rising portion 71 is formed to extend toward the front side direction C. The protruding flat portion 72 is formed from the end of the rising portion 71 in the front side direction C toward the central axis O. The protruding flat portion 72 is formed parallel to the flat portion 61. Each introduction portion 73 is disposed on the counterclockwise direction L side of the corresponding protruding flat portion 72. Each introduction portion 73 is inclined toward the back side direction D as it extends in the counterclockwise direction L. When the retainer 12 is assembled to the grommet 11, the introduction portion 73 introduces the fitted portion 53 into a position where it is fitted into the fitting portion 34. The surfaces of the protruding flat surface portion 72 of the fitted portion 53 and the introduction portion 73 facing in the front side direction C are shown in Fig. 4A as front surface 53a (an example of the surface on the fitting portion side), and the surfaces facing in the back side direction D are shown in Fig. 4B as back surface 53b (an example of the surface opposite the fitting portion).

[0036] (Assembly of Grommet Assembly 3) FIGS. 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining the assembly of the grommet assembly 3 of this embodiment.

[0037] 5A , the insertion portion 21 of the grommet 11 is inserted into the insertion hole 51 of the retainer 12. Here, the insertion is performed while rotating the retainer 12 in the counterclockwise direction L relative to the grommet 11 so that the back surface 53 b (see FIG. 4B ) of the fitted portion 53 of the retainer 12 faces the inclined surface 41 s of the first guide portion 41 and the rising portion 71 of the fitted portion 53 is aligned along the outer periphery 41 a of the first guide portion 41.

[0038] When the retainer 12 is further rotated counterclockwise in the direction L relative to the grommet 11 from the state shown in Figure 5A, as shown in Figure 5B, the portion of the introduction portion 73 on the surface 53a of the mating portion 53 of the retainer 12 is guided by the inclined surface 42s of the second guide portion 42, and the mating portion 53 is led to the mating portion 34 of the grommet 11.

[0039] When the retainer 12 is further rotated counterclockwise in the direction L relative to the grommet 11 from the state shown in Fig. 5B , the fitted portion 53 of the retainer 12 fits into the fitting portion 34 of the grommet 11, as shown in Fig. 5C . Position P, where the fitted portion 53 fits into the fitting portion 34 as shown in Fig. 5C , is an example of a predetermined position. Position P is a position on the rear side direction D of the locking portion 38.

[0040] Furthermore, retainer-side mounting portion 52 of retainer 12 is disposed so as to cover grommet-side mounting portion 22 of grommet 11, and bolt hole 61a of retainer-side mounting portion 52 is disposed in a position facing bolt hole 22a of grommet-side mounting portion 22. Furthermore, each anti-rotation protrusion 23 is disposed on the clockwise direction R side of each fitted portion 53. As a result, even if retainer 12 rotates in the clockwise direction R relative to grommet 11, fitted portion 53 abuts against anti-rotation protrusion 23, thereby restricting rotation.

[0041] 5D is a side view of FIG. 5C as viewed in the direction of arrow B. As shown in FIG. 5D , rotation of the retainer 12 in the counterclockwise direction L is restricted when the introduction portion 73, which is the end of the fitted portion 53 in the counterclockwise direction L, abuts against the inclined surface 41t of the first guide portion 41.

[0042] (Features, etc.) In the grommet assembly 3 of this embodiment, simply by guiding the fitted portion 53 to position P using the guide portion 35, the fitted portion 53 is fitted into the fitting portion 34, making it possible to easily attach the retainer 12 to the grommet 11. Furthermore, by fitting the fitting portion 34 into the fitted portion 53, movement of the grommet 11 relative to the retainer 12 along the front side direction C (an example of a restricting direction) including the direction of the axis M can be restricted.

[0043] In the grommet assembly 3 of this embodiment, the guide portions 35 are provided at different positions in the circumferential direction of the insertion portion 21 relative to the fitting portion 34, so that the fitting portion 34 and the fitted portion 53 can be fitted together simply by moving the fitted portion 53 of the retainer 12 along the guide portions 35 toward the fitting portion 34. This makes insertion easier than a configuration in which the fitting portion is bent to fit.

[0044] In the grommet assembly 3 of this embodiment, the first guide portion 41 and the second guide portion 42 guide the mating portion 53 to a predetermined position where it is mated with the mating portion 34, making it easy to attach the retainer 12 to the grommet 11.

[0045] In the grommet assembly 3 of this embodiment, the second guide portion 42 guides the mated portion 53 to the position P where it is locked by the locking portion 38, making it easy to attach the retainer 12 to the grommet 11.

[0046] In the grommet assembly 3 of this embodiment, the mating portion 53 can be guided along the inclined surfaces 41s, 42s to the position P where it is mated with the mating portion 34, making it easy to attach the retainer 12 to the grommet 11.

[0047] In the grommet assembly 3 of this embodiment, the insertion portion 21 of the grommet 11 can be inserted into the insertion hole 51 of the retainer 12, while the guide portion 35 can guide the mating portion 53 to the position P where it is mated with the mating portion 34, thereby making it easy to attach the retainer 12 to the grommet 11.

[0048] (Other Embodiments) Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0049] (A) In the grommet assembly 3 of the above embodiment, the grommet 11 has a pair of guide portions 35, but it may have only one guide portion 35 or three or more guide portions 35. Furthermore, the guide portion 35 has a first guide portion 41 and a second guide portion 42, but it may have only one of the guide portions, such as only the first guide portion 41.

[0050] (B) In the grommet assembly 3 of the above embodiment, the grommet 11 has a pair of fitting portions 34, but this is not limited to this, and three or more fitting portions 34 may be provided.

[0051] (C) In the grommet assembly 3 of the above embodiment, the axis M of the insertion hole forming portion 33 is inclined with respect to the front side direction C, but it may be disposed along the front side direction C without being inclined.

[0052] (D) In ​​the grommet assembly 3 of the above embodiment, the retainer 12 is assembled to the grommet 11 by rotating the retainer 12 in the counterclockwise direction L relative to the grommet 11, but it may also be assembled by rotating it in the clockwise direction R.

[0053] The grommet assembly of the present invention allows for easy attachment of the grommet and retainer and is effective in preventing them from coming off, and is useful as a control cable assembly, etc.

[0054] 3: Grommet assembly 11: Grommet 12: Retainer 21: Insertion portion 22: Grommet side mounting portion 34: Fitting portion 35: Guide portion 52: Retainer side mounting portion 53: Fitted portion

Claims

1. A grommet assembly comprising a grommet and a retainer, wherein the grommet has an insertion portion including an insertion hole through which a cable is inserted and a fitting portion into which the retainer fits, and a grommet side mounting portion to which the retainer is attached, the retainer has a fitted portion into which the fitting portion fits, and a retainer side mounting portion attached to the grommet side mounting portion, the fitting portion fits with the fitted portion in a restricting direction including an axial direction along the axis of the insertion hole, the insertion portion further includes a guide portion that guides the fitted portion to a predetermined position where it is fitted with the fitting portion, and the guide portion is provided at a different position circumferentially of the insertion portion relative to the fitting portion.

2. A grommet assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the guide portion has a first guide portion that guides the surface of the fitted portion opposite the fitting portion, and a second guide portion that guides the surface of the fitted portion facing the fitting portion.

3. A grommet assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the mating portion has a locking portion that locks the mated portion in the restricting direction, and the guiding portion has a second guiding portion that guides the mated portion to the specified position where it is locked by the locking portion.

4. The grommet assembly according to claim 1, wherein said guide portion has an inclined surface extending in a circumferential direction of said shaft.

5. A grommet assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the retainer has an insertion hole into which the insertion portion is inserted, the retainer side attachment portion is arranged around the insertion hole and formed from the edge of the insertion hole, and the fitted portion is arranged to protrude inward from the edge of the insertion hole.

6. A control cable assembly comprising: a grommet assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and a control cable inserted into the insertion hole.

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