Wire harness mounting structure, grommet, and wire harness with grommet

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables mounting of a wire harness on a sharply bent portion of a grommet without buckling and also enables space saving. This wire harness mounting structure comprises a wire harness and a grommet that covers the wire harness. A path of the wire harness between a first vehicle body panel and a second vehicle body panel includes a first path and a second path that is more curved than the first path. The grommet includes: a cylinder portion through which the wire harness is inserted; a first mounting portion provided on one end side of the cylinder portion and mounted to the first vehicle body panel; and a second mounting portion provided on the other end side of the cylinder portion and mounted to the second vehicle body panel. The cylinder portion has: a spiral bellows cylinder portion in which a first peak portion and a first valley portion extend spirally about the axis of the cylinder portion and cover the first path; and a curved cylinder portion that is continuous with the spiral bellows cylinder portion and covers the second path.

Description

Wire harness mounting structure, grommet, and wire harness with grommet

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wire harness mounting structure, a grommet, and a wire harness with a grommet.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an automotive grommet including a pair of mounting portions and a bellows-shaped hollow cylindrical portion that integrally connects between the pair of mounting portions via bellows-shaped portions, and having a spiral portion with continuous ridges and valleys formed in the bellows-shaped hollow cylindrical portion. Such a grommet is attached between a door and a vehicle body. The bellows-shaped hollow cylindrical portion is for improving the followability of the grommet against torsional action when the door is opened and closed, and also improving durability and waterproofness.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-157495

[0004] It is desired that the grommet can be attached without buckling at a sharp bending portion. It is also desired that space can be saved.

[0005] Therefore, an object is to provide a technique that can be attached without buckling at a sharp bending portion of the grommet and can also save space.

[0006] The wire harness mounting structure of the present disclosure is a wire harness mounting structure spanning from a first vehicle body panel to a second vehicle body panel, including a wire harness and a grommet covering the wire harness. The path of the wire harness between the first vehicle body panel and the second vehicle body panel includes a first path and a second path that is more curved than the first path. The grommet includes a cylindrical portion through which the wire harness is inserted, a first mounting portion provided on one end side of the cylindrical portion and attached to the first vehicle body panel, and a second mounting portion provided on the other end side of the cylindrical portion and attached to the second vehicle body panel. The cylindrical portion has a helical bellows cylindrical portion in which first ridges and first valleys extend helically around the axis of the cylindrical portion to cover the first path, and a bent cylindrical portion that continues from the helical bellows cylindrical portion to cover the second path, which is a wire harness mounting structure.

[0007] According to this disclosure, the grommet can be installed without buckling on sharp bends, and space saving is also possible.

[0008] Figure 1 is a front view showing the mounting structure of a wire harness according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a grommet in an unloaded state. Figure 3 is a front view showing a grommet and a wire harness with a grommet in an unloaded state. Figure 4 is a plan view showing a grommet and a wire harness with a grommet in an unloaded state. Figure 5 is a front view showing the mounting structure of a wire harness according to Embodiment 2. Figure 6 is a front view showing a grommet according to a first modified example. Figure 7 is a front view showing a grommet according to a second modified example.

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Disclosure] First, embodiments of the Disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] The mounting structure of the wire harness in this disclosure is as follows:

[0011] (1) A mounting structure for a wire harness stretched from a first vehicle body panel to a second vehicle body panel, comprising a wire harness and a grommet covering the wire harness, wherein the path of the wire harness between the first vehicle body panel and the second vehicle body panel includes a first path and a second path that is more curved than the first path, and the grommet includes a cylindrical portion through which the wire harness is inserted, a first mounting portion provided on one end of the cylindrical portion and attached to the first vehicle body panel, and a second mounting portion provided on the other end of the cylindrical portion and attached to the second vehicle body panel, wherein the cylindrical portion has a helical bellows cylindrical portion with a first peak and a first valley extending spirally around the axis of the cylindrical portion to cover the first path, and a bent cylindrical portion connected to the helical bellows cylindrical portion to cover the second path.

[0012] According to the wire harness mounting structure of (1), since there is a bent cylindrical portion, the grommet and wire harness can be mounted without buckling even if there is a sharp bend in the grommet. In addition, the helical bellows cylindrical portion can be deformed by twisting along the circumferential direction, which changes the inner diameter. At this time, the first cylindrical portion can be deformed to expand or contract in diameter depending on the direction of twisting. For example, if the wiring member or the connector at the end of the wiring member in the wire harness is the same as or larger than the inner diameter of the helical bellows cylindrical portion, the wire harness can be passed through the cylindrical portion by deforming the helical bellows cylindrical portion to expand in diameter. Also, for example, if the wiring member is smaller than the inner diameter of the helical bellows cylindrical portion, after passing the wiring member through the cylindrical portion, the helical bellows cylindrical portion can be deformed to contract in diameter, allowing the helical bellows cylindrical portion to be tightly fitted to the outer circumference of the wiring member. Compared to cases where expansion or contraction in diameter deformation is not possible, the diameter can be changed to match the diameter of the wiring member being inserted, so space saving is also possible.

[0013] (2) In the wire harness mounting structure of (1), the bent cylindrical portion may be a parallel bellows cylindrical portion having a second peak formed along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion and a second valley formed along the circumferential direction and parallel to the second peak in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion. In this case, the parallel bellows cylindrical portion is less prone to buckling when bent compared to a helical bellows cylindrical portion because the second peak and the second valley expand and contract in the axial direction. The parallel bellows cylindrical portion may also be formed in a straight line in an unloaded state and can be bent from there. In this case, the second peak and the second valley are extended on the outer circumference side of the bent portion and contracted on the inner circumference side of the bent portion. This makes it easier to form a grommet and to pass the wire harness through the cylindrical portion. Furthermore, since the second peak and the second valley are expanded and contract in the axial direction of the parallel bellows cylindrical portion, it can accommodate changes in axial length. For example, the system can accommodate cases where the first or second body panel is movable, and the distance between the first and second body panels changes.

[0014] (3) In the wire harness mounting structure of (1), the bent cylindrical portion may be a bent cylindrical portion that is formed in a shape that follows the second path when unloaded. In this case, the bent cylindrical portion that is formed in advance in a shape that follows the second path is more likely to maintain that shape and is therefore less likely to buckle than the helical bellows cylindrical portion. In addition, the wire harness inserted inside the bent cylindrical portion is also more likely to maintain its shape and is less likely to buckle.

[0015] (4) In any one of the wire harness mounting structures described in (1) to (3), the inner diameter of the helical bellows section in an unloaded state may be the smallest diameter among the sections. Since the helical bellows section can be expanded and contracted, it can be expanded to facilitate wire harness insertion and contracted to save space during installation after wire harness insertion.

[0016] (5) The grommet of the present disclosure further comprises a cylindrical portion through which a wire harness is inserted, a first mounting portion provided on one end of the cylindrical portion and attached to a first vehicle body panel, and a second mounting portion provided on the other end of the cylindrical portion and attached to a second vehicle body panel, wherein the cylindrical portion includes a helical bellows cylindrical portion having a first peak and a first valley extending helically around the axis of the cylindrical portion, and a parallel bellows cylindrical portion connected to the helical bellows cylindrical portion, wherein the parallel bellows cylindrical portion has a second peak formed along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion, and a second valley formed along the circumferential direction and parallel to the second peak in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion.

[0017] According to the grommet of (5), since it includes parallel bellows-shaped cylindrical sections, even if there are bends in the wire harness path of the grommet, it can bend and deform to correspond to those bends. Therefore, the grommet can be installed without buckling. In addition, because it can be deformed into expanding and contracting shapes due to the helical bellows-shaped cylindrical section, it can be made more space-saving.

[0018] (6) The grommet of the present disclosure also comprises a cylindrical portion through which a wire harness is inserted, a first mounting portion provided on one end of the cylindrical portion and attached to a first vehicle body panel, and a second mounting portion provided on the other end of the cylindrical portion and attached to a second vehicle body panel, wherein the cylindrical portion includes a helical bellows cylindrical portion having first peaks and first valleys extending helically around the axis of the cylindrical portion, and a bent cylindrical portion connected to the helical bellows cylindrical portion and formed into a bent shape in an unloaded state.

[0019] According to the grommet of (6), since it includes a bent cylindrical portion, even if there is a bend in the wire harness path within the grommet, the bent cylindrical portion can accommodate that portion. Therefore, the grommet can be installed without buckling. In addition, because the spiral bellows cylindrical portion can be deformed into expanding and contracting shapes, it can be made more space-saving.

[0020] (7) The grommeted wire harness of the present disclosure is a grommeted wire harness comprising a grommet of (5) or (6) and a wire harness inserted through the grommet.

[0021] [Details of Embodiments of the Disclosure] Specific examples of the wire harness mounting structure, grommets, and wire harnesses with grommets of the Disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the Disclosure is not limited to these examples and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims as indicated by the claims.

[0022] In each drawing, some parts of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified for ease of explanation. Also, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ in each drawing. Furthermore, in this specification, "parallel" and "orthogonal" do not only refer to strictly parallel or orthogonal connections, but also to connections that are approximately parallel or orthogonal within the range that achieves the function and effect of this embodiment.

[0023] [Embodiment 1] The following describes the wire harness mounting structure 10, grommet 30, and wire harness 100 with grommet according to Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a front view showing the wire harness mounting structure 10 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the grommet 30 in an unloaded state. Figure 3 is a front view showing the grommet 30 and wire harness 100 with grommet in an unloaded state. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the grommet 30 and wire harness 100 with grommet in an unloaded state.

[0024] In each figure, the three mutually orthogonal directions are defined as the X, Y, and Z directions. One direction of the X is designated as the X1 direction, and the opposite direction as the X2 direction. One direction of the Y is designated as the Y1 direction, and the opposite direction as the Y2 direction. One direction of the Z is designated as the Z1 direction, and the opposite direction as the Z2 direction.

[0025] The wire harness mounting structure 10 is a mounting structure 10 for a wire harness that is stretched from a first vehicle body panel 12 to a second vehicle body panel 14. For example, the first vehicle body panel 12 is a main body panel that constitutes the vehicle body, and the second vehicle body panel 14 is a door panel that constitutes the door of the vehicle. For example, the door is a hinged door. The door may also be a sliding door. The first vehicle body panel 12 and the second vehicle body panel 14 spread out along the YZ plane. In the case of a hinged door, the Z direction may also be along the vertical direction. In the case of a hinged door, the second vehicle body panel 14 may rotate around an axis along the Z direction relative to the first vehicle body panel 12. Figure 1 may show the open state of a hinged door. In the closed state of a hinged door, the second vehicle body panel 14 may spread out along the XZ plane.

[0026] The wire harness mounting structure 10 comprises a wire harness 20 and a grommet 30 that covers the wire harness 20.

[0027] The wire harness 20 includes a wiring member 24 and at least one connector 26 provided at the end of the wiring member 24. The wiring member 24 is, for example, an electric wire for transmitting electricity or an optical cable for transmitting light. Typically, multiple transmission members are bundled together to form the wiring member 24. The wiring member 24 passes through a grommet 30. The grommet 30 is fitted to the middle portion of the wiring member 24. Hereinafter, the portion of the wiring member 24 to which the grommet 30 is fitted will be referred to as the grommet fitting portion. At least one connector 26 is provided at the end of the wiring member 24 that is one end away from the grommet fitting portion.

[0028] The path of the wire harness 20 between the first body panel 12 and the second body panel 14 includes a first path 21 and a second path 22 that is more curved than the first path 21. For example, the second path 22 may be created if the wire harness 20 extends horizontally at the positions of the first mounting portion 34 and the second mounting portion 36, respectively, and the first mounting portion 34 and the second mounting portion 36 are offset vertically. The second path 22 is a path that curves between the horizontal and vertical directions, and the first path 21 is a path that follows the vertical direction. The second path 22 is located on both sides of the first path 21. The second path 22 on the first body panel 12 side of the first path 21 is a path that extends horizontally from the first mounting portion 34 and then curves towards the first path 21 in the vertical direction. The second path 22, which is closer to the second vehicle body panel 14 than the first path 21, is a path that extends vertically from the first path 21 and then curves horizontally toward the second vehicle body panel 14.

[0029] The grommet 30 includes a cylindrical portion 32 through which the wire harness 20 is inserted, a first mounting portion 34 attached to the first vehicle body panel 12, and a second mounting portion 36 attached to the second vehicle body panel 14. The first mounting portion 34 is provided on one end of the cylindrical portion 32. The second mounting portion 36 is provided on the other end of the cylindrical portion 32. The grommet 30 is formed from an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer. The grommet 30 is, for example, a molded product made using a mold.

[0030] The cylindrical portion 32 has a helical bellows portion 40 and a bent portion 50. A portion of the cylindrical portion 32 along the axial direction is the helical bellows portion 40, and the other portion is the bent portion 50. The helical bellows portion 40 covers the first path 21 of the wire harness 20. The bent portion 50 is connected to the helical bellows portion 40. The bent portion 50 covers the second path 22 of the wire harness 20.

[0031] The helical bellows portion 40 has a first peak 41 and a first valley 42. The first peak 41 is a portion that protrudes outward from the outer surface of the grommet 30 than the first valley 42. On the inner surface of the grommet 30, the concave-concave relationship of the first peak 41 and the first valley 42 is reversed. On the inner surface of the grommet 30, the first valley 42 protrudes inward from the first peak 41.

[0032] Each of the first peaks 41 and the first valleys 42 extends spirally around the axis of the cylindrical portion 32. The number of times the first peaks 41 and the first valleys 42 circle around the cylindrical portion 32 from one end to the other of the spiral bellows cylindrical portion 40 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, one or more and three or less. In this case, the number of times the first peaks 41 and the first valleys 42 circle from one end to the other of the spiral bellows cylindrical portion 40 is about one and a half times.

[0033] In the helical bellows section 40, multiple sets of first peaks 41 and first valleys 42 are arranged in a spiral pattern parallel to each other. The number of sets of first peaks 41 and first valleys 42 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 5 to 25 sets. Here, 12 sets of first peaks 41 and first valleys 42 extend spirally around the cylindrical section 32 parallel to each other, forming the helical bellows section 40. In the cross-section of the helical bellows section 40, the 12 sets of first peaks 41 and second valleys 52 are aligned in the circumferential direction. The 12 sets of first peaks 41 and second valleys 52 extend in the axial direction while shifting their positions in the circumferential direction.

[0034] Here, the bent cylindrical portion 50 is a parallel bellows cylindrical portion 50. The parallel bellows cylindrical portion 50 has a second peak portion 51 and a second valley portion 52. The second peak portion 51 is the portion that protrudes outward from the outer surface of the grommet 30 than the second valley portion 52. On the inner surface of the grommet 30, the concave and convex relationship of the second peak portion 51 and the second valley portion 52 is reversed. On the inner surface of the grommet 30, the second valley portion 52 protrudes inward from the second peak portion 51.

[0035] Each of the second peaks 51 and second valleys 52 extends along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 32. Each of the second peaks 51 and second valleys 52 extends in an endless annular shape. Multiple second peaks 51 and multiple second valleys 52 are arranged alternately in parallel along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 32.

[0036] In Figures 2 to 4, the parallel bellows section 50 is in an unloaded state. As shown in Figure 2, in an unloaded state, the parallel bellows section 50 extends in a straight line. The grommet 30 in which the parallel bellows section 50 is in an unloaded state is sometimes called grommet 30N. By bending the straight parallel bellows section 50, it becomes a bent section 50 as shown in Figure 1. The grommet 30 in which the parallel bellows section 50 is in a bent state is sometimes called grommet 30B. In a vehicle, the parallel bellows section 50 is kept in a bent state by attaching the first mounting section 34 and the second mounting section 36. Note that in Figures 2 to 4, the X, Y, and Z directions at the position of the first mounting section 34 correspond to the X, Y, and Z directions in Figure 1.

[0037] In the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 32, the lengths of the helical bellows portion 40 and the bent cylindrical portion 50 are not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. For example, in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 32, the helical bellows portion 40 may be longer or shorter than the bent cylindrical portion 50. The helical bellows portion 40 and the bent cylindrical portion 50 may also be the same length.

[0038] The first mounting portion 34 engages with the peripheral edge of the hole in the first vehicle body panel 12. Here, the first mounting portion 34 is formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 32. The first mounting portion 34 is an engaging portion that engages with the peripheral edge of the hole in the first vehicle body panel 12. Specifically, the first mounting portion 34 is a fitting groove formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 32. The peripheral edge of the hole in the first vehicle body panel 12 fits into the fitting groove. Note that other engagement structures of the fitting groove may be used for the engagement between the first mounting portion 34 and the peripheral edge of the hole in the first vehicle body panel 12. The portion of the cylindrical portion 32 on which the first mounting portion 34 is provided is called the first mounting cylindrical portion 60. The cylindrical portion 32 has the first mounting cylindrical portion 60. The first mounting cylindrical portion 60 protects the portion of the wire harness 20 that penetrates the hole in the first vehicle body panel 12 from the peripheral edge of the hole.

[0039] The second mounting portion 36 engages with the peripheral edge of the hole in the second vehicle body panel 14. The second mounting portion 36 is formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 32. The second mounting portion 36 is an engaging portion that engages with the peripheral edge of the hole in the second vehicle body panel 14. Specifically, the second mounting portion 36 is a fitting groove formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 32. The peripheral edge of the hole in the second vehicle body panel 14 fits into the fitting groove. Note that other engagement structures of the fitting groove may be used for the engagement between the second mounting portion 36 and the peripheral edge of the hole in the second vehicle body panel 14. The portion of the cylindrical portion 32 on which the second mounting portion 36 is provided is called the second mounting cylindrical portion 62. The cylindrical portion 32 has the second mounting cylindrical portion 62. The second mounting cylindrical portion 62 protects the portion of the wire harness 20 that penetrates the hole in the second vehicle body panel 14 from the peripheral edge of the hole. The second mounting portion 36 may be a so-called through-less type mounting portion. The through-type mounting section is installed, for example, along the corner between the inner panel portion facing the inside of the door panel and the side panel portion facing the front.

[0040] The first mounting cylinder portion 60 forms one end of the cylinder portion 32, and the second mounting cylinder portion 62 forms the other end of the cylinder portion 32. The spiral bellows cylinder portion 40 and the bent cylinder portion 50 are located between the first mounting cylinder portion 60 and the second mounting cylinder portion 62. The bent cylinder portion 50X is located next to the first mounting cylinder portion 60, and the bent cylinder portion 50Y is located next to the second mounting cylinder portion 62. The spiral bellows cylinder portion 40 is located between the bent cylinder portion 50X and the bent cylinder portion 50Y.

[0041] At the end of the cylindrical portion 32, a wiring fixing portion 64 is provided. The wiring fixing portion 64 includes a plurality (here, a pair) of extending pieces 65. The plurality of extending pieces 65 are separated from each other along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 32. The plurality of extending pieces 65 protrude axially from the tip of the cylindrical portion 32 (here, the tip of the first mounting cylindrical portion 60). For example, in a state where the wiring member 24 of the wire harness 20 is inserted through the grommet 30, a bundling member such as an adhesive tape or a binding band is wound around the wiring member 24 and the pair of extending pieces 65, whereby the wiring member 24 and the grommet 30 are fixed.

[0042] Here, the wiring fixing portion 64 is provided on one end side of the cylindrical portion 32 and not provided on the other end side. The wiring fixing portion 64 may be provided at both ends of the cylindrical portion 32. In the grommet 30, the wiring fixing portion 64 may be omitted.

[0043] The inner diameter of the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40 in the no-load state is the smallest diameter among the cylindrical portion 32. The helical bellows cylindrical portion 40 shown in each figure is in the no-load state. The inner diameter of the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40 in the no-load state is smaller than the inner diameter of the wiring fixing portion 64. The outer diameter of the first peak portion 41 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second valley portion 52.

[0044] When the wire harness 20 is inserted through the grommet 30, a wire harness 100 with a grommet is formed.

[0045] For example, the wire harness 20 is inserted through the grommet 30 from one end side rather than the grommet mounting portion. At this time, the connector 26 on one end side of the wire harness 20 rather than the grommet mounting portion needs to pass through from one end to the other end of the grommet 30. At this time, if the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 32 is smaller than the outer dimension of the connector 26, it is necessary to expand the diameter of the grommet 30.

[0046] When there are a plurality of connectors 26 on one end side of the grommet mounting portion in the wire harness 20, if the outer dimension of the connector 26 and the inner diameter of the grommet 30 are set so that the largest connector 26 among the plurality of connectors 26 can pass through the grommet 30, the connectors 26 other than the largest connector 26 among the plurality of connectors 26 can also pass through the grommet 30. Note that since the other end side of the wire harness 20 than the portion mounted to the grommet 30 is not inserted into the grommet 30, there is no need to consider the size of the connector 26.

[0047] Here, the inner diameter of the bent cylindrical portion 50 may be larger than the outer dimension of the largest connector 26 among at least one connector 26. The outer dimension of the connector 26 is the largest dimension in the cross section of the connector 26. For example, when the connector 26 is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, it is the dimension connecting two opposite corners among the four corners. Thus, when the inner diameter of the bent cylindrical portion 50 is larger than the outer dimension of the largest connector 26 among at least one connector 26, the bent cylindrical portion 50 does not need to be expanded in diameter when the connector 26 is inserted.

[0048] The outer dimension of the connector 26 may be larger than the minimum inner diameter of the helical bellows tube portion 40. In this case, the helical bellows tube portion 40 is expanded in diameter when passing the connector 26. For example, the helical bellows tube portion 40 is expanded in diameter by being twisted at least at one end in the direction of the arrow A1 in FIG. 3. Note that in FIG. 3, the direction of the arrow A1 at one end of the helical bellows tube portion 40 and the direction of the arrow A1 at the other end are opposite to each other.

[0049] The wire harness 20 may be inserted into the grommet 30 either when the grommet 30 is not attached to the vehicle body or when the grommet 30 is attached to the vehicle body. In the latter case, the wire harness 20 is inserted into the grommet 30 with the periphery of the hole in the vehicle body panel fitted into the fitting groove. In this case, the portions of the first mounting cylinder 60 and the second mounting cylinder 62 in which the fitting groove is formed become difficult to expand in diameter because the periphery of the hole in the vehicle body panel is fitted into the fitting groove. Even in this case, the inner diameter of the portions of the first mounting cylinder 60 and the second mounting cylinder 62 in which the fitting groove is formed is larger than the outer diameter of the largest connector 26 among the connectors 26 that pass through the grommet 30, so the wire harness 20 can be passed through the first mounting cylinder 60 and the second mounting cylinder 62 without expanding their diameters significantly.

[0050] The thickness of the wiring member 24 is usually smaller than the outer dimensions of the connector 26. Therefore, if the grommet 30 is large enough to allow the connector 26 to pass through, the wiring member 24 can also be passed through it. The wiring member 24 may be branched. In this case, it may be necessary to pass some of the branch wires of the wiring member 24 and some of the connectors 26 through the grommet 30 at the same time. In this case, for example, the inner diameter of the portion of the first mounting cylinder 60 and the second mounting cylinder 62 in which the fitting groove is formed may be greater than or equal to the sum of the thickness of the branch wires of the wiring member 24 being passed through at the same time and the dimension of the short side of the connector 26. This makes it possible to pass some of the branch wires of the wiring member 24 and some of the connectors 26 through the grommet 30 at the same time without expanding or deforming the portion of the first mounting cylinder 60 and the second mounting cylinder 62 in which the fitting groove is formed.

[0051] The diameter of the grommet mounting portion of the wiring member 24 may be smaller than the inner diameter of the helical bellows portion 40. In this case, the grommet-equipped wire harness 100 may be held in a reduced-diameter deformed state. For example, the helical bellows portion 40 is reduced in diameter by twisting at least one end in the direction of arrow A2 in Figure 3. Note that in Figure 3, the direction of arrow A2 at one end of the helical bellows portion 40 and the direction of arrow A2 at the other end are opposite to each other. For example, the helical bellows portion 40 may be held in a reduced-diameter deformed state by fixing the wiring fixing portion 64 to the wiring member 24 while the helical bellows portion 40 is in a reduced-diameter deformed state. The inner surface of the helical bellows portion 40 (the inner surface of the first valley portion 42) may be in close contact with the grommet mounting portion of the wiring member 24.

[0052] The opening and closing of the hinged door corresponds to the rotation of the other end of the grommet 30 indicated by arrows A1 and A2 in Figure 3. The spiral bellows section 40 may be configured to expand and contract in diameter when the hinged door is opened and closed. The spiral bellows section 40 may be configured to expand in diameter when the hinged door is opened and to contract in diameter when the hinged door is closed. In this case, the space required for the spiral bellows section 40 can be reduced when the hinged door is closed. The spiral bellows section 40 may be configured to contract in diameter when the hinged door is opened and to expand in diameter when the hinged door is closed. In this case, the space required for the spiral bellows section 40 can be reduced when the hinged door is open.

[0053] [Embodiment 2] The mounting structure for the wire harness, the grommet, and the wire harness with the grommet according to Embodiment 2 will be described. Figure 5 is a front view showing the mounting structure 110 for the wire harness according to Embodiment 2. In the following description, components similar to those described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0054] In this embodiment, the shape of the bent cylindrical portion 150 of the grommet 130 is different from the shape of the bent cylindrical portion 50 of the grommet 30.

[0055] Specifically, the bent cylindrical portion 150 is a bent cylindrical portion 150 that is formed in a shape that follows the second path 22 in an unloaded state. The bent cylindrical portion 150 is formed in a pre-bent shape and is maintained in that bent shape. The rigidity of the bent cylindrical portion 150 may be higher than that of the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40. Here, the bent cylindrical portion 150 is formed in a shape bent at 90 degrees. The bending angle of the bent cylindrical portion 150 may be an angle other than 90 degrees. Here, the bent cylindrical portions 150X and 150Y on both sides of the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40 are bent cylindrical portions 150.

[0056] <Effects, etc.> With the wire harness mounting structures 10 and 110 configured as described above, the presence of the bent cylindrical portions 50 and 150 allows the grommets 30 and 130 and the wire harness 20 to be mounted without buckling, even if there is a sharp bend in the grommet 30. Furthermore, the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40 can be deformed by twisting along the circumferential direction, which changes the inner diameter. For example, if the wiring member 24 or the connector 26 at the end of the wiring member 24 in the wire harness 20 is the same as or larger than the inner diameter of the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40, the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40 can be expanded in diameter to make it easier to pass the wire harness 20 through the cylindrical portion 32. Also, for example, if the wiring member 24 is smaller than the inner diameter of the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40, after passing the wiring member 24 through the cylindrical portion 32, the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40 can be reduced in diameter to make the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40 fit tightly against the outer circumference of the wiring member 24. Compared to cases where diameter expansion or contraction deformation is not possible, the diameter can be changed to match the diameter of the wiring member 24 being inserted, thus enabling space saving.

[0057] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the spiral bellows section 40 in an unloaded state is the smallest diameter among the sections 32. Since the spiral bellows section 40 can be expanded and contracted, it can be expanded to facilitate the insertion of the wire harness 20, and contracted to save space during installation after the wire harness 20 has been inserted.

[0058] Furthermore, if the bent cylindrical portion 50 is a parallel bellows cylindrical portion 50, as in the grommet 30, the second peaks 51 and second valleys 52 of the parallel bellows cylindrical portion 50 expand and contract in the axial direction, making it less prone to buckling when bent compared to the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40. Also, the parallel bellows cylindrical portion 50 may be formed in a straight line in an unloaded state and can be bent from there. In this case, the second peaks 51 and second valleys 52 are extended on the outer circumference side of the bent portion, and the second peaks 51 and second valleys 52 are contracted on the inner circumference side of the bent portion. This makes it easier to form the grommet 30 and easier to pass the wire harness 20 through the cylindrical portion 32. In addition, since the second peaks 51 and second valleys 52 of the parallel bellows cylindrical portion 50 expand and contract in the axial direction, it can accommodate changes in axial length. For example, the system can accommodate cases where the first body panel 12 or the second body panel 14 is movable, and the distance between the first body panel 12 and the second body panel 14 changes.

[0059] Furthermore, if the bent cylindrical portion 150 is a bent cylindrical portion 150, as in the grommet 130, the bent cylindrical portion 150, which is pre-formed to follow the shape of the second path 22, is more likely to maintain that shape and is therefore less prone to buckling than the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40. Also, the wire harness 20 inserted inside the bent cylindrical portion 150 is more likely to maintain its shape and is less prone to buckling. In addition, the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40 can be deformed into both expansion and contraction, thus saving space.

[0060] [Note] Figure 6 is a front view showing a grommet 230 according to the first modified example. Figure 7 is a front view showing a grommet 330 according to the second modified example. Up to this point, grommets 30 and 130 have been described as including only one of either a parallel bellows section 50 or a bent section 150 as the bent section, but this is not an essential configuration. The grommet may include both a parallel bellows section 50 and a bent section 150 as the bent section. In other words, in the grommet, the parallel bellows section 50 may be located on one side of the helical bellows section 40, and the bent section 150 may be located on the other side.

[0061] As shown in Figure 6, the grommet 230 may have a parallel bellows section 50X (50) on the first body panel 12 side and a bent section 150Y (150) on the second body panel 14 side with respect to the helical bellows section 40. In Figure 6, the solid line grommet 230N shows the parallel bellows section 50X in an unloaded state (straight state), and the dashed line grommet 230B shows the parallel bellows section 50X in a bent state.

[0062] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 7, the grommet 330 may have a bent cylindrical portion 150X (150) on the first body panel 12 side and a parallel bellows cylindrical portion 50Y (50) on the second body panel 14 side with respect to the helical bellows cylindrical portion 40. In Figure 7, the solid line grommet 330N indicates the parallel bellows cylindrical portion 50Y in an unloaded state (straight state), and the dashed line grommet 330B indicates the parallel bellows cylindrical portion 50Y in a bent state.

[0063] Furthermore, the configurations described in each of the above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate, as long as they do not contradict each other.

[0064] 10, 110 Mounting structure 12 First body panel 14 Second body panel 20 Wire harness 21 First route 22 Second route 24 Wiring components 26 Connectors 30, 30B, 30N, 130, 230, 230B, 230N, 330, 330B, 330N Grommets 32 Cylindrical section 34 First mounting section 36 Second mounting section 40 Helical bellows section 41 First peak section 42 First valley section 50, 50X, 50Y Parallel bellows section (bent section) 51 Second peak section 52 Second valley section 60 First mounting section 62 Second mounting section 64 Wiring fixing section 65 Extension piece 150, 150X, 150Y Bent section (bent section) 100 Wire harness with grommets

Claims

1. A mounting structure for a wire harness stretched from a first vehicle body panel to a second vehicle body panel, comprising: a wire harness; and a grommet covering the wire harness, wherein the path of the wire harness between the first vehicle body panel and the second vehicle body panel includes a first path and a second path that is more curved than the first path; the grommet includes a cylindrical portion through which the wire harness is inserted; a first mounting portion provided on one end of the cylindrical portion and attached to the first vehicle body panel; and a second mounting portion provided on the other end of the cylindrical portion and attached to the second vehicle body panel; the cylindrical portion has a helical bellows cylindrical portion with a first peak and a first valley extending spirally around the axis of the cylindrical portion to cover the first path; and a bent cylindrical portion connected to the helical bellows cylindrical portion to cover the second path.

2. A wire harness mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the bent cylindrical portion is a parallel bellows cylindrical portion having a second peak formed along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion and a second valley formed along the circumferential direction and parallel to the second peak in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion.

3. A wire harness mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the bent cylindrical portion is a bent cylindrical portion that is formed to follow the second path in an unloaded state.

4. A wire harness mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inner diameter of the helical bellows portion in an unloaded state is the smallest diameter among the portions.

5. A grommet comprising: a cylindrical portion through which a wire harness is inserted; a first mounting portion provided on one end of the cylindrical portion and attached to a first vehicle body panel; and a second mounting portion provided on the other end of the cylindrical portion and attached to a second vehicle body panel, wherein the cylindrical portion includes a helical bellows cylindrical portion having a first peak and a first valley extending spirally around the axis of the cylindrical portion, and a parallel bellows cylindrical portion connected to the helical bellows cylindrical portion, the parallel bellows cylindrical portion having a second peak formed along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion, and a second valley formed along the circumferential direction and parallel to the second peak in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion.

6. A grommet comprising: a cylindrical portion through which a wire harness is inserted; a first mounting portion provided on one end of the cylindrical portion and attached to a first vehicle body panel; and a second mounting portion provided on the other end of the cylindrical portion and attached to a second vehicle body panel, wherein the cylindrical portion includes a helical bellows cylindrical portion having first peaks and first valleys extending helically around the axis of the cylindrical portion, and a bent cylindrical portion connected to the helical bellows cylindrical portion and formed into a bent shape in an unloaded state.

7. A wire harness with a grommet, comprising: a grommet according to claim 5 or claim 6; and a wire harness inserted through the grommet.

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