Grommet Annular Lip Perpendicular Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grommets for vehicle doors, like those described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-33564, face issues where the annular lip portion is prone to unintended deformation due to its length and contact with other members during storage, leading to inadequate sealing and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A tubular-shaped grommet with an annular lip portion extending perpendicular to the panel plane, allowing for compression in a direction perpendicular to the panel, preventing contact with other members and maintaining a sufficient pushing force for sealing without deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the annular lip portion is made long to ensure adequate pushing force against the opening edge, then the sealing performance is improved, but the tip edge of the annular lip portion is located in the vicinity of the outer edge of the flange portion, causing it to contact with other members during storage and leading to unintended deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The annular lip portion is configured to extend in entirety in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panel member, changing the orientation from a planar arrangement to a three-dimensional perpendicular arrangement. This dimensional change allows the lip portion to achieve sufficient length for sealing while being oriented vertically, preventing contact with horizontal placement surfaces during storage and eliminating the deformation issue.
2Reliability
If the annular lip portion is made easily deformable to ensure adequate elastic contact with the opening edge, then the sealing performance is improved, but the annular lip portion is more prone to unintended deformation upon contact with other members during storage
Solution Approach 1:
By orienting the annular lip portion perpendicular to the panel member plane, the invention creates a vertical configuration where the deformable portion extends upward rather than outward. This allows the material to remain easily deformable for sealing contact while the perpendicular orientation prevents contact with storage surfaces, eliminating the trade-off between deformability and stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The grommet effectively prevents unintended deformation of the annular lip portion, ensuring reliable water tightness and improved workability by maintaining the annular lip's pushing force while reducing the risk of contact with other members and minimizing the deformation stroke, thus enhancing operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an annular lip portion extending from an inner peripheral part of the first flange portion toward the panel member so as to elastically contact with a planar portion around the attachment hole
Data Source
AI summary
A grommet which can prevent unintended deformation of an annular lip portion is provided. The annular lip portion is configured to be compressed in a compression direction corresponding to a direction perpendicular to a plane of a panel member. Thus, even if the annular lip portion is formed with a large length to ensure a pushing force against a planar portion, a tip edge of the annular lip portion is unlikely to be located in the vicinity of a first flange portion. Therefore, the annular lip portion is avoided from contacting the other members, preventing unintended deformation of the annular lip portion.