Grommet with Bendable Stress Concentration Section
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grommets face challenges in maintaining a proper installation state across varying installation environments, such as differences in the rising direction of the attachment panel and the installation surface of the insulator, which can affect their water and sound insulation performance.
Innovation Solution
The grommet features an umbrella-shaped unit with a stress concentration section that is bendable and located within the installation region of the insulator, allowing it to absorb changes in installation conditions and maintain contact with the abutting target surface, ensuring proper sealing and sound insulation regardless of environmental variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional grommet is used, then the structure is simple, but the installation state cannot be maintained across varying installation environments
Solution Approach 1:
The grommet incorporates a bendable stress concentration section that allows dynamic adaptation to varying installation conditions. This section can flex and deform to accommodate different rising directions of attachment panels and insulator installation surfaces, enabling the grommet to maintain proper installation state across diverse environments without requiring multiple fixed-configuration grommet designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The stress concentration section is designed with specific material properties and geometric parameters that allow it to change its shape under stress. By controlling the thickness, curvature, and material elasticity of this section, the grommet can adapt its configuration to match different installation scenarios while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the grommet is made rigid to maintain shape, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to varying installation conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The grommet employs local quality by making only the stress concentration section bendable while keeping other portions rigid. This localized flexibility allows the grommet to adapt to installation surface variations at the critical stress concentration area while maintaining overall structural stability and proper geometric configuration in non-critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The grommet structure is segmented into rigid portions and a flexible stress concentration section. This segmentation allows different parts of the grommet to perform different functions - the rigid portions maintain structural integrity and shape, while the segmented flexible portion adapts to varying installation conditions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the stress concentration section is made thinner to increase bendability, then adaptability improves, but structural strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The annular wall section has non-uniform thickness with the stress concentration section being thinner than other portions. This local quality variation provides the necessary bendability at the stress concentration area while maintaining sufficient strength in other portions of the wall section that require structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The grommet may utilize composite material structures where different material properties are combined - potentially using materials with different elastic moduli or layered structures in the annular wall section to achieve both bendability in the stress concentration area and overall structural strength.
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 secures a proper installation state, maintaining water stop and sound insulation performance across different installation environments by concentrating stress on a bendable stress concentration section, which adapts to varying conditions and prevents deformation, ensuring consistent contact with the abutting surface.
Implementation Method 1
the umbrella-shaped unit includes a stress concentration section that is provided in an annular shape in the annular wall section on the center axis side with respect to the first lip section, is located within the installation region when viewed along the axial direction, and is bendable when receiving concentrated stress
Implementation Method 2
is bendable when receiving concentrated stress in a state in which the body is fitted into the through hole and the first lip section and the second lip section abut the abutting target surface
Data Source
AI summary
A grommet applied to a wire harness includes: a body (10) fitted into a through hole and stops water from entering the through hole; and an umbrella-shaped unit including an annular wall section, a first lip section, and a second lip section, the first lip section and the second lip section abutting an abutting target surface in a state in which the body is fitted into the through hole. The first lip section and the second lip section are provided in the annular wall section so as to be located within an installation region of an insulator when viewed along an axial direction. The umbrella-shaped unit includes a stress concentration section that is provided in an annular shape in the annular wall section on a center axis side with respect to the first lip section, and is located within the installation region when viewed along the axial direction.