Electricity: conductors and insulators – Insulators – Through wall or plate
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-24
2002-04-23
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Insulators
Through wall or plate
C174S068300, C174S167000, C016S002100, C248S056000, C439S567000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06376777
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a grommet. In particular, this invention relates to a grommet that prevents a wire harness from scraping against an opening of an automobile body panel, when a corrugated tube holding the wire harness is being inserted into the opening. This invention further relates to a grommet that prevents intrusion of water, moisture and sound through the opening of the automobile body panel into the inside of the automobile panel.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a grommet is used to prevent a wire harness from scraping against an opening in an automobile body panel when a corrugated tube holding the wire harness is being inserted into the opening. The grommet is also used to prevent intrusion of water, moisture and sound into the inside of the automobile body panel through a gap between the opening in the automobile body panel and the corrugated tube.
FIGS.
7
(
a
) and
7
(
b
) are drawings to explain an example of a conventional grommet into which a corrugated tube is inserted. In FIGS.
7
(
a
) and
7
(
b
), a circular trough
1
a
and a circular ridge
1
b
are alternatingly provided around the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube
1
. A wire harness
2
is inserted into the inner periphery of the corrugated tube.
In FIG.
7
(
b
), a grommet
3
is provided with a large-diameter tapered portion
5
and a small-diameter cylindrical portion
6
that extends from the tapered side of the large-diameter tapered portion
5
and is sized so that the corrugated tube
1
can be inserted. The tapered portion
5
has a circular recess
5
a
around an outer peripheral surface at the enlarged side of the tapered portion
5
for engaging with a mounting hole
4
a
provided in an automobile body panel medium
4
.
Generally, the small-diameter cylindrical portion
6
is positioned outside of a passenger compartment. The corrugated tube
1
is fixed to the grommet
3
by wrapping a tape
7
around a connection between the corrugated tube
1
and the small-diameter cylindrical portion
6
. Thus, since the grommet
3
is mounted between the corrugated tube
1
and the panel
4
, the grommet
3
can hold the corrugated tube
1
such that intrusion of water, moisture or sound is prevented. In addition, a wire harness
2
can be wired inside and outside of the passenger compartment through the mounting hole
4
a
in the panel
4
.
However, with the conventional grommet
3
, the corrugated tube
1
is inserted into the small-diameter cylindrical portion
6
and fixed to the grommet only by wrapping a tape around the connection between the corrugated tube
1
and the small-diameter cylindrical portion
6
. Therefore, the corrugated tube
1
easily slides in an axial direction of the corrugated tube
1
. In addition, the wire harness
2
might also slide in an axial direction of the corrugated tube due to the sliding of the corrugated tube. Thus, a layout of the wire harness may become out of position.
To resolve this problem, the number of turns of the tape
7
wrapping around the connection between the small-diameter cylindrical portion
6
and the corrugated tube
1
is increased. However, this method requires a difficult mounting task and takes a long time. Accordingly, the efficiency of the mounting of the corrugated tube
1
is reduced.
FIGS.
8
(
a
) and
8
(
b
) show a grommet developed by the inventors of the present invention to resolve the problem described above. In FIGS.
8
(
a
) and
8
(
b
), a grommet
11
is provided with a grommet body that has a recess
13
a
around the outer peripheral surface to engage with an opening
12
a
formed in an automobile body panel
12
.
In addition, the grommet body
13
has an insertion aperture
13
b
to insert the corrugated tube
1
therein. A circular ridge
14
a
and a circular trough
14
b
are provided alternatingly around the inner peripheral surface of the grommet body
13
surrounding the insertion aperture
13
b
. The circular ridge
14
a
and the circular trough
14
b
engage with circular trough
1
a
and circular ridge
1
b
of the corrugated tube
1
, respectively.
Due to the structure of the grommet
11
, when the corrugated tube
1
is being inserted into the insertion aperture
13
b
, a diameter-expanding machine (not shown) is inserted into the insertion aperture
13
b
to expand the insertion aperture
13
b
in a radial direction. Then, the corrugated tube
1
is inserted into the insertion aperture
13
b
. The circular ridge
14
a
and the circular trough
14
b
respectively engage with the circular trough
1
a
and the circular ridge
1
b
of the corrugated tube
1
. Thus, the corrugated tube
1
is prevented from sliding in an axial direction of the corrugated tube against the grommet
11
.
Thus, the grommet
11
must be used with a diameter-expanding machine, which is inserted into the insertion aperture
13
b
to expand the insertion aperture
13
b
in a radial direction, when the corrugate tube
1
is inserted to the insertion aperture
13
b
. Accordingly, the diameter-expanding machine is always required. In addition, the number of operative steps required for the insertion task increases. Therefore, further improvement is required.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to make it easier to mount a corrugated tube into an insertion aperture of a grommet through a slit, and thus, to improve the efficiency of the mounting task for the corrugated tube, while waterproofness and soundproofness of the grommet are not adversely affected, by tightly closing the slit after mounting the corrugated tube.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above and/or other goals, the present invention provides a grommet into which a corrugated tube having a circular ridge and a circular trough alternatingly on an outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube is mounted. The grommet includes a body having a recess around at least part of an outer peripheral surface thereof and an insertion aperture into which the corrugated tube is insertable. The recess is engageable with an opening provided in a panel. The body also has at least one trough and at least one ridge provided on an inner peripheral surface surrounding the insertion aperture. The trough and the ridge of the body are respectively engageable with the circular ridge and the circular trough of the corrugated tube. The body further includes a slit extending from the insertion aperture to the outer peripheral surface of the body so that the slit can be opened and closed. Facing surfaces of the body on opposite sides of the slit are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a line within a plane coextensive with the central axis of the of the insertion aperture. The outer peripheral surface of the body is also inclined at the same predetermined angle with respect to the line.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a grommet to receive a tube. The grommet that includes a grommet body having a generally planar portion, a curved portion and tapered portions in an outer peripheral surface, and an insertion aperture to insert a corrugated tube. Each of the tapered portions extends between an end of the plane portion and an end of the curved portion. The tube may be a smooth-wall tube or a corrugated tube having a circular trough and a circular ridge alternatingly on an outer surface of the corrugated tube. The grommet body also has a slit extending from the insertion aperture to the plane portion. Facing surfaces of the grommet body on opposite sides of the slit are inclined at predetermined angle with respect to a line perpendicular to the central axis of the insertion aperture. The tapered portions are also inclined at the predetermined angle with respect to the line.
In the above described cases, since a slit is provided that extends from the insertion aperture to the outer peripheral surface of the grommet body, and the facing surfaces of the grommet body on opposite sides of the slit can be separated, the tube is easily mounted into the insertion apertu
Amihiro Satoshi
Ito Takanori
Suzuki Takashi
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Nino Adolfo
Reichard Dean A.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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