Seal for a joint or juncture – Seal between fixed parts or static contact against... – Contact seal for other than internal combustion engine – or...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-27
2004-02-03
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3676)
Seal for a joint or juncture
Seal between fixed parts or static contact against...
Contact seal for other than internal combustion engine, or...
C277S607000, C016S002100, C174S068300, C174S15300A
Reexamination Certificate
active
06685195
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a grommet. In particular, this invention relates to a grommet that engages around a wire harness to be mounted on a vehicle, such as an automobile, and is mounted in a through hole of an automobile body panel, and improves protection of the wire harness at a position where the wire harness passes through the hole, as well as improving waterproofness and dustproofness.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a grommet engages around a wire harness to be mounted to extend from an engine compartment to a passenger compartment of an automobile, and the grommet is mounted in a though hole in an automobile body panel that divides the engine compartment from the passenger compartment. Thus, the wire harness passing through the through hole is protected, and intrusion of water, dust and sound from the engine compartment side to the passenger compartment side is prevented.
As the grommet described above, a so-called one motion grommet is provided. When the one motion grommet is simply pressed into the through hole in the automobile body panel from one side to the other, an automobile body engagement recess provided on an outer peripheral surface of the grommet engages with an edge of the through hole.
As shown in
FIG. 12
, the above-described grommet
1
is provided with a small-diameter tubular portion
2
, and a tapered portion
3
which extends from an end of the small-diameter portion
2
. The tapered portion
3
is provided with an automobile body engagement recess
4
around a larger diameter end. Both side walls facing each other across a groove
4
a
of the automobile body engagement recess
4
include a vertical wall
4
b
at the larger diameter side and an inclined wall
4
c
at a smaller diameter side. A wire harness W/H is inserted into a hollow portion extending from the small-diameter tubular portion
2
to the tapered portion
3
of the above-described grommet
1
, and the grommet
1
is fixed with the wire harness W/H using a tape T at an end of the small-diameter tubular portion.
As shown in
FIG. 13
, during a mounting operation of the grommet
1
into the through hole R of the automobile body panel P, the grommet
1
is inserted into the through hole R from the small-diameter tubular portion
2
, and the inclined wall
4
c
is pressed inwardly and deformed to pass through the through hole R. Then, the inclined wall
4
c
, which recovers its original shape after passing through the through hole R, and the vertical wall
4
b
are tightly pressed into contact with both surfaces of the automobile panel P, respectively. Thus, the automobile body engagement recess
4
of the grommet
1
engages with the through hole R of the automobile body panel P.
However, as shown in
FIG. 14
, when the one motion grommet
1
is inserted into the through hole R so as to be inclined, one side of the tapered portion
3
is pressed excessively, and thus, an outer peripheral surface of a thin portion of the tapered portion
3
, extending to the inclined wall
4
c
of the automobile body engagement recess
4
, is deformed inwardly. The inclined wall
4
c
, which must bend inwardly, is bent and warped (flipped over) outwardly, and the inclined wall
4
c
touches the automobile body panel P. Thus, the grommet is prevented from passing through the through hole R.
When the grommet
1
is inserted straight so that the center axis of the grommet
1
is aligned with the center of the through hole R, the above-described problem does not occur. However, during the insertion operation of the grommet
1
into the through hole, it is sometimes difficult to insert the grommet
1
into the through hole straight, because of the restriction on a space. Thus, in many cases, the grommet is inserted in an inclining posture.
Further, if the tapered portion of the grommet
1
is thick so as to be incapable of being bent, the above-described problem is resolved to a certain extent. However, in that case, an insertion force required to insert the grommet into the through hole becomes larger.
Also, during the insertion of the grommet, a largest force to be applied to press the grommet is required before the tapered portion passes through the through hole R. However, since an operator cannot recognize the position where the largest force to be applied is required, the operator tends to apply large force from the beginning, which increases an operational burden.
Accordingly, the present invention is provided in view of the above-described problems. An objective of the present invention is to prevent the insertion force from being too large, and to enable a grommet to be mounted into a through hole of an automobile panel, even if the grommet is inserted in an inclining posture. Another objective of the present invention is to generate tactile sensation so that the operator can recognize the position where the required force to press the grommet into the through hole without stopping is to be applied.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to address the problems described above, one aspect of the present invention provides a grommet configured to engage around an outer periphery of a wire harness and to be mounted in a through hole of an automobile body panel. The grommet includes a tubular portion and a tapered portion extending from one end of the tubular portion. The tapered portion includes an automobile body engagement recess provided on an outer peripheral surface of the tapered portion to engage with the automobile body panel. The recess is formed by a first wall provided around the tapered portion at a large-diameter end and a second wall provided around the tapered portion and located at a small-diameter side of the first wall, with the second wall facing the first wall across the automobile body engagement recess. A plurality of projecting strip portions are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the tapered portion. The plurality of outer projecting strip portions extend from an end adjacent the tubular portion toward an edge of the second wall of the recess in an axial direction of the tapered portion and are spaced from each other in a circumferential direction. A plurality of grooves are provided on the outer projecting strip portions, and extend in the circumferential direction. The plurality of grooves are configured to generate tactile sensation when the grommet is mounted into the through hole of the automobile body panel.
The plurality of grooves may be provided in the proximity of the edge of the second wall.
The grommet may have an inclined surface on an outer surface of the plurality of outer projecting strip portions and a substantially planar surface on an outer surface of the plurality of outer projecting strip portions. The substantially planar surface extends from a connecting position to the edge of the second wall in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the tapered portion. The connecting position connects the inclined surface and the substantially planar surface. The plurality of grooves are provided on the substantially planar surface. The plurality of grooves may preferably be provided at a location nearer to the connecting position than to the edge of the second wall.
A projection amount of the plurality of outer projecting strip portions may be changed at a first point and a second point. The first point is located substantially at a position where an outer surface of the plurality of outer projecting strip portions first contacts an inner peripheral surface of the through hole when the grommet is inserted into the through hole from the side of the tubular portion. The second point is located nearer to the edge of the second wall than the first point. An outer surface of the plurality of outer projecting strip portions forms a substantially planar surface that extends between the second point to the edge of the second wall in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the tapered portion. The grooves may be provided on the substantially planar surface. The groov
Okuhara Takashi
Sakata Tsutomu
Uchida Yoshimi
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Peavey Enoch
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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