Electricity: conductors and insulators – Insulators – Through wall or plate
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-30
2001-10-02
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Insulators
Through wall or plate
C174S068300, C174S15300A, C016S002100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06297457
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a harness grommet, having a sound-insulating membrane forming a sound-insulating air layer within the grommet, in which the ability of inserting the sound-insulating membrane is enhanced, and also the withdrawal of this membrane is positively prevented.
2. Related Art
In an automobile, a wire harness is arranged between an engine room and a passenger room. The wire harness communicates therebetween through a through hole formed on a body panel located between the engine room and the passenger room. In order to avoid a breakage of the wire harness by contacting the body panel, a grommet is mounted on the through hole.
In the conventional art, a grommet having a configuration as shown in
FIG. 7
is used. In
FIG. 7
, the grommet has a large diameter portion
2
having an engaging recess
2
A for engaging the through hole of the body panel and a small diameter portion
4
for fixing the wire harness passing through the large diameter portion
2
.
In the engine room, the rain drops enter into the engine room while running. Thus, in order to prevent the rain drops from entering into the passenger room, the grommet
1
is filled up with a liquid molding material
5
. For filling the liquid molding material, a cylindrical filling cup
6
is provided at an inner side of the large diameter portion
2
.
Further, in order to avoid the transmission of noise from the engine room to the passenger room through the grommet, an air layer
7
is provided at an inner portion of the large diameter portion
2
. This air layer
7
is defined by a sound insulating membrane
8
which is integrally formed on the large diameter portion
2
at the other side of the large diameter
2
and is turned back into the small diameter portion
4
and an inner wall surface
2
B of the large diameter portion
2
.
However, in the conventional grommet, on the assembling line, an operator touches the wire harness and the wire harness
3
is slanted with respect to the body panel to incline the cylindrical filling cup
6
. As shown in
FIG. 8
, a tip portion of the sound insulating membrane is disengaged with the cylindrical filling cup
6
to communicate the air layer
7
with the external portion. Under this condition, the air layer is not effected as considered to omit it, and a sound-insulating characteristic is extremely inferior.
Further, the grommet is formed by the rubber as the elastic material. When the slanted wire harness is to be adjusted to the correct position, the sound-insulating membrane
8
is extended toward a direction opposite to the small diameter portion
4
by the elastic force of the grommet as shown in FIG.
9
. As usual, a step of filling the molding material is subjected from a direction A. Thus, if the sound-insulating membrane
8
is opposite to the small diameter portion
4
, the mold filling operation becomes very complicated because the sound-insulating membrane becomes an obstacle.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
With the above problems in view, it is an object of this invention to provide a harness grommet in which a sound-insulating membrane can be positively inverted without being folded in a crushed manner, and even if a wire harness is much inclined abruptly, the sound-insulating membrane will not be withdrawn from an outer tubular portion, and besides the increase of the cost due to the provision of a sound-insulating membrane-retaining means is prevented.
The above object has been achieved by a harness grommet of the present invention including an inner tubular portion, provided within an outer tubular portion, and a flexible portion extending from said inner tubular portion in a flaring manner, wherein said flexible portion is turned back into said outer tubular portion to form a sound-insulating air layer; CHARACTERIZED in that a cylindrical portion extends from said flexible portion, and an inverting folding portion is formed at the boundary between said flexible portion and said cylindrical portion, and a sound-insulating membrane is formed by said flexible portion and said cylindrical portion. Preferably, an outer diameter of said cylindrical portion is larger than an inner diameter of said outer tubular portion.
As described above, in the present invention, the cylindrical portion is inverted at the inverting folding portion, so that the flexible portion is inverted in a curved manner. Therefore, the flexible portion will not be folded in a crushed manner as in the conventional construction, and therefore the sound-insulating membrane can be positively inserted smoothly into the outer tubular portion, so that the air layer is positively formed easily. When the sound-insulating membrane is inverted, the cylindrical portion is firmly held in intimate contact with the inner surface of the outer tubular portion by the restoring force of the inverting folding portion, and therefore when the grommet is bent as a result of inclining of the wire harness, and is restored into an assembled condition, the cylindrical portion is positively prevented from being withdrawn from the outer tubular portion. And besides, the cylindrical portion does not need to have any retaining means as used in the conventional construction, and therefore the construction is simplified, and the molding cost and part cost are reduced. In the present invention, the cylindrical portion is more firmly held in intimate contact with the inner surface of the outer tubular portion, and therefore the withdrawal of the cylindrical portion is prevented more positively, and the necessity of provision of the retaining means is more positively eliminated, and the reduction of the costs is ensured.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1800578 (1931-04-01), Webb
patent: 4685173 (1987-08-01), Pavur
patent: 5270487 (1993-12-01), Sawamura
patent: 0 822 121 A3 (1999-07-01), None
patent: 2337642 (1999-11-01), None
patent: 9-92060 (1997-04-01), None
patent: 9-161581 (1997-06-01), None
patent: 9-161579 (1997-06-01), None
patent: 11025786 (1999-01-01), None
patent: 11248044 (1999-09-01), None
patent: 11306890 (1999-11-01), None
patent: 11311374 (1999-11-01), None
Takeuchi Shunsaku
Yamada Hiroaki
Estrada Angel R.
Reichard Dean A.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
Harness grommet does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Harness grommet, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Harness grommet will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2606400