Multi-part grommet

Details Multi-part grommet Multi-part grommet

1999-05-18

2001-08-21

Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)

Electricity: conductors and insulators

Conduits, cables or conductors

Single duct conduits

C174S1520GM, C174S15300A, C016S002100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06278060

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a grommet for fastening to a hatchback-type car body, and more particularly, to a grommet providing for passage of wires therethrough, the grommet configured for installation between an automobile roof and a rear door glass panel of a hatchback-type automobile, in which the glass panel is opened and shut independently of the rear door.
2. Description of Background Information Grommets providing for passage of wires are well-known in the related art.
FIGS. 9
to
11
refer to such a related art grommet
5
. The grommet
5
allows electric wiring to pass therethrough to a rear door of a hatchback-type automobile. The grommet
5
has cone-type diameter-expanding parts
5
b
and
5
c
on opposed ends of a small diameter tubular part
5
a
through which a group of electric wires is passed.
One diameter-expanding part
5
b
of the grommet
5
is affixed to a through-hole
1
a
formed at the edge of a roof panel
1
of a car body. The other diameter-expanding part
5
c
is affixed to a through-hole
3
a
formed by a hole in a rear door frame
3
. A group of electric wires W is wired in a door from the through-hole
3
a
of the rear door frame
3
through the small diameter tubular part
5
a
of the grommet
5
and from the through-hole
1
a
of the roof panel
1
, as shown in FIG.
11
.
Hatchback-type automobiles having a glass panel in the rear door, where the glass panel may be opened and closed independently of the opening and closing of the entire rear door, have been recently introduced to the art. As shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13
, a rear door frame has a double structure in such a hatchback-type automobile, where a group of electric wires W is separately wired from a through-hole
1
a
of the roof panel
1
into both a through-hole
3
a
formed on the rear door frame
3
and a through-hole
40
a
formed on a frame
40
retaining a rear door glass panel
4
.
In such a case, respective grommets
6
A,
6
B and
6
C are respectively installed in the through-hole of a roof panel
1
, in the though-hole
3
a
of rear door frame
3
, and in the through-hole
40
a
of the glass retention frame
40
, as shown in FIG.
13
. However, water passing between electric wires of the group of electric wires W may enter into the roof or the inside of the rear door (inside of the frame), because the group of electric wires W is not covered with the grommet in the weather-exposed area between the rear door frame
3
and the glass retention frame
40
. Therefore, a water-resistant agent such as a curing resin or the like is filled between electric wires of the group of electric wires W at the opening parts of the grommets
6
A,
6
B and
6
C.
However, one problem with providing a water resistant agent is that construction is troublesome and high in cost. Additionally, the weather-exposed area is visible, and is thus unattractive because the group of electric wires W is in open view.
For the problems described above, the present inventor has previously provided the grommets
7
and
8
shown in FIGS.
14
(A) and
14
(B), which are described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-150759. The grommet
7
shown in FIG.
14
(A) is unitarily molded and has two tubular parts
7
b
and
7
c
that are perpendicular to an edge of tubular part
7
a
. For the grommet
8
shown in FIG.
14
(B), tubular parts
8
b
and
8
c
are molded separately from tubular part
8
a
, and connected through joint tubes
8
d
and
8
e
to provide freedom of fastening and removal.
When the devices shown in FIGS.
14
(A) and
14
(B) are used, a group of electric wires in a water-exposed area may be kept water proof by being passed through the grommets
7
and
8
. However, since both of the grommets
7
and
8
are molded with an flexible member comprising a rubber or an elastomer, the grommets
7
and
8
are deformed by the stiffness of the group of electric wires passed therethrough, at a position shown by dotted lines in FIG.
15
. When such deformation occurs, there is a problem with maintaining water resistance, because the grommets contact other parts of the vehicle, thereby resulting in damages to the grommets.
As shown in
FIG. 16
, the electric wires often do not bend along with the contours of the grommets and the directions of the electric wires are uncontrolled even though electric wires are purportedly guided by bending the shape of the grommets, as the group of electric wires are stiff. Additionally, there is often only a flat space between the roof and rear door, thereby making wiring difficult, as wire groups are often too thick to pass therethrough.
Further, as the grommets
7
and
8
of FIGS.
14
(A) and
14
(B) are long in length, they are difficult to mold, and the passage of the group of electric wires is difficult. Particularly, there is a problem that molding is difficult. Also, insertion and passing a group of electric wires through the molded grommet cannot be easily carried out, since the grommet
7
has a plurality of bends.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to solving the above-described problem. The present invention prevents water from penetrating a group of electric wires by dividing the wires into two or more groups, thereby controlling the mounting direction of the wires. Furthermore, the present invention is easily produced and passing wires therethrough is easily carried out.
The present invention provides a grommet through which a group of electric wires is passed for attachment to the inside of a car body. The grommet has tubular flexible material moldings composed of a rubber or an elastomer, and also has and tubular rigid resin moldings. These moldings accept a group of electric wires therethrough. The moldings are linked together by freely and removably connecting the end parts of the flexible material moldings with the edge parts of the rigid resin moldings. In alternative embodiments, however the flexible moldings may be made of other flexible materials, and the rigid resin moldings may be made from hard materials besides resin.
The grommet of the present invention may be either unitarily molded or separately molded and connected. The grommet has flexible material moldings molded from a rubber or an elastomer, and further has hard resin moldings molded from a relatively rigid synthetic or natural material, such as polypropylene or other synthetic material, alone or in combination. Since the rigid resin molding portions of the grommet control the bending directions of the wires, the bending directions of the wires are sufficiently controlled despite the stiffness of the wires.
Each molding of the present invention is short in length, resulting in ease of production. Additionally, the group of electric wires can be easily passed through these respective moldings prior to the connection of the moldings. The moldings may then be connected in sequence.
The parts of the flexible material moldings and rigid resin moldings are either flat tubular parts or round tubular parts. The end parts of these moldings are configured so that they may be mutually connected to each other. Hooking parts protrude on the outer peripheral surfaces of the tubular parts of the rigid resin moldings, and hooked parts are provided on the inner peripheral surface of tubular parts of the flexible material moldings. The hooked parts and hooking parts are hooked, connected and assembled together.
As discussed above, the wiring space between the roof of a vehicle to a rear door or hatch is a narrow flat area. The tubular shapes of both the flexible material moldings and the rigid resin moldings may be changed in accordance with the dimensions of the wiring space. The shapes may be partially flat or a circular tube, whereby the threading of the group of electric wires therethrough may be easily carried out.
Furthermore, since the hooked parts and the hooking parts are respectively provided on the ends of the respective flexible material moldings and rigid resin moldings, and are mutually connected, they ar

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