Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Single duct conduits
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-14
2003-07-15
Nguyen, Chau N. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Single duct conduits
C174S135000, C174S1520GM, C174S15300A, C248S056000, C016S002100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06593529
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a grommet that is equipped with a resin inner sleeve, and specifically to a grommet which can be mounted in the penetration hole on a car body panel and which is assembled on a wire harness and wired in an automobile. A resin inner sleeve is internally fitted inside of the grommet main body made of an elastic material. The grommet is hooked into the penetration hole on a car body panel with a car body-hooking hook.
2. Background of the Invention
With this kind of grommet, when a door harness which is to be wired to a door side is hung in the penetration hole on a car body panel through the penetration hole of a door panel, for example, the grommet
1
as shown in
FIGS. 7A and 7B
, is installed on a wire harness between the door panel and the car body panel. Located in the grommet
1
is an inner sleeve
3
that is made of a resin which is assembled into the inside of an enlarged tubular portion
2
a
. The enlarged tubular portion
2
a
is arranged at one end of a grommet main body
2
which is made of a rubber or an elastomer. The grommet
1
is designed to be hooked with only one touch by inserting the locking hooks
3
a
and
3
b
, provided at the outer face of the inner sleeve
3
, in the penetration hole H
1
of the car body panel A.
Specifically, the above-mentioned grommet
1
, which is hooked in the penetration holes H
1
and H
2
which were provided on the car body panel A and the door panel B, also includes a enlarged tubular portion
2
c
which can be mounted in the penetration hole H
2
of the door panel B, and is arranged at one end of the bellows shaped small diameter tubular portion
2
b
of the grommet main body
2
. The grommet main body
2
is continuously formed with the enlarged tubular portions
2
a
and
2
c
and enlarged tubular portion
2
a
can be mounted in the penetration hole H
1
of the car body panel A. A hooking groove
2
d
is provided at the outer peripheral face of the enlarged tubular portion
2
c
, and the hooking groove
2
d
is adapted to be fitted in the peripheral rim of the penetration hole H
2
and allows the grommet
1
to be mounted in a sealed condition.
The inner sleeve
3
is made of a resin and is hooked into the body panel. Located on the side of the grommet having the enlarged tubular portion
2
a
are locking hooks
3
a
and
3
b
which allow the grommet to be hooked into the car body. These hooks
3
a
and
3
b
are provided at opposed and/or opposite positions on the outer face of the inner sleeve
3
. The outer face of the inner sleeve
3
is slightly protruded or extended from the edge opening of the enlarged tubular portion
2
a
. The locking hooks
3
a
and
3
b
are passed through the penetration hole H
1
and are hooked on the peripheral rim of the inner face side of the penetration hole H
1
. In this manner, the grommet
1
is fixed on the car body panel in a condition in which sealing is maintained, i.e., by adhering seal lip
2
f
, provided on the opening peripheral rim of the enlarged tubular portion
2
a
, on the peripheral rim of the outer face side of the penetration hole H
1
.
In the above-mentioned grommet, when considering the work required to install the grommet into the penetration hole H
1
of the car body panel A in the assembly line of an automobile, it is notable that the locking hook
3
a
of one side of the inner sleeve consists of a fixation locking hook which protrudes from the edge of the peripheral wall of the inner sleeve
3
. On the other hand, as shown in
FIG. 7B
, the locking hook
3
b
located on the other side of the inner sleeve consists of a movable piece
3
d
which is arranged between two side grooves
3
c
that are notched in the peripheral wall. The movable piece
3
d
has formed thereon the movable locking hook
3
b
at the edge outer face thereof. As shown in
FIGS. 8A and 8B
, during the installing of the grommet in the penetration hole H
1
, the edges of the inner sleeve
3
are obliquely inserted into the penetration hole H
1
, with the locking hook
3
a
being inserted into the penetration hole H
1
first, and then, the movable locking hook
3
b
is inserted into the penetration hole H
1
by bending it so that it can be hooked into opening H
1
.
When the grommet is assembled on an automobile, it is difficult to fix and/or precisely position the locking hook
3
a
at the peripheral wall of the penetration hole H
1
. The reason is that in order to fix locking hook
3
a
in penetration hole H
1
, the grommet must obliquely positioned which can result in a condition as shown in FIG.
9
A. It can also be difficult for a worker to recognize the inadequate insertion condition of the grommet. Accordingly, it is possible for the movable locking hook
3
b
to be inserted inadequately, and the movable locking hook
3
b
can sometimes hit the car body panel A as shown in FIG.
9
B. In a worst case scenario, the movable locking hook
3
b
can even be destroyed upon installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for a grommet in which the movable locking hook is designed for insertion into the penetration hole so as to be hooked therein while rectifying the inadequate insertion posture of the fixation locking hook which is inserted in advance.
The present invention provides a grommet which can be installed on a wire harness that is inserted into a penetration hole provided on the car body panel of an automobile. A resin inner sleeve is firmly stored in an enlarged tubular portion of a grommet main body made of an elastomer. The enlarged tubular portion is arranged at one end of a small diameter tubular portion through which electric wires can be inserted. A locking hook is used for car body hooking and protrudes from a peripheral wall of the above-mentioned inner sleeve. The locking hook protrudes beyond the edge opening of the above-mentioned enlarged tubular portion. The locking hook located on one side of the inner sleeve is a fixation locking hook that protrudes from the outer face of the above-mentioned peripheral wall. Another locking hook is provided on another side of the inner sleeve and is formed as a movable locking hook. The movable locking hook is located on the edge outer face of a movable piece between two side grooves which are notched on the above-mentioned peripheral wall. A pair of left and right rectifying ribs protrude from the above-mentioned movable locking hook. The rectifying ribs are arranged on both sides the above-mentioned movable piece and cross over the movable piece. The edge portions of the rectifying ribs are formed with an acute angle that is inclined to the inside. The above-mentioned rectifying ribs are inserted in advance into the penetration hole, and then the fixation locking hook can be rectified at the proper hooking position upon insertion of the above-mentioned movable locking hook. The work of inserting and hooking the above-mentioned movable locking hook in the penetration hole is made after inserting and hooking the above-mentioned fixation locking hook in the penetration hole of the above-mentioned car body panel.
The resin inner sleeve of the above-mentioned grommet utilizes rectifying ribs which are provided at a position which is located more inwards than the movable locking hook. These ribs protrude beyond the movable locking hook so that the rectifying ribs can be inserted into the penetration hole before the movable locking hook is inserted into the penetration hole. Using this design, the inadequate insertion and hooking posture of the fixation-locking hook is rectified upon inserting the rectifying ribs in the penetration hole. As a result, the movable locking hook can be more smoothly inserted into the penetration hole. Thus, the normal hooking position of the fixation locking hook is rectified by the rectifying ribs which are inserted in advance, which can accordingly prevent the possible damage from occurring to the movable locking hook when the movable hook hits or engages the car body panel.
On the other hand, when the movab
Hieda Takayuki
Morishita Yukinori
Nakata Hiroyuki
Wada Tetsuaki
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Nguyen Chau N.
Patel Dhiru R
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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