CN113719510A

CN113719510A - Grommet

Info

Publication number: CN113719510A
Application number: CN202110515259.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 程文绪
Original assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc
Current assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc
Priority date: 2020-05-22
Filing date: 2021-05-12
Publication date: 2021-11-30
Also published as: CN113715721A

Abstract

The present application relates to a grommet that includes a body, a cavity, an outer wall, a pair of windows, a pair of legs, and a collar. The body extends along an axis of the grommet. The cavity is formed by being recessed downward from the upper surface of the main body along the axis. The outer wall is disposed around the body and has a first outer wall portion that forms a first channel with the first side of the body and a second outer wall portion that forms a second channel with the second side of the body. A pair of windows are provided on the first and second outer wall portions, respectively, and communicate with the first and second passages, respectively. A pair of legs are connected to lower edges of the pair of windows through bottoms thereof, respectively. A collar surrounds the body and extends outwardly from a top portion of the body, the collar being positioned over the pair of windows and the pair of legs. The grommet provided by the application can realize good sealing performance.

Description

Grommet

Technical Field

The present application relates to connectors, and more particularly, to a grommet.

Background

The vehicle lights are typically mounted to the body panel of the vehicle by grommets. Specifically, the grommet includes a body, a leg, and a collar. The leg and the collar are disposed on the body with a distance therebetween. One end of the grommet can pass through a hole in the body panel to retain the body panel between the leg and the neck ring. The other end of the grommet is provided with a mounting hole for connecting with a vehicle lamp. However, the legs of existing grommets are typically relatively strong. Can damage the automobile body panel beating when the landing leg of grommet passes the automobile body panel beating to lead to grommet and the unable sealed of automobile body panel beating.

Disclosure of Invention

The present application provides a grommet that at least partially solves the above technical problem. A first aspect of the present application provides a grommet comprising a body, a cavity, a pair of windows, a pair of legs, a collar, and a pair of fillers. The cavity is formed by being recessed downwards from the upper surface of the main body. The pair of windows are arranged on the side wall of the main body and communicated with the containing cavity. The pair of legs are connected to lower edges of the pair of windows through bottoms thereof, respectively. The collar is formed extending outwardly from an upper portion of the body, the collar being positioned above the pair of windows and the pair of legs. The pair of filling portions respectively fill gaps between the pair of legs and the corresponding windows and connect the pair of legs with the corresponding pair of windows. The pair of filling portions has elasticity such that the pair of legs has an expanded position and a contracted position and is movable between the expanded position and the contracted position. The pair of legs is configured to: the top of the pair of legs is positioned outside of the respective window when the pair of legs is in the extended position, and the pair of legs is received in the pair of windows when the pair of legs is in the retracted position, respectively.

The grommet according to the first aspect described above, wherein the pair of legs are configured to: the pair of legs extend obliquely upwardly and outwardly relative to the body when the pair of legs are in the deployed position.

A grommet in accordance with the first aspect above further comprising a cap disposed around and attached to the collar and having a sealing edge at a free end thereof.

The grommet according to the first aspect described above, wherein the sealing edge is lower than the top of the pair of legs.

The grommet according to the first aspect described above, further comprising a pair of connecting portions that respectively connect the pair of filling portions to the cap.

According to the grommet of the above first aspect, the body, the pair of legs, and the collar are integrally molded of a first material to form a first grommet part, the pair of filler parts, the cap, and the pair of connecting parts are integrally molded of a second material to form a second grommet part, and the second grommet part is molded to the first grommet part to form the grommet.

According to the grommet of the first aspect described above, each of the pair of windows includes upper and lower oppositely disposed edges and left and right oppositely disposed edges. Wherein the upper edge is defined by a lower surface of the collar, the left and right edges are defined by the body, and the pair of legs are connected with the lower edge.

The grommet according to the first aspect described above, wherein the pair of windows and the pair of legs are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axis of the grommet.

According to the grommet of the above-mentioned first aspect, the grommet is used for installing to the automobile body panel beating, be equipped with the round hole on the automobile body panel beating. Wherein the grommet is configured to: the distance between the tops of the pair of legs is greater than the diameter of the circular hole when the pair of legs are in the deployed position, and the distance between the tops of the pair of legs is less than or equal to the diameter of the circular hole when the pair of legs are in the collapsed position.

A grommet according to the first aspect described above, the grommet being configured to: when the grommet is in place to install on the automobile body panel beating, the automobile body panel beating is pressed from both sides the neck ring with between the landing leg.

The second aspect of the present application also provides a grommet comprising a body, a cavity, an outer wall, a pair of windows, a pair of legs, and a collar. The body extends along an axis of the grommet. The pocket is formed recessed downwardly from an upper surface of the body along the axis. The outer wall is disposed around the body and has first and second outer wall portions located outside of opposite first and second sides of the body, respectively, the first outer wall portion forming a first channel with the first side of the body and the second outer wall portion forming a second channel with the second side of the body. The pair of windows are respectively provided on the first and second outer wall portions and communicate with the first and second passages, respectively. The pair of legs are connected to lower edges of the pair of windows through bottoms thereof, respectively. The collar surrounds the body and extends outwardly from a top portion of the body, the collar being positioned over the pair of windows and the pair of legs. Wherein the pair of legs has an extended position and a retracted position and is movable between the extended position and the retracted position, the pair of legs being configured to: the top of the pair of legs is positioned outside of the corresponding window when the pair of legs is in the extended position, and the pair of legs is received in the pair of windows when the pair of legs is in the retracted position, respectively.

The grommet according to the second aspect described above, the pair of legs being configured to: the pair of legs extend obliquely upwardly and outwardly relative to the body when the pair of legs are in the deployed position.

A grommet according to the second aspect above further comprising a cap disposed around and attached to the collar and having a sealing edge at a free end thereof.

The grommet according to the second aspect described above, wherein the sealing edge is lower than the top of the pair of legs.

A grommet according to the second aspect above, the body, the outer wall, the pair of legs and the collar being integrally molded from a first material.

According to the grommet of the above second aspect, the cap is integrally molded from the second material. Wherein the cap is molded onto the body and forms the grommet with the outer wall, the pair of legs, and the collar.

The grommet according to the second aspect described above, the pair of windows and the pair of legs are arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis of the grommet, respectively.

According to the grommet of above-mentioned second aspect, the grommet is used for installing to the automobile body panel beating, be equipped with the round hole on the automobile body panel beating. Wherein the grommet is configured to: the distance between the tops of the pair of legs is greater than the diameter of the circular hole when the pair of legs are in the deployed position, and the distance between the tops of the pair of legs is less than or equal to the diameter of the circular hole when the pair of legs are in the collapsed position.

A grommet according to the above second aspect, the grommet being configured to: when the grommet is in place to install on the automobile body panel beating, the automobile body panel beating is pressed from both sides the neck ring with between the landing leg.

The grommet of the first and second aspects described above is capable of achieving good sealing performance.

The conception, specific structure and technical effects of the present application will be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings to fully understand the purpose, characteristics and effects of the present application.

Drawings

The present application will become more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a top perspective view of a grommet of the first embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 1B is a bottom perspective view of the grommet shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is an exploded view from a first perspective of the grommet shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2B is an exploded view of the grommet shown in FIG. 1A from a second perspective;

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the grommet shown in FIG. 1A with the legs of the grommet in the deployed position;

FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view of the grommet shown in FIG. 1A with the legs of the grommet in a retracted position;

FIG. 3A is an elevation view of the first grommet portion shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3B is a side view of the first grommet portion shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the installation of the grommet and body panel with the legs of the grommet in the deployed position;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the installation of the grommet and body panel with the legs of the grommet in a retracted position;

FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the grommet shown in FIG. 1A in place with the body panel installed;

FIG. 5A is a top perspective view of a grommet of the second embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5B is a bottom perspective view of the grommet shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6A is an exploded view of the grommet shown in FIG. 5A from a first perspective;

FIG. 6B is an exploded view of the grommet shown in FIG. 5A from a second perspective;

FIG. 7A is an elevation view of the first grommet portion shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 7B is a side view of the first grommet portion shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of the grommet shown in FIG. 5A with the legs of the grommet in the deployed position;

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the grommet shown in FIG. 5A with the legs of the grommet in a retracted position;

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of the installation of the grommet with the body panel, with the legs of the grommet in the deployed position;

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the installation of the grommet and body panel with the legs of the grommet in a retracted position;

fig. 9C is a cross-sectional view of the grommet shown in fig. 5A installed in place in the sheet metal of the vehicle body.

Detailed Description

Various embodiments of the present application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. It should be understood that although directional terms, such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," "top," "bottom," etc., may be used herein to describe various example structural portions and elements of the application, these terms are used herein for convenience in description only and are to be construed as exemplary orientations shown in the figures. Because the embodiments disclosed herein can be arranged in a variety of orientations, these directional terms are used for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as limiting.

Ordinal terms such as "first" and "second" are used herein only for distinguishing and identifying, and do not have any other meanings, unless otherwise specified, either by indicating a particular sequence or by indicating a particular relationship. For example, the term "first grommet part" does not itself imply the presence of "second grommet part", nor does the term "second grommet part" itself imply the presence of "first grommet part".

Fig. 1A is a top perspective view of a grommet 100 of the first embodiment of the present application. Fig. 1B is a bottom perspective view of grommet 100 shown in fig. 1A. As one example, grommet 100 may be used to connect a vehicle light to a vehicle body panel. As shown in fig. 1A-1B, grommet 100 includes a first grommet portion 102 and a second grommet portion 104. Second grommet part 104 is disposed generally above first grommet part 102. Wherein first grommet part 102 is integrally molded from a first material, second grommet part 104 is integrally molded from a second material, and second grommet part 104 forms grommet 100 by molding to first grommet part 102. The second material is elastic. As one example, the first material is a plastic and the second material is a TPE material (i.e., a thermoplastic elastomer material).

Fig. 2A and 2B are exploded views of the grommet 100 shown in fig. 1A from different perspectives, respectively, and fig. 2C and 2D are sectional views of the grommet 100 shown in fig. 1A, respectively, to illustrate a specific structure of the grommet 100. As shown in fig. 2A-2D, the first grommet part 102 includes a body 202, a collar 206, and a pair of legs. Specifically, the body 202 is generally a cylinder extending in a length direction. The lower portion thereof gradually contracts so as to be able to function as a guide when the main body 202 is mounted to the vehicle body sheet metal 401 (see fig. 4A to 4C). A collar 206 is formed extending horizontally outward from an upper portion of the body 202 for providing support for the second grommet portion 104. The upper surface of the collar 206 is provided with a transverse first groove 244 and a second groove 246. The collar 206 is provided with a plurality of perforations 242 that are spaced evenly along the outer edge of the collar 206. First groove 244, second groove 246, and plurality of perforations 242 are used to provide a channel for molding second grommet part 104 to first grommet part 102.

As shown in fig. 2A-2B, grommet 100 includes a pocket 212 and a pair of windows. A cavity 212 is formed recessed downwardly from an upper surface of the body 202 for connection to a vehicle lamp (not shown). The body 202 has an axis extending in a length direction. A pair of windows are provided in the side wall of the body 202 and communicate with the pockets 212. A pair of legs, corresponding to a pair of windows respectively, extend upwardly and outwardly from the body 202 to provide a stop for attachment of the grommet 100 to the body panel 401. The pair of legs is symmetrically arranged with respect to the axis of the body 202.

The specific structure of the pair of windows and the pair of legs in first grommet part 102 is described in detail below in conjunction with fig. 3A-3B.

Fig. 3A is a front view of first grommet portion 102 shown in fig. 1A. Fig. 3B is a side view of first grommet portion 102 shown in fig. 1A. As shown in fig. 3A-3B, the pair of windows is a first window 213 and a second window 214. The first and

second windows

213 and 214 are respectively disposed at opposite sides of the body 202 and are symmetrically disposed with respect to the body 202. Each of the first window 213 and the second window 214 includes an upper edge 321, a lower edge 322, a left edge 323, and a right edge 324. The upper edge 321 and the lower edge 322 are oppositely disposed, and the left edge 323 and the right edge 324 are oppositely disposed. Wherein the upper edge 321 is defined by the lower surface of the collar 206. A left edge 323, a right edge 324, and a lower edge 322 are defined by the body 202.

The pair of legs is a first leg 204 and a second leg 205. Specifically, the first leg 204 extends upwardly and outwardly (i.e., to the left) from a portion of the lower edge 322 of the first window 213. The upper end 331 of the first leg 204 is located below the collar 206 and at a distance from the collar 206 such that the first leg 204 can be received in the first window 213 when the first leg 204 is bent inwardly. The top of the first leg 204 has a gap with the upper edge 321 of the first window 213. Similarly, the second leg 205 extends upwardly and outwardly (i.e., to the right) from a portion of the lower edge 322 of the second window 214. The upper end 332 of the second leg 205 is positioned below the collar 206 and at a distance from the collar 206 such that the second leg 205 can be received in the second window 214 when the second leg 205 is bent inward. The top of the first leg 204 is spaced from the upper edge 321 of the second window 214.

As shown in fig. 2C-2D, a pair of legs has an extended position and a retracted position and is movable between the extended position and the retracted position. Specifically, when the pair of legs are not subjected to an external force, the pair of legs tilt upward and outward relative to the main body 202 (i.e., at an angle to the outer surface of the main body 202), with the pair of legs in the deployed position (as shown in fig. 2C). When the pair of legs are subjected to an inward force, the upper ends 331 and 332 of the pair of legs move inward (i.e., toward the receptacle 212). The pair of legs are in a retracted position (as shown in fig. 2D) when the pair of legs are received in the pair of windows, respectively. In addition, the pair of legs may return to the extended position from the retracted position when the pair of legs are no longer subjected to the external force. As shown in fig. 4A-4C, the body panel 401 has a circular hole 403 for receiving the grommet 100. The diameter of the circular hole 403 is the width L1. When the first leg 204 and the second leg 205 in grommet 100 are not subjected to an external force and are in the deployed position, the distance between the upper end 331 of the first leg 204 and the upper end 332 of the second leg 205 is a width L2. Wherein the width L1 is less than the width L2.

With continued reference to fig. 2A-2D, the second grommet portion 104 includes a cap 232, a pair of filler portions, and a pair of connecting portions. Wherein the cap 232 is disposed around the collar 206. More specifically, the cap 232 covers the outer edge of the collar 206 and extends downwardly and outwardly beyond the outer edge of the collar 206 to form a sealing edge 211 at the free end thereof. The sealing edge 211 of the cap 232 extends downwardly in the lengthwise direction below the upper ends 331 and 332 of the pair of legs so that the sealing edge 211 of the cap 232 can abut against the upper surface 411 of the body panel 401 when the grommet 100 is in place on the body panel (see fig. 4A-4C). The pair of filling parts is a first filling part 233 and a second filling part 234. The first filling part 233 fills a gap between the first window 213 and the first leg 204, and the second filling part 234 fills a gap between the second window 214 and the second leg 205 to connect the upper edge 321, the left edge 323, and the right edge 324 of the pair of windows with the upper portion, the left portion, and the right portion of the pair of legs, respectively, so that the receptacle 212 cannot communicate with the outside of the main body 202 through the gap between the windows and the legs. The pair of connection portions includes a first connection portion 217 and a second connection portion 218. The first connection portion 217 is disposed at the first groove 244, thereby connecting the first filling portion 233 with the cap 232. The second connecting portion 218 is disposed in the second groove 246, thereby connecting the second filling portion 234 with the cap 232.

To this end, although the main body 202 is provided with a pair of windows, the gap between the pair of windows and the pair of legs is filled with a pair of filling portions, so that the cavity 212 in the main body 202 can only communicate with the outside through the upper opening. Further, the pair of filling portions in the present application are made of a material having elasticity, so that the pair of filling portions are deformed during the movement of the pair of legs between the expanded position and the contracted position, but they still fill the gap between the pair of windows and the pair of legs.

Fig. 4A-4C are schematic views of the process of installing grommet 100 shown in fig. 1A onto body panel 401, respectively, where fig. 4A-4C show cross-sectional views of a pair of legs in an extended position, a pair of legs in a retracted position, and grommet 100 in place, respectively.

As shown in fig. 4A, a pair of legs in grommet 100 are in an extended position without being subjected to external forces. When it is desired to secure grommet 100 to body panel 401, a user may place grommet 100 over hole 403 and align hole 403 and apply a downward force to grommet 100. Because the first leg 204 and the second leg 205 are angled outwardly relative to the body 202, the outer surfaces of the first leg 204 and the second leg 205 are subjected to forces exerted thereon by the edges of the aperture 403 as the grommet 100 moves downwardly. The holes 403 exert an inward force on the first leg 204 and the second leg 205, causing the first leg 204 and the second leg 205 to bend. During downward movement of grommet 100, first leg 204 and second leg 205 flex inward to move from the deployed position to the collapsed position.

As shown in fig. 4B, when the sealing edge 211 contacts the upper surface 411 of the body sheet metal 401, the edge of the aperture 403 abuts the upper end 331 of the first leg 204 and the upper end 332 of the second leg 205, with the pair of legs in the retracted position. The distance between the upper end 331 of the first leg 204 and the upper end 332 of the second leg 205 is now equal to the width L1. Since the first filling part 233 and the second filling part 234 are connected with the first leg 204 and the second leg 205, respectively, the first filling part 233 and the second filling part 234 are also deformed inward accordingly. The user then continues to apply a downward force to grommet 100, causing it to continue moving downward until body sheet metal 401 passes over upper end 331 of first leg 204 and upper end 332 of second leg 205.

As shown in fig. 4C, after the sheet metal 401 of the vehicle body passes over the upper ends 331 and 332 of the first and

second legs

204 and 205, the edges of the hole 403 no longer abut against the first and

second legs

204 and 205, and thus the first and

second legs

204 and 205 are no longer subjected to external forces. First leg 204 and second leg 205, which are no longer subjected to the external force, return to the extended position from the retracted position (i.e., when the distance between upper end 331 of first leg 204 and upper end 332 of second leg 205 is width L2). At this time, since the edges of the hole 403 abut against the first filling part 233 and the second filling part 234, and since the first filling part 233 and the second filling part 234 have elasticity, deformation occurs. The deformation of the first and

second filler portions

233, 234 enables the first and

second legs

204, 205 to remain in the extended position while filling the gap between the pair of legs and the pair of windows. In this way, the upper surfaces of the first leg 204 and the second leg 205 abut against the lower surface 412 of the vehicle body sheet metal 401 to restrict upward movement of the grommet 100, thereby preventing the grommet 100 from being pulled upward out of the hole 403. Further, the body sheet metal 401 continues to exert a force on the sealing edge 211 of the grommet 100 in the process of the grommet 100 moving downward from the position shown in fig. 4B to the position shown in fig. 4C. Since the sealing edge 211 has elasticity, deformation occurs. The sealing edge 211 is pressed against the upper surface 411 of the body panel 401. In this way, sealing edge 211 can limit grommet 100 from continuing downward movement. To this end, the grommet 100 is mounted in place on a body panel 401, the body panel 401 being added between the collar 206 and the leg.

As an example, cavity 212 in grommet 100 may be used to connect to a vehicle light (not shown) after grommet 100 is secured to body panel 401. In this way, grommet 100 may connect the vehicle lamp to the body panel.

Generally, a vehicle lamp faces the external environment. When it rains or snows, the vehicle lights may contact a fluid (e.g., water). However, the inside of the body sheet metal 401 (i.e., below the body sheet metal 401 shown in fig. 4A-4C) is used to dispose an engine or the like that requires waterproofing. The grommet 100 is thus required to provide good waterproof performance while functioning as a connector.

The grommet 100 of the present application is capable of achieving good sealing performance. It is mainly embodied in the following aspects:

first, a pair of legs of grommet 100 can be moved between an extended position and a retracted position to avoid reaming hole 403. Specifically, when the grommet 100 is mounted to the vehicle body sheet metal 401, the pair of legs can move inward without excessively pressing the hole 403 to cause the size of the hole 403 to become large. This prevents unnecessary play between grommet 100 and the edge of hole 403 after grommet 100 is installed in place.

Second, the body 202 of grommet 100 itself has good sealing properties. Specifically, the grommet 100 fills the gap between the pair of windows and the pair of legs by the pair of filling portions, so that the side wall of the body 202 is not provided with the communication passage. This can prevent fluid from flowing from above the body metal plate 401 to below the body metal plate 401 through the communication passage on the side wall.

Thirdly, the grommet 100 has good sealing performance with the hole 403 of the vehicle body sheet metal 401. Specifically, when grommet 100 is mounted in place on body sheet metal 401, a pair of filler portions in grommet 100 abut holes 403, respectively. The pair of filling portions are elastic, and can fill the gap between the grommet 100 and the hole 403, thereby achieving good sealing performance.

Fourth, there is good sealing between grommet 100 and upper surface 411 of body panel 401. Specifically, after grommet 100 is installed in place on body panel 401, sealing edge 211 of grommet 100 abuts against upper surface 411 of body panel 401. The sealing edge 211 is resilient so that its contact area with the upper surface 411 is large, thereby achieving a seal at the periphery of the hole 403.

Fig. 5A is a top perspective view of a grommet 500 of a second embodiment of the present application. Fig. 5B is a bottom perspective view of grommet 500 shown in fig. 5A. As shown in fig. 5A-5B, grommet 500 includes a first grommet portion 502 and a cap 504. A cap 504 is disposed on the upper portion of the first grommet portion 502. Wherein first grommet part 502 is integrally molded from a first material and cap 504 is integrally molded from a second material. Cap 504 forms grommet 500 by molding to first grommet portion 502. As one example, the first material is a plastic and the second material is a TPE material (i.e., a thermoplastic elastomer material).

Fig. 6A and 6B are exploded views of grommet 500 shown in fig. 5A from different perspectives, respectively. Fig. 7A is an elevation view of the first grommet portion 502 shown in fig. 5A. Fig. 7B is a side view of the first grommet portion 502 shown in fig. 5A. Fig. 8A is an axial cross-sectional view of grommet 500 with the legs of grommet 500 in the deployed position. Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view of grommet 500 with the legs of grommet 500 in a retracted position to illustrate the specific structure of grommet 500.

As shown in fig. 6A-6B, 7A-7B, and 8A-8B, the first grommet portion 502 includes a body 602, an outer wall 620, a pair of legs, and a collar 606. The main body 602 is generally a cylinder extending in a length direction. In the present application, the body 602 is generally cylindrical with an axis extending in a length direction. The lower portion thereof gradually contracts so as to be able to function as a guide when the main body 602 is mounted to the vehicle body sheet metal 901 (see fig. 9A to 9C). A receptacle 612 is formed recessed axially downward from the upper surface of the body 602 for connection to a vehicle lamp (not shown). An outer wall 620 is disposed around the body 602. Which includes first and second

outer wall portions

621 and 622 disposed at opposite first and second sides 801 and 803 (see fig. 8A) of the main body 602, and third and fourth

outer wall portions

623 and 624 disposed at opposite third and fourth sides of the main body 602. The first and second

outer wall portions

621 and 622 are disposed at a distance from the main body 602 to form first and

second passages

642 and 644, respectively. First passage 642 and second passage 644 are symmetrically disposed with respect to the axis of grommet 500 with respect to cavity 612 and each extend a distance along the length of body 602. The third outer wall portion 623 and the fourth outer wall portion 624 are connected to the main body 602. The outer periphery of the outer wall 620 is generally oval in cross-section, which can match the shape of the hole 903 (see fig. 9) in the body panel 901.

A collar 606 is formed extending horizontally outward from an upper portion of the body 602 for providing support for the cap 504. The collar 606 is provided with a plurality of perforations 641 spaced evenly along the outer edge of the collar 606 for providing a channel for the molding of the cap 504 to the first grommet portion 502.

A cap 504 is disposed on the first grommet portion 502 and surrounds and is supported on the collar 606. More specifically, the cap 504 covers the outer edge of the collar 606 and extends downwardly and outwardly beyond the outer edge of the collar 606, forming a sealing edge 611 at the free end thereof. The sealing edges 611 of the cap 504 extending downward are lower than the upper ends 731 and 732 of the pair of legs in the length direction (see fig. 8A-8B), so that when the grommet 500 is mounted in place on the vehicle body sheet metal 901, the sealing edges 611 of the cap 504 can abut against the upper surface 911 of the vehicle body sheet metal 901 (see fig. 9A-9C), and are expanded and deformed outward by being pressed by the upper surface 911 of the vehicle body sheet metal 901, so that the length is reduced.

As shown in fig. 7A-7B and 8A-8B, the first grommet portion 502 includes a pair of windows. One pair of windows is a first window 613 and a second window 614. First windows 613 and second windows 614 are provided on the first outer wall portion 621 and the second outer wall portion 622, respectively, and are symmetrically provided with respect to the axis of the grommet 500. The first window 613 is disposed on the first outer wall portion 621 and transversely penetrates the first outer wall portion 621 to communicate with the first passage 642. The second window 614 is disposed on the second outer wall portion 622 and extends transversely through the second outer wall portion 622 to communicate with the second passageway 644. Each of the first window 613 and the second window 614 includes an upper edge 721, a lower edge 722, a left edge 723, and a right edge 724. The upper edge 721 and the lower edge 722 are oppositely disposed, and the left edge 723 and the right edge 724 are oppositely disposed.

As shown in fig. 7A-7B and 8A-8B, the pair of legs is a first leg 603 and a second leg 604. The first leg 603 and the second leg 604 are respectively disposed in the first window 613 and the second window 614, and are connected with the lower edge of the corresponding window thereof through the bottom thereof. Specifically, the first leg 603 extends upwardly and outwardly (i.e., to the left as shown in fig. 7A) from a portion of the lower edge 722 of the first window 613. The upper end 731 of the first leg 603 is located below the upper edge 721 of the first window 613 and is spaced a distance from the upper edge 721 such that the first leg 603 can be received in the first window 613 when the first leg 603 is bent inward. Similarly, the second leg 604 extends upwardly and outwardly (i.e., to the right as shown in fig. 7A) from a portion of the lower edge 722 of the second window 614. The upper end 732 of the second leg 604 is located below the upper edge 721 of the second window 614 and is spaced from the upper edge 721 such that the second leg 604 can be received in the second window 614 when the second leg 604 is bent inward. That is, the first channel 642 and the second channel 644 can provide space for the inward bending of the first leg 603 and the second leg 604, respectively.

As shown in fig. 8A-8B, a pair of legs has an extended position and a retracted position and is movable between the extended position and the retracted position. Specifically, as shown in fig. 8A, when the pair of legs are not subjected to an external force, the pair of legs are tilted outward relative to the main body 602 (i.e., disposed at an angle to the outer surface of the main body 602) with the pair of legs in the deployed position. When a pair of legs is subjected to an inward force, the upper ends 731 and 732 of the pair of legs move inward (i.e., toward the receptacle 612). As shown in fig. 8B, when the pair of legs are received in the pair of channels, respectively (i.e., the upper portions of the pair of legs enter the pair of channels, respectively), the pair of legs are in the retracted position. Further, the pair of legs may return from the retracted position (as shown in FIG. 8B) to the extended position (as shown in FIG. 8A) when the pair of legs are no longer subjected to the external force. As shown in fig. 9A-9C, the body sheet 901 is provided with a circular hole 903 for receiving the grommet 500. The diameter of the circular hole 903 is a width L1. When the first leg 603 and the second leg 604 in the grommet 500 are not subjected to an external force and are in the deployed position, the distance between the upper end 731 of the first leg 603 and the upper end 732 of the second leg 604 is a width L2. Wherein the width L1 is less than the width L2.

Fig. 9A-9C show cross-sectional views of grommet 500 shown in fig. 5A with the pair of legs in an extended position, the pair of legs in a retracted position, and the grommet 500 in place, respectively. As shown in fig. 9A, a pair of legs in grommet 500 are in a deployed position without being subjected to an external force. When it is desired to secure grommet 500 to body panel 901, a user may place grommet 500 over hole 903 and apply a downward force to grommet 500. Because the first leg 603 and the second leg 604 are angled outwardly relative to the body 602, the outer surfaces of the first leg 603 and the second leg 604 are subjected to forces exerted thereon by the edges of the aperture 903 as the grommet 500 moves downwardly. The hole 903 applies an inward force to the first leg 603 and the second leg 604, causing the first leg 603 and the second leg 604 to bend inward. During the inward bending of the first leg 603 and the second leg 604, the pair of legs moves from the extended position to the retracted position.

As shown in fig. 9B, when the edge of the aperture 903 abuts the upper end 731 of the first leg 603 and the upper end 732 of the second leg 604, the pair of legs are in a retracted position. The distance between the upper end 731 of the first leg 603 and the upper end 732 of the second leg 604 is now equal to the width L1. As an example, the sealing edge 611 may also contact the upper surface 911 of the body panel 901 at this time. The user then continues to apply a downward force to the grommet 500, causing it to continue to move downwardly until the body sheet 901 passes over the upper end 731 of the first leg 603 and the upper end 732 of the second leg 604.

As shown in fig. 9C, when the sheet metal 901 passes over the upper end 731 of the first leg 603 and the upper end 732 of the second leg 604, the edge of the hole 903 no longer abuts against the first leg 603 and the second leg 604, and thus the first leg 603 and the second leg 604 are no longer subjected to external forces. The first leg 603 and the second leg 604, which are no longer subjected to the external force, return to the extended position from the retracted position (i.e., when the distance between the upper end 731 of the first leg 603 and the upper end 732 of the second leg 604 is the width L2). The first leg 603 and the second leg 604 now abut against the lower surface 912 of the body panel 901 to limit upward movement of the grommet 500, thereby preventing the grommet 500 from being pulled upward out of the hole 903. Further, in the process in which grommet 500 moves downward from the position shown in fig. 9B to the position shown in fig. 9C, body sheet metal 901 continues to exert a force on sealing edge 611 of grommet 500. Since the sealing edge 611 has elasticity, deformation occurs. The sealing edge 611 is pressed against the upper surface 911 of the body panel 901. In this way, sealing edge 611 can limit grommet 500 from continuing downward movement. To this end, the grommet 500 is mounted in place on the vehicle body panel 901.

Similar to the first embodiment of the present application, as an example, after the grommet 500 is fixed to the vehicle body sheet metal 901, the cavity 212 in the grommet 500 may be used for connecting with a vehicle lamp (not shown). Grommet 500 is required to provide good waterproof performance while acting as a connector.

The grommet 500 of the present application is capable of achieving good sealing performance. It is mainly embodied in the following aspects:

first, a pair of legs of grommet 500 can move between an extended position and a retracted position to avoid reaming hole 903. Specifically, when the grommet 500 is mounted to the vehicle body sheet metal 901, the pair of legs can move inward without excessively pressing the hole 903 to cause the size of the hole 903 to become large. This can prevent unwanted clearance between grommet 500 and the edge of hole 903 once grommet 500 is in place.

Second, the body 602 of grommet 500 has good sealing properties by itself. Specifically, the cavity in grommet 500 is formed by body 602 such that no communication channel is provided in the sidewall of body 602. This can prevent the fluid from flowing from above the body metal plate 901 to below the body metal plate 901 through the communication passage on the side wall.

Thirdly, the grommet 500 has good sealing performance with the upper surface 911 of the vehicle body sheet metal 901. Specifically, when grommet 500 is installed in place on body panel 901, sealing edge 611 of grommet 500 abuts against upper surface 911 of body panel 901. The sealing edge 611 is resilient and thus has a large contact area with the upper surface 911, thereby providing a seal at the periphery of the hole 903, providing multiple assurance of a seal.

In addition, the first grommet part 502 of the grommet 500 may be formed by integral molding, thus having advantages of easy manufacturing and low cost. Specifically, when the molding process is employed, the mold needs to be detached from the product from the up-down direction. In the grommet 500 of the present application, space is provided for the inward flexing of the pair of legs by the placement of the pair of channels on the outside of the body 602. Further, a pair of channels extend vertically, thereby enabling the first grommet part 502 to be formed using integral molding.

While only certain features of the application have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the application.

Claims

1. A grommet (500), comprising:

a body (602), the body (602) extending along an axis of the grommet (500);

a pocket (612) formed recessed from an upper surface of the body (602) along the axis;

an outer wall (620), the outer wall (620) disposed around the body (602) and having a first outer wall portion (621) and a second outer wall portion (622) located outside of opposing first and second sides (801, 803) of the body (602), respectively, the first outer wall portion (621) forming a first channel (642) with the first side (801) of the body (602) and the second outer wall portion (622) forming a second channel (644) with the second side (803) of the body (602);

a pair of windows provided on the first and second outer wall portions (621, 622), respectively, and communicating with the first and second passages (642, 644), respectively;

a pair of legs connected to lower edges of the pair of windows through bottoms thereof, respectively; and

a collar (606) surrounding the body (602) and extending outwardly from a top of the body (602), the collar (606) being positioned over the pair of windows and the pair of legs;

wherein the pair of legs has an extended position and a retracted position and is movable between the extended position and the retracted position, the pair of legs being configured to: the top of the pair of legs is positioned outside of the corresponding window when the pair of legs is in the extended position, and the pair of legs is received in the pair of windows when the pair of legs is in the retracted position, respectively.

2. Grommet (500) according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the pair of legs is configured to: the pair of legs extend obliquely upward and outward relative to the main body (602) when the pair of legs are in the deployed position.

3. Grommet (500) according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cap (504), the cap (504) disposed around the collar (606) and connected to the collar (606) and having a sealing edge (611) at a free end thereof.

4. Grommet (500) according to claim 3, characterized in that:

the sealing edge (611) is lower than the top of the pair of legs.

5. Grommet (500) according to claim 2, characterized in that:

the body (602), the outer wall (620), the pair of legs, and the collar (606) are integrally molded from a first material.

6. Grommet (500) according to claim 3, characterized in that:

the cap (504) is integrally molded from a second material;

wherein the cap (504) is molded onto the body (602) and forms the grommet (500) with the outer wall (620), the pair of legs, and the collar (606).

7. Grommet (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the pair of windows and the pair of legs are symmetrically arranged with respect to the axis of the grommet (500), respectively.

8. Grommet (500) according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the grommet (500) is used for being mounted on a vehicle body metal plate (901), and a round hole (903) is formed in the vehicle body metal plate (901);

wherein the grommet (500) is configured to: the distance between the tops of the pair of legs is greater than the diameter of the circular hole (903) when the pair of legs are in the deployed position, and the distance between the tops of the pair of legs is less than or equal to the diameter of the circular hole (903) when the pair of legs are in the collapsed position.

9. Grommet (500) according to claim 8, characterized in that:

the grommet (500) is configured to: when the grommet (500) is installed in place on the body panel (901), the body panel (901) is sandwiched between the collar (606) and the leg.