FR2723804A1 - Multi-fit grommet for passage of various cable and tube - Google Patents

Abstract

The grommet has an outer sleeve (1) defining a central region for passage of cables and tubes. A membrane (3) spans the central region inside the sleeve. The membrane is attached to the sleeve by destructible webs (4) spanning the distance between the edge (5) of the membrane and the inside (6) of the sleeve. The membrane has holes (11) to allow passage of cables or pipes round its periphery. The hole is positioned so that the cable or pipe passing through the membrane is in contact with the inside of the sleeve. The hole is formed with radial flexible tongues (13,14) which are bent aside when the cable or tube is passed through. The tongues form a seal round the cable or tube.

Description

The present invention relates to grommets or the like, that is to say

  say the elements which, placed on a support of any kind allow to guide and / or maintain an oblong body during its passage through this support.

  In the present description, such an element will be designated under the

  generic term "grommet" because it is better known to technicians under this name because it is most often used to guide the passage of a wire, cable, etc. It is however understood that this term "grommet" should not be taken in its literal sense of "means to pass wires" but in the general sense of "means to pass from & oblong bodies or the like of any kind" . Having said this, we already know of such grommet elements which are placed on supports such as frames, cabinets, metallic or non-metallic bodies, metallic reinforcements of drywall for the building, etc. and which make it possible to guide and / or maintain wires, bundles of wires under sheaths,

  tubes, etc. during their passage in these supports.

  The grommets that exist to date do not give complete satisfaction because their structure requires providing a large number of different sizes, almost one for each size of wire, sheath, etc., to pass

and / or to maintain.

  The present invention aims to provide a grommet which overcomes the drawbacks mentioned above, which allows to pass and / or maintain a large number of oblong bodies such as single or multi-conductor cables (electrical sector, telephony, data transmission, bundles of wires in sheaths, tubes conveying different gaseous or liquid fluids, etc. of different sections), to facilitate their installation and their possible removal, as well as to visualize them at any point of their journey, in particular before installation drywall, and which presents no difficulty

particular achievement.

  More specifically, the subject of the present invention is a grommet or the like, characterized in that it comprises: - a sleeve delimiting a central through hole of section SI, - a cover disposed in said opening, - destructible means for connecting the edge of said cover with the inner wall of said sleeve, - at least one first orifice of section S2 formed in said

BAD ORIGINAL

  cover, the two sections S1 and S2 having at least a first common part defined on the inner wall of said sleeve, and - at least one first flexible tongue integral with said first common part, said tongue at least partially plunging into said first orifice. Other features and advantages of the present invention

  will appear during the following description given next to the drawings

  annexed by way of illustration, but in no way limiting, in which: FIG. 1 represents, in schematic form and in front view, the principle of an embodiment of a grommet according to the invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 represent, respectively in a front view and in a side sectional view referenced III-111 in Figure 2, a

  possible embodiment of a grommet according to the invention.

  Figures 1 to 3 essentially show two embodiments of a grommet according to the invention. However, to simplify the

  present description and facilitate its understanding, the same references

  denote, on all the figures, the elements which are common to these

  two illustrated embodiments.

  Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, this represents in schematic form the principle of making a grommet

according to the invention.

  The illustrated grommet includes a sleeve 1 delimiting a central through hole 2 of section S1, a cover 3 disposed in the opening, destructible means 4 for connecting the edge 5 of the cover 3 with the internal wall 6 of the sleeve 1, at least a first orifice 11 of section S2 produced in the cover 3, the two sections S1 and S2 having at least a first common part 12 defined on the interior wall 6 of the sleeve 1, and at least a first flexible tongue 13 integral with the first common part 12, the tongue 13 dipping at least partially into the first

port 11.

  With a single grommet produced as described above, it is possible to maintain all the oblong bodies whose cross section has a value between a minimum value defined between the inner edge 61 of the tongue 13 and the edge 15 of the orifice 11 when the tongue 13 is not folded down and a maximum value defined by the value of the section S2 of the orifice when the tongue 13 is completely folded down by the presence of an oblong body, the flexibility and the natural elasticity of materials to maintain

  elastically the oblong body without it moving in the grommet.

  If the destructible means 4 cut, made, for example, by thin wall portions 40, 41, 42, ... connecting the cover with the inner wall 6 of the sleeve 1, the cover 3 is eliminated and does not close plus the through hole 2. it is then possible, with this same grommet, to guide and maintain all the oblong bodies whose cross section has a value between a minimum value defined between the inner edge 61 of the tongue 13 and the wall inside 6 of the sleeve when the tongue 13 is not folded down and a maximum value defined by the value of the section SI of the through hole

  when the tongue 13 is completely folded down.

  The embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 is only a simplified example to bring out the essential features of the present invention, but the grommet may further include at least one additional flexible tongue 14, if not a plurality, integral from the edge 15 of the first orifice 11. The oblong body is then even better held elastically between the two tongues which prevent it from moving relative

with the grommet.

  In addition, so that the amplitude between the minimum value and the maximum value of the sections of the oblong bodies able to be maintained is as large as possible, the tongues 13 and 14 are arranged substantially in the plane of the seal 3 and have the as long as possible. The section

  minimum can thus be almost zero, if necessary.

  A single tab is shown on the edge 15 of the first orifice 11 but, as will be described below with reference to Figures 2 and 3, the grommet

  will advantageously include several tabs 14.

  Figures 2 and 3 represent a possible embodiment and

  advantageous of a grommet according to the invention.

  According to this embodiment, the grommet comprises, in addition to the first orifice 11, a plurality of second orifices 21, 22, ... made in

  the cover 3 each having a section S (d).

  The section of each second orifice is designated by S (d) for

  simplify the description, but this designation is the representation of

  different sections Sd21, Sd22, ... respectively of the second orifices 21, 22, In addition, as for the first orifice 11, each section S (d) has, with the section Si, a second common part 23, 24, .. defined on the inner wall 6 of the sleeve 1 and the grommet further comprises at least one second flexible tongue 25, 26, ... integral with this second common part 23, 24, ... and plunging at least partially into the second

orifice 21, 22, ....

  In addition and advantageously, the first 11 and second 21, 22, orifices are substantially regularly spaced from each other without being intercepted. As for their sections S2 and S (d), they can have, according to

  needs, equal or different values from each other.

  When the grommet has such a plurality of orifices 11, 21, 22, it is then possible to pass several wires or the like in the same

  sleeve, and even of different calibers.

  In the case where the grommet has a first orifice 11 and a plurality of second orifices 21, 22, ..., for example regularly distributed as illustrated, it may further include a weak groove 30 made in the seal 3 along a line defining a section Sr of a value less than S1, the line defined by the groove 30 passing through the orifices 11, 21, 22, .... In this case, it is then possible to cut the following cover this groove to eliminate the part 62 delimited by this groove and thus define another possibility of passage of wires or the like, the lid parts 63, 64, 65, ... remaining between the orifices 11-21, 21-22 and 22- 11 constituting tabs for centering and elastic retention of wires passing through the section Sr

and a section between Sr.

  Furthermore, since the majority of the wires, sheaths or the like intended to be passed are cylindrical of revolution, the sections S1, S2, S (d) and Sr are

  substantially circular but not exclusively.

  The structure of the grommet according to the invention is advantageous because it makes it possible to produce all the means involved in the constitution of this grommet, that is to say the sleeve 1, the cover 3, the tongues 13, 14, 25, 26, ... and the thin wall portions 40, 42, ... in a single piece, for example by molding,

  made of a material such as plastic or the like.

  In addition, so that the grommet can be positioned and maintained on a given support 66 (Figure 3) like a sheet metal plate or the like, the sleeve 1 has an edge 50 curved outward to form a shoulder. As this grommet is intended to be located on a support 66, it is advantageous that it further comprises clip means 51 in a hole or the like made in this support. This support can be a partition or the like, but it can also consist of a counter plate 67 as shown in FIG. 3. These clipping means are well known in themselves and will not be

not more fully described here.

Claims (12)

REVENDI [CATIONS   1- Grommet or the like, characterized in that it comprises: - a sleeve (1) delimiting a central through-hole (2) of section S1, - a cover (3) disposed in said opening, - destructible means (4) for connecting the edge (5) of said cover (3) with the interior wall (6) of said sleeve (1), - at least one first orifice (11) of section S2 formed in said cover (3), both sections S1 and S2 having at least a first common part (12) defined on the inner wall (6) of said sleeve (1), and - at least a first flexible tongue (13) integral with said first common part (12), said tongue (13) plunging at least   partially in said first port (11).   2. Grommet according to claim 1, characterized in that the plane of said first tab (13) is substantially coincident with that of said cover (3).   3. Grommet according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized by the   has at least one additional flexible tongue (14)   integral with the edge (15) of said first orifice (11).   4. Grommet according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that   the planes of said tongues (13, 14) are substantially coincident with that of said cover (3).   5. Grommet according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the   fact that it comprises a plurality of second orifices (21, 22, ...) made in said cover (3), each second orifice having a section S (d), the sections S1 and S (d) before at least one second common part (23, 24, ...) defined on the inner wall (6) of said sleeve (1), and at least one second flexible tongue (25, 26, ...) secured to the second common part (23 , 24, ...) and   dipping at least partially into said second orifice (21, 22, ...).   6. Grommet according to claim 5, characterized in that the first (11) and second (21, 22, ...) orifices are substantially regularly spaced from each other.   7. thread pass according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a groove of weakness (30) formed in said cover (3) following   a line defining a section Sr and passing through said orifices (1 1, 21, 22).   8. Grommet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   by the fact that the destructible means (4) for connecting the edge (5) of said cover (3) with the inner wall (6) of said sleeve (1) are constituted by thin wall portions (40, 41, 42 ,. ..) connecting said cover with the inner wall (6) of said sleeve (1).   9. Grommet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   by the fact that said sleeve (1), cover (3), tab (13, 14, 25, 26, ...) and thin wall portions (40, 42, ...) are made in one piece by molding.   10. Grommet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that said sleeve (1) has a curved edge (50) forming a shoulder.   11. Grommet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   by the fact that it comprises means for clipping (51) of said sleeve (1) into a hole made in a support.   12. Grommet according to all of the preceding claims,   characterized in that said sections S1, S2, S (d) and Sr are substantially circular.