JP2005038859A - Electric wire passing type sealed body with grommet - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tubular grommet for sealing a conductor into a substrate having a penetration opening for the conductor as well as having side parts opposed to each other. <P>SOLUTION: A grommet (14) has ends (32, 34) opposed to each other, one end is engaged with the conductor freely hermetically and the other end is positioned with an interval in a radius direction from the conductor and being larger in a radius direction than an opening penetrated in the substrate. The other end has a circumference flange (34) engaging with the substrate when the grommet (14) is mounted on the substrate. Walls between the ends (32, 34) composed of a first and a second inner curved wall parts (40, 42) facing one end, the grommet (14) is disposed on the wall near by the flange (34) and provided with a recession (74) for receiving a periphery edge of the opening of the substrate. It is preferable for the grommet (14) to be adhered to the substrate with an adhesive provided between the flange (34) and the substrate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

This application is based on US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 417,391, filed on Oct. 9, 2002, and is an application for claiming its rights.
The present invention relates to the field of sealing bodies, and in particular, to a grommet for sealing an electrical conductor extending through an opening provided between a wet side and a dry side of a substrate, eg, a water shielding component.

  The invention is particularly utilized in connection with sealing electrical wires in a wiring harness that extends through a water shield or water shield attached to an inner panel of a vehicle door. Accordingly, the present invention is illustrated and described in detail in connection with such applications. At the same time, as will become apparent later, the present invention is applicable to the sealing of wires to opposite sides of other boards, for example panels, plate parts or vehicle firewalls, i.e. opposite sides. It will be understood.

  As shown in commonly assigned US Pat. Nos. 4,696,848 and 4,957,803, a surface protector or water shield is provided on the inner panel of the vehicle door. It is known to protect the inner panel from intrusion of water, dirt, dust, air and the like. In general, the shield is in the form of a thin and flexible sheet of plastic material, for example polyethylene, whose perimeter contour matches the inner door panel of a given vehicle. The shield is joined to the panel by, for example, a pressure sensitive adhesive or other suitable fastening device, and in a vehicle having an electric device such as a window, door lock, rear view mirror (back mirror), etc. The wiring harness penetrates the water shield and thereby seals the conductor against the corresponding opening provided in the water shield so that air, water and dirt from the wet side to the dry side of the shield can be removed. It is necessary to stop intrusion. Conventionally, the opening for the conductor extends around a central opening that cuts the slit into the shield or through which the conductor is inserted as shown in the aforementioned US Pat. No. 4,957,803. It was formed by providing a plurality of closely spaced pockets (ie, corrugated). One or more portions of the step located adjacent to the opening are bonded to the conductor to optimize the seal with the conductor.

  Simply providing a slit for the wire in the shield makes it very difficult to seal the front and back of the shield, thereby causing air, water and dirt to enter the dry side across the shield. It remains unresolved. Proper sealing is achieved by the corrugated pocket structure described above, but the desired positioning of the conductor ends relative to the opposite sides of the shield, i.e. opposite sides, is bonded around the opening through which the conductor passes. It is difficult to achieve because the agent is provided. Furthermore, when it becomes necessary to remove and replace the wire, the adhesion between the pocket and the wire resists the separation, making such removal difficult and possibly damaging the shield. Furthermore, if an electrical connector that is larger in diameter than the conductor is provided at the end of the wire, it is difficult to assemble the wire and the shield, and the connector cannot pass through the opening provided for the wire. In some cases, if the opening is enlarged by cutting, for example, the enlarged pocket opening and the sealed state of the wire may be problematic.

  Accordingly, a major object of the present invention is to provide an improved sealing structure associated with housing electrical conductors in a substrate, such as an opening provided in a water shielding component, whose opposite sides are exposed to various environmental conditions. There is to do.

  Another object has been described above with a grommet that facilitates attachment to a shielding component that is provided with an opening at least as large as an electrical connector of an electrical conductor having an enlarged electrical connector at one end. It is to provide a form of sealing structure.

Yet another object is to provide a grommet that can stabilize the wire relative to the shield while allowing axial and lateral displacement of the wire relative to the shield.
Another object is to achieve faster and more effective mutual sealing engagement of wires, wiring harnesses, etc. and shielding parts than previously possible, and between the wires and the opposite sides of the shield. To provide a grommet of the type described above that optimizes the formation and maintenance of the sealing relationship.

  In accordance with the present invention, a sealing structure or device for a conductor extending through an opening provided between a wet side and a dry side of a substrate, for example a water shielding component, is associated with the prior art. It consists of grommets that advantageously minimize or solve the above mentioned and other disadvantages that arise. In particular in this regard, the sealing structure of the present invention includes a grommet that allows the wiring harness to be pre-assembled and positioned relative to a connector provided at the end of the wiring harness, and thus the shield is placed within the vehicle door panel. When installed, the grommet will be accurately positioned to allow sealing engagement with the shield. Advantageously, the grommet is associated with the attachment of the wiring harness and the grommet to the shield while the wiring harness is provided at one end thereof and has an enlarged electrical connector that passes through the opening of the shield. Thus allowing the grommet and the shield to engage each other. This is advantageous because the shield can be attached to the door panel before completing the interconnection between the grommet and the shield, and this interconnection shields the corresponding end of the electrical connector and wiring harness through the opening. This is accomplished by pushing or pulling from the wet side of the body toward the dry side, and then pulling the grommet for mutual sealing engagement between it and the shield. According to another feature of the invention, the grommet made of an elastic material provides rigidity for the support of the wire against the action obtained by the plurality of pocket steps and at the same time the axial displacement of the wire relative to the shield. Both lateral displacements are possible and facilitates both wire laying and wire displacement relative to the shield and door panel as required to fit the wire within the door panel. Furthermore, the conductor mounting and sealing structure of the present invention advantageously allows for easy removal and / or replacement of the wiring harness if such removal or replacement is required and without damaging the shield.

  These and other objects will be apparent in part and will be described in more detail below in connection with a written description of the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings in some parts. To do.

  Referring now in detail to the drawings (the illustrated configuration is only for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention), FIG. The attached wiring harness 10 is shown and the grommet 14 is also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The water shield 12 is made of a suitable plastic material, such as polyethylene, and has a wet side 16 and a dry side 18. The shield comprises an opening 20 having an axis A, preferably the opening 20 is surrounded by a plurality of steps 22 similar to those described in the above-mentioned U.S. patent specification, While providing additional flexibility for wiring harness attachment, this is not necessary. The wiring harness 10 has a plurality of electrical conductors 24 around which an insulating tape 26 is wound and an electrical connector 28 is provided at the end, and the electrical connector 28 is provided on the dry side of the shield. It will be appreciated that the connector 28 may be a male, female, or combination of connectors that electrically connect the wiring harness to a mating connector provided in the vehicle's electrical system.

  The grommets 14 are tubular and preferably cylindrical in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3 and are made of a suitable elastic material such as rubber or synthetic rubber such as neoprene. The grommet 14 has an axis 30 that is coaxial with the axis A when the grommet is attached to the shield 12, the grommet having a first end on the opposite side in the axial direction in the form of a tube 32 and a flange 34, respectively. It has a second end. The end 32 is of a diameter that receives and closely interengages with the wiring harness 10, and the end 32 has a semi-circular finger tab 36 and an inner end 38 extending axially outward therefrom. Yes. The grommet is provided between the end portions 32 and 34, and is provided between the first inner curved wall portion 40 and the second inner curved wall portion 42 facing the end portion 32 and the inner curved wall portion. And a first connecting wall portion 44 and a second connecting wall portion 46 provided between the second inner curved wall portion 42 and the end portion 34 of the grommet. The inner curved wall portion 40 has an axial outer end 48 and an axial inner end 50, and the inner curved wall portion 40 includes a radially inner wall 52 and a connecting wall portion extending from the inner end 38 of the end 32. It is constituted by a radially outer wall 54 connected to 44 axially outer ends. The second inner curved wall portion 42 has an axial outer end 56 and an axial inner end 58, which inner radial wall 60 extends from the inner end 62 of the connecting wall portion 44. And a radially outer wall portion 64 connected to the axially outer end of the connecting wall portion 46.

  As can be seen from FIG. 3, the grommet end 32, the radially inner and outer walls of the inner curved wall portion, the connecting wall portions 44, 46 are coaxial with the grommet axis 30 and generally parallel thereto. It is. As can be further understood from FIG. 3, the second inner curved wall portion 42 is located radially outward of the first inner curved wall portion 40 in the direction from the end portion 32 to the end portion 34 of the grommet. The first inner curved wall portion is offset in the axial direction. Further, the radially inner and outer walls and end 32 of the two inner curved wall portions of the grommet are the same in radial thickness, and the radial thickness of wall 46 at end 32 is the inner curved wall. More than several times the radial thickness of the wall and end 32 of the part. Further, the connecting wall portion 46 has a radially outer surface 78 and a radially inner surface 80 that are converged with respect to the axis 30 in a direction from the end portion 34 to the end portion 32 of the grommet. From the end 34 of the grommet to the end 32 relative to the inner surface 80 so as to have a radial thickness at the end 56 of the wall portion 42 that matches the radial thickness of the radially outer wall 64 of the inner curved wall portion. Converging in the direction. The connecting wall portion 46 provides grommet rigidity and stability to the shield 12 when the grommet is attached to the shield 12, and the end 32 and the inner curved wall portions 40, 42 connect the wiring harness to the wall portion 46 and the shield. It is possible to displace axially and laterally.

  The flange 34 constituting the second end of the grommet has a radially outer surface having a radially inner peripheral surface 66 and a radially outer peripheral surface 68, a flat axial outer face 70 and a flat axial inner face 72. A peripheral flange extending to The surface 66 is diametrically smaller than the diameter of the opening 20 of the shield 12, and the surface 68 is diametrically larger than the diameter of the opening 20 of the shield 12, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. The connecting wall portion 46 includes a peripheral recess 74 that extends radially inward adjacent to the inner face 72 of the flange. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the recess 74 is adapted to sealingly interengage with the periphery of the opening 20 of the shield 12, and for this purpose, the recess is connected to the periphery of the opening. It has a bottom wall 76 that engages.

  FIG. 4 shows a grommet 14A of the present invention that is dimensionally smaller than the grommet 14 with one exception being structurally identical to the grommet 14. Accordingly, the same grommet 14A portion as the grommet 14 is indicated by the same reference numeral in FIG. Regarding the difference in dimensions, the connecting wall portion 46 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is axially shorter than the connecting wall portion 46 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, so that the total length of the grommet 14 </ b> A is the total length of the grommet 14. 4, the radial thickness of the connecting wall portion 46 adjacent the face 72 of the flange 34 in the embodiment of FIG. 4 is axially forward to the recess 74 in the wall portion 46 of the embodiment of FIGS. Slightly less than the radial thickness of With respect to structural differences, the grommets 14A extend second radially outwardly spaced in front of the face 72 of the flange 34 to cooperate with the outer surface 78 of the connecting wall portion to form a recess 84. A peripheral flange 82 is provided. The axial dimensions and radial dimensions of the recesses 74, 84 of the grommets 14, 14A are mutually sealed with the openings provided in the water shield or other wall, panel or plate to which the grommets are to be attached, if necessary. It will be understood that they can be combined.

  In use, as will be understood from the drawings and the description herein, the grommet is mounted on the wiring harness 10 at the time of manufacture, for example, and positioned on the wiring harness so that it is located at a precise location where it can be connected to the board component to which the grommet is mounted In the illustrated embodiment, the board component is a water shield 12 attached to the vehicle door inner panel. With the water shield attached in this manner, the installer approaches the connector 28 by passing through the wet side 16 of the water shield and shields the water shield and wiring harness through the opening. Pull toward the dry side 18 of the body, then grab the grommet 14 or 14A and pull it outwardly of the dry side 18 so that the face 72 of the flange 34 of the grommet engages the wet side of the shield In this state, the periphery of the opening 20 is fitted with the grommet recess. In addition to, or as an alternative to, sealing the grommet and the shield together by utilizing the grommet recess, the flat side 72 of the flange 34 located adjacent to the periphery of the opening 20 or An adhesive may be provided on the side 16 of the shield to seal the grommet in place. Of course, when using an adhesive seal and joint attachment scheme, it is necessary that the grommet 14 has a recess 74 or the grommet 14A has a flange 82 on its wall portion 46. It will be understood that there is no. Further, when the mounting structure is achieved by utilizing a recess provided on the outer surface of the grommet or a recess formed by a second flange provided on the outer surface, the outer periphery of the flange 34 is an end portion adjacent to the flange. It will be appreciated that the diameter of the outer surface 78 of the grommet at this point should be equal, and preferably slightly larger. A diameter larger than the diameter of surface 78 is preferred to optimize resistance to grommet pulling through opening 20 during installation. It will be appreciated that these dimensional variations will depend at least in part on the material of the water shield or other component to which the grommet is attached and its thickness around the attachment opening.

  Having described the preferred embodiment of the present invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that other embodiments can be conceived and modifications of the preferred embodiment can be conceived without departing from the principles of the present invention. In particular, in this regard, it will be appreciated that a grommet may have one or more inner wall portions between its opposite ends, i.e., opposite ends. Upon reading and understanding the disclosure of the present invention, the above-described modifications and other modifications will be apparent or suggested to a third party, and the above description is merely illustrative of the present invention. It should be clearly understood that this is not a limitation.

It is a fragmentary sectional side view of the grommet of this invention, and is a figure which shows the grommet which attaches a wiring harness with respect to a water shielding body sealingly. It is a front view of the grommet shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the grommet of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3. It is a partial cross section side view of another embodiment of the grommet of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Wiring harness 12 Water shielding body 14 Grommet 16 Wet side part or wet surface 18 Dry side part or dry surface 20 Opening part 22 Step part 24 Electrical conductor 26 Insulation tape 28 Electrical connector 34 Flange

Claims (28)

A grommet for sealing a conductor against a substrate provided with opposing sides and having an opening for the conductor therethrough, the grommet being tubular, made of an elastic material, The grommets have axially opposed ends, one of the ends sealingly engaging the conductor, the other of the ends being radially spaced from the conductor, Larger in diameter than the penetrating opening,
Grommet.   The other of the ends extends in the radial direction with a radially inner peripheral surface that is smaller in the diameter direction than the opening that penetrates the substrate and a radially outer peripheral surface that is larger in the diameter direction than the opening that penetrates the substrate. The grommet according to claim 1, further comprising a peripheral flange.   3. The grommet according to claim 2, wherein the flange includes an axially outer face and an axially inner face located at a distance from the axially outer face toward the one end portion. .   The grommet according to claim 3, wherein the inner face is flat.   The grommet according to claim 3, wherein the other end portion has a circumferential recess provided adjacent to the inner face of the flange and extending radially inward.   The grommet according to claim 5, wherein the recess has a bottom dimensioned in a diametrical direction to form a sealing relationship with an opening penetrating the substrate.   The grommet according to claim 1, further comprising a wall provided between the one end and the other end and including at least one inwardly curved wall portion.   The grommet according to claim 7, wherein the one end portion has an axially inner end portion, and the inner curved wall portion is located at the inner end portion.   The at least one inner curved wall portion is a first inner curved wall portion and a second inner curved wall portion located between the first inner curved wall portion and the other end of the grommet. The grommet according to claim 7, wherein:   The grommet according to claim 9, wherein the one end portion has an axially inner end portion, and the first inner curved wall portion is located at the inner end portion.   The second inner curved wall portion is located radially outward of the first inner curved wall portion and is offset in the axial direction in a direction from the first inner curved wall portion toward the other end. The grommet according to claim 10, wherein the grommet is provided.   The wall includes a connecting wall portion extending from the other end of the grommet to the one end, the connecting wall portion having a radial thickness that is greater than a radial thickness of at least one inner curved wall portion. The grommet according to claim 7, wherein the grommet is provided.   The at least one inner curved wall portion is a first inner curved wall portion and a second inner curved wall portion located between the first inner curved wall portion and the other end of the grommet. The grommet according to claim 12, wherein:   The grommet according to claim 13, wherein the radial thickness of the connecting wall portion is larger than the radial thickness of each of the first and second inner curved wall portions.   The one end has an axially inner end, the first inner curved wall portion is located at the inner end, and the second inner curved wall portion is the first inner curved portion. An inner curved wall portion is located radially outward and offset axially in a direction from the first inner curved wall portion toward the other end, and the connecting wall portion is formed by the second inner curved wall. The grommet according to claim 14, wherein the grommet extends from a portion toward the other end of the grommet.   The other of the ends extends in the radial direction with a radially inner peripheral surface that is smaller in the diameter direction than the opening that penetrates the substrate and a radially outer peripheral surface that is larger in the diameter direction than the opening that penetrates the substrate. It has a peripheral flange, and the flange has an axially outer face and an axially inner face that is spaced from the axially outer face toward the one end. The grommet according to claim 7.   The grommet according to claim 16, wherein the inner face is flat.   17. The grommet according to claim 16, wherein the other end portion has a circumferential recess provided adjacent to the inner face of the flange and extending radially inward.   The other of the ends extends in the radial direction with a radially inner peripheral surface that is smaller in the diameter direction than the opening that penetrates the substrate and a radially outer peripheral surface that is larger in the diameter direction than the opening that penetrates the substrate. A peripheral flange, the flange having an axially outer face and an axially inner face spaced in a direction from the axially outer face toward the one end, the inner face being flat The grommet according to claim 11, wherein:   20. The grommet according to claim 19, wherein the other end portion has a circumferential recess provided adjacent to the inner face of the flange and extending radially inward.   The other of the ends extends in the radial direction with a radially inner peripheral surface that is smaller in the diameter direction than the opening that penetrates the substrate and a radially outer peripheral surface that is larger in the diameter direction than the opening that penetrates the substrate. A peripheral flange, the flange having an axially outer face and an axially inner face spaced in a direction from the axially outer face toward the one end, the inner face being flat The grommet according to claim 14, wherein:   The grommet according to claim 21, wherein the other end portion has a circumferential concave portion provided adjacent to the inner face of the flange and extending radially inward.   A method of sealing a conductor having a diametrically large connector at an end against a substrate having opposing sides and a through opening larger than the connector, wherein the conductor is hermetically engaged with the conductor. A step of preparing an elastic grommet having a first end and a second end larger than the opening; a step of attaching the grommet to a conductor with the first end facing the connector; and the connector and the conductor Inserting the substrate into the opening from one side of the substrate and contacting the second end of the grommet to the substrate.   24. The method of claim 23, wherein the second end of the grommet has a flange and the sealing step includes gluing the flange to the one side of the substrate.   25. The bonding step includes a step of applying an adhesive to the one side portion of the substrate and a step of pulling the grommet in a direction in which the flange and the adhesive are engaged with each other. The method described.   25. The bonding step includes a step of applying an adhesive to the flange and a step of pulling the grommet in a direction in which the adhesive engages with the one side of the substrate. the method of.   The second end of the grommet has a recess for receiving a peripheral edge of the opening, and the sealing step includes positioning the grommet so that the recess receives the peripheral edge of the opening. 24. The method of claim 23.   28. The method of claim 27, wherein attaching the grommet includes pulling the grommet outwardly relative to the other side of the substrate.

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