JP6115496B2 - Spiral branch pipe and grommet with spiral branch pipe - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for expanding the inner diameter of a cylindrical member formed of an elastic material such as grommet.

  Grommets are attached to the parts of the electric wires installed in vehicles, etc., for the purpose of water stoppage and electric wire protection, etc., in the parts that are inserted into the through holes formed in the vehicle body panel that separates the passenger compartment from the engine compartment. May be. Examples of such grommets include those disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  In order to attach such a grommet to an electric wire, it is necessary to insert the electric wire through the grommet in a state where the inner diameter of the grommet is expanded using a dedicated device.

JP 2012-235637 A

  However, conventionally, the expansion device used for the expansion of the grommet cannot be provided on the assembly drawing board of the wire harness. For this reason, when the expansion device is deployed at a location different from the assembly drawing board, an operation of carrying the wire harness in the process of assembly from the assembly drawing board to the expansion device occurs. It was disadvantageous.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the technique which can attach a grommet to an electric wire in arbitrary positions, such as on the assembly drawing board of a wire harness.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the spiral branch pipe according to the first aspect is a spiral branch pipe for inserting an electric wire through a cylindrical member formed of an elastic material, and includes a plate-like portion and the plate-like portion. A plurality of piece members including a convex portion formed so as to protrude from one end of the plate and a concave portion formed so as to protrude from the other end of the plate-like portion. In a form in which the convex portions of other piece members are fitted, the plurality of piece members are connected in series, and the plurality of piece members connected in series are wound spirally to expand the inner diameter. It is formed in a tubular shape that can be inserted into the cylindrical member in a state where the inner diameter is expanded to maintain the expanded state.

  The spiral branch pipe according to the second aspect is the spiral branch pipe according to the first aspect, and is located at one end of the spiral in a state where the plurality of piece members are spirally wound. A terminal portion is provided extending from the piece member along the axial direction of the spiral to the inside of the spiral from the one side end portion to the other side end portion, and the terminal portion extends along the axial direction of the spiral. By pulling in the direction toward the other side end portion, it is possible to form a straight line by gradually unwinding from the spiral shape.

  The spiral branch pipe according to the third aspect is the spiral branch pipe according to the second aspect, and the terminal portion extends to the other end through the inside of a portion formed in a spiral tubular shape.

  The grommet with a spiral branch pipe according to the fourth aspect includes a grommet including a small diameter cylindrical portion, a large diameter cylindrical portion that sequentially expands from one end side of the small diameter cylindrical portion, and the small diameter cylindrical portion of the grommet is expanded. A spiral branch pipe according to any one of the first to third aspects inserted through the small-diameter cylindrical portion in a state.

  According to the spiral branch pipe according to the first to third aspects, the plurality of piece members are connected in a row, and the inner diameter is expanded by winding a plurality of piece members connected in a row in a spiral shape. Since the cylindrical member is formed in a tubular shape that can maintain the expanded inner diameter, the cylindrical member is in a cylindrical shape such as an assembly drawing board of a wire harness with the expanded inner diameter. The member can be carried to any position where it is desired to attach the member to the electric wire. Thereby, a cylindrical member can be attached to an electric wire at an arbitrary position such as an assembly drawing board. Moreover, after inserting an electric wire through a cylindrical member, the spiral branch pipe can be removed from the cylindrical member by unwinding the spiral. Moreover, it can insert in another cylindrical member by connecting what was removed from the spiral shape again in a spiral shape.

  In particular, according to the spiral branch pipe according to the second aspect, in a state in which the plurality of piece members are wound in a spiral shape, the spiral member is spiraled along the axial direction of the spiral from the piece member located at one end of the spiral. A terminal portion extending from the one side end portion to the other side end portion is provided, and the terminal portion is spirally formed by pulling in the direction from the one side end portion toward the other side end portion along the axial direction of the spiral. Accordingly, the spiral branch pipe can be easily removed from the cylindrical member after the electric wire is inserted through the expanded cylindrical member. Further, even if the expanded state of the cylindrical member is sequentially eliminated by unwinding the spiral branch pipe from the spiral shape, the piece member positioned at the one side end of the spiral is moved along the axial direction of the spiral to the other side end. As compared with the case of pulling in the direction toward the one side end, the stress is dispersed and becomes easier to unwind.

  In particular, according to the spiral branch pipe according to the third aspect, since the terminal portion extends to the other end through the inside of the portion formed in the spiral tubular shape, the operator can easily grasp the terminal portion. The helical member can be unwound more easily. Thereby, a helical branch pipe can be removed from a cylindrical member more easily.

  According to the grommet with a spiral branch pipe according to the fourth aspect, the grommet is provided with the spiral branch pipe inserted into the small diameter cylindrical part in a state where the small diameter cylindrical part of the grommet is expanded, and thus the wire harness with the inner diameter expanded. You can carry up to the assembly board. Thereby, a grommet can be attached to an electric wire on an assembly drawing board.

It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the grommet with a helical branch pipe which concerns on embodiment. It is a front view which shows the spiral branch pipe which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows a piece member. It is a front view which shows a piece member. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the piece member is connected. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the piece member is connected. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the connected piece member bends. It is a figure explaining one process of attaching a grommet to an electric wire. It is a figure explaining one process of attaching a grommet to an electric wire. It is a figure explaining one process of attaching a grommet to an electric wire. It is a figure explaining one process of attaching a grommet to an electric wire. It is a figure explaining one process of attaching a grommet to an electric wire. It is a perspective view which shows the piece member which concerns on a modification. It is a front view which shows the piece member which concerns on a modification. It is a bottom view which shows the piece member which concerns on a modification. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the convex-shaped part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the concave part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the concave part of a piece member. It is a figure which shows the modification of the concave part of a piece member.

  Hereinafter, the spiral branch pipe 20 and the grommet 10 with the spiral branch pipe according to the embodiment will be described. Drawing 1 is an outline sectional view showing grommet 10 with a spiral branch pipe concerning an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the spiral branch pipe 20 according to the embodiment.

<Grommet 10 with spiral branch pipe>
The spiral branch grommet 10 according to the embodiment includes a grommet 12 and a spiral branch 20.

<Grommet 12>
The grommet 12 includes a small diameter cylindrical portion 14 and a large diameter cylindrical portion 16. The grommet 12 is formed so as to be fitted into a through hole formed in a vehicle body panel or the like that partitions the vehicle compartment and the engine compartment. The grommet 12 prevents the electric wire W from being damaged at the inner peripheral edge of the through hole when the electric wire W is passed through the through hole, and suppresses water and the like from entering from one side to the other through the through hole. It is a member for. The grommet 12 is integrally formed of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer.

  The small diameter cylindrical portion 14 is a portion that is in close contact with the inserted electric wire W. When the inner peripheral surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 14 and the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire W are in close contact with each other, water or the like can be prevented from entering from one side to the other through the gap between the grommet 12 and the electric wire W. The inner diameter of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 14 is set to be the same as or smaller than the outer diameter of the inserted wire W (wire bundle).

  The large diameter cylindrical portion 16 is formed so as to increase in diameter sequentially from one end side of the small diameter cylindrical portion 14. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 16 is formed so as to be fitted into a through hole formed in the vehicle body panel or the like. The outer diameter of the large diameter cylindrical portion 16 is set larger than the diameter of the through hole into which the grommet 12 is fitted. A circumferential groove 18 into which the inner peripheral edge of the through hole fits is formed around the large diameter cylindrical portion 16.

  In order to insert the electric wire W through the small diameter cylindrical portion 14 of the grommet 12, it is necessary to expand the inner diameter of the small diameter cylindrical portion 14. The helical branch pipe 20 according to the embodiment is formed so as to be able to maintain the expanded state of the small-diameter cylindrical part 14 by being inserted into the small-diameter cylindrical part 14 expanded by the grommet expansion device 80, and in this state the helical branch pipe The attached grommet 10 is formed to be transportable. Thereby, the grommet 12 can be attached to the electric wire W at an arbitrary place away from the grommet expansion device 80 such as an assembly drawing board of the wire harness.

<Helical branch pipe 20>
The spiral branch pipe 20 is a member provided for inserting the electric wire W through a cylindrical member made of an elastic material such as the grommet 12. The spiral branch pipe 20 includes a plurality of piece members 30. The spiral branch pipe 20 is formed by a plurality of piece members 30 connected in a row and a plurality of piece members 30 connected in a row being spirally wound. The spiral branch pipe 20 is inserted into a cylindrical member whose inner diameter is expanded, and is formed in a tubular shape that can maintain the expanded inner diameter. Here, the spiral branch 20 includes a spiral portion 22 and a terminal portion 26.

  Specifically, the spiral portion 22 is formed in a tubular shape whose inner diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the electric wire W (wire bundle) inserted through the grommet 12. Thereby, in a state where the spiral portion 22 is inserted into the small diameter cylindrical portion 14 of the grommet 12, the electric wire W can be inserted into the small diameter cylindrical portion 14 of the grommet 12 by inserting the electric wire W inside the spiral portion 22. .

  Here, the axial dimension of the spiral portion 22 is set to be larger than the axial dimension of the grommet 12, and the spiral portion 22 is inserted so as to be exposed to the outside from both axial ends of the grommet 12. This is not essential. The dimension of the spiral portion 22 in the axial center direction may be set as appropriate. However, the dimension in the axial direction of the spiral portion 22 is set to be equal to or larger than the dimension in the axial direction of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 14 of the grommet 12, and the spiral portion 22 extends over the entire axial direction of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 14. It is preferable to be inserted into the portion 14. Thereby, the spiral part 22 can maintain the expanded state of the small diameter cylinder part 14 over the whole axial direction of the small diameter cylinder part 14. FIG.

  Further, the spiral portion 22 pulls the piece member 30 located at the end of the spiral portion 22 toward the center in the radial direction so that the piece member 30 located at the end of the spiral portion 22 can be unwound from the spiral portion 22. Is formed. The spiral portion 22 can be unwound by sequentially unwinding the piece member 30 positioned at the end of the spiral portion 22 from the spiral portion 22. That is, it is possible to unwind the one in which the plurality of piece members 30 are connected in a spiral shape so as to be linear.

  The terminal portion 26 is configured so that the plurality of piece members 30 are spirally wound and the spiral portion 22 extends along the axial direction of the spiral portion 22 from the piece member 30 positioned at one end of the spiral portion 22. The interior is formed so as to extend from one end to the other end. By pulling the terminal portion 26 in the direction from the one side end portion toward the other side end portion along the axial direction of the spiral portion 22, the piece member 30 positioned at the end portion of the spiral portion 22 is brought to the radial center side. It is possible to draw a straight line from the spiral.

  Here, the terminal portion 26 is configured by a plurality of piece members 30 that are the same as the piece member 30 of the spiral portion 22 from the piece member 30 at the end of the spiral portion 22. But it is not essential that the terminal part 26 is also comprised by the piece member 30. FIG. For example, the terminal portion 26 may be a rod-like member formed in a hook shape whose tip can be connected to the piece member 30. Moreover, even if the terminal part 26 is the piece member 30, it is not essential that it is the same piece member 30 as the spiral part 22. For example, the dimension in the longitudinal direction may be longer than the piece member 30 of the spiral portion 22.

<Piece member 30>
Next, the piece member 30 constituting the spiral branch pipe 20 will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the piece member 30. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the piece member 30.

  The piece member 30 includes a plate-like portion 34, a convex portion 40, and a concave portion 50. The piece member 30 is formed of a metal or a hard synthetic resin or the like, becomes a spiral branch pipe 20 and is inserted into the expanded grommet 12 (cylindrical member), but the restoring force of the grommet 12 (cylindrical member). The grommet 12 (cylindrical member) is formed to have rigidity capable of maintaining the expanded state. Further, the piece member 30 is formed so as to be able to be bent at least on one side in a linearly connected state, and is formed so as to be spirally wound.

  Here, the plate-like portion 34 is formed in a rectangular plate shape. A convex portion 40 and a concave portion 50 are provided so as to protrude from one main surface of the plate-like portion 34.

  The convex portion 40 is formed so as to protrude from one end of the plate-like portion 34. Specifically, the convex portion 40 has a first protrusion 42 and a second protrusion 44 here.

  Here, the first projecting portion 42 is formed at one end of the plate-like portion 34 so as to project from the one-side main surface of the plate-like portion 34 in a manner orthogonal to the one-side main surface. The first projecting portion 42 projects from the one side surface to the other side surface of the plate portion 34 with the same width dimension as the plate portion 34.

  The second projecting portion 44 projects from the surface of the first projecting portion 42 on the side opposite to the side on which the plate-like portion 34 extends with respect to the first projecting portion 42. The second projecting portion 44 is formed in a trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front, and this shape extends in the width direction. Further, the second projecting portion 44 projects with the same width dimension as the first projecting portion 42 from the one side surface to the other side surface of the first projecting portion 42. The second protruding portion 44 is a portion where the convex portion 40 is fitted into the concave portion 50.

  The concave portion 50 is formed so as to protrude from the other end of the plate-like portion 34. Here, the concave portion 50 is formed so as to protrude in the same direction as the protruding direction of the convex portion 40 with respect to the plate-like portion 34. Here, the concave portion 50 includes a third protrusion 52, a fourth protrusion 54, and a fifth protrusion 56.

  Here, the third protruding portion 52 is formed at the other end of the plate-like portion 34 so as to protrude from the one-side main surface of the plate-like portion 34 in a manner orthogonal to the one-side main surface. Further, the third projecting portion 52 projects from the one side surface to the other side surface of the plate portion 34 with the same width dimension as the plate portion 34.

  The fourth projecting portion 54 is orthogonal to the third projecting portion 52 from the surface opposite to the side on which the plate-like portion 34 extends with respect to the third projecting portion 52 at the tip of the third projecting portion 52. It protrudes. Further, the fourth projecting portion 54 projects from the one side surface to the other side surface of the third projecting portion 52 with the same width dimension as the third projecting portion 52.

  The fifth protrusion 56 is orthogonal to the fourth protrusion 54 from the same side as the side where the third protrusion 52 extends with respect to the fourth protrusion 54 at the tip of the fourth protrusion 54. It protrudes. The fifth protrusion 56 protrudes from the one side surface to the other side surface of the fourth protrusion 54 with the same width dimension as the fourth protrusion 54.

  A first groove 62 that can accommodate the first protrusion 42 is formed between the third protrusion 52 and the fifth protrusion 56. In addition, the distal end portion is thinner than the proximal end portion of the third projecting portion 52, and between the third projecting portion 52 and the fifth projecting portion 56 on the distal end side of the third projecting portion 52, A second groove 64 that is connected to the first groove 62 and can accommodate the second protrusion 44 is formed. In other words, a portion of the third projecting portion 52 that is connected to the fourth projecting portion 54 and is formed so that the portion on the fifth projecting portion 56 side is recessed toward the center in the thickness direction, whereby the second groove 64 is formed. Is formed.

  That is, here, the space surrounded by the third projecting portion 52, the fourth projecting portion 54, and the fifth projecting portion 56 includes the first groove 62 that can accommodate the first projecting portion 42, and the second projecting portion 44. Thus, the convex portion 40 can be fitted into the concave portion 50.

  However, the shapes of the convex portion 40 and the concave portion 50 are not limited to those described above, and may be a polygonal shape, a circular shape, or the like. In detail, it mentions later in the modification of the convex part 40, and the modification of the concave part 50.

  Here, since the terminal portion 26 has a portion where twisting occurs in the middle, the piece member 30 may be formed in a shape that is easily elastically deformed in the twisting direction. Thereby, when the terminal part 26 is pulled and the spiral part 22 is unwound, it can be unwound more smoothly.

  Such a piece member 30 can be formed by, for example, extrusion molding. That is, the melted material is extruded using an extrusion mold formed in the same shape as in the front view of FIG. The members that are extruded and hardened in a straight line are sequentially cut to a predetermined width. Thereby, the several piece member 30 can be manufactured in large quantities continuously.

<Method for Manufacturing Spiral Branch Pipe 20>
Next, a method for manufacturing the spiral branch pipe 20 will be described. 5 and 6 are explanatory views showing a state in which the piece members 30 are connected. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the connected piece members 30 are bent.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of piece members 30 are connected in such a manner that the convex portions 40 of the other piece members 30 are fitted into the concave portions 50 of one piece member 30. In FIG. 5, the plurality of piece members 30 are sequentially connected to form a straight line.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of piece members 30 connected linearly are connected in a spiral shape to form the spiral portion 22 as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of piece members 30 are connected to each other while being shifted by about half in the width direction, and the pair of piece members 31 and 32 positioned on the sides after being bent in a spiral shape are separated into another one. Insert into the piece member 33.

  Specifically, first, the plurality of piece members 30 are connected to each other in a straight line with a shift of about half in the width direction. Next, winding is performed from a straight line to a spiral. At this stage, winding is performed so that the plate-like portions 34 of the pair of piece members 30 are located at the same position in the circumferential direction. And the convex part 40 (concave part 50) of the piece members 31 and 32 located in a side mutually is fitted to the concave part 50 (convex part 40) of another piece member 33. FIG. By repeating this, the plurality of piece members 30 are spirally wound, and this state can be maintained, and the spiral portion 22 can be formed.

  Here, when the plurality of piece members 30 are spirally wound, each piece member 30 is elastically deformed and gradually bent as shown in FIG. It becomes possible to do.

  Specifically, the piece member 30 that is linear is bent to one side (here, the side on which the convex portion 40 and the concave portion 50 protrude from the plate-like portion 34). At this time, here, the convex portion 40 and the concave portion 50 and the plate-like portion 34 are mainly bent so that the convex portion 40 and the concave portion 50 respectively bend toward the longitudinal center of the plate-like portion 34. The connecting portion with the elastic deformation. Thereby, the plate-like portions 34 of the piece members 30 connected in the front-rear direction form an angle, and the piece members 30 connected in a straight line are bent.

  The location where the piece member 30 is elastically deformed is not limited to the convex portion 40 and the connecting portion between the concave portion 50 and the plate-like portion 34. For example, the plate-like portion 34 may be elastically deformed so as to bend at the middle portion in the longitudinal direction by thinning the plate-like portion 34 or the like. That is, the location where the piece member 30 is elastically deformed is determined according to the rigidity determined by the thickness or shape of each location of the piece member 30. The piece member 30 may be elastically deformable so that it can be bent before and after being connected.

  The terminal portion 26 further connects the plurality of piece members 30 to the piece member 30 located at one end of the spiral portion 22 and inserts the connected piece members 30 into the inside of the spiral portion 22. Here, the tip of the terminal portion 26 is exposed to the outside from the other end portion of the spiral portion 22. But the front-end | tip of the terminal part 26 should just be in the other side edge part vicinity of the spiral part 22, and the range which an operator's hand can reach. However, if the tip of the terminal portion 26 is exposed to the outside from the other side end portion of the spiral portion 22, the operator can easily grasp the terminal portion 26.

  At this time, it is preferable to connect the terminal portion 26 to the end of the spiral portion 22 on the side where the concave portion 50 is vacant. That is, it is preferable that one piece member 30 is unwound from the concave portion 50 side when it is unwound from the spiral portion 22. Accordingly, when the spiral portion 22 is unwound, stress is applied so that the convex portion 40 of the piece member 30 being unwound presses the concave portion 50 of the piece member 30 at the end. More specifically, from the first projecting portion 42 of the projecting portion 40 of the piece member 30 unwound to at least one of the fourth projecting portion 54 and the fifth projecting portion 56 of the recessed portion 50 of the end piece member 30. Tensile stress acts. Thereby, when the spiral portion 22 is unwound, the connection between the convex portion 40 and the concave portion 50 between the piece members 30 is canceled, and the plurality of piece members 30 are hardly divided.

<Grommet 12 mounting method to electric wire W>
Next, a method for attaching the grommet 12 to the electric wire W using the spiral branch pipe 20 will be described. 8-12 is a figure explaining 1 process of attaching the grommet 12 to the electric wire W, respectively.

  In order to attach the grommet 12 to the electric wire W using the spiral branch pipe 20, first, the grommet expanding device 80 is used to expand the small diameter cylindrical portion 14 of the grommet 12 as shown in FIG. 8. As the grommet expansion device 80, various well-known configurations such as a configuration in which the small-diameter cylindrical portion 14 is expanded by expanding the interval between the plurality of linear members 82 as described below can be adopted.

  Here, the grommet expansion device 80 includes a plurality of linear members 82. The plurality of linear members 82 are provided such that their intervals can be adjusted in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. Then, the plurality of linear members 82 are inserted into the small-diameter cylindrical portion 14 of the grommet 12 at intervals that can be inserted into the non-expanded small-diameter cylindrical portion 14 of the grommet 12.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of linear members 82 inserted through the small diameter cylindrical portion 14 of the grommet 12 so that the inner diameter of the small diameter cylindrical portion 14 of the grommet 12 is larger than the outer diameter of the spiral branch pipe 20. Increase the interval. Then, the spiral branch pipe 20 is inserted into the expanded small-diameter cylindrical portion 14, and the plurality of linear members 82 are removed from the grommet 12, thereby forming the spiral branch-attached grommet 10. The formed grommet 10 with a spiral branch pipe is transported to an arbitrary place (here, on the assembly drawing board of the wire harness) where the grommet 12 is to be attached to the electric wire W, such as on the assembly drawing board of the wire harness.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, on the assembly drawing board of the wire harness, the electric wire W is inserted into the grommet 10 with a spiral branch pipe. Specifically, the electric wire W is inserted into the spiral portion 22 of the spiral branch 20.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the terminal portion 26 extending from the one end portion side of the spiral portion 22 is pulled in the direction from the one end portion side to the other end portion along the axial direction to unwind the spiral portion 22. At this time, the small diameter cylindrical portion 14 of the grommet 12 is gradually reduced in diameter from the position where the spiral portion 22 is unwound to the original diameter. For this reason, when the terminal portion 26 extends in the direction from the other end side toward the one end portion along the axial direction, and the terminal portion 26 is pulled in that direction, the spiral portion 22 is unwound and the grommet 12 is unscrewed. When the small-diameter cylindrical portion 14 is reduced in diameter, the inner peripheral surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 14 may contact and interfere with a portion of the terminal portion 26 located inside the small-diameter cylindrical portion 14 of the grommet 12. And thereby, there exists a possibility that even if the terminal part 26 is pulled, the spiral part 22 becomes difficult to unwind.

  On the other hand, by pulling the terminal portion 26 extending from the one end side of the spiral portion 22 in the direction from the one end portion side to the other end side along the axial direction, the terminal portion is unwound. It can suppress that 26 contacts with the internal peripheral surface of the small diameter cylinder part 14 in which diameter reduction is carried out. Thereby, the helical branch pipe 20 can be unwound more reliably.

  And the part which was closely_contact | adhered with the small diameter cylindrical part 14 among the helical parts 22 unwinds, and the state where the grommet 12 was mounted | worn with the electric wire W like FIG. 12 is removed from the grommet 12 It becomes.

  The plurality of piece members 30 unwound from the spiral portion 22 are connected so as to become the spiral branch pipe 20 again, and are sent to the grommet expansion device 80 and can be attached to the small diameter cylindrical portion 14 of another grommet 12. It is.

  According to the spiral branch pipe 20 according to the embodiment, the plurality of piece members 30 are connected in series, and the plurality of piece members 30 connected in series are spirally wound so that the inner diameter is expanded. Since the grommet 12 (tubular member) is expanded in its inner diameter, the wire harness is assembled in a state where the inner diameter of the grommet 12 (tubular member) is maintained. A cylindrical member such as a drawing board can be carried to an arbitrary position where the electric wire W is desired to be attached. Thereby, the grommet 12 (cylindrical member) can be attached to the electric wire W at an arbitrary position such as an assembly drawing board. Moreover, after inserting the electric wire W in the grommet 12 (cylindrical member), the spiral branch pipe 20 can be removed from the grommet 12 (cylindrical member) by unwinding the spiral.

  Moreover, it can insert in another grommet 12 (cylindrical member) by connecting what was removed from the spiral shape again in a spiral shape. Thereby, material costs etc. can be held down compared with the case where a spiral branch pipe is disposable.

  Moreover, even when only one grommet expansion device 80 is provided, a plurality of grommets 10 with a spiral branch pipe in which the spiral branch pipe 20 is inserted into the grommet 12 using the grommet expansion device 80 in advance are provided. Grommet 12 can be attached to electric wire W at the same time.

  Moreover, since the grommet 12 can be attached to the electric wire W on the wire harness assembly drawing board, the work of carrying the electric wire W in the course of assembly to the grommet expansion device 80 becomes unnecessary. Moreover, the positioning tape which can be recognized to the grommet attachment position which was attached to the electric wire W in the middle of an assembly at this time can be abolished. Moreover, since the grommet 12 can be mounted on the electric wire W on the wire harness assembly drawing board, the dimensional accuracy of the mounting position of the grommet 12 with respect to the electric wire W can be increased.

  In addition, in a state in which the plurality of piece members 30 are spirally wound, the inside of the spiral portion 22 extends along the axial direction of the spiral portion 22 from the piece member 30 located at one end of the spiral portion 22. A terminal portion 26 extending from the side end portion to the other side end portion is provided, and by pulling the terminal portion 26 in the direction from the one side end portion toward the other side end portion along the axial center direction of the spiral portion 22, a spiral shape is obtained. Since the electric wire W is inserted through the expanded grommet 12 (cylindrical member), the spiral branch pipe 20 is easily removed from the grommet 12 (cylindrical member). be able to. In addition, even if the expanded state of the grommet 12 (tubular member) is sequentially eliminated by unscrewing the spiral branch pipe 20 from the spiral shape, the piece member 30 positioned at one end of the spiral portion 22 is removed from the spiral portion 22. Compared with the case of pulling in the direction from the other side end toward the one side end along the axial direction, the stress is easily dispersed and unraveled.

  Further, since the terminal portion 26 extends to the other end through the inside of the spiral portion 22 formed in a tubular shape, it becomes easier for an operator to grasp the terminal portion 26, thereby unwinding the spiral portion 22 more easily. Can do. Thereby, the spiral branch pipe 20 can be more easily removed from the grommet 12 (tubular member).

  Further, since the spiral branch pipe 20 does not have a portion as sharp as the tip of the linear member 82 of the grommet expansion device 80, it is possible to suppress damage or disconnection of the electric wire W when the electric wire W is passed through the grommet 12. it can.

<Modification of the piece member 30>
Next, a modified example of the piece member 30 will be described. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a piece member 30 according to a modification. FIG. 14 is a front view showing a piece member 30 according to a modification. FIG. 15 is a bottom view showing a piece member 30 according to a modification.

  The piece member 30 according to the modified example is different from the piece member 30 according to the embodiment in that a side connection lock structure is provided.

  Here, the side coupling lock structure includes the side coupling convex portion 36 provided on the side surface of the plate-like portion 34 and the one-side main portion of the plate-like portion 34 that can be fitted to the side coupling convex portion 36. It is comprised by the side connection recessed part 38 formed in the surface.

  The side connection convex portion 36 is provided on one of a pair of side surfaces connecting the convex portion 40 and the concave portion 50 among the side surfaces of the plate-like portion 34.

  The side connection recess 38 is formed on the main surface of the pair of main surfaces of the plate-shaped portion 34 on the side where the convex portion 40 and the concave portion 50 protrude.

  The dimension of the side connection convex part 36 in the longitudinal direction of the plate-like part 34 is set to be the same as or smaller than the dimension of the side connection concave part 38 in the same direction (here, slightly smaller). The plurality of piece members 30 are spirally wound by setting the dimension of the side coupling convex part 36 in the longitudinal direction of the plate-like part 34 to be smaller than the dimension of the side coupling concave part 38 in the same direction. Even if the position of the plate-like portion 34 between the piece members 30 located on the side is slightly shifted, the connection can be made.

  Further, the height dimension of the side coupling convex portion 36 (projecting dimension from the one side main surface of the plate-like portion 34) is the depth dimension of the side coupling concave portion 38 (one side main surface of the plate-like portion 34). To the bottom of the side connection recess 38) or smaller (here, slightly smaller).

  According to such a piece member 30, since the side connecting lock structure including the side connecting convex portion 36 and the side connecting concave portion 38 is formed, the piece members 30 positioned on the sides are connected to each other. It can connect more reliably. Thereby, the rigidity of the spiral branch pipe 20 can be increased. Moreover, since the connection is released by pulling the piece member 30 on the side where the side connection convex portion 36 is fitted, out of the two piece members 30 fitted to each other, the spiral portion 22 is released. You can prevent it from getting in the way of unwinding.

<Modification of convex portion 40>
Next, a modified example of the convex portion 40 will be described. 16 to 29 are diagrams showing different modifications of the convex portion 40 of the piece member 30.

  The convex portion 40A may have a triangular shape in front view as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second projecting portion 44 </ b> A is provided with a surface that is inclined from the surface on the plate-like portion 34 side to the surface on the third projecting portion 52 side of the first projecting portion 42.

  The front end of the convex portion 40B may have a trapezoidal shape as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second projecting portion 44B is provided with a surface that is inclined from the surface on the plate-like portion 34 side to the surface of the first projecting portion 42 on the second projecting portion 44B side.

  The convex portion 40C may have a front-view trapezoidal shape as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second projecting portion 44 </ b> C is provided with a surface that is inclined from the surface opposite to the first projecting portion 42 to the surface of the first projecting portion 42 on the third projecting portion 52 side. .

  The convex part 40D may have a hexagonal shape in front view as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second projecting portion 44D is a surface that is inclined from both edges of the surface on the side opposite to the first projecting portion 42 to the surface of the first projecting portion 42 on the second projecting portion 44D side. Are provided as a pair.

  The convex portion 40E may have a front-view pentagonal shape as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second projecting portion 44E has a surface inclined from an intermediate position of the surface opposite to the first projecting portion 42 to a surface of the first projecting portion 42 on the second projecting portion 44E side, A surface that is inclined from the intermediate position toward a surface on the second protrusion 44E side of the first protrusion 42 in a manner that faces away from the inclined surface in the protrusion direction of the first protrusion 42; Is provided.

  The convex portion 40F may have a front-view pentagonal shape as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second projecting portion 44F includes a surface inclined from an intermediate position of the surface opposite to the first projecting portion 42 to a surface on the plate-like portion 34 side of the second projecting portion 44F, A surface that is inclined from the intermediate position to a surface opposite to the plate-like portion 34 of the second projecting portion 44F is provided.

  The convex part 40G may have a circular shape in front view as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second protrusion 44G has a curved surface extending from an intermediate position on the surface opposite to the first protrusion 42 to a surface on the plate-like portion 34 side of the second protrusion 44F, and the intermediate A curved surface is provided from the position toward the surface on the third projecting portion 52 side of the first projecting portion 42 in a manner toward the opposite side of the curved surface in the projecting direction of the first projecting portion 42. It has been.

  The convex part 40H may have a circular shape in front view as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second protrusion 44 </ b> H protrudes from the first protrusion 42 on both sides along the longitudinal direction of the plate-like part 34. And the surface which curves from the surface located in the longitudinal direction one side of the plate-shaped part 34 among the 1st protrusion parts 42 to the surface located in the other side is provided.

  The convex portion 40I may have a front-end hexagonal shape as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second projecting portion 44 </ b> I projects from the first projecting portion 42 to both sides along the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 34. And each part which protrudes from the 1st protrusion part 42 to both sides is the 2nd protrusion part 44I side of the 1st protrusion part 42 from the intermediate position of the surface on the opposite side to the 1st protrusion part 42 among 2nd protrusion parts 44I. An inclined surface is provided over the surface.

  The convex portion 40J may have a front-view pentagonal shape as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second projecting portion 44J projects from the first projecting portion 42 to both sides along the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 34. The second projecting portion 44J is provided with a surface that is inclined from the surface opposite to the first projecting portion 42 to the first projecting portion 42 at each portion projecting from the first projecting portion 42 to both sides. ing. That is, the second protrusion 44J has a shape as shown in FIG. 18 formed on both sides.

  The tip of the convex portion 40K may have a triangular shape in front view as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second protrusion 44 </ b> K protrudes from the first protrusion 42 on both sides along the longitudinal direction of the plate-like part 34. The second projecting portion 44K is provided with a surface that is inclined from the surface on the plate-like portion 34 side to the first projecting portion 42 in each of the portions projecting from the first projecting portion 42 to both sides. That is, the second protrusion 44K has a shape as shown in FIG. 16 formed on both sides.

  The convex portion 40L may have an octagonal shape in front view as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second projecting portion 44 </ b> L projects from the first projecting portion 42 to both sides along the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 34. The second projecting portion 44L includes a second projecting portion of the first projecting portion 42 on each of the portions projecting from the first projecting portion 42 to both sides, and from both edges of the surface opposite to the first projecting portion 42. A pair of surfaces inclined toward the surface on the part 44L side are provided. That is, the second protrusion 44L has a shape as shown in FIG. 19 formed on both sides.

  The tip of the convex portion 40M may have a heptagonal shape in front view as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second projecting portion 44 </ b> M projects from the first projecting portion 42 to both sides along the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 34. The second projecting portion 44M includes a second projecting portion of the first projecting portion 42 on each of the portions projecting from the first projecting portion 42 to both sides, and from both edges of the surface opposite to the first projecting portion 42. A pair of surfaces inclined toward the surface on the part 44M side is provided. And the surface which inclines toward the front end side from the part which protrudes in the both sides is connected.

  The convex portion 40N may have a front-view pentagonal shape as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second projecting portion 44N projects from the first projecting portion 42 to both sides along the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 34. The second projecting portion 44N includes a second projecting portion 44N of the first projecting portion 42 from the intermediate position on the surface opposite to the first projecting portion 42 at each part projecting from the first projecting portion 42 to both sides. A second inclined portion of the first protruding portion 42 in a form that is inclined from the intermediate position toward the opposite side of the inclined surface in the protruding direction of the first protruding portion 42 from the intermediate position. And a surface inclined toward the surface on the 44N side. And the surface which inclines toward the front end side from the part which protrudes in the both sides is connected.

  In addition, the corner | angular part of each convex-shaped part 40 may be rounded suitably. Moreover, when the 2nd protrusion part 44 protrudes only from the one side of the 1st protrusion part 42, the 2nd protrusion part 44 may protrude toward the 3rd protrusion part 52 side from the 1st protrusion part 42. .

<Modification of concave portion 50>
Next, a modified example of the concave portion 50 will be described. 30 to 32 are views showing different modifications of the concave portion 50 of the piece member 30.

  As the concave portion 50A, the shape of the groove may be formed in a front viewing angle shape as shown in FIG. Specifically, the recessed portion 50 </ b> A has second grooves 64 </ b> A formed on both sides of the first groove 62 along the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 34. More specifically, the second groove 64A is formed such that the surface of the third protrusion 52A on the fifth protrusion 56A side and the surface of the fifth protrusion 56A on the third protrusion 52A side are recessed. Yes. Such a concave portion 50A can mainly correspond to the convex portions 40I to 40N as shown in FIGS.

  As the concave portion 50B, the shape of the groove may be formed in a circular shape in front view as shown in FIG. Specifically, the second groove 64B is formed such that the surface of the third protrusion 52B on the fifth protrusion 56 side and the surface of the fourth protrusion 54B on the plate-like part 34 side are recessed in a curved shape. ing. Such a concave portion 50B can mainly correspond to the convex portion 40G as shown in FIG.

  As the concave portion 50C, the shape of the groove may be formed in a circular shape in front view as shown in FIG. Specifically, the recessed portion 50 </ b> C has second grooves 64 </ b> C formed on both sides of the first groove 62 along the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 34. More specifically, the surface of the third protruding portion 52C on the fifth protruding portion 56C side, the surface of the fourth protruding portion 54C on the plate-like portion 34 side, and the fifth protruding portion 56C on the third protruding portion 52C side. The second groove 64 </ b> C is formed in such a manner that each surface is recessed in a curved shape. Such a concave portion 50C can mainly correspond to the convex portion 40H as shown in FIG.

  The shape of the concave portion 50 is not limited to that described above, and the concave portion 50 can be formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the convex portion 40.

  As described above, the present invention has been described in detail. However, the above description is illustrative in all aspects, and the present invention is not limited thereto. It is understood that countless variations that are not illustrated can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Grommet with a spiral branch 12 Grommet 14 Small diameter cylinder part 16 Large diameter cylinder part 20 Helical branch pipe 22 Spiral part 26 Terminal part 30,30A, 31,32,33 Piece member 34 Plate-like part 40, 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D, 40E, 40F, 40G, 40H, 40I, 40J, 40K, 40L, 40M, 40N Convex part 50, 50A, 50B, 50C Concave part 80 Grommet expansion device W Electric wire

Claims (4)

A spiral branch for inserting an electric wire through a cylindrical member made of an elastic material,
A plurality of piece members including a plate-like portion, a convex portion formed to protrude from one end of the plate-like portion, and a concave portion formed to protrude from the other end of the plate-like portion;
In a mode in which the convex portion of another piece member is fitted to the concave portion of one piece member, the plurality of piece members are connected in a row, and the plurality of piece members connected in a row are spirally formed. A spiral branch pipe that is inserted into a tubular member having an expanded inner diameter by being wound and formed into a tubular shape that can maintain the expanded inner diameter. The helical branch pipe according to claim 1, wherein
In a state where a plurality of the piece members are wound in a spiral shape, the inside of the spiral is extended from the one side end to the other side end along the axial direction of the spiral from the piece member located at one end of the spiral. A terminal part extending to the part is provided,
By pulling the terminal portion in the direction from the one side end portion toward the other side end portion along the axial direction of the spiral, the terminal portion can be gradually unwound from the spiral shape to become a linear shape. Branch. The helical branch pipe according to claim 2, wherein
The spiral branch pipe, wherein the terminal portion extends to the other end through the inside of a spiral tubular portion. A grommet including a small-diameter cylindrical portion and a large-diameter cylindrical portion that sequentially expands from one end of the small-diameter cylindrical portion;
The helical branch pipe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is inserted into the small diameter cylindrical portion in a state where the small diameter cylindrical portion of the grommet is expanded,
A grommet with a spiral branch.

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