The present invention relates to a grommet for a wire harness having a resilient inner member which seals and secures a wire harness within a rigid outer member.
A wire harness is commonly formed by bundling a plurality of electrical wires together prior to installation into the body of a vehicle. A wire harness connects one or more electrical components within the vehicle and therefore must be routed through various vehicle partition panels. A tight seal is often required between the partition panel and the harness to prevent leakage of liquid or fumes between compartments of the vehicle. It is further desirable to provide support for the harness relative to the panel through which it passes to prevent abrasion. Thus, it is commonly know to provide a grommet to protect and seal the harness where it passes through the partition panels.
Conventional grommets are formed of an elastic rubber to seal the harness to the partition opening. The rubber grommets are commonly installed by forcibly stretching the grommet to thereby allow axial insertion of the harness. When released the rubber grommet conforms to the harness which is then located within the vehicle partition. However, the stretching and locating operations require substantial effort to insert the harness. Further, if the harness is pulled with some force, the rubber grommet will likely be removed from the partition opening due to the grommet's elasticity.
Other known grommets combine a rigid support with an elastic member to improve retention and protection of the harness within the partition opening. However, due to their complex configurations, known combination grommets provide a less effective seal than the grommet described above and are relatively difficult and costly to manufacture and install.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds