Grommet Assembly

• US 20100205771A1
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Pietryga, Brad L., Gonsler, Douglas P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/2.200
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0468 Corrugated

Abstract

A grommet assembly includes a retainer including a sleeve, and a boot secured to the retainer, including a first and a second series of pleats aligned with the sleeve, each pleat of the second series decreasing in size as distance from the retainer increases, each pleat of the first series having a substantially uniform size and spaced from a consecutive pleat of the first series by a distance that is less than a space between consecutive pleats of the second series.

Claims

1. A grommet assembly comprising:

a retainer including a sleeve; and

a boot secured to the retainer, including a first series of pleats aligned with the sleeve, each pleat decreasing in size as distance from the retainer increases, each pleat including a crest and a valley, an outer surface of said crests decreasing in distance from an axis as distance of the respective crest from the retainer increases, and an inner surface of said valleys decreasing in distance from the axis as distance of the respective valley from the retainer increases.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a second series of pleats aligned with the sleeve, each pleat of the second series having a substantially uniform size and spaced from a consecutive pleat of the first series by a distance that is less than a space between consecutive pleats of the second series, each pleat of the second series including a crest and a valley, an outer surface of said crests being a substantially uniform distance from the axis, and an inner surface of said valleys being a substantially uniform distance from the axis.

3. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

an interface formed integrally with the boot, including a longitudinal passage through which translating material exits the boot, and an annular bead located in the passage for frictionally engaging the translating material.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein a coefficient of friction of a material from which the retainer is formed is less than a coefficient of friction of a material from which the boot is formed.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the retainer further includes a stop able to engage a first side of a wall; and

the boot further includes a lip facing the stop and engageable with a second side of the wall.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the retainer further includes a recess formed integrally with the boot; and

the retainer further includes a ring able to engage the recess, said engagement securing the boot to the retainer.

7. A grommet assembly comprising:

a retainer including a sleeve; and

a boot secured to the retainer, including a first series of relatively closely spaced pleats aligned with the sleeve, and a second series of pleats located between the first series and the retainer, a size of each pleat of the second series decreasing as distance of said pleat from the retainer increases, a distance between each pleat of the second series being greater than a distance between each pleat of the first series.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein:

each pleat of the first series includes a crest and a valley, an outer surface of said crests being a substantial uniform distance from an axis, and an inner surface of said valleys being a substantially uniform distance from the axis.

9. The assembly of claim 7 wherein:

each pleat of the second series includes a crest and a valley, an outer surface of said crests decreasing in distance from an axis as distance of the respective crest from the axis increases, and an inner surface of said valleys decreasing in distance from the axis distance of the respective valley from the retainer increases.

10. The assembly of claim 7 further comprising:

an interface formed integrally with the boot, including a longitudinal passage through which translating material exits the boot, and an annular bead located in the passage for frictionally engaging the translating material.

11. The assembly of claim 7 wherein a coefficient of friction of the retainer is less than a coefficient of friction of the boot.

12. The assembly of claim 7 wherein:

the retainer further includes a stop arranged to engage a first side of a wall; and

the boot further includes a lip facing the stop and engageable with a second side of the wall.

13. The assembly of claim 7 wherein:

the retainer further includes a recess formed integrally in the boot 16; and

the retainer further includes a ring able to engage the recess, said engagement securing the boot to the retainer.

14. A grommet molded in a single piece, comprising:

a lip;

a recess;

a first series of pleats extending away from the recess and lip and decreasing in size as distance from the lip increases; and

a second series of pleats having a substantially uniform size and spaced from a consecutive pleat of the second series by a distance that is less than a space between consecutive pleats of the first series.

15. The grommet of claim 14 further comprising:

an interface including a longitudinal passage through which translating material exits the grommet, and an annular bead located in the passage for frictionally engaging the translating material.

16. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the grommet is molded of ethylene propylene diene M-class rubber (EPDM).