Vehicle body pass-through structure

• US 7,641,271 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Miller, Rick, Beach, Jim, Haydin, Vedat
• Primary Examiner(s): ENGLE, PATRICIA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US12/168,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20100001554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 296/208, 296/1.07, 296/1.06, 296/1.08, 296/97.9, 277/607, 277/609, 277/616, 277/626, 277/624, 16/21, 174/663, 174/650
• US Class Current: 296/208
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0222 Grommets

Abstract

A vehicle body pass-through structure is basically provided with a seal member, a rigid mounting member and a grommet. The seal member includes a first side, a second side and an access opening extending through the seal member between the first side and the second side. The rigid mounting member overlies the second side of the seal member so that the access opening of the seal member aligns with an attachment aperture of the mounting member. The grommet includes a first open end portion, a second open end portion, and a passageway extending between the first open end portion and the second open end portion. The first open end portion is disposed in the attachment aperture of the mounting member.

Claims

1. A vehicle body pass-through structure comprising:

an elastically deformable seal member including a first side, a second side, an access opening extending through the seal member between the first side and the second side, and a first annular sealing bead projecting outward from the first side along an outer peripheral edge of the first side;

a rigid mounting member overlying the second side of the seal member so that the access opening of the seal member aligns with an attachment aperture of the mounting member, the rigid mounting member having an outer edge which radially extends beyond the outer peripheral edge of the first side of the seal member with respect to the attachment aperture; and

a grommet including a first open end portion, a second open end portion, and a passageway extending between the first open end portion and the second open end portion, the first open end portion being disposed in the attachment aperture of the mounting member.

2. The vehicle body pass-through structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of fastener mounting holes extending through the seal member and the rigid mounting member, with the first annular sealing bead spaced radially outward from the fastener mounting holes with respect to the attachment aperture,

and

a plurality of second annular sealing beads that projects outwardly from the first side of the seal member, with one of the second annular sealing beads being disposed around each of the fastener mounting holes.

3. The vehicle body pass-through structure according to claim 2, wherein

the mounting member further includes a lower surface with a plurality of recesses, the seal member being molded over the lower surface of the mounting member with portions of the seal member extending into the recesses of the lower surface of the mounting member,

the recesses including a first plurality of recesses disposed along an outer periphery of the mounting member between the outer edge of the mounting member and the fastener mounting holes, and a second plurality of recesses disposed radially inward of the first plurality of recesses with respect the attachment aperture and about a circumference of the fastener mounting holes.

4. The vehicle body pass-through structure according to claim 1, wherein

the attachment aperture of the mounting member has a smaller diameter than the access opening of the seal member such that the mounting member has an end face that is recessed from the first side of the seal member thereby defining a recess;

and

the grommet further includes a contact member disposed in the recess.

5. The vehicle body pass-through structure according to claim 4, wherein

the contact member is an annular flange with a lower face disposed adjacent the first surface of the seal member.

6. The vehicle body pass-through structure according to claim 1, wherein

the mounting member further includes a lower surface with a plurality of recesses, the seal member being molded over the lower surface of the mounting member with portions of the seal member extending into the recesses of the lower surface of the mounting member,

the recesses including a first plurality of recesses disposed adjacent an outer periphery of the mounting member such that the first recesses follow an entire contour of the outer periphery of the mounting member, and a second plurality of recesses disposed adjacent the fastener mounting holes and radially inward of the first plurality of recesses with respect to the attachment aperture.

7. The vehicle body pass-through structure according to claim 1, wherein

the first open end portion of the grommet and the second open end portion of the grommet are not axially aligned.

8. The vehicle body pass-through structure according to claim 7, wherein

the mounting member has first alignment indicia and the grommet has second alignment indicia, such that the first and second alignment indicia are in an aligned orientation when the mounting member and the grommet are in an installed position, and the first and second alignment indicia are visible from an exterior of the mounting member and the grommet when in the installed position.

9. The vehicle body pass-through structure according to claim 8, wherein

the second open end portion extends transversely from a first side of the first open end portion so as to form an elbow,

the second indicia are located on a second side of the first open end portion which is opposite the first side of the first open end portion, and

the mounting member further has third indicia located so as to indicate orientation of the pass through structure with respect to a body panel of a vehicle having the vehicle body pass-through structure.

10. The vehicle body pass-through structure according to claim 1, wherein

the grommet further includes an annular body panel receiving groove disposed adjacent the first side of the seal member.

11. A vehicle body structure comprising:

an exterior vehicle body panel having an exterior body panel opening;

a vehicle body pass-through structure disposed in the exterior body panel opening of the exterior vehicle body panel, the vehicle body pass-through structure including

an elastically deformable seal member including a first side contacting an exterior side of the exterior vehicle body panel, a second side, an access opening extending through the seal member between the first side and the second side, a first annular sealing bead projecting outward from the first side along an outer peripheral edge of the first side;

a rigid mounting member overlying the second side of the seal member so that the access opening of the seal member aligns with an attachment aperture of the mounting member, the rigid mounting member having an outer edge which radially extends beyond the outer peripheral edge of the first side of the seal member with respect to the attachment aperture;

a grommet including a first open end portion, a second open end portion, and a passageway extending between the first open end portion and the second open end portion, the first open end portion being disposed in the attachment aperture of the mounting member; and

a plurality of fastener mounting holes extending through the seal member, the mounting member, and the exterior vehicle body panel, with fasteners extending entirely through the seal member, the mounting member and the exterior vehicle body panel via the fastener mounting holes.

12. The vehicle body structure according to claim 11, further comprising

an exterior vehicle accessory disposed on the exterior side of the exterior vehicle body panel;

and

an interior vehicle part disposed on an interior side of the exterior vehicle body panel, with the interior vehicle part being electrically coupled to the exterior vehicle accessory via an electrical wire extending through the passageway of the grommet.

13. The vehicle body structure according to claim 11, wherein

the seal member further includes

a plurality of second annular sealing beads that projects outwardly from the first side of the seal member, with one of the second annular sealing beads being disposed around each of the fastener mounting holes.

14. The vehicle body structure according to claim 13, wherein

the mounting member further includes a lower surface with a plurality of recesses, the seal member being molded over the lower surface of the mounting member with portions of the seal member extending into the recesses of the lower surface of the mounting member,

the recesses including a first plurality of recesses disposed adjacent an outer periphery of the mounting member such that the first plurality of recesses follow an entire contour of the outer periphery of the mounting member, and a second plurality of recesses disposed adjacent the fastener mounting holes and radially inward of the first plurality of recesses with respect to the attachment aperture.

15. The vehicle body structure according to claim 11, wherein

the attachment aperture of the mounting member has a smaller diameter than the access opening of the seal member such that the mounting member has an end face that is recessed from the first side of the seal member thereby creating a recess;

and

the grommet further includes a contact member disposed in the recess.

16. The vehicle body structure according to claim 15, wherein

the contact member is an annular flange with a lower face contacting the exterior side of the exterior vehicle body panel an upper face contacting the end face of the mounting member.

17. The vehicle body structure according to claim 11, wherein

the mounting member further includes a lower surface with a plurality of recesses with the seal member being molded over the lower surface of the mounting member with portions of the seal member extending into the recesses of the lower surface of the mounting member,

the recesses including a first plurality of recesses disposed along an outer periphery of the mounting member between an outer edge of the mounting member and the fastener mounting holes, and a second plurality of recesses disposed radially inward of the first plurality of recesses with respect to the attachment aperture and about a circumference of the fastener mounting holes.

18. The vehicle body structure according to claim 11, wherein

the first open end portion of the grommet and the second open end portion of the grommet are not axially aligned.

19. The vehicle body structure according to claim 18, wherein

the mounting member has first alignment indicia and the grommet has second alignment indicia, such that the first and second alignment indicia are in an aligned orientation when the mounting member and the grommet are in an installed position, and the first and second alignment indicia are visible from an exterior of the mounting member and the grommet when in the installed position.

20. The vehicle body structure according to claim 19, wherein

the second open end portion extends transversely from a first side of the first open end portion so as to form an elbow,

the second indicia are located on a second side of the first open end portion which is opposite the first side of the first open end portion, and

the mounting member further has third indicia located so as to indicate orientation of the pass through structure with respect to the exterior vehicle body panel.

21. The vehicle body structure according to claim 11, wherein

the grommet further includes an annular body panel receiving groove with the exterior vehicle body panel being disposed in the annular body panel receiving groove.