EP1063738A1 - Eingegossener elektrischer Steckverbinder und Herstellungsverfahren - Google Patents

Eingegossener elektrischer Steckverbinder und Herstellungsverfahren Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1063738A1
EP1063738A1 EP00113238A EP00113238A EP1063738A1 EP 1063738 A1 EP1063738 A1 EP 1063738A1 EP 00113238 A EP00113238 A EP 00113238A EP 00113238 A EP00113238 A EP 00113238A EP 1063738 A1 EP1063738 A1 EP 1063738A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
terminal
housing
connector
thickness
terminals
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP00113238A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Hirata Toshihisa
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Molex LLC
Original Assignee
Molex LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Molex LLC filed Critical Molex LLC
Publication of EP1063738A1 publication Critical patent/EP1063738A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
    • H01R43/20—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
    • H01R43/24—Assembling by moulding on contact members
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
    • H01R13/405—Securing in non-demountable manner, e.g. moulding, riveting
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
    • H01R43/16—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending

Definitions

  • the present invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and particularly to small electrical connectors having one or more conductive terminals embedded within an insulative housing by an insert-molding manufacturing process.
  • electrical connectors have been manufactured by providing a rigid insulative housing which is then assembled with a plurality of metal terminals. The terminals are inserted into terminal cavities formed in the housing. Advances in electronics devices have required reduced-size electrical connectors. Such miniaturization has resulted in terminals that are made of very thin strips of metal. Accordingly, such terminals have very little structural rigidity. Due to this lack of rigidity, however, conventional terminal-to-housing assembly methods have proven impractical or impossible, because the terminals are not rigid enough to withstand physical insertion into a terminal cavity in a housing.
  • Insert-molding involves placing the terminals within a mold cavity, then injection-molding a resin into the cavity which cures to form a rigid insulative housing around the terminals. More specifically, at least one surface of each terminal desirably lies against a surface of the mold cavity during injection of the housing resin. This surface is not covered with the resin and thereby remains exposed. Once cured, the rigid housing provides support against an underside of the terminals. The exposed terminal surfaces act as a contact surface for the connector.
  • the injected housing resin frequently seeps over contact surfaces of the terminals in the mold cavity which are intended to remain uncovered, forming a "burr" or resin film.
  • the resin undesirably flows around the contact surfaces of the terminals placed against the side of the terminal cavity.
  • Such undesired injection behavior is known to occur at the curved steps at the frontward tips of the terminals. This is problematic, as the contact surfaces of the terminals need to be exposed for establishing electrical contact. The undesired "burr" over the terminal contact surface can prevent such electrical contact from occurring.
  • Undesired burr formation is particularly problematic with high viscosity resins. In an effort to control or eliminate burr formation, it is necessary to use highly precise molds and/or to use a molding resin of a grade having a low burring property.
  • burr formation is inconsistent in dimension over the terminal contact surface.
  • the burr shape characteristics are inconsistent among connectors, resulting in manufacturing imprecision due to the difficulty of predicting the location and length of the resulting exposed terminal surface. It is desirable to minimize the length of a burr, or eliminate the burr altogether, in order to provide the terminal with maximal exposed contact portion, thereby maximizing an effective insertion length.
  • an improved connector is needed which overcomes the problems associated with known connectors manufactured by insert-molding.
  • a connector is needed which eliminates or reduces the formation of film of housing resin material on a terminal contact surface known as a "burr.”
  • the present invention overcomes the aforementioned problems by providing an improved electrical connector.
  • the present invention advantageously provides a connector that prevents the formation of a burr or film over a contact surface of the conductive terminals, the contact surface consistently remaining exposed and uncovered by housing material.
  • a connector according to the invention includes a terminal having a specially shaped tip.
  • terminal has an intermediate contact portion that forms a contact surface and reduced-thickness tip portion recessed or offset from the contact surface and which extends in a forward direction from the contact portion, defining a stepped profile.
  • the contact portion has a first thickness
  • the tip portion has a second thickness less than the first thickness.
  • a generally planar surface extends at a generally right angle from the contact surface to the tip.
  • the terminals are positioned within a mold cavity and a resin of housing material is then insert-molded over the terminals. The resin cures to form the insulative housing.
  • the housing includes a terminal support platform extending along a side of the contact portions of the terminals, providing rigid structural support when the terminal contact surfaces are subjected to contact forces.
  • the reduced thickness tip of each connector is embedded in a frontward portion of the housing terminal platform. More specifically, the housing material covers an upper side of the tip.
  • the tip portion of the terminal has a thickness of about one-half the thickness of the contact portion.
  • An advantage of the present invention is that the reduced-thickness tip of the stepped-profile terminal prevents the flow of resin over the contact surface during insert-molding of the insulative housing material over the terminal.
  • the embedded reduced-thickness tip securely fixes the forward part of the conductive terminal within the housing. This advantageously prevents separation of the terminal from the housing.
  • a further advantage of the present invention is to provide an improved terminal which may be used in prior housing molds, yet which provides improved non-burring performance during insert-molding.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional connector 304 of a type having an insert-molded housing 301.
  • the conventional connector 304 generally includes the insulative housing 301, a plurality of geometrically parallel conductive terminals 303 residing in the housing, and a conductive shield 302.
  • the shield 302 generally encloses two sides and an upper side of the housing.
  • the shield 302 has a front opening 305 shaped to cooperatively receive a mated plug connector (not shown).
  • the mated plug connector fits over a terminal platform 306 of the housing so that contacts from the plug are received in sliding contact over the terminals 303.
  • the housing 301 of the conventional connector 304 includes base portion 311 and a cantilevered terminal platform 306 extending forwardly from the base 311 toward the opening 305 in the shield 302.
  • the housing 301 is formed over the terminals 303 by a generally known insert-molding method whereby an insulative housing resin is injected into a mold cavity containing the terminals 303, as pre-inserted into the mold.
  • the terminals 303 extend through the base 311 and are recessed into the terminal platform 306 so that a contact surface 309 of each terminal faces upwardly away from the terminal platform 306.
  • the contact surface 309 is desirably exposed for readily establishing conductive contact with the plug received in the opening 305, but unfortunately, keeping the contact surface exposed during manufacture has been difficult.
  • the terminal platform 306 of the conventional terminal 303 is bent in an S-curved portion 308 to form a lowered forward tip 307.
  • the lowered tip 307 is embedded or sunken into the material of the housing 301 to help hold front end of the terminal 303 secure.
  • the conventional terminal 303 is generally consistent in thickness along its length, including at the tip 307.
  • the present invention in an embodiment, provides a connector including a terminal having an improved, reduced-thickness, stepped profile at its tip.
  • a terminal with this improved shape has been found to resist gapping away from the mold cavity during injection of the housing resin, thereby preventing the flow resin onto the contact surface and the associated formation of burrs.
  • FIGS. 3-6 illustrate a miniature connector 10 according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • the connector 10 includes an insulative housing 12, a plurality of conductive terminals 14.
  • the insulative housing 12 is insert-molded over the terminals 14.
  • the connector 10 is configured to receive a mated plug connector (not shown).
  • the illustrated connector 10 has an outer conductive shield 16, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.
  • the shield 16 has an upper wall 18 and two opposed side walls 20.
  • a plurality of mounting flanges 22 project outwardly from the side walls 20 of the shield 16.
  • the shield 16 is unitary and wraps peripherally around the insulative housing 12, forming a rigid exterior of the connector 10. Ends of the shield 16 are defined by a pair of oppositely-projecting tabs 24 and 26. The tabs 24, 26 meet at an underside of the connector 10 in a cooperatively engaged manner, thereby securing the housing 12 within the shield 16.
  • each of tabs 24 and 26 have respectively stepped profiles which cooperatively fit against each other, as illustrated in FIG. 5.
  • tab 24 includes a post 25 that is closely received in a hole 27 in the opposite tab 26 with an interference fit.
  • an opening 28 is defined interiorly the upper wall 18, side walls 20 and bottom tabs 24, 26 of the shield 16.
  • the opening 28 is sized to matably receive the aforementioned plug connector.
  • FIGS. 4 and 6 illustrate the terminals 14 within the insulative housing 12.
  • a plurality of terminals 14 are provided (four as illustrated) in a geometrically parallel arrangement residing in the housing 12.
  • the housing 12 accommodates the terminals 14 in respective terminal cavities 15.
  • the insert-molded housing 12 of the connector 10 includes base portion 30 and a cantilevered terminal platform 32 extending forwardly from the base portion 30 toward the opening 28 in the shield 16.
  • a front end of the terminal platform 32 is tapered in shape for mated insertion into a cooperative receptacle of the plug.
  • each of the terminals 14 has an elongated contact portion 34 that resides in a recessed manner in the terminal platform 32.
  • the terminal 14 extends rearwardly through the base portion 30 of the housing 12.
  • the terminal 14 has a tail portion 36, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
  • the tail portion 36 is connected to a contact on a circuit board by solder or other known means.
  • the contact portion 34 of the terminal 14 has an upwardly-exposed contact surface 38.
  • the exposed contact surface 38 extends substantially along a length of the terminal platform 32 from the base 30 of the housing 12 toward the front opening 28. This maximizes the sliding contact length.
  • a front of the terminal 14 includes a reduced-thickness tip portion 40 having a cornered, stepped profile offset from the contact surface. Due to the stepped profile, insulative housing resin can surround the tip portion 40 during the molding process. Upon curing of the resin, the tip portion 40 is recessed or embedded within the housing 12, having a portion of housing material g (FIG. 6) disposed vertically above the tip portion 40 and forwardly of the contact surface 38. The embedded tip portion 40 secures the terminal 14 to the terminal platform 32, preventing the terminal 14 from prying loose from the terminal platform 32 when subjected to sliding insertion forces from the plug.
  • the contact portion 34 of the terminal 14 has a first thickness
  • the tip portion has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness.
  • the thickness of the tip portion 40 is about one-half the thickness of the contact portion 34.
  • a substantially planar surface 42 extends at a generally right angle from the contact surface 38 to the tip portion 40. It should be understood, however, that the connector 10 is miniature in size, and the precision of the geometry described herein is limited to the abilities of manufacturing terminals 14 at a small scale. Additionally, the invention is not limited to a right-angle profile. Rather, it is intended that the invention encompass non-curved corner profiles at the front edge of the terminal contact surface 38. Thus, though the described reduced-thickness, right-angle, stepped profile 40 is preferred, it is intended that the claims herein should encompass such tip shapes within equivalent variations and reasonable manufacturing tolerances.
  • a forward surface 44 extends approximately parallel to the planar surface 42.
  • the stepped profile of the tip portion 40 has been found to reduce the formation of burrs, as was problematic with prior art connectors.
  • the contact surface 38 and/or planar surface 42 of the terminal stay in contact against a side of the mold cavity as the resin is injected, surrounding the tip portion 40.
  • a resin film or burr is not formed on the contact surface 38 because resin is sufficiently blocked from flowing rearwardly of the step surface 42 of the terminal.
  • the length of the tip portion 40 is slightly longer than the thickness of the contact portion 34.
  • the length of the tip portion 40 may be any appropriate length to provide the necessary securing force depending on the dimensions and strength of the components overall, including the strength of the housing material g.
  • the terminals are manufactured with a coining process, as shown in FIGS. 7-9.
  • a plate or metal blank 114 is provided from which the terminals are to be made.
  • the coining process described herein forms the desired reduced-thickness, stepped profile at one time to the blank 114, from which many terminals are to be made, thereby optimizing efficiency.
  • the blank 114 is placed upon a sturdy surface or work table 116.
  • a hammer die 118 is positioned along a front edge of the blank 114.
  • the die 118 has a notch 120 with a tooth 122 that are appropriately shaped to stamp the desired stepped terminal profile defining, for example, a right-angle.
  • the notch 120 has a depth h equivalent to the desired thickness of the terminal tip portion.
  • the hammer die 118 is driven downwardly in the direction A (FIG. 7), stamping or coining the front edge of the metal blank 114 with the desired stepped profile, as shown in FIG. 8.
  • Metal deformed under the notch 32 draws forwardly, forming the reduced-thickness tip portion 40 and the stepped planar surface 42 disposed at a right angle to the contact surface 38.
  • the individual terminals 14 are cut from the blank 114 and are bent to form the tail portions 36.
  • plating may be applied to the terminals at this point.
  • the cutting operation of FIG. 8 could, for example, also serve to separate the individual terminals 14 from the blank 114.
  • the above-described embodiment is an example of an embodiment in which the surface 42 of the terminal 14 is formed at a right angle.
  • a terminal 14 having a reduced thickness tip portion 40 according to the invention can also be produced in which the surface 42 is at an angle other than 90 degrees.
  • the coining operation of FIGS. 7 and 8 may be used to form such a profile.
  • the surface 42 may be formed at either an acute angle or obtuse angle approximating to a right angle.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Electrical Connectors (AREA)
  • Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
  • Injection Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
EP00113238A 1999-06-22 2000-06-21 Eingegossener elektrischer Steckverbinder und Herstellungsverfahren Withdrawn EP1063738A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP17599799 1999-06-22
JP11175997A JP2001023717A (ja) 1999-06-22 1999-06-22 オーバーモールド型電気コネクタ及びその製造方法

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1063738A1 true EP1063738A1 (de) 2000-12-27

Family

ID=16005911

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP00113238A Withdrawn EP1063738A1 (de) 1999-06-22 2000-06-21 Eingegossener elektrischer Steckverbinder und Herstellungsverfahren

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1063738A1 (de)
JP (1) JP2001023717A (de)
KR (1) KR100360999B1 (de)
CN (1) CN1287396A (de)
TW (1) TW476461U (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2012145194A2 (en) * 2011-04-18 2012-10-26 Fci Cable connector
DE10393763B4 (de) * 2002-11-22 2016-03-17 Tyco Electronics Corp. Verbinderanordnung mit einer dielektrischen Abdeckung
CN110364914A (zh) * 2019-08-20 2019-10-22 东莞市鼎通精密五金股份有限公司 一种信号连接器模具装置的连接端子定位机构

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP4636335B2 (ja) * 2006-10-10 2011-02-23 株式会社デンソー 回路素子内蔵コネクタ
JP4797209B2 (ja) * 2007-09-10 2011-10-19 ヒロセ電機株式会社 電気コネクタ及び電気コネクタの製造方法
JP5013296B2 (ja) * 2009-12-15 2012-08-29 Ｓｍｋ株式会社 電子部品
JP5212499B2 (ja) 2010-09-08 2013-06-19 第一精工株式会社 電気コネクタ及びその製造方法
JP5794671B2 (ja) * 2011-04-28 2015-10-14 日本航空電子工業株式会社 コネクタ
JP6399902B2 (ja) * 2014-11-11 2018-10-03 株式会社ミツバ インサート成形品およびインサート成形品の製造方法
JP7229011B2 (ja) * 2018-12-25 2023-02-27 ダイハツ工業株式会社 成形方法
DE102019126232A1 (de) * 2019-09-30 2021-04-01 Lisa Dräxlmaier GmbH Herstellen eines stromführenden fahrzeugbauteils

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3943625A (en) * 1974-03-13 1976-03-16 Gte Sylvania Incorporated Method for making tined electrical contacts
US3987264A (en) * 1973-05-25 1976-10-19 North American Specialties Corporation Method, apparatus and product relating to electrical contact
US5201883A (en) * 1991-08-30 1993-04-13 Kel Corporation Method of making in-molded plug connector
DE4419293A1 (de) * 1993-09-20 1995-04-20 Fujitsu Ltd Koaxialer Verbinder mit verbesserter Konstruktion, wobei die Herstellungskosten reduziert werden und Herstellungsverfahren davon

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3987264A (en) * 1973-05-25 1976-10-19 North American Specialties Corporation Method, apparatus and product relating to electrical contact
US3943625A (en) * 1974-03-13 1976-03-16 Gte Sylvania Incorporated Method for making tined electrical contacts
US5201883A (en) * 1991-08-30 1993-04-13 Kel Corporation Method of making in-molded plug connector
DE4419293A1 (de) * 1993-09-20 1995-04-20 Fujitsu Ltd Koaxialer Verbinder mit verbesserter Konstruktion, wobei die Herstellungskosten reduziert werden und Herstellungsverfahren davon

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE10393763B4 (de) * 2002-11-22 2016-03-17 Tyco Electronics Corp. Verbinderanordnung mit einer dielektrischen Abdeckung
WO2012145194A2 (en) * 2011-04-18 2012-10-26 Fci Cable connector
WO2012145194A3 (en) * 2011-04-18 2013-03-21 Fci Cable connector
CN110364914A (zh) * 2019-08-20 2019-10-22 东莞市鼎通精密五金股份有限公司 一种信号连接器模具装置的连接端子定位机构
CN110364914B (zh) * 2019-08-20 2024-04-19 东莞市鼎通精密五金股份有限公司 一种信号连接器模具装置的连接端子定位机构

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2001023717A (ja) 2001-01-26
TW476461U (en) 2002-02-11
KR20010007458A (ko) 2001-01-26
CN1287396A (zh) 2001-03-14
KR100360999B1 (ko) 2002-11-18

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