JP2002198128A - Temperature-indicating molded body and cable with terminal fittings - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a temperature-indicating molded body which is easy to exchange and load. SOLUTION: This temperature-indicating molded body for a cable is equipped with a terminal fittings, and by having a passage part of terminal fittings body and a cable passage part, the temperature-indicating molded body is provided capable of easily passing the terminal fittings and capable of adhering at a connecting part of the terminal fittings and the cable. By using the temperature- indicating molded body, the temperature-indicating molded body becomes capable of exchanging and loading, without destroying or disintegrating the cable which is equipped with the terminal fittings, and further, enabling precise and efficient detection of the extent of abnormal heating, because the adhesion to a detecting part is also superior.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermoformed article containing a thermochromic substance, which is suitable for use in a cable having terminal fittings.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Thermochromic molding for detecting heating of electric wires and cords used for indoor wiring connecting distribution boards and distribution boards, cables constituting outdoor wiring, parts of various electric devices, and the like. The body is known. These are formed by mixing a thermochromic substance into a synthetic resin material to form a predetermined shape such as a sheet or a tube, or by applying a thermochromic substance on the surface of a molded article made of a synthetic resin material. It is manufactured and used by being attached to or covered by the above-mentioned electric wire or the like as a detection target.

[0003]

However, the wires, cords, and cables used for wiring such as the indoor wiring and the outdoor wiring described above generally have terminal fittings attached to their ends, and the distribution board In a distribution board or the like, it is connected to other wirings via terminal fittings. FIG. 2 shows a cable 5 provided with a general terminal fitting 1. Terminal fitting 1
Is composed of a ring-shaped terminal fitting main body 2 formed of a conductive metal, and a barrel 4 integrally extending rearward therefrom. Of these, a mounting hole 3 is opened at the center of the terminal fitting main body 2, and when connecting to other wiring, this mounting hole 3 is fitted to a bolt (not shown) provided upright on a switchboard or the like. Then, a nut (not shown) is screwed into the bolt and tightened. Behind the terminal fitting main body 2, a pair of barrels 4 for crimping a core portion of a cable to be connected are disposed on the left and right, facing each other. By crimping the core wire 6 to the terminal fitting 1 with the barrel 4, the terminal fitting 1 is attached to the cable 5.

In order to detect an abnormal temperature at a connection portion of a cable with terminal fittings as shown in FIG. 2, a thermochromic material having a thermochromic substance is attached from the barrel 4 to the end of the cable 5. . As a method of mounting the temperature indicating material, it is conceivable to attach a sheet-like temperature indicating material to the cable with an adhesive or the like. And the sensitivity of abnormal temperature detection may be reduced.

[0005] Alternatively, it is conceivable to form the temperature indicating material into a tube and attach the tube from the barrel 4 to the end of the cable 5. However, as is apparent from FIG. 2, in a general terminal fitting, the diameter m of the ring-shaped terminal fitting main body 2 is larger than the diameter n of the cable 5 in order to secure the connection by bolting. The terminal fitting body 2 is arranged along the bottom surface of the cable 5. For this reason, when mounting the thermostatic molded body, the barrel 4
After the caulking is released and the terminal fitting 1 is removed from the cable 5, the cable 5 is inserted into the thermostatic molded body, and then the barrel 4 is caulked again and the terminal fitting 1 is attached to the cable 5, and finally. However, there is a drawback in that a very complicated operation of closely contacting the thermoformed body to the end portions of the barrel 4 and the cable 5 is required. It is also conceivable to attach the thermostated molded body without removing the terminal fitting 1 from the cable 5 by using a thermostated molded body such as a heat-shrinkable tube, and to adhere the thermoformed molded body by heat. If it is small, this method cannot be used. In addition, even when the heat shrinkage is large, a close contact operation by heating is required, which is complicated. Further, depending on the heating temperature, an irreversible thermochromic substance may not be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a thermoformed molded body in a cable with terminal fittings that can be easily replaced and attached while the terminal fittings are attached.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermostatic molded body made of a resin having a thermochromic substance, wherein the thermostatic molded body has a terminal metal fitting main body passage portion and a cable passage portion. A thermostatic molded article is provided. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a resin thermostat having a thermochromic substance, at least a portion of which is capable of covering the periphery of a cable having terminal fittings, and is a cable passage portion. A protrusion is formed integrally with the tubular portion and protrudes from the tubular portion in an appropriate direction, and allows a substantially flat terminal metal body formed wider than the cable diameter to pass through the protrusion. The present invention provides a thermostatic molded article characterized in that According to a third aspect of the present invention, the protruding portion is formed at a position offset toward one end in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion, and passes through a substantially flat terminal metal body that is offset toward one end in the radial direction with respect to the barrel. The thermostatically molded article according to claim 2, wherein the molded article is provided. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the thermoformed article according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the cable passage portion of the thermoformed article comprises two or more portions having different inner diameters. In the present invention, the thermochromic substance is present on the surface of the thermographic molded article or present in the thermographic molded article.
The thermoformed article according to any one of Items 1 to 4, is provided. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cable with a terminal fitting provided with a thermostatic molded body, wherein a connection portion between the terminal fitting and the cable or a cable is provided as described in any one of the first to fifth aspects. Provided is a cable with terminal fittings, wherein the temperature indicating molded body is in close contact with the temperature indicating member.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The thermoformed article of the present invention contains a resin and a thermochromic substance. As the resin usable for the thermostatic molded body of the present invention, the molded body passes through the terminal fitting main body 2 and is a detected part, that is, a connection part between the terminal fitting 1 and the cable 5,
Alternatively, any resin can be used as long as it can be attached to the cable 5 and the molded body and the portion to be detected are in close contact with each other so as to indicate the temperature. For example, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyolefin resin, polyethylene resin, acrylic resin, styrene resin,
Examples thereof include, but are not limited to, polyamide resins, aromatic polyester resins, polypropylene resins, and silicone resins. If you have the right flexibility,
Polyvinyl chloride resin, polyolefin resin, polyethylene resin and the like are preferable from the viewpoint that they are easy to mount and have excellent adhesion. Furthermore, by further increasing the adhesion of the thermosetting molded body to the cable, from the viewpoint of improving the thermosetting property, a resin that is heat-shrinkable is also preferable, and as the resin having such properties, a polyvinyl chloride resin, a polyolefin resin, Examples include polyethylene resin. Further, the above-mentioned resins may be used alone or as a mixture of two or more.

The thermochromic substance used in the present invention is a reversible thermochromic substance that returns to its original color when the temperature is lowered, as long as it is a substance that changes color by heat. Any irreversible thermochromic substance that does not return to the original color may be used. The thermochromic substance used in the present invention, under normal conditions, shows a predetermined color,
If the temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, a different color will be shown. When a reversible thermochromic substance is used, the color changes to the original color when the temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, and when an irreversible substance is used, the discolored state is maintained. For example,
As a change in the color of the thermochromic substance, red,
White, blue, green, black, thermochromic substance of a color such as yellow, it is mentioned that the color changes to transparent or almost transparent by heating,
It is not limited to these.

The reversible thermochromic substance usable in the present invention has an advantage that it can be used repeatedly. From this viewpoint, it is preferable to use a microencapsulated substance that can be used for a long period of time as the reversible thermochromic substance. For example, a thermosensitive dye microcapsule powder manufactured by Nippon Capsule Products Co., Ltd. can be used. These include electron-accepting compounds (developing agents), electron-donating color-forming dyes that are colorless dyes that react with the compounds to form a color, and electron-accepting compounds and electron-donating color-forming dyes A thermochromic substance composed of a mixture with a desensitizer having the property of inhibiting the reaction of both at a certain temperature or higher and a certain temperature or lower for the mixture with
It is microencapsulated with a material that is transparent, does not exude the internal components, and can prevent the penetration of harmful substances from the outside.
Examples of the electron accepting compounds include a compound having a phenolic hydroxyl group (for example, bisphenol A) or a metal salt thereof, a metal carboxylate, or an acid acid ester (for example, propyl gallate) or a metal salt thereof. Used. Examples of the electron-donating coloring dyes include crystal violet lactone (blue), makalite green lactone (green), rhodamine B lactam (red), 3,6-dimethoxyfluoran (yellow), and 3-cyclohexylamino-6-. Chlorofluorane (orange), diethylaminobenzofluoran (peach), 8-diethylamino-6-methyl-7-anilinofluoran (black) and the like are used. Alcohol, fatty acids and the like are used as desensitizers.

As the irreversible thermochromic substance that can be used in the present invention, any substance can be used as long as the substance changes color at a predetermined temperature and does not return to its original state even after the temperature decreases. For example, thermochromic organic dye spiropyrans, such as substituted ethylene derivatives fused aromatic rings such as Bien Tron and Jikisanchiren; metal complex crystal _{CoCl 2 · 2 (CH 2)} 6 N 4 · 10H 2 O, Pb
CrO ₄ , Cu ₂ HgI ₄ , Ag ₂ HgI _4, etc .; liquid crystal cholesteric liquid crystal (used in a microcapsule); a combination of an electron-donating color-forming compound, an electron-accepting compound, and a polar organic compound; Coloring compounds phenylmethane compounds (various fluorans, phenylphthalides, etc.), various indolylphthalides, spiropyrans,
Electron accepting compounds such as leuco auramines, acyl or aryl auramines compounds having a phenolic hydroxyl group, metal salts of compounds having a phenolic hydroxyl group,
Various triazoles, carboxylic acids, metal salts of carboxylic acids, etc. ・ Polar organic alcohols (eg, oleyl alcohol), amides (eg, acetoacetylanilide), esters (eg, diphenylphthalate), and carboxylic acids that are poorly soluble in water Examples include, but are not limited to, primary amine salts, ketones or ethers, and azomethines having at least one aromatic residue as a bonding group.

Regardless of whether the thermochromic substance usable in the present invention is reversible or irreversible, its color changing temperature can be controlled by adjusting the content of the substance controlling the thermochromic temperature. The temperature can be appropriately set within a range of about ± 30 ° C., preferably about ± 20 ° C. The thermochromic substance may be used alone, or a plurality of substances may be mixed and used. The content of the above thermochromic substance is 0.5 to 40% by weight, preferably about 1 to 20% by weight, based on the weight of the thermochromic article.

In one aspect, the thermoformed article of the present invention comprises:
The resin is obtained by mixing the above-mentioned resin as a base material and the above-described thermochromic substance at an arbitrary temperature at a predetermined compounding ratio, and then molding. Although the molding method is not limited, since the molded body of the present invention is a tubular shape having a terminal fitting main body passage portion and a cable passage portion, press molding,
It can be selected from injection molding, extrusion molding and the like. In another aspect, a cylindrical molded body having a terminal fitting main body passage portion and a cable passage portion is formed from the above-described resin as a base material, and a thermochromic substance is applied on the surface of the molded body. Alternatively, it may be made by attaching a sheet containing a thermochromic substance.

As long as the object of the present invention is not impaired, various additives and inorganic fillers may be added in such an amount that the effect is exhibited. Various additives include, but are not limited to, flame retardants, flame retardant aids, anti-dripping agents, antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbers, release agents, lubricants, colorants, and the like.

One embodiment of the thermoformed article of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, and the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The thermostatic molded body 11 of the present invention is a cylindrical molded body having a terminal fitting main body passage portion 12 and a cable passage portion 13. At least a portion of the cable passage portion 13 of the thermostatic molded body of the present invention can cover the periphery of the cable provided with the terminal fitting so as to be able to indicate the temperature, and the terminal fitting main body passage portion 12 is the cable passage portion 13. A protrusion is formed integrally with a certain cylindrical portion and protrudes from the cylindrical portion in an appropriate direction, and passes through a substantially flat terminal metal body formed wider than the cable diameter through the protrusion. Can be done. With this configuration, the projecting portion of the terminal fitting main body passing portion 12 is
The temperature is not closely adhered to the cable disposed in the cable passage portion 13 so as to indicate the temperature. The terminal fitting main body passing portion 12 can be arranged at an arbitrary position in the temperature indicating molded body 11 as long as the terminal fitting main body 2 passes through the portion. For example, in (a) of FIG. 1, it is formed integrally with the tubular portion that is the cable passage portion 13, has a projecting portion that projects in an appropriate direction from the tubular portion, and is formed wider than the cable diameter. A terminal fitting body passing portion 1 through which a substantially flat terminal fitting body can pass through the protruding portion.
Numeral 2 exists as a protruding portion at a position eccentrically located near one radial end of the cylindrical portion. This corresponds to the case where the terminal fitting 1 having a substantially flat plate shape in which the terminal fitting main body 2 is biased toward one end in the radial direction with respect to the barrel 4 is attached to the cable 5 as shown in FIG. is there. The thermostatic molded body of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and is applicable to a case where the terminal fitting body to which the thermographic molded body of the present invention is mounted is located at the center with respect to the cable. In other words, the terminal fitting main body passing portion 12 is arranged at the center of the cable passing portion 13.

FIG. 1C is a vertical cross-sectional view of the thermoformed article shown in FIG. 1A with respect to the cable passing direction. As described above, since the terminal fitting main body passing portion 12 in the thermostatic molded body 11 of the present invention is a portion through which the terminal fitting main body 2 passes, the length p is at least large enough to allow the terminal fitting main body 2 to pass. There is a need to be. Here, "the terminal fitting main body 2 can pass through the terminal fitting main body passing portion 12" means that the molded body 11 has flexibility,
In the normal state, the length p of the terminal fitting main body passing portion 12 is smaller than the diameter m of the terminal fitting main body 2, but the molded body 11 is deformed without being destroyed.
Is also included.

The cable passage portion 13 in the thermoformed molded article 11 of the present invention means that when the thermoformed molded article 11 is mounted on a cable with terminal fittings, the detected portion is the thermoformed molded article 11.
This is the part that will be placed inside. The cable passage portion 13 includes the barrel 4 of the terminal fitting 1 and the cable 5.
The inner diameter q is determined so that the inner diameter q can be mounted on or passed through the cable 5 and can be placed on the cable 5 so as to be in close contact with the part to be detected so that an abnormal temperature can be detected. Here, "the cable passing portion 13 can be mounted or passed on the barrel 4 and the cable 5" means that the molded body 11 has flexibility, and the inner diameter q of the cable passing portion 13 is usually equal to the cable diameter. n and / or smaller than the diameter n ′ of the portion of the barrel 4, but also includes a case where the molded body 11 can be mounted or passed on the barrel 4 and the cable 5 by being deformed without being destroyed. It is a thing. From the viewpoint of improving the adhesiveness by improving the temperature indicating property, the inner diameter q of the cable passage portion 13 of the temperature indicating molded body is such that the barrel 4 and the cable 5 can pass through a normal operation, and the cable 5 in the normal state. It is preferable that the diameter be equal to or less than the diameter n and the diameter n ′ of the barrel 4.

The diameter n of the cable 5 as shown in FIG.
And the diameter n 'of the portion of the barrel 4 is different from that of the first embodiment.
In the case of being disposed at a connection portion between the barrel 4 and the cable 5, as shown in FIG. A plurality of portions 13 ′ and 13 ″ having different inner diameters, each having an inner diameter corresponding to the diameter n of the cable 5 and the diameter n ′ of the barrel 4 so as to be in close contact with each other (in the figure, the portions 13 ′ and 13 ′ having a larger inner diameter). It preferably comprises a portion 13 '') with a small inner diameter. By adopting this aspect, the thermostatic molded body 11 of the present invention can be used for the terminal fitting 1 and the cable 5.
The connection between the barrel 4 and the cable 5, which is a connection portion between the two, is further improved, and the sensitivity of detection of abnormal heating is improved. In addition, in this embodiment, the thermoformed molded body 11 is required to have a flexibility such that the portion 13 ″ having a small inner diameter of the cable passage portion can pass through the barrel 4. Also, although not shown, when the diameter of the barrel 4 is smaller than the diameter of the cable 5, a portion having a small inner diameter of the cable passage portion 13 is arranged in the barrel 4 portion, and a portion having a large inner diameter is arranged in the cable portion. It will be attached to.

The thermographic molded body 11 of the present invention is disposed at a desired portion where abnormal heating is to be detected after passing through the terminal fitting main body 2 of the terminal fitting 1. As described above, when abnormal heating of the connection portion between the terminal fitting 1 and the cable 5 is detected, the thermostatic molded body 11 of the present invention is disposed so as to cover the barrel 4 and the end of the cable 5. When abnormal heating of a part of the cable 5 is detected, the cable 5 is disposed so as to cover a desired cable part. Regardless of which part, the temperature indicating molded body 11 of the present invention needs to be placed in close contact with the part to be detected of abnormal heating to such an extent that an abnormal temperature can be indicated. Is satisfied, the diameter of the cable passage portion 13 is determined.

In FIGS. 1A and 1B, the cross-sectional shape of the cable passage portion of the thermoformed article of the present invention is as follows.
Although it is substantially circular, it may have any shape that allows the temperature to be indicated depending on the shape of the barrel and / or the cable that is the portion where abnormal temperature is detected. For example, in addition to a circle, a square, a polygon, an ellipse, and the like can be given, but the invention is not limited thereto. Further, the length of the temperature indicating molded body of the present invention in the cable passing direction can be set to an arbitrary length in accordance with a portion to be detected in which abnormal temperature is to be detected. Further, the thickness of the resin layer constituting the thermographic molded article of the present invention may be any thickness as long as the discoloration of the thermochromic substance can be visually observed from the outside when an abnormal temperature is applied. it can. Further, in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the outer shape of the thermostatic molded article of the present invention has a shape corresponding to the inner shape, but when an abnormal temperature is applied, the thermochromic substance becomes The outer shape can be any shape as long as the discoloration is visible from the outside. For example, the inner shape is a circle as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, and the outer shape may be a square pole or the like.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a cable with terminal fittings to which the thermoformed molded article 11 of the present invention can be attached. Is not limited to this. As the cable with terminal fitting in the present invention, as long as it has a terminal fitting for connection at the end of the conductive cable,
Any applications and forms are included, for example, electric wires and cords used for indoor wiring connecting a distribution board and a distribution board, etc., cables constituting outdoor wiring, parts of various electric devices, and the like. Is not limited to these. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, a terminal fitting 1 is attached to an end of a cable 5, and the terminal fitting 1 is formed of a conductive metal, and is integrally formed with a ring-shaped terminal fitting main body 2 backward from here. It consists of an extended barrel 4. Of these, a mounting hole 3 is opened at the center of the terminal fitting main body 2, and when connecting to other wiring, the mounting hole 3 is used.
Is fitted to a bolt (not shown) standing on a switchboard or the like, and a nut (not shown) is screwed into the bolt and tightened. A barrel 4 for crimping a core portion of a cable to be connected is provided behind the terminal fitting main body 2.
Are arranged on the left and right, facing each other. By crimping the core wire 6 to the terminal fitting 1 with the barrel 4, the terminal fitting 1 is attached to the cable 5.

[0022]

According to the thermostatic molded article of the present invention, the thermostatic molded article can be easily mounted and replaced without breaking or disassembling the cable with the terminal fitting, which is the object to be detected. Furthermore, since the adhesion to the detected portion is excellent, the degree of abnormal heating can be detected accurately and efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 (a) is a perspective view of a thermoformed article of the present invention, (b) is a perspective view of a thermoformed article of the present invention having a different diameter, and (c) is a view of (a). FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the indicated thermoformed body with respect to a cable passing direction.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cable provided with terminal fittings.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Terminal fitting 2 Terminal fitting main body 3 Mounting hole 4 Barrel 5 Cable 6 Core wire 11 Thermoformed body 12 Terminal fitting main body passing part 13, 13 ', 13 "Cable passing part

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A thermostatic molded article made of a resin having a thermochromic substance, wherein the thermographic molded article has a terminal metal fitting main body passing portion and a cable passing portion. 2. A thermosetting molded body made of a resin having a thermochromic substance and capable of covering at least a part of a cable provided with a terminal fitting, integrally formed with a tubular portion which is a cable passing portion. It is provided with a projecting portion that is formed in a cylindrical portion and protrudes in an appropriate direction, and a substantially flat terminal metal body formed wider than the cable diameter.
A thermostatically molded article that can be passed through the projection. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the projecting portion is formed at a position deviated toward one end in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion, and can pass through a substantially flat terminal fitting main body deviated toward one end in the radial direction with respect to the barrel. The thermoformed article according to claim 2, characterized in that: 4. The thermographic molding according to claim 1, wherein the cable passage portion of the thermographic molding comprises two or more portions having different inner diameters. 5. The thermochromic substance is present on the surface of the thermographic molded article or is present in the thermographic molded article.
5. The thermostatic molded article according to any one of items 4 to 4. 6. A cable with a terminal fitting provided with a thermostatic molded body, wherein the thermostatic molded article according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is provided at a connection portion between the terminal fitting and the cable or at a cable. A cable with terminal fittings that is as close as possible.