JP2005251572A - Connector and manufacturing method of connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate pointed parts from a die for forming a cavity. <P>SOLUTION: An escape part 28, continued to the inner wall of a through hole 23 with a shape of recessing in stepped shape, is formed in a region corresponding to a coming-out stopper projection 27 out of a taper face 24 of a cavity 21. When forming a region which corresponds to the coming-out stopper projection 27 out of the cavity 21, a first die 30A for forming the through hole 23 and the front part of the pull-off stopper projection 27 and a second die 30B for forming the side face of the coming-out stopper projection 27 and the side face of the escape part 28 are contacted by sliding, and the first die 30A is stamped out frontward and the second die 30B is stamped out backward. When forming the non-corresponding region which does not correspond to the coming-out stopper projection 27 out of the cavity 21, a third die 30C which forms the through hole 23 and the region other than the escape part 28 out of the taper face 24 is used. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector and a method for manufacturing the connector.

  There is a connector described in Patent Document 1 as a connector in which a male terminal fitting is inserted into a housing. The terminal fitting includes a rectangular tube portion, a tapered portion that is continuous from the front end of the rectangular tube portion toward the front, and a tab that protrudes forward from the front end of the tapered portion. A cavity for inserting the terminal fitting from behind is formed in the housing, and the front end portions of the left and right side surfaces of the cavity are tapered surfaces corresponding to the tapered portions. When the taper portion comes into contact with the taper surface, the terminal fitting is stopped in front and the lateral deflection is prevented. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the cavity 101 is formed with a lance 102 that cantilevered forward along the bottom wall thereof. On the upper surface of the lance 102, a rectangular tube portion of the terminal fitting is formed. A retaining protrusion 103 is formed that is locked to the terminal member to prevent the terminal fitting from coming off. Further, the housing 100 is formed with a through hole 104 that communicates from the front end of the cavity 101 to the front end surface of the housing 100.

When the cavity 101 is molded in this type of connector, as shown in FIG. 8, the first mold 105 that forms the front surface of the lance 102 and the through hole 104, both side surfaces of the lance 102, and the cavity 101 are formed. Using a pair of left and right second molds 106 that form both side surfaces and tapered surfaces 107, the left and right side surfaces of the first mold 105 and the side surfaces of the second mold 106 on the lance 102 side are in close contact with each other. The molten resin is injected and solidified. When the mold is opened, the first mold 105 and the second mold 106 are slidably brought into contact with each other while the first mold 105 is removed forward as shown in FIG. 8B. At the same time, the second mold 106 is punched backward.
JP 2003-45555 A

  In the above connector, when the width of the lance 102 and the width of the through-hole 104 are the same, the front end portion 106F of the second mold 106 is an outer side that is inclined with respect to the die cutting direction in order to form the tapered surface 107. And the inner side surface that is slidably contacted with the first mold 105 and parallel to the mold release direction are pointed in a wedge shape. Such a pointed portion is easily worn away, and the resin enters a space formed by the wear, and this becomes an unnecessary protrusion protruding from the front end portion of the tapered surface 107.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to prevent a pointed portion from being present in a mold for forming a cavity.

  As means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a connector in which a male terminal fitting is inserted into a housing, the terminal fitting comprising a square tube portion and the square tube. A taper portion that is continuous from the front end of the taper portion toward the front, and a tab that protrudes forward from the front end of the taper portion, and the terminal fitting is inserted into the housing from the rear side. A cavity, a tapered surface formed at the front end of each of the left and right sides of the cavity so as to correspond to the tapered portion, a lance extending forward in a cantilever manner along the bottom wall of the cavity, and a lance The connector is formed with a retaining protrusion that is formed on the top surface of the housing and prevents the terminal fitting from coming off by engaging with the rectangular tube portion, and a through hole that communicates from the front end of the cavity to the front end surface of the housing. In In the tapered surface of the cavity, a region corresponding to the retaining protrusion in the height direction is formed with a relief portion that is continuous in a stepped shape with respect to the inner wall of the through hole. Has characteristics.

  The invention according to claim 2 is configured by inserting a male terminal fitting into the housing, and the terminal fitting is connected to the rectangular tube portion so as to become narrower forward from the front end of the rectangular tube portion. A taper portion and a tab projecting forward from the front end of the taper portion; and in the housing, a cavity for inserting the terminal fitting from the rear, and a front end portion on both the left and right side surfaces of the cavity. A tapered surface formed so as to correspond to the tapered portion, a lance extending forward in a cantilever manner along the bottom wall of the cavity, and formed on an upper surface of the lance and locked to the square tube portion. A method of manufacturing a connector in a form in which a retaining protrusion for retaining the terminal fitting and a through hole communicating from the front end of the cavity to the front end surface of the housing are formed, the taper surface of the cavity No In a region corresponding to the retaining projection in the height direction, an escape portion that is continuous in a stepped shape with respect to the inner wall of the through hole is formed, and then the retaining projection in the height direction of the cavity. When forming the region corresponding to the first and second molds, the first mold that forms the front surface of the through hole and the retaining protrusion, and the second mold that forms the side surface of the retaining protrusion and the side surface of the relief portion are used. The first mold and the second mold are brought into sliding contact with each other, and the first mold is punched forward and the second mold is punched rearward in the height direction of the cavity. When forming the non-corresponding region that does not correspond to the retaining protrusion, a third die that forms the through hole and the region other than the escape portion of the tapered surface is used, and the third die is formed backward. It has a feature in the place to remove.

<Invention of Claim 1>
Regarding the region corresponding to the retaining protrusion in the height direction of the cavity, the first mold that forms the through hole and the front surface of the retaining protrusion, and the second mold that forms the side surface of the retaining protrusion and the side surface of the relief portion Using a mold, the first mold can be cut forward and the second mold can be cut backward while sliding both the molds.

  On the other hand, for a non-corresponding region that does not correspond to the retaining protrusion in the height direction in the cavity, a third die that forms a region other than the escape portion of the through hole and the tapered surface is used, and the third die is moved backward. It can be formed by punching out.

  Since the relief portion formed by the front end portion of the second mold has a stepped shape with respect to the inner wall of the through hole formed by the first mold, the front end portion of the second mold is sharpened. You do n’t have to. Moreover, since the taper surface which makes a taper part contact | abut in a surface contact state is left, the front stop function of a terminal metal fitting and the steadying function to the left-right direction of a terminal metal fitting are not impaired.

<Invention of Claim 2>
Since the relief portion formed by the front end portion of the second mold has a stepped shape with respect to the inner wall of the through hole formed by the first mold, the front end portion of the second mold is sharpened. You do n’t have to. Moreover, since the taper surface which makes a taper part contact | abut in a surface contact state is left, the front stop function of a terminal metal fitting and the steadying function to the left-right direction of a terminal metal fitting are not impaired.

<Embodiment 1>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The connector M of this embodiment is obtained by inserting a male terminal fitting 10 into a housing 20. In the following description, in the front-rear direction, the right side in the figure is the front.

  The terminal fitting 10 is formed by bending a metal plate material punched into a predetermined shape, and has a shape elongated in the front-rear direction as a whole. The terminal fitting 10 has a rectangular tube portion 11, a tapered portion 12 that is continuous from the front end of the rectangular tube portion 11 so as to narrow toward the front, and an elongated tab 13 that protrudes forward from the front end of the tapered portion 12. doing. The rear end edge of the bottom plate of the rectangular tube portion 11 is a locking portion 14 that is locked to the lance 26. An electric wire 16 is connected to the electric wire connecting portion 15 formed at the rear end portion of the terminal fitting 10 by crimping.

  The housing 20 is made of synthetic resin, and is molded by molds 30A, 30B, and 30C described later. A cavity 21 for inserting the terminal fitting 10 from the rear is formed inside the housing 20. The cavity 21 penetrates the housing 20 in the front-rear direction, and the rear end portion of the cavity 21 is opened on the rear end surface of the housing 20 as a terminal insertion port 22. The front end portion of the cavity 21 communicates with the front end surface of the housing 20 through a through hole 23 that penetrates the front wall of the cavity 21. The through hole 23 is arranged at the center position of the cavity 21 in the width direction.

  At the front end portion of the cavity 21, the left and right side surfaces are symmetrical taper surfaces 24 corresponding to the left and right side surfaces of the taper portion 12 of the terminal fitting 10. The distance between the left and right tapered surfaces 24 is gradually narrowed toward the front. That is, the taper surface 24 is formed obliquely with respect to the front-rear direction (the length direction of the terminal fitting 10 and the mold opening direction of the molds 30A, 30B, and 30C). The angle is substantially the same as the tilt angle of the left and right side surfaces. The front end of the tapered surface 24 is smoothly connected to the inner wall of the through hole 23. The ceiling surface at the front end portion of the cavity 21 is a tapered upper surface 25 that is inclined downward toward the front, and this tapered upper surface 25 corresponds to the inclined upper surface of the tapered portion 12 of the terminal fitting 10. It is supposed to be.

  In the cavity 21, a lance 26 is formed integrally with the housing 20 so as to extend forward in a cantilevered manner along the bottom wall. The lance 26 is disposed at the center position of the cavity 21 in the left-right direction. On the upper surface of the lance 26, a retaining protrusion 27 is formed that can be locked from behind with respect to the locking portion 14 of the rectangular tube portion 11. The width dimension of the lance 26 and the retaining protrusion 27 is the same as the width dimension of the through hole 23, and the lance 26 and the through hole 23 have a corresponding positional relationship in the left-right direction (width direction).

  The terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 21 from behind. When the terminal fitting 10 is inserted to the normal position, the left and right side surfaces of the tapered portion 12 abut against the pair of left and right tapered surfaces 24 and the upper surface of the tapered portion 12 abuts against the tapered upper surface 25 so that the terminal fitting 10 is moved forward. At the same time, the retaining projection 27 of the lance 26 is locked to the locking portion 14, so that the terminal fitting 10 is held in a locking state in which rearward displacement is restricted. Further, the tab 13 passes through the through hole 23 without large play in the vertical and horizontal directions and protrudes into the hood portion 27 in front of the housing 20. In the state in which the terminal fitting 10 is properly inserted, the left and right side surfaces of the tapered portion 12 abut on the tapered surface 24, thereby restricting the terminal fitting 10 from swinging left and right (change in posture). Orientation and posture are stable.

The housing 20 is molded by the molds 30A, 30B, and 30C. As means for preventing the molding molds 30A, 30B, and 30C from having sharp portions, the following means are provided. Has been taken.
That is, of the left and right tapered surfaces 24 of the cavity 21 (regions corresponding to the left and right side surfaces of the tapered portion 12 of the terminal fitting 10), the lower end side corresponding to the upper end portion of the retaining protrusion 27 in the height direction (vertical direction). In the region (ie, the region below the boundary line L in FIG. 1), the front-rear direction (the direction parallel to the length direction of the cavity 21 and parallel to the die-cutting direction of the molds 30A, 30B, and 30C). The relief portion 28 having a concave and long shape is formed symmetrically. The upper edge of the escape portion 28 is set at a position higher than the uppermost end of the retaining protrusion 27 (the same height as the boundary line L), and the lower edge of the escape portion 28 is the lowermost end of the retaining protrusion 27 of the retaining protrusion 27. It is set at a position higher than (the upper surface of the lance 26). Further, the front end of the relief portion 28 is continuous with the inner wall of the through-hole 23 in a form that is recessed in a substantially step shape. The front end surface of the relief portion 28 is a flat surface that is substantially perpendicular to the mold release direction, and the front end surface and the side surface are connected via an arcuate surface. On the other hand, the rear end of the relief portion 28 is at a position behind the tapered surface 24 on both the left and right inner surfaces of the cavity 21, and is smoothly connected to a position ahead of the lance 26.

  Next, the molds 30A, 30B, and 30C will be described. When forming a region corresponding to the retaining protrusion 27 in the height direction of the cavity 21 (that is, a region below the boundary line L in FIG. 1), the first mold 30A and the second mold 30B are formed. Used. The first mold 30A forms the inner wall surface of the substantially lower half region of the through hole 23 and the front surface of the retaining protrusion 27, and the second mold 30B includes both the left and right side surfaces of the retaining protrusion 27 and the inner surface of the escape portion 28. (Upper surface, side surface and lower surface). In the mold clamping state, as shown in FIG. 5A, the pair of second molds 30B are arranged in contact with the left and right side surfaces of the first mold 30A.

  On the other hand, in forming a non-corresponding region that does not correspond to the retaining protrusion 27 in the height direction in the cavity 21 (that is, a region above the boundary line L in FIG. 1), as shown in FIG. A third mold 30 </ b> C that forms a substantially upper half region of the through hole 23 and a region other than the relief portion 28 in the tapered surface 24 is used. The third mold 30 </ b> C is disposed over the entire width of the cavity 21. In the mold clamping state, the third mold 30C is in contact with the upper surfaces of the first mold 30A and the second mold 30B.

  In such a mold-clamped state, a molten resin (not shown) is injected into the molds 30A, 30B, and 30C and cured. The mold is opened after curing. When opening the mold, as shown in FIG. 5 (B), the first mold 30A and the second mold 30B are slidably brought into contact with each other at the side surfaces, and the first mold 30A is die-cut forward and the second mold is removed. The mold 30B is punched backward. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the third mold 30C is die-cut backward. After opening the mold as described above, the molded housing 20 is taken out.

  According to the present embodiment, the relief portion 28 formed by the front end portion of the second mold 30B is recessed in a step shape with respect to the inner wall of the through hole 23 formed by the first mold 30A. The front end portion of the second mold 30B need not be sharp. Moreover, since the taper surface 24 which makes the taper part 12 contact | abut in a surface contact state is left, the front stop function of the terminal metal fitting 10 and the steadying function to the left-right direction of the terminal metal fitting 10 are not impaired.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.

  (1) The side surface of the relief portion may be oblique with respect to the mold release direction.

  (2) The front end surface of the relief portion is not limited to a flat surface, and may be an arcuate surface (curved surface), an uneven surface, or the like.

  (3) The front end surface of the relief portion is not limited to a surface perpendicular to the die cutting direction, but may be an oblique surface close to a right angle to the die cutting direction.

(4) The retaining protrusion may not be locked to the rear end edge of the rectangular tube portion, and the retaining protrusion may be locked to the lance hole formed in the rectangular tube portion. (5) In the present invention, the width of the lance is It can be applied to a connector narrower than the through hole.

Vertical section of housing Longitudinal section Partially cutaway perspective view of housing Horizontal section of housing (A) Horizontal sectional view showing a state in which the first die and the second die are clamped (B) Horizontal sectional view showing a state in which the first die and the second die are opened. (A) Horizontal sectional view showing a state in which the third mold is clamped (B) Horizontal sectional view showing a state in which the third mold is opened Longitudinal sectional view of a conventional housing (A) Horizontal sectional view showing a state in which the first mold and the second mold are clamped in the conventional example. (B) In the conventional example, the state where the first mold and the second mold are opened. Represented horizontal cross section

Explanation of symbols

M ... Connector 10 ... Terminal metal fitting 11 ... Square tube part 12 ... Tapered part 13 ... Tab 20 ... Housing 21 ... Cavity 23 ... Through hole 24 ... Tapered surface 26 ... Lance 27 ... Retaining protrusion 28 ... Relief part 30A ... 1st metal Mold 30B ... Second mold 30C ... Third mold

Claims (2)

A connector in which a male terminal fitting is inserted into a housing,
The terminal fitting has a rectangular tube portion, a tapered portion that is continuous so as to become narrower forward from the front end of the rectangular tube portion, and a tab that protrudes forward from the front end of the tapered portion,
In the housing, a cavity for inserting the terminal fitting from the rear, a tapered surface formed to correspond to the tapered portion at the front end portions of the left and right side surfaces of the cavity, and a bottom wall of the cavity A lance that extends forward in a cantilevered manner, a retaining protrusion that is formed on an upper surface of the lance and that is secured to the square tube portion to prevent the terminal fitting from being removed, and the housing from the front end of the cavity In a connector formed with a through hole communicating with the front end surface of
A relief portion is formed in a region corresponding to the retaining protrusion in the height direction of the tapered surface of the cavity, and a relief portion is formed continuously in a stepped shape with respect to the inner wall of the through hole. Connector. It is constructed by inserting a male terminal fitting into the housing,
The terminal fitting has a rectangular tube portion, a tapered portion that is continuous so as to become narrower forward from the front end of the rectangular tube portion, and a tab that protrudes forward from the front end of the tapered portion,
In the housing, a cavity for inserting the terminal fitting from the rear, a tapered surface formed to correspond to the tapered portion at the front end portions of the left and right side surfaces of the cavity, and a bottom wall of the cavity A lance that extends forward in a cantilevered manner, a retaining protrusion that is formed on an upper surface of the lance and that is secured to the square tube portion to prevent the terminal fitting from being removed, and the housing from the front end of the cavity A through hole communicating with the front end surface of the connector is formed,
In the region corresponding to the retaining protrusion in the height direction of the tapered surface of the cavity, after forming a relief portion that is continuous in a stepped shape with respect to the inner wall of the through hole,
When forming a region corresponding to the retaining protrusion in the height direction of the cavity, a first mold that forms the through hole and the front surface of the retaining protrusion, a side surface of the retaining protrusion, and the relief portion A second mold that forms a side surface of the first mold, and the first mold and the second mold are brought into sliding contact with each other, and the first mold is removed forward and the second mold is moved rearward. Die cutting,
When forming a non-corresponding region that does not correspond to the retaining protrusion in the height direction of the cavity, a third mold that forms the through hole and a region other than the escape portion of the tapered surface is used. A method of manufacturing a connector, wherein the third mold is die-cut backward.

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