JP2006181945A - Insert shaping apparatus, terminal material for insert shaping, and insert shaping method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an insert shaping technique capable of simplifying and small-sizing a shaping machine, shortening a shaping cycle, and reducing waste material. <P>SOLUTION: The insert shaping apparatus 10 comprises a reel stand 3 supporting a hoop-like terminal material 2 wound around a terminal reel 1 and the reel 1, a terminal cutter 4 cutting the terminal material 2 into a plurality of terminal pieces each having a predetermined length, a terminal aligning means aligning the terminal pieces keeping a predetermined interval between them, a terminal piece transferring means transferring the aligned terminal pieces, a movable upper mold 9 capable of contacting and separating from a fixed lower mold 8 fixed to a base 7, a mold opening and closing mechanism 11 clamping the mold by driving the upper mold 9, a resin injection mechanism 14 injecting a molten resin into a cavity made by clamping the lower mold 8 and the upper mold 9 to form a shaped article, and a shaped article transferring means 50 taking out the shaped article from the lower mold 8 and transferring it. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an insert molding technique used in a manufacturing process of electrical / electronic parts and the like, and more particularly to an electrical connector manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method.

  As an insert molding method employed in the manufacturing process of electrical / electronic parts, etc., there is a conventional molding method using a hoop material in which a band-shaped metal material is pressed to form a plurality of minute workpieces in a chain shape. . In this molding method, the hoop material wound on the reel is continuously supplied to the molding device from one side, and the hoop material is wound on the other side of the molding device with the mold interposed therebetween. The molding operation is performed while feeding a predetermined amount of the hoop material for each molding operation of the molding apparatus. Then, after the molten resin is injected and filled around the work of the hoop material sandwiched between the molds at a predetermined position of the molding apparatus, when the resin is cured, a composite part in which the hoop material and the resin are integrated is formed. . In this molding method, the structure of the molding apparatus is simple because the hoop material can be supplied into the mold without being cut and molding can be performed with the hoop material continuous even after molding. There is an advantage.

  However, in the case of a product having a small pitch between terminals of an electronic connector, this molding method is such that the distance between adjacent terminals is narrow and the outer part of the product interferes with the terminal. Therefore, it is necessary to perform the pretreatment, and waste of materials occurs. Also, for connectors with the same type and different number of terminals, the cutting location differs for each number of terminals, so it is necessary to change the cutting position each time production is switched, which takes a lot of labor and costs. There is a problem of causing an increase.

  In order to solve such a problem, an insert molding system that performs insert molding after cutting a hoop material into a predetermined length has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this insert molding system, a cutting unit that cuts the hoop material supplied from the material supply unit into a predetermined cutting length to form a cutting material, and a setting unit that sets the cutting material in a molding die in a predetermined posture. , Is provided. Then, alignment means for aligning the cut material at a predetermined interval in the material supply direction is provided, and the setting means sets the plurality of aligned cut materials in a molding die. According to this insert molding system, a necessary amount of hoop material is cut and used in advance, and a portion where the outer shell portion of the product interferes with the hoop material does not occur, so that waste of material can be reduced.

JP 7-256694 A

In the insert molding system described in Patent Document 1, the setting means is provided with a workpiece supply vacuum chuck on a robot arm and sets a cutting material in a molding die. Further, after molding, a mechanical chuck is provided on another robot arm so that the molded product is taken out from the mold. Therefore, a series of molding cycles in this insert molding system is as follows.
(1) After the mold is clamped, a molding process is performed.
(2) The mold is opened, and the first robot arm enters the mold.
(3) After the molded product is released by the in-mold ejecting device, the molded product is taken out by the first robot arm.
(4) The cutting material for the next molding step is supplied and positioned in the molding die by the second robot arm, and then the second robot arm returns to the original position. At this time, the first robot arm delivers the molded product to the next step.
(5) After the mold is closed and the mold is clamped, the molding process is executed again.

  In such a molding process, the first robot arm enters after the mold is opened, and after the take-out operation is finished, the next process work is supplied by the second robot arm. Therefore, while the first robot arm or the second robot arm is located in the mold, the mold does not start the mold clamping process in order to avoid interference between these robot arms and the mold. Stay in standby. For this reason, the mold opening time becomes long, and a series of molding cycles becomes long. Further, in the case of this insert molding system, a plurality of robot arms are required as a conveying means for moving the workpiece, so that the apparatus is increased in size and complexity, and the manufacturing cost is increased.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an insert molding technique that can simplify the molding apparatus, reduce the size and shorten the molding cycle, reduce waste of materials, and improve productivity. It is to provide.

The insert molding device of the present invention is
A terminal cutting device that cuts a chain-shaped metal terminal material into a predetermined length by cutting the metal terminal material,
A terminal alignment device for aligning the terminal pieces;
A movable mold that can be contacted and separated from a fixed mold fixed to the machine base;
A mold opening and closing mechanism for driving the movable mold to perform mold clamping and mold opening;
A terminal strip transport device for transporting the terminal strips aligned by the terminal strip aligning device from a position outside the opposed area of the fixed mold and the movable mold to a set position in the opposed area;
A resin injection mechanism for injecting molten resin into a cavity formed by clamping the fixed mold and the movable mold to form a molded product integrated with the terminal piece;
A molded product conveying device that takes out the molded product from the set position and conveys the molded product to a region outside the opposed area between the fixed mold and the movable mold, and at least a part of the terminal piece includes the fixed mold and the movable mold. When being held between molds, the terminal piece conveying device is movable from the set position to the outside of the facing region and / or the molded article conveying device is movable from the outside of the facing region to the setting position. It is characterized by.

  With such a configuration, when at least a part of the terminal piece is sandwiched between the fixed mold and the movable mold, the terminal piece conveying device moves from the set position to the outside of the opposed region of the fixed mold and the movable mold. It becomes possible to move and / or move the molded article conveying device from the outside of the opposed region of the fixed mold and the movable mold to the set position. For this reason, while the terminal piece is sandwiched between the fixed mold and the movable mold, the terminal piece transfer device moves in preparation for carrying the terminal piece of the next process to the set position, and / or It becomes possible for the molded article conveying apparatus to prepare for moving the molded article out of the set position.

  Therefore, after the terminal piece is set, the time during which the terminal piece conveying device moves from the opposed area to the outside of the opposed area and / or the molded article conveying apparatus moves from the molded product unloading position outside the opposed area to the inside of the opposed area. The time required to move to the molded product receiving position can be shortened, and the molding cycle can be shortened. Further, since the molding is performed by aligning the terminal pieces cut to a predetermined length, it is not necessary to cut the disturbing terminals, and waste of materials can be reduced.

  Here, when the mold is clamped, the terminal piece is held in the fixed mold or a part of the movable mold and the terminal piece is moved in the mold opening and closing direction to move to a predetermined position in the fixed mold. It is desirable to provide a terminal piece holding member into which the terminal piece is inserted. With such a configuration, the terminal piece can be held and moved together with the operation of the movable mold, and the terminal piece can be inserted into a predetermined position in the fixed mold, so that the delivery of the terminal piece becomes efficient. Thus, the molding cycle can be shortened.

  In this case, there are provided a terminal strip conveying rail which becomes a moving path of the terminal strip conveyed by the terminal piece conveying device, and a molded article conveying rail which becomes a moving path of the molded article conveyed by the molded article conveying device. It is desirable that the terminal piece conveyance rail, the terminal piece holding member, and the molded product conveyance rail are arranged linearly along the conveyance direction of the terminal piece and the molded product. With such a configuration, the terminal piece can be delivered to the fixed mold at the shortest distance, so that the operation efficiency is improved and the molding cycle can be further shortened.

  Further, it is desirable that the fixed mold and / or the movable mold be provided with a notch portion through which the terminal piece conveying device or the molded product conveying device can pass in a clamped state. With such a configuration, the terminal piece transfer device and the molded product transfer device can pass through in a state where the fixed mold and the movable mold are clamped, and are closer to the fixed mold and / or the movable mold. Since the terminal piece conveying device and the molded product conveying device can be arranged at the positions, the insert molding device can be downsized.

  Further, as the terminal material, a hoop-shaped terminal material having a carrier portion in which a plurality of rows of carrier holes are opened is formed by cutting the terminal material on the terminal piece conveying device or the molded product conveying device. Positioning pins are provided for positioning by being inserted into the carrier holes in one row of the terminal pieces, and are inserted into the carrier holes in another row inside the fixed die or the movable die during molding. Positioning pins for positioning can be provided.

  With such a configuration, the positioning of the terminal piece is performed by inserting the positioning pin provided in the terminal piece conveying device or the molded article conveying device into one row of the carrier holes of the terminal piece, and the fixed die or the movable die By inserting the positioning pins provided inside into the carrier holes in the other row, it is possible to further position the terminal pieces, so that the delivery of the terminal pieces between the devices becomes smooth and accurate positioning is possible. Is possible.

  On the other hand, as a terminal material used in the above-described insert molding apparatus, a carrier part provided in a region closer to the side part along the longitudinal direction of the band-shaped metal plate, and a width direction of the band-shaped metal material from the carrier part are formed. A plurality of terminal portions, and a plurality of carrier holes provided in the carrier portion can be used.

  If such a terminal material is used, a positioning pin provided in the terminal piece conveying device or the molded product conveying device is inserted into a row of carrier holes of the terminal piece formed by cutting the terminal material, as described above. In addition, it is possible to position the terminal pieces by inserting the positioning pins provided inside the fixed mold or movable mold into the carrier holes in other rows, so that the terminal pieces can be smoothly transferred between the devices. In addition, accurate positioning is possible.

Next, the insert molding method of the present invention is:
A terminal cutting step in which a chain-shaped metal terminal material is cut into a predetermined length to form a terminal piece;
A terminal piece alignment step of aligning the terminal pieces;
A mold opening and closing process for clamping by driving a movable mold that can be contacted and separated from a fixed mold fixed to the machine base;
A terminal strip transporting step of transporting the aligned terminal strips by a terminal strip transporting device from outside the opposing region of the fixed mold and the movable mold to a set position in the opposing region;
A resin injection step of injecting a molten resin into a cavity formed by clamping the fixed mold and the movable mold to form a molded product integrated with the terminal piece;
A molded product transporting step of taking out the molded product from the set position and transporting the molded product out of the facing region by a molded product transport device,
A step of moving the terminal piece conveying device out of the facing region from the set position and / or the molding when at least a part of the terminal piece is sandwiched between the fixed mold and the movable mold; The product transporting apparatus is provided with a step of moving from outside the opposing region to the set position.

  With such a configuration, when at least a part of the terminal piece is sandwiched between the fixed mold and the movable mold, the terminal piece conveying device moves from the set position to the outside of the opposed region of the fixed mold and the movable mold. It becomes possible to move and / or move the molded article conveying device from the outside of the opposed region of the fixed mold and the movable mold to the set position. For this reason, while the terminal piece is sandwiched between the fixed mold and the movable mold, the terminal piece transfer device moves in preparation for carrying the terminal piece of the next process to the set position, and / or It becomes possible for the molded article conveying apparatus to prepare for moving the molded article out of the set position. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time for carrying the terminal pieces to the set position and / or the time for carrying out the molded product from the set position, and the molding cycle can be shortened.

  Here, after the movable mold is opened in the mold opening / closing step, it is desirable to simultaneously perform the operation of taking out the molded product in the molded product conveyance step and the operation of supplying the terminal pieces in the terminal piece conveyance step. With such a configuration, since the terminal piece conveying step and the molded product conveying step are performed simultaneously, the molding cycle can be further shortened.

  In this case, a hoop-shaped terminal material having a carrier portion in which a plurality of rows of carrier holes are opened is used as the terminal material, and the terminal material is cut from the terminal material in the terminal piece conveying step and / or the molded product conveying step. When the terminal pieces are positioned in the fixed mold or the movable mold at the time of molding, they are conveyed using the carrier holes of one row of the terminal pieces formed in the above manner. It is desirable to perform positioning using holes.

  With such a configuration, one row of carrier holes is used for positioning in the terminal piece conveying step and / or the molded article conveying step, and another row of carrier holes is used for positioning the terminal pieces in the fixed mold or movable mold. Since the carrier holes used at the time of positioning in each process can be arranged in separate rows, the timing for positioning the terminal material and the terminal piece can be overlapped between the processes. Therefore, not only can the terminal material and the terminal piece be reliably positioned, the degree of freedom in design is increased, the shape of the parts in each device is simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

  According to the present invention, the molding apparatus can be simplified, miniaturized, and the molding cycle can be shortened, and waste of materials can be reduced, so that productivity is improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 is a schematic front view showing an insert molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially omitted plan view of the insert molding apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is using the insert molding apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the general | schematic process of the connector manufactured.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an insert molding apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a reel stand 3 that supports a terminal material 2 for hoop-like insert molding wound around a terminal reel 1 together with the terminal reel 1, and terminals. A terminal cutting device 4 that cuts the material 2 into a predetermined length to form a plurality of terminal pieces 2a, a terminal alignment device 5 that aligns the terminal pieces 2a at predetermined intervals, and a terminal that conveys the aligned terminal pieces 2a A single die transfer device 6, an upper die 9 that is a movable die that can be contacted and separated from a lower die 8 that is a fixed die fixed to the machine base 7, and a die that is driven by driving the upper die 9. A mold opening / closing mechanism 11 for performing clamping, a resin injection mechanism 14 for injecting molten resin into a cavity 12 formed by clamping the lower mold 8 and the upper mold 9, and forming a molded product 13, and a lower mold A molded product conveyance device 50 that takes out the molded product 13 from the mold 8 and conveys it. There.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the terminal material 2 used in the insert molding apparatus 10 includes a carrier portion 2x provided in a region near one side along the longitudinal direction of the belt-shaped metal plate, and a carrier portion 2x. To a comb-like terminal portion 2y composed of a plurality of terminals 2c formed in the width direction of the band-shaped metal material, and the carrier portion 2x is provided with a plurality of carrier holes 2s and 2t in two rows along the longitudinal direction. ing. Here, the arrangement of the plurality of carrier holes 2s is assumed to be A row, and the arrangement of the plurality of carrier holes 2t is assumed to be B row.

  Here, with reference to FIGS. 1-3, the schematic process at the time of manufacturing a connector with the insert molding apparatus 10 is demonstrated. The terminal material 2 formed into the shape shown in FIG. 3A by press working is fed from the terminal reel 1 to the terminal cutting device 4 where the terminal piece 2a has a predetermined length as shown in FIG. 3B. Disconnected. Thereafter, the terminal piece 2a is positioned and set at a predetermined position between the lower mold 8 and the upper mold 9 in the molding unit 30 via the terminal aligning device 5 and the terminal piece conveying device 6. As shown in FIG. 3C, the molten resin is sandwiched between the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 8 that are lowered by the mold opening / closing mechanism 11 and injected from the resin injection mechanism 14 to the tip of the terminal 2c. A molded product 13 is integrally formed with the terminal piece 2a.

  And the terminal piece 2a with the molded article 13 taken out in the state shown in FIG. 3C from between the lower mold 8 and the upper mold 9 is conveyed by the molded article conveying device 50, and then a predetermined piece. The connector 62 as a product is completed by cutting along the cutting line CL with a cutting device or the like. Depending on the product, a post-process such as a bending process or an inspection process for bending the tip of the terminal portion 2y into a predetermined shape may be provided.

  Next, the structure and function of the insert molding device 10 and the connector manufacturing process by the insert molding device 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the terminal cutting device 4 is a device that cuts the hoop-shaped terminal material 2 by intermittently feeding it by a predetermined length to form a terminal piece 2 a having a predetermined length. The terminal cutting device 4 includes a fixed-size feed motor 15 that intermittently feeds the terminal material 2, a cut die 16 that is a receiving side that cuts the terminal material 2, a stripper 17 that presses a cut portion of the terminal material 2, and the terminal material 2. A cutter 18 for cutting and a stripper 17 and a driving device (not shown) for moving the cutter 18 up and down are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7A, the terminal aligning device 5 aligns a plurality of terminal pieces 2a formed by cutting with the terminal cutting device 4 at a predetermined interval, thereby providing a terminal piece conveying device. It is a device that delivers to 6. The terminal alignment device 5 holds a plurality of terminal piece conveyance rails 19 on which the terminal pieces 2a separated from the terminal material 2 are individually placed, and holds the plurality of terminal piece conveyance rails 19 slidably in the vertical direction. A bracket 20, a spring 21 that urges each terminal piece conveyance rail 19 downward, a cover 22 that is a pressing member for the terminal piece conveyance rail 19, and a linear that serves as a guide when the entire bracket 20 moves downstream. A guide 23 and a drive device (not shown) for operating the entire terminal alignment device 5 in the left-right direction shown in FIG. 5 using the linear guide 23 as a guide are provided.

  Further, the terminal piece 2a is provided at a position corresponding to the arrangement pitch of the carrier holes 2s in the A row, and is sandwiched between the slider 24 and the bracket 20 integrated with the terminal piece conveying rail 19, and is slidable up and down. A positioning pin 25 that operates in a straight line, a spring 26 that urges the positioning pin 25 upward, a cylinder 27 that individually shifts the slider 24 upward when the terminal material 2 is cut, and a position directly below the terminal piece conveying device 6. And a cylinder 28 that raises all the sliders 24 via pushers 29.

  The terminal piece conveyance device 6 is a device that conveys the terminal pieces 2 a aligned in the terminal alignment device 5 to a predetermined position of the molding unit 30. The terminal strip conveying device 6 includes a positioning pin 31 corresponding to the arrangement pitch of the carrier holes 2t in the B row, a plurality of pin holders 32 that hold the positioning pins 31, a connecting bar 33 that fixes the plurality of pin holders 32, and a connection A linear guide 34 that is attached to the bar 33 and serves as a guide when operating downstream, and a drive device (not shown) that operates the entire terminal strip conveying device 6 in the horizontal direction shown in FIG. 2 using the linear guide 34 as a guide. ), A stand 34 a for fixing the linear guide 34, and a connecting rail 35 that serves as a guide for conveying the plurality of terminal pieces 2 a to the molding unit 30.

  Here, the structure of the shaping | molding part 30 is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 1, a fixed platen 36 fixed to the machine base 7 of the molding unit 30, a movable platen 38 that slides detachably with respect to the fixed platen 36 using four tie bars 37 as guide shafts, A mold opening / closing mechanism incorporating a lower mold 8 which is a fixed mold fixed to the fixed platen 36, an upper mold 9 which is a movable mold fixed to the movable platen 38, and a drive device for moving the upper mold 9 up and down. 11 and a resin injection mechanism 14 for injecting molten resin into a cavity 12 (see FIG. 8) between the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 8 which are clamped.

  The upper mold 9 is provided with positioning pins 39 for positioning the terminal pieces 2a, an upper cavity 40 filled with molten resin, and a gate 41 serving as a molten resin injection port. This gate 41 employs a submarine gate system, and after molding, the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 8 are separated to break the gate portion of the molded product.

  The lower mold 8 is provided with a runner groove 42 that is a molten resin runway and a lower cavity 43, and an ejector device (not shown) that pushes up the molded product 13 and the runner 44 at the bottom of the lower cavity 43. Is installed. Further, on the back side of the lower cavity 43, a terminal piece holding member 45 that can be moved up and down and a cover 46 that is a pressing member for the terminal piece holding member 45 are provided. Inside the terminal piece holding member 45, a plurality of positioning pins 47 for positioning the terminal piece 2a are installed so as to be movable up and down. The positioning pins 47 are arranged in the same row as the positioning pins 39 of the upper mold 9 so as not to overlap the positioning pins 39. In addition, a cylinder 48 that drives the terminal piece holding member 45 up and down is provided below the lower mold 8.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper die 9 and the lower die 8 are provided with a notch 49 through which the terminal piece conveying device 6 and the molded product conveying device 50 can pass while being clamped. Even in a state where the mold is clamped, the terminal piece conveying device 6 and the molded product conveying device 50 can travel in the notch 49.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, the runner take-out device 51 includes a take-out arm 52, a chuck claw 53 that chucks the sprue 54 of the molded product 13, and a drive device (not shown) that drives the take-out arm 52. And an apparatus for taking out the sprue 54 and the runner 44 after molding.

  Here, the molded product conveying apparatus 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 12 to 13. The molded product conveyance device 50 is a device that conveys the molded product 13 that has been molded to the downstream side from the molding unit 30. A positioning pin 55 corresponding to the arrangement pitch of the carrier holes 2t in the B row of the molded product 13, a pin holder 56 for holding the positioning pin 55, and a connecting bar 57 for fixing the pin holder 56 are provided, and the linear guide 34 and the stand 34a are provided. Is shared with the terminal strip conveying device 6. Further, a drive device (not shown) for operating the entire molded product conveying device 50 in the left-right direction in FIG. 2 is provided using the linear guide 34 as a guide.

  A molded product transport rail 58 serving as a guide path for transporting the molded product 13 after molding is installed below the molded product transport device 50. In this embodiment, the linear guide 34 is provided on the machine base 7 via the stand 34a. However, the linear guide 34 may be directly fixed to the upper part of the lower mold 8 which is a fixed mold. In addition, the cylinders 27, 28, 48 or other driving devices (not shown) adopt a system that converts the rotation of the electric motor into a linear motion via a ball screw in addition to the cylinder system shown in the present embodiment. You can also

  Next, the molding process in the insert molding apparatus 10 will be described. An example using the terminal material 2 in which a plurality of carrier holes 2s, 2t are provided in two rows (A row and B row) will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the interlayer paper 2 p is taken up by the take-up motor 59 installed in the reel stand 3 from the terminal reel 1 in a state where the terminal material 2 and the interlayer paper 2 p are overlapped and wound. Thus, the terminal reel 1 is slightly unwound and the hoop-shaped terminal material 2 is supplied toward the terminal cutting device 4. Next, pins or the like (not shown) are inserted into the carrier holes 2 s and 2 t of the supplied terminal material 2, and the terminal material 2 is fed out by a predetermined length by the fixed-size feed motor 15.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the terminal cutting device 4, the positioning pin 25 inserted in the terminal piece transport rail 19 is located immediately below the defined A row carrier hole 2 s of the sent terminal material 2. The bracket 20 is made to stand by. Then, the terminal piece conveyance rail 19 is raised by the cylinder 27 and is raised to a position where the lower surface of the delivered terminal material 2 and the upper surface of the terminal piece conveyance rail 19 are in contact with each other. In such a rising process, the positioning pin 25 is inserted into the carrier hole 2s, and the terminal material 2 is positioned.

  The tip of the fed terminal material 2 is sandwiched between a cut die 16 of the terminal cutting device 4 and a stripper 17 that is lowered by a driving device (not shown), and is cut into a terminal piece 2a having a predetermined length by a cutter 18. Disconnected. At this time, since the terminal piece transport rail 19 that has been lifted directly below the terminal material 2 to be cut is pushed upward by the cylinder 27, the terminal piece 2 a remains connected to the cutter 18 even after the terminal material 2 is cut. It moves downward while being pinched by the terminal strip conveying rail 19.

  When the cutting of the terminal material 2 is finished, the cylinder 27 is lowered with the terminal piece 2a having a predetermined length placed on the upper surface of the terminal piece conveying rail 19, and the terminal piece conveying rail 19 is also returned to the original position. When the stripper 17 and the cutter 18 are raised and returned to their original positions, the entire terminal aligning device 5 moves downstream by a predetermined stroke while holding the terminal piece 2a on the upper surface of the terminal piece conveying rail 19.

  By repeating such an operation a predetermined number of times, the plurality of terminal pieces 2 a are respectively placed on the plurality of terminal piece transport rails 19 so as to be arranged in the same manner as when the plurality of terminal pieces 2 a are arranged on the lower mold 8. Set. In this embodiment, since the lower mold 8 and the upper mold 9 are molds with a four-piece design, the above-described operation is repeated four times.

  When the above steps are completed and the terminal strips 2a are set on the upper surfaces of all the terminal strip transport rails 19, the bracket 20 moves to the D position (see FIGS. 5 and 6) immediately below the terminal strip transport device 6. To do. The pusher 29 fixed to the tip of the cylinder 28 waiting at the D position and the slider 24 at the lower end portion of the terminal piece transport rail 19 located at the left end in FIG. 5 are engaged as shown in FIG. After the combination, the cylinder 28 is operated and all the sliders 24 are raised.

  7A and 7B, the positioning pin 25 inserted into the carrier hole 2s in the A row in the process of ascending the terminal piece transport rail 19 is connected to the lower portion of the bracket 20 and the positioning pin. The positioning pin 25 does not rise when it rises to a certain height due to the contact of the 25 flanges, and the tip of the positioning pin 25 is set to come out of the carrier holes 2s in the A row. At this time, the positioning is performed by inserting the positioning pins 31 provided on the pin holder 32 of the terminal piece conveying device 6 waiting in a position immediately above the terminal piece 2a into the carrier holes 2t in the B row of the terminal piece 2a. As the setting, after the positioning pins 31 are inserted into the carrier holes 2t of the B row of the terminal pieces 2a, the positioning pins 25 are set to be removed from the carrier holes 2s of the A row. With this setting, the terminal piece 2a is always positioned by any one of the positioning pins 25 and 31, so that the terminal piece 2a is not displaced and can be positioned accurately.

  As shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, the terminal bar transport rail 19 remains in the raised state, and the connecting bar 33 of the terminal strip transport device 6 is guided to the linear guide 34 by a driving device (not shown). And move downstream. As a result, the plurality of terminal pieces 2 a inserted into the positioning pins 31 are supported on the upper surface of the terminal piece transport rail 19, transfer the connection rail 35, and move into the lower mold 8 of the molding unit 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 9A and 11A, the terminal strip 2a transported into the lower mold 8 by the terminal strip transport device 6 is transported using the terminal strip holding member 45 as a guide path, Stops at a predetermined set position on the mold 8. Moreover, after the terminal alignment apparatus 5 complete | finishes conveyance of all the terminal pieces 2a which shape | mold by this cycle, it returns to the original position, performs the cutting operation of the terminal material 2 mentioned above, and prepares for the next shaping | molding cycle. .

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C, the upper mold 9 attached to the movable platen 38 is lowered by the mold opening / closing mechanism 11 to perform mold clamping. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), the positioning pins 39 provided in the upper mold 9 are inserted into the carrier holes 2 s in the A row of the terminal pieces 2 a, and the terminal pieces 2 a with respect to the upper mold 9 are inserted. Accurate positioning is achieved. In the process of the subsequent mold clamping operation, as shown in FIG. 11C, the terminal piece 2a is sandwiched between the upper mold 9 and the terminal piece holding member 45, and the terminal piece holding member 45 is pushed down in this state. It is done. As a result, the positioning pin 31 on the terminal piece transport device 6 side is detached from the carrier hole 2t in the B row of the terminal piece 2a. As a result, the terminal piece 2a can be accurately positioned in the mold. Further, in the process of the mold clamping operation, the positioning pin 47 is inserted into the carrier hole 2s of the A row where the terminal piece 2a is not used. That is, the terminal piece 2a is positioned by the plurality of positioning pins 39 and the positioning pins 47, respectively, in the mold clamping state. Therefore, the positioning of the terminal piece 2a during molding can be performed more reliably.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 9 (b), 11 (c), 12 (a), and 12 (b), after the positioning pin 31 is detached from the carrier hole 2t of the terminal piece 2a, the terminal piece conveying device 6 is removed. Returns to the original position and prepares for alignment of the terminal pieces 2a in the next molding step. When the terminal piece conveying device 6 is retracted from the upper die 9 and the lower die 8, the molded product conveying device 50 stands by at a position immediately before the upper die 9 and the lower die 8. Prepare for removal. As described above, the operations of the terminal piece conveyance device 6 and the molded product conveyance device 50 are performed after the positioning pin 31 is detached from the carrier hole 2t of the terminal piece 2a. Even if it is, even after the mold clamping operation is completed, it is possible to move without waiting for the operation to the next process, and the molding cycle can be shortened.

  When the mold clamping is completed as shown in FIG. 11 (c) and the terminal piece conveying device 6 is retracted from the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 8 as shown in FIG. The resin injection mechanism 14 descends and comes into contact with the nozzle portion 9a, which is the upper end surface of the upper mold 9, and as shown in FIG. 12B, the molten resin 60 is injected by a known injection technique, and the sprue 54 and the runner Through the groove 42, it is injected into the cavity 12 between the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 8, and is integrated with the terminal piece 2a.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 12C, when the molding process is completed, the movable platen 38 is raised and the upper mold 9 is raised to a predetermined height. In the present embodiment, since the gate 41 portion of the upper mold 9 is of the submarine gate system, the runner 44 and the molded product 13 are cut and separated in the ascending process of the upper mold 9. Then, the take-out arm 52 enters between the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 8 with the chuck claw 53 positioned at the tip thereof opened.

  13A, the molded product 13 includes an ejector pin 63 inserted in the lower portion of the runner groove 42 of the lower mold 8 and an ejector pin inserted in the lower portion of the sprue 54. 61 is lifted by a driving device (not shown) to be released from the lower mold 8. At this time, the terminal piece holding member 45 is also raised synchronously, and the terminal piece 2a portion on the terminal piece holding member 45 is also raised simultaneously.

  And as shown in FIG.13 (b), the cylinder 48 (refer FIG. 8) is driven and only the terminal piece holding member 45 is raised. At this time, the pin holder 56 of the molded product conveyance device 50 is waiting at a position immediately above the molded product 13, and the positioning pins 55 are placed in the carrier holes 2 t of the B rows of the molded terminal pieces 2 a on the lower mold 8. Inserted. In the ascending process of the terminal piece holding member 45, the positioning pin 47 is fixed in the height direction by an engagement mechanism (not shown), and only the terminal piece holding member 45 is raised. The positioning pin 47 is detached from the carrier hole 2s in the A row. Simultaneously with the above-described operation, the sprue 54 portion is gripped by the chuck claw 53 of the take-out arm 52.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 13C, the chuck claw 53 that holds the sprue 54 part rises to a height position at which the runner 44 does not contact the pin holder 56, and the operation of the take-out arm 52 causes a predetermined runner disposal position. The sprue 54 and the runner 44 are moved until they are discarded.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 10B and 13C, the molded product 13 is moved on the molded product conveyance rail 58 by the molded product conveyance device 50 using the positioning pin 55 of the pin holder 56. Then transferred to the next process. During this step, the operation of supplying the terminal piece 2a to the molding unit 30 as the next step is performed simultaneously. That is, the pin holder 32 of the terminal piece conveyance device 6 and the pin holder 56 of the molded product conveyance device 50 operate simultaneously.

  The molded product 13 moved on the molded product conveyance rail 58 by the molded product conveyance device 50 is then processed into a final product shape after mainly undergoing a carrier cutting process, an inspection process, etc. FIG. The connector 62 shown in d) is completed.

  In this embodiment, after the positioning pin 31 is detached from the carrier hole 2t, the terminal piece transporting device 6 moves out of the facing region between the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 8, and the terminal piece 2a in the next molding cycle. A step of delivering the terminal piece 2a between the terminal aligning device 5 and the terminal piece transporting device 6, and a standby at a position directly above the molding part 30 of the molded product transporting device 50, Can be performed during clamping of the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 8. As a result, the terminal piece 2a of the next process is prepared during mold clamping and molding, the preparation is completed before the mold is opened, the mold is opened, and the mold is quickly moved into the mold after ejection. Since the terminal piece 2a of the process can be supplied, the molding cycle can be greatly shortened.

  Similarly, after the terminal piece conveying device 6 is retracted, the molded product conveying device 50 can move to the receiving position of the molded product 13 from the mold and receive the molded product 13 from the mold simultaneously with the mold opening. Therefore, the molding cycle can be shortened as described above.

  In addition, by providing the terminal piece holding member 45 in the lower mold 8, it is possible to efficiently deliver the terminal piece 2a, and when the mold is clamped, the terminal piece 2a is reliably raised by utilizing its positioning. It can be set inside the mold 9 and the lower mold 8.

  As described above, according to the insert molding apparatus 10 of this embodiment, a series of molding cycles can be shortened, and an insert molding apparatus with high productivity is realized. In addition, the material supply transport robot used in the prior art is not required, and the structure is simplified. Therefore, the cost can be reduced through simplification and miniaturization of the insert molding apparatus.

  In the terminal material 2 used in this embodiment, one set of carrier holes 2s and 2t is arranged for one terminal 2c, but one set of carrier holes 2s and 2t is arranged for a plurality of terminals 2c. It can also be set as the structure which carried out. Further, in the present embodiment, a plurality of comb-shaped items are insert-molded for the terminal 2c, but a terminal shape having a three-dimensional shape may be used. Furthermore, the arrangement form of the carrier holes 2s and 2t is not limited to the same phase arrangement in the present embodiment. For example, the carrier holes 2s and 2t can be arranged in a staggered arrangement.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the terminal piece 2a formed by cutting the terminal material 2 having a plurality of rows of carrier holes 2s, 2t is replaced with the terminal piece conveying device 6 or the molded product conveying device 50 of the insert molding device 10. Although the process of delivering to and from the lower mold 8 has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be used in the manufacturing process of a connector having a structure in which a molded product and a terminal are press-fitted and assembled. For example, it can also be used in a terminal piece delivery process between various devices that perform cutting, bending, press-fitting, etc. of the terminal pieces, and obtains effects such as shortening the conveyance time between various devices and improving the positioning accuracy of the terminal pieces. be able to. In particular, in recent years when the pitch between the terminals of the connector has been minimized, by using a terminal material having a plurality of rows of carrier holes, as shown in this embodiment, it is possible to accurately position the terminal pieces, In addition, the production cycle can be speeded up.

  The present invention can be widely used in the manufacturing process of electrical / electronic components.

It is a schematic front view which shows the insert molding apparatus which is embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a partially omitted plan view of the insert molding device shown in FIG. 1. It is a perspective view which shows the general | schematic process of the connector manufactured using the insert molding apparatus shown in FIG. It is a fragmentary top view of the insert molding apparatus shown in FIG. It is a partial front view of the insert molding apparatus shown in FIG. It is a partial front view which shows the operation | movement process of the insert molding apparatus shown in FIG. (A) is a B arrow view in FIG. 5, (b) is a C arrow view in FIG.6 (b). It is an AA arrow line view in FIG. It is a fragmentary top view which shows the operation | movement process of the insert molding apparatus shown in FIG. It is a fragmentary top view which shows the operation | movement process of the insert molding apparatus shown in FIG. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the operation | movement process of the insert molding apparatus shown in FIG. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the operation | movement process of the insert molding apparatus shown in FIG. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the operation | movement process of the insert molding apparatus shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Terminal reel 2 Terminal material 2a Terminal piece 2c Terminal 2p Interlayer paper 2s, 2t Carrier hole 2x Carrier part 2y Terminal part 3 Reel stand 4 Terminal cutting device 5 Terminal alignment apparatus 6 Terminal piece conveyance apparatus 7 Machine base 8 Lower mold 9 Top Mold 9a Nozzle part 10 Insert molding device 11 Mold opening / closing mechanism 12 Cavity 13 Molded product 14 Resin injection mechanism 15 Fixed dimension feed motor 16 Cut die 17 Stripper 18 Cutter 19 Terminal piece transport rail 20 Bracket 21, 26 Spring 22, 46 Cover 23, 34 Linear guide 24 Slider 25, 31, 39, 47, 55 Positioning pin 27, 28, 48 Cylinder 29 Pusher 30 Molding part 32, 56 Pin holder 33, 57 Connection bar 34a Stand 35 Connection rail 36 Fixed platen 37 Tie bar 38 Moveable Ten 40 Upper cavity 41 Gate 42 Runner groove 43 Lower cavity 44 Runner 45 Terminal piece holding member 49 Notch 50 Molded product conveying device 51 Runner ejecting device 52 Takeout arm 53 Chuck claw 54 Sprue 58 Molded product conveying rail 59 Winding motor 60 Melting Resin 61, 63 Ejector pin 62 Connector CL Cutting line

Claims (9)

A terminal cutting device that cuts a chain-shaped metal terminal material into a predetermined length by cutting the metal terminal material,
A terminal alignment device for aligning the terminal pieces;
A movable mold that can be contacted and separated from a fixed mold fixed to the machine base;
A mold opening and closing mechanism for driving the movable mold to perform mold clamping and mold opening;
A terminal strip transport device for transporting the terminal strips aligned by the terminal strip aligning device from a position outside the opposed area of the fixed mold and the movable mold to a set position in the opposed area;
A resin injection mechanism for injecting molten resin into a cavity formed by clamping the fixed mold and the movable mold to form a molded product integrated with the terminal piece;
In an insert molding device comprising: a molded product transporting device that takes out the molded product from the set position and transports the molded product to the outside of the opposed region of the fixed mold and the movable mold.
When at least a part of the terminal piece is sandwiched between the fixed mold and the movable mold, the terminal piece conveying device is movable from the set position to the outside of the facing region and / or the molded article conveying device. Is movable to the set position from outside the opposed region.   When the mold is clamped, the terminal piece is held in the fixed mold or a part of the movable mold together with the opening / closing operation of the movable mold and moved in the mold opening / closing direction, and the terminal is placed at a predetermined position in the fixed mold. The insert molding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a terminal piece holding member into which the piece is inserted.   A terminal piece conveying rail serving as a moving path for the terminal piece conveyed by the terminal piece conveying apparatus; and a molded article conveying rail serving as a moving path for the molded article conveyed by the molded article conveying apparatus. The insert molding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the piece conveyance rail, the terminal piece holding member, and the molded product conveyance rail are arranged linearly along a conveyance direction of the terminal piece and the molded product.   The notch part which can pass the said terminal piece conveying apparatus or the said molded article conveying apparatus in the clamp state is provided in the said fixed metal mold and / or the said movable metal mold | die, The any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. An insert molding device according to claim 1.   As the terminal material, a hoop-shaped terminal material having a carrier portion in which a plurality of rows of carrier holes were opened was formed by cutting the terminal material on the terminal piece conveying device or the molded product conveying device. Positioning pins are provided for positioning by being inserted into the carrier holes in one row of the terminal pieces, and positioned by being inserted into the carrier holes in the other row inside the fixed mold or the movable mold at the time of molding. The insert molding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning pin for performing the above-described operation.   It is a terminal material used with the insert molding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the carrier portion is provided in a region closer to the side portion along the longitudinal direction of the belt-shaped metal plate, and the carrier portion A terminal material for insert molding comprising a plurality of terminal portions formed in the width direction of a band-shaped metal material, and a plurality of rows of carrier holes provided in the carrier portion. A terminal cutting step in which a chain-shaped metal terminal material is cut into a predetermined length to form a terminal piece;
A terminal piece alignment step of aligning the terminal pieces;
A mold opening and closing process for clamping by driving a movable mold that can be contacted and separated from a fixed mold fixed to the machine base;
A terminal strip transporting step of transporting the aligned terminal strips by a terminal strip transporting device from outside the opposing region of the fixed mold and the movable mold to a set position in the opposing region;
A resin injection step of injecting a molten resin into a cavity formed by clamping the fixed mold and the movable mold to form a molded product integrated with the terminal piece;
In an insert molding method comprising: a molded product transporting step of taking out the molded product from the set position and transporting the molded product out of the facing region by a molded product transport device;
A step of moving the terminal piece conveying device out of the facing region from the set position and / or the molding when at least a part of the terminal piece is sandwiched between the fixed mold and the movable mold; An insert molding method comprising: a step of moving an article conveying device from outside the opposing region to the set position.   2. After the movable mold is opened in the mold opening / closing step, the operation of taking out the molded product in the molded product conveyance step and the operation of supplying the terminal piece in the terminal piece conveyance step are performed simultaneously. 8. The insert molding method according to 7.   As the terminal material, a hoop-shaped terminal material having a carrier portion in which a plurality of rows of carrier holes are opened is formed by cutting from the terminal material in the terminal piece conveying step and / or the molded product conveying step. In addition, the carrier holes in one row of the terminal pieces are used for conveyance, and the carrier holes in the other rows are used for positioning the terminal pieces in the fixed mold or the movable mold at the time of molding. The insert molding method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein positioning is performed.

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