JP2006351330A - Connector with integrated case - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent deformation of a connector due to injection pressure at the time of secondary molding. <P>SOLUTION: An ECU case is insert molded using a connector 1 as a core, thereby forming the ECU case 2 along the whole circumference direction at the outside of a connector housing 3. At the outside of the connector housing 3, a reinforcement rib 15 is provided in protrusion by molding integrally with the connector housing 3 beforehand at the position corresponding to the ECU case 2, and the injection pressure at the time of secondary molding is applied from the opposite direction to the projection direction of the reinforcement rib 15 at the end edge 16 of the reinforcement rib 15, thereby avoiding a trouble such as deformation of the connector 1 due to injection pressure. That is, it is not necessary to make the whole outer face of the connector housing 3 thick, therefore deformation of the connector 1 can be prevented without making the whole connector 1 large in size. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a case-integrated connector in which a connector is integrated into a case body.

Conventionally, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1 below as a technique for performing secondary molding by insert molding of a core which is a primary molded product. Using such a technique, it is conceivable to use the connector 101 as a core, insert-mold it, and incorporate it into the case body 102 (see FIG. 5).
JP 2003-53773 A

  However, due to the recent demand for connector miniaturization, the thickness of the connector is reduced, and when the high injection pressure of the molten resin acts on the outer surface of the primary molded product in combination with other factors, the outer surface of the primary molded product is deformed. There was a problem to do. In addition, even if the deformation does not reach a level where it becomes defective, a gap is generated between the outer surface of the primary molded product and the mold surface of the secondary mold, and the molten resin flows out from the gap, so that the resin There was a problem that it was difficult to cut out.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and prevents the outer surface of the primary molded product from being deformed by the injection pressure of the secondary molding, and reliably cuts off the resin during molding. For the purpose.

  As a means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a case-integrated connector in which the connector is integrally incorporated into a side wall surface of the case by insert molding using a connector as a core. Reinforcing ribs are provided on the outer surface at positions corresponding to the side wall surface of the case and along the entire circumferential direction of the connector or along a part thereof, and the edge of the reinforcing rib and the side wall surface of the case It is characterized by a configuration in which the end edge is continuous.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a terminal fitting having a contact portion with a mating terminal is disposed inside the connector, and the reinforcing rib is in contact with the outer surface of the connector. It is characterized in that it is formed at a position displaced forward or backward with respect to the length direction of the terminal fitting from a position corresponding to the portion.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the device according to the second aspect, the terminal fitting is a relay terminal including a pair of the contact portions at both front and rear ends in the length direction, and the reinforcing rib is formed of the connector. It is characterized in that it is provided at a position corresponding to the center of the pair of contact portions on the outer surface.

<Invention of Claim 1>
After the connector is set in the mold as a core and closed, the molten resin is injected to form the side wall surface of the case, and the resin injection pressure acts on the connector via the edge of the reinforcing rib. . At this time, since the portion where the reinforcing rib is formed in the outer surface of the connector is increased only by the increase in thickness, the deformation of the outer surface of the connector can be restricted. Also, if the mold is pressed so that the side surface of the reinforcing rib is sandwiched from the thickness direction, no gap will be generated between the side surface of the reinforcing rib and the mold even if the injection pressure of the resin acts on the edge of the reinforcing rib. Thus, the resin can be cut off reliably. Furthermore, since it is possible to use the secondary molding die without the reinforcing rib as it is, it is economical because it is not necessary to make it again.

<Invention of Claim 2 and Claim 3>
A terminal fitting having a contact portion with the mating terminal is arranged inside the connector, and the reinforcing rib is formed at a position shifted from the position corresponding to the contact portion on the outer peripheral surface of the connector. Even if the connector is deformed by the injection pressure of molding, the contact portion can be guaranteed without adversely affecting the contact portion.

<Embodiment 1>
Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The case-integrated connector in the present embodiment is formed by being integrated into the side wall surface 17 of an ECU (electronic control unit) case (corresponding to the case in the present invention) 2 by insert molding with the connector 1 as a core, The connector 1 includes a connector housing 3 and a relay terminal 10. In the following description, the front-rear direction is the right side forward with respect to the left-right direction in FIG. 1, the upper-lower direction is upper with respect to the upper-lower direction in FIG. 2, and the width direction is the left-right direction in FIG. Based on

  The connector housing 3 is made of resin and has a block shape with a substantially square cross section. Inside the connector housing 3, as shown in FIG. 2 or 3, there are formed 22 cavities 4 shown in the figure that open in the front-rear direction. Each cavity 4 is divided into upper and lower four stages and arranged at the same pitch. For the three stages from the top, six cavities 4 are arranged per stage, and each stage is arranged at the same pitch in the width direction. ing. An insertion hole 5 through which a mating terminal (not shown) enters the front surface of the connector housing 3 passes through the front end surface of each cavity 4, and the mating terminal is a cavity on the front side of each insertion hole 5. 4 is formed with an inductive inclined surface 6 directed inward.

  A hood portion 8 that protrudes rearward is formed on the rear surface of the connector housing 3. The ECU side connector 7 in which the male terminal fitting 20 connected to the ECU circuit is integrated by press fitting or insert molding can be fitted inside the hood portion 8.

  A relay terminal 10 can be inserted into the cavity 4 from behind. The relay terminal 10 has a rectangular tube portion 11 that opens in the front-rear direction and substantially extends along the inner surface of the cavity 4. A stabilizer 12 is provided on the front and rear portions of the external lower surface of the rectangular tube portion 11 so as to protrude downward. When inserting the relay terminal 10, the stabilizer 12 enters the guide groove 9 formed in the front-rear direction on the lower surface of the cavity 4, thereby enabling smooth insertion. A pair of elastic contact pieces (corresponding to contact portions in the present invention) 13 and 13 are formed at the front and rear ends of the inner lower surface of the rectangular tube portion 11 by folding back from the front edge and the rear edge of the rectangular tube portion 11. Each can be bent in the vertical direction. A pair of contact protrusions (corresponding to contact portions in the present invention) 14 and 14 are provided inwardly at positions facing the respective elastic contact pieces 13 and 13 on the inner upper surface of the rectangular tube portion 11. ing. As a result, the male terminal fitting 20 inserted from the rear and the mating terminal inserted from the front are sandwiched between the elastic contact piece 13 and the contact projection 14 so that they can be connected to each other. .

  On the outer surface of the connector housing 3 and near the hood portion 8, reinforcing ribs 15 are formed so as to protrude along the entire circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the reinforcing rib 15 has a square shape when viewed from the fitting direction, and is formed integrally with the connector housing 3. Molten resin is injected into the edge 16 of the reinforcing rib 15 during secondary molding, so that the edge 18 of the side wall surface 17 is continuous with the edge 16 of the reinforcing rib 15. That is, the front and back surfaces of the reinforcing rib 15 and the side wall 17 are flush with each other. As described above, if the reinforcing rib 15 is provided in advance, the reinforcing rib 15 is strengthened by the thickness increase in the protruding direction of the reinforcing rib 15, and the edge 16 of the reinforcing rib 15 is secondary from the direction opposite to the protruding direction of the reinforcing rib 15. When receiving the injection pressure at the time of molding, it is possible to avoid the problem that the connector 1 is deformed.

This embodiment has the structure as described above, and the operation thereof will be described subsequently.
First, the connector 1 is set in a secondary mold and the mold is closed. The secondary mold used here is the same as the mold without the reinforcing rib 15. When the mold is closed, both molds have a molding space corresponding to the side wall surface 17 of the ECU case 2 between the two molds. While holding, the reinforcing rib 15 is sandwiched between the molds from the thickness direction. When molten resin is injected into the molding space, the injection pressure at the time of secondary molding is received from the direction opposite to the protruding direction of the reinforcing rib 15 at the portion strengthened by providing the reinforcing rib 15. It is possible to avoid problems such as deformation.

  In the prior art, the portion of the outer surface of the connector 1 that receives the injection pressure (the portion of the side wall 17 of the ECU case 2) and the surrounding surface thereof are flush with each other. However, when it is deformed, a gap is generated between the outer surface of the connector 1 and the partition wall, and the molten resin flows out from this gap, and it is difficult to reliably cut off the resin. In this respect, since the portion receiving the injection pressure (the portion of the side wall 17 of the ECU case 2) on the outer surface of the connector 1 and the surrounding surface are uneven, it is possible to reliably cut out the resin. It was.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the reinforcing rib 15 is provided on the outer surface of the connector 1 at a position corresponding to the side wall surface 17 of the ECU case 2, and injection at the time of secondary molding is performed at the edge 16 of the reinforcing rib 15. Since the pressure is received, it is possible to avoid problems such as deformation of the connector 1 due to the injection pressure. That is, in order to avoid the problem that the connector 1 is deformed due to the injection pressure at the time of secondary molding, it is not necessary to form the entire connector housing 3 to be thick, and a part of the side wall 17 of the ECU case 2 is configured. Since the reinforcement ribs 15 are used for reinforcement, it is possible to prevent the connector 1 from being deformed without increasing the size of the entire connector 1. In addition, since the secondary mold can use a conventional mold as it is, there is no need to remake it and it is economical. Furthermore, since the mold is pressed from both the front and rear side surfaces of the reinforcing rib 15 to restrict the flow of the molten resin, the resin can be cut off reliably.

<Embodiment 2>
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, the arrangement of the reinforcing rib 15 and the side wall 17 of the ECU case 2 in the first embodiment is changed, and description of other common structures is omitted. In other words, in the present embodiment, the reinforcing rib 15 is formed at the center of the elastic contact pieces 13 and 13 and the contact protrusions 14 and 14 in the front-rear direction (in short, the position where the reinforcing rib 15 is provided is 13 and a position displaced forward or backward from a position where the contact protrusions 14 and 14 are sandwiched from the entire circumferential direction. According to the present embodiment, even if the connector 1 is deformed by the injection pressure at the time of secondary molding, the connection portion between the male terminal fitting 20 and the mating terminal is ensured inside the relay terminal 10. Is possible.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments 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) In the first embodiment, the reinforcing rib is integrally insert-molded with the connector housing. However, if it is possible to prevent deformation of the connector, it is not always necessary to provide it integrally. Reinforcing ribs may be provided.

  (2) In the first embodiment, the edge of the reinforcing rib is exemplified as being formed in a planar shape, but other forms may be used as long as the deformation of the connector can be regulated. The may be sloped or rounded.

Sectional drawing of the connector in Embodiment 1 The front view of the connector housing in Embodiment 1 Sectional drawing of the connector housing in Embodiment 1 Sectional drawing of the connector in Embodiment 2 Sectional view of the connector in the conventional example

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Connector 2 ... ECU case (case)
13 ... Elastic contact piece (contact part)
14 ... Contact protrusion (contact part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 ... Reinforcement rib 16 ... Edge of reinforcement rib 17 ... Side wall 18 ... Edge of side wall

Claims (3)

A case-integrated connector in which the connector is integrated into the side wall surface of the case by insert molding with a connector as a core,
Reinforcing ribs are provided on the outer surface of the connector at positions corresponding to the side wall surface of the case and along the entire circumferential direction of the connector or along a part thereof,
The case-integrated connector, wherein an end edge of the reinforcing rib and an end edge of the side wall surface of the case are continuous. Inside the connector, a terminal fitting having a contact portion with the mating terminal is arranged,
2. The case-integrated type according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing rib is formed at a position displaced frontward or rearward with respect to a length direction of the terminal fitting from a position corresponding to the contact portion on the outer surface of the connector. connector. The terminal fitting is a relay terminal comprising a pair of the contact portions at both front and rear ends in the length direction,
The case-integrated connector according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing rib is provided at a position corresponding to a central portion of the pair of contact portions on an outer surface of the connector.

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