JP2010080161A - Method of manufacturing male terminal, and method of manufacturing connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of manufacturing male terminals, which can manufacture both male terminals of a surface mounting type and of a pin-insertion type in the same manufacturing process, and to provide a method of manufacturing a connector. <P>SOLUTION: The method of manufacturing the male terminals includes a cutting step of cutting off a wire material, and a bending step of forming (i) substrate hole insertion parts (a substrate hole insertion part 31d, a substrate hole insertion part 32d, a substrate hole insertion part 33d), and (ii) intermediate parts (an intermediate part 31m, an intermediate part 32m, an intermediate part 33m) by bending the wire material. In the cutting step and the bending step, (1) when the male terminal is made to be a surface mounting type, a length La of the substrate hole insertion part is made to be the length or less of a substrate through-hole 42, and (2) when the male terminal is made to be a pin insertion type, the length of the substrate insertion part is made to be longer than that of the substrate through-hole 42. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a connector that is electrically connected to a mating connector and a board, and a method for manufacturing a male terminal used in the connector.

  An example of a conventional board connector is described in Patent Document 1. In this board connector, the connection direction of both connectors is a direction perpendicular to the surface of the board (FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1) or a direction parallel to the surface of the board (FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1). ). A plurality of terminals (pin-shaped terminals) are inserted into the insertion holes of the partition walls, and the terminals are fixed to the circuit board by soldering.

JP 2002-216870 A

  As described in Patent Document 1, a male terminal of a board connector includes a surface mount type using surface mount technology (SMT) and a pin insertion that penetrates the board and is soldered on the back side. There are some types. And, since the surface mount type male terminal and the pin insertion type male terminal are completely different in shape, it is necessary to manufacture each male terminal by a manufacturing process dedicated to each male terminal. is there. However, it is desirable to be able to manufacture both types of male terminals by a similar manufacturing process.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a male terminal manufacturing method and a connector manufacturing method capable of manufacturing both a surface mount type male terminal and a pin insertion type male terminal by the same manufacturing process. That is.

  In order to solve the above problems, a manufacturing method of a male terminal according to the present invention is a manufacturing method of a male terminal used in a connector electrically connected to a mating connector having a female terminal and a board. A cutting step of cutting the wire that is the material of the male terminal from the wire assembly, and by bending the wire, (i) a substrate hole insertion portion that is inserted into the substrate hole formed in the substrate, and (ii) And a bending step of forming an intermediate portion extending from the substrate hole insertion portion and extending along the surface of the substrate. In the cutting step and the bending step, (1) when the male terminal is a surface mount type, the length of the board hole insertion portion is equal to or less than the length of the board hole, and (2) the male terminal In the case of a pin insertion type, the length of the substrate hole insertion portion is made longer than the length of the substrate hole.

  According to this method, first, the difference between the surface mount type male terminal and the pin insertion type male terminal is only the length of the board hole insertion portion. In addition, when manufacturing a male terminal by pressing a metal plate, it is necessary to change the die when changing the length of a part of the terminal, whereas in this method, a wire is used. Thus, the length of the board hole insertion portion can be easily changed by changing the cutting position and bending position of the wire. That is, it is possible to easily switch between the production of the surface mount type male terminal and the production of the pin insertion type male terminal. Therefore, it is not necessary to manufacture surface mount type and pin insertion type male terminals by a manufacturing process dedicated to each male terminal, and both surface mount type male terminals and pin insertion type male terminals are similar. It can be manufactured by a manufacturing process.

  Further, according to this method, a metal terminal is not required for producing a male terminal using a wire. Therefore, the male terminal can be manufactured in a short period of time, and the manufacturing cost of the male terminal is reduced.

  “Surface mount type” means a method of soldering male terminals from the front side of the board, and “pin insertion type” means a method of soldering male terminals from the back side of the board. is there. In the present invention, the male terminal is inserted into the board hole regardless of whether the male terminal is a surface mount type or a pin insertion type.

  The “wire aggregate” is a collection of metal wires that are cut and used as a material for the male terminal. For example, a metal wire wound in a reel corresponds to this. “The length of the substrate hole insertion portion is equal to or less than the length of the substrate hole” means that the maximum length of the substrate hole insertion portion (portion perpendicular to the surface of the substrate) is substantially equal to the length of the substrate hole. Specifically, the length of the substrate hole insertion portion is set to 50% to 110% of the length of the substrate hole. In addition, the length of the board hole insertion portion when the male terminal is a pin insertion type is set to be 111% or more of the length of the board hole.

  The cutting configuration and the bending process are performed in this order. In the bending step, other portions than the substrate hole insertion portion and the intermediate portion may be formed. Moreover, another process may be provided before and after the cutting process and the bending process and between each process. For example, a pressing step of performing a peak processing on the tip of the wire rod by pressing may be provided.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a method for manufacturing a connector according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing a connector that is electrically connected to a mating connector having a female terminal and a board, and the male terminal. A connector housing forming step for forming a connector housing having a wall portion for supporting the wire, a cutting step for separating the wire material, which is the material of the male terminal, from the wire aggregate, and a through hole formed in the wall portion. And (ii) a substrate hole insertion portion inserted into a substrate hole formed in the substrate, and (ii) continuous from the substrate hole insertion portion, by bending the wire. An intermediate portion extending along the surface, and (iii) an inclined portion that is continuous from the intermediate portion, is inserted into the through-hole, and extends along a direction inclined with respect to the connection direction of the female terminal and the male terminal; (iv) protruding from the wall And a bending step of forming a terminal connection portion connected to the female terminal. In the cutting step and the bending step, (1) when the male terminal is a surface mount type, the length of the board hole insertion portion is equal to or less than the length of the board hole, and (2) the male terminal In the pin insertion type, the length of the board hole insertion portion is made longer than the length of the board hole, and in the connector housing forming step, along the direction inclined with respect to the connection direction. The through hole is formed.

  According to this method, both the surface mount type male terminal and the pin insertion type male terminal can be manufactured by the same manufacturing process.

  Further, according to this method, a metal terminal is not required for producing a male terminal using a wire. Therefore, the male terminal can be manufactured in a short period of time, and the manufacturing cost of the male terminal is reduced.

  Furthermore, in this method, the through hole into which the male terminal is inserted is formed in the wall portion along a direction inclined with respect to the connecting direction of the female terminal and the male terminal. Therefore, when the connector and the mating connector are connected, the male terminal is pushed by the female terminal due to friction (friction between the female terminal and the male terminal) or displacement (position displacement of the female terminal with respect to the male terminal position). Even in this case, the male terminal is pressed against the inner surface of the through hole. As a result, since the sliding movement of the male terminal along the through hole is suppressed, the male terminal is not easily pushed out from the through hole of the wall portion.

  In this method, the inclined portion is formed along the direction inclined with respect to the connection direction, and the terminal connection portion is formed along the connection direction. Therefore, the male terminal is bent at a position between the inclined portion of the male terminal and the terminal connection portion. Further, the “connecting direction of the female terminal and the male terminal” may be equal to a direction (housing connecting direction) in which the mating connector housing and the connector housing are connected, and the terminal connecting direction and the housing connecting direction are It does not have to match. For example, after both connector housings are connected, the terminals may be connected along a direction different from the housing connection direction.

  The connector housing is a member having a wall portion that supports the male terminal, and the connector housing may include a main body portion and a cover housing attached to the main body portion in addition to the wall portion.

  The connector housing may be integrally formed including the wall portion, or the main body portion and the wall portion of the connector housing may be separate articles. In this case, the material of the main body portion and the wall portion may be different or the same. Moreover, the connector may have a board | substrate inside, In this case, the wall part may be attached to the board | substrate, and the wall part may be attached to the main-body part of the connector.

The connector housing forming process, the cutting process, the inserting process, and the bending process may be performed in this order, or may be performed in the following order.
Cutting step → Connector housing forming step → Inserting step → Bending step Further, before and after these steps and between each step, another step may be provided. For example, a pressing step of performing a peak processing on the tip of the wire rod by pressing may be provided.

Further, the bending process may be a process of forming all the parts in one stage, or may be divided into a plurality of stages as follows.
(A) Connector housing forming process → cutting process → bending process 1 → insertion process → bending process 2
(B) Cutting process → Connector housing forming process → Bending process 1 → Inserting process → Bending process 2

  The substrate may be outside the connector or inside the connector. When the board is outside the connector, the connector housing is preferably configured to be attached to the board. For example, the connector housing is preferably formed with a screw hole or the like.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the overall configuration of a connector and a mating connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector. 3A and 3B are schematic views of the connector, where FIG. 3A is a plan view, FIG. 3B is a front view, FIG. 3C is a bottom view, FIG. 3D is a right side view, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A ′ of FIG. 3. 5A and 5B are schematic views of a wall portion, where FIG. 5A is a front view, FIG. 5B is a right side view, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B ′ in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the main body of the connector housing. 7A and 7B are schematic views of the main body of the connector housing, where FIG. 7A is a plan view, FIG. 7B is a front view, FIG. 7C is a bottom view, FIG. 7D is a right side view, and FIG. It is. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the housing cover. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the substrate. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wall portion with the male terminal is attached to the substrate. FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a substrate with a wall, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a rear view, (e) is a right side view, (F) is CC 'sectional drawing of (b). 12A and 12B are schematic views showing a part of the assembly process of the connector, where FIG. 12A shows a state after the insertion process, and FIG. 12B shows a state after the bending process. FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of a substrate with a wall. In FIG. 13, oblique lines indicating the cross section are omitted.

(overall structure)
First, the overall configuration of the electrical connection device will be described with reference to FIG. The electrical connection device according to this embodiment includes a connector 1 and a mating connector 5. The connector 1 functions as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and the electrical connection device having the connector 1 is used in an automobile or the like. The mating connector 5 is electrically connected to a power source (not shown). When the connection between the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 is completed, the electronic component (not shown) on the board 4 inside the connector 1 is connected. The power from the power source is supplied.

  The mating connector 5 includes a mating housing 6 made of synthetic resin and a plurality of female terminals 7. When the connection between the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 is completed, the mating housing 6 is coupled to the connector housing 2 of the connector 1. As a result, the plurality of male terminals (male terminal 31, male terminal 32, male terminal 33) of the connector 1 and the plurality of female terminals 7 of the mating connector 5 are electrically connected, and the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 are connected. Are electrically connected. The plurality of female terminals 7 and the plurality of male terminals are connected along the direction of arrow E shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the direction of arrow E is the connection direction, and for this connection direction E, the E1 side is the front side and the E2 side is the rear side. Note that the front side with respect to the connection direction means the front side in the traveling direction of the plurality of female terminals 7 with respect to the plurality of male terminals, and the rear side means the rear side in the traveling direction of the plurality of female terminals 7. is doing.

(connector)
The connector 1 has a plurality of male terminals (a male terminal 31, a male terminal 32, and a male terminal 33) and a connector housing 2 (see FIGS. 1 to 4). A substrate 4 is installed inside the connector 1. The connector 1 is electrically connected to both the external mating connector 5 and the internal substrate 4. Further, the connection direction E of the plurality of female terminals 7 and the plurality of male terminals is a direction along the surface of the substrate 4.

  In the connector 1, each male terminal is attached to the substrate 4 by SMT (Surface Mount Technology) (see FIG. 4), and each male terminal is soldered on the surface side of the substrate 4. Has been. Each male terminal may be attached to the substrate by a pin insertion type. Specifically, the male terminal may be soldered on the back surface side of the substrate after the lead portion (substrate connection portion) has penetrated the substrate. In FIG. 4 and the like, solder is omitted.

(Connector housing)
The connector housing 2 is made of a synthetic resin material, and includes a main body portion 21, a wall portion 22, and a cover housing 26 (see FIG. 4). Moreover, in the connector housing 2, the main-body part 21, the wall part 22, and the cover housing 26 are separate articles. However, these may be formed integrally.

(Wall)
First, the wall portion 22 will be described. The wall portion 22 is a plate-like member that supports a plurality of male terminals. The wall 22 is disposed inside the main body 21 and is attached to the substrate 4 (see FIG. 4). The wall portion 22 has a plurality of through holes (see FIG. 5A). The “plurality of through holes” include a plurality of through holes 23, a plurality of through holes 24, and a plurality of through holes 25. The plurality of through holes are arranged in three rows, the plurality of through holes 23 are arranged in the first row (the uppermost row in FIG. 5A), and the plurality of through holes are arranged in the second row. A plurality of through holes 25 are arranged in the third row of holes 24.

  A male terminal is inserted into each through hole in the wall portion 22. Specifically, the male terminal 31 is inserted into the through hole 23, the male terminal 32 is inserted into the through hole 24, and the male terminal 33 is inserted into the through hole 25 (see FIG. 4).

  Moreover, the through-hole 23, the through-hole 24, and the through-hole 25 are not arrange | positioned on the straight line along the up-down direction in Fig.5 (a). For example, when attention is paid to the through holes at the left ends, the through holes 24 are located to the left with respect to the positions of the through holes 23, and the through holes 25 are located to the left of the positions of the through holes 24. is doing. Therefore, in a state where a plurality of male terminals are inserted into the wall portion 22, the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33 do not overlap in plan view (top view) (see FIG. 11A).

  In addition, three rows of groove portions 22d are formed on both surfaces of the wall portion 22 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B). Each of the groove portions 22d is composed of two upper and lower inclined surfaces, and each inclined surface is inclined 45 degrees with respect to the direction along the surface of the substrate 4. Each of the plurality of through-holes is formed so as to open at the position of the groove 22d on both surfaces (front surface and rear surface) of the wall portion 22 (see FIG. 5C).

  The through hole 23, the through hole 24, and the through hole 25 are formed to support the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33, respectively. Moreover, the through-hole 23, the through-hole 24, and the through-hole 25 are formed along the direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E of the female terminal 7 and the male terminal (refer FIG.4 and FIG.5 (c)). ). The shape of each through hole is a quadrangle over the entire length. Of the inner surfaces of the through holes, the upper inner surface (upper side in FIG. 13) is defined as a contact surface (contact surface 23s, contact surface 24s, contact surface 25s) (see FIG. 13).

  FIG. 5C shows only the BB ′ cross section of FIG. 5A (that is, only the cross section of the through hole 25). However, as shown in FIG. The shape of 24 is the same as that of the through hole 25 in FIG.

  Further, in the connector 1, the surface on the E1 side of the wall portion 22 is covered with the connector housing 2, so that it is not exposed to the outside of the connector 1.

(About through holes)
The through hole will be described in more detail. In addition to not being parallel to the connection direction E, the formation direction of the through holes (through hole 23, through hole 24, and through hole 25) is preferably not perpendicular to the connection direction E. That is, the angle between the formation direction of the through hole and the connection direction E (hereinafter, this angle is referred to as the formation angle; see angle α in FIG. 5C) is in the range of 1 to 89 degrees. Is desirable. In the present embodiment, the formation angle is 45 degrees.

  When the formation angle is close to 0 degrees, the connection direction E and the formation direction of the through hole substantially coincide with each other, so that the male terminal is easily pulled out. On the other hand, when the formation angle is close to 90 degrees, it is difficult to insert the male terminal. Further, when the forming angle is close to 90 degrees, the length of the insertion portion of the male terminal (the portion inserted into the wall portion) becomes long, so that the wall portion is arranged in the height direction (vertical direction in FIG. 5B). It will be necessary to make it longer. As a result, the connector becomes large. From the above, it is more desirable that the formation angle of the through hole is in the range of 20 degrees to 70 degrees. The formation angle of the through hole may be 0 degree or 90 degrees.

(Main body)
Next, the main body 21 will be described. An internal space 21s is formed inside the main body 21 (see FIGS. 4, 7B, and 7C). The wall 22 and the substrate 4 are accommodated in the internal space 21s.

  The main body 21 is formed with an opening 21 b that serves as a connection port when connected to the mating connector 5. In addition, a tip portion 21c having a substantially square cross section is formed at the tip portion of the main body portion 21, and the opening 21b is formed inside the tip portion 21c (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

  Further, the main body portion 21 is formed with a top plate portion 21f, two side wall portions 21w, and a side wall portion 21v. The two side wall portions 21w are arranged along the connection direction E, and the side wall portion 21v is arranged on the E1 side. Further, a portion parallel to the substrate 4 is formed on the E1 side of the top plate portion 21f, and an inclined portion is formed closer to the E2 side than this parallel portion. The inclined portion is formed so as to move away from the substrate 4 toward the E2 side.

  The internal space 21s is formed inside the top plate portion 21f, the two side wall portions 21w, and the side wall portion 21v. Moreover, the part (part in which the wall part 22 and the board | substrate 4 are accommodated) in which internal space 21s is formed among the main-body parts 21 is opened toward the downward direction (refer FIG.7 (c)). Further, the two side wall portions 21w and the side wall portion 21v are formed with protruding portions 21g (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The protruding part 21g protrudes in the direction along the surface of the substrate 4 from the two side wall parts 21w and the side wall part 21v. The positional relationship between the cover housing 26 described later and the main body portion 21 is determined by the protruding portion 21g.

(Cover housing)
Next, the cover housing 26 will be described. The cover housing 26 is a lid member that is attached to the main body 21. The cover housing 26 includes a bottom plate part 26b, a side wall part 26v, and two side wall parts 26w (see FIG. 8). The two side wall parts 26w are arrange | positioned along the connection direction E, and the side wall part 26v is arrange | positioned at the E1 side.

  In a state where the cover housing 26 is attached to the main body portion 21, the outer surfaces of the side wall portion 21v and the two side wall portions 21w and the inner surfaces of the side wall portion 26v and the two side wall portions 26w face each other (FIG. 2, FIG. ) Etc.). Further, in this state, the end portions of the side wall portion 26v and the two side wall portions 26w of the cover housing 26 are opposed to the protruding portion 21g of the main body portion 21, so that the movement of the cover housing 26 relative to the main body portion 21 is caused by the protruding portion 21g. Is limited.

(substrate)
The substrate 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The substrate 4 is a printed circuit board (printed wiring board). In the present embodiment, the substrate 4 is a rigid substrate (a substrate using a hard insulator base; glass composite substrate, glass epoxy substrate, etc.). In addition to a rigid substrate, the substrate may be a flexible substrate (thin using a flexible and flexible insulator base material; polyimide film, polyester film, etc.), or a rigid flexible substrate (a hard material and a flexible material). May be combined).

  A plurality of substrate through holes (substrate holes) 42 are formed in the substrate 4 (see FIG. 9). Further, a metal film 43 is formed on the surface of the substrate 4 around the openings of the respective substrate through holes 42. The metal film 43 extends from the opening of the substrate through hole 42 to the rear side (E2 side) along the connection direction E. Furthermore, a metal film is also formed on the inner wall surface of each substrate through hole 42. A plurality of substrate terminals 41 are disposed on the surface of the substrate 4. An electronic component (not shown) such as a capacitor is disposed on the substrate 4.

  As described above, the wall portion 22 is attached to the substrate 4. 10 and 11 show a state in which the wall portion 22 is attached to the substrate 4. Further, in the connector 1, the connection portion (periphery of the intermediate portion) between the substrate 4 and the plurality of male terminals is covered with the connector housing 2, so that it is not exposed to the outside of the connector 1.

(Male terminal)
The connector 1 has a plurality of male terminals, and each male terminal is manufactured using a wire. The “plurality of male terminals” includes three types of male terminals: a plurality of male terminals 31, a plurality of male terminals 32, and a plurality of male terminals 33. The male terminal 31 is inserted into the through hole 23, the male terminal 32 is inserted into the through hole 24, and the male terminal 33 is inserted into the through hole 25 (see FIG. 4 and the like). In the connector 1, the number of male terminals 31, male terminals 32, and male terminals 33 is twelve. Further, each male terminal is electrically connected to the female terminal 7 of the mating connector 5 and further electrically connected to the substrate 4.

  The male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33 have different lengths, the male terminal 31 being the longest and the male terminal 33 being the shortest (see FIG. 4 and the like).

  The male terminal 31 is formed with a terminal connection portion 31c, an inclined portion 31n, an intermediate portion 31m, and a substrate hole insertion portion 31d (see FIGS. 4, 12B, and 13). Similarly to the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32 is also provided with a terminal connection portion 32c, an inclined portion 32n, an intermediate portion 32m, and a board hole insertion portion 32d. The male terminal 33 is also formed with a terminal connection portion 33c, an inclined portion 33n, an intermediate portion 33m, and a board hole insertion portion 33d.

  Next, each part of the male terminal will be described. Since the functions and shapes of the respective parts of the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33 are the same, the male terminal 31 will be mainly described below unless otherwise specified. The description about 33 is omitted.

  The substrate hole insertion portion 31d is a portion that is inserted into the plurality of substrate through holes 42 formed in the substrate 4 (see FIGS. 4 and 13). The tip of the substrate hole insertion portion 31d is inserted into the substrate through hole 42. The substrate hole insertion portion 31 d is formed so as to extend perpendicularly to the direction along the surface of the substrate 4. The substrate hole insertion portion 31d is solder-connected to the metal film on the inner wall surface of the substrate through hole 42.

  The total length of the substrate hole insertion portion 31d is the length indicated by La in FIG. Similarly, the total length of the substrate hole insertion portion 32d and the substrate hole insertion portion 33d is also La. That is, the substrate hole insertion portion 31d is a portion below the lower surface of the intermediate portion 31m. As shown in FIG. 13, the length La of the substrate hole insertion portion 31 d is substantially equal to the length of the substrate through hole 42.

  The intermediate portion 31 m is a portion that continues from the substrate hole insertion portion 31 d and extends along the surface of the substrate 4. The intermediate portion 31m is solder-connected to the metal film 43 of the substrate 4.

  The inclined portion 31n is a portion that continues from the intermediate portion 31m and extends along a direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E. The inclined portion 31n is formed such that the distance from the substrate 4 increases as the distance from the intermediate portion 31m increases. The inclined portion 31n has an insertion portion 31b that is inserted into the through hole 23 (see FIG. 13). That is, the insertion part 31b is a part of the inclined part 31n. Similarly, for the male terminal 32 and the male terminal 33, the inclined portion 32 n has an insertion portion 32 b inserted into the through hole 24, and the inclined portion 33 n is inserted into the through hole 25. have.

  The insertion portion 31b is inserted into the through hole 23 and contacts the inner surface of the through hole 23 (see FIGS. 4 and 12B). And the insertion part 31b is arrange | positioned along the direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E inside the through-hole 23 (refer FIG.4 and FIG.12 (b)).

  The terminal connection part 31c is a part which protrudes from the wall part 22 and is connected to the female terminal 7 (refer FIG.4 and FIG.12 (b)). The terminal connection portion 31c is formed continuously from the inclined portion 31n. Further, the terminal connection portion 31 c is arranged in the connector 1 so that the axial direction thereof is along the connection direction E. That is, the male terminal 31 is formed along the connection direction E on the rear side (E2 side) of the wall part 22 in the connection direction.

  Further, as described above, the substrate hole insertion portion 31 d and the intermediate portion 31 m are solder-connected to the substrate 4.

  In this embodiment, the male terminal and the board are electrically connected both at the board hole insertion part and the middle part of the male terminal, but these electrical connections are made only at the board hole insertion part. Alternatively, it may be performed only in the middle part.

  In addition, the inclined portion 31n extends from the most rearward position with respect to the connection direction E in the intermediate portion 31m. Further, the inclined portion 31n extends rearward with respect to the connection direction E from the intermediate portion 31m. Here, the inclination part 31n “extends backward in the connection direction” means that the inclination part 31n and the intermediate part 31m are based on a virtual plane perpendicular to the connection direction E (see the plane S in FIG. 10). It is shown that the inclined portion 31n extends from the boundary portion to the rear side instead of the front side (located in the rear region). It should be noted that the fact that the inclined portion “extends backward with respect to the connection direction” does not include that the inclined portion “extends in a direction perpendicular to the connection direction E”.

  In the male terminal 31, all of the board hole insertion part 31d, the intermediate part 31m, the inclined part 31n, and the terminal connection part 31c are perpendicular to the one virtual plane R (the connection direction E and the surface of the board 4). On a plane parallel to both directions of the direction (see plane R in FIG. 10). Similarly, the male terminal 32 and the male terminal 33 are located on the virtual plane R. In this embodiment, when attention is paid to one male terminal, the entire male terminal is located on the virtual plane R, but the form of the male terminal is not limited to this, Only a part may be located on the virtual plane R, and the other part may not be located on the virtual plane R.

  In the present configuration, the inclined portion 31n is formed along the direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E, and the terminal connection portion 31c is formed along the connection direction E. In this connection, the male terminal 31 is bent at a position between the inclined portion 31n of the male terminal 31 and the terminal connection portion 31c. In the state where the male terminal 31 is attached to the substrate 4, the angle of the inclined portion 31 n with respect to the surface of the substrate 4 is equal to the formation angle (angle α) of the through hole 23.

(Assembly method)
Next, an assembly method (manufacturing method) of the connector 1 will be described. First, the connector housing 2 is formed by injection molding (connector housing forming step). In this step, a plurality of through holes (through hole 23, through hole 24, and through hole 25) are formed in the wall portion 22 along the direction inclined in the connection direction E.

  Next, a wire material (wired male terminal) as a material for the male terminal is prepared. Specifically, a metal wire wound on a reel (wire aggregate; not shown) is cut to cut the wire (cutting step). At this time, wire rods having three types of lengths (the lengths of the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33) are formed. And the front-end | tip part of the both ends of the obtained wire is sharpened by press work (press process).

  The three types of metal wires that have undergone the cutting process and the pressing process become a linear male terminal 31p, a linear male terminal 32p, and a linear male terminal 33p, respectively (see FIG. 12A). Further, the linear male terminal 31p, the linear male terminal 32p, and the linear male terminal 33p correspond to the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33 before bending, respectively. Note that there is no need for a pressing step.

  Next, the wire (the linear male terminal 31p, the linear male terminal 32p, and the linear male terminal 33p) is inserted into the through holes (the through hole 23, the through hole 24, and the through hole 25) of the wall portion 22. (Insertion step; see FIG. 12A). At this time, each of the linear male terminal 31p, the linear male terminal 32p, and the linear male terminal 33p is pressed into the through hole (pressed with a strong pressure).

  Next, a bending process is performed with respect to the linear male terminal 31p, the linear male terminal 32p, and the linear male terminal 33p (bending process). Specifically, the linear male terminal 31p shown in FIG. 12B will be described. The linear male terminal 31p is bent at three locations D1, D2, and D3 shown in FIG. 12B. To implement. By this bending step, a substrate hole insertion portion 31d, an intermediate portion 31m, an inclined portion 31n (insertion portion 31b), and a terminal connection portion 31c are formed. Bending is similarly performed on the linear male terminal 32p and the linear male terminal 33p. A male terminal is manufactured through the cutting step and the bending step.

  FIG. 12B shows a state in which a plurality of male terminals are attached to the wall portion 22. The wall portion in this state is referred to as a “wall portion with a male terminal”. The direction of the terminal connection portion is the direction along the connection direction E in a state where the wall portion with the male terminal is attached to the main body portion 21 by bending the male terminal on the terminal connection portion side (D1 portion) of the wall portion 22. It becomes.

  In addition, when the male terminal is bent at the position of D3 in FIG. 12B, the direction of the board hole insertion portion is directed to the surface of the board 4 in a state where the wall portion with the male terminal is attached to the main body portion 21. The direction is perpendicular to the direction along.

  In the bending step, the linear male terminal is bent so that the length La of the board hole insertion portion is substantially equal to the length of the board through hole 42 (see FIG. 13). In the above cutting step, the wire is cut so that the length La of the substrate hole insertion portion is substantially equal to the length of the substrate through hole 42 after the bending step is performed.

  In the present embodiment, the male terminal is bent at three locations D1, D2, and D3, but is not limited to such a bending method. For example, the male terminal is bent at only one location (D1) in the vicinity of the wall portion 22, but the male terminal may be bent at two locations sandwiching the wall portion 22.

  Next, the wall portion with the male terminal is attached to the substrate 4 (substrate attachment step). The substrate in this state is referred to as a “walled substrate” (see FIGS. 10 and 11). As this attachment method, both may be adhered by an adhesive, or both may be fixed by screwing. Moreover, a recessed part and a convex part may be formed in both, and both may be fixed by these connection.

  The solder connection between the plurality of male terminals and the substrate in the substrate mounting step will be described in more detail. First, a solder paste is printed on the surface of the substrate 4 (the surface of the metal film 43). Then, on the solder paste, a plurality of male terminals are arranged on the surface of the substrate 4 using an automatic mounting machine (mounter or inserter) (the substrate hole insertion portion is inserted into the substrate through hole 42). Then, the substrate 4 on which the wall portion and the male terminal are mounted is passed through a reflow furnace and heated to about 250 degrees Celsius, thereby melting the solder and soldering the male terminal to the surface of the substrate 4. Thereafter, cooling is performed.

  Next, the main body 21 is attached to the substrate with the wall, and then the cover housing 26 is attached to the main body 21 (housing assembly process). The connector 1 is obtained after the housing assembly process. As described above, the assembly of the connector 1 is completed.

  Note that these steps may be performed in a plurality of stages. For example, after carrying out to the bending process in the above order, it is shipped in the state of a wall portion with a male terminal, and the remaining assembly processes (board mounting process and housing assembly process) are performed in other assembly companies. Good. In addition, an operator may perform part or all of the above steps (connector housing forming step, cutting step, pressing step, inserting step, bending step, board attaching step, housing assembling step) manually. It may be performed automatically using an automatic machine.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the male terminal of the connector 1 is manufactured using a wire, it is not necessary to press the metal plate. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the metal plate pressing metal mold becomes unnecessary, and the manufacturing cost of the male terminal can be reduced. In addition, since a metal plate pressing metal mold is not required, the metal mold manufacturing period is unnecessary, and the manufacturing time of the entire connector can be shortened.

(When the male terminal is a pin insertion type)
The above method is an assembling method when the male terminal is a surface mount type. Next, the connector assembling method when the male terminal is of the pin insertion type will be described with a focus on differences from the assembling method. In FIG. 14, portions denoted by reference numerals 331, 331d, 332, 332d, 333, and 333d correspond to portions denoted by reference numerals 31, 31d, 32, 32d, 33, and 33d, respectively, in FIG.

  When the male terminal is of the pin insertion type, the length Lb of the substrate hole insertion portion (substrate hole insertion portion 331d, substrate hole insertion portion 332d, substrate hole insertion portion 333d) in the bending process is Each linear male terminal is bent so as to be longer than the length (see FIG. 14B). As a result, Lb becomes longer than La (the length of the substrate hole insertion portion in the case of the surface mount type; see FIG. 14A) (see FIG. 14B). Further, in the cutting step, the wire is cut in consideration in advance so that the length Lb of the substrate hole insertion portion after the bending step is longer than the length of the substrate through hole 42. As a result, in the assembled connector, the length Lb of the board hole insertion portion is longer than Ld by Ld (see FIG. 14).

  Further, in the assembly method when the male terminal is a pin insertion type, the board attachment process is different from the board attachment process when the male terminal is a surface mount type. In this case, the male terminal is soldered to the substrate by a flow method. Specifically, first, the male terminal is temporarily fixed to the substrate 4 using an adhesive (the substrate hole insertion portion is inserted into the substrate through hole 42). Thereafter, the back surface of the substrate 4 is immersed in a solder bath containing solder melted by heating, and the male terminals are soldered to the substrate 4. When the male terminal is a pin insertion type, the connector is assembled in this manner.

  When the male terminal is of the pin insertion type, the solder in the solder bath reaches the surface of the substrate 4 from the back surface of the substrate 4 through the substrate through hole 42 by immersing the back surface of the substrate 4 in the solder bath. To do. Thereby, in each male terminal, the board hole insertion portion and the intermediate portion are securely soldered. Further, the substrate through hole 42 is sufficiently filled with solder.

(effect)
Next, effects obtained by the male terminal manufacturing method and the connector manufacturing method according to the present embodiment will be described. The male terminal manufacturing method according to the present embodiment is a male terminal (male terminal 31, male terminal 32) used in the connector 1 electrically connected to the mating connector 5 having a plurality of female terminals 7 and the substrate 4. , A male terminal 33), a cutting step of cutting a wire, which is a material of the male terminal, from the wire assembly, and bending the wire to (i) a substrate through hole (substrate) formed in the substrate 4 Substrate hole insertion portion (substrate hole insertion portion 31d, substrate hole insertion portion 32d, substrate hole insertion portion 33d) to be inserted into (hole) 42, and (ii) continuous from the substrate hole insertion portion and along the surface of the substrate 4 And a bending step of forming an extending intermediate part (intermediate part 31m, intermediate part 32m, intermediate part 33m). In the cutting process and the bending process, (1) when the male terminal is a surface mount type, the length of the board hole insertion portion is set to be equal to or shorter than the length of the board through hole 42, and (2) the male terminal is a pin insertion type. In this case, the length of the board hole insertion portion is made longer than the length of the board through hole 42.

  According to this method, first, the difference between the surface mount type male terminal and the pin insertion type male terminal is only the length of the board hole insertion portion. In addition, when manufacturing a male terminal by pressing a metal plate, it is necessary to change the mold when changing the length of a part of the terminal, whereas in this method, a wire is used. Thus, the length of the board hole insertion portion can be easily changed by changing the cutting position and bending position of the wire. That is, it is possible to easily switch between the production of the surface mount type male terminal and the production of the pin insertion type male terminal. Therefore, it is not necessary to manufacture the surface mount type and pin insertion type male terminals by a manufacturing process dedicated to each male terminal, and both the surface mount type male terminal and the pin insertion type male terminal are the same. It can be manufactured by a manufacturing process.

  Further, according to this method, a metal terminal is not required for producing a male terminal using a wire. Therefore, the male terminal can be manufactured in a short period of time, and the manufacturing cost of the male terminal is reduced.

  The connector manufacturing method according to the present embodiment is a method for manufacturing the connector 1 that is electrically connected to the mating connector 5 having the plurality of female terminals 7 and the substrate 4, and includes a plurality of male terminals ( A connector housing forming step for forming the connector housing 2 having the wall portion 22 for supporting the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33), and a cutting step for separating the wire that is the material of the male terminal from the wire aggregate; By inserting each wire into a through hole (through hole 23, through hole 24, or through hole 25) formed in the wall 22, and bending each wire, (i) the substrate 4 A substrate hole insertion portion (substrate hole insertion portion 31d, substrate hole insertion portion 32d, or substrate hole insertion portion 33d) to be inserted into the formed substrate through hole (substrate hole) 42, and (ii) from the substrate hole insertion portion Continuous, surface of substrate 4 An intermediate part (intermediate part 31m, intermediate part 32m, or intermediate part 33m) extending along the line (iii) continuous from the intermediate part and inserted into the through-hole, with respect to the connection direction E of the female terminal 7 and the male terminal An inclined portion (inclined portion 31n, inclined portion 32n, or inclined portion 33n) extending along the inclined direction, and (iv) a terminal connecting portion (terminal connecting portion) protruding from the wall portion 22 and connected to the female terminal 7 31c, the terminal connection part 32c, or the terminal connection part 33c). In the cutting process and the bending process, (1) when the male terminal is a surface mount type, the length of the board hole insertion portion is set to be equal to or shorter than the length of the board through hole 42, and (2) the male terminal is a pin insertion type. In the case of making, the length of the board hole insertion portion is made longer than the length of the board through hole 42, and in the connector housing forming step, each through hole is formed along the direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E. Form.

  According to this method, both the surface mount type male terminal and the pin insertion type male terminal can be manufactured by the same manufacturing process.

  Further, according to this method, a metal terminal is not required for producing a male terminal using a wire. Therefore, the male terminal can be manufactured in a short period of time, and the manufacturing cost of the male terminal is reduced.

  Further, in this method, a through hole into which the male terminal is inserted is formed in the wall portion 22 along a direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E of the female terminal 7 and the male terminal. Therefore, when the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 are connected, the female terminal 7 causes friction (friction between the female terminal 7 and the male terminal) or displacement (position displacement of the female terminal 7 with respect to the male terminal position). Even when the male terminal is pressed, the male terminal is pressed against the inner surface (contact surface 23s, contact surface 24s, contact surface 25s) of the through hole. As a result, since the sliding movement of the male terminal along the through hole is suppressed, the male terminal is hardly pushed out from the through hole of the wall portion 22.

  In addition, by using the above manufacturing method, surface mounting male terminals and pin insertion type dedicated manufacturing facilities for each male terminal become unnecessary, and the same or similar manufacturing facilities can be used for each male terminal. Manufacture is possible.

  Further, in the connector 1, the male terminal is difficult to come off in the direction pushed by the female terminal 7 when the two connectors are connected, that is, the E1 side in the connection direction E. For example, if the male terminal is bent on the E1 side of the wall portion 22, the male terminal is hardly pulled out to the E2 side in the connection direction E.

  In addition, according to the connector 1, the male terminal (male terminal 31, male terminal 32, male) is changed from the through hole (through hole 23, through hole 24, through hole 25) by a simple means of bending the male terminal. A structure in which the terminal 33) is difficult to be removed can be realized.

  Further, in the manufacture of the connector 1, since the male terminal is manufactured from the wire without using the metal plate pressing mold, it is more flexible than the case where the male terminal is manufactured by pressing the metal plate. Connector specifications can be changed.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since a male terminal is made from a wire, no scrap is generated when manufacturing the male terminal. Therefore, useless material costs can be reduced. In many cases, scrap is plated, and in that case, the transaction price of the scrap becomes low. Therefore, it is desirable from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost that the amount of generated scrap is reduced.

  As described above, the manufacturing cost of the connector according to the present embodiment is lower than that in the case where the male terminal is manufactured by pressing the metal plate. This cost reduction effect becomes more prominent as the number of poles (number of male terminals) increases.

  As described above, the connector 1 is a type of connector in which the connection direction E is the same as the direction along the surface of the substrate 4. In such a type of connector, it is conceivable that the male terminal is bent vertically at one place (see the male terminal 931 according to the reference example shown in the broken line part in FIG. 12B). Compared to such a male terminal 931, in the connector 1 of this embodiment, the terminal length of the male terminal 31 is shortened (the same applies to the male terminal 32 and the male terminal 33). Therefore, compared with the male terminal 931, the electrical resistance of the male terminal is reduced, and the amount of heat generated at the male terminal is reduced, so that a decrease in connector performance can be prevented. In addition, by shortening the terminal length of the male terminal, the delay of the high-frequency electrical signal can be reduced when the male terminal is a signal transmission terminal.

  In addition, when the through hole is formed along the connection direction E, in order to suppress the movement of the male terminal manufactured from the wire, the wall portion is thickened and the through hole is lengthened, and the action of the friction force Need to be increased. On the other hand, in this method, with respect to the connection direction E, on the E1 side of the terminal connection portion (terminal connection portion 31c, terminal connection portion 32c, terminal connection portion 33c), the inner surface of the through hole (contact surface 23s, contact surface 24s, contact surface) 25s), the movement of the male terminal is more significantly suppressed by the through-holes in the wall than in the case where the through-hole formation direction coincides with the connection direction E. Therefore, according to this method, the movement of the male terminal can be suppressed without increasing the thickness of the wall portion.

  As described above, the connector 1 is a connector in which the connection direction E and the surface of the substrate 4 are parallel, but the connector is not limited to such a type. For example, the connector 1 and the substrate 4 are connected. The surface may be perpendicular. In this case, for example, the male terminal only needs to be bent at two locations across the wall portion 22.

  In the above-described embodiment, the inclined portion is inclined with respect to the connection direction in the side view (see FIG. 4), but the inclined portion is inclined with respect to the connection direction in the plan view (top view). May be. Similarly, the through hole may be inclined with respect to the connection direction in plan view.

  Note that the board hole insertion portion, the intermediate portion, the inclined portion, and the terminal connection portion may not be located on the virtual plane R. In addition, the inclined portion may not extend from the position on the most rear side (E2 side) in the connection direction in the intermediate portion, and may extend from the position on the most front side (E1 side) of the intermediate portion.

(First modification)
Next, a first modification of the above embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the above embodiment. In addition, about the part similar to said embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to a figure and the description is abbreviate | omitted. FIG. 15 is a schematic side view of a wall portion with a male terminal according to a first modification. In FIG. 15, oblique lines indicating the cross section are omitted.

  In this modification, a plurality of through holes (through hole 423, through hole 424, and through hole 425) are formed in the wall portion 422, and these through holes are formed along the connection direction E. . Similarly to the above embodiment, the through holes 423, the through holes 424, and the through holes 425 are not arranged on a straight line along the vertical direction in FIG. Therefore, in a state where a plurality of male terminals are inserted into the wall 422, the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33 do not overlap in plan view (top view).

  And the E1 side of the terminal connection part 31c, the terminal connection part 32c, and the terminal connection part 33c of a plurality of male terminals (male terminal 31, male terminal 32, and male terminal 33) is a plurality of penetrations. Inserted into the hole. The wall portion and the through hole may be formed in this way.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

  You may utilize the connector which concerns on this invention as an ECU connection connector of a motor vehicle. The application of the connector of the present invention is not limited to ECU connection, but can be used as a connector for other board connection, power supply connection, or relay. Moreover, you may utilize the connector which concerns on this invention as a connection connector with respect to ECU for EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection; fuel injection control). The present invention can be applied to both waterproof connectors and non-waterproof connectors.

  Moreover, in said embodiment, although the wall part is comprised so that a several male terminal can be supported, a wall part may support only one male terminal. Moreover, although the plurality of through holes are arranged in three rows on the wall portion, the plurality of through holes may be arranged in a row on the wall portion.

  In the above-described embodiment, each through hole is formed along one straight line, but the through hole may be formed along a curve.

  Further, the plurality of male terminals may be used for power supply connection or signal transmission, or may be used for both.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the substrate 4 is disposed inside the connector 1, but the configuration of the connector is not limited to this, for example, the substrate is not inside the connector, but other than the connector. The connector may be arranged in the apparatus, and the connector may be a relay connection between the counterpart connector for power supply and another apparatus having a substrate. For example, the connector may be as shown in FIG. In FIG. 16, portions denoted by reference numerals 501, 502, 521, 521 c, and 522 correspond to portions denoted by 1, 2, 21, 21 c, and 22 in FIG. 1. Moreover, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the part similar to FIG. A connector 501 shown in FIG. 16 has a connector housing 502 and a plurality of male terminals. The connector housing 502 has a main body 521 and a wall 522 (the cover housing is not provided). The main body portion 521 includes an accommodating portion that accommodates the wall portion 522 and a distal end portion 521c, and the substrate 4 is disposed not outside the connector housing 502 but outside the connector housing 502. Further, the surface of the wall portion 522 on the E1 side is exposed without being covered with the connector housing 502, and the connection portion between the plurality of male terminals and the substrate is also exposed without being covered with the connector housing 502. ing.

It is a side schematic diagram showing the whole composition of the connector concerning one embodiment of the present invention, and the other party connector. It is a perspective view of a connector. It is the schematic of a connector, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a right view, (e) is a rear view. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A ′ of FIG. 3. It is the schematic of a wall part, (a) is a front view, (b) is a right view, (c) is B-B 'sectional drawing of (a). It is a perspective view of the main-body part of a connector housing. It is the schematic of the main-body part of a connector housing, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a right view, (e) is a rear view. It is a perspective view of a housing cover. It is a perspective view of a board | substrate. It is a perspective view which shows the state by which the wall part with a male terminal was attached to the board | substrate. It is the schematic of a board | substrate with a wall part, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a rear view, (e) is a right view, (f) is It is CC 'sectional drawing of (b). It is the schematic which shows a part of assembly process of a connector, (a) shows the state after an insertion process, (b) shows the state after a bending process. It is a side schematic diagram of a substrate with a wall. It is the schematic of a board | substrate with a wall part, (a) is a surface mounting type | mold, (b) is a pin insertion type | mold. It is a side schematic diagram of the wall part with a male terminal concerning the 1st modification. It is the side schematic diagram which shows the whole structure of the connector which concerns on other embodiment of this invention, and the other party connector.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector 2 Connector housing 21 Main-body part 21b Opening part 21c Tip part 21f Top plate part 21g Protrusion part 21s Internal space 21v Side wall part 21w Side wall part 22 Wall part 22d Groove parts 23, 24, 25 Through-holes 23s, 24s, 25s Contact surface 26 Cover housing 26b Bottom plate portion 26v Side wall portion 26w Side wall portions 31, 32, 33 Male terminals 31b, 32b, 33b Insertion portions 31c, 32c, 33c Terminal connection portions 31d, 32d, 33d Substrate hole insertion portions 31m, 32m, 33m Intermediate portion 31n , 32n, 33n Inclined portion 4 Substrate 41 Substrate terminal 42 Substrate through hole (substrate hole)
43 Metal film 5 Mating connector 6 Mating housing 7 Female terminal

Claims (2)

A manufacturing method of a male terminal used in a connector electrically connected to a mating connector and a substrate having a female terminal,
A cutting step of cutting the wire that is the material of the male terminal from the wire assembly,
By bending the wire, (i) a substrate hole insertion portion that is inserted into a substrate hole formed in the substrate, and (ii) an intermediate portion that is continuous from the substrate hole insertion portion and extends along the surface of the substrate. And a bending step to form,
In the cutting step and the bending step, (1) when the male terminal is a surface mount type, the length of the board hole insertion portion is equal to or less than the length of the board hole, and (2) the male terminal When making a pin insertion type, the length of the board hole insertion portion is made longer than the length of the board hole. A method of manufacturing a connector that is electrically connected to a mating connector having a female terminal and a substrate,
A connector housing forming step of forming a connector housing having a wall portion for supporting the male terminal;
A cutting step of cutting the wire that is the material of the male terminal from the wire assembly,
An insertion step of inserting the wire into a through hole formed in the wall;
By bending the wire, (i) a substrate hole insertion portion that is inserted into a substrate hole formed in the substrate, and (ii) an intermediate portion that is continuous from the substrate hole insertion portion and extends along the surface of the substrate. And (iii) an inclined portion that is continuous from the intermediate portion, is inserted into the through-hole, and extends along a direction inclined with respect to a connection direction of the female terminal and the male terminal, and (iv) from the wall portion And a bending step that forms a terminal connection portion that protrudes and is connected to the female terminal,
In the cutting step and the bending step, (1) when the male terminal is a surface mount type, the length of the board hole insertion portion is equal to or less than the length of the board hole, and (2) the male terminal When making the pin insertion type, the length of the substrate hole insertion portion is longer than the length of the substrate hole,
In the connector housing forming step, the through hole is formed along a direction inclined with respect to the connection direction.

Images