JP5101974B2 - Metal component support and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an airtight structure of a metal part support having a metal part and a housing. In the following, the connector will be mainly described. However, the present invention can be applied in a wider range and can be applied in many different environments and for various purposes.

  An example of a conventional cable relay connector is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the plug housing in the cable relay connector of Patent Document 1, the first plug portion and the second plug portion are formed on both sides of the central barrier portion, and the same shape receptacle is detachably inserted. The contact press-fitting hole formed in the barrier portion is provided with a plug contact in a state of penetrating the barrier portion so that both end portions protrude into the respective receptacle insertion holes. Then, the plug contact is press-fitted into the contact press-fitting hole by forming a retaining protrusion, or is molded integrally when the plug housing is molded. Thereby, the airtightness between the receptacle insertion holes on both sides is maintained.

  Further, the waterproof connector of Patent Document 2 includes a housing having a terminal accommodating chamber in which terminals are accommodated, a seal portion that seals the terminal accommodating chamber, and a soft seal material that is assembled to the seal portion. The soft sealing material is provided with an insertion hole having a size larger than the outer diameter of the terminal, and the soft sealing material is inserted into a sealing material accommodation space provided in the seal portion. Furthermore, a pressurizing member is provided in the seal portion so that the soft sealing material in the sealing material accommodation space is pressurized to reduce the insertion hole so as to come into close contact with and contact with the outer periphery of the electric wire. Here, the soft sealing material is a gel made of silicone or the like. As a result, the waterproof performance can be ensured by the soft sealing material being in close contact with and in contact with the entire outer periphery of the electric wire.

  Further, in the waterproof joint connector of Patent Document 3, a plurality of connection terminals with wires connected to the rear end are accommodated in the housing, and the middle and rear portions of the housing and part of the wires are waterproof. It is surrounded by an adhesive sealing material made of, for example, butyl rubber having adhesiveness, and the rear part of the connection terminal (with electric wire) is sealed. Thereby, an adhesive sealing material seals the clearance gap in a cover.

JP 2007-5155 A Japanese Patent No. 3565541 Japanese Patent No. 3452159

  In the technique of Patent Document 1, the plug contact penetrates the barrier portion by press-fitting or integral molding (insert molding). However, in a product by press-fitting or integral molding, the inner surface of the contact press-fitting hole of the barrier part and the plug contact are easily separated, and the airtightness and waterproofness of the barrier part cannot be ensured. In particular, in environments where heating and cooling are repeated, the housing formed from the synthetic resin material contracts and expands, resulting in a gap between the housing and the terminal due to the difference in the coefficient of linear expansion from the metal terminal. easy. As a result, when the cable relay connector is exposed to moisture, rainwater, or the like, it is conceivable that air or water containing moisture passes through this gap, resulting in a decrease in airtightness and waterproofness.

  Further, in the technique of Patent Document 2, since the soft sealing material is provided in the sealing material housing space of the housing, the adhesion between the terminal and the sealing material is higher than that of the technique of Patent Document 1, and the airtight and waterproofing is achieved. Although the performance is considered to be high, the soft sealing material is in a solid state, so the adhesion to the outer periphery of the wire is lower than when sealed with a fluid sealing material, and the airtightness and waterproofness are not It is considered low.

  For this reason, for example, such a technique is applied for electrical connection between the inside and outside of a waterproof case that houses electronic parts, optical parts, etc. that require airtightness and waterproofness. In addition, it is conceivable that a short circuit or the like occurs in an electronic component and causes a failure, and in an optical component, fogging occurs on a lens surface or the like and the performance is deteriorated.

  Furthermore, in the technique of Patent Document 2, a separate pressing member for covering silicon is required, and the number of parts and the number of assembly steps increase.

  In the technique of Patent Document 3, sticky butyl rubber is used as an adhesive seal material. However, when the adhesive seal material is used in a fluid state without being cured, the seal material is exposed to the outside during use. A cover for preventing the liquid from flowing out is required, and the attachment process is also required accordingly, so that the configuration of the product and the manufacturing process become complicated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a metal part support body that is simply configured and has high airtightness and waterproofness, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Means and effects for solving the problems

To achieve the above object, a manufacturing method of the metal component support according to the present invention is a method for producing a metallic component support having a multiple metal parts, and a housing for supporting the metal component , the wall in which the metal component penetrates into the housing is formed, and, on the inside of the wall, the sealing material in a fluid state is partition the respective filling space is formed Rutotomoni the plurality of metal parts to be filled A housing forming step of forming the housing so that a partition plate is provided on the wall portion, and the housing so that the metal part passes through the wall portion through the inside of the filling space. A metal part mounting step for attaching the filling space to the filling space, an injection step for filling the filling space by injecting a sealing material in a fluid state, and the flow state of the seal member. The sealing material, heating, cooling, and a, and a curing step of curing by at least one of moistening. In the injection step, the sealing material is filled so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the metal part inside the filling space and surrounding the metal part.

  According to this configuration, the sealing material is filled by filling the filling space with the fluidized sealing material while the metal part passes through the wall portion while passing through the inside of the filling space and curing the sealing material. The outer periphery of the metal part inside the space is closely attached around the metal part without any gaps. Therefore, the gas or liquid is prevented from penetrating through the wall portion through the gap around the metal part. Further, since the sealing material is in close contact with the inner surface of the wall portion forming the filling space without a gap, gas or liquid may enter the gap between the inner surface of the wall portion forming the filling space and the sealing material. Deterred. As a result, it is possible to prevent gas or liquid from penetrating and moving from one side of the wall portion to the other side. Furthermore, since the sealing material is finally cured, there is no need for a cover member or the like for preventing the sealing material from flowing out when the connector is used, and the number of parts does not increase. As described above, it is possible to manufacture a metal component support body that is simply configured and has high airtightness and waterproofness. In addition, since the sealing material can be concentrated and injected without being diffused, the sealing material can be sealed with a minimum amount of the sealing material.

The order of the housing forming process, the metal part attaching process, the pouring process, and the curing process is not limited to the described order, and can be combined in the following order, for example.
(1) Housing formation process → Metal part attachment process → Injection process → Hardening process (2) Housing formation process → Injection process → Metal part attachment process → Hardening process When manufacturing connectors in the order of (2) above, seal The metal member must be attached to the housing before the material is cured.

  Further, when the order of (2) is followed, the sealing material always adheres to a part of the metal member. Therefore, when a metal member is used as a terminal, a measure for removing the sealing material attached to the metal member is necessary to ensure contact reliability with respect to electrical connection.

Further, the housing forming step and the metal component attaching step may be performed simultaneously as a single unit. That is, the terminal and the housing may be insert-molded. In this case, the order of the steps is as follows.
(3) Housing formation / metal component attaching step → injection step → curing step There may be another step between the steps described in the above (1) to (3) and before and after these steps. .

  In the housing forming step, the housing is formed such that a through hole for allowing the metal component to pass through is formed in the wall portion, and in the metal component attaching step, the metal component is formed into the through hole. By inserting the metal part, the metal part may be attached to the housing so as to penetrate the wall portion through the inside of the filling space. For metal parts to penetrate the wall, press-fitting and insert molding (integral molding) can be considered. However, in insert molding, the cycle time for molding is long, and labor costs increase accordingly. Moreover, its productivity is low. Furthermore, in the molded product by insert molding, although the metal part and the housing are in close contact with each other, they are not integrated, so it is not possible to prevent water from entering between them. There is a limit to the improvement of waterproofness by molding. Therefore, with such a configuration, by press-fitting metal parts, productivity can be increased and waterproofness can be increased as compared with insert molding.

  The sealing material in the injection step is a hot melt adhesive, and in the curing step, the fluidized sealing material may be cured by cooling.

  The hot-melt adhesive is a composition in which a solid adhesive, which is a thermoplastic resin component, is heated and melted to give fluidity, and is applied and then cured and bonded by cooling. Examples of hot-melt adhesives include polyester-based hot-melt adhesives, ethylene-vinyl acetate resin hot-melt adhesives (based on a resin that is a copolymer of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVA) and vinyl acetate), Reactive hot melt adhesive (based on urethane resin), polyurethane resin hot melt adhesive (based on thermoplastic polyurethane resin), polyolefin resin hot melt adhesive (non-crystalline polypropylene resin (APP ) And the like.

  Hot melt adhesives have high processing stability and are easily lined, for example, compared to silicone adhesives. In addition, the processing time is short and the load on the housing is small as compared with a silicone-based adhesive.

  In the housing forming step, the housing may be formed so that an injection port for injecting the sealing material into the filling space is formed. For example, in the technique of the above-mentioned Patent Document 3, an adhesive seal material is provided in advance inside a cover that is a separate component from the housing, and it is necessary to attach this cover to the housing. On the other hand, according to this configuration, the sealing material can be efficiently supplied by injecting the fluid sealing material into the injection port. Therefore, a configuration in which the fluid-state seal material can be easily injected into the housing can be obtained, and, for example, it becomes easy to apply automatic injection of the seal material in the production line.

  In the injection step, the sealing material may be injected under pressure into the filling space. According to this, the sealing material can be defoamed by pressurization of the sealing material, and the density of the sealing material can be increased. Therefore, the metal component support body which has higher airtightness and waterproofness can be manufactured.

  In the housing forming step, the housing is formed so that an air escape hole for preventing air from being caught in the sealing material is formed, and in the injecting step, the sealing material is used together with the sealing material. The sealing material in a fluid state may be injected into the filling space while letting air entering the filling space escape from the air escape hole. According to this, it can suppress that air mixes in a sealing material, and a more reliable sealing effect is acquired.

  The metal component support is used as a connector that is electrically connected to a mating connector having a mating terminal, and the metal component may be a terminal. According to this, it is possible to manufacture a connector that is configured simply and has high airtightness and waterproofness. Therefore, in a device that requires airtightness and waterproofness, it is possible to suppress a failure and a decrease in performance.

  In the housing forming step, the wall portion is formed to have a first wall portion and a second wall portion, and the filling space is formed between the first wall portion and the second wall portion. The housing may be formed so that the metal part penetrates the first wall part and the second wall part in the metal part attaching step. According to this, the wall portion has the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and the sealing material is filled between them, thereby blocking the sealing material, Since the sealing material does not flow out to the connection portion with the terminal, connection failure does not occur due to adhesion of the sealing material, and contact reliability with respect to electrical connection is ensured.

In order to achieve the above object, the metal component support according to the present invention includes a multiple metal parts, metal parts support having a housing, a supporting the metal component, wherein the housing It has a wall part which the said metal component penetrates. A filling space filled with a fluid sealant is formed inside the wall, and a partition plate is provided on the wall so as to partition each of the plurality of metal parts. The metal part is attached to the housing so as to pass through the wall portion through the inside of the filling space, the filling space is filled with a sealing material, and the sealing material is The sealing material in a fluid state is injected into the filling space to fill the filling space, and then the sealing material in a fluid state is cured by at least one of heating, cooling, and moisture application. The sealing material is filled so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the metal part in the filling space and surrounding the metal part.

  According to this configuration, since it is possible to prevent the gas and liquid from penetrating and moving from one side of the wall portion to the other side, a metal component support body that is simply configured and has high airtightness and waterproofness is provided. can get.

  The metal component support is used as a connector that is electrically connected to a mating connector having a mating terminal, and the metal component may be a terminal. According to this, a connector having a simple structure and having high airtightness and waterproofness can be obtained. Therefore, in a device that requires airtightness and waterproofness, it is possible to suppress a failure and a decrease in performance.

  The sealing material may be a hot melt adhesive, and the sealing material filled in the filling space may be obtained by curing the fluidized sealing material by cooling. Hot melt adhesives have high processing stability and are easily lined, for example, compared to silicone adhesives. In addition, the processing time is short and the load on the housing is small as compared with a silicone-based adhesive.

  The housing may be formed with an inlet for injecting the sealing material into the filling space. According to this, the structure which is easy to inject | pour the sealing material of a fluid state with respect to a housing is obtained.

  The housing may be formed with an air escape hole for preventing air from entering the sealing material. According to this, it can suppress that air mixes in a sealing material, and a more reliable sealing effect is acquired.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, only preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown for convenience of explanation, but the present invention is not limited thereby.

(About overall structure)
First, an overall configuration of a connection structure including a connector (metal component support) according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic side view showing an overall configuration of a connection structure including a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the connector of FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of the connector of FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the connector of FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the connector of FIG. 6 is a schematic bottom perspective view of the connector of FIG. 7 is a schematic rear perspective view of the connector of FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. 5 showing the connector that has undergone the curing process in the method for manufacturing the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line DD ′ of FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a housing that has undergone a housing formation step in the method for manufacturing a connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a housing structure in a state where a metal part attaching step is performed in the connector manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the housing structure after an injection process in the method for manufacturing the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  7 corresponds to a perspective view of the direction F in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 corresponds to a view taken along the arrow G-G ′ in FIG. FIG. 5 corresponds to an E-E ′ arrow view of FIG. 3. Further, the cutting position of the cross section of FIGS. 11 to 12 corresponds to a B-B ′ position when described with reference to FIG. 5.

  The connector 1 is a plug connector used for electrical connection between the inside and the outside of the waterproof case 9 and includes a plurality of terminals (metal parts) 2 and a housing 3 that supports the terminals 2. Yes. The waterproof case 9 is provided as a component part of the inter-vehicle distance sensor. The waterproof case 9 accommodates a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) 8, a board connecting connector 8c, an optical component (not shown), and the like. Further, a plurality of terminals 8m electrically connected to the PCB 8 are disposed in the board connecting connector 8c (FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view, and only one terminal 8m is shown in the figure. ing). The application to the inter-vehicle distance sensor is an example, and the connector 1 may be used for other devices.

  FIG. 1 shows a state where the connector 1 is attached to the waterproof case 9. In this state, the connector 1 is inserted into the waterproof case 9, that is, the case side outer peripheral wall 3 b of the housing 3 of the connector 1 is inserted into the insertion hole 9 h formed in the waterproof case 9. In this state, the connector 1 is connected to the board connecting connector 8c, and the plurality of terminals 2 and the plurality of terminals 8m are electrically connected.

  In the present embodiment, the socket connector 7 and the connector 1 are connected, so that the inside and the outside of the waterproof case 9 are electrically connected. The socket connector 7 has a housing 7h and a plurality of mating terminals 7m, and a plurality of conductors 7c are connected to the mating terminals 7m (FIG. 1 shows one mating terminal). 7m, only conductor 7c is shown). A guide groove 7r formed in a groove shape is formed on the plug side of the housing 7h so that the plug-side outer peripheral wall portion 3c of the connector 1 can be received when connected. The other ends of the plurality of conductive wires 7c are connected to a power source, a control device, and the like. Then, when the plug-side outer peripheral wall 3c of the connector 1 is fitted into the guide groove 7r of the socket connector 7, the plurality of mating terminals 7m and the plurality of terminals 2 come into contact with each other, and an external power source and control device And the PCB 8 inside the waterproof case 9 are electrically connected so that, for example, an inter-vehicle distance sensor functions.

  Since the waterproof case 9 contains electronic components such as PCB 8 and optical components, the entry of water or water containing moisture into the waterproof case 9 may cause a failure due to a short circuit or an optical sensor. This may cause a decrease in performance due to clouding. Therefore, the connection structure including the connector 1 in the present embodiment is configured such that water containing water or moisture does not enter the waterproof case 9.

  More specifically, first, the waterproof case 9 is formed with an O-ring groove 9s, and an O-ring 9r is attached to the groove 9s. When the connector 1 is attached to the waterproof case 9, the O-ring 9 r is sandwiched between the connector 1 and the waterproof case 9, thereby entering from between the waterproof case 9 and the connector 1. Water or air is prevented from entering the inside of the waterproof case 9 through the insertion hole 9 h of the waterproof case 9. Further, the connector 1 prevents the water and air in the internal space 3z of the plug-side outer peripheral wall 3c from entering the inside of the waterproof case 9 through the inside of the connector 1 by the wall 4 and the sealing material 6s. It is configured. Details of the waterproof structure will be described later.

  Next, details of the connector 1 will be described. As described above, the connector 1 includes a plurality of terminals 2 and a housing 3 that supports the terminals 2. Hereinafter, the configuration of each unit will be described.

(housing)
The housing 3 is made of a low conductive plastic material such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). Moreover, the housing 3 has a wall portion 4 through which the plurality of terminals 2 pass, and the wall portion 4 is formed with a plurality of through holes 4h through which the plurality of terminals 2 pass ( (See FIGS. 1, 5, 8, 9, and 11). Since each of the plurality of terminals 2 and the plurality of through holes 4h is configured in the same manner, only one terminal 2 and the through hole 4h will be described below, and description of the other terminals and through holes will be omitted. Sometimes.

  The housing 3 includes a plug-side outer peripheral wall portion 3c, a flange portion 3f, a case-side outer peripheral wall portion 3b, and a wall portion 4 (see FIGS. 2 and 9). The plug-side outer peripheral wall portion 3c is formed in a cylindrical shape and has an elliptical cross section, is inserted into the guide groove 7r of the socket connector 7, and also functions as a protective cover for the terminal 2 (FIG. 2). 5). A connection port 3d is formed in the plug-side outer peripheral wall 3c, and an inner space 3z is formed inside the plug-side outer peripheral wall 3c (see FIG. 9). When the connector 1 and the socket connector 7 are connected, a central cover portion 7t that is a part of the socket housing 7h and is inside the guide groove 7r, and a plurality of mating terminals 7m are inserted into the connection port 3d. (See FIG. 1).

  The case-side outer peripheral wall 3b is formed in a rectangular tube shape (see FIG. 7), is inserted into the insertion hole 9h of the waterproof case 9, and also functions as a protective cover for the terminal 2. A connection port 3g is formed in the case-side outer peripheral wall portion 3b, and an inner space 3y is formed inside the case-side outer peripheral wall portion 3b (see FIG. 9). When the connector 1 and the PCB 8 are connected, the tip of the board connecting connector 8c and the plurality of terminals 8m are inserted into the connection port 3g (see FIG. 1).

  The flange portion 3f is a portion protruding in the shape of a bowl outward in the radial direction (see FIGS. 2 to 7), and is used when the connector 1 and the waterproof case 9 are connected and fixed. Specifically, screws (or bolts and nuts) (not shown) are attached to the waterproof case 9 through the screw holes 3n and 3n formed in the flange portion 3f. The flange surface 3s of the flange portion 3f (see FIGS. 3, 4 and 7) comes into contact with each other, so that the connector 1 is fixed in a stable state to the waterproof case 9 (see FIG. 1).

  The wall portion 4 prevents water and air inside the plug-side outer peripheral wall portion 3c from entering the inside of the waterproof case 9 through the inside of the connector 1 and supports the terminal 2 with respect to the housing 3 is doing.

  In addition, a filling space 5 is formed inside the wall portion 4, and the filling space 5 is filled with a sealing material in a fluid state as described later (see FIGS. 11 and 12). ). More specifically, the wall portion 4 is configured to include a first wall portion 4f (see the broken line portion in FIG. 11), a second wall portion 4s (see the broken line portion in FIG. 11), and a bottom portion 4b. The filling space 5 is in a state formed between the first wall portion 4f and the second wall portion 4s (see FIG. 11). The bottom portion 4b functions as a bottom portion of the filling space 5, and the sealing material is applied from below so that the sealing material does not flow out of the housing 3 when a fluidized sealing material described later is injected. Receive (see FIG. 10). Further, the first wall portion 4f and the second wall portion 4s prevent the seal material from flowing out into the internal space 3z of the plug-side outer peripheral wall portion 3c and the inner space 3y of the case-side outer peripheral wall portion 3b, respectively. It is comprised so that a sealing material may be blocked. And the through-hole 4h is formed along the same straight line so that it may mutually continue through the filling space 5 in both the 1st wall part 4f and the 2nd wall part 4s (refer FIG. 11). Therefore, the terminal 2 can penetrate the through hole 4h. Further, a concave flange receiving portion 4j having a diameter larger than the diameter of the through hole 4h is formed at the mouth portion of the through hole 4h on the inner space 3z side of the first wall portion 4f (see FIG. 11). In the following description, the filling space 5 is similarly described as “filling space” regardless of whether the sealing material is not filled or filled.

  In the wall portion 4, a plurality of partition plates 4 w are provided from the bottom portion 4 b toward the injection port 3 h (upward in the drawing) so as to partition each of the plurality of terminals 2. Thereby, the strength of the housing 3 is ensured. The partition plate 4w may not be provided.

  The housing 3 has an inlet 3h (see FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 9, and 11), and the filling space 5 is opened to the outside of the housing 3 through the inlet 3h. 3 is contacted (see FIG. 11). The injection port 3h is formed in order to inject a fluid-state sealing material into the filling space 5. The injection of the sealing material will be described later.

(Terminal)
The terminal 2 is a metal part formed in a rod shape, and is configured to have a flange portion 2f having a large diameter near one end (see FIGS. 4, 8, and 9). In addition, the flange part 2f does not need to be formed. Moreover, in this embodiment, although the terminal is rod-shaped, a square pin (post), a round pin, or a press terminal formed by cutting a wire may be used, and a flange (a collar portion) is formed on them. It may be a thing.

(About the assembled connector)
Next, the assembled connector 1 will be described. As described above, the connector 1 is electrically connected to the socket connector (mating connector) 7 having the mating terminal 7m.

  In the connector 1, the sealing material 6 s is filled in the filling space 5 (see FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10), and the sealing material 6 s is in a fluid state with respect to the filling space 5. The sealing material is injected to fill the filling space 5, and then the fluidized sealing material is cooled to be hardened. As a result, the sealing material 6 s is filled so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 2 s of the terminal 2 inside the filling space 5 and surrounding the periphery of the terminal 2. In the present embodiment, the sealing material 6s is a hot melt adhesive.

  In the connector 1, the terminal 2 is attached to the housing 3 so that the terminal 2 penetrates the wall 4 (through hole 4 h thereof) (see FIGS. 8 and 9), and The terminal 2 is in a state of penetrating through the wall portion 4 so as to pass through the inside of the sealing material 6s filled in the filling space 5 (see FIGS. 8, 9, and 10). Further, the terminal 2 is in a state of penetrating the first wall portion 4f and the second wall portion 4s (see FIGS. 1 and 9).

(Production method)
Next, a method for manufacturing the connector 1 will be described. First, the housing 3 is formed (housing formation process). Specifically, in this step, the housing 3 is formed of a synthetic resin material so that the wall 4 is formed in the housing 3 and the filling space 5 is formed inside the wall 4. Further, the wall portion 4 is formed to include the first wall portion 4f and the second wall portion 4s, and the filling space 5 is formed between the first wall portion 4f and the second wall portion 4s. Thus, the housing 3 is formed. Further, in this step, the housing 3 is formed so that the injection port 3h is formed, and the through hole 4h through which the terminal 2 passes is formed in the wall portion 4. Here, the diameter of the through hole 4 h is set to be equal to or smaller than the diameter of the terminal 2. The housing 3 that has undergone the housing forming process is as shown in FIG.

  Next, the terminal 2 is attached to the housing 3 (metal component attaching step). In this step, the terminal 2 is attached to the housing 3 so as to pass through the wall portion 4 through the inside of the filling space 5. More specifically, in this step, by inserting the terminal 2 into the through hole 4h, the terminal 2 is attached to the housing 3 so as to pass through the wall portion 4 through the interior of the filling space 5. State. In this step, the terminal 2 is in a state of penetrating the first wall portion 4f and the second wall portion 4s.

  Here, as described above, since the diameter of the through hole 4h is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the terminal 2, it is necessary to push the terminal 2 into the through hole 4h with a certain level of strong pressure. is there. Further, in this step, the flange portion 2 f of the terminal 2 is received by the flange receiving portion 4 j of the housing 3, whereby the terminal 2 can be positioned with respect to the housing 3. The housing structure 1p after the metal part attaching process is as shown in FIG.

  Next, the sealing material 6m in a fluid state is injected into the filling space 5 to fill the filling space 5 (injecting step). The sealing material 6m in this injection step is a hot melt adhesive, and more specifically, an olefin hot melt adhesive. This sealing material 6m is injected using an applicator (not shown).

  Hereinafter, injection | pouring of the sealing material 6m of a fluid state is demonstrated concretely. In the initial state, the sealing material is in a solid state. And this sealing material of a solid state is thrown into an applicator, and a sealing material is heated and fuse | melted inside, and a sealing material is made into a fluid state (Thereby, the sealing material becomes the sealing material 6m of a fluid state). And the sealing material 6m of a fluid state is pressure-inject | poured into the filling space 5 from the injection port 3h using an applicator. At this time, the sealing material 6m is injected into the injection port 3h while being pressurized by the pressure of the cylinder as the nozzle touch in the applicator is lowered. Then, the sealing material 6 m in a fluid state is filled into the filling space 5. At this time, the terminal 2 is in a state of passing through the wall portion 4 so as to pass through the inside of the filling space 5 (see FIG. 12). In this step, the fluidized sealing material 6m is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface 2s (see FIGS. 8, 11, 12, and 13) of the terminal 2 inside the filling space 5 and around the terminal 2. It will be enclosed and filled. The housing structure 1q after the injection process is as shown in FIG.

  Next, the sealing material 6m in a fluid state is cured by cooling (curing process). Thereby, the sealing material becomes the cured sealing material 6s. The connector 1 after the curing process is as shown in FIG.

  In the connector 1 that has undergone the curing process, the sealing material 6 s is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 2 s of the terminal 2 inside the filling space 5 so as to surround the terminal 2 without a gap. Therefore, gas and liquid move through the wall 4 from one side of the wall 4 (the side of the internal space 3z or the internal space 3y) to the other side (the side of the internal space 3y or the internal space 3z). Since this can be suppressed, airtightness and waterproofness are enhanced.

(effect)
Next, effects obtained by the connector 1 according to the present embodiment and the manufacturing method thereof will be described. The connector manufacturing method according to the present embodiment is a method for manufacturing a connector (metal component support) 1 having a plurality of terminals (metal components) 2 and a housing 3 that supports the terminals 2. A housing in which the housing 3 is formed so that a wall portion 4 through which the terminal 2 passes is formed, and a filling space 5 filled with a sealing material 6m in a fluid state is formed inside the wall portion 4. A forming step, a metal part attaching step in which the terminal 2 is attached to the housing 3 so as to pass through the wall portion 4 through the inside of the filling space 5, and a flow state with respect to the filling space 5. There are an injection process for injecting the sealing material 6m to fill the filling space 5, and a curing process for hardening the fluidized sealing material 6m by cooling. In the injection process, the sealing material 6m is filled with the filling space. Internal so as to be in close contact with the outer circumferential surface 2s of the terminal 2 in the, and, filling surrounds the pin 2.

  With this configuration, the terminal 2 passes through the wall 4 while passing through the interior of the filling space 5, the filling space 5 is filled with the sealing material 6 m in a fluid state, and the sealing material 6 m is cured, thereby The material 6s is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 2s of the terminal 2 in the filling space 5 so as to surround the terminal 2 without a gap. Therefore, the gas or liquid is prevented from penetrating through the wall portion 4 through the gap around the terminal 2. Further, since the sealing material 6s is in close contact with the inner surface of the wall portion 4 that forms the filling space 5 (see, for example, 4v in FIG. 11, including the upper surface of the bottom portion 4b) without any gap, the wall that forms the filling space 5 Gas and liquid are also prevented from entering the gap between the inner surface of the portion 4 and the sealing material 6s. As a result, gas or liquid can be prevented from penetrating from one side of the wall portion 4 to the other side. Furthermore, since the sealing material is finally cured, there is no need for a cover member or the like for preventing the sealing material from flowing out when the connector 1 is used, and the number of parts does not increase. As described above, it is possible to manufacture a connector that is configured simply and has high airtightness and waterproofness. In addition, since the sealing material can be concentrated and injected without being diffused, the sealing material can be sealed with a minimum amount of the sealing material.

In addition, the order of a housing formation process, a metal component attachment process, an injection | pouring process, and a hardening process can be combined in the following orders.
(1) Housing formation process → Metal part attachment process → Injection process → Hardening process (2) Housing formation process → Injection process → Metal part attachment process → Hardening process Although this embodiment follows the order of (1) above, The order of the above (2) may be followed. In that case, it is necessary to attach the terminal to the housing before the sealing material is cured.

  Further, when the order of (2) is followed, the sealing material always adheres to a part of the terminal (metal part). Therefore, when a metal member is used as a terminal as in this embodiment, a measure for removing the sealing material attached to the terminal is required to ensure contact reliability with respect to electrical connection.

In the present embodiment, the housing formation step and the metal component attachment step are separate steps, but the housing formation step and the metal component attachment step may be performed simultaneously as an integral unit. That is, the terminal and the housing may be insert-molded. In this case, the order of the steps is as follows.
(3) Housing formation / metal parts attachment process → injection process → curing process

  Further, in the housing forming step, the housing 3 is formed so that the through hole 4h for allowing the terminal 2 to pass through is formed in the wall portion 4, and in the metal component attaching step, the terminal 2 is connected to the through hole 4h. Thus, the terminal 2 is attached to the housing 3 so as to pass through the wall portion 4 through the inside of the filling space 5. In order to make the terminal 2 penetrate the wall 4, press-fitting and insert molding (integral molding) can be considered. However, in the case of insert molding, the cycle time for molding is long, and the labor cost increases accordingly. Therefore, its productivity is low. Furthermore, in the molded product by insert molding, although the metal part and the housing are in close contact with each other, they are not integrated, so it is not possible to prevent water from entering between them. There is a limit to the improvement of waterproofness by molding. Therefore, with such a configuration, by press-fitting the terminal 2, productivity can be increased and waterproofness can be increased as compared with insert molding.

  Further, the sealing material 6m in the injection step is a hot melt adhesive, and in the curing step, the fluidized sealing material 6m is cured by cooling. The hot-melt adhesive is a composition in which a solid adhesive, which is a thermoplastic resin component, is heated and melted to give fluidity, and is applied and then cured and bonded by cooling. As hot-melt adhesives, in addition to polyester-based hot melt adhesives, ethylene-vinyl acetate resin hot-melt adhesives (those based on a resin copolymerized with ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVA) and vinyl acetate), Reactive hot melt adhesive (based on urethane resin), polyurethane resin hot melt adhesive (based on thermoplastic polyurethane resin), polyolefin resin hot melt adhesive (non-crystalline polypropylene resin (APP ) And the like may be used.

  Hot melt adhesives have high processing stability and are easily lined, for example, compared to silicone adhesives. In addition, the processing time is short and the load on the housing is small as compared with a silicone-based adhesive.

  Further, in the housing forming step, the housing 3 is formed so as to be in a state where the injection port 3 h for injecting the sealing material 6 m into the filling space 5 is formed. For example, in the technique of the above-mentioned Patent Document 3, an adhesive seal material is provided in advance inside a cover that is a separate component from the housing, and it is necessary to attach this cover to the housing. On the other hand, according to this structure, the sealing material 6m can be efficiently supplied by injecting the fluidized sealing material 6m into the injection port 3h. Therefore, a configuration in which the fluid-state seal material 6m can be easily injected into the housing 3 can be obtained, and for example, the automatic injection of the seal material in the production line can be easily applied.

  In the injection step, the sealing material 6m is pressurized and injected into the filling space 5, so that the sealing material can be defoamed by pressurizing the sealing material 6m, and the density of the sealing material is increased. Can do. Therefore, the metal component support body which has higher airtightness and waterproofness can be manufactured.

  The connector 1 as a metal component support according to the present embodiment is used as a connector that is electrically connected to a socket connector (mating connector) 7 having a mating terminal 7m. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a connector 1 that is simply configured and that has high airtightness and waterproofness. Therefore, in a device that requires airtightness and waterproofness, it is possible to suppress a failure and a decrease in performance.

  Further, in the housing forming step, the wall portion 4 is formed having the first wall portion 4f and the second wall portion 4s, and the filling space 5 is formed between the first wall portion 4f and the second wall portion 4s. The housing 3 is formed in such a state that the terminal 2 penetrates the first wall portion 4f and the second wall portion 4s in the metal component attaching step. With this configuration, the wall portion 4 includes the first wall portion 4f and the second wall portion 4s, and the sealing material 6m is filled therebetween, so that the sealing material 6m is blocked and the terminal Since the sealing material 6m does not flow out to the connection portion with the mating terminal (7m, 8m) at both ends of 2, no connection failure occurs due to adhesion of the sealing material, and contact reliability with respect to electrical connection Is secured.

  The connector 1 according to the present invention is a connector having a plurality of terminals 2 and a housing 3 that supports the terminals 2, and the housing 3 has a wall portion 4 through which the terminals 2 penetrate. The wall 4 is formed with a filling space 5 filled with a sealing material 6m in a fluid state, and the terminal 2 passes through the inside of the filling space 5 so as to penetrate the wall 4. The filling space 5 is filled with a sealing material 6s, and the sealing material 6s fills the filling space 5 by injecting a sealing material 6m in a fluid state into the filling space 5. Thereafter, the fluidized sealing material 6m is cured by cooling, and the sealing material 6s is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 2s of the terminal 2 inside the filling space 5, and the terminal 2 It is filled around.

  According to this configuration, gas or liquid can be prevented from penetrating and moving from one side of the wall portion 4 to the other side, so that a connector 1 having a simple configuration and having high airtightness and waterproofness can be obtained. It is done.

  Further, the connector 1 as a metal part support is used as a connector that is electrically connected to a socket connector (mating connector) 7 having a mating terminal 7m, and has a terminal as a metal part. Thus, the connector 1 which is configured simply and has high airtightness and waterproofness can be obtained. Therefore, in a device that requires airtightness and waterproofness, it is possible to suppress a failure and a decrease in performance.

  The sealing material is a hot-melt adhesive, and the sealing material 6s filled in the filling space 5 is obtained by curing the fluidized sealing material 6m by cooling. Hot melt adhesives have high processing stability and are easily lined, for example, compared to silicone adhesives. In addition, the processing time is short and the load on the housing is small as compared with a silicone-based adhesive.

  Further, since the housing 3 is formed with an injection port 3h for injecting the sealing material 6m into the filling space 5, a configuration in which the fluidized sealing material 6m can be easily injected into the housing 3 can be obtained. .

  Hot melt adhesives exhibit high elasticity in the cured state. For this reason, even if the terminal and the housing are deformed by repeated heating and cooling, the deformation can be flexibly followed. Therefore, even in an environment with a large temperature change, the sealing performance is maintained without deterioration.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the connector and the manufacturing method thereof according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described focusing on the differences from the above embodiment. In addition, this embodiment differs from said 1st Embodiment that the sealing material to be used is not a hot-melt-type adhesive but a thermosetting silicone-type adhesive.

  In the injection process of the manufacturing method of the connector according to the present embodiment, the sealing material (silicone adhesive) that has been cooled and stored in the refrigerator or the like is taken out, and the fluidized sealing material is injected into the filling space. The operator performs the injection work of the sealing material. In the curing step, the sealing material is cured by leaving it at a high temperature (heating temperature is 80 to 120 degrees, and the standing time is 1 to 2 hours). Thereby, the connector which concerns on this embodiment is formed. The heating temperature and the standing time are examples, and different temperatures and times may be used. As described above, a heat-curable adhesive may be used as the sealing material instead of the hot-melt adhesive. In this case, the fluid-state sealing material is cured by heating.

  Silicone adhesives exhibit high elasticity in the cured state. For this reason, even if the terminal and the housing are deformed by repeated heating and cooling, the deformation can be flexibly followed. Therefore, even in an environment with a large temperature change, the sealing performance is maintained without deterioration.

  Next, examples of the connector according to the second embodiment will be described. An airtight performance test was performed using the connector according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, test conditions will be described.

(Test conditions)
After conducting a thermal shock test (one cycle of leaving at -40 degrees and 30 minutes and leaving at 105 degrees and 30 minutes is one cycle), put the connector screwed into the waterproof case of aluminum into the water and continue to send compressed air into the waterproof case . One stage is set to 30 seconds, and air is pressurized by 10 kPa for each stage. Then, the number of bubbles leaking out of the connector is counted.
(1) Housing material: PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) GF30%
(2) Total length of the wall (see L1 in FIG. 9) About 7 mm
(3) Sealing material: One-component heat-effect silicone adhesive TSE322 (manufactured by Toshiba Silicone (registered trademark))

  As a result of conducting the airtight performance test under the above conditions, it was as shown in FIG. After the thermal shock test of 240 cycles and 500 cycles, no bubbles are generated even when the pressure is increased to 600 kPa.

  For comparison, an airtightness test was performed using the connector according to the reference example. Unlike the connector according to the present invention, the connector according to the reference example used a connector having a housing in which no filling space is formed in the wall portion and no sealing material layer is formed. That is, in the housing according to this reference example, the filling space of the connector according to this embodiment is filled with the same synthetic resin material as the other parts of the housing. FIG. 15 shows the result of performing an airtight performance test using the connector according to this reference example under the same conditions as (1) and (2) above. Unlike FIG. 14, the number of generated bubbles increases as the number of cycles of the thermal shock test increases to 240 cycles and 500 cycles. Further, bubbles are generated in a relatively low pressure state (100 kPa or less). However, it can be seen that the connector according to the present embodiment does not generate bubbles even in a high atmospheric pressure state, and has higher airtightness and waterproofness than the reference example.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention and a method for manufacturing the connector will be described with a focus on differences from the above-described 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. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The cross section of FIG. 16 corresponds to FIG. 9 in the first embodiment, and hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described with a focus on portions different from FIG.

  The connector 101 of the present embodiment is different from the connector described above in that an air escape hole 103v for preventing air from entering the sealing material 6m is formed in the housing 103. Further, in the housing forming step of the manufacturing method of the connector according to the present embodiment, the housing 103 is formed so that the air escape hole 103v for preventing the air from entering the sealing material 6m is formed. . In the injection process, the fluid 6a is injected into the filling space 5 while letting the air that enters the filling space 5 together with the sealing material 6m escape from the air escape hole 103v. Thereby, it can suppress that air mixes in the sealing material 6m, and a more reliable sealing effect is acquired.

  In the present embodiment, the air escape hole 103v is formed in the first wall portion 104f of the housing 103, but may be formed in a portion other than this. In addition, for example, the air escape hole may be formed in the housing as a part of the through hole by appropriately setting the relationship between the size of the through hole 4h and the size of the terminal. Specific examples will be described below. In this example, it is assumed that the terminal is in the shape of a square bar and the cross section in the axial direction is square, and the through hole is also formed in a square hole shape, and the shape of the hole is rectangular. The size of the terminal in the axial cross section is 0.64 mm on a side, and the size of the through hole is 0.60 mm × 0.70 mm when no terminal is inserted. In this case, paying attention to the smaller distance (0.60 mm) between the two opposing sides, since the terminal is smaller than the size of the terminal, the terminal is press-fitted while expanding the hole. When attention is focused on the one having a larger distance between sides (0.70 mm), since the size is larger than the size of the terminal, a gap is formed when the terminal is inserted. Note that the size of the gap is a size that allows air to escape and prevents leakage of the sealing material.

  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 as long as they are described in the claims.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the connector is configured to have a plurality of terminals, but is not limited to such a configuration, and may have a single terminal.

  Moreover, in said embodiment, although the connector as a metal component support body which has a terminal as a metal component is demonstrated, it is not restricted to such a structure, A metal component support body is a connector main body, for example The metal part may be SUS or the like.

  In the above embodiment, the terminal is supported by the wall with respect to the housing. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and a portion that supports the terminal may be provided in addition to the wall. Good.

  Moreover, in said embodiment, although the injection port is formed in the housing, there may not be an injection port. Moreover, in said embodiment, although the wall part has a 1st wall part and a 2nd wall part, it is not restricted to such a structure. Moreover, in said embodiment, although the filling space currently formed in the wall part is one, a wall part has the 1st, 2nd, 3rd wall part, and the 1st wall part and the 2nd wall A plurality of filling spaces may be formed such that a first filling space is formed between the two portions and a second filling space is formed between the second and third wall portions.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the through hole is formed in the wall part in the housing forming step, and the terminal is inserted (press-fitted) into the through hole of the wall part. The housing and the terminal may be integrally formed by molding.

  In the above embodiment, the sealing material is pressurized and injected into the filling space in the injection step. However, the present invention is not limited to this method, and the sealing material may be injected without being pressurized. Good.

  In the above embodiment, the terminal is formed in a rod shape. However, the terminal is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a long plate shape or a cylindrical shape. May be.

  Moreover, in order to make a sealing material function more reliably, you may pre-process using a primer. As a specific example, first, after the metal component attaching step, a primer is poured into the filling space, and pretreatment is performed on the surface of the terminal and the inner surface of the wall portion. Thereafter, unnecessary primers are removed by drying or the like. Thereafter, a sealing material in a fluid state is injected into the filling space. Thereby, the adhesiveness of a sealing material and the other party member (a terminal, the wall part of a housing) improves, As a result, the airtightness and waterproofness of a connector improve. As the primer, for example, a primer mainly composed of synthetic rubber, acrylic resin, urethane resin, epoxy resin, silane compound or the like can be used.

  In the above embodiment, the fluidized sealing material is cured by heating or cooling in the curing step. However, in addition to this, moisture is imparted (water is imparted to the sealing material). The fluidized sealing material may be cured by the above. That is, you may use the humidity hardening type sealing material which takes in the water | moisture content in air and hardens | cures. Examples of the humidity curable sealing material include urethane hot melt. Further, in the curing step, the fluidized sealing material may be cured by at least one of heating, cooling, and moisture application, and the fluidized sealing material is obtained by two or three of these methods. It may be cured.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic side sectional view showing an overall configuration of a connection structure including a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1. It is a top view schematic diagram of the connector of FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the connector of FIG. 1. It is a front view schematic diagram of the connector of FIG. It is a bottom perspective schematic diagram of the connector of FIG. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective schematic view of the connector of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along arrow A-A ′ in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B ′ of FIG. 5, showing the connector that has undergone the curing process in the method for manufacturing the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D ′ in FIG. 4. It is a section schematic diagram showing the housing which passed through the housing formation process in the manufacturing method of the connector concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a section schematic diagram showing the housing structure in the state where it passed through the metallic part attachment process in the manufacturing method of the connector concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a section schematic diagram showing the housing structure in the state where it passed through the injection process in the manufacturing method of the connector concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a graph which shows the result of the airtight performance test in the connector concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is a graph which shows the result of the airtight performance test in the connector concerning a reference example. It is a section schematic diagram showing a connector concerning a 3rd embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1,101 connector (metal parts support)
2 Terminal (metal parts)
2s Outer surface 3, 103 Housing 3h Inlet 103v Air escape hole 4, 104 Wall 4h Through hole 4f, 104f First wall 4s Second wall 5 Filling space 6m Sealing material (flowing state)
6s sealing material (cured state)
7 Socket connector (mating connector)
7m mating terminal

Claims (13)

And multiple metal parts, a method for producing a metal component support having a housing for supporting the metal parts,
Wherein the housing metal component is a wall portion which penetrates the formation, and, to partition the respective interior filling space the sealant dynamic state is filled flow is formed Rutotomoni the plurality of metal parts of the wall portion A housing forming step of forming the housing so that a partition plate is provided on the wall portion ;
A metal part mounting step in which the metal part is attached to the housing so as to pass through the wall portion through the interior of the filling space;
An injection step of injecting a sealing material in a fluid state into the filling space to fill the filling space;
A curing step of curing the sealing material in a fluidized state by at least one of heating, cooling, and moisture application,
In the injection step, the sealing material is filled so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the metal part in the filling space and surrounding the metal part. Production method. In the housing forming step, the housing is formed such that a through hole for the metal part to penetrate is formed in the wall portion,
In the metal part attaching step, the metal part is inserted into the through hole so that the metal part is attached to the housing so as to penetrate the wall portion through the interior of the filling space. The method for producing a metal part support according to claim 1, wherein the metal part support is in a stagnation state. The sealing material in the injection step is a hot melt adhesive,
In the said hardening process, the said sealing material in a fluid state is hardened by cooling, The manufacturing method of the metal component support body of Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The said housing formation process WHEREIN: The said housing is formed so that it may be in the state by which the injection port for inject | pouring the said sealing material with respect to the said filling space was formed. The manufacturing method of the metal component support body of description.   5. The method for manufacturing a metal part support according to claim 1, wherein in the injection step, the sealing material is injected under pressure into the filling space. 6. In the housing forming step, the housing is formed so that an air escape hole for preventing the air from entering the sealing material is formed,
6. The injection process, wherein the sealing material in a fluid state is injected into the filling space while letting air that enters the filling space together with the sealing material escape from the air escape hole. The manufacturing method of the metal component support body of any one of these. The metal part support is used as a connector that is electrically connected to a mating connector having a mating terminal,
The method of manufacturing a metal part support according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the metal part is a terminal. In the housing forming step, the wall portion is formed to have a first wall portion and a second wall portion, and the filling space is formed between the first wall portion and the second wall portion. Forming the housing to be
8. The method of manufacturing a metal part support according to claim 7, wherein, in the metal part attaching step, the metal part is in a state of penetrating the first wall part and the second wall part. And multiple metal parts, metal parts support having a housing for supporting the metal parts,
The housing has a wall portion through which the metal part passes,
Inside the wall portion is formed a filling space filled with a fluid sealant , and the wall portion is provided with a partition plate so as to partition each of the plurality of metal parts,
The metal part is attached to the housing so as to pass through the wall through the interior of the filling space;
The filling space is filled with a sealing material, and the sealing material fills the filling space by injecting the sealing material in a fluid state into the filling space, and then the sealing material in a fluid state is filled with the sealing material. It is hardened by at least one of heating, cooling, and moisture application, and the sealing material is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the metal part inside the filling space and around the metal part A metal part support characterized by being enclosed and filled. The metal part support is used as a connector that is electrically connected to a mating connector having a mating terminal,
The metal part support according to claim 9, wherein the metal part is a terminal. The sealing material is a hot melt adhesive.
The metal part support according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the sealing material filled in the filling space is obtained by hardening the sealing material in a fluid state by cooling.   The metal part support according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein an injection port for injecting the sealing material into the filling space is formed in the housing.   The metal part support according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein an air escape hole is formed in the housing to prevent air from entering the sealing material.

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