JP5716707B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector in which a mark indicating a position for inserting a jig is formed.

  As a connector in which this kind of mark is formed, for example, a connector described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this case, a mark is formed on a resin component different from the housing constituting the connector. The reason why the mark is formed on the resin part in this manner is that, in order to form the mark on the housing, it is necessary to add a slide mold for forming the mark, which increases the cost of the mold for forming the connector. Because it ends up.

JP 2011-119073 A

  However, in the above connector, it is necessary to forcibly remove the resin part when molding, and the position where the forcible removal is possible is limited. Therefore, it can be said that it is preferable from the viewpoint of the degree of freedom in design. Absent. In addition, depending on the specifications of the customer to whom the connector is delivered, the mark may not be necessary. If a plurality of molding dies are prepared for each customer, the management of the molding dies may be complicated.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to mold a mark at low cost and to facilitate management of a mold.

  The present invention closes a mold having a pair of front and rear molds and a pair of upper and lower molds to inject a resin into a molding space formed inside the mold, and the resin is cooled and solidified. A housing formed by opening the mold later, a terminal fitting housed in the housing, and a retainer mounted on the housing from above and below to prevent the terminal fitting from being removed, of the outer surface of the housing On the side surfaces other than the front and rear surfaces and the upper and lower surfaces, marks indicating the position for inserting the jig for removing the retainer are formed, while the pair of front and rear molds inject resin into the molding space. A gate is formed, and the mark is characterized in that it is formed by a gate mark which is a mark that the resin is broken at the gate when the mold is opened.

  According to such a configuration, since the mark is formed by the gate mark, it is not necessary to add a slide mold for forming the mark. Therefore, the mark can be formed at low cost. Further, when the position where the mark is desired to be formed coincides with the position of the gate, the mark can be formed by changing the cross-sectional shape of the gate to the shape of the mark. Furthermore, since the gate mark is always formed in any molded product as long as injection molding is performed, a customer who does not need the mark is not recognized as a mark, but is recognized as a gate mark. It's just Therefore, the mold can be shared and the mold can be easily managed.

The following configuration is preferable as an embodiment of the present invention.
In the structure including a pair of marks, the pair of marks may be formed on both side surfaces of the housing.
According to such a configuration, when forming a pair of marks, it is only necessary to set gates on both side surfaces, and the pair of marks can be easily formed.

The resin may be configured to be injected in an oblique direction with respect to the side surface of the housing.
According to such a configuration, the shape of the mark can be freely changed by appropriately setting the injection direction of the resin. For example, when the gate opening has a perfect circle shape, a long hole-shaped mark can be formed, and when the gate opening has a substantially triangular shape, a tear mark-shaped mark can be formed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to form a mark at a low cost and to easily manage the mold.

The perspective view of the connector which shows the state which has a retainer with a cover in this locking position The perspective view of the connector which shows the state which the retainer with a cover exists in a temporary latching position Front view of housing Front view of connector showing a state in which the retainer with cover is in the temporary locking position Front view of the connector showing the state in which the retainer with cover is in the final locking position. AA line sectional view in FIG. BB sectional view in FIG. CC sectional view in FIG. Rear view of the connector showing the state that the retainer with cover is in the temporary locking position Right side view of the connector showing the state that the retainer with cover is in the temporary locking position Sectional drawing which shows the state which injected the resin from the gate into the molding space after closing the mold Sectional drawing which shows the state which opened the shaping | molding die from the state of FIG. 11 simply Sectional drawing which shows simply the state which extruded the ejector pin from the state of FIG. 12, and released the housing from the shaping | molding die Enlarged view around the gate in FIG. Enlarged view around the gate in FIG. Connector exploded perspective view Diagram showing the cross-sectional shape of the runner The figure which shows the opening shape of the gate in other embodiment

<Embodiment>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings of FIGS. As shown in FIG. 16, the joint connector 10 according to the present embodiment includes a synthetic resin housing 20, two types of large and small bus bars B <b> 1 and B <b> 2, a retainer 40 with a cover, and the like. The joint connector 10 is used, for example, for branching a branch line drawn from a trunk line of a wire harness (not shown) to take out an electrical signal, or to collectively connect a plurality of electric wires to the ground. Further, a plurality of terminal fittings (not shown) are inserted on the rear surface 11 side of the joint connector 10, and these terminal fittings are connected to the same bus bar B1, B2 to each other. Shorted. Note that a cassette portion 13 to which a metal bracket (not shown) is inserted and attached is provided on the upper surface 12 of the joint connector 10.

  The bus bars B1 and B2 are formed by pressing a metal plate having good conductivity. The bus bars B1 and B2 are configured to include plate-like connecting portions C1 and C2 and a plurality of tab-like terminals T1 and T2 projecting in a square bar shape from the side edges of the connecting portions C1 and C2. . A plurality of retaining protrusions P1 and P2 are provided on the connecting portions C1 and C2 of the bus bars B1 and B2. These retaining projections P1, P2 are arranged at positions corresponding to the tab-shaped terminals T1, T2.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the front surface 21 of the housing 20 is formed with two upper and lower insertion ports 22 into which the bus bars B1 and B2 are inserted. One large bus bar B1 and one small bus bar B2 are inserted side by side into the insertion port 22 of each stage. As shown in FIG. 6, the bus bars B <b> 1 and B <b> 2 are restricted from moving forward by locking the retaining protrusions P <b> 1 and P <b> 2 to the step 23 formed on the upper surface of the inner wall of the insertion port 22. Is retained. In addition, the front refers to the direction indicated by F in FIG. 6 (the direction toward the left side in the figure), and the rear refers to the direction indicated by R in FIG. 6 (the direction toward the right side in the figure). The notations of F and R are the same in FIGS. 11 to 13.

  A cavity 24 into which the terminal fitting is inserted is formed behind the insertion port 22 in the housing 20. A lance 25 is formed on the lower surface of the inner wall of the cavity 24 so as to project forward. The lance 25 can be bent in the vertical direction. A die punching hole 26 for forming the lance 25 is formed in front of the lance 25 in the housing 20. A release jig (not shown) for bending the lance 25 downward can be inserted into the punching hole 26.

  A retainer mounting port 27 is provided behind the lance 25 in the housing 20. As shown in FIG. 16, the retainer mounting port 27 is formed by being cut out so as to open on three surfaces of the lower surface 14 of the housing 20 and the left and right side surfaces 28 </ b> L and 28 </ b> R so as to cross all the cavities 24. Yes. The retainer mounting port 27 is configured to mount a retainer portion 42 of a retainer 40 with a cover, which will be described later.

  The cover-equipped retainer 40 has a substantially box shape with an upper opening, a cover portion 41 having a plate shape that is long in the left-right direction, a grid-shaped retainer portion 42 that is long in the left-right direction, and a connection that connects the cover portion 41 and the retainer portion 42 Part 43. The connecting portion 43 includes a bottom plate 44 and a pair of side plates 45 and 45 that rise upward from both side edges of the bottom plate 44. The cover portion 41 is configured to rise upward from the front edge of the bottom plate 44. The side plate 45 of the connecting portion 43 connects the side edge of the cover portion 41 and the side surface of the retainer portion 42 to each other.

  The cover-equipped retainer 40 is attached to the housing 20 so as to be movable in the vertical direction between the temporary locking position shown in FIG. 2 and the main locking position shown in FIG. A locking protrusion 48 extending in the front-rear direction is formed on the upper edge of the inner surface of the side plate 45. On the other hand, on both the left and right side surfaces 28L, 28R of the housing 20, mounting recesses 29 in which the side plates 45 are mounted are formed. The mounting recess 29 is formed with a pair of upper and lower protrusions 30 and 31 to which the locking protrusion 48 can be locked. The protrusion 30 positioned on the upper side is a main locking protrusion, and the protrusion 31 positioned on the lower side is a temporary locking protrusion.

  When the locking protrusion 48 is fitted between the temporary locking protrusion 31 and the main locking protrusion 30 and locked in the vertical direction, the cover-mounted retainer 40 is held at the temporary locking position. Further, when the locking protrusion 48 is fitted between the main locking protrusion 30 and the upper edge of the mounting recess 29 and locked in the vertical direction, the covered retainer 40 is held at the main locking position. In the main locking position, as shown in FIG. 7, the side plate 45 is mounted in a fitting manner with respect to the mounting recess 29, and the lower surface 14 of the housing 20 and the bottom plate 44 are disposed substantially flush.

  A plurality of openings 46 are formed in the cover portion 41 so as to penetrate in the thickness direction of the cover portion 41. The openings 46 have a substantially square shape, and a plurality of openings 46 are arranged in the left-right direction in two steps. As shown in FIG. 6, the opening 46 is arranged so as to be aligned with the die cutting hole 26 of the housing 20 in the temporary locking position. Therefore, in the temporary locking position shown in FIG. 6, the lance 25 faces the front of the joint connector 10 through the opening 46 and the mold release hole 26. In this state, a release jig is inserted from the front of the joint connector 10 through the opening 46 and the mold release hole 26, and the tip of the lance 25 is bent downward so that the locking with the terminal fitting can be released.

  On the other hand, in the final locking position shown in FIG. 7, the lance 25 is almost covered by the lower portion of the opening 46 in the cover portion 41, but the bus bars B 1 and B 2 pass through the insertion opening 22 and the opening 46. It will be in the state which faced the front of the joint connector 10. FIG.

  The retainer portion 42 is attached to the retainer attachment opening 27 as the retainer 40 with cover is attached. In the temporary locking position shown in FIG. 6, a pair of upper and lower locking walls 47, 47 constituting the lattice portion of the retainer portion 42 are retracted below the cavity 24 so that the terminal fitting can be inserted into and removed from the cavity. It has become. On the other hand, in the final locking position shown in FIG. 7, the locking walls 47, 47 enter the cavity 24 and can be locked to the terminal fitting from the rear. For this reason, the terminal fitting is prevented from coming off in a double locked state by the lance 25 and the locking wall 47.

  A plurality of partition walls 49 are disposed in the cover portion 41. The partition wall 49 is formed between a pair of openings 46 and 46 adjacent in the left-right direction. The partition wall 49 is disposed so as to cover the gap between the adjacent tab-shaped terminals T1 and T2 of the bus bars B1 and B2 inserted into the insertion port 22 from the front. A gap between a pair of adjacent bus bars B1 and B2 is also covered from the front by a partition wall 49. Thus, between the pair of adjacent bus bars B1 and B2, the partition wall 49 suppresses the occurrence of dew condensation and the adhesion of foreign matter, so that the bus bars B1 and B2 are restricted from being electrically leaked.

  As shown in FIG. 9, a line 15 indicating the arrangement of the bus bars B <b> 1 and B <b> 2 is formed on the rear surface 11 of the joint connector 10. This line 15 is printed by a laser marker, for example. In FIG. 9, the line 15 on the left side corresponds to the small bus bar B2, and when terminal fittings are inserted into the five cavities 24 from the leftmost side to the fifth, the terminal fittings are short-circuited to each other by the small bus bar B2. Is meant to do. On the other hand, the line 15 on the right side in FIG. 9 corresponds to the large bus bar B1, and when terminal fittings are inserted into the six cavities 24 from the rightmost side to the sixth cavity 24, each terminal fitting is connected by the large bus bar B1. It means to short-circuit each other. In the present embodiment, the line 15 corresponding to the upper cavity 24 is arranged in a narrow area between the cavity 24 and the upper surface 12 of the joint connector 10, and the line 15 corresponding to the lower cavity 24 is the same. It is arranged in a region between the cavity 24 and the lower surface 14 of the joint connector 10. Thereby, a terminal metal fitting and bus bar B1, B2 corresponding to this can be connected correctly.

  Now, as shown in FIG. 16, a release recess 32 for inserting a release jig (not shown) is formed at the upper edge of the mounting recess 29. The release recess 32 communicates with the mounting recess 29 so that a release jig can be inserted and hooked inside the side plate 45. For this reason, when the release jig is inserted into the release recess 32 and is deformed so that the side plate 45 is opened outward, the locked state of the locking protrusion 48 and the locking protrusions 30 and 31 can be released. . Therefore, the covered retainer 40 can be removed from the housing 20.

  Here, on the left and right side surfaces 28L, 28R of the housing 20, as shown in FIG. 10, a mark 33 indicating the position of the release recess 32 into which the release jig is inserted is provided. The mark 33 is positioned in front of the release recess 32, has a sharp end portion that tapers toward the release recess 32, and a peripheral edge connected to the front of the sharp end portion has an arc shape. That is, it is easy to visually recognize that the release concave portion 32 is located behind the direction indicated by the sharp end of the mark 33. Such a mark 33 may be called by a name such as a tear mark.

  The mark 33 is formed at the position of the gate 51 of the mold 50. As shown in FIG. 11, the mold 50 includes a pair of front and rear molds 52, 52 and a pair of upper and lower molds (not shown). The pair of upper and lower molds are necessary for molding the retainer mounting opening 27 and the like, and the pair of front and rear molds are used for molding the cavity 24 and the like. The front mold 52 is provided with a pair of ejector pins 53 and 53. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the ejector pin 53 is retracted outside the molding space 54 until the resin injected into the molding space 54 cools and hardens. However, as shown in FIG. The housing 20 can be released by popping out to the molding space 54 side when the mold is cooled and solidified.

  The molding space 54 is configured by an inner wall of a pair of front and rear molds 52, 52 and an inner wall of a pair of upper and lower molds. A pair of ejector pins 53 and 53 are embedded in the front surface of the inner wall of the molding space 54. On the other hand, a pair of gates 51, 51 are formed on both the left and right sides of the inner wall of the molding space 54. Each gate 51, 51 is open to the inner wall of the front mold 52. The resin injected from the gates 51 and 51 is filled in the molding space 54, and when the resin is cooled and solidified and pushed backward by the pair of ejector pins 53 and 53, in the vicinity of the openings of the gates 51 and 51. The resin will break. The trace of the resin ruptured in this way is called a gate trace. The mark 33 of this embodiment is formed by a gate mark.

  As shown in detail in FIG. 14, the gate 51 slightly enters the molding space 54. Then, when the housing 20 is released from the mold, as shown in FIG. 15, a mark 33 having an uneven surface is formed. The mark 33 is formed at a position recessed from the left and right side surfaces 28L and 28R so as not to protrude from the left and right side surfaces 28L and 28R of the housing 20. Therefore, the mark does not protrude from the left and right side surfaces 28L, 28R of the housing 20 and the maximum dimension of the housing 20 is not changed.

  The present embodiment is configured as described above, and a method for manufacturing the joint connector 10 will be described. First, the molding space 54 is formed inside the molding die 50 by closing the pair of front and rear dies 52, 52 and the pair of upper and lower dies. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, resin is injected into the molding space 54 through the gate 51 from diagonally forward, and when the resin cools and hardens, the housing 20 is molded. Next, as shown in FIG. 12, when the pair of front and rear molds 52, 52 are opened rearward, the housing 20 is connected to the resin in the runner 55 by the gate 51, so the gate 51 side (front side) ) In which the housing 20 is held. At this time, the gate 51 is in a state of slightly entering the molding space 54 as shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13, when the ejector pins 53, 53 are pushed backward, the resin is broken at the gate 51 and the housing 20 is released from the front mold 52. At that time, a gate mark, which is a resin break mark, is formed at a position corresponding to the opening of the gate 51 in the housing 20, and this gate mark becomes a mark 33. In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the runner 55 is a substantially triangular shape shown in FIG. 17, and the runner 55 is connected to the molding space 54 obliquely from the front with its sharp end facing backward. Therefore, the mark 33 has a tear mark shape shown in FIG. Further, since the gate 51 is slightly in the molding space 54, the mark 33 is formed at a position slightly recessed from the left and right side surfaces 28L, 28R of the housing 20, as shown in FIG.

  When the retainer 40 with a cover is assembled to the molded housing 20 from below, the retainer portion 42 is attached to the retainer attachment opening 27 and the cover portion 41 is disposed along the front surface 21 of the housing 20. During this time, the front portion of the housing 20 relative to the retainer mounting opening 27 is accommodated between the cover portion 41 and the retainer portion 42, and the cover-attached retainer 40 is guided to the temporary locking position while being translated upward.

  If the locking projection 48 climbs over the temporary locking projection 31 while the side plate 45 opens and deforms outward (in the direction in which the side plates 45 separate from each other), the side plates 45 and 45 elastically return and the locking projection 48 is restored. Is fitted between the temporary locking projections 31 and the final locking projections 30, and the cover-equipped retainer 40 reaches the temporary locking position. At this temporary locking position, the locking protrusion 48 is locked to the temporary locking protrusion 31, so that the retainer 40 with cover is prevented from coming out below the housing 20. Further, the locking protrusion 48 is locked to the main locking protrusion 30, so that the cover-mounted retainer 40 is restricted from moving from the temporary locking position to the main locking position. When the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity 24 from the rear of the housing 20 in this state, the terminal fitting moves without interfering with the locking wall 47, and when the lance 25 is bent downward and reaches the proper mounting position, the lance 25 is moved. Is elastically restored and is locked to the terminal fitting from behind. As a result, the terminal fitting is restricted from coming out of the housing 20 from the cavity 24.

  Next, when the retainer 40 with a cover is moved from the temporary locking position to the final locking position, the side plate 45 opens and deforms while the side plate 45 moves over the main locking projection 30 so that the side plate 45 moves to the inner side. The locking protrusion 48 is fitted between the main locking protrusion 30 and the upper edge of the mounting recess 29. In this state, the side plate 45 is mounted in conformity with the mounting recess 29, and the retaining protrusion 48 is locked to the main locking protrusion 30, whereby the cover-equipped retainer 40 is temporarily locked from the main locking position. Movement to the position is restricted. Further, when the retainer portion 42 is mounted substantially in conformity with the retainer mounting opening 27, the locking wall 47 is locked to the terminal fitting from the rear. As a result, the terminal fitting is double-locked by the lance 25 and the retainer portion 42 and is firmly held in the cavity 24 while being prevented from coming out backward. In this way, the joint connector 10 is manufactured.

  By the way, when the retainer 40 with cover is detached from the housing 20 for maintenance or the like, first, the position of the mark 33 of the housing 20 is confirmed. In the present embodiment, the mark 33 is formed on the left and right side surfaces 28L and 28R of the housing 20, and it can be easily known that the release recess 32 is formed at the tip of the sharp end of each mark 33. Then, a release jig is inserted into the release recess 32, and each side plate 45 is opened and deformed to release the locking state between the locking protrusion 48 and the main locking protrusion 30, and the cover-mounted retainer 40 is temporarily locked. Can be moved to a position.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, a slide mold for forming the mark 33 is not necessary, and therefore the mark 33 can be formed at low cost. Even if the customer does not need the mark 33, the mark 33 is only recognized as a gate mark, and there is no need to separately prepare a molding die in which the mark 33 is not molded.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) Although the runner 55 having a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape is illustrated in the above embodiment, the present invention may be a runner having a circular cross-sectional shape. When this runner is connected to the molding space 54 obliquely from the front, a long hole-shaped mark 34 as shown in FIG. 18 is formed.

  (2) Although the gate 51 is set in the front mold 52 in the above embodiment, the gate 51 may be set in the rear mold 52 according to the present invention.

  (3) In the above embodiment, the resin is injected obliquely forward from the left and right side surfaces 28L and 28R of the housing 20, but according to the present invention, the resin is injected in a direction perpendicular to the left and right side surfaces 28L and 28R. May be.

10 ... Joint connector 11 ... Rear 12 ... Upper 14 ... Lower 20 ... Housing 21 ... Front 28L, 28R ... Side 33,34 ... Mark 40 ... Cover Retainer with 50 ... Mold 51 ... Gate 52 ... Mold 54 ... Molding space

Claims (3)

By closing a mold having a pair of front and rear molds and a pair of upper and lower molds, a resin is injected into a molding space formed inside the mold, and after the resin has cooled and solidified, the molding is performed. A housing molded by opening the mold,
Terminal fittings housed inside the housing;
A retainer mounted on the housing from above and below to prevent the terminal fitting from being removed;
On the side surfaces excluding the front and rear surfaces and the upper and lower surfaces of the outer surface of the housing, a mark indicating a position for inserting a jig for detaching the retainer is formed. A gate for injecting the resin is formed in the molding space, and the mark is formed by a gate mark that is a mark that the resin is broken at the gate when the mold is opened. Features a connector. In what is provided with a pair of said landmarks,
The connector according to claim 1, wherein the pair of marks are respectively formed on both side surfaces of the housing.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the resin is injected in an oblique direction with respect to the side surface of the housing.

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