JP6013802B2 - Connector molding method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for forming a connector, for example, a connector that is inserted in a partition wall of various devices and connects wiring inside and outside the device.

  For example, as a connector that penetrates through the partition walls of various devices such as automobile engine rooms, automatic transmissions, fuel tanks, etc. (penetrating through the connector through holes) and connects wiring inside and outside the device, it is waterproof and oilproof. Those having a sealing property such as the above are known. As an example of a connector having such a seal structure, a connector housing, a relay terminal, and the like constituting the connector are integrated by die molding (insert molding, injection molding, etc.). The connector housing is a device in which the inside of the device and the outside of the device in the internal space of the cylindrical side wall are partitioned by a partition wall formed in the central portion of the internal space, and a seal member ( An annular seal member extending in the circumferential direction of a cylindrical side wall is provided to provide a sealing property with an apparatus partition wall (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

  In mold molding, a mold (mold) in which a plurality of mold members are combined is applied. Depending on the type of mold (mold opening direction), a so-called parting line is formed on the cylindrical side wall or the like. Will be formed. When the parting line is formed so as to extend in the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall, the sealing member is attached to the outer peripheral side of the parting line so as to form a step, and the cylindrical part is formed at the intersected portion. Since a gap is formed on the sealing surface between the outer peripheral side of the side wall and the sealing member, a desired sealing property is obtained when the connector is inserted into the through hole of the partition wall of the device (hereinafter referred to as “at the time of installation”). There is a risk that it will not be obtained. For this reason, it is possible to apply mold forming so that the parting line and the seal member do not intersect, for example, as a mold member for forming the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall, which opens the mold in the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall. It is considered (for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, when forming an annular groove for fitting (external fitting) the seal member to the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall (for example, Patent Document 3), as a mold member corresponding to the annular groove, a cylinder as described above. A mold member that opens in the axial direction of the side wall cannot be applied. Therefore, for example, a mold member or the like that opens in the radial direction of the cylindrical side wall (a mold divided in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical side wall) is applied. However, like the connector shown in FIGS. Since the parting line 22 extending in the axial direction of the side wall 21 is formed in the annular groove 23 (formed so as to intersect the extending direction of the annular groove), for example, the parting line 22 is polished after molding. It was necessary to remove by such as.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-106045 JP-A-9-55254 JP-A-11-111382.

  The inventor of the present application has paid attention to the following problems in the method for forming a connector in accordance with the background art as described above. That is, in a connector in which a sealing member extending in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical side wall is fitted to the cylindrical side wall of the connector housing, a desired sealing property is obtained by preventing the sealing member from intersecting the parting line. It is mentioned to be able to do.

  The connector molding method according to the present invention is a creation that can solve the above-described problems. Specifically, one aspect of the connector molding method according to the present invention is inserted through the through-hole of the device partition wall, and the inside and outside of the device. A connector for connecting the wiring of the apparatus has a cylindrical side wall penetrating the through hole, and the inside of the device and the outside of the device in the internal space of the cylindrical side wall are the center of the internal space. A step is formed inside the device on the outer peripheral side by an annular notch portion that is partitioned by a partition wall formed in a portion and extends along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical side wall on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall. A connector housing in which a portion is formed, and a shaft member of the cylindrical side wall is formed in a mold in which a mold member for forming at least the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall opens in the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall. End that extends along the direction of the heart After forming the primary molded body by forming and molding at least one relay terminal penetrating the partition wall and projecting both ends inside and outside the device in the internal space, the primary molding A side wall member, which is an annular member extending along the circumferential direction of the notch portion and is positioned with respect to the body and having an annular gap for sealing member fitting between the step portion, is molded. It is characterized by that.

  The annular gap may be formed at a position facing the inner wall of the through hole on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall. The connector housing may be formed with a flange portion that protrudes in a radial direction of the cylindrical side wall from the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall.

  According to the connector molding method of the present invention, the annular seal member can be fitted into the annular gap provided between the step portion of the cylindrical side wall and the side wall member so that the seal member does not cross the parting line. Thus, a desired sealing property can be obtained.

The schematic diagram (longitudinal sectional view) of the primary fabrication object which shows an example of this embodiment. The schematic diagram (longitudinal section) of the secondary fabrication object showing an example of this embodiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Schematic of the connector which shows an example of this embodiment (A; perspective view, B; longitudinal cross-sectional view). Schematic (longitudinal sectional view) showing an application example of the connector according to the present embodiment. Schematic which shows an example of a general connector (A; external view, B; cross-sectional view, C: enlarged parting line).

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a connector molding method comprising: an annular groove for a seal member that extends only in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral side of a cylindrical side wall in a connector housing in which the cylindrical side wall is inserted into a through hole of a device partition wall; The first embodiment relates to a connector manufactured by so-called two-color molding. First, an annular ring extending along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical side wall on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall. A primary molded body (primary molded body in which a connector housing and a relay terminal are integrated) in which a step portion is formed inside the device on the outer peripheral side by the notch is molded. And the side wall member which is an annular member extending along the circumferential direction of the notch with respect to the primary molded body and is located with an annular gap for fitting a seal member between the stepped portion. The connector is formed by molding (that is, forming a secondary molded body by integrating the side wall members). The annular gap is used for fitting the seal member.

  Thus, if the primary molded body has a structure in which a stepped portion is formed by a simple notch on the inner side of the device on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall, unlike the conventional structure in which an annular groove is formed, the tube A mold that opens in the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall can be applied as a mold member that molds the outer peripheral side of the side wall. In addition, when a simple annular side wall member is integrated with the cutout portion of the primary molded body by injection molding, the same mold as the primary molded body (a mold that opens in the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall) can be applied. .

  For this reason, a parting line extending in the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall is not formed on the surface of the cylindrical side wall constituting the annular gap (stepped portion, surface surrounded by the annular side wall). Therefore, even if the parting line removal operation is not performed as in the prior art, the seal member is fitted into the annular gap so that the seal member and the annular gap are in close contact with each other at the sealing surface, and a desired seal is provided at the time of penetration. It becomes possible to obtain sex.

  In addition, since the annular gap functions as a guide groove due to the structure in which the seal member is fitted in the annular gap, the seal member can be easily fixed at a predetermined position, and the positional deviation at the time of penetration can be suppressed. For example, in a connector in which a sealing member is simply attached to the outer peripheral side of a cylindrical side wall, when the sealing member is inserted to a position facing the inner wall of the through hole of the device partition wall at the time of insertion, the sealing member is displaced. Although it is easy to raise, according to the connector by this embodiment, it becomes possible to press-contact a sealing member to an inner wall surface of a through-hole, suppressing the above positional shift by an annular gap.

  The connector housing can be applied in various forms as long as it can be inserted into the through hole of the target device and connect the wiring inside and outside the device. For example, the cylindrical side wall is not limited to a perfect circular cross-sectional shape, and is designed according to the shape of the through-hole or wiring of the device. In the case where a flange-like flange portion protruding in the radial direction of the cylindrical side wall is formed from the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall, the flange portion is simply fixed to the partition wall of the target device (for example, In addition to being used for fixing by screwing or the like, it is possible to function as a stopper that suppresses the connector from being embedded too much into the inside of the device during penetration. The partition wall may be any shape that partitions the inside of the device and the outside of the device in the internal space of the cylindrical side wall so that the relay terminal penetrates the partition wall itself and does not hinder the connection of wiring inside and outside the device.

  The annular gap can be formed so as to be positioned opposite the inner wall of the through hole when the connector is inserted. When the flange is formed as described above, the annular gap is formed inside the device. It forms in the cylindrical side wall. For example, when an annular gap is formed with respect to a position (for example, a position where the seal ring shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1 is fitted) close to the edge of the opening of the through hole at the time of penetration, that is, a flange portion Even in the case of a structure in which the step portion is formed close to the outside of the device, it is sufficient that the inside and outside of the device can be sealed at the time of the insertion with the seal member fitted in the annular gap.

  Further, the shape and position of the annular gap can be appropriately set by adjusting the shape and position of the notch (stepped portion) formed on the cylindrical side wall and the side wall member. It suffices if a sealing member is fitted in the annular gap so that the inside and outside of the device can be sealed when the connector is inserted, for example, an annular gap extending along the circumferential direction of the notch as in the embodiment described later, A rectangular shape is mentioned. In addition, the shape and the number of relay terminals can be appropriately set according to the internal and external wiring of the target device.

  The material applied to the connector housing, relay terminal, and side wall member is not particularly limited as long as it is used, for example, in the field of connectors, but has characteristics (insulation, waterproofness, Examples of such materials that can be imparted with weather resistance, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, impact resistance, etc., that are integrated during molding. Specific examples thereof include applying an insulating material such as a thermosetting resin to the connector housing and the side wall member, and applying a conductive material such as copper to the relay terminal.

  The sealing member is not limited to a sealing member such as an O-ring, for example, and is fitted into the annular gap as described above so as to be in close contact with the sealing surface so that the inside and outside of the device can be sealed when the connector is inserted. If it exists, what consists of various shapes and materials is applicable. Specific examples include applying an elastic material such as silicone rubber, or forming a portion in contact with the partition wall side of the device (for example, the inner wall of the through hole) into a lip shape to improve the sealing property.

<Example>
Hereinafter, an example of a method for forming a connector according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same components as those shown in FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, a primary molded body 11 in which the relay terminals 3 are integrated with the connector housing 2 by molding is formed. The connector housing 2 has a cylindrical side wall 21, and a partition wall 24 extending in a direction crossing the internal space is formed at the center of the internal space of the cylindrical side wall 21. With this partition wall 24, a space portion 25 located inside the device and a space portion 26 located outside the device in the internal space are formed separately from each other. Reference numeral 27 denotes a flange-like flange portion protruding in the radial direction of the cylindrical side wall 21 at the central portion on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall 21. An annular notch 28 extending along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical side wall 21 is formed on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall 21 and inside the device at a predetermined distance from the flange portion 27. . By this cutout portion 28, the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall 21 is formed into a stepped shape, that is, a stepped portion 29 is formed.

  The relay terminal 3 is a pin-like terminal that electrically relays the wiring inside and outside the target device, and extends along the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall 21 through the partition wall 24. A plurality of them are provided, and both ends protrude from the partition wall 24 into the space portions 25 and 26, respectively.

  The primary molded body 11 is an insert member in a mold (not shown) in which a mold member that opens in the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall 21 is applied as a mold member for molding the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall 21. After filling the relay terminal 3, the material of the connector housing 2 (thermosetting resin or the like) is injected and solidified to integrate the relay terminal 3 at a predetermined position of the connector housing 2 as shown in FIG. Can be formed. By molding in this way, a parting line along the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall 21 is not formed on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical side wall 21.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the secondary side body 12 is obtained by forming (integrating) the annular side wall member 4 on the cutout portion 28 of the primary side body 11 by molding. The side wall member 4 is an annular member extending along the circumferential direction of the notch portion 28, and is formed at a position separated from the step portion 29 by a predetermined distance, whereby the side wall member 4 and the step portion An annular gap 41 is formed between

  The secondary molded body 12 is a mold similar to the primary molded body 11, and has a cavity (cavity into which material is injected) for molding the side wall member 4, and is molded in the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall 21. Using a mold (not shown) provided with a mold member to be opened, the material of the side wall member 4 (for example, the same material as the connector housing 2 (thermosetting) in a state where the primary molded body 11 is filled in the mold. By injecting and solidifying the resin or the like), the side wall member 4 can be integrally formed at a predetermined position of the primary molded body 11 as shown in FIG.

  By molding as described above, a parting line along the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall 21 is not formed in the side wall member 4. Therefore, when the connector (so-called connector assembly) 10 is configured by fitting the seal member (O-ring) 5 into the annular gap 41 of the secondary molded body 12 as shown in FIG. 3, the seal member 5 and the annular gap No gap (gap caused by the parting line) is formed between the two and 41, and they are in close contact with each other.

  In this connector 10, as shown in FIG. 4, it is used by penetrating through a through hole 6 formed in a partition wall 60 of the device, and each wiring inside and outside the device (shown in the figure) with respect to the space portions 25 and 26. Are omitted), and the wirings are connected to each other through the relay terminal 3. At the time of this penetration, the annular gap 41 is positioned to face the inner wall surface 61 of the through hole 6, and the seal member 5 is in pressure contact with the inner wall surface 61, and the sealing performance inside and outside the device is maintained. The flange portion 27 engaged with the device outer surface 62 of the partition wall 60 may be fixed using a fastening means (not shown) such as a screw.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail only for the specific examples described above, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. It is natural that such changes and the like belong to the scope of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Connector 11 ... Primary molded object 12 ... Secondary molded object 2 ... Connector housing 21 ... Cylindrical side wall 24 ... Partition wall 25, 26 ... Space part 28 ... Notch part 29 ... Step part 3 ... Relay terminal 4 ... Side wall member 41 ... annular gap 5 ... sealing member 6 ... through hole

Claims (1)

A method of molding a connector that is inserted into a through hole of a device partition wall and connects internal and external wiring of the device,
The cylindrical side wall is inserted into the through-hole, and the inside of the device and the outside of the device in the internal space of the cylindrical side wall are partitioned by a partition wall formed in a central portion of the internal space, and the cylindrical side wall A mold that molds a connector housing in which a stepped portion is formed on the inner side of the outer peripheral side by an annular notch extending along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical side wall on the inner side of the outer side of the device. In the molding die in which the mold member that molds the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical side wall opens in the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall,
A terminal that extends along the axial direction of the cylindrical side wall, and is molded by arranging at least one relay terminal that penetrates the partition wall and has both ends projecting inside and outside the device in the internal space. After forming the primary molded body,
An annular member extending along the circumferential direction of the notch with respect to the primary molded body, and an annular gap for fitting a seal member facing the inner wall of the through hole is interposed between the step and the stepped portion. A method for forming a connector, comprising: molding a side wall member positioned so as to form a secondary molded body in which the side wall member is integrated.

Images