JP7331775B2 - TERMINAL STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING TERMINAL STRUCTURE - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a terminal structure and a method for manufacturing the terminal structure.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a terminal structure, one described in Patent Document 1 is known. This terminal structure includes a terminal fitting and a base portion covering the terminal fitting with a resin material. In such a terminal structure, the terminal fitting has a terminal portion exposed from the main surface of the base portion.

JP 2009-232583 A

In the terminal structure described above, the terminal portion exposed from the main surface of the base portion is a portion that is connected in contact with another component. Therefore, contactability with other parts of the terminal portion is required. On the other hand, when trying to manufacture a terminal structure with good contact, it becomes difficult to mold the base portion, which causes a problem of difficulty in manufacturing.

An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal structure that can be easily manufactured, and a method for manufacturing the terminal structure.

A terminal structure according to the present invention includes a terminal fitting and a base portion covering the terminal fitting with a resin material, the terminal fitting having a terminal portion exposed from the base portion, and the terminal portion extending from an end face of the base portion. It has a protruding main body portion formed with a first surface at the tip thereof, and an outer peripheral portion provided on the outer peripheral side of the main body portion and formed with a second surface arranged in the same plane as the end surface.

In the terminal structure according to the present invention, the terminal fitting has a terminal portion exposed from the end surface of the base portion. Also, the terminal portion has a body portion that protrudes from the end surface and has a first surface formed at the tip. Since the first surface is arranged at a position spaced apart from the end surface of the base portion, when the first surface and another component come into contact with each other, the other component and the end surface of the base portion are prevented from coming into contact with each other. can be suppressed. Therefore, the contact between the first surface and other components can be improved. Moreover, the terminal portion has an outer peripheral portion formed with a second surface that is provided on the outer peripheral side of the main body portion and arranged in the same plane as the end surface. Since the second surface is arranged in the same plane as the end surface, the molding surface of the mold can form the end surface of the base portion while being in contact with the second surface during molding. In this case, it is possible to provide a gap between the inner peripheral edge of the molding surface of the mold and the body portion of the terminal portion in a state in which the resin material does not flow around the first surface. When the gap is provided, it is possible to prevent the inner peripheral edge of the molding surface from interfering with the main body during molding. This facilitates molding of the base portion. As described above, the terminal structure can be easily manufactured.

The terminal portion may be electrically connected to another conductor through the first surface. In this case, contact between the first surface and other conductors can be enhanced.

Another conductor may be a ground object that constitutes a ground. In this case, the terminal fitting can be sufficiently grounded.

The terminal fitting may be connected to the output terminal via a capacitor. In this case, the terminal fitting can improve the performance of the capacitor by improving contact with other components.

The base portion may cover at least a portion of the capacitor and the output terminal, a connection portion between the terminal fitting and the capacitor, and a connection portion between the capacitor and the output terminal with a resin material. Thereby, each part of the base portion can be protected by the resin material.

In the method for manufacturing the terminal structure described above, a first step of arranging the terminal fitting in the internal space formed by the first mold and the second mold, supplying a resin material to the internal space, a second step of molding the base portion, wherein the first mold molds a portion of the base portion that covers the terminal fitting with a resin material, and the second mold is the first mold; and has a first molding surface that forms the main surface of the base portion and a second molding surface that contacts the first surface of the terminal portion during molding, the first molding surface comprising: The inner peripheral edge of the first molding surface contacts the second surface of the terminal portion during molding, and the inner peripheral edge of the first molding surface is separated from the main body portion toward the outer peripheral side during molding.

In this case, it is possible to provide a gap between the inner peripheral edge of the molding surface of the second mold and the body portion of the terminal portion in a state in which the resin material does not flow around the first surface. When the gap is provided, it is possible to prevent the inner peripheral edge of the molding surface from interfering with the main body during molding. This facilitates molding of the base portion. As described above, the terminal structure can be easily manufactured.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the terminal structure which can be manufactured easily, and the manufacturing method of a terminal structure can be provided.

It is a perspective view showing a stud terminal block which adopted terminal structure concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view which abbreviate|omitted and showed the resin material from the stud terminal block. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before forming a base portion using a first mold and a second mold; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after forming a base portion using a first mold and a second mold; It is a sectional view showing the terminal structure concerning a comparative example.

A stud terminal block employing a terminal structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stud terminal block employing a terminal structure according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a stud terminal block 1 is a component in which an electronic component 2 is covered with a resin material. A stud terminal block 1 includes a body portion 3 and a pair of flange portions 4 and 6 .

2 is a perspective view showing the stud terminal block 1 of FIG. 1 with the resin material omitted. The perspective view of FIG. 1 shows the attitude of the stud terminal block 1 shown in FIG. 2 turned upside down. As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic component 2, the electronic component 8, and the terminal fittings 10, 14, 15 are provided as the components covered with the resin material. In this embodiment, a cylindrical output terminal (stud) is used as the electronic component 2, and a capacitor is used as the electronic component 8 (see FIG. 2). Specifically, the electronic component 2 as an output terminal (stud) and one terminal (lead) of the electronic component 8 as a capacitor are electrically connected via the terminal fitting 15 . The other terminal (lead) of the electronic component 8, which is a capacitor, and the terminal fitting 10 are electrically connected. The terminal fitting 10, which is electrically connected to the other terminal (lead) of the electronic component 8, which is a capacitor, is used as a GND terminal and is fastened with a mounting screw so that it can be connected to an object to be grounded (the body of an automobile, etc.). or connected to the chassis (GND), etc.). In this manner, the electronic component 8, which is a capacitor, is configured to be inserted between the electronic component 2, which is an output terminal, and GND. Note that the terminal fitting 14 is not electrically connected to a capacitor or the like. The terminal metal fitting 14 is made of the same material as the cylindrical body 31 of the terminal metal fitting 10 . However, the terminal fitting 14 may be connected to the terminal fitting 15, and the terminal fittings 14 and 15 may function as GND terminals. In this case, the terminal fitting 10 is connected to the electronic component 2 as an output terminal.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 3 is composed of electronic components 2 and 8 (see FIG. 2), and a base portion 7 covering the entire electronic component 2 and part of the electronic component 8 with a resin material. Configured. The base portion 7 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a pair of main surfaces 7a and 7b facing each other, a pair of side surfaces 7c and 7d facing each other, and a pair of side surfaces 7e and 7f facing each other. . The longitudinal direction of the base portion 7 is the direction in which the side surfaces 7e and 7f face each other. The electronic component 2 penetrates the base portion 7 and protrudes from the main surfaces 7a and 7b. The electronic component 8 is embedded in a space avoiding the electronic component 2 of the base portion 7 (see FIG. 2). In the following description, the direction in which the main surfaces 7a and 7b face each other is sometimes referred to as the "thickness direction", and the direction in which the side faces 7c and 7d face each other is sometimes referred to as the "width direction".

The flange portions 4 and 6 are portions for connecting the electronic component 2 to an object to be grounded via the electronic component 8 . The flange portion 4 protrudes in the width direction from the side surface 7c of the base portion 7 at a position adjacent to the electronic component 2 . The flange portion 6 protrudes in the width direction from the side surface 7d of the base portion 7 at a position adjacent to the electronic component 2 . The flange portions 4 and 6 have a rectangular plate shape. The flange portions 4 and 6 are provided at positions near the main surface 7a of the base portion 7 .

A terminal structure 100 according to the present embodiment is adopted for the flange portion 4 . The flange portion 4 has a terminal fitting 10 and a base portion 11 covering the terminal fitting 10 with a resin material. The base portion 11 has a pair of end faces 11a and 11b facing each other in the thickness direction, a pair of side faces 11c and 11d facing each other in the longitudinal direction, and a side face 11e facing the side face 7c in the width direction. The end surface 11 a is arranged on the main surface 7 a side of the base portion 7 , and the end surface 11 b is arranged on the main surface 7 b side of the base portion 7 . The end surfaces 11a and 11b have a substantially square shape. The terminal fitting 10 has a terminal portion 12 exposed from an end surface 11 a of the base portion 11 . A through hole 13 is formed through the flange portion 4 in the thickness direction. Like the flange portion 4 , the flange portion 6 has a terminal fitting 14 and a base portion 16 . Moreover, the terminal fitting 14 has a terminal portion 17 exposed from the main surface 16 a of the base portion 16 . A through hole 18 is formed through the flange portion 6 in the thickness direction.

Next, referring to FIG. 3, the flange portion 4, that is, the terminal structure 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal fitting 10 has the terminal portion 12 and the connection portion 21 described above. The terminal fitting 10 is a component formed by subjecting a metal plate to sheet metal processing or the like. The terminal portion 12 is arranged at the position of the end face 11a of the base portion 11 so as to extend along the end face 11a. The terminal portion 12 has a body portion 22 and an outer peripheral portion 23 . 1 shows the stud terminal block 1 with the end surface 11a disposed above the end surface 11b in order to show the characteristics of the terminal structure 100 according to the present embodiment. Accordingly, FIG. 3 also shows a state in which the end surface 11a is arranged above the end surface 11b. Therefore, for ease of explanation, the terms "upper" and "lower" are used with reference to the state shown in FIG. However, the description does not limit the attitude of the stud terminal block 1 when it is used. That is, the stud terminal block 1 may be used with the end face 11a arranged upward, or may be used with the end faces 11a and 11b facing each other in the horizontal direction.

The body portion 22 is an annular portion protruding from the end surface 11 a of the base portion 11 . The body portion 22 protrudes upward from the end surface 11a. A circular through hole 24 is formed in the central position of the body portion 22 . A first surface 26 is formed at the tip of the body portion 22 . The first surface 26 is formed parallel to the end surface 11a at a position above the end surface 11a. The first surface 26 is the surface that contacts other parts. In this embodiment, the terminal portion 12 is a ground terminal. Therefore, the terminal portion 12 is connected to the ground plane CF of the grounded object P. As shown in FIG. At this time, the first surface 26 functions as a contact surface with the ground plane CF of the grounded object P. As shown in FIG.

The outer peripheral portion 23 is an annular portion provided on the outer peripheral side of the main body portion 22 . The outer peripheral portion 23 is arranged below the main body portion 22 . The outer peripheral edge of the body portion 22 is bent upward from the inner peripheral edge of the outer peripheral portion 23 . A second surface 27 arranged in the same plane as the end surface 11 a of the base portion 11 is formed on the outer peripheral portion 23 . The second surface 27 is parallel to the end surface 11a and has the same vertical position as the end surface 11a. Therefore, the second surface 27 and the end surface 11a form a continuous surface. It should be noted that the term "in the same plane" as used herein allows for a slight error in the vertical direction due to molding conditions and the like. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the first surface 26 is arranged above the second surface 27 (that is, the end surface 11a) by a dimension corresponding to the thickness of one sheet of the metal plate forming the terminal fitting 10. It is However, how much the first surface 26 is arranged above the second surface 27 is not particularly limited.

The connection portion 21 is a portion that connects the terminal portion 12 and the electronic component 8 (see FIG. 2). The connection portion 21 bends downward from the end portion of the terminal portion 12 . Further, the connecting portion 21 extends in the width direction from the bent portion toward the electronic component 8 (see FIG. 2) in the base portion 11 . As a result, the terminal fitting 10 is connected to the electronic component 8 (see FIG. 2), which is a capacitor.

The terminal structure 100 has a cylindrical body 31 for forming the through hole 13 as part of the terminal fitting 10 described above. The tubular body 31 is provided below the terminal portion 12 so as to pass through the base portion 11 . The through hole 32 of the cylindrical body 31 extends so as to be continuous with the through hole 24 of the terminal portion 12 . Therefore, the through hole 13 of the flange portion 4 is configured by a combination of the through holes 24 and 32 .

Next, a method for manufacturing the terminal structure 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before molding the base portion 11 using the first mold 60 and the second mold 70. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after molding the base portion 11 using the first mold 60 and the second mold 70. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first mold 60 molds a portion of the base portion 11 that covers the terminal fitting 10 with a resin material. The first mold 60 has a molding surface 61 for molding the side surface 11e of the base portion 11 and molding surfaces (not shown) for molding the other surfaces 11b, 11c, and 11d (see FIG. 1). The first mold 60 also has a mating surface 62 with the second mold 70 .

The second mold 70 is arranged to face the first mold 60 on the upper side. The second mold 70 has a molding surface 71 that forms the upper end surface 11a of the base portion 11, a support surface 72 that contacts and supports the first surface 26, and connects the molding surface 71 and the support surface 72. and a connecting surface 73 that The molding surface 71 also functions as a mating surface to be mated with the mating surface 62 of the first mold 60 . The molding surface 71 contacts the second surface 27 of the terminal portion 12 during molding. In addition, the inner peripheral edge 71a of the molding surface 71 is separated from the body portion 22 to the outer peripheral side during molding. Therefore, a gap GP is formed between the connection surface 73 and the end portion 22a on the outer peripheral side of the main body portion 22 .

The manufacturing method of the terminal structure 100 according to this embodiment includes a molding preparation process (first process) and a molding process (second process). As shown in FIG. 4 , the molding preparation step is a step of arranging the terminal fitting 10 and the cylindrical body 31 in the internal space SP formed by the first mold 60 and the second mold 70 . At this time, the support surface 72 of the second mold 70 supports the first surface 26 of the terminal portion 12 and the molding surface 71 is in contact with the second surface 27 of the terminal portion 12 . Furthermore, when the first mold 60 and the second mold 70 are put together, the inner peripheral edge 71a of the molding surface 71 is separated from the outer peripheral edge 22a of the main body 22, so that it interferes with the main body 22. is avoided.

As shown in FIG. 5, the molding process is a process of supplying a resin material to the internal space SP (see FIG. 4) to mold the base portion 11. As shown in FIG. At this time, since the molding surface 71 of the second mold 70 and the second surface 27 are in contact with each other, the resin material does not flow into the gap GP. After the resin material is cured, the molds 60 and 70 are opened.

Next, functions and effects of the terminal structure 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

First, a comparative example will be described with reference to FIG. In the terminal structure 200 according to the comparative example shown in FIG. 6A, the terminal portion 12 is configured only by the body portion 22 and does not have the outer peripheral portion 23 . Further, the end portion 22a on the outer peripheral side of the main body portion 22 is configured to rise upward from the end surface 11a of the base portion 11 . In this case, the inner peripheral edge 71 a of the molding surface 71 of the second mold 70 is brought close to the body portion 22 . Therefore, unless the positional accuracy between the molds 60 and 70 and the body portion 22 is ensured, there is a possibility that the inner peripheral edge 71a will interfere with the body portion 22 when the molds 60 and 70 are put together. be.

In a terminal structure 300 according to a comparative example shown in FIG. 6B, a thick portion 301 made of a resin material is formed near the end portion 22a of the main body portion 22 on the outer peripheral side. In this case, the base portion 11 has an upper surface 11f of the meat portion 301 arranged in the same plane as the first surface 26 at a position higher than the end surface 11a. In this case, the inner peripheral edge 71a of the second mold 70 is arranged at a position spaced apart from the body portion 22 toward the outer peripheral side. Therefore, the interference as explained in FIG. 6(a) can be avoided. However, in the configuration shown in FIG. 6B, the upper surface 11f of the meat portion 301 is flush with the first surface 26. As shown in FIG. In this case, when the first surface 26 is brought into contact with another component, the upper surface 11f may also come into contact with the other component. In this case, the contact between other parts and the first surface 26 is reduced. Therefore, the contact resistance of the terminal portion 12 is affected.

On the other hand, in the terminal structure 100 according to this embodiment, the terminal fitting 10 has the terminal portion 12 exposed from the end surface 11 a of the base portion 11 . Moreover, the terminal portion 12 has a main body portion 22 that protrudes from the end surface 11a and has a first surface 26 formed at the tip thereof. Since the first surface 26 is arranged at a position spaced apart from the end surface 11 a of the base portion 11 , when the first surface 26 contacts another component, the other component and the end surface 11 a of the base portion 11 may contact each other. (see the ground plane CF and the end face 11a in FIG. 3). Therefore, the contact between the first surface 26 and other parts can be improved. Moreover, the terminal portion 12 has an outer peripheral portion 23 provided on the outer peripheral side of the main body portion 22 and having a second surface 27 arranged in the same plane as the end surface 11a. Since the second surface 27 is arranged in the same plane as the end surface 11a, the molding surface 71 of the second mold 70 is in contact with the second surface 27 during molding. can be formed. In this case, in a state in which the resin material does not flow around the first surface 26, the gap GP (see FIG. 4) can be provided. When the gap GP is provided, it is possible to prevent the inner peripheral edge 71a of the molding surface 71 from interfering with the main body portion 22 during molding. This facilitates molding of the base portion 11 . As described above, the terminal structure 100 can be easily manufactured.

Terminal portion 12 may be electrically connected to another conductor via first surface 26 . In this case, contact between the first surface 26 and other conductors can be enhanced.

Another conductor may be a ground object P that constitutes the ground. In this case, the terminal fitting 10 can be sufficiently grounded.

The terminal fitting 10 may be connected to the output terminal (electronic component 2) via a capacitor (electronic component 8). In this case, the terminal fitting 10 can improve the performance of the capacitor by improving contact with other components.

The base portions 7, 11, and 16 are made of a resin material for at least a part of the capacitor (electronic component 8) and the output terminal (electronic component 2), a connecting portion between the terminal fitting 10 and the capacitor, and a connecting portion between the capacitor and the output terminal. You can cover it with As a result, each portion of the base portions 7, 11, 16 can be protected by the resin material.

Further, according to the method for manufacturing the terminal structure 100, the inner peripheral edge 71a of the molding surface 71 of the second mold 70 and the main body portion of the terminal portion 12 are formed in a state in which the resin material does not flow around the first surface 26. 22 can be provided with a gap GP. When the gap GP is provided, it is possible to prevent the inner peripheral edge 71a of the molding surface 71 from interfering with the main body portion 22 during molding. This facilitates molding of the base portion 11 . As described above, the terminal structure 100 can be easily manufactured.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

For example, the component to which the terminal structure of the present invention is applied is not limited to the stud terminal block 1 shown in FIG. That is, the structure of the component that employs the terminal structure may be changed as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Terminal metal fitting 7, 11, 16... Base part 11a... End surface 12... Terminal part 22... Main-body part 23... Outer peripheral part 26... First surface 27... Second surface 60... Second surface 1 mold, 70... second mold (mold), 71... molding surface, 71a... inner peripheral edge, 100... terminal structure.

Claims (6)

a terminal fitting;
a base portion covering the terminal fitting with a resin material,
The terminal fitting has a terminal portion exposed from the base portion,
The terminal portion is
an annular main body projecting from an end surface of the base and having a first surface formed at the tip thereof;
A terminal structure comprising: an annular outer peripheral portion provided along the entire outer peripheral side of the main body portion and having a second surface arranged in the same plane as the end surface. The terminal portion is
2. The terminal structure according to claim 1, electrically connected to another conductor through said first surface. 3. The terminal structure according to claim 2, wherein said another conductor is a grounded object forming a ground. 4. The terminal structure according to claim 1, wherein said terminal fitting is connected to an output terminal via a capacitor. The base portion
5. The terminal structure according to claim 4, wherein at least a portion of said capacitor and said output terminal, a connecting portion between said terminal fitting and said capacitor, and a connecting portion between said capacitor and said output terminal are covered with a resin material. A method for manufacturing a terminal structure according to claim 1,
a first step of arranging the terminal fitting in an internal space formed by a first mold and a second mold;
a second step of supplying a resin material to the internal space to form the base portion;
The first mold molds a portion of the base portion that covers the terminal fitting with the resin material,
The second mold has a molding surface that is arranged to face the first mold and forms a main surface of the base portion,
The method of manufacturing a terminal structure, wherein the molding surface is in contact with the second surface of the terminal portion during molding, and the inner peripheral edge of the molding surface is spaced outwardly from the body portion during molding.

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