JPH07161391A - Crimp terminal and crimp inspecting method for the crimp terminal and crimp inspecting apparatus for the crimp terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To precisely detect overlapping defects by an apparatus with a simple structure. CONSTITUTION:A crimp terminal is a terminal prepared by overlapping one end part of a core wire barrel 2 on the outside of the other end part and crimping them. A peeping hole 23 to observe the inside of the core wire barrel 2 is formed at the prescribed part where one end part is overlapped on the other end part in properly crimped state. The color of the part which exists in the inmost recess of the peeping hole 23 is detected by a color sensor B1. In the case the color of the core wire W1 is detected, it is judged that the crimping is a failure.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a crimp terminal crimped to an end of a stripped electric wire, a crimp inspection method and a crimp inspection apparatus for the crimp terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a crimp terminal, an open type resin barrel for holding a resin at a stripped end of an electric wire and an open type core barrel for holding an exposed core wire and maintaining electrical continuity are provided. There is something. In addition, in order to improve the reliability of crimping, in a state where the first end of the open core barrel is overlapped with the outside of the second end,
An overlap type crimp terminal in which a core barrel is crimped to a core wire is provided.

In the above-mentioned overlap type crimp terminal,
For example, a defect related to overlap may occur as shown in FIG. This figure shows a state in which the crimping by the crimper C and the anvil A is completed, and the end 220 which should be the inner side of the core barrel 200 is opened too much outward and is cut as the tip T1 by the crimper C. Shows.

[0004]

By the way, conventionally, by processing an image of a crimping terminal, various kinds of defects such as a terminalless defect, a core wire protruding defect, a resin barrel misalignment defect, a peeling-free crimping defect, and a core wire disconnection defect are caused. There is provided a method for inspecting for defects. On the other hand, since the overlapping part of the above-mentioned overlap type crimp terminal cannot be visually recognized from the outside, these defects could not be detected even if the inspection method by image processing was used. Further, the inspection method using image processing has a problem that the device becomes large in size.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a crimp terminal, a crimp inspection method and a crimp inspection apparatus for a crimp terminal, which can easily detect a crimp failure related to an overlap failure with a simple structure.

[0006]

To achieve the above object, a crimp terminal according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an open core barrel for gripping an exposed core wire, and a first end portion of the core barrel. In the crimp terminal in which the core barrel is crimped to the core wire in a state of being overlapped with the outside of the second end to maintain electrical continuity, the core barrel is appropriate at a predetermined portion of the first end. A peep hole through which the inside of the core barrel can be visually recognized is formed in a portion which overlaps with the second end portion in a state of being crimped to.

A crimp terminal inspection method according to a second aspect is the crimp terminal crimp inspection method according to the first aspect.
The color detecting means detects the color of the member located inside the peep hole through the peep hole at the first end, and the quality of crimping is judged based on the color detected by the color detecting means. To do.

A crimp terminal inspection device according to a third aspect is the crimp terminal crimping inspection device according to the first aspect, in which the color of a member inside the peep hole is passed through the peep hole at the first end. It is characterized in that it includes a color detecting means for detecting the above, and a judging means for judging the quality of the pressure bonding based on the color detected by the color detecting means.

[0009]

According to the crimp terminal of the above invention, the member located behind the peep hole is confirmed through the peep hole formed at the first end of the core wire barrel. If the second end of the core wire barrel is found in the deep part of the peephole, the crimping is good, and if the core wire is found in the deep part of the peephole, the crimping is defective.

The core wire is usually made of copper and has a reddish brown color. On the other hand, the core wire barrel is made of brass or the like and has a yellow color, or the surface is gold-plated or silver-plated to have a gold color or a silver color, and there is a clear difference in color tone between the core wire and the core wire barrel. There is. Therefore, in the case of a main crimping terminal provided with a peephole, for example, if a color sensor or the like is used to detect the color of the member at the back of the peephole, a simpler structure can be obtained as compared with the conventional inspection method using image processing. Thus, it becomes possible to accurately inspect the quality of crimping.

According to the crimping terminal crimping inspection method and crimping inspection apparatus of the present invention, the color of the member at the back of the peephole is detected by the color detecting means through the peephole, and the peekout is performed based on the detected color. The quality of crimping can be inspected by determining whether the member behind the hole is the core wire or the core wire barrel. As compared with the conventional inspection method using image processing, it is possible to accurately inspect the quality of crimping with a simple structure.

[0012]

Embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing embodiments. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a crimp terminal P according to an embodiment of the present invention is crimped to an end portion of an electric wire W in a connector housing C. Referring to FIG.
An open type resin barrel 1 that holds the resin W2 at the stripped end of the electric wire W and an open type core wire barrel 2 that holds the exposed core wire W1 are provided. The connector housing CH has an opening CHO on the back surface, and the opening CHO is formed in a portion of the crimp terminal P inserted in the crimp terminal insertion portion I, which is opposed to the back surface of the core barrel 2. This is for introducing the anvil A for caulking the barrel. A peep hole 23 for confirming the inside of the core wire barrel 2 is formed at a predetermined position of the core wire barrel 2.
Above the peephole 23, a color sensor B1 described later is provided.
Is in a deployed state.

Referring to FIG. 3 showing the cross section of the core barrel portion, the first end portion 21 of the core barrel 2 is overlapped with the outside of the second end portion 22. The tip of the first end portion 21 is a folded-back portion 21a that is folded back in advance.
Further, referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 2 which is a perspective view of the core wire barrel 2 before crimping, a peep hole 23 for confirming the inside of the core wire barrel 2 penetrates through a predetermined portion of the first end portion 21. Has been formed. The peep hole 23 is formed at a predetermined portion of the first end 21 where the core barrel 2 is properly crimped and overlaps the second end 22. The diameter of the peephole 23 is preferably about 2 to 4 times the plate thickness t of the core wire barrel 2 from the viewpoint of not affecting the caulking strength. FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a case where they are properly overlapped with each other.
The second end 22 of the core barrel 2 is located.

FIG. 5 shows an inspection apparatus A for inspecting the crimping terminal P for crimping defects. Referring to the figure, this inspection device A is arranged in an inspection zone TZ arranged downstream of the PZ of the crimping zone of the terminal automatic crimping device F for crimping the terminals in the connector housing CH. The automatic terminal crimping device F moves the desired crimping terminal P in the desired connector housing CH to the crimping zone PZ, selects the crimper C and the anvil A which match this, and sequentially for each desired crimping terminal P. It is to be crimped to. The automatic terminal crimping device F includes a frame F1, an X-axis slide mechanism F2 that is fixed to the frame F1 and moves a desired connector housing CH to the crimping zone PZ while holding a plurality of connector housings CH, and an X-axis. A plurality of anvils A rotatably supported by an anvil base slide F3 that is slidable in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to
Holding the desired anvil A in the crimp zone PZ
Zone moving mechanism F4 for anvil that moves to the left and base slide F5 for crimper that can slide in the Y-axis direction
In the state of being rotatably supported and holding a plurality of crimpers C, a crimper zone moving mechanism F6 for moving a desired crimper C to the crimp zone PZ, and a stripped wire W at a predetermined position of the crimp zone PZ. Hydraulic cylinders F8 and F9 for moving the anvil A and the crimper C to the connector housing CH side via an electric wire supply mechanism F7 for supplying the end portions of the above and slide bases F3 and F5, respectively.
The inspection device B is provided in the inspection zone TZ set on the downstream side of the pressure bonding zone P in the X-axis direction.

Although not shown, a transport mechanism is provided, which is capable of transporting the connector housing CH in the X-axis direction and the anti-X-axis direction, independently of the X-axis slide mechanism F2. Thus, the plurality of crimp terminals P loaded in the connector housing CH are conveyed to the inspection zone TZ together with the connector housing CH at a predetermined conveyance tact and a predetermined conveyance pitch.

The inspection device B is a known semiconductor color sensor B1 arranged above the conveying path of the peep hole 23 of the core barrel 2 of the crimp terminal P, and this color sensor B1.
According to the pass / fail signal from the control circuit B2, which outputs a pass / fail signal depending on whether the color discriminated based on the detection signal from the core wire W1 or the core barrel 2 A notification unit B3 that lights the blue lamp A3a when the result is acceptable and lights the red lamp A3b when the result is unacceptable.

As described above, the crimp terminals P are sequentially sent below the color sensor B1 for each carrying tact of the connector housing CH by the carrying mechanism, but the control circuit B2 is synchronized with the carrying tact. Color sensor B1
In the case where the member inside the peephole 23 is determined to be the core barrel 2 in the case as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the notification unit B3 causes the blue pass lamp B to be processed.
3a is turned on, and in the case as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8,
When the core wire W1 is determined, the notification lamp B3 lights the rejection lamp B3b. The above-mentioned FIG. 6 in the case of failing shows the case where the first end portion 21 to be the outer side has entered the inner side. In addition, FIG.
The case where 1 and 22 are butted without intersecting each other is shown. In addition, FIG. 8 shows that the first end portion 21 to be the outer side is
Shows a case in which it is opened to the outside too much and is cut as a chip T2 by the crimper C. Although not illustrated, a defect similar to that of FIG. 9 shown in the conventional example can also be detected as a failure. Further, in the above control circuit B2,
The color of the core barrel 2 used for discrimination can be set in advance.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to detect the overlap defect, which is impossible with the conventional crimp terminal. That is, the second end portion 22 of the core wire barrel 2 is arranged in the back of the peephole 23 in an appropriate overlap state, or the core wire W1 is arranged in the back of the peephole 23 in a poor overlap state. Whether or not it can be easily and surely determined by a simple structure using the color sensor B1.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned respective embodiments, and for example, the notifying unit B3 may emit a notifying sound such as a buzzer when it fails. In addition, the control circuit B2 may stop the operation of the automatic terminal crimping device A when it is determined that the device has failed. Other,
Various design changes can be made without changing the gist of the present invention.

[0020]

According to the crimp terminal of the present invention, in a proper crimping state, it is possible to check whether the member behind the peep hole is the core wire or the core wire barrel through the peep hole provided in the overlapping portion. It becomes possible to inspect whether or not the proper overlap has been made, which was conventionally undetectable. In addition, since the core wire and the core wire barrel usually have a clear difference in color tone, if the main crimping terminal is used, for example, a simple structure using a color sensor or the like can accurately inspect the crimping quality. It will be possible.

According to the crimping terminal crimping inspection method and crimping inspection apparatus of the present invention, the color of the member inside the peephole is detected by the color detecting means through the peephole, and the peekout is performed based on the detected color. The quality of crimping can be determined by determining whether the member behind the hole is the core wire or the core wire barrel. As compared with the conventional inspection by image processing, the quality of crimping can be inspected accurately with a simple structure.
Further, it becomes possible to confirm whether or not the proper overlap has been made, which was impossible by the conventional inspection, and the defective crimping can be surely detected.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a crimp terminal and a color sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a core wire barrel portion of a crimp terminal before crimping.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a core wire barrel portion in a properly crimped state.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a core wire barrel portion in a properly crimped state.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of an automatic terminal crimping device including an inspection device for inspecting the quality of crimping.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a core barrel portion in the case of poor crimping.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the core barrel portion in the case of defective crimping.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a core barrel portion in the case of poor crimping.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a core wire barrel portion when a conventional crimp terminal has a crimp failure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 P crimp terminal 1 resin barrel 2 core barrel 21 first end 22 second end 23 peep hole W electric wire W1 core CH connector housing F automatic terminal crimping device PZ crimping zone TZ inspection device B1 color sensor B2 control Circuit B3 Notification unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An open core barrel for gripping an exposed core wire, wherein the core barrel is crimped onto the core wire with the first end of the core barrel overlapping the outside of the second end. In a crimp terminal that maintains electrical continuity, a core wire is provided at a predetermined portion of the first end portion that overlaps the second end portion when the core barrel is properly crimped. A crimp terminal characterized by having a peep hole through which the inside of the barrel can be seen. 2. The crimping inspection method for crimp terminals according to claim 1, wherein the color detecting means detects the color of the member at the back of the peephole through the peephole at the first end, and the color detecting means A crimping inspection method for crimping terminals, wherein the quality of crimping is judged based on the color detected by. 3. The crimping terminal crimping inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the color detecting means detects the color of a member located behind the peephole through the peephole at the first end. A crimping inspection device for crimping terminals, which comprises a judging means for judging whether the crimping is good or bad based on the color detected by the.