JPH09213436A - Joint connector and its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smoothly perform positioning of a drilling edge of a cutter and facilitate cutting of a bus bar trunk conductor part in the inside, by providing a conductor cutting part hollowed in a housing of a joint connector built in with a bus bar. SOLUTION: Press work is applied to a long scaled conductive metal plate, a chain type bus bar 8 is obtained, in which a plurality of branch connection parts 10b branching from a trunk conductor part 10a are connected to a side edge 9a of a band-shaped bus bar carrier 9 through a connection part 9a. This bus bar 8 is delivered from a reel 12 mounted in a stand 11, to be introduced to an injection molding machine 19 charged with a metal mold, by insert molding, a bus bar 10 is wrapped by a synthetic resin material so as to expose the branch connection part 10b, a housing 20 is formed, also hole-shaped conductor cut parts 21', 21' are provided to be hollowed in an upper/lower wall part 20a, 20b of the housing 20. Next, the conductor cut parts 21', 21' in a prescribed position of the housing 20 are cut by a drilling edge 23 of a multipunch press machine 22.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a joint connector used for selectively connecting a plurality of electric wires forming an electric circuit and a method for manufacturing the joint connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 11, a conventional joint connector has a bus bar a formed in a predetermined circuit shape,
It was produced by a method of inserting a'into the connector housing b, or integrally embedding it in the housing by insert molding of a synthetic resin material.

Therefore, it is necessary to prepare busbars having a shape corresponding to the type of circuit structure. Therefore, many kinds of busbars should be prepared in advance, and the busbars a and a'suitable to the circuit structure should be selected each time. Therefore, there are drawbacks such as an increase in cost due to an increase in the number of parts and a decrease in productivity in the manufacturing process.

On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-74114 discloses that
As a method of manufacturing a bus bar circuit board, as shown in FIG. 12, a bus bar circuit board M formed by leaving a connecting piece d between adjacent bus bars c and c is integrally molded with a synthetic resin insulator e, As shown in FIG. 13, the connecting piece d
There is disclosed means for forming a desired circuit by cutting and removing the connecting piece d by forming a punched hole f in the portion.

Therefore, even in the joint connector,
Like the bus bar circuit board M described above, a bus bar is integrally molded in a housing with a synthetic resin insulator, and then a part of the molded bus bar is cut, so that one type of bus bar is used for various circuit configurations. Means for producing a joint connector capable of dealing with the above are also conceivable.

However, in the case of the joint connector, unlike the bus bar circuit board, the thickness of the synthetic resin insulator of the housing is large, and when the bus bar embedded inside is cut, the cut portion is filled with the synthetic resin insulator. For example, punching work becomes difficult, positioning of the cut part is uncertain, the bus bar is not cut sufficiently, another circuit is short-circuited, and the synthetic resin insulator sticks out from the cut part and damages the appearance of the housing. I have a problem.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in the step of cutting the bus bar, the conductor cutting portion is provided in the housing of the joint connector having the built-in bus bar. It is an object of the present invention to provide a joint connector and a method for manufacturing the same in which positioning and cutting work of a cutting portion is facilitated and reliable, and productivity and reliability of a cutting process are significantly improved.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 electrically insulates a bus bar having a backbone conductor portion and a plurality of branch connection portions branched from the backbone conductor portion. A joint connector which is integrally encapsulated by a flexible housing and exposes the branch connection portion from the housing, the outer wall of the housing enclosing a core conductor portion between adjacent branch connection portions of the bus bar. The conductor cut portion is provided as a recess, and a through hole is formed in a predetermined conductor cut portion to selectively cut the core conductor portion of the bus bar to form a circuit in the housing. To do. It is preferable to attach a mark to the outer wall of the housing to indicate the cutting position of the basic conductor portion (claim 2).

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a joint connector in which a bus bar having a basic conductor portion and a plurality of branch connection portions branched from the basic conductor portion is integrally covered with a synthetic resin material. And a conductor cut portion is recessed in an outer wall of a housing that encloses a core conductor portion between adjacent branch connection portions of the bus bar, and then a predetermined conductor cut portion is selectively perforated to form a core of the bus bar. It is characterized in that the conductor portion is cut and separated. It is preferable that the bus bar is encapsulated and integrated with the synthetic resin material by insert molding, and the conductor cut portion is provided in a recess on the outer wall of the housing (claim 4). It is effective to provide cutting position detecting means for detecting the cut and separated position of the main conductor portion, and print a mark indicating the cut and separated position on the outer wall of the housing based on the signal output from the cutting position detecting means ( Claim 5). It is preferable that the cutting position detecting means includes a light source and an optical sensor that receives light emitted from the light source (claim 6).

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a joint connector manufacturing method for continuously manufacturing the joint connector according to the second aspect, wherein a long conductive metal plate is punched to form a core conductor portion, A busbar having a plurality of branch connection portions branched from the main conductor portion is connected to the busbar carrier in a chain manner at a predetermined interval to produce a chained busbar, and (a) insert molding the chained busbar. By processing, the bus bar is covered with a synthetic resin material to form an integrated housing, and
Forming step of forming a conductor cut portion in the outer wall of the housing that encloses the core conductor portion between the adjacent branch connection portions of the bus bar, and b) forming a through hole in a predetermined conductor cut portion to form the conductor cut portion. The bus bar cutting step of cutting and separating the core conductor part of c), c) the cutting position detecting step of detecting the cutting position of the bus bar in the housing by the cutting position detecting means, and d) the housing based on the signal output from the cutting position detecting means. The printing step of printing a marking indicating the cutting position on the outer wall of the housing, (e) the housing separating step of cutting the connecting portion between the bus bar carrier and the bus bar to separate the housing, and the above steps (a) to (e) It is characterized in that

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a joint connector A and a mating connector K according to an embodiment of the present invention. The joint connector A has a bus bar 1 as shown in FIG.
The connector is formed by integrally molding in the housing 2, and is fitted with a mating connector K to connect a plurality of electric wires W accommodated in the connector K to each other to form a predetermined electric circuit. .

The bus bar 1 is formed in a shape in which a plurality of branch connection portions 1b (six in FIG. 2) are arranged side by side in a comb-tooth shape from a basic conductor portion 1a. The branch connection portion 1b projects from the side wall 2a of the housing 2 and is of a male type that is fitted to the female terminal 4 housed in the terminal housing chamber (not shown) of the housing 3 of the mating connector K. It forms a connection terminal.

The housing 2 is molded into a rectangular parallelepiped shape of a synthetic resin insulator by insert molding for enclosing the bus bar 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the bus bar 1 is adjacent to the upper wall 2b and the lower wall 2c. A tablet-shaped conductor cutting portion 5 is provided at a position where the core conductor portion 1a is encapsulated between the branch connection portions 1b,
5'is recessed at a plurality of locations (in the present embodiment, five locations at the top and bottom respectively). At both ends 2d, 2e in the longitudinal direction of the housing 2, lock claws 7 for engaging with the lock holes 6 provided in the side wall 3a of the housing 3 of the mating connector K and locking to the housing 3 are provided. Are projected respectively.

In the conductor cutting portion 5, the basic conductor portion 1a of the bus bar 1 is cut so that the circuits formed by the plurality of branch connection portions 1b in the housing 2 are separated from each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a through hole H is formed in the central conductor cut portions 5 and 5'of the upper wall 2b and the lower wall 2c of the housing 2 by using a punch press or the like, so that the bus bar When the core conductor portion 1a of No. 1 is cut, as shown in FIG.
Inside, it is separated into bus bars 1A and 1B each having three branch connection parts 1b.

Since the thickness of the synthetic resin insulator between the conductor cutting portions 5 and 5'is thinner than the thickness between the upper wall 2b and the lower wall 2c of the housing 2, the required cutting force is reduced. The conductor is easily cut by the punch press machine, and the conductor cutting portions 5 and 5'are recessed in the shape of holes, so that the punching blade of the punch press machine is accurately guided to position the cutting portion reliably. Be seen.

Next, a method of manufacturing the joint connector according to the seventh aspect of the present invention will be described. FIG.
[Fig. 3] is an explanatory view schematically showing a step of continuously manufacturing a joint connector. First, as a bus bar that constitutes a joint connector, a long conductive metal plate is pressed to produce a chain type bus bar 8 as shown in FIG.

The chain type busbar 8 has a structure in which a plurality of busbars 10 having the same structure as the busbar 1 are connected to a side edge 9a of a belt-shaped busbar carrier 9 at predetermined intervals in a chain shape. . That is, a plurality of branches (6 in FIG. 8) branched from the basic conductor portion 10a of the bus bar 10
Of the branch connection part 10b), the branch connection parts 1 at both ends.
The tip of 0b is connected to the side edge 9a of the busbar carrier 9 by a connecting portion 9a.
It is formed in a shape connected through b. The bus bar 10 is separated from the side edge 9a of the bus bar carrier 9 by cutting the connecting portion 9b in the final step described later.

The chain type bus bar 8 is mounted on the stand 11 while being wound around the reel 12. By driving a plurality of pairs of gripping rollers (not shown) that grip the busbar carrier 9, the chain type busbar 8 is formed into a molding step 13, a busbar cutting step 14, a cutting position detection step 15, a printing step 16,
It is sequentially transferred to each step of the housing separating step 17, and each bus bar 10 is subjected to the processing of each step in each step.

In the molding step 13, insert molding is performed by an injection molding machine 19 loaded with a mold for forming a predetermined housing, and the bus bar 10 is integrally encapsulated with a synthetic resin material so that the branch connection portion 10b is exposed. The housing 20 is formed by the conversion. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper wall 20a and the lower wall 20b of the housing 20 are
In the same manner as the housing 2, tablet-shaped hole-shaped conductor cutting portions 21 and 21 ′ are respectively recessed. The conductor cutting portions 21 and 21 'are adjacent to the branch connecting portion 1 of the bus bar 10.
It is provided at all positions of the basic conductor portion 10a between 0b.

In the bus bar cutting step 14, the housing 2 is moved by the punching blade 23 of the multi-punch press 22.
The conductor cut portions 21 and 21 'at a predetermined position of 0 are punched out, and a through hole H is formed as shown in FIG. By forming the through hole H, the core conductor portion 10a of the bus bar 10 at that position is divided.

In the cutting position detecting step 15, a photoelectric position detecting device 24 is installed. Photoelectric position detector 24
Has a light source 25 at the top and an optical sensor 26a below it.
Is provided with a signal output section. After the bus bar cutting step 14, the housing 20 has a light source 25 and an optical sensor 26.
It is supplied between a and. The light emitted from the light source 25
A signal corresponding to the cut position is output from the signal output unit 26 after passing through the through hole H of the housing 20 and received by the optical sensor 26a. In the conductor cutting portions 21 and 21 'having no through hole H, the light emitted from the light source 25 is blocked, and, as a matter of course, the signal corresponding to the cut position is not output.

In the printing process 16, a printing machine 27 is installed, and the printing machine 27 is operated based on the signal indicating the cutting position output from the signal output unit 26, and the nozzle 27a prints on the housing 20. Ink is ejected. On the upper wall 20a of the housing 20, as shown in FIG.
The marking S in a predetermined color corresponding to the cutting position of the bus bar 10 is printed.

In the housing 20 that has undergone the printing step 16, the connecting portion 9b connecting the bus bar carrier 9 and the bus bar 10 is cut by the cutting blade 28a of the cutting machine 28 installed in the housing separating step 17, and the bus bar carrier is cut. Separated from 9, the joint connector A'is formed. The formed joint connector A ′ is successively accommodated in the accommodation box 29.

[0024]

According to the present invention, since the recessed conductor cutting portion is provided in the housing of the joint connector containing the bus bar, the boring blade of the cutting machine can be positioned smoothly, and the core conductor of the internal bus bar is provided. The cutting of the part becomes easy and reliable, and the productivity and electrical reliability of the cutting process are improved. Further, since the bus bar after cutting and unnecessary residual pieces of the cut portion of the housing do not project from the wall of the housing, the aesthetic appearance of the housing is maintained. Further, if the bus bar cutting position detection means is provided and the housing is printed by the signal output based on the cutting position formed on the housing, the clear cutting position can be automatically marked. It is possible and has many advantages such as a marked improvement in the productivity of the manufacturing process.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a joint connector and a mating connector according to an embodiment of the invention described in claim 1. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a bus bar of the joint connector of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line XX of the joint connector of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which one through hole is formed in the conductor cutting portion in FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line YY of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a manufacturing process of the joint connector according to the embodiment of the invention described in claim 7;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the chain type bus bar of FIG.

8 is a cross-sectional view of a housing formed through the molding process of FIG.

9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a through hole is formed in a conductor cutting portion of a housing through the bus bar cutting process of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a housing on which an indicia is formed through the printing process of FIG.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a structure of a conventional joint connector.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional method for manufacturing a bus bar circuit board.

13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a connecting piece provided between the bus bars in FIG. 12 is cut.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A, A'Joint connector H Through hole S Marking 1 Busbar 1a Main conductor part 1b Branch connection part 2 Housing 2b Upper wall 2c Lower wall 5,5 'Conductor cut part 8 Chain type busbar 9 Busbar carrier 9b Connection part 10 Busbar 10a Core Conductor part 10b Branch connection part 20 Housings 21 and 21 'Conductor cut part 25 Light source 26a Optical sensor

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A bus bar having a basic conductor portion and a plurality of branch connection portions branched from the basic conductor portion is integrally encapsulated by an electrically insulating housing, and the branch connection portion is exposed from the housing. A joint connector formed by forming a conductor cut portion in an outer wall of a housing that encloses a core conductor portion between adjacent branch connection portions of the bus bar, and forming a through hole in a predetermined conductor cut portion. The joint connector is characterized in that the core conductor portion of the bus bar is selectively cut to form a circuit in the housing. 2. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall of the housing is provided with a mark indicating a cutting position of the basic conductor portion. 3. A busbar having a basic conductor portion and a plurality of branch connection portions branched from the basic conductor portion is covered with a synthetic resin material to be integrated with each other, and the busbar is provided between adjacent branch connection portions of the busbar. A joint connector, characterized in that after a conductor cutting portion is recessed in an outer wall of a housing that encloses the core conductor portion, the predetermined conductor cutting portion is selectively perforated to cut and separate the core conductor portion of the bus bar. Manufacturing method. 4. The method of manufacturing a joint connector according to claim 3, wherein the bus bar is integrally encapsulated with the synthetic resin material by insert molding, and the conductor cut portion is provided in a recess on the outer wall of the housing. 5. A cutting position detecting means for detecting a cut and separated position of the basic conductor portion is provided, and a mark indicating the cut and separated position is printed on the outer wall of the housing based on a signal output from the cut position detecting means. The method for manufacturing a joint connector according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that. 6. The method for manufacturing a joint connector according to claim 5, wherein the cutting position detecting means comprises a light source and an optical sensor for receiving light emitted from the light source. 7. A method for manufacturing a joint connector for continuously manufacturing the joint connector according to claim 2, wherein a long conductive metal plate is punched out, and a trunk conductor portion is branched from the trunk conductor portion. A busbar having a plurality of branch connection parts is connected to the busbar carrier in a chain at a predetermined interval to produce a chained busbar, and the chained busbar is a) synthesized by an insert molding process. While encapsulating with a resin material to form an integrated housing,
Forming step of forming a conductor cut portion in the outer wall of the housing that encloses the core conductor portion between the adjacent branch connection portions of the bus bar, and b) forming a through hole in a predetermined conductor cut portion to form the conductor cut portion. The bus bar cutting step of cutting and separating the core conductor part of c), c) the cutting position detecting step of detecting the cutting position of the bus bar in the housing by the cutting position detecting means, and d) the housing based on the signal output from the cutting position detecting means. The printing step of printing a marking indicating the cutting position on the outer wall of the housing, (e) the housing separating step of cutting the connecting portion between the bus bar carrier and the bus bar to separate the housing, and the above steps (a) to (e) A method for manufacturing a joint connector, comprising: