Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-13
2004-06-01
Arbes, Carl J. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
C029S754000, C029S450000, C029S861000, C029S862000, C029S881000, C029S751000, C029S753000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06742251
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of crimping an electrical wire equipped with a water-proof plug, such as a rubber plug, onto a connector terminal, as well as to a terminal crimping apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of crimping an electrical wire and a water-proof plug onto a connector terminal by placing a connector terminal, an electrical wire, and a water-proof plug into a predetermined layout of positions, as well as to a terminal crimping apparatus.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a connector terminal
42
is generally crimped onto the metal-core-exposed front end and the sheathed end of an electrical wire
41
equipped with a water-proof plug
40
made of an elastic member such as rubber. The front end of the connector terminal
42
is fitted into a given mount hole formed in an unillustrated housing. At this time, the water-proof plug
40
is brought into pressed contact with the internal surface of the mount hole of the housing, thereby ensuring the sealing characteristics of the connector terminal
42
and the electrical wire
41
.
As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a conventional apparatus
45
used for crimping an electrical wire equipped with a water-proof plug onto a terminal crimps the metal-core-exposed front end and the sheathed end of the electrical wire
41
equipped with the water-proof plug
40
to the connector terminals
42
, respectively. The terminal crimping apparatus
45
is provided with an electrical wire/terminal positioning member
47
which holds the connector terminal
42
in a given position with respect to a pair of crimping members; namely, an upper crimping member
46
a
and a lower crimping member
46
b
. the upper crimping member
46
a
is called “a crimper” and is vertically movable. The lower crimping member
46
b
is called “an anvil” and is fixed on a base. Pressing force is exerted onto a given point of the connector terminal
42
from above, to thereby elastically deform an area to be crimped. As a result, the electrical wire
41
and the water-proof plug
40
are crimped onto and connected to the connector terminal
42
.
At this time, the electrical wire/terminal positioning member
47
brings the metal core end of the front end of the electrical wire
41
inserted into the connector terminal
42
to a side surface
48
, as well as bringing the rear end of a connecting portion of the connector terminal
42
into contact with another side surface
49
. As a result, the electrical wire
41
and the connector terminal
42
are held in given positions with respect to the upper and lower crimping members
46
a
,
46
b.
In the foregoing conventional terminal crimping apparatus
45
, the electrical wire
41
and the connector terminal
42
are held in position with respect to the upper and lower crimping members
46
a
,
46
b
. However, the water-proof plug
40
cannot be positioned.
For this reason, a housing cavity arises in the space between the rear end of the water-proof plug
40
in its insertion direction and the open end face of the mount hole formed in the housing when the connector terminal
42
is fitted into the mount hole of the housing. A water puddle is formed in the housing cavity, thereby impairing the water-proof characteristics of the housing.
For this reason, as shown in
FIG. 1
, in order to prevent a housing cavity when the rear end of the water-proof plug
40
is brought into alignment in its insertion direction with the open end face of the mount hole of the housing, dimension L defined by a given positional relationship of the connector terminal
42
, the electrical wire
41
, and the water-proof plug
40
must be set to a given value. More specifically, the dimension L has a major effect on the sealing characteristics of the housing, and there is a need to strictly control the positional relationship of the connector terminal
42
, the electrical wire
41
, and the water-proof plug
40
, thereby resulting in a decrease in the efficiency of a crimping operation.
Although the electrical wire
41
is positioned by bringing the front end of the metal core into contact with the side surface
48
of the electrical wire/terminal positioning member
47
, the electrical wire cannot be correctly positioned through an automatic assembling operation because of the extremely-low rigidity of the metal core.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus, both of which place in a given positional relationship a connector terminal, an electrical wire crimped onto the connector terminal, and a water-proof plug attached to the electrical wire and are capable of being applied to an automatic assembling operation.
Additional objects, advantages, and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
These objects can be accomplished by a method of crimping an electrical wire equipped with a water-proof plug onto a terminal and a terminal crimping apparatus as defined below.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a crimping method of crimping a connector terminal onto an electrical wire equipped with an elastic water-proof plug, comprising the step of:
placing the water-proof plug in a predetermined position with respect to the front end of the connector terminal through use of positioning means.
Preferably, the electrical wire having the water-proof plug set thereon approaches the connector terminal from behind and is placed in a predetermined position through use of the positioning means.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a crimping apparatus for crimping a connector terminal onto an electrical wire equipped with an elastic water-proof plug, comprising:
a water-proof plug positioning member having a positioning protuberance used for the purpose of placing the water-proof plug in a given position with respect to the front end of the connector terminal; and
a pair of upper crimping members and a pair of lower crimping members, both of which are positioned in the vicinity of the water-proof plug positioning member and crimp the connector terminal in a given position on the electrical wire.
Preferably, the crimping apparatus further comprises a terminal positioning member which places the connector terminal in a predetermined position with respect to the upper and lower crimping members by bringing a given area of the connector terminal substantially into contact with both sides of the terminal positioning member.
More preferably, a front portion of the water-proof plug is formed into a water-proof plug cylindrical portion, and a rear portion of the water-proof plug cylinder is formed into a water-proof plug sealing portion which is larger in diameter than the water-proof plug cylindrical portion and includes a desired number of seal rings, and the front end face of the water-proof plug cylindrical portion is brought into contact with the rear surface of the positioning protuberance. Further, a circular-arc surface which has the same radius as that of the water-proof cylindrical portion is formed on the upper surface of the positioning protuberance.
Further preferably, the positioning protuberance is formed on the upper surface of the water-proof plug positioning member, and the water-proof plug positioning member is provided so as to be vertically movable while remaining in slidable contact with the rear surface of the lower crimping member. A carrier feed groove having an opening opened towards the lower crimping member is formed in said water-proof plug positioning member;
In addition, the above-mentioned object can also be attained by a method of crimping a connector terminal onto an electric
Arbes Carl J.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Trinh Minh
Yazaki -Corporation
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