Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus – Female mold and charger to supply fluent stock under... – With product ejector
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-30
2003-08-26
Heitbrink, Jill L. (Department: 1732)
Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus
Female mold and charger to supply fluent stock under...
With product ejector
C425S517000, C425S577000, C425S588000, C264S238000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06609903
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production process of a connector and to the mold structure of a connector by which the molding and assembling of a plurality of parts are carried out in a single mold.
2. Description of Background Information
When a connector is produced, a connector housing and auxiliary parts such as a retainer and the like were molded in general by separate molds, then they were taken out and delivered to a temporary assembly location, and a completed product has been obtained by temporarily assembling the housing and the auxiliary parts. However, since such method has many working steps and high costs, a method known as a so-called in-mold assembly, in which a connector housing and auxiliary parts such as a retainer and the like were molded in one mold and then the components are assembled in the same mold, has been used as a method for solving the above problems. Further, such production method of a connector is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) HEI No. 9-11239.
Furthermore, as a connector which is equipped with a retainer for eliminating the slip of terminal fittings, there is a so-called side retainer type in which a retainer is inserted from the side face of a connector housing so that it crosses the terminal fittings. Such a connector is schematically shown in
FIG. 8. A
connector housing
1
has a generally box shape, and a plurality of through cavities
2
are provided to extend in the up and down direction as shown in the drawing. Further, a retainer installation hole
3
, which is connected with the respective cavities
2
, is provided in one side of the connector housing, and a retainer
4
is configured to be inserted into a retaining position.
Considering a mold structure in such connector when molding and assembling are carried out in a mold as described above, it is firstly required that a mold which moves in the up and down direction (X-axis direction) for forming the cavities
2
of the connector housing
1
is provided. Further, a mold which is equipped with a pin extends in the transverse direction (Y-axis direction) and moves in the transverse direction is required at least for forming the retainer installation hole
3
. In order to mold the retainer
4
and assemble it to the retainer installation hole
3
while avoiding interference with these molds, the retainer
4
is molded at a position which is spaced apart in the fore and aft direction (Z-axis direction) relative to the connector housing
1
.
An example of the assembly procedure of the known connector of
FIG. 8
is now described. First, after the connector housing
1
and the retainer
4
are molded in a closed mold condition, a mold in the up and down direction (X-axis direction) is opened, a mold in the transverse direction (Y-axis direction) is further opened to pull out the pin from the retainer installation hole
3
, and it is retracted to a position at which interference with the retainer
4
can be avoided. Then, the retainer
4
is pushed in the fore and aft direction (Z-axis direction), and moved to a position (illustrated by double dotted line) at which it is aligned with the retainer installation hole
3
. Then, the retainer
4
is pushed in the transverse direction (Y-axis direction), and is inserted in the retainer installation hole
3
.
Thus, when auxiliary parts such as the retainer and the like are installed in the installation hole of the connector housing, the pin for forming the installation hole is pulled out from the mold of the connector housing. Thus, a construction for avoiding interference of the mold and the auxiliary parts and the like is required in order to install the auxiliary parts in the installation hole from the same position. Therefore, the mold construction is complicated and cost increases have been induced. Further, in the above-mentioned mold construction, since members which move in the three axial directions, up and down, transverse, and fore and aft directions are provided, it has been extremely difficult to make a construction by which many connector parts are simultaneously molded by one mold configuration as they are assembled.
The present invention was completed considering the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object is to provide a production process of a connector and a mold construction of the connector by which the mold construction can be simplified.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a process is provided for molding a connector including a connector housing and at least one auxiliary part thereof in a single mold and then assembling the connector housing and the at least one auxiliary part together in the single mold. The process includes providing molding spaces for the connector housing and the at least one auxiliary part in the mold, providing an installation hole forming pin that protrudes into the molding space of the connector housing to form an installation through hole for installing the at least one auxiliary part in the connector housing. The process also includes providing the molding space of the at least one auxiliary part in alignment with an extension line of the installation hole forming pin, and installing the at least one auxiliary part in the installation through hole from a side opposite the mold extraction side of the installation through hole forming pin by pressing the at least one auxiliary part toward the connector housing side by a pressing part subsequent to completion of molding.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a mold apparatus is provided for molding a connector including a connector housing and at least one auxiliary part therefor in a single mold and then assembling the connector housing and the at least one auxiliary part in the single mold. The mold apparatus includes molding spaces for the connector housing and for the at least one auxiliary part provided in the single mold. An installation through hole forming pin is provided to protrude into the molding space of the connector housing to form an installation through hole for installing the at least one auxiliary part in the connector housing. The molding space of the at least one auxiliary part is arranged on an extension line of the installation through hole forming pin so that the at least one auxiliary part is installed in the installation through hole from a side opposite a mold extraction side of the installation through hole forming pin by pressing the at least one auxiliary part toward the connector housing side by a pressing part subsequent to completion of molding.
According to other aspects of the present invention, the installation through hole is formed in the connector housing by the installation through hole forming pin. After the connector housing and the at least one auxiliary part is molded, the at least one auxiliary part is assembled in the installation through hole from the side opposite the mold extraction side of the installation through hole forming pin. Thus, since interference of the installation through hole forming pin with the at least one auxiliary part is avoided, the mold construction can be simplified. Further, the mold apparatus can be configured so that the direction of movement of the respective parts of the mold is only along two axis lines of direction. Thus, the molding spaces of a plurality of connectors can be provided in the mold aligned along a third axis line direction. Therefore, the molding and fabrication of parts for many connectors can be simultaneously carried out by a single mold apparatus.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a single mold apparatus is provided for molding a connector including a connector housing and at least one auxiliary part therefor in a single mold and then assembling the connector housing and the at least one auxiliary part in the single mold. The single mold apparatus includes at least a first molding space for molding the connector housing, at least a second molding space for molding the at l
Fontaine Monica A
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Heitbrink Jill L.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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