Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2001-02-06
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183314
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a metallic mold for manufacturing a connector and also relates to a method for manufacturing the connector. More particularly, the present invention relates to a metallic mold for manufacturing a connector having a retainer to be attached to a connector housing from the side and also relates to a method for manufacturing the connector.
A conventional connector is well known in which a terminal fitting is engaged double when a retainer is attached to a connector housing from the side (shown in
FIGS. 1
to
6
). In the connector housing
1
of this connector, there is formed a cavity
3
into which a terminal fitting
2
can be inserted from the back. On a bottom face of the cavity
3
, there is provided a flexible lance
4
engaged with the terminal fitting
2
.
On the other hand, a retainer
5
for preventing the terminal fitting
2
from being disconnected is attached onto an upper face of the connector housing
1
. Accordingly, there is formed a retainer insertion hole
6
on the upper face of the connector housing
1
in such a manner that the retainer insertion hole
6
crosses the cavity
3
. As shown in
FIGS. 3 and 6
, the retainer
5
is provided with a protruding piece
5
a
to be inserted between the cavities
3
and also provided with an engaging portion
9
which protrudes in the cavity
3
and engages with a jaw portion
8
of the terminal fitting
2
. Although the detail of the retainer
5
is not shown in the drawings, it can be held at two positions, one is a provisional engaging position at which the retainer
5
is inserted into the housing
1
by a small distance, and the other is a complete engaging position at which the retainer
5
is inserted into the housing
1
by a distance longer than the distance of the provisional engaging position.
Under the condition shown in
FIGS. 1 and 4
in which the retainer
5
is held at the provisional engaging position, each engaging portion
9
of the retainer
5
is withdrawn upward so that the terminal fitting
2
can be attached. When the terminal fitting
2
is inserted to a normal position under the above condition, the terminal fitting
2
is primarily engaged with the lance
4
. Next, when the retainer
5
is pushed to the complete engaging position as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 5
, each engaging portion
9
of the retainer
5
is engaged with the jaw portion
8
of the terminal fitting
2
, so that the retainer
5
is secondarily engaged. In this way, the terminal fitting
2
can be double engaged with the connector. This connector is temporarily assembled while the retainer
5
is held at the provisional engaging position and then transported to a site in which the terminal is inserted into the connector.
Conventionally, until the housing
1
and the retainer
5
are temporarily assembled to each other, the housing
1
and the retainer
5
are formed separately from each other, that is, they are respectively formed by different forming machines and transported to a temporarily assembling site. After that, the housing
1
and the retainer
5
are finally assembled. In this case, assembly is conducted by an automatic machine provided with a parts feeder or alternatively assembly is manually conducted by a worker.
As described above, according to the prior art, the housing
1
and retainer
5
are molded and assembled separately, and the manufacture of a temporarily assembled connector is completed through the processes of molding, transportation and assembly. When assembly is conducted by the manual operation of a worker, it is necessary to provide a different inspection process. Due to the foregoing, a large number of processes are required to complete the manufacture of the connector, so that the manufacturing cost is increased. Further, it is necessary to manage the metallic molds for each housing
1
and retainer
5
, which also increases the management cost.
The present invention has been accomplished to solve the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a metallic mold and a method for manufacturing a connector at low cost.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is provided a method for manufacturing a connector, the connector comprising a connector housing in which a cavity open in the longitudinal direction is formed for the insertion of a terminal fitting, a retainer insertion hole extending from the outside into the cavity is also formed, and a retainer is inserted from the side into the retainer insertion hole so as to engage with the terminal fitting, the method for manufacturing the connector comprising the steps of: molding the connector housing and the retainer in a metallic mold in a positional condition that the retainer is opposed to the retainer insertion hole from the side; withdrawing the metallic mold between the connector housing and the retainer in the longitudinal direction in the movement process of the mold; and relatively moving the connector housing and the retainer in the transverse direction while they are being held, so as to assemble the retainer to the connector housing.
In this invention, first, the connector housing and retainer are simultaneously molded in the molding process. Next, in the mold movement process, the metallic mold for molding the connector housing is moved in the longitudinal direction in accordance with the direction of the cavity opening. When the metallic mold between the connector housing and the retainer is withdrawn, a space is formed between the connector housing and the retainer, so that the retainer is put in a condition in which the retainer is opposed to the retainer insertion hole. When the connector housing and retainer are held and moved relatively in this condition, the retainer is inserted into the retainer insertion hole. In this way, the connector can be obtained.
Further, according to the invention, the retainer insertion hole is formed when a metallic mold for molding the cavity and a metallic mold for molding a connector housing outside, which are contacted with each other, are moved in the opposite directions along the side of the connector housing, and the metallic mold is opened.
In this invention, resin is not filled in a portion where the cavity molding metallic mold comes into contact with the connector housing outside forming mold. When both metallic molds are moved in the longitudinal direction in the mold moving process, the contact portion of both metallic molds are open on the side of the connector housing, and this opening becomes the retainer insertion hole.
Furthermore, according to the first aspect of the invention, it is to provide a metallic mold for manufacturing a connector, the connector comprising a connector housing in which a cavity open in the longitudinal direction is formed for the insertion of a terminal fitting, a retainer insertion hole extending from the outside into the cavity is also formed, and a retainer is inserted from the side into the retainer insertion hole so as to engage with the terminal fitting, the metallic mold for manufacturing the connector comprising: a molding structure capable of molding the connector housing and the retainer in a positional relation in which the retainer is opposed from the side to the retainer insertion hole; a mold moving structure for withdrawing the metallic mold between the connector housing and the retainer in the longitudinal direction; and an operating structure for assembling the retainer to the connector housing when the connector housing and the retainer are relatively moved in the transverse direction while they are being held.
In the invention, the connector housing and the retainer are simultaneously molded in one metallic mold in the molding process. In the mold opening process, the metallic mold for molding the connector housing is moved in the longitudinal direction in accordance with the cavity opening direction. When the metallic mold is withdrawn, a space is formed between the connector housing and the retainer, so that the retainer is opposed to the ret
Ito Hikaru
Kawase Hajime
Sasai Osamu
Tsutsui Shinsuke
Wada Yasunori
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Prasad Chandrika
Sircus Brian
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd
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