Pressure welding apparatus and pressure welding method

Details Pressure welding apparatus and pressure welding method Pressure welding apparatus and pressure welding method

2000-03-15

2002-04-16

Elve, M. Alexandra (Department: 1725)

Metal fusion bonding

With means to juxtapose and bond plural workpieces

Including compliant cushioning medium

C228S262510, C228S003100, C228S004100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06371353

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a pressure welding apparatus and pressure welding method for pressure-welding electric wires to the pressure-welding parts of pressure-welding contacts.
PRIOR ART
Soldering, press-bonding and pressure welding, etc., have been used in the past as methods for connecting electric wires to contacts. Among these methods, pressure welding is advantageous from the standpoint of the productivity of the connecting work. Pressure welding is spreading even in the Japanese automobile industry, in which pressure welding has not been very widely used in the past. The examples shown in
FIGS. 8 through 11
are universally known as examples of a pressure-welding connector for use in automobiles and a pressure welding apparatus for use with this connector (Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. 10-326633).
In
FIG. 8
, the pressure-welding connector
100
comprises a plurality of contacts
120
, each of which has a contact part (not shown in the figures) and a pressure-welding part
122
, and an insulating housing
110
which has a plurality of cavities
112
that accommodate the contacts
120
. The housing
110
covers the contact parts of the contacts
120
in the front engaging part
114
, but opens at the top in the rear so that the pressure-welding parts
122
of the contacts
120
are exposed. Cutouts
118
are formed in housing partition walls
116
on both sides of the cavities
112
in positions adjacent to the pressure-welding parts
122
. These cutouts
118
are used to accommodate side-surface retaining parts
132
which are installed inside the pressure-welding pressing die
130
shown in
FIG. 9
so that these side-surface retaining parts
132
are driven downward by springs
134
. In order to connect the electric wires
140
and respective contacts
120
, the electric wires
140
are first positioned on the pressure-welding parts
122
as shown in FIG.
10
. Next, when the pressure-welding pressing die
130
is lowered, the side-surface retaining parts
132
advance into the cutouts
118
, and the stuffers
136
of the pressure-welding pressing die
130
contacts the electric wires
140
. Then, when the pressure-welding pressing die
130
is further lowered, the stuffers
136
press-fit (pressure-weld) the electric wires
140
inside the pressure-welding parts
122
as shown in FIG.
11
. In this pressure-welding process, the side-surface retaining parts
132
that have advanced into the cutouts
118
support the side walls
124
of the pressure-welding parts
122
from the sides. Accordingly, the pressure-welding parts
122
can be prevented from opening even in cases where no contacts
120
are accommodated in the cavities
112
adjacent to the cavities
112
in which the pressure-welded contacts
120
are accommodated.
However, as the installation pitch of contacts
120
has become smaller (e.g., a pitch of 2.2 mm) with the increase in density seen in connectors in recent years, it has become unavoidably necessary to reduce the thickness of the partition walls
116
between the cavities
112
. Since cutouts
118
which allow the entry of the side-surface retaining parts
132
are formed in the partition walls
116
, the spatial distance between adjacent contacts
120
at the positions of the cutouts
118
is extremely small. As a result, there is a danger that electrical current flowing through the contacts
120
will leak via the cutouts
118
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a pressure welding apparatus and pressure welding method which prevents the pressure-welding parts of the contacts from opening, without forming cutouts in the partition walls between the cavities of the connector housing.
The invention is a pressure welding apparatus for pressure welding a wire to a contact that is disposed in one cavity of a housing having a plurality of side-by-side cavities that are separated by partition walls. The pressure welding apparatus comprises a pressing die assembly having a stuffer that is associated with the one cavity, and a pair of pins disposed on respective opposite sides of the stuffer. The pins are resiliently biased to protrude beyond an end of the stuffer. The pins are arranged to enter respective cavities that are adjacent to said one cavity and to support the partition walls that are between said one cavity and said adjacent cavities.
According to one aspect, each of the pins has a width that is substantially equal to a width of its corresponding said adjacent cavity.
According to another aspect, each of the adjacent cavities holds a contact having opposite side walls, and each of the pins has a width that is substantially equal to a width between the opposite side walls.
According to a further aspect, each of the pins has a cross-sectional shape that is circular.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5575061 (1996-11-01), Tsuji et al.
patent: 6135827 (2000-10-01), Okabe et al.
patent: 6168456 (2001-01-01), Saka et al.
patent: 0 330 366 (1989-08-01), None
patent: 330366 (1989-08-01), None
patent: 2 703 520 (1994-10-01), None
patent: 10326633 (1998-12-01), None

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