Electricity: conductors and insulators – Insulators – With conductor holding means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-15
2003-03-11
Ball, Michael W. (Department: 1733)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Insulators
With conductor holding means
C174S169000, C174S172000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06531659
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of sealing an electric wire-connecting portion formed by connecting together conductive ends of a plurality of electric wires, in which electric insulation and waterproofing property of the electric wire-connecting portion are secured by covering the electric wire-connecting portion. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a tool for holding a heat shrinkable tube used in the sealing method, and a tube shrinking machine for heating a heat shrinkable tube covering the electric wire-connecting portion.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 9-342971, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a method of protecting an electric wire-connecting portion in which conductive ends of electric wires are bundled and connected to each other, will be described with reference to
FIGS. 9 through 11
.
In
FIG. 9
, conductive ends of a plurality of electric wires W are bundled and connected together to form an electric wire-connecting portion
1
. The electric wire-connecting portion
1
is subjected to thermal press fitting so that an end portion
1
a
is formed. Further, the electric wire-connecting portion
1
is subjected to bonding treatment (not shown) in which an adhesive is penetrated into or is applied onto the electric wire-connecting portion
1
so as to secure its waterproofing property.
The electric wire-connecting portion
1
is covered by a heat shrinkable tube
3
. One end of the heat shrinkable tube
3
is sealed with a hot melt adhesive
2
. Further, the heat shrinkable tube
3
is filled with sealing compound such as butyl rubber.
The electric wire-connecting portion
1
thus covered with the heat shrinkable tube
3
is inserted into a tube shrinking machine
5
in a direction of an arrow as shown in FIG.
10
.
A space
5
a
is formed in the body of the tube shrinking machine
5
. As shown in
FIG. 10
, the space
5
a
extends in a slit-like manner over from a front end
5
b
of the tube shrinking machine
5
to one side
5
c
of the tube shrinking machine
5
. The electric wire-connecting portion
1
covered with the heat shrinkable tube
3
is passed through the space
5
a
of the tube shrinking machine
5
. A wire transporting section
6
includes a pair of an upper transport belt
6
a
and a lower transport belt
6
b,
which are disposed in the space
5
a
at the upper and lower portions adjacent to the one side
5
c.
The transport belts
6
a
and
6
b
transport a bundled portion of the electric wires W while holding it therebetween. The wire transporting section
6
is driven by a motor (not shown).
FIG. 11
is a cross sectional view taken along a line XI—XI in FIG.
10
. As shown in
FIG. 11
, a pair of heaters
7
are disposed inside of the tube shrinking machine
5
to sandwich the space
5
a.
The heaters
7
are used for heating the heat shrinkable tube
3
so as to shrink. The electric wire-connecting portion
1
with the heat shrinkable tube
3
is inserted into the tube shrinking machine
5
, and is transported by the transport belts
6
a
and
6
b
while the bundled portion of the electric wires W is held therebetween. During the transportation, the heat shrinkable tube
3
is heated by the heaters
7
. In accordance with the heating, the heat shrinkable tube
3
shrinks to hermetically seal the electric wire-connecting portion
1
as shown in FIG.
9
. As a result, electrical insulation and waterproofing property of the electric wire-connecting portion
1
are ensured, and the electric wire-connecting portion
1
is taken out of the tube shrinking machine
5
.
In the above tube shrinking machine
5
, however, when the electric wire-connecting portion
1
is transported while the bundled portion of the electric wires W is held between the transport belts
6
a
and
6
b,
the electric wire-connecting portion
1
may vibrate in the arrow directions as shown in FIG.
11
. As a result, there is a possibility in that the heat shrinkable tube
3
is disengaged from the electric wire-connecting portion
1
.
Further, there is a possibility in that the heat shrinkable tube
3
is brought into contact with the heater
7
, and therefore it burns.
Furthermore, when the heat shrinkable tube
3
vibrates and the end of the heat shrinkable tube
3
sealed with the hot melt adhesive
2
is too close to the heaters
7
, the hot melt adhesive
2
melts and flows out of the end of the tube as shown in FIG.
12
. The result is to destroy the structure for securing the electric insulation and the waterproofing property of the electric wire-connecting portion
1
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to solve the above-described possibility. Further, a second object of the present invention is to provide a method of sealing an electric wire-connecting portion to secure electric insulation and waterproofing property thereof. Furthermore, a third object of the present invention is to provide a tube holding tool which perfectly prevents the heat shrinkable tube from vibrating, slipping off, and the hot melt adhesive from flowing out during heat treatment of the heat shrinkable tube. Furthermore, a fourth object of the present invention is to provide a tube shrinking machine for subjecting a heat shrinkable tube covering the electric wire-connecting portion to the heat treatment in the sealing method and by using the tube holding tool.
To achieve the above objects, according the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of sealing an electric wire-connecting portion, comprising steps of: providing a plurality of electric wires, a heat shrinkable tube, hot melt adhesive, and a tube holding tool for protecting one end of the heat shrinkable tube against heat; forming an electric wire-connecting portion by connecting together conductive ends of the electric wires; sealing the one end of the heat shrinkable tube with the hot melt adhesive; attaching the heat shrinkable tube onto the electric wire-connecting portion; attaching the tube holding tool to the one end of the heat shrinkable tube; and heating the heat shrinkable tube to shrink it. Thus, the tube holding tool is attached to the one end of the heat shrinkable tube. Accordingly, when the heat shrinkable tube is heated, there is no chance in that the heat shrinkable tube vibrates and slips off the electric wire-connecting portion, and the hot melt adhesive melts to flow out of the one end of the heat shrinkable tube.
Further, the electric wire-connecting portion can easily be hermetically sealed in a simple manner that the electric wire-connecting portion is covered with the heat shrinkable tube, the tube holding tool is attached to the tube, and the tube is heated. The electrically insulation and the waterproofing property of the electric wire-connecting portion are secured.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the above method of the first aspect may further comprises a step of bundling the conductive ends of the electric wires.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the above method of the first aspect may further comprises a step of subjecting an end portion of the electric wire-connecting portion to thermal press fitting.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the above method of the first aspect may further comprises a step of applying an adhesive to the electric wire-connecting portion.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the above method of the first aspect may further comprises a step of cooling the heat shrinkable tube so that the hot melt adhesive is solidified.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the above method of the first aspect, the electric wire-connecting portion is hermetically sealed with the heat shrinkable tube in the heating step.
Further, to achieve the above objects, according the seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tool for holding a heat shri
Ball Michael W.
Haran John T.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
System for holding a heat shrinkable tube during a heat... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System for holding a heat shrinkable tube during a heat..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System for holding a heat shrinkable tube during a heat... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3075362