Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means to assemble electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-04
2004-01-27
Arbes, Carl J. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means to assemble electrical device
75
Reexamination Certificate
active
06681479
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal mounting method and a terminal mounting apparatus for mounting press-fit terminals in insulating housings which are layered to constitute an connector used for a wiring harness.
2. Related Art
A motor vehicle has a wiring harness for supplying a power to electrical appliances such as various lamps and motors from a battery. The wiring harness includes a plurality of electrical cables, a plurality of terminals each fitted to an end of each electrical cable, connector housings accommodating the terminals, etc. The connector housings and the terminals constitute connectors, and the wiring harness generally has a plurality of the connectors.
Recently, motor vehicles have an increasing number of on-vehicle electronic components, so that a plurality of sub-harnesses each having a specified function of the electronic components are provided. Thereafter, these sub-harnesses are combined with one another to complete the wiring harness. Therefore, the connection of the electrical cables across the sub-harnesses is complicated, decreasing the workability in the assembling of the wiring harness. This may cause an unreliable quality of the wiring harness.
To enable an easy connection of the electrical cables, it is proposed that insulating housings each having a plurality of press-fit terminals parallel disposed thereon are layered one another to obtain a connector. The insulating housing has a substantially rectangular plate main body and a plurality of terminal insertion channels. Each terminal insertion channel is concave on an upper surface of the plate main body to support the terminal.
Even when the insulating housings receiving the terminals are used, a known press-fitting unit as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H. 10-41041 or No. H. 10-154568 is preferably provided for press-fitting the terminal to the electrical cable.
Before the known press-fitting unit fits the terminal to the electrical cable, preferably, the insulating housing preliminarily receives the terminals. It is desired to mount the terminals in the insulating housing with a reduced expense in time and effort.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal mounting method and a terminal mounting apparatus which can reliably effectively mount a plurality of press-fit terminals on insulating housings layered to constitute a connector to obtain a wiring harness.
For achieving the object, a first aspect of the present invention is a method for mounting press-fit terminals in a plurality of terminal insertion channels parallel defined in an insulating housing. The method includes:
a first step for adjusting spaces between adjacent ones of the terminals such that each of the terminals can enter one of the terminal insertion channels,
a second step for holding a required number of the terminals for the insulating housing, and
a third step for inserting the terminals all at once into the plurality of terminal insertion channels.
Since the number of the terminals for one of the insulating housings are handled to be inserted into the terminal insertion channels of the insulating housing, the insulating housing can reliably receive the terminals before the layering of the insulating housings.
The number of the terminals are inserted all at once into the terminal insertion channels of the insulating housing, allowing a reduced time for effectively mounting the terminals in the insulating housing.
A second aspect of the present invention is a method depending on the first aspect, wherein the terminals are supplied as a jointed terminal assembly having the parallel press-fit terminals and joint portions jointing adjacent ones of the terminals to each other, and
the method further includes a fourth step for removing at least one of the joint portions to isolate associated adjacent ones of the terminals from each other before the terminals are received in the insulating housing.
Therefore, the number of press-fit terminals for one of the insulating housings, which includes isolated ones and connected ones, are reliably inserted into the terminal insertion channels of the insulating housing. Thus, the terminals are effectively reliably inserted into the insulating housings which will be layered to compose a connector.
A third aspect of the present invention is a method depending on the first or second aspect, wherein the terminal has a connection portion that can move into a connection state and an isolation state, the connection state connecting the terminal to a second press-fit terminal disposed in a second insulating housing when the insulating housing having the terminal is layered on the second insulating housing, the isolation state isolating the terminal from the second press-fit terminal, and
the method includes a fifth step for moving the connection portion to connect the terminal received in the insulating housing to the second press-fit terminal received in the second insulating housing and for keeping the connection portion to isolate the terminal received in the insulating housing from the second press-fit terminal when the insulating housings are layered.
Hence, the fifth step moves the connection portion in the connection state in which the connection portion connects to the second press-fit terminal mounted on the second insulating housing. Thus, the number of press-fit terminals for one of the insulating housings, which include isolated ones and connected ones for the terminals of the second insulating housing, are reliably inserted into the terminal insertion channels of the insulating housing.
Accordingly, the terminals are effectively reliably inserted into the insulating housings which will be layered to compose a connector.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is a method depending on any of the first to third aspects, wherein the insulating housing can receive the terminals in predetermined ones of the plurality of terminal insertion channels, and
the method further includes a sixth step for adjusting spaces between the terminals held in the second step to coincide with spaces between the predetermined terminal insertion channels.
Hence, the sixth step adjusts the spaces between the terminals to coincide with the spaces between the terminal insertion channels receiving the terminals. Thus, the required number of the terminals for one of the insulating housings are inserted all at once into the terminal insertion channels of the insulating housing, even when the insulating housing has terminal insertion channels planed not to receive the terminals.
This reduces a production cost of a connector constituted by layering insulating housings.
A fifth aspect of the present invention is a method for mounting press-fit terminals in a plurality of terminal insertion channels parallel defined in an insulating housing,
wherein the terminals are supplied as a jointed terminal assembly having the parallel press-fit terminals and joint portions jointing adjacent ones of the terminals to each other, and the terminal has a connection portion that can move into a connection state and an isolation state, the connection state connecting the terminal to a second press-fit terminal received in a second insulating housing when the insulating housing having the terminal is layered on the second insulating housing, the isolation state isolating the terminal from the second press-fit,
the insulating housing being able to receive the terminals in predetermined ones of the plurality of terminal insertion channels.
The method includes:
a step S
1
for adjusting spaces between adjacent ones of the terminals such that each of the terminals can enter one of the terminal insertion channels,
a step S
2
for holding a required number of the terminals for the insulating housing, and
a step S
3
for removing at least one of the joint portions to isolate associated adjacent ones of the terminals from each other after the terminals has been received in the insulating ho
Arbes Carl J.
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Yazaki -Corporation
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