Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article – To produce composite – plural part or multilayered article
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-18
2002-07-09
Ortiz, Angela (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article
To produce composite, plural part or multilayered article
C264S255000, C264S264000, C439S596000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06416700
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of producing a resin-molded assembly and a method of producing a double-retaining connector, in which the need for an assembling operation of resin-molded products connected together by pins is obviated, and also a molding process thereof is shortened so as to reduce the production cost.
In a conventional resin-molded connector used for connection of electric wiring, it is a common practice to mold or form elastic retaining piece portions (so called lances) integrally on a housing which retaining piece portions are engaged respectively with connection terminals, inserted into the housing of a resin, thereby preventing the connection terminals from being disengaged.
However, a connector, used in electric wiring of a vehicle, is subjected to vibrations and so on during the travel of the vehicle, and therefore there have been extensively used connectors in which a double-retaining member for locking the engagement condition by the elastic retaining piece portions is added so as to prevent the elastic retaining piece portions from being disengaged respectively from the connection terminals.
FIGS. 1
to
4
shows one conventional double-retaining connector.
This double-retaining connector
1
is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 5-226025, and comprises a housing body
5
of a generally box-shape having elastic retaining piece portions (lances)
4
formed respectively in terminal receiving holes
2
so as to retain connection terminals
3
inserted respectively into the terminal receiving holes
2
, a double-retaining member
7
for locking the engagement condition by the elastic retaining piece portions
4
, and hinge bands
8
which connects the double-retaining member
7
to the housing body
5
in such a manner that the double-retaining member
7
can be shifted or moved into a locked condition. This double-retaining connector is formed into an integrally-molded construction, using a synthetic resin. Each of the hinge bands
8
defines a narrow band with high flexibility.
Openings
5
a
are formed through a relevant outer wall of the housing body
5
, and retaining portions
7
a,
formed at a distal end of the double-retaining member
7
, can project through the respective openings
5
a
into the respective terminal receiving holes
2
.
In this double-retaining connector
1
, the retaining portions
7
a
of the double-retaining member
7
are provisionally fixed respectively to the openings
5
a
in the housing body
5
as shown in
FIG. 3
, and in this condition, the connection terminals
3
are inserted respectively into the terminal receiving holes
2
. Then, as shown in
FIG. 4
, after the elastic retaining piece portions
4
, provided respectively in the terminal receiving holes
2
, are engaged respectively with the inserted connection terminals
3
, the double-retaining member
7
is further pushed into the housing body
5
to be completely fixed to the housing body
5
.
In this completely-fixed condition, the retaining portions
7
a
of the double-retaining member
7
prevent the connection terminals
3
from rising, thereby locking the retaining condition by the elastic retaining piece portions
4
.
In the double-retaining connector
1
, the double-retaining member
7
can be molded integrally with the housing body
5
through the flexible hinge bands
8
interconnecting the two members, and the double-retaining member
7
can be freely shifted into the provisionally-fixed condition of FIG.
3
and the completely-fixed condition of FIG.
4
.
However, the hinge bands
8
are highly flexible, and therefore have a small force to limit the direction of movement of the double-retaining member
7
, and when shifting the double-retaining member
7
into the provisionally-fixed condition of
FIG. 3
or the completely-fixed condition of
FIG. 4
, the operator must suitably control a manipulation force to shift the double-retaining member
7
with the fingers, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the efficiency of the assembling operation is low.
In addition, when shifting the double-retaining member
7
into the provisionally-fixed condition of
FIG. 3
or the completely-fixed condition of
FIG. 4
, the manipulation force must be controlled so that the double-retaining member
7
can move in a predetermined direction and into a predetermined position, and therefore there is encountered a problem that an automatic assembling operation can not be achieved.
Under the circumstances, there has recently been proposed a double-retaining connector
10
shown in
FIGS. 5
to
7
.
This double-retaining connector
10
is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 7-312255, and a housing body
11
made of a resin has terminal receiving holes
2
, and engagement pins
11
b
are provided respectively at opposed right and left outer walls
11
a
of the housing body
11
, and project away from each other.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, a double-retaining member
12
for retaining connection terminals
3
, received respectively in the terminal receiving holes
2
, in a double manner has fitting holes
12
a
(which are fitted respectively on the engagement pins
11
a
) formed respectively through oppose right and left outer walls
12
b
thereof, and the double-retaining member
12
is pivotally connected to the housing body
11
by the engagement pins
11
b
fitted respectively in the fitting holes
12
a.
With this construction in which the housing body
11
and the double-retaining member
12
are connected together by the pins, the direction (path) of movement of the double-retaining member
12
can be limited to a predetermined direction when provisionally or completely fixing the double-retaining member
12
to the housing body
11
, and therefore it is not necessary to carefully control a manipulation force to move the double-retaining member
12
.
Therefore, after the housing body
11
and the double-retaining member
12
are connected together by the engagement pins
11
b,
the assembling operation thereafter is very easy, and this alleviates the burden on the operator, and besides the assembling operation can be effected automatically.
In the above double-retaining connector
10
, however, when the engagement pins
11
b
of the housing body
11
are to be fitted respectively into the fitting holes
12
a
in the double-retaining member
12
, those portions of the outer walls
12
b,
having the fitting holes
12
a,
must be forcibly urged or moved away from each other, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that considerable time and labor are required for connecting the housing body
11
and the double-retaining member
12
together.
In addition, the outer walls
12
b
of the double-retaining member
12
must be forcibly deformed elastically when fitting the engagement pins
11
b
respectively into the fitting holes
12
a
formed respectively through the outer walls
12
b,
and therefore the length of projection of the engagement pins
11
b
cannot be made long, and the depth of fitting of each engagement pin
11
b
in the fitting hole
12
a
is small. Therefore, if the outer wall
12
b
is warped outwardly by a strain after the molding, this fitting engagement can be easily released, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the strength of connection between the housing body
11
and the double-retaining member
12
cannot be increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to overcome the above problems, and more specifically to provide a method of producing a resin-molded assembly or a double-retaining connector in which resin-molded products are connected together by pins, and the products can be molded integrally with each other in such an assembled condition that these molded products are connected together by the pins, and therefore the need for an assembling operation of the resin-molded products connected together by the pins is obviated, and also a molding process is shortened so as to reduce the producti
Hatagishi Yuji
Norizuki Teruhisa
Ortiz Angela
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
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