Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Limited

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Harness System Technologies Research, Ltd.

Other

Akihito Maegawa

Shinyu Nagashima

Kiyofumi Ichida

Yukinori Saka

Nobuyoshi Tanaka

Tetsuya Iizuka

Tomoyuki Sakata

Yasushi Okayasu

Toshikazu Sakurai

Hitoshi Okumura

Shinji Ogawa

Osamu Sasai

Shoichi Sugata

Atsushi Sakatani

Masaji Suzuki

Takeshi Ishibashi

Shuji Kosuge

Ryuichi Fujisaki

Satoshi Tsuruta

Mitsuru Tanigawa

Hiroyuki Kashiki

A connector (C) is formed by insert molding such that terminal fittings () are embedded in a housing (). A connecting portion (A) provided at the front end of the terminal fitting () for connection to a mating terminal fitting projects forward from the housing () and a part of the terminal fitting () located behind the connecting portion (A) is embedded in the housing (). A seal () is provided in close contact with an embedded portion (C) of the terminal fitting () embedded in the housing () and a resilient portion () is provided at a position before the seal () and outside the housing ().

Insert molded connector

A male connector () is mounted to a case (C) of a device and includes a bolt (B) with a tightening portion (B) to be engaged by a tool for screwing the bolt into a bolt hole (C). A shield () includes an insertion hole () for receiving the bolt (B) and a bolt cap () covers the tightening portion (B). A seat () is provided adjacent the insertion hole () and is sandwiched by an edge of the bolt hole (C) and the tightening portion (B) in the axial direction. A flange (B) projects out from the tightening portion (B). A mounting recess (D) is formed between the flange (B) and the seat (). A mounting portion () is mounted in the mounting recess (D) and engages the bolt cap () to hold the bolt cap () on the tightening portion (B).

Device connector and device connector system

A resin-molded articleis formed by injecting molten resin into a molding die from a gate (). Ribs (and) having widths larger than that of a thin molded portion () in the form of a thin wall are connected one after another from the position of the gate () to the thin molded portion (). Spaces in the molding die for forming the ribs (and) define a path for the flow of the molten resin and the molten resin injected from the gate () flows into a space for forming the thin molded portion () through this path at the time of molding the resin-molded article (). Therefore, the resin can be filled sufficiently for the thin molded portion () in the form of a thin wall located distant from the gate ().

Resin-molded article

A sensor unitis provided with a metal plateand a resin molded articleis formed integral to the metal plate. Busbarsare arranged in the resin molded articleand include exposed end portionsexposed from the resin molded article. Connecting portionsA are provided at the leading ends of the exposed end portionsand are riveted to an oil temperature sensoron the metal plate. Opposite lateral sides of the exposed end portionsare partly in contact with the resin molded article

Resin-molded article fit with a metal plate

A connector () is placed in a first die () so that an end of a wall () of the connector () closely contacts a recess () of the first die () to define a cutoff (). The dies then are closed to define a filling space (C) between a surface () of a second die () and an outer surface () of the wall (). The outer surface () of the wall () is inclined moderately upward. Molten resin is directed into the filling space (C) and presses the inclined outer surface () of the wall () so that an inner surface () of the bottom wall () is pressed against the recess () of the first die () and strongly held in close contact by a component of this pressing force. Thus, molten resin cannot intrude through the cutoff ().

Molding construction and a molding method for a resin-molded product

A resin molded article () is formed such that a primary molded article (), collars () and a metal flat plate () are molded integrally as inserts in a secondary molded portion (). A rib () extends in a longitudinal direction along a surface of the primary molded article () that is adjacent to a surface facing a gate (), but not a terminal surface (). Supports () are provided intermittently along the longitudinal direction on a cavity inner surface () of a molding die () for supporting the rib (). The primary molded article () is reinforced by the rib (), and is not likely to be deformed by resin injected from the gate () and is not likely to be displaced.

Method for producing a resin molded article

A sensor unit () has a metal plate (), a resin molded portion () and an oil temperature sensor (). Busbars () made of a metal are arranged in the resin molded portion (). Since the busbars () are insert-molded while having the exposed ends (A) thereof tightly held by a pair of forming dies, a distance between the exposed ends (A) and the placing surfaceA is held constant. Further, gate marks (D) of the oil temperature sensor () are accommodated in recesses (B) of the placing surface () and engaging grooves () and engaging projections (A) are engaged. Thus, the oil temperature sensor () can be held in a proper posture. Additionally, the oil temperature sensor () can be held on the placing surface (A) by riveting the exposed end (A) and a terminal () of the oil temperature sensor ().

Resin molded component fitted with a metal plate and molding method therefor

A filling recess () for a sealant 's' is formed in a bottom of a fitting recess () and a boundary stepped surface () is formed around the filling recess () to define an annular area between the filling recess () and the outer peripheral edge of the boundary stepped surface (). A detecting stepped surface () is formed around the upper edge of the filling recess () and is slightly lower than the boundary stepped surface (). A filled amount of the sealant 's' is proper if the detecting stepped surface () cannot be seen, but the boundary stepped surface () can be seen. The filled amount is too little if both stepped surfaces () can be seen, and it is excessive if neither of the stepped surfaces () can be seen.

Connector

An upper end of a housing () is fit into a fitting hole () in a lid (), and a fastenable portion () projects horizontally from a bottom end of the housing (). A bolt () is inserted vertically through an insertion hole () in the fastenable portion () and is screwed into a bolt hole (A) of a valve body () on the lid (). An engaging groove () is formed near the bottom of the housing (). A U-shaped locking plate () projects from the valve body () and is inserted into the engaging groove () with a clearance that permits movements of the housing () along directions intersecting an axis line of the housing () while preventing movements of the housing along the axis line. The bolt () is insertable into the insertion hole () of the fastening portion () while defining a clearance.

Connector mounting construction and method

A housing () has a terminal holding portion () and terminal fittings () are mounted in the terminal holding portion (). Ends of the terminal fittings () project back from the terminal holding portion () and are connected with a circuit board (K). Deformation permitting recesses () are formed around the terminal fittings () in the terminal holding portion () for permitting displacement of the terminal fittings () in directions intersecting the longitudinal directions of the terminal fittings (). The deformation permitting recesses () are formed to leave a reinforcing portion () for maintaining the strength of the terminal holding portion ().

A hydraulic switch body () has a metal plate () and a resin main portion () molded on a first surface () of the metal plate (). A hydraulic switch () and busbar circuits () are mounted in recesses () of the main portion (). Grooves () connect the recesses () and the outer peripheral edge of the main portion () to release a tensile stress created at the outer surface () of the main portion () due to a difference between shrinkage ratios of resin and metal during the resin molding to prevent the hydraulic switch body () from warping. The lengths of the grooves () are shortened by using the recess portions (). Therefore, the grooves () are less likely to hinder the arrangement of other structural parts.

Plate fitted resin molded article and method of molding it

Solenoid valves () are mounted in a valve body () placed in a casing (C). An intermediate connector () is provided with valve fittings (), and connectors () of the respective solenoid valves () are fittable into the valve fittings () at once as the intermediate connector () is assembled. The solenoid valves () are displaceable horizontally relative to brackets () on the valve body (). During assembly, first positioning pins () on the intermediate connector () are inserted into first positioning recesses () in the valve body () and second positioning pins () on the connectors () are inserted into second positioning recesses () in the valve fittings (). Thus, the connectors () are positioned in postures for fitting into the valve fittings ().

Construction for connecting an intermediate connector and electrical components

An ECU connector () is connectable with a tower connector (). The two connectors are completely connected by tightening a bolt () after being fit to a specified depth and centered with respect to each other. At the specified depth, a detection arm () on the ECU connector () resiliently engages a receiving portion () on the tower connector () and a surface facing the detection arm () can be hit by the detection arm (). Accordingly, by starting bolt tightening after the specified depth is reached, problems such as deformations of the leading ends of tower male terminals () and damage to the two connectors () can be avoided.

Connector and assembling method therefor

A lid () and a cover main body () are formed with sliding contacts () that slide in sliding contact with each other immediately before the lid () reaches a lid-closing position for damping biasing forces given from coil springs () to the lid (). Frictional resistance is created by the sliding contact of the sliding contacts () and the biasing forces given from the torsion coil springs () to the lid () are damped by this frictional resistance. In this way, an impact given when the lid () reaches the cover main body () at the lid-closing position is alleviated.

Vehicle outlet cover

A socket body () including a plug socket terminal accommodation chamber () and a ground terminal accommodation chamber () below the plug socket terminal accommodation chamber (). The ground terminal accommodation chamber () has an aperture () formed along a direction substantially orthogonal to an insertion direction of a mating plug and a vertical direction and the ground terminal () is accommodated through the aperture (). A downwardly open draining hole () is formed on a periphery of the plug socket terminal accommodation chamber (). A rib () is formed on a peripheral surface so that a distance between the rib () and the aperture () is shorter than a distance between the rib () and the draining hole ().

Growing community of inventors

Yokkaichi, Japan

Akihito Maegawa