Terminal insertion device

Abstract

The present invention provides a terminal insertion device that can reliably prevent buckling of electric wires when inserting terminals connected to electric wires into the terminal housing cavity of a connector housing. [Solution] In the terminal insertion device 1, the wire gripping section 15 that grips the electric wire W is provided with a pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 that can move toward and away from each other. The pair of wire gripping members 116, 16 comprises a pair of wire gripping section bodies 16a, 16a, a pair of wire gripping extensions 16b, 16b that extend from the pair of wire gripping section bodies 16a, 16a toward the wire connection section T2 of the terminal T connected to the electric wire W, and a pair of buckling prevention sections 16c, 16c that further extend from the pair of wire gripping extensions 16b, 16b toward the wire connection section T2 of the terminal T, and are inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 when the terminal T is fully inserted and prevent buckling of the electric wire W.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal insertion device for inserting a terminal connected to an end of an electric wire into a terminal accommodation cavity of a connector housing.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a terminal insertion device for inserting a terminal connected to an electric wire into a terminal accommodation cavity of a connector housing has been known. In this terminal insertion device, when the terminal connected to the electric wire is fully inserted into the terminal accommodation cavity, a force (insertion resistance force) in the direction opposite to the insertion direction acts on the terminal from the connector housing side along with the insertion force of the terminal, which causes a problem that the electric wire buckles. To solve this problem, for example, a terminal insertion device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been conventionally proposed.

[0003] The terminal insertion device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a terminal chuck that grips a terminal crimped to an electric wire, and an electric wire chuck that grips the electric wire in the vicinity of the base end portion of the terminal. Then, upon temporary insertion of the terminal, while the terminal and the electric wire are respectively gripped by the terminal chuck and the electric wire chuck, both the terminal chuck and the electric wire chuck are advanced to cause the distal end portion of the terminal to enter the connector housing, and thereafter, upon full insertion of the terminal, the gripping of the terminal by the terminal chuck is released, and the electric wire chuck gripping the electric wire is further advanced to push the terminal into the connector housing up to the base end portion of the terminal. This terminal insertion device has a structure in which the terminal chuck retreats upward as the electric wire chuck advances during the full insertion of the terminal.

[0004] According to the terminal insertion device disclosed in Patent Document 1, during the full insertion of the terminal, the terminal chuck retreats upward as the electric wire chuck advances, so that the electric wire chuck does not interfere with the terminal chuck, the electric wire chuck can grip the electric wire at a position close to the terminal, and buckling of the electric wire can be made less likely to occur when the terminal is pushed into the connector housing.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-851 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, the conventional terminal insertion device shown in Patent Document 1 had the following problems. In other words, in the case of the terminal insertion device shown in Patent Document 1, although it is stated that the wire chuck can grip the wire at a position close to the terminal when inserting the terminal, the specific structure of the wire chuck is not disclosed, so it is not clear how close the wire chuck can grip the wire. For this reason, depending on the structure of the wire chuck, it may not be possible to prevent the wire from buckling when pushing the terminal into the connector housing.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve this conventional problem, and its objective is to provide a terminal insertion device that can reliably prevent buckling of electric wires when inserting terminals connected to electric wires into the terminal housing cavity of a connector housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, a terminal insertion device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a terminal gripping portion for gripping a terminal connected to the end of an electric wire, and an electric wire gripping portion for gripping the electric wire, wherein when temporarily inserting the terminal into the terminal housing cavity of the connector housing, the terminal gripping portion and the electric wire gripping portion grip the terminal and the electric wire respectively, and advance both the terminal gripping portion and the electric wire gripping portion to bring the tip of the terminal into the terminal housing cavity, when permanently inserting the terminal into the terminal housing cavity, the gripping portion of the terminal is released from gripping the terminal, and the electric wire gripping portion that is gripping the electric wire is further advanced to push the terminal further into the terminal housing cavity The gist of the invention is a wire insertion device in which the wire gripping portion comprises a pair of wire gripping members that can move toward and away from each other, the pair of wire gripping members comprising a pair of wire gripping portion bodies that grip the wire when the pair of wire gripping members move toward each other, a pair of wire gripping extensions that extend from the pair of wire gripping portion bodies toward the wire connection portion of the terminal connected to the wire and grip the wire when the pair of wire gripping members move toward each other, and a pair of buckling prevention portions that further extend from the pair of wire gripping extensions toward the wire connection portion of the terminal and are inserted into the terminal housing cavity when the terminal is fully inserted and prevent the wire from buckling. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the terminal insertion device of the present invention, when inserting a terminal connected to an electric wire into the terminal housing cavity of a connector housing, buckling of the electric wire can be reliably prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a terminal insertion device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]This diagram illustrates the process of inserting a terminal into the terminal housing cavity of a connector housing using the terminal insertion device shown in Figure 1. The terminal is gripped by the terminal gripping part, the wire is gripped by the wire gripping part, and then the machine is advanced to temporarily insert the terminal into the terminal housing cavity. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates the process of inserting a terminal into the terminal housing cavity of a connector housing using the terminal insertion device shown in Figure 1. After the terminal has been temporarily inserted, the terminal gripping portion is retracted diagonally upward and backward. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the process of inserting a terminal into the terminal housing cavity of a connector housing using the terminal insertion device shown in Figure 1. After retracting the terminal gripping part, the machine base is further advanced to fully insert the terminal into the terminal housing cavity. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the state in which a pair of wire gripping members of the wire gripping section of the terminal insertion device are moving toward each other to grip the wire. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the connector housing with the terminals fully inserted into the terminal housing cavity. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view along line 7-7 in Figure 6. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view along line 8-8 in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view along the line 9-9 in Figure 7. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view showing a pair of wire gripping members used in a terminal insertion device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view from the front to the rear of a pair of buckling prevention portions in a pair of wire gripping members, when the terminal is fully inserted into the terminal housing cavity. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view showing a pair of wire gripping members used in a terminal insertion device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] Figure 12 shows a cross-sectional view from the front to the rear of a pair of buckling prevention portions in a pair of wire gripping members, when the terminal is fully inserted into the terminal housing cavity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0011] (First Embodiment) A terminal insertion device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the terminal insertion device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A terminal insertion device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a machine base 10, a terminal gripping portion 11, terminal gripping portion advancing / retreating means 14, and an electric wire gripping portion 15. The machine base 10 is provided to be movable in the front-rear direction, the left-right direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1, see FIG. 5), and the up-down direction by driving means such as a servo motor (not shown) in order to insert the terminal T into the terminal accommodating cavity C1 of the connector housing C.

[0012] Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the connector housing C is a substantially rectangular insulating member extending in the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction. The connector housing C is integrally formed by molding an insulating synthetic resin. The connector housing C includes a plurality of (two in the present embodiment) terminal accommodating cavities C1 arranged in parallel along the left-right direction or the up-down direction. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, each terminal accommodating cavity C1 extends along the front-rear direction of the connector housing C, and stoppers C3 and C4 are formed at the front end of each terminal accommodating cavity C1. Further, a housing lance C2 that locks the terminal T when the terminal T is fully inserted is provided on the lower surface or upper surface of each terminal accommodating cavity C1.

[0013] Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the terminal T includes a mating terminal insertion portion T1 and an electric wire connection portion T2, and is formed by punching and bending a metal plate. A mating terminal (not shown) is inserted into the mating terminal insertion portion T1. Further, the electric wire connection portion T2 includes an insulation barrel T3 that crimps and connects the coating W2 of the electric wire W, and a core wire barrel T4 that crimps and connects the core wire W1 of the electric wire W.

[0014] The terminal holding part 11 is configured to hold the terminal T connected to the end of the electric wire W, and includes a pair of terminal holding members 12, 12 that move toward and away from each other, and a terminal holding member opening / closing mechanism 13 that moves the pair of terminal holding members 12, 12 toward and away from each other. The pair of terminal holding members 12, 12 hold the terminal T from the left and right when moving in the direction approaching each other. The terminal holding part 11 holds the terminal T during temporary insertion of the terminal T into the terminal accommodating cavity C1, and releases the holding of the terminal T during formal insertion of the terminal T into the terminal accommodating cavity C1.

[0015] The terminal holding part advancing / retreating means 14 is composed of a rod cylinder, and is mounted on the machine base 10 such that the front portion faces obliquely downward. In contrast, the holding part advancing / retreating means 14 advances the terminal holding part 11 to the obliquely lower working position during temporary insertion of the terminal T into the terminal accommodating cavity C1, and retracts the terminal holding part 11, which has released the holding of the terminal T, to the obliquely upper non-working position during formal insertion of the terminal T into the terminal accommodating cavity C1.

[0016] The electric wire holding part 15 is configured to hold the electric wire W, and includes a pair of electric wire holding members 16, 16 that move toward and away from each other, and an electric wire holding member opening / closing mechanism 17 that moves the pair of electric wire holding members 16, 16 toward and away from each other. The pair of electric wire holding members 16, 16 hold the electric wire W from the left and right when moving in the direction approaching each other. The electric wire holding part 15 holds the electric wire W during temporary insertion and formal insertion of the terminal T into the terminal accommodating cavity C1. The pair of electric wire holding members 16, 16 will be described in detail later.

[0017] The electric wire holding part 15 is installed on the machine base 10 so as to be movable along the front-rear direction via the push transmission member 20 and the slide means 18. The slide means 18 includes a guide rail 18a provided on the machine base 10, and a slide block 18b installed so as to be movable in the front-rear direction along the guide rail 18a. The slide block 18b is attached to the push transmission member 20 installed on the electric wire holding member opening / closing mechanism 17. Furthermore, when the terminal T is temporarily inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1, the push-in transmission member 20 is fixed to the machine base 10 by a fixing member (not shown) to restrict its movement. When the terminal T is fully inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1, the fixing member is released, and the member moves forward by being pressed by the piston rod 19a of the cylinder 19, thereby adding the insertion force to the terminal T.

[0018] Next, a method for inserting a terminal into the terminal housing cavity C1 of the connector housing C using the terminal insertion device 1 shown in Figure 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the terminal is grasped by the terminal gripping part, the electric wire is grasped by the electric wire gripping part, and then the machine base is advanced to temporarily insert the terminal into the terminal housing cavity. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the terminal gripping part is retracted diagonally upward and backward after the terminal has been temporarily inserted. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the machine base is further advanced after the terminal gripping part has been retracted to permanently insert the terminal into the terminal housing cavity.

[0019] First, as shown in Figure 2, the terminal gripping part 11 is advanced to the working position for gripping the terminal T by the terminal gripping part advancement means 14 of the terminal gripping part 11, and the terminal gripping member opening / closing mechanism 13 of the terminal gripping part 11 moves the pair of terminal gripping members 12, 12 toward each other to grip the terminal T from the left and right, and the wire gripping member opening / closing mechanism 17 of the wire gripping part 15 moves the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 toward each other to grip the portion of the wire W closest to the terminal T from the left and right.

[0020] Next, the machine base 10 is moved forward while moving it up and down and left and right so that it faces the terminal housing cavity C1 of the connector housing C, thereby advancing both the terminal gripping part 11 and the wire gripping part 15, and the tip of the terminal T enters the terminal housing cavity C1, thereby temporarily inserting the terminal T into the terminal housing cavity C1.

[0021] Next, as shown in Figure 3, with the terminal T temporarily inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1, the terminal gripping member opening / closing mechanism 13 of the terminal gripping part 11 moves the pair of terminal gripping members 12, 12 in a direction away from each other to release the grip on the terminal T, and the terminal gripping part advance / retract means 14 retracts the terminal gripping part 11 to a non-working position. After this retraction operation of the terminal gripping part 11 is completed, the fixed state of the push transmission member 20 to the machine base 10 is released.

[0022] Next, as shown in Figure 4, the machine base 10 is advanced and the wire gripping section 15 is advanced to further push the terminal T into the terminal housing cavity C1, thereby permanently inserting the terminal T into the terminal housing cavity C1. During this permanent insertion of the terminal T into the terminal housing cavity C1, the push transmission member 20 is pressed forward by the piston rod 19a of the cylinder 19, and consequently the wire gripping section 15 advances, applying insertion force to the wire W and the terminal T. Then, when terminal T is fully inserted into terminal housing cavity C1, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, terminal T is completely housed within terminal housing cavity C1 and is locked in place by housing lance C2 to prevent it from coming loose.

[0023] Subsequently, the wire gripping member opening / closing mechanism 17 of the wire gripping section 15 moves the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 in a direction that separates them from each other, releasing the grip on the portion of the wire W closest to the terminal T. The machine base 10 is then moved backward and up, down, left, and right to return to the position it was in before the insertion of the terminal T began, in preparation for the insertion of the next terminal T.

[0024] In the terminal insertion device 1 configured in this way, when inserting the terminal T connected to the electric wire W into the terminal housing cavity C1, a force (insertion resistance force) acts on the terminal T from the connector housing C side in the opposite direction to the insertion direction, which causes the electric wire W to buckle. To solve this problem, the terminal insertion device 1 according to this embodiment features a modified configuration and shape for the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 that constitute the wire gripping section 15.

[0025] In other words, as shown in Figures 5, 7, and 8, the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 each comprises a pair of wire gripping body parts 16a, 16a that grip the wire W when the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 move toward each other, and a pair of wire gripping extension parts 16b, 16b that extend from the pair of wire gripping body parts 16a, 16a toward the wire connection part T2 of the terminal T connected to the wire W, and grip the wire W when the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 move toward each other. Furthermore, the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 extend further from the pair of wire gripping extensions 16b, 16b toward the wire connection portion T2 of the terminal T, and are provided with a pair of buckling prevention portions 16c, 16c that are inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 when the terminal T is fully inserted and prevent buckling of the wire W.

[0026] Specifically, each of the pair of left and right wire gripping members 16, 16 comprises a wire gripping body 16a, a wire gripping extension 16b, and a buckling prevention portion 16c. Each of the pair of left and right wire gripping members 16, 16 is integrally formed by processing a metal plate.

[0027] The wire gripping body 16a of the left wire gripping member 16 and the wire gripping body 16a of the right wire gripping member 16 are each formed in a rectangular flat plate shape extending in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, respectively, and grip the electric wire W from the left and right when the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 move toward each other.

[0028] Furthermore, the wire gripping extensions 16b of the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 are formed in a rectangular flat plate shape that extends in the front-rear and up-down directions, respectively. They extend forward from the front edge of the wire gripping body 16a (towards the wire connection part T2 of the terminal T connected to the wire W), and grip the wire W from the left and right when the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 move toward each other. The height of each wire gripping extension 16b in the up-down direction is smaller than the height of each wire gripping body 16a in the up-down direction, and the length of each wire gripping extension 16b in the front-rear direction is about the same as the length of each wire gripping body 16a in the front-rear direction. Also, as shown in Figure 8, the plate thickness t2 of each wire gripping extension 16b is thinner than the plate thickness t1 of each wire gripping body 16a.

[0029] Furthermore, the buckling prevention portion 16c of the left wire gripping member 16 and the buckling prevention portion 16c of the right wire gripping member 16 are each formed in a rectangular flat plate shape that extends elongated in the front-rear direction, and further extend forward from the front edge of the wire gripping extension portion 16b (towards the wire connection portion T2 of the terminal T). Then, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, each buckling prevention portion 16c is inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 when the terminal T is fully inserted.

[0030] Here, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, it is preferable that the buckling prevention portion 16c extends toward the insulation barrel T3 such that the gap δ between the rear end surface T3a of the insulation barrel T3 constituting the wire connection portion T2 of the terminal T and the front end surface 16ca of the buckling prevention portion 16c is approximately 5 mm. Furthermore, the plate thickness t3 of each buckling prevention portion 16c is thinner than the plate thickness t2 of each wire gripping extension portion 16b, and each buckling prevention portion 16c is easily inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 when the terminal T is fully inserted.

[0031] Furthermore, the buckling prevention portion 16c of the left wire gripping member 16 and the buckling prevention portion 16c of the right wire gripping member 16 are each formed in the shape of a rectangular flat plate that extends elongated in the front-rear direction, so that when the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 move toward each other, they grip the electric wire W from both the left and right sides. Furthermore, the plate thickness t3 of each buckling prevention portion 16c is set to a thickness that provides sufficient strength when the electric wire W having the largest outer diameter d (see Figure 9) is used. Also, as shown in Figure 9, when each buckling prevention portion 16c is inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1, the gap Δ1 between each buckling prevention portion 16c and the inner wall of the terminal housing cavity C1 is set to a size such that when the electric wire gripping member opening / closing mechanism 17 moves the left electric wire gripping member 16 and the right electric wire gripping member 16 in a direction that separates them from each other to release the grip on the electric wire W, each buckling prevention portion 16c does not come into contact with the inner wall of the terminal housing cavity C1.

[0032] As described above, according to the terminal insertion device 1 of the first embodiment, the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 are provided with a pair of wire gripping extensions 16b, 16b that extend from the pair of wire gripping extensions 16a, 16a toward the wire connection portion T2 of the terminal T connected to the wire W, and grip the wire W when the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 move toward each other. Furthermore, the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 extend further from the pair of wire gripping extensions 16b, 16b toward the wire connection portion T2 of the terminal T, and are provided with a pair of buckling prevention portions 16c, 16c that are inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 when the terminal T is fully inserted and prevent buckling of the wire W.

[0033] As a result, when terminal T is fully inserted, the wire W is gripped by a pair of wire gripping extensions 16b, 16b extending toward the wire connection part T2, and buckling of the wire W is prevented by a pair of buckling prevention parts 16c, 16c extending further toward the wire connection part T2 from the pair of wire gripping extensions 16b, 16b. Therefore, when terminal T connected to the wire W is fully inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 of the connector housing C, buckling of the wire W can be reliably prevented.

[0034] Furthermore, according to the terminal insertion device 1 of the first embodiment, the pair of buckling prevention parts 16c, 16c are composed of a pair of flat plate members that grip the electric wire W from both sides when the pair of electric wire gripping members 16, 16 move in a direction toward each other. As a result, when inserting terminal T, the pair of buckling prevention parts 16c, 16c extending further from the pair of wire gripping extension parts 16b, 16b toward the wire connection part T2 grips the wire W from both sides, thereby improving the buckling prevention effect, and making it possible to more reliably prevent buckling of the wire W when inserting terminal T connected to the wire W into the terminal housing cavity C1 of the connector housing C.

[0035] (Second Embodiment) Next, a terminal insertion device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a pair of wire gripping members used in the terminal insertion device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the pair of buckling prevention portions of the pair of wire gripping members shown in Figure 10 when a terminal is fully inserted into the terminal housing cavity.

[0036] The terminal insertion device according to the second embodiment of the present invention has the same basic configuration as the terminal insertion device 1 according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, except that the configuration and shape of the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 shown in Figure 10 differ from the configuration and shape of the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 shown in Figure 5.

[0037] The pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 used in the terminal insertion device according to the second embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 10 are similar to the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 used in the terminal insertion device 1 according to the first embodiment, and include a pair of wire gripping body parts 16a, 16a that grip the wire W when the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 move toward each other, and a pair of wire gripping extension parts 16b, 16b that extend from the pair of wire gripping body parts 16a, 16a toward the wire connection part T2 of the terminal T connected to the wire W (see Figures 5, 7, and 8), and grip the wire W when the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 move toward each other.

[0038] Furthermore, the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 shown in Figure 10 extend further from the pair of wire gripping extensions 16b, 16b toward the wire connection portion T2 of the terminal T, and are provided with a pair of buckling prevention portions 16c, 16c that are inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 when the terminal T is fully inserted and prevent buckling of the wire W.

[0039] Specifically, each of the pair of left and right wire gripping members 16, 16 comprises a wire gripping body 16a, a wire gripping extension 16b, and a buckling prevention portion 16c. Each of the pair of left and right wire gripping members 16, 16 is integrally formed by processing a metal plate.

[0040] The wire gripping body 16a of the left wire gripping member 16 and the wire gripping body 16a of the right wire gripping member 16 are each formed in a rectangular flat plate shape extending in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, and grip the electric wire W from the left and right when the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 move toward each other. Furthermore, the wire gripping extension 16b of the left wire gripping member 16 and the wire gripping extension 16b of the right wire gripping member 16 are each formed in a rectangular flat plate shape that extends in the front-rear and up-down directions, and extend forward from the front edge of the wire gripping body 16a (towards the wire connection part T2 of the terminal T connected to the wire W), and grip the wire W from the left and right when the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 move toward each other.

[0041] The buckling prevention portion 16c of the left wire gripping member 16 and the buckling prevention portion 16c of the right wire gripping member 16 extend further forward from the front edge of the wire gripping extension portion 16b (towards the wire connection portion T2 of the terminal T). Then, as shown in Figure 11, each buckling prevention portion 16c is inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 when the terminal T is fully inserted. Here, although not shown in the figures, it is preferable that the gap δ between the rear end surface T3a of the insulation barrel T3 that constitutes the wire connection portion T2 of the terminal T and the front end surface 16ca of the buckling prevention portion 16c extends toward the insulation barrel T3 to a maximum of about 5 mm, as described above.

[0042] Here, unlike the buckling prevention portions 16c of the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16, the buckling prevention portions 16c of the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 are each formed of semi-circular members extending in the front-rear direction, and grip the wire W so as to cover its outer circumference when the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 move toward each other.

[0043] Furthermore, the plate thickness t4 of each buckling prevention portion 16c (see Figure 11) is set to a thickness that provides sufficient strength when the electric wire W having the largest outer diameter d is used. Also, as shown in Figure 11, when each buckling prevention portion 16c is inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1, the gap Δ2 between each buckling prevention portion 16c and the inner wall of the terminal housing cavity C1 is set to a size such that when the electric wire gripping member opening / closing mechanism 17 (see Figure 1) moves the left electric wire gripping member 16 and the right electric wire gripping member 16 in a direction that separates them from each other to release the grip on the electric wire W, each buckling prevention portion 16c does not come into contact with the inner wall of the terminal housing cavity C1.

[0044] Thus, according to the terminal insertion device 1 of the second embodiment, the pair of buckling prevention parts 16c, 16c are composed of a pair of semi-circular members that grip the outer circumference of the electric wire W when the pair of electric wire gripping members 16, 16 move toward each other. As a result, when the terminal T is fully inserted, the pair of buckling prevention parts 16c, 16, which extend further from the pair of wire gripping extension parts 16b, 16b toward the wire connection part T2, grip the outer circumference of the wire W, thereby preventing the wire W from deforming 360° outward and further improving the buckling prevention effect. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent buckling of the wire W when the terminal T connected to the wire W is fully inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 of the connector housing C.

[0045] (Third embodiment) Next, a terminal insertion device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing a pair of wire gripping members used in the terminal insertion device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the pair of buckling prevention portions of the pair of wire gripping members shown in Figure 12 when a terminal is fully inserted into the terminal housing cavity.

[0046] The terminal insertion device according to the third embodiment of the present invention has the same basic configuration as the terminal insertion device 1 according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, except that the configuration and shape of the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 shown in Figure 12 differ from the configuration and shape of the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 shown in Figure 5.

[0047] The pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 used in the terminal insertion device according to the second embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 12 are similar to the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 used in the terminal insertion device 1 according to the first embodiment, and include a pair of wire gripping body parts 16a, 16a that grip the wire W when the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 move toward each other, and a pair of wire gripping extension parts 16b, 16b that extend from the pair of wire gripping body parts 16a, 16a toward the wire connection part T2 of the terminal T connected to the wire W (see Figures 5, 7, and 8), and grip the wire W when the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 move toward each other.

[0048] Furthermore, the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 shown in Figure 12 extend from the pair of wire gripping extensions 16b, 16b toward the wire connection portion T2 of the terminal T to the vicinity of the wire connection portion T2, and are inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 when the terminal T is fully inserted, and are equipped with a pair of buckling prevention portions 16c, 16c that prevent buckling of the wire W.

[0049] Specifically, each of the pair of left and right wire gripping members 16, 16 comprises a wire gripping body 16a, a wire gripping extension 16b, and a buckling prevention portion 16c. Each of the pair of left and right wire gripping members 16, 16 is integrally formed by processing a metal plate.

[0050] The wire gripping body 16a of the left wire gripping member 16 and the wire gripping body 16a of the right wire gripping member 16 are each formed in a rectangular flat plate shape extending in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, and grip the electric wire W from the left and right when the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 move toward each other. Furthermore, the wire gripping extension 16b of the left wire gripping member 16 and the wire gripping extension 16b of the right wire gripping member 16 are each formed in a rectangular flat plate shape that extends in the front-rear and up-down directions, and extend forward from the front edge of the wire gripping body 16a (towards the wire connection part T2 of the terminal T connected to the wire W), and grip the wire W from the left and right when the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 move toward each other.

[0051] The buckling prevention portion 16c of the left wire gripping member 16 and the buckling prevention portion 16c of the right wire gripping member 16 extend further forward from the front edge of the wire gripping extension portion 16b (towards the wire connection portion T2 of the terminal T). Then, as shown in Figure 13, each buckling prevention portion 16c is inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 when the terminal T is fully inserted. Here, although not shown in the figures, it is preferable that the gap δ between the rear end surface T3a of the insulation barrel T3 that constitutes the wire connection portion T2 of the terminal T and the front end surface 16ca of the buckling prevention portion 16c extends toward the insulation barrel T3 to a maximum of about 5 mm, as described above.

[0052] Here, unlike the buckling prevention portions 16c of the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16, the buckling prevention portions 16c of the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 are formed in a shape that covers the outer circumference of the wire W when the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 move toward each other and do not grip the wire W. Specifically, the buckling prevention portions 16c of the left wire gripping member 16 and the right wire gripping member 16 are each formed in a U-shape cross-section consisting of a vertical plate portion 16c1 extending in the front-rear and up-down directions, a bottom plate portion 16c2 extending inward from the lower end of the vertical plate portion 16c1, and a top plate portion 16c3 extending inward from the upper end of the vertical plate portion 16c1 and parallel to the bottom plate portion 16c2.

[0053] Furthermore, the plate thickness t5 of each buckling prevention portion 16c (see Figure 13) and the gap Δ3 between each buckling prevention portion 16c and the inner wall of the terminal housing cavity C1 when each buckling prevention portion 16c is inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 are set to such a size that, when the electric wire W having the largest outer diameter d is used, the electric wire gripping member opening / closing mechanism 17 (see Figure 1) moves the left electric wire gripping member 16 and the right electric wire gripping member 16 in a direction that separates them from each other to release the grip on the electric wire W, and each buckling prevention portion 16c does not come into contact with the inner wall of the terminal housing cavity C1.

[0054] Thus, according to the terminal insertion device 1 of the third embodiment, the pair of buckling prevention portions 16c, 16c are formed in such a shape that they cover the outer circumference of the electric wire W when the pair of electric wire gripping members 16, 16 move toward each other and do not grip the electric wire W. As a result, when the terminal T is fully inserted, the pair of buckling prevention parts 16c, 16, which extend further from the pair of wire gripping extension parts 16b, 16b toward the wire connection part T2, cover the outer circumference of the wire W without gripping it, thereby preventing the wire W from deforming 360° outward and further improving the buckling prevention effect. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent buckling of the wire W when the terminal T connected to the wire W is fully inserted into the terminal housing cavity C1 of the connector housing C.

[0055] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified and improved in various ways. For example, the shape of each of the pair of wire gripping members 16, 16 in the first to third embodiments is not limited to the illustrated shape, as long as it can achieve the functions of the pair of wire gripping body parts 16a, 16a, the pair of wire gripping extension parts 16b, 16b, and the pair of buckling prevention parts 16c, 16c.

[0056] Furthermore, the shape of each of the pair of buckling prevention parts 16c, 16c in the third embodiment only needs to be such that it covers the outer circumference of the electric wire W when the pair of electric wire gripping members 16, 16 move toward each other and do not grip the electric wire W. It does not necessarily need to be formed in a U-shape cross-section consisting of a vertical plate portion 16c1 extending in the front-rear and up-down directions, a bottom plate portion 16c2 extending inward from the lower end of the vertical plate portion 16c1, and a top plate portion 16c3 extending inward from the upper end of the vertical plate portion 16c1 and parallel to the bottom plate portion 16c2. For example, each buckling prevention part 16c may be semicircular in shape. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1. Terminal insertion device 10 machines 11 Terminal grip part 12 Terminal gripping member 13 Terminal gripping member opening / closing mechanism 14 Terminal gripping member advancing / retracting means 15 Wire grip part 16 Wire gripping member 16a Wire grip body 16b Wire grip extension 16c Buckling prevention part 16c1 Vertical plate section 16c2 Bottom plate part 16c3 Top plate part 17 Wire gripping member opening / closing mechanism 18. Sliding mechanism 18a Guide rail 18b Slide Block 19 cylinders 19a Piston rod C Connector Housing C1 Terminal housing cavity C2 Housing Lance C3, C4 Stopper T terminal T1 Mating terminal insertion section T2 Wire connection section T3 Insulation Barrel T4 core wire barrel W electric wire W1 core wire W2 Covering

Claims

1. A terminal insertion device comprising a terminal gripping portion for gripping a terminal connected to the end of an electric wire and an electric wire gripping portion for gripping the electric wire, wherein when temporarily inserting the terminal into the terminal housing cavity of a connector housing, the terminal gripping portion and the electric wire gripping portion grip the terminal and the electric wire respectively, and advance both the terminal gripping portion and the electric wire gripping portion to allow the tip of the terminal to enter the terminal housing cavity, when permanently inserting the terminal into the terminal housing cavity, the gripping portion of the terminal is released from the terminal, and the electric wire gripping portion that is gripping the electric wire is further advanced to push the terminal further into the terminal housing cavity, The wire gripping portion comprises a pair of wire gripping members that can move toward and away from each other, A terminal insertion device characterized in that the pair of wire gripping members comprises a pair of wire gripping body parts that grip the wire when the pair of wire gripping members move toward each other, a pair of wire gripping extension parts that extend from the pair of wire gripping body parts toward the wire connection part of the terminal connected to the wire and grip the wire when the pair of wire gripping members move toward each other, and a pair of buckling prevention parts that further extend from the pair of wire gripping extension parts toward the wire connection part of the terminal and are inserted into the terminal housing cavity when the terminal is fully inserted and prevent the wire from buckling.

2. The terminal insertion device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pair of buckling prevention portions are composed of a pair of flat plate members that grip the electric wire from both sides when the pair of electric wire gripping members move toward each other.

3. The terminal insertion device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of buckling prevention portions are composed of a pair of semicircular members that grip the outer circumference of the electric wire when the pair of electric wire gripping members move toward each other.

4. The terminal insertion device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pair of buckling prevention portions are formed in a shape that covers the outer circumference of the electric wire when the pair of electric wire gripping members move toward each other and do not grip the electric wire.

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