Sensor manufacturing method and sensor manufacturing device

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing a grommet component capable of suppressing damage of a wire when the wire is inserted into a rubber-made grommet and improving productivity and a sensor, and a manufacturing device of the grommet component.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a grommet component includes: a wire holding step of holding one or a plurality of wires 71 between a pair of rollers 202, 204; a grommet holding step of holding a rubber-made grommet 85 having a first insertion hole 85h for individually inserting the wire thereinto; and a wire insertion step of rotating the pair of rollers to advance the wire toward the grommet and insert the wire into the first insertion hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rubber grommet. and ceramic components A method for manufacturing a sensor having the and sensors Regarding manufacturing equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] A sensor equipped with a detection element that is attached to the flow path of exhaust gas emitted from an internal combustion engine such as an automobile engine and that detects the concentration of a specific gas component in the exhaust gas is known. This gas sensor is connected to multiple electric wires that extract the sensor output, and each electric wire is individually inserted into an insertion hole in a rubber grommet. The manufacturing process of the sensor requires a step of inserting the electric wire into the insertion hole of the grommet (bush). For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method of inserting the electric wire by gripping the electric wire with a clamp and moving the clamped electric wire forward toward the grommet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6711372 (Figure 7) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, since the surface of a rubber grommet has high frictional resistance, the gripping force of the clamp that holds the electric wire needs to be increased in order to withstand the friction when the electric wire is inserted into the insertion hole of the grommet. However, in this case, there is a risk that the wires gripped by the clamp may be scratched or dented. Furthermore, a clamp-based chucking mechanism requires three steps for each operation: grip, feed, and release, which can result in the overall operation taking a long time and reducing productivity.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention can suppress damage to the electric wire when the electric wire is inserted into the rubber grommet and can improve productivity. S manufacturing method of the sensor, and sensors The purpose is to provide manufacturing equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention Sensor The manufacturing method of A method for manufacturing a sensor having at least a rubber grommet having a first insertion hole for inserting one or more electric wires individually, and a ceramic member having a second insertion hole for inserting the electric wires individually, a wire holding step of holding the wire between a pair of rollers; The grommet and the ceramic member are held with a gap in the direction in which the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole extend, and a guide member having a through hole is disposed in the gap, and the through hole is aligned with the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole. a grommet holding step of rotating the pair of rollers to advance the electric wire toward the grommet, and and the second insertion hole an electric wire insertion step of inserting the electric wire into the a removing step of removing the guide member after the electric wire insertion step; and

[0007] this Sensor According to this manufacturing method, the electric wire is sandwiched between a pair of rollers while the grommet is and ceramic components Since the wire is inserted into the insertion hole, it can be held over a wider area than when the wire is clamped with a clamp, and damage such as scratches, dents, and breaks on the wire during insertion can be suppressed. Also, since the wire can be passed through and clamped with rollers, the three steps of "grab, feed, release" are not required in one operation as with a clamp chuck, which shortens the overall operation time and improves productivity. Furthermore, since the through holes of the guide member are aligned with the insertion holes and the accommodating portion, even if the positions of the insertion holes and the accommodating portion are different, each electric wire can be inserted from the insertion holes to the accommodating portion using the through holes as a guide. Furthermore, after the electric wires have been inserted, the guide member that is no longer needed can be removed (dismounted).

[0010] In the method for manufacturing a sensor of the present invention, after the electric wire insertion step, a plurality of the electric wires protruding from the ceramic member may be further included in an electric wire alignment step of aligning the protruding electric wires flush with each other, and a terminal fitting crimping step of crimping a terminal fitting to each of the plurality of electric wires aligned in the electric wire alignment step. According to this method of manufacturing a sensor, the terminal fittings can be crimped to the plurality of electric wires protruding from the ceramic member at one time, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0011] The present invention Sensor The manufacturing device includes a pair of rollers that hold one or more electric wires therebetween, and a rubber grommet having first insertion holes for inserting the electric wires individually. and a ceramic member having second insertion holes for inserting the electric wires individually. of A gap is provided in the direction in which the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole extend. Hold At the same time, a guide member having a through hole is disposed in the gap, and the through hole is made to overlap the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole. a grommet holding portion; Sensor The manufacturing device includes: a pair of rollers that are rotated to insert the electric wire into the grommet; and the ceramic member and the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole Insert the electric wire into Then, the guide member is removed. It is characterized by the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this invention, damage to the electric wire when the electric wire is inserted into the rubber grommet can be suppressed, and productivity can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a gas sensor manufactured by a method for manufacturing a sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a sensor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 3A to 3C are process diagrams illustrating a method for manufacturing a sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a continuation of Figure 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an external perspective view showing a modified example of the sensor manufacturing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Sensor The manufacturing apparatus 200 and the method for manufacturing the sensor will now be described. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a gas sensor (sensor) 1A manufactured by a method for manufacturing a sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a gas sensor (sensor) 1A manufactured by a method for manufacturing a sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. Sensor4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a manufacturing apparatus 200, FIG. 3 is a process diagram showing a method for manufacturing a sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram following FIG.

[0015] In FIG. 1, the gas sensor (wide-range air-fuel ratio gas sensor) 1A includes a sensor element 21, a holder (ceramic holder) 30A having a through hole 32 penetrating in the axial direction O and through which the sensor element 21 is inserted, a metal shell 11 surrounding the ceramic holder 30A radially, a protector 60A, and an intermediate member 100 described later. A portion of the sensor element 21 near the front end where the detection portion 22 is formed protrudes toward the front end from the ceramic holder 30A. The sensor element 21 thus passed through the through hole 32 is fixed in the front-to-rear direction inside the metallic shell 11 while maintaining airtightness in the front-to-rear direction by compressing a seal member (talc in this example) 41 arranged on the rear end face side (upper side in the figure) of the ceramic holder 30A in the front-to-rear direction via a sleeve 43 and a ring washer 45 made of an insulating material. The rearward portion of the sensor element 21, including the rear end 29, protrudes rearward beyond the sleeve 43 and the metallic shell 11, and the electrode terminals 24 formed in the rearward portion are electrically connected by pressure contact with the terminal fittings 75 provided at the ends of the lead wires 71 drawn to the outside through grommets 85. The rearward portion of the sensor element 21, including the electrode terminals 24, is covered with an outer tube 81. This will be described in more detail below.

[0016] The sensor element 21 extends in the direction of the axis O and is in the form of a strip (plate) with a detection section 22, consisting of detection electrodes (not shown) and adapted to detect a specific gas component in a gas to be detected, at its tip (lower side in the figure) facing the object to be measured. The cross section of the sensor element 21 is rectangular (rectangular) of a consistent size at both the front and rear ends, and is formed as an elongated structure made primarily of ceramic (solid electrolyte, etc.). The sensor element 21 itself is the same as a conventionally known sensor element, with a pair of detection electrodes forming the detection section 22 disposed near the tip of the solid electrolyte (member), and an electrode terminal 24 connected to the detection electrodes and exposed near the rear end for connecting a lead wire 71 for extracting detection output. In this example, a heater (not shown) is provided inside a portion of the sensor element 21 near the front end of the ceramic material formed in a laminated shape on the solid electrolyte (member), and electrode terminals 24 for connecting lead wires 71 for applying voltage to the heater are formed and exposed near the rear end. Although not shown, these electrode terminals 24 are formed in a vertically elongated rectangular shape, and for example, three or two electrode terminals are lined up horizontally on the wide surfaces (both sides) of the strip plate near the rear end of the sensor element 21. The detection portion 22 of the sensor element 21 is covered with a porous protective layer 23 made of alumina, spinel, or the like.

[0017] The metal shell 11 has a cylindrical shape with concentric front and rear ends and different diameters. The front end has a smaller diameter and a cylindrical annular portion (hereinafter also referred to as the cylindrical portion) 18 for engaging an intermediate member 100 (described later) with its inner surface. The rear end (upper portion in the figure) has a larger-diameter thread 13 on its outer circumferential surface for fastening to an engine exhaust pipe. The rear end also has a polygonal portion 14 for threading the sensor 1 with the thread 13. A cylindrical portion 15 is connected to the rear of the polygonal portion 14 and is welded to a protective tube (outer tube) 81 that covers the rear of the gas sensor 1A. The rear end also has a thin-walled crimping cylindrical portion 16 with a smaller outer diameter. In FIG. 1, the crimping cylindrical portion 16 is bent inward for crimping. A gasket 19 is attached to the underside of the polygonal portion 14 for sealing when screwed in. Furthermore, the inner peripheral surface of the metal shell 11 near the annular portion 18 has a tapered step portion 17 that tapers radially inward from the rear end side to the front end side.

[0018] A ceramic holder 30A made of insulating ceramic (e.g., alumina) and formed in a roughly short cylindrical shape is disposed inside the metallic shell 11. The ceramic holder 30A has a front-facing surface 30f formed in a tapered shape that narrows toward the front end. A portion of the front-facing surface 30f near the outer periphery is engaged with the step portion 17 via the intermediate member 100, and the ceramic holder 30A is pressed from the rear end side by the sealing member 41, thereby positioning the ceramic holder 30A within the metallic shell 11 and providing a clearance fit. On the other hand, the through-hole 32 is provided in the center of the ceramic holder 30A and is a rectangular opening having substantially the same dimensions as the cross section of the sensor element 21 so that the sensor element 21 can pass through with almost no gap.

[0019] The sensor element 21 is inserted into the through-hole 32 of the ceramic holder 30A, and the tip of the sensor element 21 protrudes forward beyond the tips of the ceramic holder 30A and the metal shell 11. On the other hand, the tip portion of the sensor element 21 is covered with a cylindrical protector 60A that can introduce or discharge the gas to be measured. In this embodiment, the protector 60A is a double protector that has a bottomed cylindrical inner protector 51 having an air vent 56 and a discharge hole 53, and a bottomed cylindrical outer protector 61 having an air vent 67 and a discharge hole 69, arranged at a distance from each other. A welded portion W is formed penetrating the inner protector 51 and the outer protector 61 with the rear ends 60Ae of the inner protector 51 and the outer protector 61 overlapping on the outer surface of the intermediate member 100. More specifically, the rear end of the inner protector 51 expands in diameter and comes into contact with the rear end of the outer protector 61, forming the rear end 60Ae where the two overlap. The rear end of the inner protector 51 faces the outer surface of the intermediate member 100, and the welded portion W is formed from the outer protector 61 toward the intermediate member 100.

[0020] The intermediate member 100 is made of metal and has a cylindrical shape with no bottom, and has a flange portion 100a at its rear end that extends radially outward. The outer diameter of the intermediate member 100 excluding the flange portion 100a is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the annular portion 18 of the metallic shell 11, so that the intermediate member 100 can be fitted inside the annular portion 18. When the intermediate member 100 is inserted from the rear end side of the metallic shell 11, the front-facing surface 100f of the flange portion 100a is locked onto the step portion 17. When the front-facing surface 30f of the ceramic holder 30A arranged on the rear end side of the intermediate member 100 is further pressed toward the front end, the front-facing surface 30f comes into contact with the rear-facing surface of the flange portion 100a, and the front-facing surface 30f is locked onto the step portion 17 via the intermediate member 100. That is, the intermediate member 100 is sandwiched between the metallic shell 11 and the ceramic holder 30A. In this way, the intermediate member 100 is engaged with the metal shell 11, and the rear end 60Ae of the protector 60A is welded to the outer surface of the intermediate member 100 that protrudes forward from the tip of the metal shell 11, as described above, to form a welded portion W.

[0021] 1, terminal fittings 75 are provided at the tips of lead wires 71, which are drawn to the outside through insertion holes 85h (four in this example) of a grommet 85, and are pressed against and electrically connected to the electrode terminals 24 formed near the rear end of the sensor element 21 by their spring properties. In the gas sensor 1A of this example, the terminal fittings 75, including the pressure-contact portions, are disposed opposite each other in respective housing portions 91h (four in this example) that are provided through an insulating separator 91 disposed within an outer cylinder 81. The separator 91 is restricted from moving radially and toward the tip end by a holding member 82 that is crimped and fixed within the outer cylinder 81. The tip end of the outer cylinder 81 is fitted and welded to a cylindrical portion 15 near the rear end of the metallic shell 11, thereby airtightly covering the rear of the gas sensor 1A. The lead wire 71 is passed through a grommet (made of rubber) 85 located inside the rear end of the outer tube 81 and pulled out to the outside, and the small diameter tube portion 83 is crimped to reduce the diameter and compress the grommet 85, thereby maintaining airtightness in this area.

[0022] Incidentally, a step 81d having a larger diameter at the front end is formed slightly rearward from the center of the outer cylinder 81 in the direction of the axis O, and the inner surface of this step 81d supports and pushes the rear end of the separator 91 forward. Meanwhile, a flange 93 formed on the outer periphery of the separator 91 is supported on a holding member 82 fixed to the inside of the outer cylinder 81, and the separator 91 is held in the direction of the axis O by the step 81d and the holding member 82. The lead wires 71 and the separator 91 correspond to the "electric wires" and "ceramic members" in the claims, respectively. The insertion hole 85h and the housing portion 91h correspond to the "first insertion hole" and the "second insertion hole" in the claims, respectively.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention, Sensor The manufacturing apparatus 200 has a pair of rollers 202, 204 that hold multiple lead wires 71 between them, a running platform 210 along which the lead wires 71 run, and a grommet holding section 220 attached to the tip of the running platform 210 and that holds a grommet. A box-shaped storage section 230 that holds each reel of each lead wire 71 is located behind the rollers 202, 204 (to the right in Figure 2), and each lead wire 71 is unwound from each reel and moved forward (to the left in Figure 2) while being clamped between the pair of rollers 202, 204. A running platform 210 is disposed in front of the rollers 202, 204, and a plurality of grooves 210v (four in this example) are provided on the upper surface of this running platform 210 along the direction in which the lead wire 71 advances. With the lead wire 71 housed in each groove 210v, the lead wire 71 can advance using each groove 210v as a guide.

[0024] And this SensorUsing manufacturing apparatus 200, lead wire 71 is inserted through grommet 85 (and separator 91) as described below. At this time, the lead wire 71 is inserted into the insertion hole 85h of the grommet 85 while being sandwiched between the pair of rollers 202, 204, so that the lead wire 71 can be held over a wider area than when the lead wire 71 is sandwiched with a clamp, and damage such as scratches, dents, and breaks to the lead wire 71 during insertion can be suppressed. Also, because the lead wire 71 can be simply moved and sandwiched between the rollers 202, 204, three steps of "grab, feed, and release" are not required in one operation as with a clamp chuck, so the overall operation time can be shortened and productivity can be improved.

[0025] Furthermore, since the lead wires 71 are housed (held) in the running platform 210 and are advanced using the running platform 210 as a guide, problems such as the lead wires 71 deviating from their original position and advancing, or multiple lead wires 71 becoming tangled when advanced, can be prevented.

[0026] Next, a method for manufacturing a sensor (a method for manufacturing a grommet component) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, as mentioned above Sensor The manufacturing device 200 (FIG. 2) holds the plurality of lead wires 71 between a pair of rollers 202, 204 (electric wire holding step). Then, the rollers 202, 204 are rotated to move each lead wire 71 forward within the running platform 210. On the other hand, a rubber grommet 85 having insertion holes 85h for inserting the lead wires 71 individually is held inside a grommet holding jig 301 (FIG. 3(a): grommet holding step).

[0027] In this example, the outer tube member 81x is held inside the outer tube member holding jig 303. Here, the outer tube member 81x is a member that will become the outer tube 81 after crimping. Then, the outer tube member holding jig 303 is placed above the grommet holding jig 301 with their axes aligned.

[0028] Furthermore, in this example, separator 91 and holding member 82 fitted onto its outer surface are held inside separator holding jig 305. Then, separator holding jig 305 is placed above grommet holding jig 301 with their axes aligned and spaced apart in the axial direction. Furthermore, guide member 401 is placed between separator holding jig 305 and grommet holding jig 301 (FIG. 3(b)). Here, the guide member 401 has through holes (four in this example).

[0029] Next, the guide member 401 is placed inside the outer tube member 81x held by the outer tube member holding jig 303, the separator holding jig 305 is fitted above the outer tube member holding jig 303, and the grommet holding jig 301 is fitted below the outer tube member holding jig 303 to complete the assembly (Figure 3(c)). The steps of FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c) are carried out sequentially on a predetermined conveying device. In this example, the steps from Figure 3(a) to (c) are the grommet holding step, in which the through hole 401h of the guide member 401 is arranged to overlap the insertion hole 85h and the accommodating portion 91h (see Figure 3(d)).

[0030] Next, the assembly shown in Figure 3(c) is Sensor The grommet is held in the grommet holding portion 220 of the manufacturing device 200. Sensor The rollers 202, 204 of the manufacturing device 200 are rotated to advance each lead wire 71 held in the electric wire holding step toward the grommet 85, and each lead wire 71 is inserted into the insertion hole 85h (FIG. 3(d): electric wire insertion step). Here, when the four insertion holes 85h are viewed on the same plane, they overlap with the four grooves 210v, so when the four lead wires 71 are advanced along each groove 210v, they can be smoothly inserted into each of the four insertion holes 85h. The process up to inserting each lead wire 71 into the insertion hole 85h corresponds to the "method of manufacturing a grommet part."

[0031] 3(d), in the electric wire insertion step, each lead wire 71 is not only inserted into the insertion hole 85h, but also inserted into the through-hole 401h of the guide member 401 and the accommodating portion 91h. Here, the through-hole 401h of the guide member 401 is overlapped with the insertion hole 85h and the accommodating portion 91h. Therefore, even if the insertion hole 85h and the accommodating portion 91h are positioned differently, each lead wire 71 can be inserted from the insertion hole 85h into the accommodating portion 91h using the through-hole 401h as a guide. In this example, the spacing between the holes in the accommodation portion 91h is wider than the spacing between the holes in the insertion holes 85h, and the spacing between the through holes 401h also widens toward the insertion holes 85h. In this example, the lead wires 71 are inserted through the separator 91 until they protrude outward.

[0032] Next, stoppers 505 are placed on the tips of the lead wires 71 protruding from the separator 91, and the lead wires 71 are aligned flush (FIG. 4(a): electric wire alignment step). Here, in this example, the tips of the lead wires 71 are inserted into the second guide member 501, and the stoppers 505 are placed on the tips of the lead wires 71 protruding from the second guide member 501. The second guide member 501 has through holes (four in this example), and since the spacing between the terminal fittings 75 and the spacing between the lead wires 71 protruding from the separator 91 differ during the terminal fitting crimping process described below, the spacing between the lead wires 71 is widened within the second guide member 501 (through the through holes) to align it with the spacing between the terminal fittings 75.

[0033] Next, separator holding jig 305 and outer tubular member holding jig 303 are separated, and the combined body of outer tubular member holding jig 303 and grommet holding jig 301 and separator holding jig 305 are moved so as to space them apart in the direction in which lead wire 71 extends. This exposes guide member 401 housed in outer tubular member 81x. The guide member 401 can be separated into upper and lower members, and by separating the guide member 401 (in the direction of the paper in Figure 4), the guide member 401 can be removed while leaving each lead wire 71 intact (Figure 4(b): removal process).

[0034] Next, the combined body of the outer tube member holding jig 303 and the grommet holding jig 301 and the separator holding jig 305 are brought close to each other in the direction in which the lead wires 71 extend and returned to their original positions, and then, on the running platform 210, the rear end side of each lead wire 71 protruding from the grommet 85 is cut to a predetermined length using a cutter 307 (Figure 4(c)). Finally, the terminal fittings 75 positioned and accommodated in the terminal pallet 309 are crimped onto the tips of the lead wires 71 protruding from the second guide member 501 (FIG. 4(d): terminal fitting crimping step).

[0035] In this manner, with the lead wire 71 inserted through the grommet 85 and separator 91 housed in the outer tube member 81x, the portion of the outer tube member 81x that covers the grommet 85 and separator 91 is appropriately crimped as shown in Figure 1 to manufacture the outer tube assembly. Then, by assembling this outer cylinder assembly with an element assembly including the sensor element 21 and the metallic shell 11, the gas sensor 1A can be manufactured.

[0036] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but covers various modifications and equivalents that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a grommet part 200B may include four pairs of rollers 202B, 204B that sandwich four lead wires 71, respectively. In this case, four sets of rollers may be synchronized to insert all four lead wires into the grommet at once, or one set of rollers may be used to insert each lead wire into the grommet one by one. In the latter case, groove 210v as shown in Figure 2 is not necessary, and the positioning of each lead wire into the first insertion hole of the grommet may be adjusted by a robot arm holding the tip of the lead wire. To position the grommet 85 on the grommet holding jig 301, a base having a pin that can be inserted into the insertion hole 85h of the grommet 85 may be prepared, the grommet 85 may be attached to the pin of this base, and the entire base may be aligned. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1A sensor (gas sensor) 71 Electric wire (lead wire) 75 Terminal fittings 85 Grommet 85h First insertion hole (insertion hole) 91 Ceramic components (separators) 91h Second insertion hole (receiving section) 200 Sensor manufacturing equipment 202,204 Laura 220 Grommet holder 401 Guide member

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a sensor having at least a rubber grommet having a first insertion hole for individually inserting one or more electric wires, and a ceramic member having a second insertion hole for individually inserting the electric wires, a wire holding step of holding the wire between a pair of rollers; a grommet holding step of holding the grommet and the ceramic member via a gap in the direction in which the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole extend, and disposing a guide member having a through hole in the gap so that the through hole overlaps the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole; an electric wire insertion step of rotating the pair of rollers to advance the electric wire toward the grommet and inserting the electric wire into the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole; a removing step of removing the guide member after the electric wire insertion step; A method for manufacturing a sensor, comprising:

2. After the electric wire insertion step, a plurality of the electric wires protrude from the ceramic member, an electric wire alignment step of aligning the protruding electric wires flush; 2. The method for manufacturing a sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a terminal crimping step of crimping a terminal to each of the plurality of electric wires aligned in the electric wire alignment step.

3. a pair of rollers holding one or more electrical wires therebetween; a grommet holding section that holds a rubber grommet having first insertion holes for inserting the electric wires individually and a ceramic member having second insertion holes for inserting the electric wires individually, with a gap in an extending direction of the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole, and that arranges a guide member having a through hole in the gap so that the through hole overlaps the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole, a pair of rollers are rotated to advance the electric wire toward the grommet and the ceramic member, and the electric wire is inserted into the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole, and then the guide member is removed.

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