Terminal block and method for manufacturing terminal block

Abstract

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal block with which it is possible to ensure high waterproofness, and a method for manufacturing a terminal block. A terminal block (10) comprises: an elongated plate-form terminal (20); a terminal block body (30) composed of a resin material provided so as to cover the extension-direction center of the terminal (20); and an adhesive (40) interposed between the terminal (20) and the terminal block body (30). The terminal block body (30) has: a primary molding part (50) that includes a pair of outflow suppression walls (51) that are molded so as to cover the terminal (20) at positions sandwiching the adhesive (40) in the extension direction of the terminal (20); and a secondary molding part (60) that is molded so as to cover the adhesive (40) with the terminal (20), the primary molding part (50), and the adhesive (40) as inserts.

Description

Terminal block and manufacturing method of terminal block

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal block and a method for manufacturing a terminal block.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a terminal block that includes a long, plate-shaped terminal, a terminal block body made of a resin material that covers the center of the terminal in the extension direction, and an adhesive interposed between the terminal and the terminal block body (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a terminal block, even if the gap between the terminal and the terminal block body widens somewhat due to, for example, a high-temperature environment, the adhesive prevents liquid from passing between the terminal and the terminal block body.

[0003] JP 2015-122161 A

[0004] However, in the above-described terminal block, when the terminal block body is molded, there is a risk that the adhesive may shift from the desired position along the surface of the terminal due to the flow of molten resin, which may cause the adhesive to leak out from between the terminal and the terminal block body, for example, in a high-temperature environment.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a terminal block that can ensure high waterproofing, and a method for manufacturing the terminal block.

[0006] The terminal block of the present disclosure is a terminal block comprising a long, plate-shaped terminal, a terminal block body made of a resin material arranged to cover the center of the terminal in the extension direction, and adhesive interposed between the terminal and the terminal block body, wherein the terminal block body has a primary molding portion including a pair of outflow suppression walls molded to cover the terminal at a position that sandwiches the adhesive in the extension direction of the terminal, and a secondary molding portion molded to cover the adhesive using the terminal, the primary molding portion, and the adhesive as insert parts.

[0007] According to the terminal block and the method for manufacturing the terminal block of the present disclosure, high waterproofing can be ensured.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a terminal block according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal block according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a perspective view for explaining a manufacturing process of the terminal block according to an embodiment. Fig. 4 is a front view for explaining a manufacturing process of the terminal block according to an embodiment.

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The terminal block of the present disclosure is: [1] a terminal block including a long plate-shaped terminal, a terminal block body made of a resin material provided so as to cover the center of the terminal in the extension direction, and an adhesive interposed between the terminal and the terminal block body, wherein the terminal block body has a primary molded portion including a pair of outflow suppression walls molded so as to cover the terminal in the extension direction of the terminal at positions sandwiching the adhesive, and a secondary molded portion molded so as to cover the adhesive using the terminal, the primary molded portion, and the adhesive as insert parts.

[0010] According to this configuration, when the terminal, the primary molded portion, and the adhesive are used as insert components to form the secondary molded portion that covers the adhesive, the flow of molten resin prevents the adhesive from flowing out of the pair of outflow prevention walls along the surface of the terminal. Therefore, even in a high-temperature environment, for example, the adhesive is prevented from leaking out between the terminal and the terminal block body. Therefore, high waterproofing is ensured.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], the primary molded portion may have a pair of side walls arranged to face both end faces of the terminal in the width direction. According to this configuration, the primary molded portion has a pair of side walls arranged to face both end faces of the terminal in the width direction, so that the adhesive is less susceptible to external forces caused by the flow of molten resin when forming the secondary molded portion. Therefore, for example, the adhesive is more effectively prevented from flowing out of the pair of outflow suppression walls and from being concentrated between the pair of outflow suppression walls. This ensures higher waterproofing.

[0012] [3] In the above [1] or [2], the terminals may be multiple, and the primary molded part may have a connecting part that connects the terminals together. With this configuration, the primary molded part has a connecting part that connects the terminals together, which makes it easier to handle the primary molded part after molding. For example, it makes it easier to place an insert into a mold for molding the secondary molded part.

[0013] [4] In the above [3], the connecting portion may be provided in pair between the terminals. According to this configuration, since the connecting portion is provided in pair between the terminals, the terminals can be stably connected to each other.

[0014] [5] In any one of [1] to [4] above, the main surface of the terminal on which the adhesive is disposed may be a flat surface. According to this configuration, since the main surface of the terminal on which the adhesive is disposed is a flat surface, the terminal configuration is simpler than, for example, when grooves for suppressing the flow of adhesive are provided on the main surface of the terminal, and, for example, manufacturing of the terminal is easier. Furthermore, since the flow of adhesive is suppressed by the pair of outflow suppression walls, even if the main surface of the terminal is a flat surface, the flow of adhesive outward from the pair of outflow suppression walls is suppressed.

[0015] The manufacturing method of the terminal block of the present disclosure is a method of manufacturing a terminal block including: [6] a long plate-shaped terminal; a terminal block body made of a resin material arranged to cover the center of the terminal in the extension direction; and adhesive interposed between the terminal and the terminal block body, the method including a first molding process of molding a primary molding portion that is part of the terminal block body including a pair of outflow suppression walls molded to cover the terminal at a position that sandwiches the adhesive in the extension direction of the terminal; and a second molding process of molding a secondary molding portion that is part of the terminal block body that covers the adhesive using the terminal, the primary molding portion, and the adhesive as inserts.

[0016] According to this method, in a first molding process, a primary molding portion is molded, which is a part of the terminal block body, including a pair of outflow suppression walls molded to cover the terminal at positions sandwiching the adhesive in the terminal extension direction. In a second molding process, a secondary molding portion is molded, which is a part of the terminal block body that covers the adhesive, using the terminal, the primary molding portion, and the adhesive as an insert. In this way, in the second molding process for molding the secondary molding portion, the flow of molten resin prevents the adhesive from flowing out of the pair of outflow suppression walls along the surface of the terminal. Therefore, even in a high-temperature environment, for example, the adhesive is prevented from leaking from between the terminal and the terminal block body. This ensures high waterproofing.

[0017] [Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for the convenience of explanation, some of the configurations may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of each part may differ from one drawing to another. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0018] 1 and 2, the terminal block 10 includes terminals 20, a terminal block body 30, and an adhesive 40. The terminal block 10 of this embodiment includes three terminals 20. The terminal block 10 is fixed to an attachment target (not shown), such as a case of an electrical device.

[0019] (Configuration of Terminal 20) The terminal 20 is made of a long plate-shaped metal material. The terminal 20 has a first end 21 and a second end 22, which are opposite ends in the extension direction. The first end 21 and the second end 22 each have a connection hole 21 a, 22 a, and are connected to a connection terminal of another electrical component using the connection hole 21 a, 22 a.

[0020] (Configuration of Terminal Block Main Body 30) The terminal block main body 30 is made of a resin material. The terminal block main body 30 has a holding portion 31 that holds the terminals 20 while covering the center of the terminals 20 in the extension direction, and a pair of extension portions 32 that extend from the holding portion 31. The holding portion 31 holds the three terminals 20 so that they are aligned in the width direction. Note that the width direction here refers to a direction that is perpendicular to the extension direction of the terminals 20 and perpendicular to the thickness direction of the terminals 20. The pair of extension portions 32 extend outward in the direction in which the terminals 20 are aligned side by side, and have fixing holes 32a. The terminal block 10 is fixed to an attachment target, such as a case of an electrical device, by, for example, bolts (not shown) that pass through the fixing holes 32a and are screwed into the attachment target.

[0021] (Configuration of adhesive 40) As shown in Fig. 2, the adhesive 40 is interposed between the terminal 20 and the terminal block body 30. The adhesive 40 in this embodiment is a rubber-based adhesive. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the adhesive 40 is provided so as to cover the entire periphery of a portion of the terminal 20 in the extension direction. In this embodiment, the main surface of the terminal 20 on which the adhesive 40 is arranged is the flat surface 20a.

[0022] 2 and 4, the terminal block body 30 has a primary molded portion 50 and a secondary molded portion 60. The primary molded portion 50 includes a pair of outflow suppression walls 51 that are molded to cover the terminals 20 at positions that sandwich the adhesive 40 in the extension direction of the terminals 20. The secondary molded portion 60 is molded to cover the adhesive 40 using the terminals 20, the primary molded portion 50, and the adhesive 40 as an insert.

[0023] 3 and 4 , the primary molding portion 50 has a pair of outflow suppression walls 51 provided for each terminal 20 and a pair of side walls 52 provided for each terminal 20. The primary molding portion 50 also has connecting portions 53 that connect the terminals 20 together.

[0024] More specifically, the pair of outflow suppression walls 51 are provided so as to cover the entire periphery of the terminal 20 at positions sandwiching the portion where the adhesive 40 will later be placed in the extension direction of the terminal 20. Note that Figures 3 and 4 show a state in which the adhesive 40 has been applied after the primary molded portion 50 has been molded. The pair of outflow suppression walls 51 are provided so as to be higher from the surface of the terminal 20 than the adhesive 40 to be applied.

[0025] The pair of side walls 52 are provided to face both end faces of the terminal 20 in the width direction. In this embodiment, the pair of side walls 52 are provided to connect the tips of the portions of the pair of outflow suppression walls 51 that protrude in the width direction of the terminal 20. The pair of side walls 52 are provided to have a small gap with the adhesive 40 disposed on both end faces of the terminal 20 in the width direction. In other words, the pair of side walls 52 are provided to have a gap with the terminal 20 so that the adhesive 40 can be applied to both end faces of the terminal 20 in the width direction. Note that the pair of side walls 52 are formed to be larger than the thickness of the terminal 20 in the thickness direction of the terminal 20. More specifically, the pair of side walls 52 are provided in the same range in the thickness direction of the terminal 20 as the range in which the pair of outflow suppression walls 51 are provided. In the example of FIG. 3 , the pair of outflow suppression walls 51 and the pair of side walls 52 are provided at the same height so that their height from the surface of the terminal 20 is higher than the adhesive 40.

[0026] The connecting portions 53 are provided to connect the terminals 20 lined up in the width direction. In this embodiment, the connecting portions 53 are provided to connect the tips of the portions of the outflow suppression wall 51 that protrude in the width direction of the terminals 20. A pair of connecting portions 53 is provided between the terminals 20. In other words, the connecting portions 53 are provided to connect the side walls 52. In other words, the connecting portions 53 are provided to form the hollow hole 54 together with the side walls 52.

[0027] (Details of Secondary Molded Portion 60) The secondary molded portion 60 is molded to configure the terminal block main body 30 together with the primary molded portion 50. In this embodiment, the secondary molded portion 60 is provided to cover the entire primary molded portion 50 while filling all gaps generated between the terminals 20 and the primary molded portion 50.

[0028] (Method of Manufacturing Terminal Block 10) Next, a description will be given of a method of manufacturing the terminal block 10 configured as described above. The method of manufacturing the terminal block 10 includes a first molding step, an adhesive application step, and a second molding step.

[0029] In the first molding step, a primary molded portion 50 is molded, which includes a pair of outflow suppression walls 51 molded to cover the terminal 20 at positions that sandwich the adhesive 40 in the extension direction of the terminal 20. Note that the positions that sandwich the adhesive 40 here refer to positions that sandwich the position where the adhesive 40 will be applied later. In addition, in the first molding step of this embodiment, a primary molded portion 50 having the outflow suppression walls 51, side walls 52, and connecting portions 53 is molded.

[0030] 3 and 4 , in the adhesive application step, adhesive 40 is applied to the portion of terminal 20 sandwiched between the pair of outflow suppression walls 51. At this time, adhesive 40 is applied to the portion sandwiched between the pair of outflow suppression walls 51 so as to cover the entire periphery of terminal 20.

[0031] 2, in the second molding step, the terminal 20, the primary molded portion 50, and the adhesive 40 are used as insert parts to mold a secondary molded portion 60 that covers the adhesive 40. More specifically, in the second molding step, the terminal 20, the primary molded portion 50, and the adhesive 40 are placed as insert parts in a mold (not shown), and molten resin is filled into the mold to mold the secondary molded portion 60 that covers the adhesive 40.

[0032] In the second molding step of this embodiment, the secondary molded portion 60 is molded together with the primary molded portion 50 so as to form the terminal block body 30 having the holding portion 31 and the extending portion 32 (see FIG. 1). Also, in FIGS. 1 and 2, the position of the adhesive 40 is illustrated as an ideal position after the adhesive application step and before the second molding step. In this manner, the manufacture of the terminal block 10 is completed.

[0033] Next, the effects of the above embodiment are described below. (1) The terminal block body 30 has a primary molded portion 50 including a pair of outflow suppression walls 51 molded to cover the terminal 20 at positions sandwiching the adhesive 40 in the extension direction of the terminal 20. The terminal block body 30 also has a secondary molded portion 60 molded to cover the adhesive 40 using the terminal 20, the primary molded portion 50, and the adhesive 40 as insert parts. Therefore, when molding the secondary molded portion 60 that covers the adhesive 40 using the terminal 20, the primary molded portion 50, and the adhesive 40 as insert parts, the flow of molten resin prevents the adhesive 40 from flowing out of the pair of outflow suppression walls 51 along the surface of the terminal 20. More specifically, in the second molding process, the molten resin flows in a direction corresponding to the shape of the mold interior. However, the flow of the molten resin prevents the adhesive 40 from flowing out of the pair of outflow suppression walls 51, and the adhesive 40 remains in the desired position. Therefore, even in a high temperature environment, for example, the adhesive 40 is prevented from leaking out from between the terminal 20 and the terminal block body 30. Therefore, high waterproofing properties can be ensured.

[0034] (2) Because the primary molding portion 50 has a pair of side walls 52 that are arranged to face both end faces of the terminal 20 in the width direction, the adhesive 40 is less likely to be subjected to external forces caused by the flow of molten resin when the secondary molding portion 60 is molded. This makes it possible to further prevent the adhesive 40 from flowing out of the pair of outflow suppression walls 51 and to prevent the adhesive 40 from becoming unevenly distributed between the pair of outflow suppression walls 51. This ensures higher waterproofing.

[0035] (3) The primary molded portion 50 has the connecting portions 53 that connect the terminals 20 together, which makes it easy to handle the primary molded portion 50 after molding. For example, it makes it easy to place an insert into a mold for molding the secondary molded portion 60.

[0036] (4) Since a pair of connecting portions 53 are provided between the terminals 20, the terminals 20 can be connected to each other more stably than, for example, the configuration in which only one of the pair of connecting portions 53 in the above embodiment is provided.

[0037] (5) Because the main surface of the terminal 20 on which the adhesive 40 is disposed is the flat surface 20a, the configuration of the terminal 20 is simpler than, for example, when grooves for suppressing the flow of the adhesive 40 are provided on the main surface of the terminal 20, and this simplifies the manufacturing process of the terminal 20. Note that, because the flow of the adhesive 40 is suppressed by the pair of outflow suppression walls 51, even if the main surface of the terminal 20 is the flat surface 20a, the flow of the adhesive 40 to the outside of the pair of outflow suppression walls 51 is suppressed.

[0038] (Modifications) The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0039] - In the above embodiment, the primary molding portion 50 has a pair of side walls 52 arranged to face each of the end faces of the terminal 20 in the width direction, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the primary molding portion 50 may be configured not to have a pair of side walls 52.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the primary molding portion 50 has a connecting portion 53 that connects the multiple terminals 20 together, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the primary molding portion 50 may be configured not to have a connecting portion 53.

[0041] In the above embodiment, a pair of connecting portions 53 are provided between the terminals 20, but this is not limiting, and for example, a single connecting portion 53 may be provided between the terminals 20. Furthermore, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a pair of connecting portions 53 are connected and the hollow hole 54 is filled.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the main surface of the terminal 20 on which the adhesive 40 is placed is a flat surface 20a, but this is not limited to this. For example, the main surface of the terminal 20 may be configured to have a groove for suppressing the flow of the adhesive 40.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the terminal block 10 has three terminals 20, but this is not limited to this and may have, for example, two terminals 20, four terminals, or five or more terminals.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the terminal block body 30 has the holding portion 31 that holds the terminal 20 while covering the center of the terminal in the extension direction, and the pair of extension portions 32 that extend from the holding portion 31. However, the terminal block body 30 may be modified to have another shape as long as it has the holding portion 31. For example, the configuration of the pair of extension portions 32 may be modified to another configuration.

[0045] The present disclosure includes the following aspects. Note that, in the following description, reference symbols indicating components of the embodiments are given in parentheses, and are not intended to be limiting but merely to aid understanding. (Note 1) A terminal block (10) comprising: a long, plate-shaped terminal (20); a terminal block body (30) made of a resin material provided so as to cover the center of the terminal (20) in the extension direction; and an adhesive (40) interposed between the terminal (20) and the terminal block body (30), wherein the terminal block body (30) has a primary molded portion (50) including a pair of outflow suppression walls (51) molded to cover the terminal at positions sandwiching the adhesive (40) in the extension direction of the terminal (20), and a secondary molded portion (60) molded to cover the adhesive using the terminal, the primary molded portion, and the adhesive as insert parts, and the primary molded portion (51) has a pair of side walls (52) provided so as to face both end faces of the terminal (20) in the width direction, The pair of outflow prevention walls (51) and the pair of side walls (52) are provided so that their height from the surface of the terminal (20) is higher than that of the adhesive (40).

[0046] According to the configuration of Supplementary Note 1, the height of the outflow suppression wall from the surface of the terminal is higher than that of the adhesive, thereby enhancing the effect of suppressing the outflow of the adhesive by the outflow suppression wall. Also, the height of the side wall from the surface of the terminal is higher than that of the adhesive, thereby enhancing the effect of the side wall in reducing the external force applied to the adhesive by the flow of molten resin in the width direction of the terminal when forming the secondary molded portion. As a result, it is possible to provide a terminal block with high waterproofing.

[0047] (Supplementary Note 2) The terminal block (10) according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein a gap is provided between the pair of side walls (52) and both end surfaces of the terminal (20).

[0048] According to the configuration of Supplementary Note 2, it is possible to apply adhesive to both end surfaces of the terminal (i.e., the entire periphery of the terminal) while providing a pair of side walls.

[0049] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Terminal block 20 Terminal 20a Flat surface 21 First end 21a Connection hole 22 Second end 22a Connection hole 30 Terminal block body 31 Holding portion 32 Extension portion 32a Fixing hole 40 Adhesive 50 Primary molded portion 51 Outflow prevention wall 52 Side wall 53 Connecting portion 54 Hole 60 Secondary molded portion

Claims

1. A terminal block comprising: a long, plate-shaped terminal; a terminal block body made of a resin material arranged to cover the center of the terminal in the extension direction; and adhesive interposed between the terminal and the terminal block body, wherein the terminal block body has a primary molded portion including a pair of outflow suppression walls molded to cover the terminal in a position that sandwiches the adhesive in the extension direction of the terminal; and a secondary molded portion molded to cover the adhesive with the terminal, the primary molded portion, and the adhesive as insert parts.

2. The terminal block according to claim 1, wherein the primary molding portion has a pair of side walls provided so as to face opposite both end faces of the terminal in the width direction.

3. The terminal block according to claim 1, wherein the terminal block has a plurality of terminals, and the primary molding portion has a connecting portion that connects the terminals together.

4. The terminal block according to claim 3, wherein the connecting portion is provided as a pair between the terminals.

5. The terminal block according to claim 1, wherein the main surface of the terminal on which the adhesive is disposed is a flat surface.

6. A method for manufacturing a terminal block comprising: a long, plate-shaped terminal; a terminal block body made of a resin material arranged to cover the center of the terminal in the extension direction; and adhesive interposed between the terminal and the terminal block body, the method comprising: a first molding process for molding a primary molded portion that is part of the terminal block body, including a pair of outflow suppression walls molded to cover the terminal at positions that sandwich the adhesive in the extension direction of the terminal; and a second molding process for molding a secondary molded portion that is part of the terminal block body, covering the adhesive using the terminal, the primary molded portion, and the adhesive as inserts.

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