Method for manufacturing insulating cover
The use of removably coupled partial molds in dip molding reduces manufacturing costs by allowing flexible production of insulating covers for various conductor connection parts without the need for dedicated molds.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-21
AI Technical Summary
The manufacturing of insulating covers for conductor connection parts requires multiple dedicated molds for different shapes, increasing costs due to the need for customized molds for each shape.
A method involving the use of removably coupled partial molds to create a dip molding mold, allowing for the production of insulating covers with varying shapes without the need for a dedicated mold for each configuration.
Reduces manufacturing costs by enabling the reuse of partial molds to produce insulating covers for different shapes, eliminating the necessity of dedicated molds for each shape.
Smart Images
Figure JP2024040432_21052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Method for manufacturing an insulating cover
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing an insulating cover.
[0002] An insulating cover is attached to a conductor connection part to prevent an electric shock accident or the like that occurs when an operator's hand or the like accidentally touches the conductor connection part to which voltage is applied. As a method for manufacturing such an insulating cover, there is a method of manufacturing an insulating cover by dip molding using a mold created according to the inner dimensions of the insulating cover. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an insulating cover manufactured by dip molding using an insulating resin.
[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-141272
[0004] The inner shape of the insulating cover corresponds to the shape of the conductor connection part to which the insulating cover is attached, and the inner shape of the insulating cover manufactured by dip molding is determined by the shape of the mold used for dip molding. Therefore, in order to create insulating covers corresponding to different-shaped conductor connection parts, it is necessary to prepare different-shaped molds, which may increase the manufacturing cost.
[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a method for manufacturing an insulating cover that can suppress the manufacturing cost of the insulating cover.
[0006] The method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to the present disclosure includes a step of creating a dip molding mold by removably coupling a plurality of partial molds, and a step of manufacturing an insulating cover by dip molding using the dip molding mold.
[0007] Since the method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to the present disclosure creates a dip molding mold by removably coupling a plurality of partial molds, it is possible to create different insulating covers by replacing a part of the partial mold or changing the arrangement, and a dedicated dip molding mold is not required for each insulating cover having a different shape, so that the manufacturing cost of the insulating cover can be suppressed.
[0008] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conductor connection part according to a comparative example. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an insulating cover according to a comparative example. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a dip molding die according to a comparative example. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an insulating cover according to a comparative example. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a dip molding die according to a comparative example. This is a cross-sectional view of a dip molding die according to a comparative example. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a partial mold according to Embodiment 1. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a dip molding die according to Embodiment 1. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an insulating cover according to Embodiment 1. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the first partial mold, second partial mold, and third partial mold according to Embodiment 2. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a dip molding die according to Embodiment 2. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an insulating cover according to Embodiment 2. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a dip molding die according to Embodiment 3. This is a cross-sectional view of a dip molding die according to Embodiment 3. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a partial mold according to Embodiment 4. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a dip molding die according to Embodiment 4.
[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are illustrative examples. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined as appropriate.
[0010] Embodiment 1. <Explanation of Comparative Examples> Before explaining the manufacturing method of the insulating cover according to Embodiment 1, we will first explain comparative examples of the manufacturing method of the insulating cover using Figures 1 to 6.
[0011] The insulating cover 2 attached to the conductor connection part 1 will be explained using Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of the conductor connection part 1. The conductor connection part 1 is configured such that a first conductor 1a and a second conductor 1b are connected by a fastening member 1c. Examples of fastening members 1c include bolts and nuts. Such a conductor connection part 1 is provided, for example, inside a power distribution panel.
[0012] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of an insulating cover 2 to be attached to the conductor connection part 1. The insulating cover 2 shown in Figure 2 has irregularities and steps formed to match the shapes of the first conductor 1a, the second conductor 1b, and the fastening member 1c of the conductor connection part 1 shown in Figure 1. By attaching such an insulating cover 2 to the conductor connection part 1, the conductor connection part 1 is protected. To manufacture the insulating cover 2 shown in Figure 2, a dip molding die 3 shown in Figure 3 is used.
[0013] Next, the manufacturing method of the insulating cover 2a will be explained using Figures 4 to 6. Figure 4 shows an example of the insulating cover 2a, and Figure 5 shows an example of the dip molding die 3a. The insulating cover 2a shown in Figure 4 is manufactured by dip molding using the dip molding die 3a shown in Figure 5. Specifically, after preheating the dip molding die 3a shown in Figure 5, it is immersed in a sol-like insulating cover 2a material to create a coating on the surface of the dip molding die 3a using the insulating cover 2a material. Here, the insulating cover 2a material can be, for example, a synthetic resin. The dip molding die 3a is withdrawn from the sol-like insulating cover 2a material, and the coating formed on the surface of the dip molding die 3a is heated and then cooled to solidify. The solidified insulating cover 2a coating is peeled off from the dip molding die 3a to obtain the insulating cover 2a.
[0014] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of the dip molding die 3a shown in Figure 5, and shows the state before the coating of the solidified insulating cover 2a is peeled off. As shown in Figure 6, the inner dimensions of the insulating cover 2a are determined by the dimensions of the dip molding die 3a, and the outer dimensions of the insulating cover 2a are determined by the dimensions of the dip molding die 3a and the thickness of the coating of the insulating cover 2a. Here, the thickness of the coating of the insulating cover 2a is determined by the preheating temperature of the dip molding die 3a and the viscosity of the sol-like insulating cover 2a material.
[0015] Thus, according to the manufacturing method of the comparative example of the insulating cover 2a, the shape of the insulating cover 2a was determined based on the dimensions of the dip molding die 3a and the thickness of the coating on the insulating cover 2a. Therefore, the inner dimensions of all insulating covers 2a manufactured from a single dip molding die 3a were the same, and only the outer dimensions of the insulating cover 2a were varied by the thickness of the coating on the insulating cover 2a.
[0016] Furthermore, in order to attach the insulating cover 2a to the conductor connection part 1, the inner dimensions of the insulating cover 2a must correspond to the shape of the conductor connection part 1. As described above, the inner dimensions of the insulating cover 2a are determined by the dimensions of the dip molding die 3a, so when manufacturing an insulating cover 2a to be attached to the conductor connection part 1, it was necessary to prepare a dedicated dip molding die 3a that matched the shape of the conductor connection part 1.
[0017] <Description of Embodiments> Next, the manufacturing method of the insulating cover 12 according to this embodiment will be described using Figures 7 to 9. Figure 7 shows an example of the configuration of the removablely coupled partial molds 10a and 10b according to Embodiment 1, Figure 8 shows an example of the configuration of the dip molding mold 11, and Figure 9 shows an example of the configuration of the insulating cover 12.
[0018] As shown in Figure 7, the partial molds 10a and 10b have different shapes. Partial mold 10a is a flat plate-shaped mold that simulates the first conductor 1a or the second conductor 1b of the conductor connection part 1, and partial mold 10b is a cylindrical mold that simulates the fastening member 1c of the conductor connection part 1. Note that the partial molds 10a and 10b are not limited to these shapes, and any shape that allows the insulating cover 12 formed by the combined partial molds 10a and 10b to be attached to the conductor connection part 1 is acceptable.
[0019] As shown in Figure 8, a dip molding die 11 is created by detachably connecting multiple partial molds 10a and 10b. In Figure 8, the dip molding die 11 is created by arranging two flat partial molds 10a so that parts of them overlap, and placing a cylindrical partial mold 10b on top of them. However, the number, shape, and arrangement of the partial molds 10a and 10b are not limited to these, and the number, shape, and arrangement of the partial molds 10a and 10b should be matched to the dip molding die 11 corresponding to the shape of the insulating cover 12 to be created. Furthermore, the connection of the partial molds 10a and 10b can be fixed in any way as long as it is fixed so as not to shift during dip molding and can be removed after dip molding. For example, the partial molds 10a and 10b may be fixed by screws, or as described in Embodiment 4, the partial molds 10a and 10b may be fixed by magnetic force.
[0020] Next, the insulating cover 12 shown in Figure 9 is manufactured by dip molding using the dip molding die 11 shown in Figure 8. Specifically, the dip molding die 11 is immersed in the sol-like insulating cover 12 material to create a coating on the surface of the dip molding die 11. The coating formed on the surface of the dip molding die 11 is then heated and cooled after being removed from the sol-like insulating cover 12 material to solidify. The insulating cover 12 is obtained by peeling the solidified insulating cover 12 coating from the dip molding die 11. Here, since the dip molding die 11 is made by detachably joining multiple partial molds 10a and 10b, care must be taken to ensure that the joints of the partial molds 10a and 10b do not loosen and that the arrangement of the partial molds 10a and 10b does not change before the coating formed on the surface of the dip molding die 11 solidifies.
[0021] In this method of manufacturing the insulating cover 12, the shape of the dip molding die 11 is determined by the number, shape, and arrangement of the partial molds 10a and 10b, and the shape of the insulating cover 12 is determined based on the shape of the dip molding die 11 and the thickness of the insulating cover 12. Since the inner dimensions of the insulating cover 12 are determined by the dimensions of the dip molding die 11, the inner dimensions of the insulating cover 12 can be changed by changing at least one of the number, shape, and arrangement of the partial molds 10a and 10b. Therefore, since a dip molding die 11 corresponding to multiple shapes of insulating covers 12 can be created using a limited number of partial molds 10a and 10b, it is not necessary to prepare a dedicated dip molding die 11 for each insulating cover 12 with a different shape, and the manufacturing cost of the insulating cover 12 can be reduced.
[0022] As described above, the method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to Embodiment 1 comprises the steps of creating a dip molding die 11 by detachably connecting a plurality of partial molds 10a and 10b, and manufacturing an insulating cover 12 by dip molding using the dip molding die 11. With this configuration, by replacing or rearranging parts of the partial molds 10a and 10b, dip molding dies 11 of different shapes can be created, and insulating covers 12 of different shapes can be manufactured. As a result, a dedicated dip molding die 11 is not required for each insulating cover 12 of different shapes, and the manufacturing cost of the insulating cover 12 can be reduced.
[0023] Embodiment 2. The method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. Embodiment 2 will mainly describe a configuration that differs from Embodiment 1.
[0024] Figure 10 shows an example configuration of a first partial mold 20a, a second partial mold 20b, and a third partial mold 20c that are detachably coupled according to Embodiment 2, Figure 11 shows an example configuration of dip molding molds 21a, 21b, and 21c according to Embodiment 2, and Figure 12 shows an example configuration of insulating covers 22a, 22b, and 22c according to Embodiment 2. In Embodiment 2, the dip molding molds 21a, 21b, and 21c are composed of a first partial mold 20a, a second partial mold 20b, and a third partial mold 20c.
[0025] The first partial mold 20a has the same cross-sectional shape as the first conductor 1a of the conductor connection part 1, the second partial mold 20b has the same cross-sectional shape as the second conductor 1b of the conductor connection part 1, and the third partial mold 20c has the same shape as the fastening member 1c of the conductor connection part 1. Here, instead of attaching the insulating cover to cover the entire first conductor 1a and the second conductor 1b, it is sufficient to attach the insulating cover to a part of the first conductor 1a and the second conductor 1b, so the first partial mold 20a has the same cross-sectional shape as the first conductor 1a, and the second partial mold 20b has the same cross-sectional shape as the second conductor 1b. Also, since the fastening member 1c will be completely covered by the insulating cover, the third partial mold 20c has the same shape as the fastening member 1c. Note that "same shape" or "same cross-sectional shape" here does not have to be exactly the same; for example, it may be slightly larger to allow for some leeway when attaching the insulating cover. In other words, the shapes of the first partial mold 20a, the second partial mold 20b, and the third partial mold 20c are such that the insulating covers 22a, 22b, and 22c formed by the first partial mold 20a, the second partial mold 20b, and the third partial mold 20c are attached to the conductor connection portion.
[0026] As shown in Figure 11, dip molding dies 21a, 21b, and 21c are created by detachably connecting the first partial mold 20a, the second partial mold 20b, and the third partial mold 20c. The dip molding dies 21a, 21b, and 21c, which are composed of the first partial mold 20a, the second partial mold 20b, and the third partial mold 20c, each have the same shape as the conductor connection part. In this way, by changing the number and arrangement of the first partial mold 20a, the second partial mold 20b, and the third partial mold 20c, it is possible to create dip molding dies 21a, 21b, and 21c that have the same shape as multiple shaped conductor connection parts.
[0027] Next, the insulating covers 22a, 22b, and 22c shown in Figure 12 are manufactured by dip molding using dip molding dies 21a, 21b, and 21c. Specifically, the dip molding dies 21a, 21b, and 21c are immersed in the sol-like insulating cover material 22a, 22b, and 22c to form a coating on the surface of the dip molding dies 21a, 21b, and 21c. The coating formed on the surface of the dip molding dies 21a, 21b, and 21c is then heated and cooled to solidify after being removed from the sol-like insulating cover material 22a, 22b, and 22c. The solidified insulating cover 22a, 22b, and 22c is then peeled off the dip molding dies 21a, 21b, and 21c to obtain the insulating covers 22a, 22b, and 22c. Here, the insulating cover 22a is manufactured using a dip molding die 21a, the insulating cover 22b is manufactured using a dip molding die 21b, and the insulating cover 22c is manufactured using a dip molding die 21c.
[0028] Thus, by using a first partial mold 20a having the same cross-sectional shape as the first conductor 1a of the conductor connection part 1, a second partial mold 20b having the same cross-sectional shape as the second conductor 1b of the conductor connection part 1, and a third partial mold 20c having the same shape as the fastening member 1c of the conductor connection part 1, dip molding molds 21a, 21b, and 21c for each conductor connection part with a different shape can be created, and insulating covers 22a, 22b, and 22c for each conductor connection part with a different shape can be manufactured. Therefore, since dip molding molds 21a, 21b, and 21c corresponding to multiple conductor connection part shapes can be created using a limited number of first partial molds 20a, second partial molds 20b, and third partial molds 20c, it is not necessary to prepare dedicated dip molding molds 21a, 21b, and 21c for each insulating cover 22a, 22b, and 22c corresponding to each conductor connection part with a different shape, and the manufacturing cost of the insulating covers 22a, 22b, and 22c can be reduced.
[0029] As described above, the method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to Embodiment 2 comprises the steps of creating dip molding molds 21a, 21b, and 21c by detachably connecting a first partial mold 20a having the same cross-sectional shape as the first conductor 1a of the conductor connection part 1, a second partial mold 20b having the same cross-sectional shape as the second conductor 1b of the conductor connection part 1, and a third partial mold 20c having the same shape as the fastening member 1c of the conductor connection part 1, and manufacturing insulating covers 22a, 22b, and 22c by dip molding using the dip molding molds 21a, 21b, and 21c. With this configuration, the first partial mold 20a has the same cross-sectional shape as the first conductor 1a, the second partial mold 20b has the same cross-sectional shape as the second conductor 1b, and the third partial mold 20c has the same shape as the fastening member 1c. Therefore, by changing at least one of the number and arrangement of the first partial mold 20a, the second partial mold 20b, and the third partial mold 20c, it becomes possible to manufacture insulating covers 22a, 22b, and 22c that correspond to conductor connection parts of different shapes. As a result, dedicated dip molding molds 21a, 21b, and 21c are not required for each insulating cover 22a, 22b, and 22c with different shapes, and the manufacturing cost of insulating covers 22a, 22b, and 22c can be reduced.
[0030] Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, a first partial mold 20a having the same cross-sectional shape as the first conductor 1a, a second partial mold 20b having the same cross-sectional shape as the second conductor 1b, and a third partial mold 20c having the same shape as the fastening member 1c are used to create dip molding molds 21a, 21b, and 21c corresponding to each conductor connection part with a different shape. With this configuration, dip molding molds 21a, 21b, and 21c corresponding to multiple conductor connection parts with different shapes can be created using only the first partial mold 20a, the second partial mold 20b, and the third partial mold 20c. As a result, when manufacturing insulating covers 22a, 22b, and 22c to be attached to conductor connection parts with different shapes, there is no need to prepare a new partial mold, and the manufacturing cost of the insulating covers 22a, 22b, and 22c can be further reduced.
[0031] Embodiment 3. The method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Embodiment 3 will mainly describe a configuration that differs from Embodiments 1 and 2.
[0032] Figure 13 shows an example of the configuration of a dip molding die 31 to be joined according to Embodiment 3, and Figure 14 is a B-B cross-sectional view of the dip molding die 31 shown in Figure 13. In Embodiment 3, the dip molding die 31 is composed of a fourth partial die 30a, a fifth partial die 30b, a sixth partial die 30c, and a screw 32. In this embodiment, a countersunk screw is used as an example for the screw 32, but it is not limited to a countersunk screw, and other types of screws may be used as long as they can join the fourth partial die 30a, the fifth partial die 30b, and the sixth partial die 30c.
[0033] As shown in Figure 14, the fourth section mold 30a, the fifth section mold 30b, and the sixth section mold 30c are molds in which different types of holes are formed. The fourth section mold 30a has a screw head hole, which is a conical countersunk hole that accommodates the head of the screw 32, the fifth section mold 30b has a screw hole that engages with the threaded portion of the screw 32, and the sixth section mold 30c has a through hole through which the screw 32 can pass.
[0034] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, a sixth part mold 30c is placed between the fourth part mold 30a and the fifth part mold 30b, and a screw 32 is placed so as to pass through holes formed in the fourth part mold 30a, the fifth part mold 30b, and the sixth part mold 30c, thereby creating a dip molding mold 31 by joining the fourth part mold 30a, the fifth part mold 30b, and the sixth part mold 30c with the screw 32. Depending on the shape of the fourth part mold 30a, the fifth part mold 30b, the sixth part mold 30c, the screw 32, and the dip molding mold 31, the dip molding mold 31 may be created using only the fourth part mold 30a, the fifth part mold 30b, and the screw 32 without using the sixth part mold 30c.
[0035] Next, an insulating cover is manufactured by dip molding using a dip molding die 31. Specifically, the dip molding die 31 is immersed in a sol-like insulating cover material to create a coating on the surface of the dip molding die 31. The coating formed on the surface of the dip molding die 31 is then heated and cooled after being removed from the sol-like insulating cover material to solidify it. The solidified insulating cover coating is peeled off the dip molding die 31 to obtain the insulating cover.
[0036] In this way, by arranging the fourth part mold 30a, the fifth part mold 30b, the sixth part mold 30c, and the screw 32 so that the head of the screw 32 fits into the screw head hole of the fourth part mold 30a, it is possible to prevent the head from protruding like a bolt on the end face of the dip molding mold 31. Therefore, the shape of the screw 32 head does not affect the outer shape of the dip molding mold 31, making it possible to manufacture an insulating cover without unnecessary irregularities and preventing the insulating cover from becoming difficult to attach. Here, it is conceivable that a cross-shaped groove or hole formed on the head of the screw 32 may affect the shape of the insulating cover manufactured by the dip molding mold 31. However, the irregularities caused by such grooves or holes formed on the head of the screw 32 are small, and the shape of the insulating cover is hardly changed, so the effect on the ease of attaching the insulating cover can be ignored.
[0037] Furthermore, since the dip molding mold 31 is created by combining the fourth part mold 30a, the fifth part mold 30b, and the sixth part mold 30c and connecting them with screws 32, after manufacturing an insulating cover using the dip molding mold 31, the screws 32 can be removed to return to the state before the fourth part mold 30a, the fifth part mold 30b, and the sixth part mold 30c were combined. Therefore, after manufacturing an insulating cover using the dip molding mold 31, it is possible to manufacture insulating covers of different shapes by changing the number and arrangement of the fourth part mold 30a, the fifth part mold 30b, and the sixth part mold 30c and the length of the screws 32. Consequently, since the fourth part mold 30a, the fifth part mold 30b, and the sixth part mold 30c can be reused, insulating covers of different shapes can be manufactured without preparing new part molds, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of insulating covers.
[0038] The method of joining the fourth part mold 30a and the fifth part mold 30b with a screw 32 described above will now be explained in relation to the use of the first part mold 20a, the second part mold 20b, and the third part mold 20c described in Embodiment 2. The third part mold, which has the same shape as the fastening member 1c, is a screw. The first part mold has a screw head hole formed therein to accommodate the head of the screw, which is the third part mold, and the second part mold has a screw hole formed therein to engage with the threaded portion of the screw, which is the third part mold. By stacking the first part mold and the second part mold, and arranging the screw so that it passes through the screw head hole of the first part mold and the screw hole of the second part mold, a dip molding mold is created by joining the first part mold and the second part mold with the screw. An insulating cover is created by dip molding using this dip molding mold.
[0039] In this way, by connecting a first partial mold having the same cross-sectional shape as the first conductor 1a and a second partial mold having the same cross-sectional shape as the second conductor 1b with a screw, an insulating cover can be manufactured to be attached to a conductor connection part that is formed so that the shape of the fastening member does not protrude from the conductor. Furthermore, since the screw can be removed and the first partial mold, the second partial mold and the screw can be reused, insulating covers for multiple shapes of conductor connection parts can be manufactured by changing the shape and arrangement of the first partial mold and the second partial mold and the length of the screw. This eliminates the need to prepare a dedicated dip molding mold for each shape of conductor connection part, and reduces the manufacturing cost of the insulating cover.
[0040] As described above, the method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to Embodiment 3 comprises the steps of creating a dip molding mold 31 by joining a fourth partial mold 30a, which has a screw head hole formed therein for accommodating the head of a screw 32, and a fifth partial mold 30b, which has a screw hole formed therein for engaging with the threaded portion of the screw 32, with a screw 32, and manufacturing an insulating cover by dip molding using the dip molding mold 31. With this configuration, a dip molding mold 31 is created in which the head of the screw 32 is accommodating the screw head hole of the fourth partial mold 30a, and it is possible to prevent the head of the screw 32 from protruding from the end face of the dip molding mold 31. As a result, unnecessary irregularities are not formed in the shape of the insulating cover manufactured by the dip molding mold 31, thus preventing the insulating cover from becoming difficult to attach to the conductor connection part 1.
[0041] Furthermore, in Embodiment 3, a sixth part mold 30c having through holes for screws 32 is positioned between the fourth part mold 30a and the fifth part mold 30b, and the fourth part mold 30a, the fifth part mold 30b, and the sixth part mold 30c are joined together with screws 32 to create a dip molding mold 31. The third step is to manufacture an insulating cover by dip molding using the dip molding mold 31. With this configuration, the shape of the dip molding mold 31 can be changed by changing the number of sixth part molds 30c and the length of the screws 32 according to the shape of the insulating cover to be manufactured. As a result, a dedicated dip molding mold 31 is not required for each insulating cover with a different shape, and the manufacturing cost of the insulating cover can be reduced.
[0042] Furthermore, in Embodiment 3, the dip molding mold 31 is created by joining the fourth partial mold 30a, the fifth partial mold 30b, and the sixth partial mold 30c with screws 32. With this configuration, after manufacturing an insulating cover using the dip molding mold 31, the fourth partial mold 30a, the fifth partial mold 30b, the sixth partial mold 30c, and the screws 32 that constitute the dip molding mold 31 can be disassembled. As a result, the fourth partial mold 30a, the fifth partial mold 30b, and the sixth partial mold 30c can be reused, making it possible to manufacture insulating covers of different shapes without preparing new partial molds, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of insulating covers.
[0043] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, a step of creating a dip molding die by connecting, with screws, a first partial mold having the same cross-sectional shape as the first conductor 1a and having a screw head hole for accommodating the head of the screw, and a second partial mold having the same cross-sectional shape as the second conductor 1b and having a screw hole meshing with the threaded portion of the screw, and a step of manufacturing an insulating cover by dip molding using the dip molding die are provided. According to such a configuration, a dip molding die can be created in which the head of the screw does not protrude from the surfaces of the first partial mold and the second partial mold having the same cross-sectional shape as the first conductor 1a. Therefore, even when manufacturing an insulating cover to be attached to a conductor connection portion formed such that the shape of the fastening member does not protrude from the conductor, by changing the shape and arrangement of the first partial mold and the second partial mold and the length of the screw according to the shape of the insulating cover to be manufactured, insulating covers to be attached to a plurality of shapes of conductor connection portions can be manufactured. As a result, there is no need to prepare a dedicated dip molding die for each shape of the conductor connection portion, and the manufacturing cost of the insulating cover can be suppressed.
[0044] Embodiment 4. The method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. In Embodiment 4, a configuration different from that of Embodiments 1 to 3 will be mainly described.
[0045] FIG. 15 shows a configuration example of the partial molds 40a and 40b to be joined according to Embodiment 4, and FIG. 16 shows a configuration example of the dip molding die 41 according to Embodiment 4. In Embodiment 3, the dip molding die 41 is composed of the partial molds 40a and 40b.
[0046] The partial mold 40a shown in FIG. 15 is a mold made of a ferromagnetic material, and the partial mold 40b is a mold made of a magnet. As shown in FIG. 16, by arranging the partial molds 40a and 40b, a dip molding mold 41 is created. Here, by arranging the partial molds 40a and 40b, the partial molds 40a and 40b are removably coupled by the magnetic force of the magnet of the partial mold 40b. Note that the materials constituting the partial molds 40a and 40b are not limited to these, at least one of the partial molds 40a and 40b has a magnet, and it is sufficient that the partial molds 40a and 40b are coupled by magnetic force. For example, the partial mold 40b may not be a mold made of a magnet but a mold made of a ferromagnetic material in which a magnet is embedded. Also, for example, the partial mold 40a may be a mold made of a magnet and the partial mold 40b may be a mold made of a ferromagnetic material.
[0047] Next, an insulating cover is manufactured by dip molding using the dip molding mold 41. Specifically, the dip molding mold 41 is immersed in a sol-like insulating cover material to form a film on the surface of the dip molding mold 41, and after heating the film formed on the surface of the dip molding mold 41 pulled out from the sol-like insulating cover material, it is cooled and solidified. The solidified insulating cover film peeled off from the dip molding mold 41 becomes the insulating cover.
[0048] Thus, since the partial molds 40a and 40b are coupled by magnetic force, another fastening member for coupling the partial molds 40a and 40b becomes unnecessary, and the outer shape of the dip molding mold 41 is not affected by the fastening member. Therefore, the outer shape of the dip molding mold 41 is determined by the partial molds 40a and 40b, and an insulating cover without unnecessary irregularities can be manufactured, preventing the insulating cover from being difficult to attach to the conductor connection portion 1.
[0049] Further, when creating the dip molding mold 41, as long as the partial molds 40a and 40b are arranged, since the partial molds 40a and 40b are coupled by magnetic force, the work of coupling the partial molds 40a and 40b with a fastening member becomes unnecessary, and the dip molding mold 41 can be easily created.
[0050] Furthermore, since the partial molds 40a and 40b are detachably connected by magnetic force, after manufacturing an insulating cover using the dip molding die 41, the partial molds 40a and 40b can be separated and returned to their state before assembly. Therefore, after manufacturing an insulating cover using the dip molding die 41, the number and arrangement of the partial molds 40a and 40b can be changed to manufacture insulating covers of different shapes. Consequently, since the partial molds 40a and 40b can be reused, insulating covers of different shapes can be manufactured without preparing new partial molds, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of insulating covers.
[0051] Furthermore, the method of magnetically coupling the aforementioned partial molds 40a and 40b may also be applied when using the first partial mold 20a, second partial mold 20b, and third partial mold 20c described in Embodiment 2. For example, if the first partial mold 20a, second partial mold 20b, and third partial mold 20c are made of ferromagnetic material, and at least one of them is equipped with a magnet, then when the magnet is brought close, the ferromagnetic material will be magnetized in a chain reaction, making it possible to achieve the coupling state shown in Figure 11. In this way, the first partial mold 20a, second partial mold 20b, and third partial mold 20c are detachably coupled by magnetic force. Therefore, by changing at least one of the number and arrangement of the first partial mold 20a, second partial mold 20b, and third partial mold 20c, it becomes possible to manufacture insulating covers corresponding to conductor connection parts of different shapes.
[0052] As described above, the method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to Embodiment 4 comprises the steps of creating a dip molding die 41 by joining a plurality of partial molds 40a and 40b by magnetic force, and manufacturing an insulating cover by dip molding using the dip molding die 41. With this configuration, since the plurality of partial molds 40a and 40b are joined by magnetic force, no other fastening member is required to join the partial molds 40a and 40b. As a result, the outer shape of the dip molding die 41 is determined by the partial molds 40a and 40b, and no unnecessary irregularities are formed in the shape of the insulating cover manufactured by the dip molding die 41, thus preventing the insulating cover from becoming difficult to attach to the conductor connection part 1.
[0053] Furthermore, in Embodiment 4, a dip molding mold 41 is created by combining a partial mold 40a made of a ferromagnetic material and a partial mold 40b equipped with a magnet. With this configuration, simply by arranging the partial molds 40a and 40b, the partial molds 40a and 40b are joined by magnetic force, and a dip molding mold 41 can be created. As a result, the work of joining the partial molds 40a and 40b with fastening members becomes unnecessary, and the dip molding mold 41 can be easily created.
[0054] Furthermore, in Embodiment 4, a dip molding die 41 is created by combining multiple partial molds 40a and 40b by magnetic force. With this configuration, after manufacturing an insulating cover using the dip molding die 41, the partial molds 40a and 40b that make up the dip molding die 41 can be disassembled. As a result, since the partial molds 40a and 40b can be reused, insulating covers of different shapes can be manufactured without preparing new partial molds, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the insulating covers.
[0055] While this disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments and examples, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a particular embodiment, but are applicable individually or in various combinations to the embodiments. Accordingly, countless variations not illustrated are envisioned within the scope of the art disclosed in this specification. For example, these include modifying, adding or omitting at least one component, or even extracting at least one component and combining it with a component from another embodiment.
[0056] 1 Conductor connection part, 1a First conductor, 1b Second conductor, 1c Fastening member, 2, 2a Insulating cover, 3, 3a Dip molding die, 10a, 10b Partial die, 11 Dip molding die, 12 Insulating cover, 20a First part die, 20b Second part die, 20c Third part die, 21a, 21b, 21c Dip molding die, 22a, 22b, 22c Insulating cover, 30a Fourth part die, 30b Fifth part die, 30c Sixth part die, 31 Dip molding die, 32 Screw, 40a, 40b Partial die, 41 Dip molding die
Claims
1. A method for manufacturing an insulating cover, comprising the steps of: creating a dip molding mold by detachably joining a plurality of partial molds; and manufacturing an insulating cover by dip molding using the dip molding mold.
2. A method for manufacturing an insulating cover to be attached to a conductor connection portion in which a first conductor and a second conductor are joined by a fastening member, comprising the steps of: creating a dip molding mold by detachably joining a first partial mold having the same cross-sectional shape as the first conductor, a second partial mold having the same cross-sectional shape as the second conductor, and a third partial mold having the same shape as the fastening member; and manufacturing an insulating cover by dip molding using the dip molding mold.
3. The method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of creating the dip molding mold is to connect a fourth part mold having a screw head hole formed therein for accommodating the screw head and a fifth part mold having a screw hole formed therein for engaging with the threaded portion of the screw, using the screw.
4. The method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to claim 3, wherein the step of creating the dip molding die is to place a sixth partial mold having a through hole for the screw between the fourth partial mold and the fifth partial mold, and to create the dip molding die by connecting the fourth partial mold, the fifth partial mold and the sixth partial mold with the screw.
5. The method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to claim 2, characterized in that the third partial mold is a screw, the first partial mold has a screw head hole formed therein for the head of the screw, the second partial mold has a screw hole formed therein for engaging with the threaded portion of the screw, and the step of creating the dip molding mold is to connect the first partial mold and the second partial mold with the screw.
6. The method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of creating the dip molding die is performed by joining a plurality of the partial molds by magnetic force.
7. The method for manufacturing an insulating cover according to claim 2, characterized in that the step of creating the dip molding die is characterized in that the first partial die, the second partial die, and the third partial die are connected by magnetic force.