Insert-Molded Bus Bar Swaging and Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing insert-molded bus bars require separate steps for connecting external electrical harnesses and are costly for complex shapes, involving high fabrication costs and additional assembly steps.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a first bus bar with a through hole and a second bus bar with a protrusion, where the protrusion is swaged using a mold's swaging member to connect the bus bars, followed by insert molding with the molding material covering the swaged region, eliminating the need for separate harness connection and reducing complex shape fabrication costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bus bars are connected using separate harness connection steps, then external electrical connections can be established, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and requires additional assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the bus bar connection process with the insert molding process into a single integrated operation. The protrusion-swaging mechanism is incorporated directly into the mold, allowing bus bars to be connected and molded simultaneously, eliminating separate harness connection steps and reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining connection reliability
2Productivity
If bus bars with complex shapes are fabricated to eliminate separate connection steps, then manufacturing steps are simplified, but fabrication costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the bus bar into modular components (first bus bar with through hole, second bus bar with protrusion) that can be manufactured using standard processes. These simple segments are then connected through swaging within the mold, achieving complex functional shapes without requiring expensive fabrication of entirely complex bus bar geometries
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusion acts as an intermediary element that enables connection between bus bars. This simple geometric feature, when combined with the swaging mechanism, allows complex connections to be achieved through simple component fabrication, avoiding the need to manufacture entirely complex bus bar shapes at high cost
3Device complexity
If bus bars are connected through swaging within the mold, then separate harness connection steps are eliminated, but the swaged portion requires protection and insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the connection function and protection function into a single integrated process. The insert molding operation simultaneously connects the bus bars through swaging and protects the swaged portions by covering them with molded material, eliminating the need for separate protection steps
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method simplifies the manufacturing process by directly connecting bus bars within the mold, reducing costs and enabling the creation of more complex bus bar shapes without additional assembly steps, while ensuring stronger connections and insulation of the swaged region.
Implementation Method 1
swaging the first and second bus bars using the swaging member of the mold to obtain connected bus bars that are the bus bars connected to each other
Implementation Method 2
injecting a molding material around the connected bus bars that are the bus bars connected to each other by swaging to perform insert molding using the mold and obtain an insert-molded bus bar
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3
AI summary
A method for manufacturing an insert-molded bus bar (50) includes the steps of: preparing a first bus bar (10) having a through hole (12) and a second bus bar (14) having a protrusion (16) corresponding to the through hole (12); preparing a mold (20) having therein a swaging member (30) capable of swaging the protrusion (16); placing the first and second bus bars (10, 14) in the mold (20) with the protrusion (16) being inserted into the through hole (12); swaging the first and second bus bars (10, 14) using the swaging member (30) of the mold (20) to obtain connected bus bars that are the bus bars connected to each other; and injecting a molding material (52) around the connected bus bars that are the bus bars connected to each other by swaging to perform insert molding using the mold (20) and obtain the insert-molded bus bar (50).