Mold Unit for Electrical Connection Snap Fit Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The modification of molds for electrical junction boxes with integral snap fits formed by resin molding is difficult due to positional errors caused by molding conditions and resin shrinkage, making it challenging to achieve high accuracy in snap fit assembly.
Innovation Solution
A mold unit is designed with a fixed core and an auxiliary snap fit pedestal die interposed between the molding die and the dividing surface, allowing for easy modification of the snap fit pedestal die to ensure positional accuracy without being affected by the mold's dividing surface, enabling the formation of a snap fit pedestal with a larger area than the base part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If snap fits are integrally molded in the component assembling part, then the snap fits can be formed with the housing in one process, but positional errors occur due to molding conditions and resin shrinkage
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into a fixed core and a movable core, with the snap fit molding region specifically assigned to the movable core. This segmentation allows the snap fit to be molded separately from the main housing, enabling independent adjustment and repositioning of the snap fit without affecting the overall housing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable core is designed to perform preliminary positioning actions before the final molding process. By pre-positioning the snap fit on the movable core and adjusting its location in advance, the system compensates for expected molding variations and ensures accurate final positioning.
2Device complexity
If the snap fit region is positioned on the dividing surface of the mold, then the mold structure is simplified, but modification of the mold becomes extremely difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is segmented into fixed and movable cores, with the snap fit region specifically assigned to the movable core. This allows the movable core to be independently removed, modified, or replaced without affecting the fixed core or requiring complex modifications to the entire mold assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable core introduces dynamic adjustability to the mold system. The movable core can be positioned at different locations and orientations, allowing flexible modification of the snap fit position while maintaining a relatively simple overall mold structure.
3Manufacturing precision
If high accuracy is required for snap fit positions, then component assembly quality improves, but mold modification becomes necessary which is extremely difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the mold into fixed and movable cores with the snap fit region on the movable core, the system enables easy modification of snap fit positions. The movable core can be independently adjusted or replaced to achieve high positional accuracy without difficult modifications to the entire mold.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable core allows for parameter changes in the snap fit positioning by adjusting the core's location, orientation, or dimensions. This provides flexibility to optimize snap fit positions for high accuracy component assembly while maintaining ease of modification.
Data Source
AI summary
A mold unit is provided for molding an object part to be molded which is arranged on an object. The mold unit includes: a fixed core, having a dividing surface thereon; a molding die which is incorporated in the fixed core to mold the object part to be molded; and an auxiliary die interposed between the molding die and the dividing surface of the fixed core to ensure a positional accuracy of the object part to be molded with respect to the object by modifying the auxiliary die.