Method for manufacturing insert-molded bus bar, and insert-molded bus bar

• US 9,843,175 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2013
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atecs Corporation, Nagase & Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Atecs Corporation, Nagase & Company Limited
• Inventors: Asano, Norishige, Nakazawa, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Timothy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alonzo Miller, Rhadames J
• Application Number:
  US14/424,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20150229110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 174119 C, 174 682, 26427214
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14221 by tools, e.g. cutting means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14336 Coating a portion of the article, e.g. the edge of the article B29C45/14573 and B29C45/14598 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2705/00 Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/34 Electrical apparatus, e.g. sparking plugs or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3406 Components, e.g. resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/70 Insulation of connections end caps H01R4/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/048 Crimping apparatus or processes H01R43/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/24 Assembling by moulding on contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/005 Laminated bus-bars

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an insert-molded bus bar includes the steps of: preparing a first bus bar having a through hole and a second bus bar having a protrusion corresponding to the through hole; preparing a mold having therein a swaging member capable of swaging the protrusion; placing the first and second bus bars in the mold with the protrusion being inserted into the through hole; 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; and 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 the insert-molded bus bar.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an insert-molded bus bar, the method comprising:

preparing a first bus bar having a through hole and a second bus bar having a protrusion corresponding to the through hole;

preparing a mold having an upper die and a lower die, wherein the mold is provided therein with a swaging member capable of swaging the protrusion, wherein the swaging member is movably placed in a space located in a middle of a first body of the upper die so as to have a predetermined range of movement, and wherein a resilient member is placed in the space located in the middle of the first body of the upper die and is configured to bias the swaging member;

placing the first and second bus bars in the mold with the protrusion of the second bus bar being inserted into the through hole in the first bus bar;

swaging the first and second bus bars using the swaging member of the mold to obtain connected bus bars in which the bus bars are connected to each other;

forming a predetermined clearance between the swaging surface and a surface of a swaged region of the connected bus bars, wherein, by moving a second body of the upper die relative to the first body of the upper die such that a distance between the first body of the upper die and the second body of the upper die increases, the swaging member is moved a predetermined distance from the surface of the swaged region by the resilient member provided in the space located in the middle of the first body of the upper die, thereby providing the predetermined clearance; and

injecting a molding material around the connected bus bars that are connected to each other by swaging to perform insert molding using the mold and obtain the insert-molded bus bar.

2. The method for manufacturing an insert-molded bus bar according to claim 1, wherein in injecting the molding material, insert molding is performed so that the molding material covers a swaged portion of the connected bus bars.

3. The method for manufacturing an insert-molded bus bar according to claim 1, wherein the second bus bar has a space for positioning that opens in a back side of the protrusion, and

wherein, in placing the first and second bus bars in the mold, a positioning member of the mold is inserted into the space of the second bus bar to position the second bus bar in the mold.

4. A method for manufacturing an insert-molded bus bar, the method comprising:

preparing a first bus bar having a through hole and a second bus bar having a protrusion corresponding to the through hole;

preparing a mold having therein a swaging member capable of swaging the protrusion,

placing the first and second bus bars in the mold with the protrusion of the second bus bar being inserted into the through hole in the first bus bar;

swaging the first and second bus bars using the swaging member of the mold to obtain connected bus bars in which the bus bars are connected to each other; and

injecting a molding material around the connected bus bars that are connected to each other by swaging to perform insert molding using the mold and obtain the insert-molded bus bar,

wherein the second bus bar has a space for positioning that opens in a back side of the protrusion, and

wherein, in placing the first and second bus bars in the mold, a positioning member of the mold is inserted into the space of the second bus bar to position the second bus bar in the mold, wherein the positioning member is movably placed, wherein a cavity is provided at a lower end of the positioning member, and wherein a resilient member is placed in the cavity and is configured to bias the positioning member.