JP3603664B2 - Flat cable manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a flat cable, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a flat cable in which a resin tape is firmly heat-sealed.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 3 shows a general configuration of a flat cable.
A linear part 2 in which a plurality of cores 1, 1, 1,... In which a conductor is coated with an insulator is arranged in parallel, and a pair twist part 3 in which adjacent cores 1, 1 are twisted are alternately arranged. It is composed.
[0003]
In this type of flat cable, the configuration of the straight section 2 is one important factor that determines the quality. If the configuration of this portion is inappropriate, the intended function as a flat cable cannot be exhibited, such as adversely affecting the connection operation of the connector.
[0004]
FIG. 4 shows a conventional configuration of the straight portion 2, in which the insulators 5 are thermally fused to each other between adjacent ones of the plurality of wire cores 1 each having the conductor 4 covered with the insulator 5, so that the conductors 4 are connected in parallel. The resin tape 6 is heat-sealed to one side of these.
[0005]
FIG. 5 shows a method of manufacturing the flat cable having the above configuration. As shown in (a), a predetermined number of pairs of wires 7 having straight portions 2a in which two cores 1 are arranged in parallel and twisted pairs 3a at predetermined intervals are prepared. As shown in b), it is sent out from the bobbin (not shown) in a state where it is juxtaposed and sent into the mold 8.
[0006]
The mold 8 is divided into an upper mold 9 and a lower mold 10 that can be opened and closed, and the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 10 are each provided with a plurality of paired wires 7 that are sent in parallel. A number of grooves are formed to receive all of the wire cores 1 in the straight portion 2a.
[0007]
The cores 1 of the paired wires 7 in the groove are placed in a positional relationship such that they come into contact with each other when they are adjacent to each other. The gaps between the insulators are heat-fused to form a strip in which the wire cores 1, 1, 1,... Are connected as shown in FIG. 4, and the straight line portion 2 in FIG. 3 is formed.
[0008]
The heat fusion of the wire cores 1, 1, 1,... Is not performed continuously but performed in a batch manner. After the straight portion 2 is formed, the straight portion 2a is passed through the twisted portion 3a while the mold 8 is opened. ,... Are performed, and this is repeated thereafter.
[0009]
Reference numeral 16 denotes a heating roll. Each paired wire 7 having the straight portion 2a integrated with each other after passing through the mold 8 exits the take-up machine 17 and is then sent to the heating roll 16 together with the resin tape 6 as shown in FIG. Then, a resin tape 6 is heat-fused to one side, thereby forming a predetermined flat cable.
[0010]
This flat cable in which the flatness of the linear portion 2 is maintained by the resin tape 6 can be connected to the linear portion 2 at a time, so that the flat cable is frequently used in many electronic devices such as personal computers. And further growth in demand is expected.
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, according to the conventional flat cable manufacturing method, as shown in FIG. 4, the adhesive of the resin tape 6 is in a spotted state, so that the resin tape 6 is likely to be separated from the insulator 5, Further, there is a problem that the resin tape 6 floating between the wire cores 1 inhibits the fitting property with the connector when the connectors are collectively connected by the connector. These problems are caused by the heat fusion by the heating roll 16, and are always accompanied as long as the fusion depends on the heating roll.
[0012]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a flat cable that can fuse a resin tape in a state in which a spot between a resin tape and an insulator is not hindered and that does not hinder fitting with a connector. Is to provide.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method in which a plurality of conductors each having a conductor covered with an insulator are arranged in parallel, and the insulators of the adjacent cores are integrated by heat fusion to form the plurality of wires. In a method of manufacturing a flat cable in which a resin tape is bonded to a core, the flat cable is formed by a combination of two openable and closable molds each having a plurality of grooves capable of accommodating each of the plurality of wire cores, and When accommodating the plurality of wire cores, the plurality of wire cores are introduced together with the resin tape into the plurality of groove portions of the mold configured so that adjacent ones of the plurality of housed wire cores are in contact with each other. After confining the plurality of introduced cores and the resin tape in the plurality of grooves by closing the two molds, heat is applied to heat the insulation between the insulators of the plurality of cores. Fuse A flat cable, wherein the insulator and the resin tape are heat-sealed along ridges and valleys formed by the insulator in a cross section of the plurality of wire cores arranged in parallel. It is intended to provide a manufacturing method.
[0014]
The flat cable manufactured according to the present invention is not applied only to the twisted flat cable as shown in FIG. 3. For example, instead of the twisted pair 3, the cores are arranged in parallel without bonding between the cores. The present invention can be applied to many forms such as a flat cable having only a slender portion or a flat cable having only a straight portion without the twisted portion 3 and the slender portion.
[0015]
The above-mentioned resin tape may be formed on both sides of the cores arranged in parallel, or may be formed on only one side.
As the material constituting the insulator of the wire core and the resin tape, in many cases, the same material or a material having a similar molecular structure is selected from the relationship of heat fusion, but as shown below, the material is made of a completely different material. In some cases.
[0016]
For the insulator and the resin tape, the former emphasizes the electrical characteristics and the latter emphasizes the mechanical characteristics.As a combination that satisfies such a relationship, the insulator may be a vinyl chloride polymer such as polyvinyl chloride. Alternatively, while the resin tape is made of an ethylene polymer such as polyethylene, the resin tape may be made of a vinyl chloride polymer or a polyester tape having an adhesive layer of an ethylene polymer formed on the surface.
In such a combination, a flat cable having a stable structure can be manufactured because the polyester tape has excellent mechanical properties.
[0017]
When the flat cable to be manufactured includes the twisted pair 3 as shown in FIG. 3, after the fusion between the cores 1, 1, 1,... Alternatively, before the completion, the fusion treatment of the resin tape and the twisted portion 3 is performed using the heating roll.
[0018]
As one embodiment of the present invention, there is an embodiment in which one or several dummy linear bodies are arranged at both ends of a plurality of cores arranged in parallel and arranged in parallel.
As the material forming the linear body, a material that does not thermally fuse with the insulator and the resin tape of the wire core is selected. Specifically, for example, a wire coated with a fluororesin that is particularly excellent in this property is used. You.
[0019]
The linear body serves to prevent the resin from flowing in the width direction from the product during the manufacture, and therefore, the two molds are provided with a corresponding groove. After the completion of the flat cable, this linear body is peeled off from the side of the cable and removed from the product.
[0020]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of a method for manufacturing a flat cable according to the present invention will be described.
In the present embodiment, a flat cable having a twisted pair 3 as shown in FIG. 3 is to be manufactured. Therefore, the wire cores arranged in parallel according to the present invention correspond to the wire core 1 of the pair wire 7 shown in FIG.
[0021]
In FIG. 1A, reference numeral 7 denotes a pair of wires sent out from the bobbin, and as shown in FIG. 5A, alternately has a straight portion 2a and a twisted portion 3a formed by two cores 1.
In FIG. 1A, reference numeral 8 denotes a die, which is constituted by a combination of an upper die 9 and a lower die 10 which open and close with each other as shown in FIG. 1B.
[0022]
Each of the inner surfaces of the upper die 9 and the lower die 10 having the heaters 11 and 12 is provided with a number of grooves 13 capable of accommodating all the wire cores 1 of the plurality of pairs 7. The groove portions 13 are formed in a semicircular shape, and are configured to have dimensions such that when the wire cores 1 are accommodated in these groove portions 13, adjacent wire cores 1 are in contact with each other.
[0023]
The resin 8 is supplied to the mold 8 from above and below the core 1 in which the two resin tapes 6 are arranged in parallel, together with the core 1 of the linear portion 2a of the pair wire 7.
Under the above conditions, the work proceeds as follows. First, the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 10 are opened, the line moves, and the linear portion 2a of the pair wire 7 having a predetermined length and the resin tape 6 are fed into the mold 8, and then the line stops. At this time, if the mold 8 is moved together with the movement of the wire 7, it is not necessary to stop the line.
[0024]
Next, the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 10 are closed, and the core 1 of the pair wire 7 and the resin tape 6 are confined in the groove 13 as shown in FIG. Is added to the wire core 1 and the resin tape 6, whereby the wire core 1 and the resin tape 6 are thermally fused.
[0025]
When the heating at a predetermined temperature and time is completed, the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 10 are opened, and after being cooled in this state for a short time, the line moves and the core of the linear portion 2a next to the pair wire 7 is moved. 1 is introduced into the mold 8, and the operation proceeds by repeating the above. Although the above embodiment is an example in which one linear portion 2a is heat-sealed by one heating, a configuration in which one linear portion 2a is heated several times is also possible.
[0026]
FIG. 2 shows a fusion state of the wire core 1 and the resin tape 6 which have been thermally fused as described above. The plurality of wire cores 1, 1, 1,... Arranged in parallel fuse the insulators 5 adjacent to each other. The resin tape 6 is fused along ridges 14 and valleys 15 formed by the insulators 5 of the wire cores 1, 1, 1,... Arranged in parallel.
[0027]
What is unique in this configuration is that the resin tape 6 is attached along the peaks 14 and the valleys 15 of the insulator 5. As a result, there is no possibility that the resin tape 6 is peeled off from the insulator 5, and the poor fitting property for the floating resin tape 6, which has been a problem in the conventional flat cable when connecting the connector, is also solved. Will be done.
[0028]
In FIG. 1A, reference numeral 16 denotes a heating roll for fusing the resin tape 6 to the twisted pair 3 of FIG.
As shown in (c), a plurality of twisted portions 3a arranged in parallel are sandwiched via the resin tape 6, and heated in that state, whereby the twisted portion 3a and the resin tape 6 are fused to each other. .
[0029]
Here, it is preferable that a plurality of wire cores 1, 1, 1,... Constituting the twisted portions 3a, 3a, 3a. . The rolls 16a and 16b of the heating roll 16 are driven while always closed.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the method for manufacturing a flat cable according to the present invention, a plurality of grooves for accommodating a plurality of parallel cores are provided on an inner surface, and a plurality of wires are provided in the plurality of grooves. A state in which a plurality of wire cores are introduced together with a resin tape into the plurality of groove portions of the mold configured so that adjacent wire cores come into contact with each other when the cores are housed, and then these are confined in the plurality of groove portions. By applying heat from the mold at the same time, heat insulation is performed between the insulators of the plurality of cores, and the resin tape is applied along the ridges and valleys of the insulators of the plurality of cores arranged in parallel. Due to the heat fusion, a plurality of wire cores are bonded to the resin tape with a large area, so that there is no possibility that the resin tape peels off, and the resin tape hinders the fitting property with the connector. Manufacture flat cables Rukoto can.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of a method of manufacturing a flat cable according to the present invention, wherein (a) is a configuration of a manufacturing line, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of (a), and (c) is (A) shows a BB cross-sectional view.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a cross-sectional structure of a straight portion of the flat cable manufactured in the embodiment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a general configuration of a flat cable.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a cross-sectional structure of a straight portion of a flat cable obtained by a conventional manufacturing method.
5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams showing a conventional method for manufacturing a flat cable, in which FIG. 5A shows a configuration of a pair cable, and FIG. 5B shows a manufacturing line.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wire core 2, 2a Straight part 3, 3a Twisted part 4 Conductor 5 Insulator 6 Resin tape 7 Paired wire 8 Mold 9 Upper die 10 Lower die 13 Groove part 14 Peak part 15 Valley part 16 Heating roll

Claims (2)

A method of manufacturing a flat cable in which a plurality of cores each having a conductor coated with an insulator are arranged in parallel, and the insulators of the adjacent cores are heat-sealed and integrated, and a resin tape is bonded to the plurality of cores. At
It is constituted by a combination of two openable and closable molds each having a plurality of groove portions capable of accommodating each of the plurality of wire cores on an inner surface, and accommodates the plurality of wire cores in the plurality of groove portions. Introducing the plurality of cores together with the resin tape into the plurality of grooves of the mold configured so that adjacent ones of the plurality of cores are in contact with each other,
After confining the introduced plurality of wire cores and the resin tape in the plurality of grooves by closing the two molds,
Heat is applied between the insulators of the plurality of cores by applying heat, and peaks and valleys formed by the insulators in the cross sections of the plurality of cores arranged in parallel. A method of manufacturing a flat cable, comprising thermally fusing the insulator and the resin tape along the cable. The plurality of wire cores has a straight portion in which the wire cores are arranged linearly, and a twisted portion in which the adjacent wire cores are twisted,
The linear portion is heat-sealed between the insulators of the plurality of wire cores and the resin tape with the insulator of the plurality of wire cores,
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the twisted portion is formed by heat-sealing the insulator of the plurality of cores and the resin tape by a heating roll. 3.

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