Injection molding an element onto a cable

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a cable, comprising both a molding tool with a cavity and with at least one first opening, and a line, said line consisting of at least one wire and a sheath surrounding the at least one wire. According to the invention, the line is inserted into the cavity and is guided out of the cavity via at least the first opening. A molding compound is injected into the cavity of the molding tool in a pressurized manner, wherein the line is pressed onto a seal surface of the cavity by means of the pressure of the molding compound, and the line closes the cavity at the seal surface.

Claims

1. A method for producing a cable, the method comprising: providing a line including at least one wire and a sheath surrounding the at least one wire and a molding tool with a cavity and at least one first opening; inserting the line into the cavity to be guided out of the cavity via at least the first opening; injecting a molding compound into the cavity of the molding tool in a pressurized manner; and pressing the line onto a seal surface of the cavity by means of the pressure of the molding compound, and the line closing at the seal surface, wherein: the line has a seal element, the seal element being pressed against the seal surface of the cavity by the pressure of the molding compound, and the seal element being integrally molded into the sheath of the line.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the seal element of the line is conical.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the seal element of the line and the seal surface of the cavity lie against one another in a form-fitting manner.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the seal surface of the cavity is arranged around the first opening.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the line has a structure in one region, wherein the structure forms a form-fitting connection with the molding compound.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the structure forms at least one radial thickening along the line.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the structure in the cavity is enclosed with the molding compound.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the molding compound in the cavity forms a functional element, a cable outlet, or a plug connector.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the seal element forms a kink protection on the functional element, the cable outlet, or the plug connector.

Description

EMBODIMENT

(1) An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a method as known from the prior art; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a method according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 1 shows a method as known from the prior art. FIG. 1 shows a greatly simplified molding tool 1. Only one of the two molding tool halves is shown. The molding tool 1 has a cavity 2 which extends through the molding tool 1 and is provided for the production of a cable sleeve (not shown) with kink protection. The cable sleeve in the region shown on the left has a labyrinth seal for insertion into a housing of, for example, a plug connector. In the right-hand region, the cable sleeve merges into a tapered kink protection.

(5) To the right of the cavity 2, the molding tool 1 has a first opening 3. The first opening 3 is provided for inserting a line into the molding tool 1. The line can be guided out of the molding tool 1 via the first opening 3 and thus have different lengths.

(6) In order to prevent molding compound from penetrating through the first opening 3 during the injection molding process, a fixing element 6 is provided. The fixing element 6, which is designed as a bracket, is screwed to the illustrated half of the molding tool 1 by means of two screws. A line can be received under the fixing element 6 and fixed and sealed on the molding tool 1 by the fixing element 6. The fixing of the line by means of the fixing element 6 is designed in such a way that the line is pressed in between the fixing element 6 and the molding tool 1. It can thus be prevented that molding compound emerges through the first opening 3 during the injection molding process.

(7) In the upper left region of FIG. 1, an injection channel 5 is also provided in the molding tool 1. The injection channel 5 is used to inject molding compound in the injection molding process.

(8) A second opening 4 is also provided in the molding tool 1 to the left of the injection channel 5. The second opening 4 is used to guide the second end of a line out of the molding tool 1 and the cavity 2. This is particularly useful when a functional element, a cable sleeve, kink protection, or the like is not to be formed at one of the ends but rather in the center of a line.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a molding tool 1 according to the method according to the invention. FIG. 2 also shows only one half of the molding tool 1. The molding tool 1 also has a first opening 3, a second opening 4, and an injection channel 5. A cavity 2 is provided in the molding tool 1 between the first opening 3 and the second opening 4.

(10) A line 7 is inserted into the molding tool 1. One end of the line 7 is surrounded by a sheath 12 in the region shown on the right and protrudes from the molding tool 1 through the first opening 3. The second end of the line 7 is formed in the left-hand region without a sheath 12 by two wires 8 and protrudes from the second opening 4 of the molding tool 1.

(11) In the middle region of FIG. 2, a seal element 9 is integrally molded into the sheath 12 in the cavity 2. The seal element 9 is conical and has the diameter of the sheath 12 in the right-hand region. In the left-hand region of the cavity 2, the seal element 9 becomes steadily thicker until it has almost the diameter of the cavity 2.

(12) A step, which forms a seal surface 10, is introduced into the cavity 2. The seal surface 10 is designed in such a way that the seal element 9 rests in a form-fitting manner on the seal surface 10. By injecting molding compound according to the invention via the injection channel 5, the seal element 9 is pressed against the seal surface 10 and the penetration of molding compound into the first opening 3 is thus avoided.

(13) In the cavity 2, the line 7 is also formed with a structure 11 which allows for a form-fitting connection with the molding compound. Due to the appropriate contour of the structure 11, a great force can advantageously be introduced from the solidified molding compound onto the line 7. This allows a particularly long service life of the connection.

(14) The seal element 9 according to the invention is advantageously produced in one piece with the sheath 12 using a 3D printing method or comparable methods known from the prior art.

Method for Producing a Cable

List of Reference Signs

(15) 1 Molding tool 2 Cavity 3 First opening 4 Second opening 5 Injection channel 6 Fixing means 7 Line 8 Wire 9 Seal element 10 Seal surface 11 Structure 12 Sheath