1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a waterproof construction for a ground terminal fitting, a method and an apparatus for waterproofing a ground terminal fitting.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,613,263 discloses a construction for grounding a plurality of wires by bundling the wires together, crimping the bundled wires to one ground terminal fitting and then fixing the ground terminal fitting to a grounding member.
A connected portion between the above-described ground terminal fitting and the wires is surrounded by a molding resin to prevent water from entering into cores of the wires. More particularly, as shown in FIG. 8, wires 100 are bundled and drawn out from a resin mold 101. The lateral cross section of each wire 100 is substantially circular. Thus, clearances between the adjacent wires 100 have a shape of a pinnacle in section. It is difficult to fill the resin into such pinnacle-shaped narrow clearances 102, and tiny clearances 103 are left between the adjacent wires 100 after molding. Thus, water can enter the inside of the resin mold 101 through the clearances 103.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to prevent water from entering into a resin mold that surrounds a connected portion between a ground terminal fitting and wires.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds