JP2003068391A - Water-proof structure for earth - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water-proof structure for earth, capable of improving reliability in water-proof function and also capable of reducing the cost. SOLUTION: A cylindrical member is bent to form an earth terminal metal 20 which comprises a fitting part 22 secured to an earth part and a pair of electric-wire connection parts 23. A coated electric wire 10 is covered with a rubber tube 30. The end of coated electric wire 10 is inserted in the electric- wire connection part 23, a part of which is deformed to caulk a core-wire 12 of the coated electric wire 10, so that both are electrically connected together. The rubber tube 30 is applied to both the outer perimeter of a coated part 11 of the coated electric wire 10 and the outer perimeter of the electric-wire connection part 23 so that the interior is water-tight.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a waterproof structure for grounding.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an engine room of an automobile,
A grounding terminal metal fitting is connected to the other end of the electric wire connected to the electrical component via a connector, and is fixed to a grounding portion such as a body to ground the wire.
The grounding terminal fitting generally includes a mounting portion that is fixed to the grounding portion by a bolt or the like, and a barrel portion to which the end portion of the electric wire is connected. In the barrel portion, the covering portion of the electric wire and the bare portion are exposed. The core wire part is crimped.

In such a structure, since the connector connected to the electric wire has a waterproof structure, the inside is hermetically sealed, and the inside may become negative pressure due to temperature change or the like. Therefore, when water adheres to the end portion of the electric wire, the water may be sucked into the electric wire through the gap between the core wires.

Conventionally, as a countermeasure against this problem, a heat shrinkable tube is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-23061. In this device, a barrel having a crimped end portion of an electric wire is covered with a tube having heat shrinkability, and the tube is brought into close contact with the terminal portion by heating to cover the tube. Further, as another method, there is a method of soldering the entire barrel portion to cover the core wire portion, and two methods may be used in combination.

[0005]

However, since the heat-shrinkable tube does not have sufficient adhesion to the terminal fitting, and the solder does not easily penetrate into the gaps between the core wires, either method results in the wire end portion. It was difficult to completely close the and the reliability of the waterproof function was not sufficient. In addition, there is a problem that both methods are costly. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a waterproof structure for a ground capable of improving reliability of a waterproof function and reducing costs.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a waterproof structure for earth according to the invention of claim 1 is provided with a mounting portion which can be fixed to a ground portion, and a substantially cylindrical shape extending from this mounting portion. And a connecting means for electrically connecting the covered electric wire and the electric wire connecting portion in a state where the end portion of the covered electric wire is inserted into the electric wire connecting portion. And a rubber tube that is tubular and that is fitted over the outer peripheral surface of the covered portion of the covered electric wire and the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire connecting portion to seal the inside. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the connecting means is a caulking connection in which a part of the electric wire connecting portion is deformed to caulk a core wire portion exposed from the covered electric wire. It is characterized by being composed of parts.

[0008]

According to the invention of claim 1, the both ends are connected with the end portion of the covered electric wire being inserted into the cylindrical electric wire connecting portion, and the rubber tube is connected from the covering portion of the covered electric wire to the electric wire connecting portion. The end portion of the covered electric wire is covered in a watertight manner by being fitted over the cover. Since the rubber tube is easily attached to the outer peripheral surfaces of the electric wire connecting portion and the covered electric wire, the reliability of the waterproof function can be improved. Further, it is possible to reduce the cost because it is not necessary to perform processing such as soldering and heating of the heat-shrinkable tube unlike the related art.

According to the second aspect of the invention, in the caulking connection portion which is the connecting means, the wire connecting portion is deformed and the core wire portion is caulked to connect the both. Therefore, the ground connection work can be easily performed, and the cost can be suppressed.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the waterproof structure for grounding of the present embodiment is for grounding the terminal part of the covered electric wire 10 and can be fixed to a grounding part (not shown) such as the body of an automobile. A grounding terminal fitting 20 and a rubber tube 30 fitted to the covered electric wire 10.
It consists of and.

First, the covered electric wire 10 is in a state where the covering portion 11 is peeled off at the terminal portion and the inner core wire portion 12 is exposed.

The grounding terminal fitting 20 is integrally formed by bending a cylindrical conductive metal member. The center portion of the grounding terminal fitting 20 is a mounting portion 22 that is bent in an arc shape and has a screw insertion hole 21 inside thereof, and the shaft portion 41 of the screw 40 is inserted into the screw insertion hole 21 to be grounded. It can be fixed by screwing to the section. Also,
A pair of cylindrical wire connection portions 23 having an opening 23A at the tip end extend from both ends of the attachment portion 22. The inner diameters of the two wire connecting portions 23 are slightly larger than the outer diameter of the covering portion 11 of the covered electric wire 10, so that the end portion of the covered electric wire 10 (core wire portion 1) enters the electric wire connecting portion 23 through the opening 23A.
2 and the end portion of the covering portion 11) can be inserted.
The electric wire connecting portion 23 is adapted to form a caulking connecting portion 24 (see FIG. 3) by caulking the core wire portion 12 by deforming a part thereof as described later.

The rubber tube 30 is made of a rubber material having an appropriate elasticity, and has a cylindrical shape that opens in the front and rear. On the inner peripheral surface of the rear portion of the rubber tube 30, a plurality of wire-side lips 31 projecting over the entire circumference are juxtaposed in front and behind, and when the covered wire 10 is inserted through the rubber tube 30, each wire-side lip is inserted. 31 is adapted to come into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the covering portion 11 while being flexibly deformed. Further, on the inner peripheral surface of the front portion of the rubber tube 30, a plurality of terminal-side lips 32 projecting over the entire circumference are provided in a juxtaposed manner in the front and rear. These terminal-side lips 32 have a projecting dimension smaller than that of the wire-side lips 31, and by fitting the wire-connecting portion 23 inside, the terminal-side lips 32 can be brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface thereof while being flexibly deformed.

The present embodiment is configured as described above, and its operation will be described below. The terminal portion of the covered electric wire 10 is connected to both the pair of electric wire connecting portions 23 of the grounding terminal fitting 20. The pair of covered electric wires 10 to be grounded has the rubber tube 30 fitted to the covered portion 11 and the core wire portion 12 is exposed from the terminal portion (see FIG. 2). In the grounding terminal fitting 20, the shaft portion 41 of the screw 40 is inserted into the screw insertion hole 21 and screwed and fixed to the grounding portion.

Next, the ends of the covered electric wire 10, that is, the ends of the core wire portion 12 and the covered portion 11 are inserted into the electric wire connecting portion 23 through the opening 23A. Then, using a jig etc.,
A part of the wire connecting portion 23 is crushed at a position outside the core wire portion 12, and the core wire portion 12 is caulked. The caulked connection portion 24 thus formed electrically connects the covered electric wire 10 and the grounding terminal fitting 20 (see FIG. 3).

Finally, the rubber tube 30 is moved to the side of the grounding terminal fitting 20, and the terminal side lip 32 is fitted to the cylindrical portion of the wire connecting portion 23 on the tip side of the caulking connecting portion 24. Thereby, the one end side of the rubber tube 30 is
The electric wire side lip 31 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the covered portion 11 of the covered electric wire 10, and the terminal side lip 32 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire connecting portion 23 on the other end side so that the inside of the rubber tube 30 becomes watertight. To be covered. Similarly, by connecting the covered electric wire 10 to the other electric wire connecting portion 23 of the grounding terminal fitting 20, the grounding work of the pair of covered electric wires 10 is completed.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the cylindrical electric wire connecting portion 23 is inserted into the end portion of the covered electric wire 10 to be connected to each other, and the rubber tube 30 is connected to the covered electric wire 10.
The end portion of the covered electric wire 10 is covered in a watertight manner by fitting from the covering portion 11 to the electric wire connecting portion 23. Since the rubber tube 30 is easily attached to the outer peripheral surfaces of the electric wire connecting portion 23 and the covered electric wire 10, the reliability of the waterproof function can be improved. Further, it is possible to reduce the cost because it is not necessary to perform processing such as soldering and heating of the heat-shrinkable tube unlike the related art.

In the caulking connection portion 24, which is a connecting means, the wire connecting portion 23 is deformed and the core wire portion 12 is caulked to connect them. Therefore, the ground connection work can be easily performed, and the cost can be suppressed.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the following technical scope is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. (1) In the above-described embodiment, the grounding terminal fitting includes the pair of terminal connecting portions. However, according to the present invention, the number of terminal connecting portions included in the grounding terminal fitting is one or three. One or more is acceptable. (2) In the above-described embodiment, as the connecting means, the core portion of the covered electric wire is caulked by deforming a part of the wire connecting portion, but according to the present invention, the connecting means may be other means. For example, the core wire portion may be soldered to the electric wire connecting portion.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a waterproof structure for grounding according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before connection between the grounding terminal fitting and the covered electric wire.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after the connection between the grounding terminal fitting and the covered electric wire is completed.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Coated electric wire 11 ... Covered part 12 ... Core wire 20 ... Ground terminal fittings 22 ... Mounting part 23 ... Wire connection part 24 ... Caulking connection 30 ... Rubber tube

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Hitoshi Okumura             Sumitomo Den 1-14 Nishi-Suehiro-cho, Yokkaichi-shi, Mie Prefecture             Sozo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Osamu Taniuchi             Sumitomo Den 1-14 Nishi-Suehiro-cho, Yokkaichi-shi, Mie Prefecture             Sozo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shinji Kamon             1-4-1 Chuo Stock Market, Wako City, Saitama Prefecture             Inside Honda Research Laboratory F-term (reference) 5E087 FF12 FF17 LL02 LL03 LL12                       MM05 QQ04 RR06 RR12 RR29

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A grounding terminal fitting integrally provided with a mounting portion that can be fixed to a grounding portion, and a wire connecting portion that extends from the mounting portion and has a substantially cylindrical shape, and a terminal portion of the covered electric wire. Connection means for electrically connecting the covered electric wire and the electric wire connecting part in a state of being inserted into the electric wire connecting part; and a cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the covering part of the covered electric wire and an outer peripheral surface of the electric wire connecting part. A waterproof structure for grounding, comprising: a rubber tube which is fitted over and to seal the inside. 2. The connecting means is constituted by a caulking connection part which deforms a part of the electric wire connection part and caulks a core wire part exposed from the covered electric wire. Waterproof structure for ground as described in.