JP2003338330A - Method and structure for connecting terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a structure for connecting a terminal, whereby the structure is lightened by using an aluminum conductor and electrically connected condition is excellently kept. <P>SOLUTION: The sleeve part 4 of a terminal member 3 is externally fitted on the end part 2 of the conductor 1 of aluminum or aluminum alloy, the sleeve part 4 is plastically constricted to form a recessed part 6, and the sleeve part is then welded to the conductor 1 by ultrasonic welding in the recessed part 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a terminal connecting method and a terminal connecting structure for a conductor and a terminal member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A connection between an electric device and a conductor is carried out by mechanically attaching a terminal member connected to an end of the conductor to the electric device so that the conductor is electrically connected. Copper, which has a large electric conductivity, is used as the material for the conductors (cables) and terminal members that have been widely used from the past, and these are mechanically connected by means such as caulking.

[0003]

In a machine equipped with electric equipment (for example, a vehicle equipped with a battery),
In recent years, weight reduction has been achieved, and the material of the conductor wire connected to the electric device is changed from copper to aluminum or aluminum alloy. However, if the conductor wire is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy and is connected to the terminal member by caulking, the contact resistance with the terminal member increases due to the effect of the oxide film formed on the surface of the conductor wire, causing the contact failure. Becomes Further, in compression bonding by crimping, aluminum has a larger stress relaxation than copper, and mechanical bonding strength may be insufficient, resulting in poor electrical contact.

Therefore, the present invention uses a conductor wire made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy to reduce the weight, and
An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal connection method and a terminal connection structure that are in good electrical connection.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the terminal connecting method according to the present invention is such that a sleeve portion of a terminal member is fitted onto the end portion of a conductor wire made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, Recess 6 by reducing the diameter of the sleeve
And then ultrasonically weld the lead wire in the recess. Further, a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve portion are plastically reduced in diameter in a circumferential ring shape. Alternatively, the sleeve portion is subjected to diameter-reducing plastic working into a plurality of winding spirals.
Further, a small groove is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve portion, and the sleeve portion is fitted onto the end portion of the conductor wire. Further, the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve portion is roughened, and the sleeve portion is externally fitted to the end portion of the conductor wire.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the terminal connection structure according to the present invention comprises a conductor wire made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and a terminal member having a tubular sleeve portion for externally fitting the end portion of the conductor wire. And further, a plastically deformed connecting portion in which the sleeve portion and the end portion of the conductor wire are reduced in diameter plastic working, and a welded portion in which the sleeve portion and the end portion of the conductor wire are ultrasonically welded to each other are formed. It has been done.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below in detail based on the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a conductor (cable) 1 and a terminal member 3 which are connected by the terminal connecting method of the present invention. The conductive wire 1 used in the present invention may be a stranded wire or an aggregate stranded wire made of aluminum (aluminum alloy). As the structure of the conductor 1, for example, the diameter is 0.32
A single twisted wire (child twisted wire) is formed by using 25 mm wires, one in the center, six in the inner layer, and 12 in the outer layer for a total of 19 concentric twists, and the conductor diameter is Some are 8.8 to 8.9 mm.

The material of the terminal member 3 is made of copper,
Made of copper alloy such as brass and free-cutting brass, aluminum, aluminum alloy, etc., specifically JIS H 408
0, A5056, Cu-Zn type, etc. are used. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the terminal member 3 has a terminal main body portion 5 connected to a terminal of an electric device (not shown) and an end portion 2 of the conducting wire 1 which is continuous with the base end portion of the terminal main body portion 5 and is externally fitted. Cylindrical sleeve part 4
And are equipped with.

The terminal body 5 shown in FIG. 1 has a connection hole portion 10 to which a terminal of a battery of an automobile is inserted (fixed), for example, but the shape can be variously changed and the connection can be made. The terminal shape of the electric device to be used may be adapted. Further, the sleeve portion 4 is a bottomed tubular member having a bottom surface at the base end portion of the terminal body portion 5.

The terminal connecting method of the present invention is as follows.
The sleeve portion 4 of the terminal member 3 is fitted onto the end portion 2 of the lead wire 1 made of aluminum or aluminum alloy. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the sleeve portion 4 is plastically deformed (caulked) from its outer surface by a pressing machine or the like to form the diameter-reduced plastic working recessed portion 6. At this time, the reduced diameter plastic deformation amount (caulking amount) such that the end portion 2 of the lead wire 1 in the inserted state is plastically deformed.
Therefore, the compression plastic working is performed on the sleeve portion 4 at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction. That is, in the longitudinal direction (axial direction of the tubular sleeve portion 4), portions having different amounts of plastic deformation are produced--by forming a plurality of uneven waves--the connection between the terminal member 3 and the conducting wire 1. The adhesive force (bonding strength) is improved, and it becomes a measure against the stress relaxation of the conductive wire 1 (and the terminal member 3). The diameter-reducing plastic working is performed by means such as compression working or rolling working.

Further, this diameter-reducing plastic working is performed by the sleeve portion 4
It is necessary to perform at least a predetermined size in the circumferential direction, but in FIG. 1, a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve portion 4 are subjected to diameter-reducing plastic working in a circumferential ring shape (360 °). Two independent recesses 6 and 6 are formed in the machined portion in the longitudinal direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the sleeve portion 4 is not subjected to the diameter-reducing plastic deformation between these two concave portions 6 and 6 and has the same cross-sectional shape as the initial state in which the sleeve portion 4 is externally fitted. An uncompressed portion 11 (having the same cross-sectional area) of a shape is formed. Furthermore, on both outsides of the two recesses 6 and 6-
The non-compressed portions 11 and 11 are also formed on the base end side and the opening side of the sleeve portion 4, respectively.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the terminal connecting method of the present invention. As with FIG. 1, the terminal member 3 is attached to the end portion 2 of the lead wire 1 made of aluminum or aluminum alloy. The sleeve portion 4 is fitted onto the outer surface of the sleeve portion 4, and the sleeve portion 4 is plastically reduced in diameter from its outer surface into a plurality of spirals by a press machine or the like to form a single recess 6. That is, in FIG. 2, the sleeve portion 4 is compression-plastic-worked in a spiral shape of two rotations (360 ° × 2), and the diameter-reducing plastic-work is continuously performed in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve portion 4. That is, in the vertical cross section, two deformed portions are formed in the longitudinal direction. Then, in this case, the spiral-shaped non-compressed portion 11 as described above is naturally formed by being processed into a spiral shape.

Further, FIG. 3 shows another embodiment in which a plurality of locations (two locations) in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve portion 4 are spirally reduced and plastic-worked at their respective locations. That is, a plurality of (two) spiral recesses 6 and 6 are formed. It should be noted that the processing at one location in FIG.
°).

Further, FIG. 4 shows still another embodiment, in which a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve portion 4 are partially subjected to diameter-reducing plastic working at respective locations. That is, the sleeve portion 4 is sandwiched from both sides and subjected to diameter-reducing plastic working to form local concave portions at 180 ° symmetrical positions. Further, although not shown in the drawings, the entire sleeve portion 4 is subjected to the diameter-reducing plastic working, and is further subjected to the diameter-reducing plastic working partially (or in a ring shape or in a spiral shape) to obtain the sleeve portion 4 and the end portion 2 of the conductive wire 1. And may be closely attached.

Therefore, in the diameter-reducing plastic working, not only the sleeve portion 4 is plastically deformed uniformly (circumferentially) on the outer peripheral surface, but also the outer peripheral surface is partially processed to end the sleeve portion 4 and the end portion of the conductor 1. 2 may be formed so that the amounts of plastic deformation are different at the portions different in the longitudinal direction.

The number of processed portions of the sleeve portion 4 is preferably two to three in the longitudinal direction in the longitudinal cross section of the sleeve portion 4 (two to three windings in the embodiment of FIG. 2). If there is only one processed part, the conductor 1 and the terminal member 3
If the joining strength with the above is not sufficiently obtained, and if there are four or more places, the sleeve portion 4 becomes longer than necessary in the longitudinal direction, and the weight of the terminal member 3 increases, so the effect of reducing the weight of the conductor wire 1 is reduced. Will be done.

In this compression plastic working, the compression plastic working is performed from the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve portion 4 toward the center of the conducting wire 1 uniformly (with a uniform pressure and a uniform deformation amount). A terminal connection structure can be obtained. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the recess 6 has a linear bottom portion having a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve portion 4 (longitudinal direction of the end portion 2 of the conducting wire 1) and an uncompressed portion from both sides thereof, as shown in FIGS. 11 is a concave type having an outwardly enlarged inclined wall portion, and the processing portion has a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve portion 4 due to the linear bottom portion.

Then, in the above-mentioned processed portion (recessed portion 6), the sleeve portion 4 and the end portion 2 of the conducting wire 1 are ultrasonically welded. According to this welding, ultrasonic energy destroys the oxide film on the joint surface, and activated metal atoms can be bonded to each other. This is because the effect is further exhibited by performing ultrasonic welding between the conductive wire 1 and the terminal member 3 that are in closer contact with each other by the processed portion, and it is possible to obtain an extremely excellent connection state. In addition, it can be joined at a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the metal, and residual stress is small,
It does not deform the product after joining.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the reduced diameter plastically processed portion, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the non-compressed portion. The terminal connection structure according to the present invention is provided with a sleeve portion 4 and an end portion 2 of a conductor 1. And a plastic deformation connection portion 8 that has been subjected to diameter-reducing plastic working, and a welded portion 9 in which the sleeve portion 4 and the end portion 2 of the conductor 1 are ultrasonically welded in the plastic deformation connection portion 8. That is, the plastic deformation connecting portion 8 and the welded portion 9 are formed at the same position. Therefore, the plastic deformation connection portion 8 and the welded portion 9 can provide a sound and integrated joint portion, so that the contact resistance between the conductor wire 1 and the terminal member 3 can be reduced, and the long-term stability can be improved. An excellent joint can be obtained.

Further, when performing ultrasonic welding, in order to secure a pressing surface of the welding, the above-mentioned diameter reducing plastic working (crimping) is performed.
In, the cross section of the circular cylinder is deformed into a polygon to secure a plurality of flat surface portions 12 on the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve portion 4. That is, as shown by the asterisks in FIGS. 1 and 5, ultrasonic welding is performed from the pair of flat surface portions 12 and 12 facing each other with the conductor wire 1 interposed therebetween, and further, all other pair of flat surface portions facing each other. Ultrasonic welding is performed from 12 and 12. The polygonal shape may be a quadrangle, an octagon, or the like other than the hexagonal shape shown in FIG. 5, and can be freely changed according to the shape and outer diameter of the conducting wire 1. Further, although not shown, a flat circular shape (elliptical shape) or the like may be used in addition to the processing into a polygonal shape, as long as the welding horn of the ultrasonic welding machine can appropriately abut the sleeve portion 4.

When the lead wire 1 and the terminal member 3 are joined, the joint portion (sleeve portion 4 to lead wire 1) is covered with a heat-shrinkable tube or the like, though not shown, to be waterproofed and corroded. It has a preventive effect. Further, the terminal body 5 is plated with Sn, Ni, Ag or the like so as to have corrosion resistance.

Next, FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the joint between the conducting wire 1 and the sleeve portion 4. A small groove 7 is formed in advance on the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve portion 4, and the sleeve portion 4 is connected to the conducting wire 1. It is fitted onto the end 2 of the. The small groove 7 is a circumferential groove having a triangular shape, a quadrangular shape, or an arc shape in cross section. Further, the small groove 7 may be a plurality of independent ring-shaped circumferential grooves, or may be a spiral shape, and the conductor 1
It is preferable that the twisting direction of the (strand) does not match.

Although not shown, the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve portion 4 is roughened so that the sleeve portion 4 is fitted onto the end 2 of the conductor 1. This roughening is performed by mechanical treatment, blasting, chemical treatment, etc. The anchor effect (prevention effect) of the conductor 1 is obtained by the above-mentioned small groove 7 and roughening, and the joint strength by stress relaxation is obtained. It is possible to further reduce the decrease of.

To further explain the material of the conductor 1,
The conductor 1 is made of an aluminum alloy, but specifically, an Al-Zr alloy (60% conductivity heat-resistant aluminum alloy), an Al-Mg-Si alloy (aluminum alloy a), or the like is used. The Al-Zr alloy can improve heat resistance, and the Al-Mg-Si alloy, Al-Fe alloy, and Al-Fe-Mg alloy can improve mechanical strength. Therefore, the bonding can be performed firmly. According to the present invention, it is possible to connect the same kind and different kinds of materials, and it is possible to obtain a good electrically connected state.

[0026]

The present invention has the following effects due to the above configuration.

(According to claim 1) Even if the conductive wire 1 made of aluminum or aluminum alloy is used, the lack of bonding strength due to stress relaxation is solved, and further ultrasonic welding is performed to form an oxide film on the aluminum surface. Can be removed to reduce the contact resistance, and a stable electrical connection state can be obtained. Furthermore, it becomes possible to provide long-term stability in the connection between the terminal member 3 and the conducting wire 1. Further, by using the conductor 1 according to this terminal connection method for a battery cable of an automobile or the like, it is possible to improve the conductive characteristics, reduce the weight of the automobile, and improve the fuel consumption of the automobile.

(According to the second and third aspects), it is possible to eliminate the insufficient joint strength over the entire circumference of the conductive wire 1 and to secure a good electrical connection state.

(According to claims 4 and 5) An anchor effect (prevention effect) of the conductive wire 1 can be obtained, and it becomes possible to reduce a decrease in joint strength due to stress relaxation. Furthermore, conductor 1
It is possible to prevent the loosening of the joint due to the creep.

(According to claim 6) Even in the case of the conductor wire 1 made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, the plastic deformation connection portion 8 can eliminate the insufficient joint strength due to stress relaxation, and the welded portion 9 makes it possible to improve the aluminum surface. By removing the oxide film, the contact resistance can be reduced, and a terminal connection structure in a stable electrical connection state can be obtained. Furthermore, the terminal member 3
The connection between the wire and the lead wire 1 can have long-term stability. In addition, by using the conductor 1 having this terminal connection structure for a battery cable of an automobile, etc., it is possible to improve the conductive property, reduce the weight of the automobile, and improve the fuel consumption of the automobile.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a terminal connecting method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing another embodiment of the terminal connecting method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing another embodiment of the terminal connecting method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing still another embodiment of the terminal connecting method of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a reduced diameter plastically processed portion.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an uncompressed portion.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a joint portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 conductor 2 ends 3 terminal member 4 Sleeve part 7 small groove 8 Plastic deformation connection 9 welds

Continued front page    F-term (reference) 5E085 BB03 BB12 CC03 DD03 DD16                       EE11 EE23 FF01 HH06 HH11                       JJ03 JJ06 JJ36 JJ50

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A sleeve portion 4 of a terminal member 3 is externally fitted to an end portion 2 of a conductor 1 made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the sleeve portion 4 is subjected to diameter-reducing plastic working to form a recessed portion 6.
Further, the terminal connecting method is characterized in that the conductive wire 1 is ultrasonically welded in the recess 6. 2. The terminal connecting method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve portion 4 are reduced in diameter in the circumferential direction by plastic working. 3. The terminal connecting method according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve portion 4 is subjected to a diameter-reducing plastic working in a spiral shape of a plurality of turns. 4. The terminal connecting method according to claim 1, wherein a small groove 7 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve portion 4, and the sleeve portion 4 is fitted onto the end portion 2 of the lead wire 1. 5. The inner peripheral surface of the sleeve portion 4 is roughened,
The terminal connecting method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the sleeve portion (4) is fitted onto the end portion (2) of the conducting wire (1). 6. A conductor wire 1 made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and a terminal member 3 having a tubular sleeve portion 4 for externally fitting an end portion 2 of the conductor wire 1, further comprising the sleeve portion 4 and the above. A plastic deformation connecting portion 8 in which the end portion 2 of the lead wire 1 is subjected to a diameter-reducing plastic working, and a welded portion 9 in which the sleeve portion 4 and the end portion 2 of the lead wire 1 are ultrasonically welded are formed. A terminal connection structure characterized in that