JP2014187006A - Terminal, wire with terminal and method of manufacturing wire with terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a structure constituted so that a covered wire can be attached thereto, and other terminal can be connected therewith, and the wire connection can be prevented from being broken when connecting a wire, while reducing the cost increase.SOLUTION: A crimp terminal includes a wire connection 30, and a box part 20. In the wire connection 30, a hollow part is formed by bonding the ends of plates, the plate thickness of the bonded part is thicker than the average plate thickness of other parts, and a coated wire is connected to the inside of the hollow part. The box part 20 is coupled with the wire connection 30 via a transition part 40, and connected with other terminal.

Description

  The present invention mainly relates to a terminal to which a covered electric wire can be attached and which can be connected to another terminal.

  The wire harness is routed in the body of an automobile, and is used for supplying power to various electric devices included in the automobile, communicating control signals between the electric devices, and the like. The wire harness includes a plurality of bundled covered electric wires and terminals connected to the covered electric wires.

  Patent document 1 discloses the connection method of a terminal and a covered electric wire. The terminal of Patent Document 1 includes a terminal body (terminal connection portion) and a crimping portion (wire barrel, electric wire connection portion). The terminal body is configured to be connectable to other terminals. The crimping part is configured to be connectable to the conductor part of the covered electric wire by crimping.

  Patent document 2 discloses an electric wire connection sleeve used for adding a covered electric wire when the covered electric wire constituting the wire harness is broken. The electric wire connection sleeve of Patent Document 2 is configured in a cylindrical shape with both ends opened, and the covered electric wire can be connected by inserting and crimping the conductor portion of the covered electric wire into each opening.

  In addition, the crimping portion generally has a structure in which the conductor portion is exposed. Therefore, when an aluminum electric wire is used, there is a possibility that the aluminum is corroded and electric conduction cannot be secured. In order to prevent this, it is conceivable to shield the aluminum conductor from the environment. For example, it is desirable to cover the surface of the aluminum with another member so that the surface of the aluminum does not touch air or the like. From the standpoint of preventing corrosion, a method of molding the entire crimped portion with a resin (for example, see Patent Document 3) is reliable, but the molded portion is enlarged, the size of the connector housing is increased, and the connector is enlarged. As a result, the entire assembled electric wire could not be molded in a high density and small size. In addition, since molding is performed on each crimped part after crimping, there are problems such as an increase in the number of steps for manufacturing the assembled wire.

  On the other hand, although the technique which interrupts | blocks the aluminum conductor part from the outside by the method of crimping | bonding after covering a metal can on a conductor part (for example, refer patent document 4), individual conductor part before crimping was proposed. There are problems that the process of mounting the metal can is complicated, and that the can is broken by the wire barrel at the time of crimping, resulting in an inundation path.

  In addition, as a terminal for changing the plate thickness of the terminal, it is provided with a bar-like tab portion on one end side, and a press-contact portion capable of clamping an electric wire on the other end side, and the tab portion is thicker than the press-contact portion. A terminal having a structure (for example, see Patent Document 5) and a terminal having a tapered end portion of a wire barrel piece for crimping an electric wire (for example, see Patent Document 6) have been disclosed. Since the terminal structure is not made, it is not possible to expect water-proofing at the crimping part.

  The above-mentioned problems can be solved by adopting a structure in which the connecting part with the electric wire is crimped by inserting the electric wire into a tubular (bag-like) terminal, and the conductor part is cut off from the external environment without enlarging the crimping part. This can be solved. As one of the tube forming methods, a laser welding method (for example, see Patent Document 7) can be used.

JP 2010-3584 A JP 2010-272301 A JP 2011-222243 A JP 2004-207172 A Japanese Patent No. 3473527 Japanese Patent No. 5006240 JP 2007-203330 A

  By the way, when performing crimping, a strong force is applied to the crimping portion. In Patent Document 1, since crimping is performed by combining portions extending left and right from the center of the terminal, the crimping portion is not easily damaged. However, in Patent Document 2, since a cylindrical member is pressure-bonded, the wire connection sleeve may be damaged when a strong force is applied. In particular, when this cylindrical member is formed by welding, it is conceivable that damage will occur from the welded portion.

  However, if the plate thickness of the plate material constituting the wire connection sleeve is increased in order to improve the strength, the material cost is increased and the force required for crimping is also increased. Further, this problem is common not only when crimping but also when performing other connection processing. Accordingly, there has been a demand for a terminal capable of preventing damage to the wire connection portion during wire connection while suppressing an increase in cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its main purpose is a terminal that can be attached to a covered electric wire and can be connected to other terminals, and suppresses an increase in cost. However, it is providing the structure which can prevent the failure | damage of the electric wire connection part at the time of an electric wire connection.

Means and effects for solving the problems

  The problems to be solved by the present invention are as described above. Next, means for solving the problems and the effects thereof will be described.

  According to the 1st viewpoint of this invention, the terminal of the following structures is provided. That is, this terminal includes an electric wire connection portion and a terminal connection portion. The wire connecting portion is formed by joining the end portions of the plate material to form a hollow portion, and the thickness of the joined portion is thicker than the average of the thicknesses of the other portions, and the coating inside the hollow portion Wire is connected. The terminal connection part is connected to the wire connection part via a transition part, and is connected to another terminal.

  Thereby, since the area of the junction part of a board | plate material can be enlarged, the intensity | strength of the said junction part can be improved. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent the crimping portion from being damaged during the crimping.

  In the said terminal, it is preferable that the said electric wire connection part is formed by match | combining and joining the end surfaces parallel to the thickness direction of the said board | plate material.

  As a result, it takes time to process by overlapping the thick plate portions, but by joining together the end faces as described above, the strength of the bonded portion can be improved while suppressing the processing time. .

  In the said terminal, it is preferable that the board thickness in the said junction part of the said board | plate material is the thickest.

  Thereby, the intensity | strength of a junction part can be improved effectively. Therefore, for example, it is possible to more reliably prevent the crimping portion from being damaged during the crimping.

The terminal preferably has the following configuration. That is, the plate thickness of the joint portion before welding is thick from the end face to the width w1 at both ends. The width w1 is 0.5 mm or less, and satisfies the relationship of the following formula (1) with respect to the gap width w2 of the joint portion.
w1 ≦ w2 × 20 (1)

  Thereby, after welding, the board thickness of a junction part and other board thickness become uniform to some extent, and the terminal provided with the electric wire connection part excellent in waterproofness (waterproofness) is realizable.

  In the said terminal, it is preferable that the plate | board thickness of the said board | plate material becomes thick continuously as it approaches the said junction part which is an edge part from the center part of the said board | plate material.

  Thereby, since an unevenness | corrugation does not arise in the inner surface of an electric wire connection part, a covered electric wire can be crimped | bonded by a uniform force.

  In the terminal, it is preferable that one end of the electric wire connection portion has an insertion port for the covered electric wire and a sealing portion in which the other end is sealed.

  Thereby, since the said other end side of the electric wire connection part is sealed, high waterproofness is realizable.

  In the terminal described above, it is preferable that the wire connecting portion is made of copper or a copper alloy.

  According to the 2nd viewpoint of this invention, the electric wire with a terminal which connected the said terminal and the covered electric wire is provided.

  According to the 3rd viewpoint of this invention, the manufacturing method of the following electric wires with a terminal is provided. That is, this method is a method of manufacturing a terminal-attached electric wire by inserting and connecting a covered electric wire having a conductor portion and a covering portion to a terminal, and includes a forming step, an inserting step, and a connecting step. In the forming step, the plate material is deformed to form a terminal having a thickness that is greater than the average thickness of the other portions. In the insertion step, the covered electric wire is inserted into the hollow portion of the electric wire connecting portion. In the connecting step, the wire connecting portion and the covered wire are connected.

  Thereby, since the area of a junction part can be enlarged, the intensity | strength of a junction part can be improved. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent the crimping portion from being damaged during the crimping.

  In the manufacturing method of the electric wire with terminal, it is preferable that the plate thickness of the end portion is relatively increased by pressing the plate member in the forming step.

  Thereby, the plate | board thickness of a junction part can be thickened by simple process.

  In the manufacturing method of the electric wire with terminal, in the connecting step, the conductor portion is connected to the electric wire connecting portion using any one of crimping, ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, soldering, and laser welding. Is preferred.

  Thereby, electrical connection with a conductor part and an electric wire connection part can be performed appropriately according to various conditions.

In the manufacturing method of the said electric wire with a terminal, it is preferable to do as follows. That is, in the forming step, a single copper alloy plate is punched and bent, and the joint portion is laser welded. The plate thickness of the joint portion before welding is thick from the end face to the width w1 at both ends. The width w1 is 0.5 mm or less, and the plate material is punched and bent so as to satisfy the relationship of the following formula (1) with respect to the gap width w2 of the joint portion, and the joint portion is joined. w1 ≦ w2 × 20 (1)

  Thereby, after welding, the board thickness of a junction part and other board thickness become uniform to some extent, and the terminal provided with the electric wire connection part excellent in waterproofness (waterproofness) is realizable.

The disassembled perspective view and external appearance perspective view which show the structure of the electric wire with a terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The expanded view of a crimp terminal, and sectional drawing of an electric wire connection part. The figure which shows the process of shape | molding an electric wire connection part. Side surface sectional drawing explaining the process of inserting a covered electric wire in a crimp terminal. Side surface sectional drawing explaining the process of performing a crimping and connecting a crimp terminal and a covered electric wire. The perspective view which shows the welding method of a crimp terminal, a welding part, and an unwelded part. Sectional drawing which shows the cross-sectional shape of the crimp terminal before welding. The cross-sectional perspective view and side surface sectional drawing of the crimp terminal which concern on a 1st modification. The perspective view which shows the crimp terminal and electric wire with a terminal of a 2nd modification provided with the electric wire connection part in which the recessed part was formed. The perspective view which shows the other modification.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view and an external perspective view showing a configuration of an electric wire with a terminal. FIG. 2 is a developed view of the crimp terminal and a cross-sectional view of the electric wire connecting portion. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a process of forming the wire connection portion.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the electric wire with terminal 1 includes a crimp terminal (terminal) 10 and a covered electric wire 50.

  The covered electric wire 50 includes a conductor part 51 and a covering part 52. The conductor 51 is a bundle of a plurality of aluminum or aluminum alloy wires. In addition, the conductor part 51 may be comprised from materials (for example, copper) other than those, if it is a conductor. The covering portion 52 is made of an insulating material such as resin, and is arranged so as to cover the periphery of the conductor portion 51.

As the core wire of the aluminum electric wire, for example, an aluminum core wire containing iron (Fe), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg), or silicon (Si) can be used. For example, a known alloy such as an Fe—Mg—Si based aluminum alloy, an Fe—Cu—Mg—Si based aluminum alloy, or an Fe—Si based aluminum alloy can be used. These alloys may further contain alloy elements such as Ti, Zr, Sn, and Mn. Using such an aluminum core wire, for example, a core wire of 0.5 to 2.5 sq (mm ² ) and 7 to 19 strands can be used. As the core covering material, for example, a material mainly composed of polyelephine such as PE or PP, a material mainly composed of PVC, or the like can be used.

  The crimp terminal 10 is a terminal composed of a copper alloy such as copper or brass whose surface is plated with tin (Sn), silver (Ag), or the like. By configuring the crimp terminal 10 with copper or a copper alloy, conductivity and strength can be ensured. In addition, if the crimp terminal 10 is a conductor, you may be comprised from raw materials (for example, aluminum) other than copper. The crimp terminal 10 can be electrically connected to the conductor portion 51 of the covered electric wire 50 and can be electrically connected to other terminals at the terminal connection portion. Hereinafter, although the female terminal whose terminal connection part is the box part 20 will be described as an example, the terminal connection part is not limited to this.

  In the following description, as shown in FIG. 1B, the side connected to the other terminal (male terminal, counterpart terminal) is referred to as the distal end side, and the side opposite to the insertion direction of the covered electric wire 50 is defined. This is called the proximal side. In addition, in FIG.1 (b), illustration of the 1st welding part 33a and the 2nd welding part 33b is abbreviate | omitted.

  Hereinafter, the crimp terminal 10 will be described in detail. The crimp terminal 10 is formed by bending and joining a punched metal plate (plate material, see FIG. 2A). As shown in FIG. 1, the crimp terminal 10 includes a box part (terminal connection part) 20, an electric wire connection part 30, and a transition part 40. The metal plate may be one already plated with tin, silver or the like, or may be plated after punching.

  The box part 20 is a part formed by bending a box part development part 20 'shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4A described later, the box portion 20 is formed with an elastic contact piece 21 by bending the bottom surface portion 22 which is one surface of the box portion 20 inward.

  The elastic contact piece 21 is formed on the distal end side of the box portion 20. The elastic contact piece 21 is configured to be elastically deformable in a direction away from and approaching the bottom surface portion 22. By inserting a male terminal (not shown) into the box portion 20, the elastic contact piece 21 pushed by the male terminal is deformed so as to approach the bottom surface portion 22. And if a male terminal is inserted to the back, a deformation | transformation of the elastic contact piece 21 will return. Thereby, the box part 20 and the male terminal are electrically and mechanically connected.

  The wire connection part 30 is connected to the base end side of the box part 20 via the transition part 40 which functions as a bridge. In addition, the transition part 40 is shape | molded by bend | folding transition part expansion | deployment part 40 'as shown to Fig.2 (a). The electric wire connection part 30 has a cylindrical (hollow) main body part 33, and the end on the proximal end side of the electric wire connection part 30 is opened so that the covered electric wire 50 can be inserted (open). Part 31). Moreover, the edge part of the front end side of the electric wire connection part 30 is sealed for waterproofing (sealing part 32).

  Here, the process of forming the wire connecting portion 30 will be described. First, the part (electric wire connection part expansion | deployment part 30 ') used as the origin from which the electric wire connection part 30 is shape | molded among metal plates is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the wire connecting portion expanding portion 30 ′ is not constant in thickness, and gradually increases in thickness from the central portion toward the end portion of the metal plate. It is configured as follows. Accordingly, the wire connecting portion expanding portion 30 ′ has the thickest end face parallel to the longitudinal direction (the direction from the distal end side to the proximal end side). In addition, since the electric wire connection part expansion | deployment part 30 'is a structure from which plate | board thickness changes gradually, the level | step difference is not formed.

  Thus, the metal plate (electric wire connection part expansion | deployment part 30 ') where board thickness changes gradually performs press processing so that a center part may be pressed rather than an end with respect to a flat metal plate, for example. Can be obtained. In addition, the processing method of a metal plate is arbitrary and can employ | adopt an appropriate method. Moreover, the metal plate of such a shape can also be purchased and utilized.

  Next, an example of the process which shape | molds the electric wire connection part 30 is demonstrated. When forming the wire connecting portion 30, first, the wire connecting portion developing portion 30 'is bent into a circular shape and the end faces are aligned. And it welds to the part which match | combined the end surfaces, and a cylindrical member is formed by connecting short surfaces with the 1st welding part 33a. Details of the welding operation performed here will be described later.

  The cylindrical member formed here may be an elliptical tube, or its radius may change in the longitudinal direction. Although the method of welding is arbitrary, for example, welding can be performed with a fiber laser. Further, the welding shape is not limited to a linear shape as shown in FIG. 3, and may be a broken line shape or a spiral shape.

  In this embodiment, since the plate | board thickness of an end surface is the thickest, the area which metal plates (electric wire connection part expansion | deployment part 30 ') contact can be enlarged by joining together end surfaces and welding. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the strength of the welded portion (joint portion, caulking portion).

  In the present embodiment, the end surfaces are matched with each other, but it is also possible to create a cylindrical member by overlapping a part of the metal plate. However, since the end face of the metal plate is thick in this embodiment, the thickness increases when the metal plates are stacked. Therefore, it is preferable to weld the end faces of the metal plates together.

  Next, after compressing and crushing the distal end side of the cylindrical member, welding is performed perpendicularly to the axial direction of the main body portion 33 in FIG. The end portion is sealed to form the sealing portion 32. Note that the end portion on the front end side of the main body portion 33 may be sealed (closed) in advance.

  Here, it can be expressed that the first welded portion 33a is formed in parallel with the insertion direction of the covered electric wire 50 (longitudinal direction, also referred to as the axial direction of the cylindrical portion). Moreover, it can be expressed that the second welded portion 33b is formed perpendicular to the insertion direction of the covered electric wire.

  Note that the method for forming the wire connection portion 30 is not limited to the above. For example, the wire connection portion development portion 30 ′ is first bent to produce a cylindrical portion (the welding is not performed at this stage), and the tip side is further removed. The ends may be crushed and then welded together. In this case, since the number of man-hours can be reduced, the cost can be reduced. Further, the welding location may not be on the upper surface side (upper side in FIG. 1), but may be on the bottom surface side (lower side in FIG. 1).

  The electric wire connection part 30 is completed by performing the above process. By performing welding on the first welding portion 33a as described above, it is possible to prevent water from entering from the surface of the wire connecting portion 30. In addition, by forming the sealing portion 32 by welding the second welding portion 33b as described above, it is possible to prevent water from entering between the wire connection portion 30 and the box portion 20. In addition, the method of preventing the flooding from the open part 31 (the flooding from the path | route which passes along the covered electric wire 50) is mentioned later.

  Next, with reference to FIG.4 and FIG.5, the method to manufacture the electric wire 1 with a terminal is demonstrated. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a process of inserting the covered electric wire 50 into the crimp terminal 10. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view for explaining a process of connecting the crimp terminal 10 and the covered electric wire 50 by crimping.

  First, the crimp terminal 10 is formed by performing the above-described processing or the like on the metal plate. Next, the operator inserts the covered electric wire 50 into the electric wire connecting portion 30 (see FIG. 4A). FIG. 4B shows a state after the covered electric wire 50 is inserted.

  Next, the operator operates a crimping tool composed of the first crimping die 71 and the second crimping die 72 to crimp the wire connecting portion 30 so as to sandwich the crimping tool (see FIG. 5A). reference). Thereby, the electric wire connection part 30 and the covered electric wire 50 are plastically deformed by caulking, and are joined. Therefore, it is necessary to design the thickness of the electric wire connection portion 30 so that the caulking can be joined. However, since the caulking joining can be freely performed by manual processing or machining, the thickness is It is not limited. Since the first crimping die 71 has a step, not only the conductor part 51 but also the covering part 52 can be strongly crimped. Furthermore, since the inner wall surface of the wire connecting portion 30 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which the plate thickness gradually changes, the conductor portion 51 and the covering portion 52 can be uniformly crimped. FIG. 5B shows a state after the covered electric wire 50 is crimped. By caulking, the diameter becomes smaller than the original diameter, but in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, the first diameter-reduced portion 81 with the smallest diameter and the proximal end side 2 reduced diameter portions 82 are formed.

  Thereby, by crimping the conductor part 51 and the electric wire connection part 30, the covered electric wire 50 and the electric wire connection part 30 (crimp terminal 10) can be electrically connected, and a termination | terminus connection structure can be formed. Moreover, the crimping | bonding of the coating | coated part 52 and the electric wire connection part 30 can prevent the water immersion (water immersion from the open part 31) from the path | route which carries the covered electric wire 50.

  Further, as described above, in the conventional configuration such as Patent Document 2, there is a possibility that the wire connection sleeve or the like may be damaged during crimping. However, in the present embodiment, the strength is improved because the contact area of the welded portion that is most easily damaged during crimping is increased. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent breakage during crimping.

  Moreover, since the structure of this embodiment is a structure which can be crimped | bonded by strong crimping force, the crimping force can be strengthened and the conductor part 51 and the coating | coated part 52 can be crimped | bonded strongly. In this case, it is possible to further improve the electrical connectivity between the conductor portion 51 and the wire connection portion 30 by strongly pressing the conductor portion 51. Moreover, the crimping | bonding of the coating | coated part 52 can prevent more reliably the water | flood from the path | route which carries the covered electric wire 50. FIG.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the conductor part 51 is comprised with the aluminum alloy, and the crimp terminal 10 is comprised with the copper alloy. As described above, when different metals are used for the electric wire connection portion 30 and the conductor portion 51, high waterproof performance is required in order not to cause electrolytic corrosion. In this regard, in the present embodiment, as described above, the first welded portion 33a and the second welded portion 33b prevent water from entering from the surface of the crimp terminal 10, and the covered portion 52 is compressed to transmit the covered electric wire 50. Inundation from the route is prevented. Thus, the structure of this embodiment which waterproofs can reduce cost compared with the structure which block | closes the clearance gap between the electric wire connection part 30 and the box part 20 with a mold resin etc. FIG.

  Next, the detail of the welding operation mentioned above is demonstrated. The crimping terminal 10 of the present invention is formed by punching a plate material (strip material) made of a copper alloy into a flattened terminal shape to create a plate material, and bending the plate material, thereby connecting the box portion 20 and the wire connection portion 30 to each other. Form. At the stage of bending the plate material, a butt portion 85 (FIG. 7) is formed in which an open portion (C-shaped cross section) that is open in the longitudinal direction is formed. And a cylindrical member can be formed by joining this butt | matching part 85 by welding. In the present embodiment, the butt portion 85 is manufactured by performing laser welding with a fiber laser.

  Copper and copper alloys have low laser absorptivity and high thermal conductivity, so the welding width may not be reduced or the width of the heat affected zone may not be reduced. Improved. The laser beam by the fiber laser has the characteristics that the condensing diameter is small, the energy density is high, the condensing distance is long, and the output can be increased by connecting modules in parallel. Furthermore, by using a lens or a mirror, there is an advantage that even if the distance between the fiber laser main body device and the object to be processed (a part to be welded) is long, it can be transmitted directly to the object to be processed by the fiber.

  Table 1 shows the chemical composition of a copper alloy that can be used for the crimp terminal 10 in this embodiment.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a welding method of the first welding portion 33a of the crimp terminal 10. As shown in FIG. FL in the figure represents a fiber laser welding apparatus. The laser beam L emitted from the fiber laser welding apparatus FL is irradiated so as to weld the first unwelded portion 33a ′ (butting portion 85) of the wire connecting portion 30. FIG. 6 also shows the first welded portion 33a after welding. Although FIG. 6 shows an example in which a laser beam is irradiated from one fiber laser welding apparatus, a plurality of fiber laser welding apparatuses may be connected in parallel to irradiate a plurality of laser beams. in this case. Each beam may be the same output or a combination of different outputs.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of the crimp terminal 10 before welding. The abutting portion 85 formed by bending a copper alloy plate material is formed with a gap having a width w1 in the longitudinal direction, and both end portions of the abutting portion 85 are in the other direction from the end face 86 to the width w1. Molded thicker than the part. In the present invention, the butt portion 85 is configured so that w1 and w2 satisfy the relationship of the following mathematical formula (1).
w1 ≦ w2 × 20 (1)

(Examples 1-14) and (Comparative Examples 1-6)
A butt portion 85 having a cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 7 was formed from a copper alloy plate material having a tin plating thickness of 0.2 to 2 μm. The plate thickness of the copper alloy is 0.25 mm, and the projection height of the thick portion having the width w1 is 0.07 or 0.1 mm. The w1 and w2 were changed as shown in Table 3 to evaluate the fiber laser weldability and the weld thickness after welding. The thickness of the welded portion after welding was evaluated by inserting an aluminum wire into the wire connecting portion 30 of the terminal and caulking, and then measuring the air leak.

<Copper alloy composition, mass%>
FAS680 (Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., trade name): Sn0.15, Zn0.5, Ni2.3, Si0.55, Mg0.1
NB109 (Nippon Bell Parts Co., Ltd., trade name): Sn0.9, Ni1.0, P0.05
CAC60 (Kobe Steel Works, trade name): Sn0.1, Zn1.1, Ni1.8, Si0.4

<Wire>
Core wire of aluminum electric wire: Fe-Cu-Mg-Si-based aluminum alloy (wire diameter 0.43 mm, 19 strands)

<Evaluation of weld thickness after welding>
After inserting and caulking the aluminum electric wire into the electric wire connecting portion 30 of the terminal, the air leak pressure was measured by applying a positive pressure of 10 to 50 kPa from the electric wire insertion side, and evaluated according to the criteria in Table 2.

Table 3 shows the evaluation results of Examples 1 to 14 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6 when FAS-680 is used as the copper alloy plate. In Table 3, the thick portion width (plate thickness) of the butt portion 85 represents w1, and the width of the butt portion clearance represents w2. From Table 3, it can be seen that both the weldability evaluation and the weld thickness evaluation are good when w1 and w2 satisfy the relationship of the following mathematical formula (1).
w1 ≦ w2 × 20 (1)

  According to the present invention, since a copper alloy terminal in which the welded portion does not become thin is obtained, when caulking by inserting an aluminum or aluminum alloy wire into the wire connecting portion 30 of the copper alloy terminal, the wire connecting portion 30 It was confirmed that the water-stopping property was improved because the inner surface was in close contact over the entire outer periphery of the coating of the wire and the gap was reduced.

  In addition, after welding, the width of the butting portion 85 may be larger than other portions of the wire connecting portion 30, or the width of the butting portion 85 may be equal to the other portions of the wire connecting portion 30.

  Next, a modification of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view and a side cross-sectional view of the crimp terminal 10 according to the first modification.

  In the above, no grooves or protrusions are formed on the inner wall surface of the wire connection portion 30. In this regard, as shown in FIG. 8, the inner wall surface of the main body 33 of the modification is formed with a conduction pressing portion 33c including a plurality of rectangular grooves at positions where the conductor portion 51 is crimped. Further, on the inner wall surface of the main body portion 33, a waterproof compression portion 33d made of an arc-shaped protrusion is formed at a position where the covering portion 52 is crimped.

  The conduction pressing portion 33c is formed in order to more reliably electrically connect the wire connection portion 30 and the conductor portion 51. That is, when the conductor part 51 is comprised with aluminum, since aluminum has the influence of an oxide film larger than copper, it is possible that electrical conductivity worsens. In this respect, by strongly pressing the conductor portion 51 with the edge of the rectangular groove of the conduction pressing portion 33c, the oxide film can be broken to ensure conduction. The conduction pressing portion 33c is not limited to a rectangular groove, and may be a groove or a protrusion having another shape.

  The waterproof compression part 33d is formed in order to more reliably prevent water from entering the opening part 31. In order to improve the waterproof performance, it is preferable to compress the covering portion 52 locally to increase the adhesion with the wire connection portion 30. In this regard, in this modification, high waterproof performance can be exhibited by strongly compressing the covering portion 52 with the arc-shaped protrusion of the waterproof compression portion 33d. The waterproof compression portion 33d is not limited to the arc-shaped protrusion, and may be a protrusion or groove having another shape.

  Thus, the structure of a 1st modification is a structure which improves electroconductivity and waterproofness by performing crimping | bonding locally. In this respect, the crimp terminal 10 of the present application increases the joint area of the welded portion to improve the strength. Therefore, by increasing the crimping force, the electrical conductivity and waterproofness can be exerted more strongly. Thus, the structure of this modification can exhibit a synergistic effect by applying to the structure of this application.

  Next, a second modification will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the crimp terminal 11 and the terminal-attached electric wire 2 of the second modified example including the main body portion 93 formed with a step. As shown in FIG. 9A, the main body 93 of the second modified example is composed of a base end side connecting portion 94 on the large diameter side and a tip end side connecting portion 95 on the small diameter side. Crimping is performed in a state where the covered electric wire 50 is positioned at the proximal end side connecting portion 94 and the conductor portion 51 of the covered electric wire 50 is positioned at the distal end side connecting portion 95. By performing the crimping, as shown in FIG. 9B, a concave portion 96 is formed in the distal end side connecting portion 95 and the conductor portion 51 is connected to the electric wire connecting portion 90. Further, the covering portion 52 of the covered electric wire 50 is connected to the electric wire connecting portion 90 by the proximal end side connecting portion 94 having a reduced diameter. In addition, the recessed part 96 is an elongate recessed part, for example, and the longitudinal direction and the electric wire insertion direction correspond.

  As described above, the crimp terminal 10 (11) includes the wire connection part 30 (90) and the box part 20. The wire connection portion 30 (90) is formed by joining the end portions of the metal plates to form a hollow portion, and the thickness of the joint portion is thicker than the average thickness of the other portions, and the inside of the hollow portion. The covered electric wire 50 is connected to. The box part 20 is connected to the wire connection part 30 (90) via the transition part 40, and is connected to other terminals.

  Thereby, since the contact area of a welding location can be enlarged, the intensity | strength of a welding location can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the wire connecting portion 30 (90) is not easily damaged during crimping.

  Moreover, in said crimp terminal 10 (11), the electric wire connection part 30 (90) puts together the end surfaces parallel to the thickness direction of a metal plate, and is joined.

  As a result, it takes time to process by overlapping the thick plate portions, but by joining together the end faces as described above, the strength of the bonded portion can be improved while suppressing the processing time. .

  Moreover, in said crimp terminal 10 (11), as for the electric wire connection part 30 (90), the plate | board thickness of a junction part is the thickest in a metal plate.

  Thereby, the intensity | strength of a welding location can be improved effectively. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the electric wire connection portion 30 is less likely to be damaged during crimping.

  The crimp terminal 10 (11) has the following configuration. That is, the covered electric wire 50 and the electric wire connection part 30 (90) are connected by crimping. As for a metal plate, plate | board thickness becomes thick continuously as it approaches the junction part which is an edge part from a center part.

  Thereby, since an unevenness | corrugation does not arise in the inner surface of the electric wire connection part 30 (90), the covered electric wire 50 can be crimped | bonded by a uniform force.

  Moreover, in said crimp terminal 10 (11), as for the electric wire connection part 30 (90), one end becomes the insertion port (opening part 31 (81)) of the covered electric wire 50, and the other end is sealed. .

  Thereby, since the said other end side of the electric wire connection part 30 (90) is sealed, high waterproofness is realizable.

  The preferred embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, but the above configuration can be modified as follows, for example.

  The welding method and welding location of the crimp terminal 10 (11) may be other than the examples given above. Moreover, the crimp terminal 10 (11) is not restricted to the structure formed from one metal plate. For example, the box part 20 and the electric wire connection part 30 (90) can be shape | molded separately, and can also be connected by a suitable connection method (for example, welding).

  The method of connecting the electric wire connection part 30 and the conductor part 51 is not restricted to crimping. For example, ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, soldering, laser welding, or the like can be used.

  The electric wire connecting portion 30 (90) is sealed on one side by the sealing portion 32 (92), but may have a shape in which both are open.

  The metal plate for forming the wire connection part 30 (90) may have a configuration in which the plate thickness changes stepwise. In this case, since the covered electric wire 50 cannot be uniformly crimped as described above, a gap may be formed between the electric wire connecting portion 30 (90) and the covering portion 52, for example, and waterproof performance may not be exhibited. However, when the plate thickness is changed stepwise, it is only necessary to cut the surface of the metal plate, so that the molding cost of the crimp terminal 10 (11) may be reduced.

  Moreover, the metal plate for forming the electric wire connection part 30 (90) should just have the board thickness of an end surface larger than the average of the board thickness of another part (or whole board | plate material), and does not need to be the thickest part. .

  The crimp terminal 10 (11) can be used as a terminal for connecting single wires (or a single wire and an electric device). Further, a plurality of crimp terminals 10 (11) can be arranged side by side to be a part of the joint connector.

  In the above description, the configuration including the box portion 20 (female terminal) that can be connected to the male terminal has been described as an example. However, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the male connection portion 25 having the flat plate terminal 26 (male terminal) is used. The provided terminal 12 and the electric wire 3 with a terminal may be sufficient. In FIG. 10, the connection between the terminal 12 and the covered electric wire 50 is an example in which a stepped electric wire connecting portion 90 is crimped, but it is not limited to this. For example, the electric wire connection part 30 shown in FIG.1 (b) may be sufficient.

  The terminal-attached electric wires 1 (2, 3) are assumed to be applied to, for example, a wire harness installed in an automobile, but can be used as a part of connectors at various places where waterproofness is required.

1, 2, 3 Electric wire with terminal 10, 11, 12 Crimp terminal (terminal)
20 Box part (terminal connection part)
21 Elastic contact piece 25 Male connection part (terminal connection part)
30, 90 Electric wire connection portion 31, 91 Open portion 32, 92 Sealing portion 33, 93 Main body portion 33a, 93a First welded portion 33b, 93b Second welded portion 40 Transition portion 50 Covered wire 51 Conductor portion 52 Covered portion 94 Base End side connection part 95 Tip side connection part 96 Recess

Claims (12)

A hollow portion is formed by joining the end portions of the plate material, the thickness of the joint portion is thicker than the average of the thickness of the other portions, and a covered electric wire can be connected to the inside of the hollow portion A connection,
It is connected via the wire connection part and the transition part, and a terminal connection part connected to other terminals,
A terminal comprising: The terminal according to claim 1,
A terminal formed by joining the electric wire connecting portions with end faces parallel to the thickness direction of the plate. The terminal according to claim 1 or 2,
A terminal having a thickest plate thickness at the joining portion of the plate material. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein
The plate thickness of the bonded portion before bonding is thick across the width w1 from the end face at both ends,
The terminal w1 is 0.5 mm or less and satisfies the relationship of the following mathematical formula (1) with respect to the gap width w2 of the joint portion.
w1 ≦ w2 × 20 (1) The terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
A terminal in which the plate thickness of the plate continuously increases from the central portion of the plate toward the joining portion that is an end portion. The terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The terminal which has the sealing part by which the end of the said electric wire connection part has the insertion port of the said covered electric wire, and the other end was sealed. The terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein
A terminal in which the electric wire connecting portion is made of copper or a copper alloy.   The electric wire with a terminal which connected the terminal as described in any one of Claim 1 to 6, and the covered electric wire. A method of manufacturing an electric wire with a terminal by inserting and connecting a covered electric wire having a conductor portion and a covering portion to a terminal,
The terminal is
A hollow portion is formed by joining the end portions of the plate material, and the thickness of the joint portion is thicker than the average thickness of the other portions,
A terminal connection portion connected to the wire connection portion and connected to another terminal;
With
A forming step of forming the terminal by deforming the plate material;
An insertion step of inserting the covered electric wire into the hollow portion of the electric wire connecting portion;
A connecting step of connecting the wire connecting portion and the covered wire;
The manufacturing method of the electric wire with a terminal characterized by the above-mentioned. It is a manufacturing method of the electric wire with a terminal according to claim 9,
In the molding step, a method of manufacturing a terminal-attached electric wire, wherein the plate material is relatively thickened by pressing the plate material. It is a manufacturing method of the electric wire with a terminal according to claim 9 or 10,
In the connection step, a method of manufacturing a terminal-attached electric wire, wherein the conductor portion is connected to the electric wire connection portion using any one of crimping, ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, soldering, and laser welding. It is a manufacturing method of the electric wire with a terminal according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
In the molding step, the plate thickness of the joint portion is thick across the width w1 from the end surface at both ends,
w1 is 0.5 mm or less, and the plate material is punched and bent so as to satisfy the relationship of the following mathematical formula (1) with respect to the gap width w2 of the joint portion, and the joint portion is joined. A manufacturing method of an attached electric wire.
w1 ≦ w2 × 20 (1)

Images