JP2015053251A - Terminal manufacturing method, terminal, electric wire end edge connection structure manufacturing method, and electric wire end edge connection structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a terminal manufacturing method capable of manufacturing the terminal by laser welding with improved laser beam absorption efficiency, and shielding an electric wire conductor from outside without enlarging a crimping part of a terminal, a terminal, an electric wire end edge connection structure manufacturing method, and electric wire end edge connection structure.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a terminal 1 having a tubular caulking part 30 crimped and jointed to an electric wire sequentially has steps of: forming a nickel-zinc alloy layer on a plate material made of copper or a copper alloy at least at a portion where the tubular caulking part is formed; forming a terminal substrate by punching the plate material on which the nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed into a development elevational view of the terminal; bending a tubular development part serving as a portion forming the tubular caulking part of the terminal substrate; forming an abutting part by abutting opposed ends of the development part to each other; jointing the abutting part by laser welding (50); and forming the tubular caulking part 30.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a terminal excellent in laser weldability, a terminal, a method for manufacturing a terminal connection structure for electric wires, and a terminal connection structure for electric wires.

  In recent years, there has been a demand for weight reduction of each component in order to improve the fuel efficiency of automobiles. Therefore, replacing the core wire of the electric wire used for the wire harness etc. in a motor vehicle with aluminum or aluminum alloy lighter than copper or copper alloy is advanced. Since a metal material is usually used for a terminal to be crimped and connected to the tip of this aluminum electric wire or aluminum alloy electric wire (hereinafter simply referred to as “aluminum electric wire”), these terminals are appropriately connected at the terminal connection portion of the electric wire. It will be necessary.

In general, the terminal is made of copper or a copper alloy from the viewpoint of mechanical strength and springiness. Since the aluminum or aluminum alloy of the wire conductor is exposed at the crimping part of the terminal, if moisture adheres to the connection part of the aluminum wire and the terminal, the aluminum or aluminum alloy of the aluminum wire and the copper or copper alloy of the terminal Since the potential difference is different between different metals, there is a risk of corrosion (electrocorrosion), and defects may occur when corrosion progresses. Further, due to the progress of corrosion, the connection portion between the electric wire and the terminal is cracked or has poor contact, and the product life has been shortened.
In order to prevent these problems, it is desirable to block aluminum or an aluminum conductor (hereinafter simply referred to as “aluminum conductor”) from the outside. As an example, there is a method (for example, see Patent Document 1) in which the entire crimped portion of the terminal is molded with resin, and corrosion can be reliably prevented. Moreover, the technique (for example, refer patent document 2) which interrupts | blocks an aluminum conductor from the external world by the method of crimping | bonding after covering a metal cap on an electric wire conductor is disclosed.

On the other hand, the applicant of the present application forms a tubular crimped portion of a terminal by butt welding both ends of a terminal base material stamped and formed from a copper alloy plate material by laser welding, and an aluminum conductor of an aluminum electric wire in the tubular crimped portion. The conductor is accommodated in a copper alloy terminal by being caulked after being inserted, and is electrically connected, and the connection part between the conductor which is a dissimilar metal joint and the tubular caulking part does not come into contact with external moisture It is proposed that
However, when laser welding copper or copper alloy, copper or copper alloy has a high reflectivity of 90% or more of near-infrared laser light widely used as laser light for welding (absorbability of laser light). Therefore, the efficiency of laser welding is poor and the welding speed cannot be increased (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2011-222243 A JP 2004-207172 A JP 2011-1117048 A

In the technique described in Patent Document 1, since the mold portion is enlarged, it is necessary to increase the size of the connector housing, and as a result, the connector is enlarged. For this reason, the entire assembled electric wire (for example, a wire harness for automobiles) using this connector cannot be molded in a high density and small size. Moreover, it is necessary to process each crimping part after crimping, the number of steps for manufacturing the assembled wire is greatly increased, and each work is complicated.
Moreover, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, the process of attaching the tube body to each conductor before crimping is complicated, and the tube is broken by the wire barrel during crimping, resulting in a flooded path. There was a fear.
Therefore, when a copper or copper alloy plate material for forming a terminal is formed into a tubular body by butt welding, the reflectance of the laser beam is lowered with respect to the copper or copper alloy plate material, particularly in the tubular body forming portion ( There has been a demand for a method for efficiently forming a tubular structure of a terminal by laser welding, which is a simple welding method, by performing a process that improves the absorption of laser light.

  The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a terminal, a terminal, and an end connection structure of a wire, which is obtained by laser welding with improved laser light absorption efficiency and can shut off a wire conductor from the outside without enlarging a crimping portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing method and an end connection structure for electric wires.

  As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have adopted a structure in which an electric wire is inserted into and crimped to a terminal of a tubular body, thereby making it possible to connect the electric wire conductor to the outside world without enlarging the crimping portion. In addition, the present inventors have found a laser welding method in which laser welding is improved by laser welding a copper alloy from the viewpoint of processing speed and cost and providing a predetermined layer on the surface of the copper alloy. The present invention has been made based on these findings.

That is, the said subject is solved by the following means.
(1) A method for producing a terminal having a tubular caulking portion that is crimp-bonded to an electric wire,
A nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed on at least a portion forming the tubular caulking portion with respect to a plate made of copper or a copper alloy,
A terminal base material is formed by punching the plate material on which the nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed in a developed view of the terminal,
Bending a tube expanding portion that becomes a portion forming the tubular caulking portion of the terminal base material, but facing opposite ends of the tube expanding portion to form a butted portion;
The manufacturing method of the terminal which has each process which joins the said butt | matching part by laser welding and forms the said tubular crimping part in this order.
(2) A method for producing a terminal having a tubular caulking portion that is crimp-bonded to an electric wire,
A terminal base material is formed by punching a plate made of copper or a copper alloy into a developed view of the terminal,
Forming a nickel-zinc alloy layer on a tube development portion which becomes a portion forming the tubular caulking portion of the terminal base material,
Bending the pipe expanding portion, butting the opposite ends of the pipe expanding portion together to form a butt portion;
The manufacturing method of the terminal which has each process which joins the said butt | matching part by laser welding and forms in the said tubular crimping part in this order.
(3) The method for manufacturing a terminal according to (1) or (2), further including a step of forming a tip sealing portion by closing an end portion of the tubular caulking portion on the transition portion side by laser welding.
(4) The method for manufacturing a terminal according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed by plating.
(5) The method for manufacturing a terminal according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein a tin layer is formed on a surface of the plate member, and then the nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed thereon.
(6) The method for manufacturing a terminal according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed on the surface of the tube development portion on the laser welded side.
(7) The method for manufacturing a terminal according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed in the laser-welded region of the pipe expanding portion.
(8) The method for manufacturing a terminal according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed on the opposing end portion of the tube development portion.
(9) The manufacturing method of the terminal according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the nickel-zinc alloy layer contains 67 to 83% by mass of nickel.
(10) The method for manufacturing a terminal according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the laser welding uses laser light having an oscillation wavelength in a near infrared region.

(11) A terminal having a tubular caulking portion that is crimp-bonded to an electric wire,
The terminal base material forming the terminal is made of copper or a copper alloy,
The tubular caulking portion is formed by bending the tube deployment portion of the terminal base material and abutting the opposite ends thereof, and the abutting portion is joined by laser welding,
A terminal in which a nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed on the laser-welded terminal base material.
(12) The terminal according to (11), wherein a tin layer is formed on the surface of the tube development portion of the terminal base material before the laser welding, and a nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed on the tin layer.

(13) A terminal end connection structure for connecting a terminal produced by the method for manufacturing a terminal according to any one of (1) to (10) and a covered electric wire by crimping at a tubular caulked portion of the terminal. A manufacturing method of
Insert the covered electric wire with the core wire exposed from the end into the tubular caulking portion,
A method for manufacturing an end connection structure for electric wires, wherein the tubular caulking portion is caulked and the covered electric wire is crimped and connected to the tubular caulking portion.
(14) A terminal connection structure of an electric wire in which the terminal according to (11) or (12) and a covered electric wire are connected by crimping at a tubular caulking portion of the terminal.

According to the method of manufacturing a terminal of the present invention,
(1) It is possible to perform joining by butt welding between copper alloys by high-speed welding, and the caulking portion can be formed into a tubular shape at a low cost,
(2) In crimping connection of aluminum wires, etc., it is possible to provide a terminal that contributes to prevention of corrosion between different metals between the base material of the terminal and the metal material of the wire without enlarging the crimping part,
(3) By forming a nickel-zinc alloy layer on the copper alloy surface, absorption of near-infrared laser light can be enhanced, weld cracking during processing can be prevented, and blowholes are less likely to occur. Can do.

It is the perspective view which showed one preferable embodiment of the terminal of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the longitudinal direction cross section of the tubular crimping part of the terminal which concerns on this invention. It is the perspective view which showed another preferable aspect of the terminal of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed another preferable aspect of the terminal of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the termination | terminus connection structure of the electric wire formed using the terminal of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed typically one state during manufacture of the terminal of this invention. It is the top view which showed the state which the terminal base material before shaping | molding of the female terminal produced by stamping and pressing a board | plate material was expand | deployed. It is the perspective view which showed the state which processed the terminal base material and formed the tubular crimping part.

  A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment shown below is an example, and various embodiments can be taken within the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a terminal 1 which is a preferred embodiment of a terminal manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention. The terminal 1 connects the electric wire and the base material of the terminal 1 (hereinafter also referred to as a terminal base material) by crimping after the box portion 20 of the female terminal and a covered electric wire (for example, an aluminum electric wire) are inserted. A tubular caulking portion 30 is provided, and a transition portion 40 that connects the box portion 20 and the tubular caulking portion 30 is provided. Further, the terminal 1 has a laser welding portion 50 (first laser welding portion) in the tubular caulking portion 30, and a tip sealing portion 52 (second laser) closed by laser welding on the transition caking portion 40 side of the tubular caulking portion 30. Welded part). The terminal 1 is basically made of a terminal base material made of a metal material (copper alloy or the like) in order to ensure conductivity and strength. The shape of the laser weld 50 is not particularly limited. It is preferable to form in a band shape in the longitudinal direction of the tubular caulking portion 30 like the laser welding portion 50. Furthermore, the welding shape of the tip sealing portion 52 is not particularly limited.

  The terminal base material constituting the terminal 1 is preferably made of a copper alloy. The thickness of the terminal substrate is preferably 0.08 to 0.64 mm. When the wire diameter is small in an automobile terminal, a thickness of 0.25 mm is often used. Moreover, copper (tough pitch copper, oxygen-free copper, etc.) can also be used as a material for the terminal base material instead of the copper alloy. Examples of the copper alloy used for the terminal base material include brass (for example, C2600 and C2680 of CDA (Copper Development Association)), phosphor bronze (for example, C5210 of CDA), and Corson type copper alloy (Cu—Ni—Si—). (Sn, Zn, Mg, Cr) -based copper alloy) and the like, and among them, a Corson copper alloy is preferable.

Examples of the Corson copper alloy include, but are not limited to, copper alloys FAS-680 and FAS-820 (both trade names) manufactured by Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., and copper alloys MAX- manufactured by Mitsubishi Shindoh. 375, MAX251 (both are trade names) can be used. Also, CDA C7025 or the like can be used.
An example of the alloy composition of the FAS-680 is 0.15% by mass of tin (Sn), 0.5% by mass of zinc (Zn), 2.3% by mass of nickel (Ni), and 0 of silicon (Si). .55% by mass and 0.1% by mass of magnesium (Mg), with the balance being copper (Cu) and inevitable impurities.
An example of the alloy composition of FAS-820 is as follows: tin (Sn) 0.15 mass%, zinc (Zn) 0.5 mass%, nickel (Ni) 2.3 mass%, silicon (Si) 0.65 mass%, magnesium (Mg) 0.1 mass%, and chromium (Cr) 0.15 mass%, with the balance being copper (Cu) and inevitable impurities.

Examples of other copper alloy compositions include, for example, Cu—Sn—Cr based copper alloys, Cu—Sn—Zn—Cr based copper alloys, Cu—Sn—P based copper alloys, Cu—Sn—P—Ni. Examples thereof include a copper alloy, a Cu—Fe—Sn—P copper alloy, a Cu—Mg—P copper alloy, and a Cu—Fe—Zn—P copper alloy.
Here, it is natural that inevitable impurities may be included in addition to the essential elements described above.

  On the terminal base material, a nickel-zinc alloy layer (hereinafter also referred to as Ni-Zn alloy layer) is formed as the outermost layer of the terminal 1. The Ni—Zn alloy layer preferably contains 67 to 83% by mass of nickel (hereinafter also referred to as Ni), more preferably 70 to 80% by mass, still more preferably 73 to 77% by mass, and the balance. Consists of Zn and inevitable impurities. The color is black or gray (blunt color) close to black, and may have a slight blue, red, silver, or other color. The thickness of the Ni—Zn alloy layer is preferably 0.1 to 1.0 μm, more preferably 0.2 to 0.8 μm, and further preferably 0.2 to 0.4 μm. If the Ni—Zn alloy layer is too thick, the Ni—Zn alloy layer is easily broken. If it is too thin, the amount of laser light absorbed and converted into heat decreases, and the welding speed decreases. The Ni content can be measured by quantitative analysis such as by X-rays.

  The action is considered as follows. First, the Ni—Zn alloy layer is melted by the energy of the laser beam. Next, thermal energy propagates from the melted Ni—Zn, and the copper (Cu) of the terminal base material immediately below melts. After the laser light irradiation, the molten nickel, zinc, and metallic copper are solidified to complete the joining. At this time, nickel and zinc in the Ni—Zn alloy layer are melted by laser light irradiation, and form an alloy or a compound with copper of the terminal base material or copper (Cu) component of the copper alloy. Although it is taken in, a part may remain on the surface. Note that the Ni—Zn alloy layer remains on the surface of the heat affected zone (Heat Affected Zone, HAZ) outside the melted zone.

The manufacturing method of the Ni—Zn alloy layer is preferably a plating treatment in terms of cost. As the plating method, electroplating, electroless plating and the like are possible. If possible, various film forming techniques such as vapor deposition, ion plating, sputtering, and chemical vapor deposition can also be employed. When forming by a plating process, it is preferable to form a Ni-Zn black plating film by a black plating process.
As described above, “black” in the present specification includes not only perfect black, but also gray that is close to black and also includes black that is slightly colored.
When forming the Ni-Zn alloy layer by plating, conventional pretreatment means such as cathode electrolytic degreasing in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, pickling treatment by dipping in diluted sulfuric acid, activation treatment, etc. should be performed. Thus, a plating film excellent in adhesion can be formed.

  The box part 20 of the female terminal is a box part that allows insertion of an insertion tab such as a male terminal. In the present invention, the detailed shape of the box portion is not particularly limited. That is, in another embodiment of the terminal of the present invention, the box portion may not be provided. For example, an insertion tab of a male terminal may be used instead of the box portion. Moreover, the edge part of the terminal which concerns on another form may be sufficient. Here, in order to explain the terminal of the present invention, an example of a female terminal is shown for convenience. Any terminal having any connecting end may have the tubular caulking portion 30 via the transition portion 40. Moreover, it is preferable that the laser welding part 50 formed in the tubular crimping part 30 is softer than the terminal base material which comprises a tubular crimping part.

The tubular caulking part 30 is a part that crimps and joins the terminal 1 and an electric wire (not shown). One end has an insertion port 31 into which an electric wire such as an aluminum electric wire or a conductor thereof can be inserted, and the other end is connected to the transition portion 40. The tubular caulking portion 30 is formed on the transition portion 40 side by crushing two opposing pipe walls (usually upper and lower pipe walls) of the tubular caulking portion 30 by crushing such as pressing, for example, laser welding or the like. It has the structure of a “can body” that is closed by the welding process and opens at the insertion opening 31 of the electric wire or conductor with the closed portion as the bottom. The transition part 40 side of the tubular caulking part 30 is closed. When moisture adheres to the contact between the terminal base material (copper alloy or the like) of the terminal 1 and the aluminum electric wire, either metal (alloy) corrodes due to the difference in electromotive force between the two metals. The tube is closed at one end so that moisture and the like do not enter from the outside. If the crimping portion of the terminal of the present invention is a tubular body, a certain effect against corrosion can be obtained. Therefore, the crimped portion does not necessarily have to be a cylinder in the longitudinal direction. It may be. Further, the diameter does not need to be constant, and the radius may change in the longitudinal direction.
When this terminal 1 is used, the tubular caulking portion 30 is a tubular body whose one end is closed, so that it is difficult for moisture from the outside to adhere to the contact between the aluminum electric wire and the terminal base material of the terminal 1.

  In the tubular caulking portion 30, the terminal base material and the aluminum (aluminum alloy) electric wire constituting the tubular caulking portion are mechanically pressure-bonded to each other, thereby simultaneously ensuring electrical joining. The caulking is performed by plastic deformation of a terminal base material or an electric wire (core wire). Accordingly, the tubular caulking portion 30 needs to be designed to have a thickness so that it can be caulked and joined, but since it can be joined freely by manual machining or machining, it is particularly limited. is not.

The tubular caulking portion 30 of the present invention is configured by abutting plate terminal base materials, and has a laser welded portion 50 that joins the butted portions. That is, the laser welded portion 50 is continuously provided in the longitudinal direction along the butted portion of the tubular caulking portion 30. And it is provided as a linear area | region from the transition part 40 to the insertion port 31. FIG.
Further, the laser welded portion 50 is formed by forming a black Ni—Zn alloy layer on the surface of the terminal base material before laser welding, and this Ni—Zn alloy layer enhances absorption of laser light during laser welding. be able to.

  A part of a longitudinal sectional view of the tubular caulking portion 30 is shown in FIG. In this figure, the description of the laser welded portion (that is, the annealed portion) 50 is omitted. As described above, the tubular caulking portion 30 is constituted by the terminal base material 32 made of a copper alloy. Further, the inner wall surface 33 of the tubular caulking portion may have an electric wire locking groove 34a or 34b for maintaining a contact pressure with the electric wire. Aluminum and aluminum alloy, which are the core wires of electric wires, have an oxide film on the surface that is higher in insulation than copper oxide film, and therefore there is anxiety in connection. Therefore, by providing such a groove, the contact pressure is increased by the crest of the groove. In FIG. 2, the wire locking groove 34a is a groove having a rectangular cross section, and the wire locking groove 34b is a groove having a semicircular cross section. Such a wire locking groove can be easily provided if the terminal base material itself is processed before the tubular caulking portion 30 is formed. It can be provided by fiber laser processing, which will be described later, or cutting by a machine. In addition, if such an electric wire latching groove is provided in advance before the tubular caulking portion 30 is formed, efficient production can be achieved.

In addition, since an aluminum electric wire or its conductor is inserted in the tubular crimping part from the insertion port 31, it is preferable that the electric wire latching grooves 34a and 34b are provided in the position which contacts an aluminum core wire. An aluminum electric wire is usually composed of an aluminum core wire (conductor) and an insulating coating covering the same. The electrical connection between the electric wire and the terminal is performed by crimping and joining the aluminum core wire from which the insulating coating at the tip is removed (peeled) to the tubular caulking portion of the terminal. Therefore, ensuring sufficient contact pressure leads to maintenance of electrical performance, so that a groove such as a wire locking groove is required. Such grooves are also called serrations.
Then, by providing at least one or more wire locking grooves on the inner surface of the tubular caulking portion 30, the terminal and the wire are securely bonded to each other, so that the long-term reliability can be improved.

  As mentioned above, although the terminal of this invention has been demonstrated based on the aspect shown in FIG. 1, the aspect of the terminal of this invention is not limited to this.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a stepped tube body in which the tubular caulking portion of the terminal 100 is composed of a plurality of tube bodies having different inner diameters before being crimped to the electric wire may be used. Specifically, the step tubular caulking portion 80 has a laser welded portion 500 similar to the above-described tubular caulking portion 30 (see FIG. 1), and the transition portion 40 side is closed by a tip sealing portion 502 by welding. A crimping portion 82 that is a member and is crimped to an insulation coating of a wire (not shown), a reduced diameter portion 83 that is reduced in diameter from the insertion port 81 side toward the transition portion 40 side, and a conductor of the wire. You may have the conductor crimping | compression-bonding part 84 and the diameter reducing part 85 which further reduces in diameter toward the transition part 40 side from the insertion port 81 side, and the edge part is obstruct | occluded by welding. In FIG. 3, there are two types of tubular portions (covered crimping portion 82 and conductor crimping portion 84), but three or more types may be used according to the application and design.

  Since the tubular caulking portion 80 has a stepped shape in this way, when the end portion of the wire is removed and the end portion is inserted into the stepped tubular caulking portion 80, the insulation coating of the electric wire is reduced in diameter 83. As a result, the insulation coating is positioned directly below the covering crimping portion 82, and the electric wire conductor is positioned directly below the conductor crimping portion 84. Therefore, the end of the electric wire can be easily positioned, the crimping between the cover crimping portion 82 and the insulating coating, and the crimping between the conductor crimping portion 84 and the conductor can be performed reliably, and good water stopping and electrical It is possible to achieve excellent adhesiveness while achieving simultaneous connection.

  1 shows an example of a female terminal having the box portion 20, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the connection portion with another terminal may be the male terminal 101. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, an insertion port 91 for inserting an unillustrated electric wire, a tubular caulking portion 90 to be crimped to the electric wire, a tubular caulking portion 90, and the transition portion 40 are integrally formed. It may be a terminal provided with a male connection portion 21 provided and electrically connected to an external terminal (not shown). The tubular caulking portion 90 has a laser welded portion 501 and a tip sealing portion 503 in the same manner as the tubular caulking portion 30 described above. The male connecting portion 21 has a long insertion tab 21a, and a female terminal (not shown) having the insertion tab 21a as an external terminal (for example, a terminal having a box portion 20 as shown in FIG. 1). ) Is inserted along the longitudinal direction to be electrically connected. Further, a terminal having a male connecting portion 21 at the front end and a stepped caulking portion as shown in FIG. 3 at the rear end is also permitted.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the end connection structure 10 for electric wires according to the present invention. The terminal connection structure 10 of this example has a structure in which the stepped terminal 100 of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 is connected to an aluminum electric wire (60). In the terminal connection structure 10, the terminal 100 and the electric wire 60 are crimped and joined by a tubular caulking portion 80. Although the manner of pressure bonding is not particularly limited, in FIG. 5, it is composed of a covering pressure bonding portion 82 and a conductor pressure bonding portion 84. Usually, when crimped and joined, the tubular caulked portion 80 undergoes plastic deformation and is crimped to the electric wire 60 by being reduced in diameter than the original diameter. At the time of pressure bonding, it is preferable that the conductor pressure bonding portion 84 is strongly pressure-bonded so as to be recessed inside the tubular caulking portion 80 to be a strongly pressure-bonded pressure bonding portion. In this case, a concave portion (not shown) may be formed in the conductor crimping portion 84. The crimp bonding may be performed with a reduced diameter of two stages or three or more stages.
In addition, the terminal connection structure (10) of the electric wire of the present invention is configured by using the stepped terminal (100) shown in FIG. 5 as the terminal of the present invention, and the terminal (1) shown in FIG. Alternatively, the terminal (101) shown in FIG. 4 may be used.

  In addition, the electric wire 60 consists of the insulation coating 61 and the core wire of the electric wire which is not shown in figure. Although the electric wire 60 may be a bare wire, from the viewpoint of corrosion prevention, an electric wire with an insulation coating is usually used. An arbitrary metal material can be used for the core wire of the electric wire, for example, copper or a copper alloy, or aluminum or an aluminum alloy. As described in the background section of this document, in recent years, an aluminum or aluminum alloy core wire has been used for weight reduction. However, the core wire (conductor) of the electric wire 60 used in the present invention is not limited to aluminum or aluminum alloy. This is because the waterproofness of the connection portion between the core wire and the terminal of the electric wire is cited as a problem to be solved by the present invention regardless of the combination of any metal or alloy type.

The electric wire terminal connection structure of the present invention contributes to the prevention of corrosion between different metals between an electric wire made of an aluminum material and a terminal base material made of a copper material. Further, since the laser welded portion 50 and the surrounding heat-affected zone can be an annealed portion that is softer than the terminal base material 32, it is possible to prevent a springback of the crimping portion between the electric wire and the terminal. Excellent long-term reliability.
The spring back is a phenomenon in which the processed part attempts to return to its original shape. That is, the deformed portion of the tubular caulking portion that is crimp-bonded to the electric wire (not shown) tries to return to the original shape by an elastic force or the like, so that a gap is formed between the inner surface of the tubular caulking portion 30 and the electric wire. . If such a springback occurs at the crimping portion of the terminal, not only will the contact failure between the electric wire 60 and the terminal 1 be caused, but also water may easily enter the gap and cause corrosion.

  When manufacturing the terminal connection structure 10 of the electric wire of the present invention, it is preferable to perform crimp bonding in which the laser welding portion 50 of the tubular caulking portion 30 is positively plastically deformed. When crimping the tubular caulking portion 30 of the terminal 1 and the electric wire 60, it is performed with a dedicated jig or a press machine. At this time, the entire diameter of the tubular caulking portion 30 may be reduced, but the tubular caulking portion may be partly strongly processed and crimped like a concave shape. At this time, the position may be adjusted so that the amount of plastic deformation of the laser weld 50 is increased. That is, when the adjustment is performed so that the tip of the convex portion at the time of press working is directly above (outside) of the laser weld 50, the amount of deformation of the laser weld 50 increases. If it does in this way, since the comparatively soft laser welding part 50 can bear much plastic deformation, it can contribute to reduction of a springback.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the terminal 1 will be described. Since the terminal 1 of the present invention has a tubular caulking portion 30, the tubular caulking portion 30 is a terminal having a laser welded portion (see FIG. 1, the first laser welded portion and the second laser welded portion). As long as the above can be achieved, the production method is not limited.

The terminal 1 is subjected to Ni-Zn plating treatment in a region that becomes a tubular caulking portion of a plate material made of a terminal base material (such as a copper alloy), and after punching the plate material subjected to the plating treatment into a flattened terminal shape, bending is performed. A box part 20 and a tubular caulking part 30 are provided. At this time, since the tubular caulking portion 30 has a C-shaped cross section when bent from a plane, the tubular caulking portion 30 is joined by abutting and welding the end surfaces of the open portion. As a preferable manufacturing method of the tubular crimping portion 30, laser welding using a fiber laser processing machine that oscillates near infrared laser light is performed.
In addition, the terminal may be formed in a shape in which the terminals are continuous in the longitudinal direction by punching from the plate material (chain type), or may be punched in a shape in which the terminals are individually developed from the plate material (single wafer type). . The punching process may be performed prior to the plating process, and the order of the plating process and the punching process is appropriately selected. In addition, the plating process may be formed on the entire surface (front surface and back surface) of the plate material or on the entire surface of the plate material on the laser beam irradiation side, so that only the portion to be the tubular caulking portion or the region thereof is included. Even if it forms in a shape, you may form only in the area | region surface used as a laser welding part. Except for the case where the entire surface of the plate material is plated, for example, a mask may be formed on the surface not subjected to the plating treatment, and immersed in a plating bath to perform the plating treatment.

  Usually, copper alloys have a low absorption efficiency of laser light having an oscillation wavelength in the near-infrared region, so that there are cases where the weld width cannot be reduced or the heat affected zone (HAZ) cannot be reduced. Therefore, a Ni—Zn alloy layer that absorbs near-infrared laser light better than a copper alloy is formed on the surface of the terminal base material that becomes the laser weld 50, and laser light having a high energy density such as fiber laser light. By using it, the above problems are overcome. Further, the laser welded portion 50 can be an annealed portion while welding the butted portion of the tubular crimped portion 30 by welding with fiber laser light. Thus, since the welding process and annealing process of the tubular crimping part 30 can be performed in one process, the terminal 1 can be manufactured efficiently.

  Since the Ni—Zn alloy layer reflects less near-infrared laser light than the copper alloy surface, the near-infrared laser light absorbability is good. In the reflectance measurement of near infrared light using a spectrophotometer, the Ni—Zn alloy layer used in the present invention has a reflectance of about 20 to 40%, which is higher than a copper alloy having a reflectance of 90% or more. It is low. When the near-infrared laser light is irradiated to the region where the Ni-Zn alloy layer having high near-infrared laser light absorption is formed, the Ni-Zn alloy layer is melted to form a molten pool. As a result, the absorption of the laser beam is enhanced, the surface of the underlying terminal base material is melted, and the melting region absorbs the laser light to melt the butted portion of the terminal base material.

Moreover, what formed the Sn layer as a base layer between the terminal base material and the Ni-Zn alloy layer may be used. The thickness of the Sn layer is 0.3 to 10 μm, preferably 0.4 to 5 μm, more preferably 0.5 to 3 μm. When the Sn layer is too thick, the productivity is deteriorated, and when it is too thin, the effect of improving the weldability is lowered.
By forming the Sn layer, the laser light is absorbed by the Ni—Zn alloy layer and converted into heat, and the Sn layer having a melting point lower than that of the Ni—Zn alloy layer is melted by the heat, and the melted Sn is welded. Therefore, the weldability is further improved.
If necessary, a metal layer may be provided between the terminal base material and the Sn layer. This metal layer is provided in order to improve the adhesion between the terminal base material and the Sn layer and to prevent the mutual diffusion of the components. This metal layer is preferably made of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co) or an alloy thereof. The metal layer may be composed of a plurality of layers.

Further, the Ni—Zn alloy layer may be formed only on the surface of the terminal base material on the side where laser light irradiation is performed. Similarly, the Sn layer may be formed only on the surface of the terminal base material on which the laser beam is irradiated.
Further, the Ni—Zn alloy layer may be formed only in a region where the tubular caulking portion 30 where the laser light irradiation of the terminal base material is performed is formed. Similarly, the Sn layer may be formed only in the region where the tubular caulking portion 30 where the terminal base material is irradiated with laser light is formed.
In this case, when forming a terminal base material having a shape in which a terminal is developed by punching a plate made of a copper alloy, it includes a portion to be irradiated with laser light before punching, that is, a tubular caulking portion 30 and The Ni—Zn alloy layer is formed in a stripe shape on the plate so as to include the portion to be formed. Usually, since a plurality of terminal base materials are produced by punching a single plate material by punching, a plurality of terminal base materials are collected without forming a Ni-Zn alloy layer for each terminal base material. Thus, the Ni—Zn alloy layer can be formed, thereby reducing the number of steps.

Furthermore, you may form the said Ni-Zn alloy layer only in the area | region where the laser beam irradiation of a terminal base material is performed. Similarly, the Sn layer may be formed only in the region where the terminal base material is irradiated with the laser beam. In this case, the Ni—Zn alloy layer and the Sn layer can be saved.
Even when the Sn layer is formed below the Ni—Zn alloy layer, the Ni—Zn alloy layer and the Sn layer are dissolved in the surface layer of the copper alloy of the terminal base material in the laser welding portion 50.

  Since it changes depending on the material of the terminal base material 32 constituting the terminal 1, it cannot be generally stated. However, if the terminal base material 32 is a copper alloy having a Ni—Zn alloy layer formed on the outermost surface, near infrared laser light irradiation Thus, the Ni—Zn alloy layer on the surface absorbs the laser beam and melts to form a molten pool. Furthermore, the heat and the thermal energy converted into light energy by the laser light propagation propagate, and the Ni—Zn alloy layer and the copper alloy of the terminal base material 32 are melted. The molten metal nickel, metal zinc and metal copper are solidified after the laser beam irradiation, and the butted portions are joined to form the laser weld 50. Therefore, the laser welding part 50 is provided by the terminal base material 32 being heated up more than melting | fusing point. Specifically, the butted portion of the tubular caulking portion 30 including the Ni-Zn alloy layer is raised to a temperature not lower than the melting point and not higher than the boiling point, including the Ni-Zn alloy layer. A weld 50 is formed. Usually, since the laser light is swept, the temperature of the laser light irradiation region may be set to be equal to or higher than the melting point of the terminal base material 32 on which the Ni—Zn alloy layer is formed by appropriately determining the sweep speed. Preferably, the laser beam irradiation conditions are adjusted so that the terminal base material 32 is melted through by laser beam irradiation.

  The laser welding uses near infrared laser light. The near-infrared laser beam has an oscillation wavelength of 700 nm to 2.5 μm, and preferably a laser beam having an oscillation wavelength of 1000 nm to 2000 nm. Examples of such laser light include yttrium (Yb) -doped glass fiber laser light (oscillation wavelength 1084 nm), erbium (Er) -doped glass fiber laser light (oscillation wavelength 1550 nm), and the like. Since the reflectance of the Ni—Zn alloy layer is lower in the region where the wavelength is about 1000 nm, yttrium-doped glass fiber laser light is more preferable.

  For the welding, a fiber laser device that continuously oscillates near-infrared laser light is used, but the tubular caulking portion 30 may be formed by welding using a laser device different from this. For example, there are a YAG laser beam oscillation device, a glass laser beam oscillation device, etc. that continuously oscillate, a laser beam oscillation device that performs pulse oscillation (preferably high-speed pulse oscillation), and the like. It is preferable to use a fiber laser oscillator because of its thinness and stability of continuous laser oscillation.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing one state during manufacture of the terminal 1 of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 6, laser light L emitted from a fiber laser welding apparatus FL that oscillates near-infrared laser light having a wavelength of 1084 nm ± 5 nm is irradiated so as to cover the butting portion 37 of the tubular caulking portion 30, and laser light is emitted. Is converted into heat, the butt portion 37 first melts the Ni—Zn alloy layer, and then the thermal heat energy also propagates, so that the terminal base material (Cu) itself of the butt portion 37 is When the laser beam irradiation is finished, the laser welded portion 50 is formed by cooling. The laser welding part 50 can be provided by a laser heating process at or above the melting point of the material to be welded. However, if the energy of the fiber laser beam L is too high or the energy density is too low, if the laser beam irradiation time is lengthened, the heat-affected zone will be formed over a wider range than necessary, and in extreme cases, it will be crimped by a tube. The whole part 30 will be softened. Therefore, the fiber laser light L is preferably welded at an output of 100 to 400W. Moreover, the laser welding part 50 is provided in a suitable range by adjusting sweep speed.

  If the width | variety of the said terminal base material is a width | variety which can be pierce | punched, for example by press work, there will be no restriction | limiting in particular. For example, it is 10 to 60 mm, preferably 15 to 40 mm.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail based on examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

  As shown in FIG. 7, after forming a Ni—Zn alloy layer (not shown) in a stripe shape so as to include a region to be a tubular caulking portion as shown in Table 1 on a copper alloy plate 5, the plate 5 was punched out and processed into a shape in which the terminals were developed so as to be continuous in the longitudinal direction (chain type), and a plurality of terminal base materials 32 were produced. Furthermore, the end surfaces 30S that are the butted portions of the tubular caulking portion developing portion 30a were butted together to produce a tubular caulking portion forming portion 30b (see FIG. 8). At this time, the end faces 30 </ b> S are brought into contact with each other to form a butt portion 37. Then, as described with reference to FIG. 6, along the abutting portion, both sides thereof are irradiated by a near-infrared laser beam and welded by penetrating a length of 10 mm, and the tubular caulking portion is joined. A terminal sample was prepared. The term “terminal sample” as used herein refers to a terminal that has not yet been sealed at the tip and has a tubular caulking portion that includes only a laser welded portion (first laser welded portion) 50. By this welding, an annealed part was also obtained in the tubular crimped part. Moreover, the number of blowholes was evaluated as weldability by changing various conditions.

  Although omitted in the present embodiment, a terminal is obtained by further performing the following process on the above terminal sample. First, in order to close the end portion of the tubular caulking portion on the transition portion side, the base materials at the end portions of the tubular body are overlapped, the overlapped portion is welded (overlap welding), and the tip sealing portion (the second sealing portion) Laser welded part) 52 is provided. Furthermore, it becomes an independent terminal by separating the terminal from the carrier 38.

(Examples 1-5)
As a terminal base material, Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. copper alloy FAS-680 (trade name, thickness 0.25 mm, H material) was used.
The alloy composition of FAS-680 is 0.15% by mass of tin (Sn), 0.5% by mass of zinc (Zn), 2.3% by mass of nickel (Ni), and 0.55% by mass of silicon (Si). % And magnesium (Mg) 0.1% by mass, the balance being copper (Cu) and inevitable impurities. FAS-680 has a melting point of 1078 ° C. (liquid phase), a specific heat of 377 J / (kg · K), a thermal conductivity of 170 W / (m · K), and a linear expansion coefficient of 17.7 × 10 ⁻⁶ / K (20 ˜300 ° C.), and conductivity 40% IACS. Further, the tensile strength is 600 to 700 N / mm ² , the elongation (tensile elongation at break, the same applies hereinafter) is 15% or more, the 0.2% proof stress is 500 to 600 N / mm ² , and the Vickers hardness is 160 to 220 Hv. is there.

  After electrolytic degreasing and activation treatment, a Ni—Zn alloy layer was formed on the surface of the terminal base material by changing the Zn content in the layer by Ni—Zn black plating treatment.

The experimental conditions are as follows.
<Plating pretreatment (electrolytic degreasing treatment, acid dipping treatment)>
Pre-plating treatment was performed by sequentially passing through an electrolytic degreasing tank, a water washing tank, a pickling tank, and a water washing tank.
(Electrolytic degreasing)
Treatment liquid: 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution Treatment temperature: 60 ° C
Cathode current density: 3.5 A / dm ²
Treatment time: 30 seconds (acid dipping treatment)
Treatment liquid: 10% sulfuric acid aqueous solution Treatment temperature: 25 ° C
Immersion processing time: 30 seconds

<Ni-Zn plating>
Treatment liquid: Black nickel salt (manufactured by Chuo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.)
Processing temperature: 40 ° C
Current density: 0.2-5 A / dm ²
The plating treatment time was adjusted to form a Ni—Zn plating layer having a plating thickness of 0.3 μm ± 0.1 μm.

  Note that in the Ni—Zn plating process, the Zn concentration in the Ni—Zn alloy layer can be adjusted by adjusting the current density during the plating process. That is, the eutectoid rate of Zn in the plating film can be changed by changing the current density. This is because Zn is more noble than Ni when considered as a simple substance. There are other ways to change the eutectoid rate besides the current density, but it is better to change the conditions by changing the current density in the experimental means. Moreover, since it is necessary to change the eutectoid rate finely, it is desirable not to change elements other than the current density and the plating time. The processing time was changed so as to obtain a desired plating thickness at each current density. A sample having a target plating thickness within ± 0.1 μm was employed. As the current density is increased, Zn is more likely to be attached (concentration is higher).

(Examples 6-8, 10, 11)
As a terminal sample, in Example 1-5, before forming a Ni-Zn alloy layer by plating process, Sn layer was formed as a base layer by plating process, and other than this, it is the same as that of Examples 1-5 It was prepared.

<Sn plating treatment>
Treatment liquid: tin sulfate 80g / liter, sulfuric acid 50ml / liter Treatment temperature: 25 ℃
Current density: 3 A / dm ²
The plating time was adjusted, and a base Sn plating layer having a plating thickness of 0.6 μm ± 0.1 μm was formed.

(Example 12)
A terminal sample was prepared in the same manner as in Example 3 except that in Example 3, copper alloy FAS-820 (trade name) manufactured by Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. was used instead of FAS-680.
The alloy composition of FAS-820 is 0.15% by mass of tin (Sn), 0.5% by mass of zinc (Zn), 2.3% by mass of nickel (Ni), and 0.65% by mass of silicon (Si). %, Magnesium (Mg) 0.1 mass%, and chromium (Cr) 0.15 mass%, with the balance being copper (Cu) and inevitable impurities. FAS-820 has a melting point of 1078 ° C. (liquid phase), a specific heat of 377 J / (kg · K), a thermal conductivity of 157 W / (m · K), and a linear expansion coefficient of 17.5 × 10 ⁻⁶ / K (20 ˜300 ° C.), and conductivity 38% IACS. Moreover, tensile strength is 730-830 N / mm < ² >, elongation is 7% or more, 0.2% yield strength is 675-775 N / mm < ² >, and Vickers hardness is 220-260 Hv.

(Example 13)
As a terminal sample, in Example 12, before forming the Ni—Zn alloy layer by plating, an Sn layer was formed as a base layer by plating, and the other samples were produced in the same manner as in Example 12. Sn plating was performed under the same conditions as in Example 6.

(Example 14)
A terminal sample was prepared in the same manner as in Example 3 except that in Example 3, a copper alloy MAX251 (trade name) manufactured by Mitsubishi Shindoh was used instead of FAS-680.
The alloy composition of MAX251 contains 0.5 mass% tin (Sn), 1 mass% zinc (Zn), 2 mass% nickel (Ni), and 0.5 mass% silicon (Si), and Copper (Cu) is contained by 95% by mass or more, and the balance is inevitable impurities. The melting point of MAX251 is 1085 ° C. (liquid phase), the specific heat is 382 J / (kg · K), the thermal conductivity is 194 W / (m · K), and the linear expansion coefficient is 17.1 × 10 ⁻⁶ / K (20 to 300). ° C), and conductivity 48% IACS. Further, the tensile strength is 500 to 600 N / mm ² , the elongation is 6% or more, the 0.2% proof stress is 440 to 580 N / mm ² , and the Vickers hardness is 140 to 200 Hv.

(Example 15)
As a terminal sample, in Example 14, before forming the Ni—Zn alloy layer by plating, an Sn layer was formed as a base layer by plating, and the others were produced in the same manner as in Example 14. Sn plating was performed under the same conditions as in Example 6.

(Example 16)
A terminal sample was prepared in the same manner as in Example 3 except that in Example 3, a copper alloy MAX-375 (trade name) manufactured by Mitsubishi Shindoh was used instead of FAS-680.
The alloy composition of MAX-375 is 0.5 mass% tin (Sn), 0.5 mass% zinc (Zn), 2.85 mass% nickel (Ni), and 0.7 mass silicon (Si). It is contained by mass and the balance is copper (Cu) and inevitable impurities. The melting point of MAX-375 is 1085 ° C. (liquid phase), the specific heat is 382 J / (kg · K), the thermal conductivity is 180 W / (m · K), and the linear expansion coefficient is 17.1 × 10 ⁻⁶ / K (20 ˜300 ° C.), and conductivity 40% IACS. Moreover, tensile strength is 750-850 N / mm < ² >, elongation is 6% or more, 0.2% yield strength is 710-830 N / mm < ² >, and Vickers hardness is 210-270 Hv.

(Example 17)
As a terminal sample, an Sn layer was formed as a base layer by plating before the Ni—Zn alloy layer was formed by plating in Example 16, and the other samples were produced in the same manner as in Example 16. Sn plating was performed under the same conditions as in Example 6.

(Example 18)
A terminal sample was prepared in the same manner as in Example 3 except that in Example 3, tough pitch copper (Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., C1100 (JIS)) was used instead of FAS-680.

(Example 19)
As a terminal sample, in Example 18, an Sn layer was formed as a base layer by plating before forming a Ni—Zn alloy layer by plating, and the other samples were produced in the same manner as in Example 18. Sn plating was performed under the same conditions as in Example 6.

(Comparative Examples 1 and 2)
A Ni—Zn alloy layer was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, but the Zn content in the Ni—Zn alloy layer was changed by changing the plating conditions. Otherwise, a terminal sample was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1.
(Comparative Examples 3 and 4)
A Ni—Zn alloy layer was formed in the same manner as in Example 6, but the Zn content in the Ni—Zn alloy layer was changed by changing the plating conditions. Otherwise, a terminal sample was prepared in the same manner as in Example 6.
(Comparative Example 5)
In Example 1, a terminal sample was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the Sn layer was formed by plating instead of the Ni—Zn alloy layer.
(Comparative Example 6)
In Example 1, a Ni—Zn alloy layer was not formed, and a terminal sample was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that.

  In any of the above cases, after bending into a terminal shape (see FIG. 8), opposing end faces that form the tubular caulking portion of the terminal sample are butted together and joined by laser welding that irradiates the following near infrared laser light. A terminal sample having a tubular caulking portion was formed.

The laser welding conditions are as follows.
(1) Laser welding apparatus: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. single mode fiber laser ASF1J221 (trade name)
Laser light source: Yb-doped glass fiber laser oscillator Laser light oscillation wavelength: 1084 ± 5 nm
Maximum laser beam output: 500W (continuous oscillation)

(2) Laser light irradiation conditions Laser light output: 400 W (used for continuous oscillation)
Laser light sweep speed: Adjusted at 90 to 450 mm / sec Laser light sweep distance: 10 mm
Laser light irradiation with all conditions just focus (spot diameter size of irradiation position: 20μm)

Regarding the weldability of the laser welded portion (first laser welded portion) 50 after laser welding, “weldability (number of blow holes)” was evaluated.
“(Weldability) blow hole number” is an index of welding defects, and was evaluated by counting the number. The smaller the number of blow holes, the better the weldability.
The number of blowholes was measured by taking a transmission X-ray photograph of the laser weld after laser welding and counting the number of blowholes in the welded range. In this example, the number of blow holes in the sweep area was counted. In addition, the number of blowholes of 10 samples prototyped under the same conditions was averaged, and a value obtained by rounding off the decimal place with the first place as a significant figure was adopted. If the number of blow holes exceeds 20, the surface roughness of the welded portion increases, weld internal defects, etc. increase. As a threshold, 0 to 5 are represented as “A (excellent)”, and 6 to 10 Is represented by “B (good)”, 11 to 20 are represented by “C (possible)”, and the case of exceeding 20 is represented by “D (inferior)”. The case was evaluated as “E (impossible)”.

  The various test results and evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

As is apparent from Table 1, Examples 1-8 and 10-19 all have 20 or less blow holes (A “excellent”, B “good” or C “good”), and good weldability. Had.
On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1 to 6, the number of blowholes exceeded 20 (D “poor”, E “impossible”), and the weldability was poor.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,100,101 Terminal 5 Board | plate material 10 Termination connection structure 20 Box part 30,80,90 Tubular crimping part 30S End surface 31,81,91 Insert port 32 Terminal base material 33 Inner wall surface of tubular crimping part 34a, 34b Electric wire latching groove 37 Butting section 38 Carrier 40 Transition section 50, 500, 501 Laser welding section (first laser welding section)
52, 502, 503 Tip sealing portion (second laser welding portion)
60 Coated wire 61 Insulation coating 82 Coated crimping part 83, 85 Reduced diameter part 84 Conductor crimping part FL Fiber laser welding equipment L Fiber laser beam

Claims (14)

A method of manufacturing a terminal having a tubular caulking portion that is crimp-bonded to an electric wire,
A nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed on at least a portion forming the tubular caulking portion with respect to a plate made of copper or a copper alloy,
A terminal base material is formed by punching the plate material on which the nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed in a developed view of the terminal,
Bending a tube expanding portion that becomes a portion forming the tubular caulking portion of the terminal base material, but facing opposite ends of the tube expanding portion to form a butted portion;
The manufacturing method of the terminal which has each process which joins the said butt | matching part by laser welding and forms the said tubular crimping part in this order. A method of manufacturing a terminal having a tubular caulking portion that is crimp-bonded to an electric wire,
A terminal base material is formed by punching a plate made of copper or a copper alloy into a developed view of the terminal,
Forming a nickel-zinc alloy layer on a tube development portion which becomes a portion forming the tubular caulking portion of the terminal base material,
Bending the pipe expanding portion, butting the opposite ends of the pipe expanding portion together to form a butt portion;
The manufacturing method of the terminal which has each process which joins the said butt | matching part by laser welding and forms in the said tubular crimping part in this order.   Furthermore, the manufacturing method of the terminal of Claim 1 or 2 which has the process of forming the front-end | tip sealing part by obstruct | occluding the edge part by the side of the transition part of the said tubular crimping part by laser welding.   The method for manufacturing a terminal according to claim 1, wherein the nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed by plating.   The manufacturing method of the terminal of any one of Claim 1 to 4 which forms the said nickel- zinc alloy layer on it, after forming a tin layer in the surface of the said board | plate material.   6. The method of manufacturing a terminal according to claim 1, wherein the nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed on a surface of the pipe deployment portion on the laser welded side.   The method for manufacturing a terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed in the laser welded region of the pipe expanding portion.   The manufacturing method of the terminal of any one of Claim 1 to 7 which forms the said nickel- zinc alloy layer in the said opposing edge part of the said pipe | tube expansion part.   The method for manufacturing a terminal according to claim 1, wherein the nickel-zinc alloy layer contains 67 to 83 mass% of nickel.   The method for manufacturing a terminal according to claim 1, wherein the laser welding uses a laser beam having an oscillation wavelength in a near infrared region. A terminal having a tubular caulking portion that is crimp-bonded to an electric wire,
The terminal base material forming the terminal is made of copper or a copper alloy,
The tubular caulking portion is formed by bending the tube deployment portion of the terminal base material and abutting the opposite ends thereof, and the abutting portion is joined by laser welding,
A terminal in which a nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed on the laser-welded terminal base material.   The terminal according to claim 11, wherein a tin layer is formed on a surface of a tube development portion of the terminal base material before the laser welding, and a nickel-zinc alloy layer is formed on the tin layer. A method for producing an end connection structure of an electric wire, wherein the terminal produced by the method for producing a terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and a covered electric wire are crimped and connected at a tubular caulked portion of the terminal. And
Insert the covered electric wire with the core wire exposed from the end into the tubular caulking portion,
A method for manufacturing an end connection structure for electric wires, wherein the tubular caulking portion is caulked and the covered electric wire is crimped and connected to the tubular caulking portion.   The terminal connection structure of the electric wire which crimped-connected the terminal of Claim 11 or 12 and the covered electric wire in the tubular crimping part of the said terminal.

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