JP4894734B2 - Terminal fitting - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a terminal fitting.

Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal fitting having a crimping portion for connecting electric wires by crimping. The crimping portion of the terminal fitting includes a plate-like base portion connected to the connection portion with the connection partner, and a pair of crimping pieces that form a pair of plate-like shapes rising from the left and right side edges of the base portion. When the terminal fitting is supplied to an automatic crimping machine called an applicator, a pair of crimping pieces are bent and deformed so that the conductors fall on the inside and press the conductors from above with the conductor of the wire placed on the base. The conductor is crimped in a conductive manner so that the conductor is sandwiched between the base portion and the pair of crimping pieces. When the crimping is performed, the rising ends of the pair of crimping pieces are brought into a downward direction with their outer surfaces abutting each other, and are close to the upper surface of the base portion.
JP 2002-231327 A

In this type of terminal fitting, in order to be able to crimp a plurality of types of conductors having different outer diameter dimensions, the rising height of the crimping piece is set to be large. In such a configuration, there is a concern that when the conductor having a small outer diameter is crimped, the rising end of the crimping piece hits the upper surface of the base portion. When the crimping piece hits the base, further deformation of the crimping piece is restricted, so that the pressing force to the conductor by the crimping piece becomes insufficient, and the contact pressure and the conductor between the crimping piece and the conductor are constituted. There is a risk of contact failure due to insufficient contact pressure between the strands.
The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to avoid a decrease in contact reliability.

  As means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is provided with a crimping portion in a form in which a pair of plate-like crimping pieces is raised from the left and right side edges of the base, and the base has In a state where the conductor of the electric wire is placed, the pair of crimping pieces collapses inward and presses the conductor from above so that the conductor is bent and deformed, so that the conductor is the base and the pair of crimping pieces. In such a crimped state, the rising end portions of the pair of crimping pieces are in contact with each other and face the top surface of the base portion. The terminal fitting that faces downward is characterized in that a relief groove that can avoid interference with the rising ends of the pair of crimping pieces is formed on the upper surface of the base portion.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a locking groove is formed on the upper surface of the base portion in a direction crossing the length direction of the conductor and crossing the escape groove. It has the characteristics where it is done.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conductor is a form in which a plurality of strands are twisted together, and the escape groove is deeper than the locking groove and is in a crimped state. Then, the feature is that the edge of the rising end of the crimping piece is substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the escape groove.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third aspects, the rising end of the crimping piece has a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward the free end. Have

<Invention of Claim 1>
When a conductor with a relatively small outer diameter is crimped, there is a concern that the rising ends of the pair of crimping pieces may interfere with the upper surface of the base, but in the present invention, a relief groove is formed on the upper surface of the base. Thus, interference with the rising end of the crimping piece is avoided. Therefore, there is no possibility that the pressing force from the crimping piece to the conductor is reduced due to the rising end of the crimping piece interfering with the base portion, and contact reliability is ensured.

<Invention of Claim 2>
The crimped conductor bites into the locking groove, thereby restricting relative displacement in the length direction with respect to the crimping portion. Thereby, the contact reliability of a conductor and a crimping | compression-bonding part is ensured.

<Invention of Claim 3>
In the crimped state, a part of the strand enters the escape groove and is crushed by the rising edge of the crimping piece. In the present invention, the relief groove is made deeper than the locking groove, and the rising of the crimping piece is performed. Since the edge of the end is substantially parallel to the groove bottom of the escape groove, the strands can be pressed almost uniformly in the length direction of the conductor, and the contact pressure can be stabilized in the escape groove. Can be made.

<Invention of Claim 4>
Since the rising end of the crimping piece is tapered toward the free end, the width of the relief groove can be narrowed, thereby suppressing a decrease in strength of the base. it can.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The terminal fitting 10 of the present embodiment is obtained by bending a metal plate material punched into a predetermined shape, and is used for grounding.

  In the terminal fitting 10, a substantially first half portion is a connection portion 11 for connecting to a grounding member such as a body of an automobile, and a substantially second half portion is a crimping portion 13. The connecting portion 11 has a circular shape as a whole, and a concentric mounting hole 12 is formed at the center thereof.

  The crimping portion 13 includes a base portion 14 that is flush with the connection portion 11 and a pair of crimping pieces 15 that rise from both left and right edges of the base portion 14. The pair of crimping pieces 15 are symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry in the front-rear direction (the center line in the width direction of the terminal fitting 10), and the entire terminal fitting 10 is also symmetric with respect to the left and right.

  A relief groove 16 extending in the front-rear direction is formed on the upper surface of the base portion 14. The escape groove 16 has a continuous form extending over the entire length from the front end to the rear end of the base portion 14, and the groove width and the groove depth of the escape groove 16 are integrated over the entire length of the base portion 14. The escape groove 16 is disposed at the center position in the width direction. Further, the depth of the relief groove 16 is larger than half the thickness of the base portion 14. The depth of the relief groove 16 is sufficiently smaller than the groove width dimension of the relief groove 16, and therefore the relief groove 16 is a shallow groove. Tapered surfaces 16A are formed over the entire length of the left and right side edges of the opening of the escape groove 16 on the upper surface of the base portion 14. The formation area of the taper surface 16A in the depth direction is a range corresponding to the depth of a locking groove 17 described later.

  Similarly, three locking grooves 17 extending in the left-right direction (a direction perpendicular to the axial direction in the crimped state of the conductor 21 described later) are formed on the upper surface of the base portion 14. The three locking grooves 17 are arranged so as to cross the escape groove 16 with a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. The left and right ends of the locking groove 17 extend over the crimping piece 15. The three locking grooves 17 have the same depth and are shallower than the escape grooves 16. Therefore, the one locking groove 17 is divided into left and right in the escape groove 16.

  The crimping piece 15 is formed from the front end to the rear end of the base portion 14. The edges of the rising end portions 15A of the pair of crimping pieces 15 are parallel to each other and face in the front-rear direction (the direction parallel to the escape groove 16). Further, the rising end portion 15A of the crimping piece 15 has a tapered shape in which the outer surface thereof is notched obliquely over the entire length, and gradually becomes thinner toward the free end (tip).

  The conductor 21 of the electric wire 20 that is crimped to the terminal fitting 10 is called a stranded wire in which a plurality of strands 22 are twisted together. The outer diameter of the strand 22 is smaller than the groove width of the escape groove 16. The outer diameter of the strand 22 may be larger, smaller, or the same as the depth of the escape groove 16.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
When crimping the conductor 21 to the crimping part 13, the terminal fitting 10 and the electric wire 20 are supplied to an automatic crimping machine called an applicator. The terminal fitting 10 is placed and held on an anvil (not shown), and the conductor 21 is placed on the upper surface of the base portion 14. In this state, a crimper (not shown) descends from above and deforms the pair of crimping pieces 15 so as to fall inward. The pair of crimping pieces 15 are curved and deformed so as to hold down the conductor 21 from above, and the rising end portions 15A of the pair of crimping pieces 15 are in contact with the upper surface of the base portion 14 with their outer surfaces abutting each other. It will be facing down. By the pressing action of the crimping piece 15, the circular conductor 21 is deformed and crimped so as to be conductively sandwiched between the base portion 14 and the pair of crimping pieces 15.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the crimped state, most of the strands 22 are pressed between a region other than the escape groove 16 on the upper surface of the base portion 14 and the curved portion of the crimping piece 15. Part of 22 enters the escape groove 16 and is sandwiched vertically between the groove bottom surface 16B of the escape groove 16 and the rising end portion 15A of the crimping piece 15. At this time, even if the outer diameter of the conductor 21 is relatively small, a relief groove 16 is formed on the upper surface of the base portion 14 (a region where the rising end portion 15A of the crimping piece 15 approaches downward). Therefore, there is no possibility that the rising end portion 15A of the crimping piece 15 interferes (contacts) with the base portion 14. Accordingly, the wire 22 that has entered the escape groove 16 is reliably sandwiched between the groove bottom surface 16B of the escape groove 16 and the rising end portion 15A of the crimping piece 15.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the escape groove 16 is formed on the upper surface of the base portion 14 to avoid interference between the rising end portion 15A of the crimping piece 15 and the base portion 14. Therefore, there is no fear that the pressing force from the crimping piece 15 to the conductor 21 is reduced due to the rising end of the crimping piece 15 interfering with the base portion 14. The contact pressure and the contact pressure between the strands 22 are sufficiently secured.

  In addition, since the locking groove 17 is formed on the upper surface of the base portion 14 so as to cross the length direction of the conductor 21 and cross the escape groove 16, the crimped conductor 21 is connected to the engagement portion 17. By biting into the stop groove 17, the relative displacement in the length direction with respect to the crimping portion 13 is restricted. Thereby, the contact reliability of the conductor 21 and the crimping | compression-bonding part 13 is ensured.

  In the crimped state, part of the strand 22 enters the escape groove 16 and is crushed by the rising end of the crimp piece 15. In this embodiment, the escape groove 16 is deeper than the locking groove 17. In this way, the groove bottom surface 16B of the escape groove 16 is made flat, and the edge of the rising end portion 15A of the crimping piece 15 is substantially parallel to the groove bottom surface 16B of the escape groove 16. Thereby, the strand 22 can be pressed almost uniformly in the length direction of the conductor 21, the contact pressure between the crimping piece 15 and the strand 22 in the escape groove 16, and the contact pressure between the strands 22. Can be stabilized.

  Further, the rising end portion 15A of the crimping piece 15 has a taper shape that becomes thinner toward the free end thereof. The dimension in the thickness direction (left-right direction) occupied by the rising end portion 15A of the pair of crimping pieces 15 is reduced. Accordingly, since the groove width of the escape groove 16 can be reduced, it is possible to suppress the degree of strength reduction of the base portion 14 due to the formation of the escape groove 16.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, the locking groove 17 is configured differently from the first embodiment. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of structures, operations, and effects are omitted.
The three locking grooves 17 of the second embodiment are recessed in areas other than the first groove 17 a in which the groove bottom surface of the escape groove 16 is recessed and the escape groove 16 in the upper surface of the base portion 14. It comprises a pair of left and right second grooves 17b. The first groove 17a and the pair of second grooves 17b are divided into steps at the left and right side edges of the escape groove 16 in the height direction (groove depth direction). It is arranged so that it can be seen in a row. Further, the depth of the first groove 17a with respect to the groove bottom surface of the escape groove 16 and the depth of the second groove 17b with reference to the upper surface of the base portion 14 are substantially the same depth dimension, and the depth dimension thereof. Is shallower than the escape groove 16.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) Although the example applied to the terminal fitting for earth | ground was demonstrated in the said embodiment, this invention is applicable also to the terminal fitting for connecting wire harnesses other than for earth | grounding.
(2) It is good also as a form which does not form a locking groove in a base part.
(3) The relief groove may be shallower than the locking groove.
(4) In the crimped state, the rising edge of the crimping piece may be inclined with respect to the groove bottom surface of the relief groove.
(4) The rising end of the crimping piece may have a uniform thickness in the rising direction.
(5) The form in which the crimping piece is tapered is not limited to the form in which only the outer surface side of the crimping piece is cut out, but the form in which only the inner surface side of the crimping piece is cut out, both the outer surface side and the inner surface side of the crimping piece It is good also as a form which notched.
(6) The pair of crimping pieces may have an asymmetric shape.
(7) The number of locking grooves may be 2 or less, or 4 or more.

The top view showing the state which has not crimped the electric wire of Embodiment 1 AA line sectional view of FIG. Sectional view showing the state where the crimping piece is deformed in the same way as when crimping Sectional view showing the crimped state of the wire Plan view showing the unfolded state End view of line BB in FIG. CC sectional view of FIG. The top view showing the unfolded state of Embodiment 2 End view of line DD in FIG. EE sectional view of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Terminal metal fitting 13 ... Crimp part 14 ... Base part 15 ... Crimp piece 16 ... Escape groove 16B ... Groove bottom 15A ... Standing edge part 17 ... Locking groove 21 ... Conductor 22 ... Elementary wire

Claims (4)

It has a crimping part in the form of a pair of plate-like crimping pieces raised from the left and right edges of the base part,
In a state where the conductor of the electric wire is placed on the base portion, the pair of crimping pieces are bent inward so as to press the conductor from above, so that the conductor and the pair of the base portion are deformed. It is crimped in a conductive manner so that it is crushed up and down between
In the crimped state, in the terminal fitting that the rising ends of the pair of crimped pieces are directed downward so that the outer surfaces thereof are in contact with each other and face the upper surface of the base portion,
A terminal fitting, wherein an escape groove capable of avoiding interference with the rising ends of the pair of crimping pieces is formed on an upper surface of the base portion.   The terminal fitting according to claim 1, wherein a locking groove is formed on the upper surface of the base portion so as to cross the length direction of the conductor and cross the escape groove. The conductor is a form in which a plurality of strands are twisted together,
The escape groove is deeper than the locking groove;
3. The terminal fitting according to claim 1, wherein an edge of the rising end portion of the crimping piece is substantially parallel to a groove bottom surface of the escape groove in a crimped state.   The terminal fitting according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a rising end portion of the crimping piece has a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward a free end side thereof.

Images