Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R11/00—Individual connecting elements providing two or more spaced connecting locations for conductive members which are, or may be, thereby interconnected, e.g. end pieces for wires or cables supported by the wire or cable and having means for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal, or conductive member, blocks of binding posts
  • H01R11/11—End pieces or tapping pieces for wires, supported by the wire and for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal or conductive member
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R4/00—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation
  • H01R4/10—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation effected solely by twisting, wrapping, bending, crimping, or other permanent deformation
  • H01R4/16—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation effected solely by twisting, wrapping, bending, crimping, or other permanent deformation by bending

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a connection method and an electric wire with a terminal. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a connection method for connecting a fiber conductor and a terminal clamp to each other, the fiber conductor being made by stranding a plurality of conductors, which each of the conductors is made by coating conductive metal on a surface of a fiber. Furthermore, the present invention is directed to an electric wire with a terminal having the fiber conductor and the terminal clamp connected to each other using the above-described connection method.
• a conventional electric wire generally includes a core wire made by stranding a plurality of copper wires.
• a fiber conductor for the core wire of the electric wire.
• the fiber conductor is made by stranding a plurality of conductors, each of the conductors being made by coating conductive metal such as copper on a surface of a fiber.
• connection method for connecting the clamp terminal to an end of a fiber conductor includes crimping the fiber conductor to the terminal clamp as in the case of the above-described conventional electric wire having the core wire composed of the copper wires (refer to Patent Document 1).
• Such connection method using the crimping has however a drawback that, since the fiber conductor, although it has strong tensile strength, has weak shearing strength due to each of the fibers constituting the fiber conductor being very thin, mechanical stress applied to the fiber conductor during the pressure bonding may cause the breakage of the fiber conductor.
• connection method includes winding the fiber conductor around the terminal clamp and connecting the fiber conductor to the terminal clamp by means of soldering (refer to Patent Document 2).
• soldering soldering
• Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H9- 223523
• Patent Document 2 Japanese Translation of PCT Application Publication No. 2009-518790
• an object of the present invention is to provide a connection method which can firmly connect the fiber conductor and the terminal clamp to each other at low cost.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric wire with a terminal having the fiber conductor and the terminal clamp connected to each other using the connection method according to the present invention described above.
• the present invention provides, in a first aspect, a connection method for connecting a fiber conductor to a terminal clamp, the fiber conductor being made by stranding a plurality of conductors, which each of the conductors is made by coating conductive metal on a surface of a fiber, the connection method including, providing a plurality of holes at the terminal clamp along a lengthwise direction of the terminal clamp; and connecting the fiber conductor to the terminal clamp by passing the fiber conductor through the plurality of holes of the terminal clamp in alternative directions so as to weave the fiber conductor into the terminal clamp.
• the present invention provides, in a second aspect, an electric wire with a terminal including a fiber conductor and a terminal clamp connected to an end of the fiber conductor, the fiber conductor being made by stranding a plurality of conductors, which each of the conductors is made by coating
• the terminal clamp is provided with a plurality of holes arranged along the lengthwise direction of the terminal clamp, and the fiber conductor is connected to the terminal clamp by passing the fiber conductor through the plurality of holes of the terminal clamp in alternative directions so as to weave the fiber conductor into the terminal clamp.
• the present invention provides, in a third aspect, the electric wire with a terminal described above, wherein the terminal clamp is provided with a plurality of communicating holes, which each of the communicating holes is extending from the respective holes of the terminal clamp to an end of the terminal clamp.
• the present invention provides, in a fourth aspect, the electric wire with a terminal described above, wherein the fiber conductor is passed through the plurality of holes of the terminal clamp sequentially toward one direction along the lengthwise direction of the terminal clamp, and after that the fiber conductor is turned back and passed through the plurality of holes of the terminal clamp sequentially toward the other direction along the lengthwise direction of the terminal clamp.
• the fiber conductor is connected to the terminal clamp by passing the fiber conductor through the plurality of holes of the terminal clamp in alternative directions so as to weave the fiber conductor into the terminal clamp, a friction occurs between the fiber conductor and the terminal clamp.
• the fiber conductor and the terminal clamp are mechanically and electrically connected to each other by this friction. Therefore, the fiber conductor and the terminal clamp can be firmly connected to each other at low cost without soldering.
• the fiber conductor can be tightly fastened to the terminal clamp when the fiber connecter is passed through the plurality of holes of the terminal clamp in alternative directions, and also the fiber conductor can be avoided from being loosened once it is fastened to the terminal clamp, thereby helping the firm connection between the fiber conductor and the terminal clamp.
• the fiber conductor is connected to the terminal clamp by passing the fiber conductor through the plurality of holes of the terminal clamp in alternative directions so as to weave the fiber conductor into the terminal clamp, a friction occurs between the fiber conductor and the terminal clamp.
• the fiber conductor and the terminal clamp are mechanically and electrically connected to each other by this f iction. Therefore, the fiber conductor and the terminal clamp can be firmly connected to each other at low cost without soldering.
• the fiber conductor is passed through the plurality of holes of the terminal clamp via the respective communicating holes extending from the respective holes of the terminal clamp to the end of the terminal clamp.
• the fiber conductor can be easily passed through the plurality of holes of the terminal clamp in alternative directions.
• the fiber conductor can be connected to the terminal clamp even more firmly by passing the fiber conductor through the plurality of holes of the terminal clamp first in the one direction along the lengthwise direction of the terminal clamp and then in the other direction opposite of the one direction.
• FIG. 1A is a top view of one embodiment of an electric wire with a terminal according to the present invention.
• FIG. IB is a cross sectional view of FIG. 1A taken along a line A- A;
• FIG. 2A is an illustration of the electric wire shown in FIG. 1 A;
• FIG. 2B is a front view of the electric wire shown in FIG. 2A;
• FIG. 2C is a perspective view of the electric wire shown in FIG. 2B.
• FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of an electric wire with a terminal according to the present invention.
• an electric wire with a terminal 1 of the. present invention includes an electric wire 2 and a terminal clamp 3 connected to an end of the electric wire 2.
• the electric wire 2 is included in a wire harness wired for example on a motor vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 2 A through 2C, the electric wire 2 includes a conductive fiber conductor 21 and an insulating cover 22.
• the fiber conductor 21 is a stranded conductor made of a plurality of conductors 23 twisted together.
• Each of the conductors 23 includes a fiber 23A made of synthetic resins such as para- aramid fiber and poly arylate. A surface of the fiber 23A is plated with a copper 23B.
• the copper 23B is used as a conductive metal, however the present invention is not limited to this, and any plating material may be chosen arbitrarily as long as such plating material is suitable to be applied on the surface of the fiber 23.
• the fiber 23 A does not necessarily be an artificial fiber made of synthetic resin, for example, the fiber 23A may be a natural fiber.
• the terminal clamp 3 is a conductive metal sheet formed by metal stamping.
• the terminal clamp 3 is provided with an electric wire connection portion 31 which is a plate-like portion to which the fiber conductor 21 is connected and a terminal connection portion 32 to which a terminal clamp of a mating connector is connected.
• the electric wire connection portion 31 and the connector connection portion 32 are integrally formed along a lengthwise direction Yl .
• the electric wire connection portion 31 is provided with a plurality of holes 31A1-31A5 arranged along the lengthwise direction Yl of the electric wire connection portion 31.
• each of the communicating holes 31B1-31B5 is arranged to extend from the respective holes 31A1-31A5 to a widthwise end of the terminal clamp 3 in a widthwise direction Y2.
• connection method of the electric wire 2 and the terminal clamp 3 described above. Firstly, the insulting cover 22 at an end of the electric wire 2 is removed such that the fiber conductor 21 is exposed. Then, the fiber conductor 21 is passed through the plurality of holes 31 A 1-31 A5 of the terminal clamp 3 along the lengthwise direction Yl in alternative directions so as to weave the fiber conductor 21 into the terminal clamp 3, as shown in FIGS. 1A and IB.
• the fiber conductor 21 is located above the electric wire connection portion 31 at a rear-end (right direction in the drawing) of the lengthwise direction Yl with respect to the hole 31A1 at the rear-end in the lengthwise direction Yl. Then, the fiber conductor 21 passes through the hole 31A1 and located under the electric wire connection portion 31 between the hole 31A1 and the hole 31A2. Furthermore, the fiber conductor 21 passes through the hole 31A2 and located above the electric wire connection portion 31 between the hole 21A2 and the hole 31 A3. Then, the fiber conductor 21 passes through the hole 31 A3 and located under the electric wire connection portion 31 between the hole 31 A3 and the hole 31A4. Furthermore, the fiber conductor 21 passes through the hole 31 A4 and located above the electric wire connection portion 31 between the hole 31 A4 and the hole 31 A5.
• the fiber conductor 21 is inserted into the holes 31A1-31A5 from the communicating holes 31A1-31A5, respectively. After that, an end of the fiber conductor 21 is pulled in a tip-end (right direction in the drawing) in the lengthwise direction Yl, and in that way, the friction occurs between the fiber conductor 21 and the electric wire connection portion 31 of the terminal clamp 3. Thus, the fiber conductor 21 and the terminal clamp 3 are mechanically and electrically connected to each other by this friction.
• the fiber conductor 21 is connected to the terminal clamp 3 by passing the fiber conductor 21 through the plurality of holes 31A1-31A5 of the terminal clamp 3 in alternative directions so as to weave the fiber conductor 21 into the terminal clamp 3.
• the friction occurs between the fiber conductor 21 and the terminal clamp 3. Consequently, the fiber conductor 21 and the terminal clamp 3 are mechanically and electrically connected to each other by this friction. Therefore, the fiber conductor 21 and the terminal clamp 3 can be firmly connected to each other at low cost without soldering.
• the fiber conductor 21 can be tightly fastened to the terminal clamp 3 when the fiber connecter 21 is weaved into the terminal clamp 3, as well as the fiber conductor 21 can be avoided from being loosened once it is weaved into the terminal clamp 3, thereby enhancing the firm connection between the fiber conductor 21 and the terminal clamp 3.
• the terminal clamp 4 is provided with the plurality of communicating holes 31B1-31B5
• the fiber conductor 21 can be passed through the plurality of holes 31A1- 31 A5 via the communicating holes 31B1-31B5 extending to the end of the terminal clamp 3.
• the fiber conductor 21 can be easily weaved into the terminal clamp 3.
• the fiber conductor 21 is weaved into the electric wire connection portion 31 toward the tip-end in the lengthwise direction Yl.
• the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the fiber conductor may be first passed through the plurality of holes 31 Al-31 A5 toward the tip-end in the lengthwise direction Yl, and then the fiber conductor 21 is turned back and passed through the plurality of holes 31 Al-31 A5 toward the rear-end direction in the lengthwise direction Yl . In that way, the mechanical and electrical connection between the fiber conductor 21 and the terminal clamp 3 can be achieved even more firmly.
• the present invention is not limited to this, and the communicating holes 3 IB 1-31B5 may be eliminated.

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• Insulated Conductors (AREA)
• Connections Effected By Soldering, Adhesion, Or Permanent Deformation (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Citations (2)

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• 2010
  • 2010-08-20 JP JP2010184610A patent/JP5900916B2/ja active Active
• 2011
  • 2011-08-11 WO PCT/JP2011/068641 patent/WO2012023576A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (2)

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