WO2024135712A1

WO2024135712A1 - Terminal-equipped conductive member

Info

Publication number: WO2024135712A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/045628
Authority: WO
Inventors: 祐司川田; 賢次宮本
Original assignee: 株式会社オートネットワーク技術研究所; 住友電装株式会社; 住友電気工業株式会社
Priority date: 2022-12-21
Filing date: 2023-12-20
Publication date: 2024-06-27
Also published as: JP2024089372A

Abstract

Disclosed is a terminal-equipped conductive member that is capable of increasing the degree of freedom in cabling, and suppressing the transmission of vibrations from the conductive member to the terminal.　A terminal-equipped conductive member 10 comprises: a terminal 12; a conductive member 18; and a metal relay part 34 that conduction-connects the terminal 12 and the conductive member 18. The relay part 34 has a first fastening section 20 fastened to the terminal 12, a second fastening section 22 fastened to the conductive member 18, and a cylindrical intermediate coupling section 24 coupling the first fastening section 20 and the second fastening section 22. The intermediate coupling section 24 includes a bendable bellows section 30 that has a plurality of crests 26 and troughs 28 alternately connected along the axis direction of the intermediate coupling section 24.

Description

Conductive member with terminal

This disclosure relates to a conductive member with terminals.

Conventionally, conductive members with terminals, in which terminals are attached to the ends of conductive members such as coated electric wires and bus bars, have been widely used as electrical current-carrying members between in-vehicle devices. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wire with terminals in which a core wire exposed at the end of a coated electric wire is crimped to the barrel portion of a terminal.

JP 2020-17345 A

In recent years, in order to cope with the increasing currents of in-vehicle devices, the terminals and conductive members in terminal-attached conductive members have tended to become larger and more rigid. As a result, it has become difficult to bend conductive members such as electric wires extending from a terminal connected to a mating terminal to match the wiring path, leading to a decrease in the freedom of wiring of conductive members with terminals. In addition, if the rigidity of the attachment portion between the terminal and conductive member, such as the crimped portion between the terminal and the electric wire end, is high, vehicle vibrations transmitted to the conductive member are more likely to be transmitted to the terminal side, which could cause damage to the mating device to which the terminal is connected.

Therefore, we disclose a conductive member with terminals that can improve the freedom of wiring and suppress the transmission of vibration from the conductive member to the terminals.

The conductive member with terminal disclosed herein comprises a terminal, a conductive member, and a metal intermediate part that electrically connects the terminal and the conductive member, the intermediate part having a first fixing part fixed to the terminal, a second fixing part fixed to the conductive member, and a cylindrical intermediate connecting part that connects the first fixing part and the second fixing part, the intermediate connecting part including a freely bendable bellows-like part formed by alternatingly connecting a plurality of peaks and valleys along the axial direction of the intermediate connecting part.

The conductive member with terminal disclosed herein can improve the freedom of wiring and suppress the transmission of vibration from the conductive member to the terminal.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a terminal-equipped conductive member according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the conductive member with terminal shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a terminal-equipped conductive member according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a terminal-equipped conductive member according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a terminal-equipped conductive member according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the VII-VII section in FIG. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a terminal-equipped conductive member according to another embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a main part of a terminal-equipped conductive member according to still another embodiment.

<Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure>
First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.
The conductive member with terminal of the present disclosure comprises:
(1) A terminal, a conductive member, and a metal intermediate part that conductively connects the terminal and the conductive member, the intermediate part having a first fixing portion fixed to the terminal, a second fixing portion fixed to the conductive member, and a tubular intermediate connecting portion that connects the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion, the intermediate connecting portion including a freely bendable bellows-like portion formed by alternatingly connecting a plurality of peaks and valleys along the axial direction of the intermediate connecting portion.

According to the conductive member with terminal of the present disclosure, the terminal and the conductive member are electrically connected via a metal relay part. Furthermore, the relay part has a freely bendable bellows-shaped part in a tubular intermediate connection part that connects a first fixing part fixed to the terminal and a second fixing part fixed to the conductive member. Therefore, by bending the bellows-shaped part of the relay part arranged between the terminal and the conductive member in any direction, it is possible to set the extension direction of the conductive member in any direction. As a result, even if the conductive member has high rigidity and is difficult to bend, such as when a large-diameter electric wire or a single-core wire is used, the direction of the conductive member extending from the terminal can be oriented to match the wiring path by bending the bellows-shaped part of the relay part, and the degree of freedom of wiring of the conductive member with terminal can be improved. In particular, since the relay part is made of metal, it is freely bendable at the bellows-shaped part, but it also has excellent retention of the curved shape, and can advantageously maintain an orientation state that matches the wiring path.

In addition, even if vehicle vibrations or the like are transmitted to the conductive member, the vibrations can be absorbed by the deformation of the bellows-shaped portion of the relay part. As a result, the transmission of vibrations from the conductive member to the terminal can be suppressed, and the risk of damage to the device or the like to which the terminal is connected can be reduced or eliminated. The bellows-shaped portion of the relay part can also improve tolerance absorption. Furthermore, since the structure is such that the terminal and the conductive member are electrically connected by the relay part interposed therebetween, the shape of the second fixing part can be prevented from being restricted by the terminal, compared to the conventional structure such as Patent Document 1 in which the terminal and the barrel part are integrated. Therefore, the optimal shapes of the first fixing part and the second fixing part can be set according to the shapes of the terminal and the conductive member, and further the fixing method, and the conductivity of the terminal and the conductive member via the relay part can be advantageously improved.

The conductive member may be any conductive member such as a coated wire or a bus bar. The bellows-shaped portion of the relay part may be provided over the entire axial length of the intermediate connection part, or may be provided on a portion of the axial length of the intermediate connection part, or may be provided at multiple locations spaced apart from each other.

(2) In the above (1), it is preferable that the intermediate part is configured using a metal flexible pipe having the bellows-like portion provided on the peripheral wall of a hollow cylinder, the first and second cylindrical fixing portions are configured by both ends of the flexible pipe, the intermediate connecting portion is configured by a portion located between the first and second fixing portions, and the bellows-like portion is provided over the entire length of the intermediate connecting portion in the axial direction. By using a flexible pipe, it is possible to advantageously configure an intermediate part having a bellows-like portion in the intermediate connecting portion. In particular, since the entire length of the intermediate connecting portion in the axial direction is the bellows-like portion, a long portion having curvature can be secured, and the degree of freedom of wiring can be further improved.

(3) In the above (1) or (2), it is preferable that the conductive member is composed of an electric wire in which a metal single-core wire is insulated, and the second fixing portion is fixed to the single-core wire exposed from the insulating coating at the end of the electric wire. When the conductive member is an electric wire in which a single-core wire is insulated, it is easy to make it difficult to bend the electric wire. Therefore, by adopting the configuration of (1) above in combination, even when a single-core wire is used, it is possible to advantageously provide a conductive member with terminals that can improve the degree of freedom of wiring and suppress the transmission of vehicle vibrations. Furthermore, when adopting the configuration of (2) above in combination, the cylindrical second fixing portion can be fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the single-core wire to stably fix it around the entire circumference, thereby improving the stability of conduction of the conductive member with terminals. For example, it is possible to advantageously ensure a uniform pressure welding state in the circumferential direction by electromagnetic pressure welding.

(4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion of the relay component each have a cylindrical shape, the first fixing portion is fitted inside or outside a cylindrical terminal side fixing portion provided on the terminal and electromagnetically pressure-welded, and the second fixing portion is fitted outside a columnar conductive member side fixing portion provided on the conductive member and electromagnetically pressure-welded. Since the cylindrical first fixing portion is fitted inside or outside a cylindrical terminal side fixing portion and electromagnetically pressure-welded, and the cylindrical second fixing portion is fitted outside a columnar conductive member side fixing portion and electromagnetically pressure-welded, a uniform pressure-welded state can be ensured in the circumferential direction by electromagnetic pressure welding, and the conductivity of the terminal and the conductive member via the relay component can be advantageously improved.

(5) In any one of (1), (3) or (4) above, it is preferable that the intermediate part has a plurality of the bellows-shaped parts arranged at a distance from each other in the axial direction, and a cylindrical part with a constant diameter arranged between adjacent bellows-shaped parts. Since a cylindrical part with a constant diameter is provided between adjacent bellows-shaped parts, it is possible to restrict the overall deformation amount while ensuring the degree of freedom in the bending direction of the intermediate part, and to suppress the risk of interference with other members.

(6) In any one of (1) to (5) above, it is preferable that the inner and outer diameter dimensions of the bellows-shaped portion of the relay component change in the axial direction. By changing the inner and outer diameter dimensions of the bellows-shaped portion in the axial direction, it is possible to provide a bellows-shaped large diameter portion and a small diameter portion at different positions in the axial direction of the relay component, and it is possible to change the flexibility of the relay component in the axial direction. This can further improve the degree of freedom in wiring.

<Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure>
Specific examples of the conductive member with terminal of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

<Embodiment 1>
Hereinafter, the conductive member with terminal 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. The conductive member with terminal 10 includes a terminal 12, a conductive member (electric wire 18 described later), and a metal relay part (flexible pipe 34 described later) that electrically connects the terminal 12 and the conductive member (electric wire 18). In the first embodiment, the conductive member is formed of an electric wire 18 in which a metal single-core wire 14 is covered with an insulating cover 16 made of synthetic resin, and the conductive member with terminal 10 is arranged in a vehicle such as an automobile to form a wire harness. The conductive member with terminal 10 can be arranged in any direction, but in the following description, the front or tip side refers to the left side in Fig. 3, and the rear or base side refers to the right side in Fig. 3. The axial direction refers to the left-right direction in Fig. 3, which is the direction in which the conductive member with terminal 10 extends. Furthermore, for multiple identical members, only some of the members may be labeled, and the other members may be omitted.

<Conductive member 10 with terminal>
In the conductive member with terminal 10, the relay part (flexible pipe 34 described later) has a first fixing part 20 fixed to the terminal 12, a second fixing part 22 fixed to the conductive member (electric wire 18), and a cylindrical intermediate connecting part 24 connecting the first fixing part 20 and the second fixing part 22. The intermediate connecting part 24 includes a freely curved bellows-like part 30 formed by alternately connecting a plurality of peaks 26 and valleys 28 along the axial direction of the intermediate connecting part 24. In the first embodiment, the relay part is configured using a metal flexible pipe 34 formed by providing the bellows-like part 30 on the peripheral wall of a hollow cylindrical body 32, and the bellows-like part 30 is provided over the entire axial length of the intermediate connecting part 24.

<Terminal 12>
The terminal 12 is generally cylindrical and extends in the front-rear direction (axial direction) as a whole, and is made of a metal having excellent electrical conductivity, such as copper (including copper alloy) or aluminum (including aluminum alloy). A generally cylindrical connection part 36 into which a mating terminal (not shown) is inserted is provided at the front part of the terminal 12, and the terminal 12 (terminal-attached conductive member 10) and the mating terminal are electrically connected by inserting the mating terminal into the connection part 36 from the front. The method of forming the terminal 12 is not limited, but in the first embodiment, the terminal 12 is formed by bending a metal plate into a predetermined shape by pressing or the like.

Specifically, a substantially cylindrical tubular portion 38 is provided at the rear end of the connection portion 36 (the central portion of the terminal 12 in the front-to-rear direction), and resilient contact pieces 40 are provided at three points on the circumference of the tubular portion 38, protruding forward. In embodiment 1, the resilient contact pieces 40 are provided at three points on the circumference, approximately equally spaced apart. Each resilient contact piece 40 has a predetermined front-to-rear dimension and circumferential dimension, and is independent of each other. This allows each resilient contact piece 40 to elastically deform in the radial direction. Furthermore, each resilient contact piece 40 gradually inclines radially inward as it moves forward, and the connection portion 36 is formed as a tapered tube shape that gradually becomes smaller in diameter as it moves forward as a whole. As a result, when a mating terminal is inserted into the approximately circular insertion opening 42 formed by the front end of each elastic contact piece 40, each elastic contact piece 40 elastically deforms radially outward, and the elastic restoring force of each elastic contact piece 40 presses each elastic contact piece 40 against the outer circumferential surface of the mating terminal.

Furthermore, the rear end portion of the terminal 12 is provided with a terminal side fixing portion 44 that is fixed to the first fixing portion 20 of the intermediate part (flexible pipe 34). The terminal side fixing portion 44 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape by bending the rear end portion of a metal plate, and a slit 46 that extends the entire length in the front-to-rear direction is formed in a portion of the circumference of the terminal side fixing portion 44 (upper part in FIG. 3). The diameter of the terminal side fixing portion 44 can be reduced by bringing both circumferential sides on either side of the slit 46 closer to each other. This makes it easier to insert the terminal side fixing portion 44 of the terminal 12 into the front opening 50 of the first fixing portion 20, which is substantially cylindrical, as described below.

<Conductive member (electric wire 18)>
As described above, in the first embodiment, the conductive member is constituted by an electric wire 18 in which a single core wire 14 is covered with an insulating coating 16. That is, the electric wire 18 has one core wire (single core wire 14) with a relatively large diameter, and in the first embodiment, the single core wire 14 has a circular cross section. At the end (tip portion) of the electric wire 18, the insulating coating 16 is stripped over a predetermined area in the axial direction, and the single core wire 14 is exposed. The portion of the single core wire 14 where the insulating coating 16 is stripped and exposed to the outside constitutes a conductive member side fixing portion 48 that is fixed to the second fixing portion 22 of the relay component (flexible pipe 34). Therefore, the conductive member side fixing portion 48 is made to have a substantially cylindrical shape having a predetermined outer diameter dimension and axial dimension. The single core wire 14 can be formed of a metal having excellent conductivity, for example, copper (including copper alloy) or aluminum (including aluminum alloy).

<Relay part (flexible pipe 34)>
As described above, in the first embodiment, the relay component is constituted by a flexible pipe 34 in which the bellows-shaped portion 30 is provided on the peripheral wall of a hollow cylindrical body 32. The flexible pipe 34 can be made of a metal having excellent electrical conductivity, for example, copper (including copper alloy) or aluminum (including aluminum alloy). The flexible pipe 34 has a circular front opening 50 at the front end and a circular rear opening 52 at the rear end. In particular, in the first embodiment, a region covering a predetermined axial dimension in the front part of the cylindrical body 32 is a region that does not have the peaks 26 or valleys 28 and extends substantially straight in the axial direction, and the cylindrical first fixing portion 20 is constituted by the region that extends substantially straight in the front part. Similarly, a region covering a predetermined axial dimension in the rear part of the cylindrical body 32 extends substantially straight, and the cylindrical second fixing portion 22 is constituted by the region that extends substantially straight in the rear part. That is, the two ends of the flexible pipe 34 constitute a first fixing portion 20 and a second fixing portion 22 each having a cylindrical shape.

In the first embodiment, the inner diameter of the first fixing portion 20 before being fixed to the terminal side fixing portion 44 is equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the terminal side fixing portion 44 of the terminal 12. Also, the inner diameter of the second fixing portion 22 before being fixed to the conductive member side fixing portion 48 is equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the conductive member side fixing portion 48 (single core wire 14) of the conductive member (electric wire 18).

The intermediate connecting portion 24 is formed by the portion located between the first fixing portion 20 and the second fixing portion 22, and as described above, in the first embodiment, the bellows-shaped portion 30 is provided over the entire length of the intermediate connecting portion 24. The method of forming the bellows-shaped portion 30 is not limited, but for example, the peripheral wall of the axial middle portion (corresponding to the intermediate connecting portion 24) of the metal blank tube (cylinder 32) extending substantially straight is bulged outward in the axial direction at a substantially constant pitch and/or pressed inward in the axial direction. As a result, the peaks 26 and the valleys 28 can be alternately and continuously provided at a substantially constant pitch in the axial direction in the axial middle portion of the cylinder 32, and as a result, the intermediate connecting portion 24 provided with the bellows-shaped portion 30 can be formed. The bellows-shaped portion 30 can be curved and deformed into any shape by deformation of the peaks 26 and/or the valleys 28. In particular, in the first embodiment, the peaks 26 and valleys 28 are provided in an annular shape around the entire circumference with a substantially constant radially outward and radially inward protruding height, respectively, and the bellows-shaped portion 30 can be curved and deformed substantially equally in either direction. Note that the first and

second fixing portions

20, 22, which each extend substantially straight, have a high deformation rigidity and are difficult to bend and deform.

In such a flexible pipe 34, the terminal side fixing portion 44 of the terminal 12 is inserted from the front opening 50 of the first fixing portion 20, and the first fixing portion 20 is fitted onto the terminal side fixing portion 44, and the first fixing portion 20 and the terminal side fixing portion 44 are fixed to each other. In addition, the columnar conductive member side fixing portion 48 of the conductive member (electric wire 18) is inserted from the rear opening 52 of the second fixing portion 22, and the second fixing portion 22 is fitted onto the conductive member side fixing portion 48, and the second fixing portion 22 and the conductive member side fixing portion 48 are fixed to each other. In this way, a terminal-attached conductive member 10 is formed in which the terminal 12 and the conductive member (electric wire 18) are electrically connected by the relay part (flexible pipe 34). It is preferable that the first fixing portion 20 and the second fixing portion 22 have approximately the same inner diameter, outer diameter, and axial dimension. This eliminates the need to distinguish between the front side of the flexible pipe 34, which is the side that connects to the terminal 12, and the rear side, which is the side that connects to the conductive member (electric wire 18), improving work efficiency when manufacturing the conductive member with terminal 10.

Here, the method of fastening the first fixing portion 20 to the terminal side fixing portion 44 and the method of fastening the second fixing portion 22 to the conductive member side fixing portion 48 are not limited, and may be fastened by welding such as ultrasonic welding or resistance welding, but in embodiment 1, both are fastened by electromagnetic pressure welding. As a result, the first fixing portion 20 to the terminal side fixing portion 44, and the second fixing portion 22 to the conductive member side fixing portion 48 can be fastened approximately uniformly over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. In particular, in embodiment 1, since the conductive member side fixing portion 48 is made of a single core wire 14, the difference in rigidity with the second fixing portion 22 is not large compared to when it is made of a twisted wire. Therefore, even if the single core wire 14 and the second fixing portion 22 (flexible pipe 34) are dissimilar metals, effective electromagnetic pressure welding can be performed, and the freedom of selection of materials for each member can be improved.

<Method of manufacturing the terminal-equipped conductive member 10>
A specific example of a method for manufacturing the conductive member with terminal 10 by fixing the terminal 12 and the conductive member (electric wire 18) to the flexible pipe 34 will be described below. Note that the method for manufacturing the conductive member with terminal 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

First, a copper or aluminum metal plate is bent into a predetermined shape by pressing or the like to form the terminal 12. Then, at the end of the electric wire 18, the insulating coating 16 is stripped off to expose the single-core wire 14, and a columnar conductive member side fixing portion 48 is provided. Furthermore, at the axial middle portion of the cylindrical body 32 made of a metal tube or the like, peaks 26 and valleys 28 are provided alternately and continuously in the axial direction to form the flexible pipe 34.

Then, the terminal side fixing portion 44 of the terminal 12 is inserted from the front opening 50 of the first fixing portion 20 of the flexible pipe 34, and the first fixing portion 20 and the terminal side fixing portion 44 are fixed by electromagnetic pressure welding. The conductive member side fixing portion 48 of the conductive member (electric wire 18) is inserted from the rear opening 52 of the second fixing portion 22 of the flexible pipe 34, and the second fixing portion 22 and the conductive member side fixing portion 48 are fixed by electromagnetic pressure welding. Note that the electromagnetic pressure welding between the first fixing portion 20 and the terminal side fixing portion 44 and the electromagnetic pressure welding between the second fixing portion 22 and the conductive member side fixing portion 48 are performed by a conventionally known electromagnetic pressure welding method, so a description thereof will be omitted. Then, the conductive member with terminal 10 is completed by the fixing between the first fixing portion 20 and the terminal side fixing portion 44 and the fixing between the second fixing portion 22 and the conductive member side fixing portion 48.

Such a conductive member with terminal 10 includes a metal intermediate part (flexible pipe 34) that electrically connects the terminal 12 and the conductive member (electric wire 18), and the flexible pipe 34 includes a bellows-like portion 30 that can be bent freely at the intermediate connection portion 24 in the axial middle portion. By deforming the bellows-like portion 30, the terminal 12 can be oriented in a desired direction regardless of the direction in which the electric wire 18 extends, and the terminal 12 can be connected to the mating terminal more reliably. In other words, the electric wire 18 can be extended in any direction relative to the terminal 12, improving the degree of freedom in wiring the conductive member with terminal 10. In addition, since the flexible pipe 34 is made of metal, it has a certain degree of rigidity and can maintain its shape in a deformed state. As a result, even if the terminal 12 is located above the electric wire 18, the terminal 12 does not drop downward due to gravity, and the conductive member with terminal 10 can be wired three-dimensionally.

In addition, even if an external force is applied to the conductive member (electric wire 18) due to vehicle vibrations, etc., the input external force is absorbed by the deformation of the flexible pipe 34, preventing the external force from reaching the connection between the terminal 12 and the mating terminal. This avoids connection failures due to wear at the contact points between the terminal 12 and the mating terminal, and damage to equipment in which the mating terminal is installed. Furthermore, the deformation of the flexible pipe 34 can also provide the effect of absorbing tolerances, reducing the risk of the connection between the terminal 12 and the mating terminal becoming unstable due to the tolerances of each component, for example.

The flexible pipe 34 has both ends forming a cylindrical first fixing portion 20 and a cylindrical second fixing portion 22, and the intermediate connecting portion 24 is formed by a portion located between the first fixing portion 20 and the second fixing portion 22. The intermediate connecting portion 24 has a bellows-like portion 30 along its entire axial length. The first fixing portion 20 and the second fixing portion 22 are cylindrical and relatively rigid, so that they can be stably fixed to the terminal 12 and the conductive member (wire 18), respectively. The bellows-like portion 30 is also provided along the entire axial length of the intermediate connecting portion 24, so that a large deformable area can be secured in the flexible pipe 34, and the effects of bending deformation of the flexible pipe 34 can be stably enjoyed.

The second fixing portion 22 is fixed to the single core wire 14 exposed from the insulating coating 16 at the end of the electric wire 18. When a single core wire with a relatively large outer diameter is used as the core wire of the electric wire, bending the electric wire may be difficult due to the rigidity of the single core wire when the terminal and the single core wire are directly connected. However, by connecting the single core wire 14 and the terminal 12 via a flexible pipe 34 having a bellows-shaped portion 30 that is easy to bend and deform, the bending deformation of the terminal-attached conductive member 10 can be easily achieved. As a result, even when the core wire of the electric wire 18 is the single core wire 14, the effects associated with the bending deformation of the flexible pipe 34 can be stably enjoyed.

The first fixing portion 20 is generally cylindrical, and the terminal side fixing portion 44 is generally cylindrical, and the first fixing portion 20 is fitted onto the terminal side fixing portion 44 and fixed by electromagnetic pressure welding. The second fixing portion 22 is generally cylindrical, and the conductive member side fixing portion 48 is generally columnar, and the second fixing portion 22 is fitted onto the conductive member side fixing portion 48 and fixed by electromagnetic pressure welding. The first fixing portion 20 and the terminal side fixing portion 44, and the second fixing portion 22 and the conductive member side fixing portion 48 are generally corresponding in shape and fixed by electromagnetic pressure welding in a state where they are overlapped in the radial direction, so that they can be fixed approximately uniformly around the entire circumference. Therefore, the fixing strength between the first fixing portion 20 and the terminal side fixing portion 44, and between the second fixing portion 22 and the conductive member side fixing portion 48 can be sufficiently ensured. In addition, it is possible to improve the conductive performance at the connection sites between the first fixing portion 20 and the terminal side fixing portion 44, and between the second fixing portion 22 and the conductive member side fixing portion 48.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a conductive member with terminals 60 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The conductive member with terminals 60 according to the second embodiment is different from the conductive member with terminals 10 according to the first embodiment in the shape of a flexible pipe 62 serving as a relay part, and the shapes of the terminals 12 and conductive members (electric wires 18) provided at both ends of the flexible pipe 62 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the following description, the flexible pipe 62 having a different shape from that in the first embodiment will be described in detail, and detailed descriptions of members and parts that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment will be omitted by assigning the same reference numerals in the drawings as those in the first embodiment.

<Relay part (flexible pipe 62)>
In the first embodiment, the bellows-like portion 30 is provided over the entire length of the intermediate connecting portion 24 connecting the first fixing portion 20 and the second fixing portion 22 at both axial ends, but in the second embodiment, a plurality of bellows-like portions 66 are arranged in the intermediate connecting portion 64 at a distance from each other in the axial direction, and a cylindrical portion 68 having a constant diameter dimension is arranged between adjacent bellows-like

portions

66, 66. In particular, in the second embodiment, two bellows-like portions 66 (a first bellows-like portion 66a on the front side and a second bellows-like portion 66b on the rear side) are provided in the intermediate connecting portion 64 at a distance from each other in the front-rear direction, and these first and second bellows-like

portions

66a, 66b are connected by a cylindrical portion 68. That is, the first and second bellows-like

portions

66a, 66b having a predetermined axial dimension are provided at both axial end portions of the intermediate connecting portion 64, and the cylindrical portion 68 is provided in the axial middle portion of the intermediate connecting portion 64.

As mentioned above, it is preferable that the first and second fixing

parts

20, 22 have substantially the same shape (substantially equal inner diameter, outer diameter, and axial dimension), and the first bellows-shaped part 66a and the second bellows-shaped part 66b also have substantially the same shape. That is, it is preferable that the first bellows-shaped part 66a and the second bellows-shaped part 66b have substantially the same inner diameter, outer diameter, and axial dimension. This eliminates the need to distinguish the front and rear of the flexible pipe 62, and improves the work efficiency when manufacturing the conductive member with terminal 60. Here, the inner diameter dimension of the first bellows-shaped part 66a and the second bellows-shaped part 66b is the inner diameter dimension of a virtual cylinder connecting the radially inner ends of each valley part 28, and the outer diameter dimension of the first bellows-shaped part 66a and the second bellows-shaped part 66b is the outer diameter dimension of a virtual cylinder connecting the radially outer ends of each peak part 26.

The inner and outer diameters of the cylindrical portion 68 of the flexible pipe 62 are not limited, but may be, for example, approximately equal to the inner and outer diameters of the first and

second fixing portions

20 and 22. That is, when forming the flexible pipe 62 from a metal raw tube, the cylindrical portion 68 can be formed with an inner and outer diameter approximately equal to those of the first and

second fixing portions

20 and 22 by performing a diameter expansion and/or diameter reduction process only on the forming areas of the first and second bellows-shaped

portions

66a and 66b. And, since the cylindrical portion 68 also extends approximately straight in the axial direction like the first and

second fixing portions

20 and 22, it has a large deformation rigidity and is difficult to bend. Therefore, in the flexible pipe 62 in the second embodiment, the first and second bellows-shaped

portions

66a and 66b, which are separated from each other in the front-rear direction, can be easily bent, while the cylindrical portion 68 between them is almost impossible to be bent.

The conductive member with terminal 60 of the second embodiment employing the flexible pipe 62 as described above also has a bellows-shaped portion 66 (first and second bellows-shaped

portions

66a, 66b) at the intermediate connecting portion 64 connecting the first fixing portion 20 and the second fixing portion 22, so that the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be achieved. In particular, in the second embodiment, a plurality (two) of bellows-shaped portions 66 (first and second bellows-shaped

portions

66a, 66b) are provided at a distance from each other in the axial direction, and a cylindrical portion 68 having a constant diameter is provided between the first and second bellows-shaped

portions

66a, 66b. This makes it possible to locally bend the flexible pipe 62 in the region where the first and second bellows-shaped

portions

66a, 66b are formed, and the flexible pipe 62 can be curved and deformed into a desired shape while suppressing excessive deformation in the flexible pipe 62.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, a terminal-equipped conductive member 70 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The terminal-equipped conductive member 70 according to the third embodiment has the same basic structure as those according to the first and second embodiments, and includes a metal relay component 76 that electrically connects a terminal 72 to an electric wire 74, which is a conductive member. A first fixing portion 78 fixed to the terminal 72 is provided at the front end of the relay component 76, and a second fixing portion 80 fixed to the electric wire 74 is provided at the rear end of the relay component 76. A bendable bellows-shaped portion 84 is provided at an intermediate connecting portion 82 between the first and

second fixing portions

78, 80. In particular, in the third embodiment, the bellows-shaped portion 84 is provided over the entire length of the intermediate connecting portion 82.

<Terminal 72>
In the third embodiment, the terminal 72 is formed of a bus bar having a substantially flat shape as a whole, and a terminal-side fixing portion 86 is configured at a rear end of the terminal 72. Specifically, the terminal 72 includes a straight portion 88 extending substantially straight in the front-rear direction, and a bent portion 90 is provided at a front end of the straight portion 88, from which an extending portion 92 extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (front-rear direction). That is, the terminal 72 is substantially L-shaped as a whole, and an area extending over a predetermined axial dimension at the rear end of the straight portion 88 is the terminal-side fixing portion 86 to which the first fixing portion 78 is fixed. In addition, a through hole 94 penetrating in the plate thickness direction is formed at the extending end of the extending portion 92 (the end opposite to the bent portion 90).

Then, for example, the extension 92 of the terminal 72 and a mating terminal (not shown) are overlapped, and the terminal 72 and the mating terminal can be fixed by fastening a bolt using the through hole 94. Here, the manner of fastening the terminal 72 and the mating terminal by fastening a bolt is not limited, and for example, the through hole 94 of the terminal 72 and the mating terminal may be overlapped and fastened together with a bolt inserted into the through hole 94, or, if the mating terminal is constituted by a stud bolt, the terminal 72 and the mating terminal may be fixed by inserting the stud bolt into the through hole 94 and fastening a nut. Note that the through hole 94 does not have to be used when fastening the terminal 72 and the mating terminal, and the terminal 72 and the mating terminal may be fixed by adhesion or welding.

<Conductive Member (Electric Wire 74)>
The conductive member of the third embodiment is also configured with an electric wire 74 consisting of a single core wire 14 and an insulating coating 16, but in the third embodiment, the front end portion of the single core wire 14, which is exposed to the outside after the insulating coating 16 is peeled off at the end of the electric wire 74, is made into a substantially flat plate shape by pressing or the like. This flat plate-shaped front end portion of the single core wire 14 is the conductive member side fixing portion 96.

<Relay component 76>
As described above, the relay component 76 of the third embodiment includes the first and

second fixing portions

78, 80 at both axial ends, and the bellows-shaped portion 84 is provided over the entire length of the intermediate coupling portion 82 in the axial middle portion. In particular, in the third embodiment, the first and

second fixing portions

78, 80 are each made substantially flat. That is, the first and

second fixing portions

78, 80 of the third embodiment are formed by pressing the first and

second fixing portions

20, 22, which are substantially cylindrical in the flexible pipe 34 in FIG. 2, into a substantially flat plate shape. Therefore, the first and

second fixing portions

78, 80, which are substantially flat, each have a predetermined axial dimension.

Then, the terminal side fixing portion 86 of the terminal 72 and the conductive member side fixing portion 96 of the conductive member (wire 74) are overlapped and fixed to the first and

second fixing portions

78, 80, respectively, to form the conductive member with terminal 70. The method of fixing the first fixing portion 78 to the terminal side fixing portion 86 and the method of fixing the second fixing portion 80 to the conductive member side fixing portion 96 are not limited, but can be fixed by a conventionally known welding method such as ultrasonic welding or resistance welding.

In the conductive member with terminal 70 of embodiment 3 having the above-mentioned structure, the relay part 76 has first and second fixing

parts

78, 80 at both axial ends, and the intermediate connecting part 82 connecting them has a bellows-shaped part 84, so that the same effects as those of embodiments 1 and 2 can be achieved. In particular, in embodiment 3, the first fixing part 78 and the terminal side fixing part 86, and the second fixing part 80 and the conductive member side fixing part 96 are welded by ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, or the like, and compared to, for example, embodiments 1 and 2 in which the first fixing part 20 and the terminal side fixing part 44, and the second fixing part 22 and the conductive member side fixing part 48 are fixed by electromagnetic pressure welding, the equipment for manufacturing the conductive member with terminal 70 can be made simpler.

<Embodiment 4>
Next, the conductive member with terminal 100 according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. The conductive member with terminal 100 according to the fourth embodiment has the same basic structure as that according to the first and second embodiments, and includes a metal relay component 102 that electrically connects the terminal 12 and the electric wire 74, which is a conductive member. In the fourth embodiment, the terminal 12 according to the first embodiment and the electric wire 74 according to the third embodiment are used, and the description of the terminal 12 and the electric wire 74 is omitted by adding these reference numerals in the drawings. The first fixing portion 20 having the same shape as that according to the first embodiment is provided at the front end portion of the relay component 102, and the second fixing portion 104 having a different shape from that according to the first and third embodiments is provided at the rear end portion of the relay component 102. In addition, an accordion-shaped portion 108 is provided in the intermediate connecting portion 106 between the first fixing portion 20 and the second fixing portion 104, but the shape of the peak portion 110 that constitutes the accordion-shaped portion 108 is different from that of embodiments 1 to 3.

<Relay component 102>
6 and 7, the second fixing portion 104 of the relay component 102 has a substantially rectangular tubular shape that is fitted onto the conductive member side fixing portion 96 of the electric wire 74. The second fixing portion 104 has a predetermined axial dimension, and before being fixed to the conductive member side fixing portion 96, has an opening width dimension (left-right dimension in FIG. 7) and an opening height dimension (up-down dimension in FIG. 7) that are equal to or slightly larger than those of the conductive member side fixing portion 96. The substantially rectangular tubular second fixing portion 104 can be formed, for example, by pressing the substantially cylindrical second fixing portion 22 of the first embodiment into a substantially rectangular tubular shape. Then, the conductive member side fixing portion 96 of the conductive member (electric wire 74) is inserted through the rear opening 52 of the second fixing portion 104, and the second fixing portion 104 and the conductive member side fixing portion 96 are fixed to each other by crimping the second fixing portion 104 by press working or the like, or by welding by ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, or the like.

Also in the fourth embodiment, the bellows-like portion 108 is provided over the entire length of the intermediate connecting portion 106, but the bellows-like portion 108 is configured to include a ridge portion 110 having a notch portion 112 provided in a portion of the circumference (the upper portion in FIG. 7). That is, in the first embodiment and the like described above, the ridge portion 26 is provided in an annular shape over the entire circumference with a substantially constant radially outward protruding height, but in the fourth embodiment, the ridge portion 110 is provided over an area of less than one circumference in the circumferential direction with a substantially constant radially outward protruding height. In other words, in the fourth embodiment, the outer diameter dimension of the ridge portion 110 varies in the circumferential direction.

The shape of the notch 112 is not limited, but may be, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, approximately triangular in axial view (front-rear projection). Such a peak 110 may be formed by cutting a portion of the circumference of the peak 26 formed in an annular shape as in the first embodiment to provide the notch 112, or may be formed by radially outwardly expanding an area of less than one circumference of a metal blank tube. By providing the notch 112 on a portion of the circumference of the peak 110 in the bellows-shaped portion 108, the

adjacent peaks

110, 110 do not come into contact with each other when the bellows-shaped portion 108 is bent in the direction in which the notch 112 is formed (upward in FIG. 7 in the fourth embodiment), and the bellows-shaped portion 108 can be easily curved and deformed in a predetermined direction.

In the conductive member with terminal 100 of the fourth embodiment having the above-mentioned structure, the relay component 102 has the first and

second fixing portions

20, 104 at both axial ends, and the intermediate connecting portion 106 connecting them has the bellows-shaped portion 108, so that the same effects as those of the first to third embodiments can be achieved. In particular, by making the second fixing portion 104 substantially rectangular tubular, it is possible to cover the entire periphery of the conductive member side fixing portion 96, which is substantially flat, and the fixing strength between the second fixing portion 104 and the conductive member side fixing portion 96 is improved. In addition, by providing a notch 112 on a part of the circumference of the peak portion 110 constituting the bellows-shaped portion 108, it is also possible to easily curve and deform the bellows-shaped portion 108 in the direction in which the notch 112 is formed.

<Modification>
Although the first to fourth embodiments have been described above as specific examples of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific descriptions. Modifications, improvements, etc., within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure, are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modified examples of the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

(1) In the above embodiment, in the

flexible pipe

34, 62 and the

relay part

76, 102, the outer diameter dimension of each peak 26, 110 constituting the bellows-shaped

part

30, 66, 84, 108 and the inner diameter dimension of each valley 28 are approximately constant in the axial direction, but this is not limited to the above. That is, as in the conductive member with terminal 120 shown in FIG. 8, in the flexible pipe 122 as the relay part, the outer diameter dimension of each peak 126 constituting the bellows-shaped part 124 and the inner diameter dimension of each valley 128 may be different in the axial direction. This allows the curvature of the bellows-shaped part 124 to be changed in the axial direction, and the freedom of wiring of the conductive member with terminal 120 can be further improved. In addition, such intermediate parts (flexible pipes 122) may be formed, for example, by providing peaks and valleys with approximately constant radially outward and radially inward protrusion dimensions on a metal raw tube whose axial middle portion is tapered or a metal raw tube whose diameter is gradually expanded or contracted in the axial direction, or by providing peaks and valleys with different radially outward and radially inward protrusion dimensions in the axial direction on a metal raw tube that extends straight.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the outer diameter of the peaks 126 and the inner diameter of the valleys 128 are gradually increased from the front to the rear. That is, the bellows-shaped portion 124 is provided with first to fourth regions 129a to 129d in which the outer diameter and inner diameter are gradually increased, and each of the first to fourth regions 129a to 129d has a predetermined axial dimension. In another embodiment, the outer diameter of the peaks and the inner diameter of the valleys may be gradually increased from the front to the rear, that is, the outer diameter and inner diameter may be continuously increased in the axial direction in the first to fourth regions 129a to 129d. By making the front portion of the flexible pipe 122 smaller in diameter than the rear portion, it is possible to ensure a certain degree of rigidity in the rear portion while exhibiting better bending properties in the front portion. In addition, the relay parts may be designed to have an outer diameter and inner diameter that are gradually or gradually decreased from the front to the rear.

(2) In the above embodiment, both conductive members are composed of

electric wires

18 and 74. However, the conductive member may be composed of a flat bus bar 130 as shown in FIG. 9, for example. One end of the bus bar 130 constitutes the conductive member side fixing portion 132, and the intermediate portion excluding the one end and the other end may be covered with an insulating coating 134. In the aspect shown in FIG. 9, the relay part 76 shown in the above embodiment 3 is adopted, and the conductive member side fixing portion 132 constituted by one end of the bus bar 130 is overlapped with the second fixing portion 80 and fixed by a method such as welding, but the second fixing portion may be fitted outside as in the above embodiment 4 and then fixed to the second fixing portion by a method such as welding.

(3) In the above embodiment, the core of the

electric wire

18, 74, which is a conductive member, is composed of a single core wire 14 having a relatively large diameter, but it may be composed of multiple core wires having a smaller diameter twisted together.

(4) The cross-sectional shape of the single core wire may be, for example, elliptical, or when multiple core wires are twisted together, they may be twisted together to form an elliptical shape overall. This allows the conductive member side fixing portion to have an elliptical cross section. Similarly, the terminal side fixing portion may also have an elliptical cross section. In this case, it is preferable that the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion have an elliptical cylindrical shape corresponding to the shapes of the terminal side fixing portion and the conductive member side fixing portion, and for example, the cylindrical body constituting the flexible pipe may have an elliptical cylindrical shape. In other words, the bellows-shaped portion (peaks and valleys) constituting the intermediate connecting portion and the cylindrical portion located between adjacent bellows-shaped portions may also have an elliptical cylindrical shape.

(5) In the first and second embodiments, the terminal side fixing portion 44 of the terminal 12 is inserted (fitted) into the first fixing portion 20, and the conductive member side fixing portion 48 of the conductive member (wire 18) is inserted (fitted) into the second fixing portion 22, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the cylindrical terminal side fixing portion or conductive member side fixing portion may be fitted onto the first fixing portion or the second fixing portion, and in this case, the first fixing portion or the second fixing portion may be columnar or flat.

(6) The

terminals

12, 72 described in the above embodiment and in the aspect of FIG. 8 are merely examples, and the terminals according to the present disclosure may have any shape and configuration. Similarly, the conductive members (

wires

18, 74, busbar 130) described in the above embodiment and in the aspects of FIGS. 8 and 9 are merely examples, and the conductive members according to the present disclosure may have any shape and configuration as long as they are conductive.

(7) The flexibility (ease of bending) and conductivity of the relay parts can be adjusted by changing the shape (plate thickness, pitch of the bellows-shaped part, etc.) and material. In addition, the relay parts, terminals, and core wires (e.g., single-core wires) exposed from the insulating coating may be subjected to a surface treatment such as plating that is conventionally known.

10. Conductive member with terminal (first embodiment)
12 Terminal 14 Single-core wire 16 Insulating coating 18 Electric wire (conductive member)
20 First fixing portion 22 Second fixing portion 24 Intermediate connecting portion 26 Peak portion 28 Valley portion 30 Bellows-shaped portion 32 Cylinder body 34 Flexible pipe (relay part)
36 Connection portion 38 Cylindrical portion 40 Elastic contact piece 42 Insertion opening 44 Terminal side fixing portion 46 Slit 48 Conductive member side fixing portion 50 Front opening 52 Rear opening 60 Conductive member with terminal (Embodiment 2)
62 Flexible pipe (relay part)
64 Intermediate connecting portion 66 Bellows-shaped portion 66a First bellows-shaped portion 66b Second bellows-shaped portion 68 Cylindrical portion 70 Conductive member with terminal (Embodiment 3)
72 Terminal 74 Electric wire (conductive member)
76 Relay component 78 First fixing portion 80 Second fixing portion 82 Intermediate connecting portion 84 Bellows-shaped portion 86 Terminal side fixing portion 88 Straight portion 90 Bent portion 92 Extension portion 94 Through hole 96 Conductive member side fixing portion 100 Conductive member with terminal (Fourth embodiment)
102 Relay part 104 Second fixing part 106 Intermediate connecting part 108 Bellows-shaped part 110 Mountain part 112 Notch part 120 Conductive member with terminal (FIG. 8)
122 Flexible pipe (relay part)
124: bellows-like portion 126: peak portion 128: valley portion 129a to 129d: first region to fourth region 130: bus bar (conductive member)
132 Conductive member side fixing portion 134 Insulating coating

Claims

The terminals and
A conductive member;
a metal relay component that electrically connects the terminal and the conductive member,
the relay component has a first fixing portion fixed to the terminal, a second fixing portion fixed to the conductive member, and a cylindrical intermediate connecting portion connecting the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion,
The intermediate connector includes a freely bending bellows-like portion having a plurality of peaks and valleys alternately connected along the axial direction of the intermediate connector.
the relay component is configured using a metal flexible pipe having a hollow cylindrical body and the bellows-shaped portion provided on a peripheral wall thereof,
2. The conductive member with terminal as described in claim 1, wherein the first and second fixing portions are cylindrically formed by both ends of the flexible pipe, the intermediate connecting portion is formed by a portion located between the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion, and the bellows-shaped portion is provided over the entire axial length of the intermediate connecting portion.
The conductive member with terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conductive member is constituted by an electric wire in which a metallic single-core wire is insulated, and the second fixing portion is fixed to the single-core wire exposed from the insulating coating at the end of the electric wire.
the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion of the intermediate component each have a cylindrical shape,
the first fixing portion is fitted inside or outside a cylindrical terminal-side fixing portion provided on the terminal and is electromagnetically pressure-welded thereto;
3 . The conductive member with terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the second fixing portion is fitted onto and electromagnetically pressure-welded to a columnar conductive member-side fixing portion provided on the conductive member. 4 .
The conductive member with terminals according to claim 1, wherein the relay part has a plurality of bellows-shaped portions arranged at a distance from each other in the axial direction, and a cylindrical portion with a constant diameter arranged between adjacent bellows-shaped portions.
The conductive member with terminals according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner and outer diameters of the bellows-shaped portion of the relay part vary in the axial direction.