Electric wire with terminal, wire harness, terminal, terminal crimping die, method for manufacturing electric wire with terminal

Abstract

The terminal wire (10) is formed by electrically connecting the terminal (1) and the covered wire (11). The crimping part (5) of the terminal (1) is the part that crimps the covered wire (11), and it has: a wire crimping part (7) that crimps the wire (13) exposed from the covered part (15) at the front end side of the covered wire (11); and a covered crimping part (9) that crimps the covered part (15) of the covered wire (11). A wire holding part (7a) with relatively strong holding force of the wire (13) is provided at the front end side (terminal body 3 side) of the wire crimping part (7). Furthermore, a conductive part (7b) for obtaining conduction with the wire (13) is formed at the rear end side (covered crimping part 9 side) of the wire crimping part (7).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to terminald wires, for example, used in automobiles and the like. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, automotive wiring harnesses are bundled after the crimp terminals are connected to the conductors of the covered wires, and are then routed as signal lines for vehicles, etc. In a typical case of covered wires and crimp terminals, the covering at the front end of the covered wire is removed, exposing the conductor and the wire crimping portion, which are then crimped together. The covered portion is crimped within the covered crimping portion to achieve the connection. The sum of the connection strength of the automotive wiring harness through this wire crimping portion and the connection strength of the covered crimping portion meets the connection strength requirements between the crimp terminal and the covered wire.

[0003] Here, if the wire used is thinner, it is difficult to maintain strength solely through the conductor constituting the wire; therefore, wires with tensile strength elements have been studied. For example, when using a wire made of a conductor with a tensile strength of approximately 30N, in order to ensure a tensile strength exceeding the 80N required for automotive wiring, a wire with a tensile strength element has been proposed, in which the conductor is spirally wound around the outer periphery of a metallic or non-metallic tensile strength element. Such a wire is produced by stripping the conductor, exposing the tensile strength element, inserting it into a sleeve, crimping the tensile strength element using steel clamps, then integrating it using a curable resin such as an adhesive, and crimping the conductor portion using clamps such as aluminum (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-046827

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-237839 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] In recent years, especially in the automotive industry, the number of ECUs and sensors used has increased significantly due to the need for complex applications such as ECUs and sensors, leading to a substantial increase in the number of wires used. Under these circumstances, increasing the wire diameter of the wiring harness has become a challenge. Therefore, there is a demand for further reduction in the diameter of automotive wiring harnesses. For example, there is a need to increase the diameter of existing standard 0.35sq (sq: mm) wires. 2 (Meaning) Wires with a diameter of less than 1 mm.

[0010] Here, in the wire crimping section, both the connection strength between the wire and the terminal and the electrical resistance between the conductor and the terminal need to be met. Therefore, to meet the required specifications for both the connection strength with the wire and the electrical resistance with the conductor, the compression ratio of the wire crimping section needs to be appropriately set. However, when the wire diameter becomes thinner, it is difficult to meet both requirements at the same compression ratio.

[0011] For example, when using thick-diameter coated wires to connect to crimp terminals using existing technology, crimping of the wire crimp can be performed with a compression ratio that balances connection strength and connection resistance. However, as the wire diameter decreases, the appropriate range of crimping conditions for both connection strength and resistance narrows. This is because if connection strength is to be ensured, the conductor breaks, resulting in high connection resistance; if connection resistance is prioritized, connection strength cannot be achieved, becoming a major cause of wire detachment. Thus, the thinner the wire diameter must be, the more difficult it becomes to balance connection strength and resistance.

[0012] Furthermore, connecting existing wires with tensile strength elements requires various crimping processes, including stripping the insulation, crimping the tensile strength elements, and crimping the wires. This increases the number of components, processing time, and costs. Stripping becomes particularly difficult when the wire diameter decreases. Thus, the manufacturing process becomes complex using conventional methods, leading to increased processing costs.

[0013] The present invention was made in view of the following problems, and its object is to provide wires with terminals that have good crimping workability and can balance connection strength and connection resistance.

[0014] Methods for solving problems

[0015] To achieve the above objectives, the first invention provides a terminal wire, which is formed by electrically connecting a covered conductor and a terminal, characterized in that the terminal has: a conductor crimping portion for crimping a conductor exposed from the covered portion at the front end of the covered conductor; and a covered crimping portion for crimping the covered portion of the covered conductor, the conductor crimping portion having: a conductor holding portion for holding the conductor; and a conductive portion for obtaining conductivity with the conductor.

[0016] Preferably, the wire holding portion is provided on the front end side of the wire crimping portion, and the conducting portion is formed on the rear end side of the wire crimping portion, wherein the compression ratio of the wire holding portion and the conducting portion is different.

[0017] Preferably, the compression ratio of the wire holding portion is smaller than the compression ratio of the conducting portion.

[0018] Preferably, the tensile strength of the conductor in the wire holding part is stronger than the tensile strength of the conductor in the conducting part.

[0019] Preferably, the covered conductor is formed by covering at least one conductor and a tensile body with the covered portion.

[0020] Preferably, both the conductor and the tensile body are held in the wire holding part.

[0021] Preferably, the covered conductor is composed of multiple conductors and at least one tensile body.

[0022] Preferably, in a cross-section perpendicular to the length direction of the covered conductor, the tensile body is located approximately at the center of the covered conductor, and the conductor is disposed on the outer periphery of the tensile body.

[0023] Alternatively, the conductor may be twisted along the length of the covered conductor.

[0024] Preferably, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor is 0.35 sq or less, and the terminal is capable of crimping the conductor with a cross-sectional area of ​​0.35 sq or less.

[0025] Preferably, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor is 0.3sq or less, and the terminal is capable of crimping the conductor with a cross-sectional area of ​​0.3sq or less.

[0026] Alternatively, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor may be 0.05 sq or less, and the tensile strength of the conductor in the wire retaining part may be 50 N or more.

[0027] Alternatively, in the wire holding part, at least a portion of the wire may be broken.

[0028] Alternatively, at least a portion of the wire crimping portion may be a tubular structure that is closed in the circumferential direction.

[0029] Alternatively, at least the front end of the conductor may be compressed from the outer periphery, or plated from the outer periphery of the conductor.

[0030] Alternatively, the compression ratio of the covered crimping portion may be smaller than the compression ratio of the conductive portion.

[0031] Alternatively, the covering and pressing part can be an open cylindrical shape.

[0032] Alternatively, at least a portion between the wire crimping portion and the covering crimping portion may be formed with a wire positioning portion whose size decreases as it moves toward the front end. In the wire positioning portion, the front end of the covering portion contacts the wire positioning portion to limit the amount of wire insertion into the wire crimping portion.

[0033] Alternatively, the wire crimping portion may be an open cylindrical shape.

[0034] According to the first invention, the wire crimping part has two functional parts: a wire holding part that holds the wire to improve connection strength and a conducting part that ensures continuity with the wire to reduce connection resistance. Therefore, both connection strength and connection resistance are satisfied. Furthermore, since the wire crimping part can be crimped using the same method as before, the operation is easy.

[0035] Furthermore, by differentiating the compression ratios of the wire retaining portion and the conducting portion, the compression force of the wire retaining portion and the compression force of the conducting portion can be varied. Therefore, crimping can be performed with a compression force suitable for each function. In this case, by making the compression ratio of the wire retaining portion smaller than that of the conducting portion, i.e., by applying strong compression to the wire retaining portion, the connection strength between the terminal and the sheathed wire can be ensured more reliably.

[0036] Furthermore, in this case, by making the tensile strength of the wire in the wire holding part stronger than the tensile strength of the wire in the conducting part, the connection strength between the terminal and the covered wire can be ensured.

[0037] Furthermore, by having the sheathed conductor have at least one conductor and a tension element, the tensile strength of the conductor can be ensured by the tension element. In this case, if the conductor and the tension element are held together by the wire retainer, high connection strength can be ensured. Additionally, since it is not necessary to use different clamping devices to connect the tension element to the conductor as in the past, the number of parts is naturally reduced, and the connection operation is easier.

[0038] Furthermore, if the covered conductor is composed of multiple conductors and at least one tensile strength member, multiple conductors can be arranged around the tensile strength member, for example. In this way, in a cross-section perpendicular to the length direction of the covered conductor, if conductors are arranged around the outer periphery of the central tensile strength member, the conductors can be reliably crimped. Alternatively, the conductors can be twisted along the length direction around the outer periphery of the tensile strength member.

[0039] Furthermore, the present invention is particularly effective when using a covered conductor with a cross-sectional area of ​​0.35 sq or less, or more specifically, when using a covered conductor with a cross-sectional area of ​​0.3 sq or less. The present invention is especially effective when a tensile strength of 50 N or more is obtained by using a covered conductor with a cross-sectional area of ​​0.05 sq or less.

[0040] Alternatively, at least a portion of the wire can be broken in the wire holding section. In this case, by inserting a portion of the tensile strength member or the like into the gap of the broken wire in the wire holding section, the pull-out resistance of the wire can be increased, ensuring connection strength. On the other hand, the wire and the crimp terminal are ensured to be conductive in the conductive section.

[0041] Furthermore, if at least a portion of the wire crimping portion is tubular, the wire can be reliably crimped around its entire circumference. Therefore, during crimping, localized stress (deformation) on the wire can be suppressed.

[0042] In addition, by forming a terminal processing section by compressing the front end of the conductor from the outer periphery or by performing a plating treatment on the outer periphery of the conductor, it is possible to prevent the conductor from spreading out when the front end of the conductor is inserted into the tubular conductor crimping section.

[0043] Furthermore, by making the compression ratio of the covered crimping portion smaller than that of the conductive portion, the covered portion can be reliably maintained.

[0044] Furthermore, if the crimping portion is an open cylindrical type, positioning the wire when inserting it into the tubular wire crimping portion is easier. Therefore, even if the diameter of the wire crimping portion is small, the wire can be easily inserted into it.

[0045] Furthermore, if a wire positioning part that decreases in size towards the front end is formed between the wire crimping part and the covering crimping part, then when the covered wire is positioned on the crimping part, the front end of the covering part contacts the wire positioning part in the wire positioning part, thus limiting the amount of wire insertion into the wire crimping part. Therefore, it is not necessary to visually confirm the crimping position, the positioning of the covered wire in the length direction of the terminal is easy, the crimping position is stable during the production process, and productivity is improved.

[0046] Furthermore, if the wire crimping portion is an open cylindrical type, the wire can be easily positioned on the wire crimping portion from above the terminal. Therefore, the crimping operation between the terminal and the covered wire is easy.

[0047] The second invention is a wire harness, characterized in that it is an integral assembly of multiple terminal wires, including the terminal wire of the first invention.

[0048] According to the second invention, it is possible to obtain a wire bundle consisting of multiple thin-diameter wires bundled together.

[0049] The third invention discloses a terminal electrically connected to a covered conductor, characterized in that the terminal comprises: a conductor crimping portion for crimping a conductor exposed from the front end of the covered portion of the covered conductor; and a covered crimping portion for crimping the covered portion of the covered conductor, wherein a wire holding portion is provided at the front end of the conductor crimping portion, and a conductive portion for obtaining conduction with the conductor is formed at the rear end of the conductor crimping portion, wherein the wire holding portion and the conductive portion are separated.

[0050] Alternatively, at least a portion of the wire crimping portion may be a tubular shape that is closed in the circumferential direction.

[0051] Alternatively, at least a portion between the wire crimping portion and the covering crimping portion may have a wire positioning portion whose size decreases as it moves toward the front end.

[0052] Alternatively, the wire crimping portion may be an open cylindrical shape.

[0053] According to the third invention, the terminal wire of the first invention can be easily obtained.

[0054] Furthermore, if at least a portion of the wire crimping portion is tubular, the wire can be reliably crimped around its entire circumference. Therefore, during crimping, localized stress (deformation) on the wire can be suppressed.

[0055] Furthermore, if a wire positioning part that decreases in size as it moves toward the front end is formed between the wire crimping part and the covering crimping part, the amount of wire insertion into the wire crimping part is limited, so the crimping position does not need to be confirmed by visual inspection, and the covering wire can be easily positioned in the length direction of the terminal.

[0056] Furthermore, if the wire crimping portion is an open cylindrical type, the wire can be easily positioned on the wire crimping portion from above the terminal. Therefore, the crimping operation between the terminal and the covered wire is easy.

[0057] The fourth invention is a terminal crimping die for manufacturing the terminal-equipped wire of the first invention, characterized in that the terminal crimping die has an upper die and a lower die, and the distance between the portions of the upper die and the lower die corresponding to the wire holding portion is narrower than the distance between the portions of the upper die and the lower die corresponding to the conducting portion.

[0058] According to the fourth invention, the covered wires and terminals can be easily crimped using the same process as existing wires with terminals.

[0059] The fifth invention is a method for manufacturing a terminal wire, which is the same as the method for manufacturing a terminal wire of the first invention, characterized in that the cross-sectional area of ​​the inner part of the covering portion is 40% or more of the cross-sectional area of ​​the insertion portion of the wire crimping portion before crimping.

[0060] Alternatively, when removing the covering portion at the front end of the covered conductor, a portion of the covering portion is inserted into the conductor crimping portion while remaining at the front end of the conductor, and the covering portion is removed from the conductor before crimping.

[0061] According to the fifth invention, the terminal wire of the first invention can be readily obtained.

[0062] At this point, by inserting a portion of the covering part into the wire crimping part while it remains at the front end of the wire, the wire can be prevented from spreading out, and the wire can be easily inserted into the wire crimping part.

[0063] The sixth invention is a method for manufacturing a wire with terminals, which is the same as the method for manufacturing a wire with terminals according to the first invention. The method is characterized in that, before crimping, the size of the wire positioning part is larger than the inner diameter of the covering part and smaller than the outer diameter of the covering part. The front end of the covered wire is inserted until the front end of the covering part contacts the wire positioning part, and the wire crimping part is crimped.

[0064] According to the sixth invention, a wire with terminals can be obtained by reliably crimping a wire using a wire crimping part.

[0065] Invention Effects

[0066] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide wires with terminals that have good crimping performance and can balance connection strength and connection resistance. Attached Figure Description

[0067] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the wire 10 with terminals.

[0068] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view showing the wire 10 with terminals.

[0069] Figure 3A This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0070] Figure 3B This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0071] Figure 3C This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0072] Figure 4A This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0073] Figure 4B This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0074] Figure 4C This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0075] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the terminal 1 and the covered wire 11 before crimping.

[0076] Figure 6A This is a diagram showing the front end of conductor 13.

[0077] Figure 6B This is a diagram showing the front end of the wire 13 before terminal processing.

[0078] Figure 6C This is a diagram showing the configuration of the terminal processing unit 19.

[0079] Figure 6D This is a diagram showing the configuration of the terminal processing unit 19.

[0080] Figure 7A This is a diagram showing the configuration of other terminal processing units 19.

[0081] Figure 7B This is a diagram showing the configuration of other terminal processing units 19.

[0082] Figure 8A This is a diagram showing the crimping process of the crimping part 5.

[0083] Figure 8B This is a diagram showing the crimping process of the crimping part 5.

[0084] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the terminal 1a before crimping and the covered wire 11.

[0085] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing the terminal 1b before crimping and the covered wire 11.

[0086] Figure 11 This is a perspective view showing the wire 10a with terminals.

[0087] Figure 12 This is a diagram showing the terminal 1c before crimping and the covered wire 11.

[0088] Figure 13A This diagram shows the process of inserting the wire 13 into the wire crimping part 7.

[0089] Figure 13B This diagram shows the process of inserting the wire 13 into the wire crimping part 7.

[0090] Figure 13C This diagram shows the process of inserting the wire 13 into the wire crimping part 7.

[0091] Figure 14A This is a diagram showing the crimping process of the crimping part 5.

[0092] Figure 14B This is a diagram showing the crimping process of the crimping part 5.

[0093] Figure 15 This is a diagram showing the terminal 1d before crimping and the covered wire 11.

[0094] Figure 16 This is a perspective view showing the wire 10b with terminals.

[0095] Figure 17 This is a diagram showing the terminal 1e before crimping and the covered wire 11.

[0096] Figure 18A This diagram shows the process of inserting the wire 13 into the wire crimping part 7.

[0097] Figure 18B This diagram shows the process of inserting the wire 13 into the wire crimping part 7.

[0098] Figure 19 This is a diagram showing the terminal 1f before crimping and the covered wire 11.

[0099] Figure 20A This diagram shows the process of inserting the wire 13 into the wire crimping part 7.

[0100] Figure 20B This diagram shows the process of inserting the wire 13 into the wire crimping part 7.

[0101] Figure 21 This is a perspective view showing a wire 10c with terminals.

[0102] Figure 22 This is a cross-sectional view showing a wire 10c with terminals.

[0103] Figure 23A This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0104] Figure 23B This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0105] Figure 23C This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0106] Figure 24 This is a diagram showing the terminal 1g and the covered wire 11 before crimping.

[0107] Figure 25A This is a diagram showing the crimping process of the crimping part 5.

[0108] Figure 25B This is a diagram showing the crimping process of the crimping part 5.

[0109] Figure 26 This is a perspective view showing a wire 10d with terminals.

[0110] Figure 27A This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0111] Figure 27B This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0112] Figure 27C This is a cross-sectional view of the wire holding part 7a.

[0113] Figure 28 This is a diagram showing the terminal 1h before crimping and the covered wire 11.

[0114] Figure 29 This is a diagram showing the terminal 1i before crimping and the covered wire 11.

[0115] Figure 30 This is a plan view showing the wire 10e with terminals.

[0116] Figure 31A This is a diagram showing the cross-section of the other covered conductor 11.

[0117] Figure 31B This is a diagram showing the cross-section of the other covered conductor 11. Detailed Implementation

[0118] (First Embodiment)

[0119] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the wire 10 with terminals. Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the wire 10 with terminals. The wire 10 with terminals is constructed by electrically connecting the terminal 1 and the covered conductor 11.

[0120] The sheathed conductor 11 is composed of, for example, a conductor 13 made of copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy and a sheathing portion 15 covering the conductor 13. That is, the sheathed conductor 11 has a sheathing portion 15 and a conductor 13 protruding from its front end.

[0121] Terminal 1 is made of, for example, copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. A covered wire 11 is connected to terminal 1. Terminal 1 is configured to connect terminal body 3 and crimping portion 5 via transition portion 4.

[0122] The terminal body 3 is a component formed from a plate-shaped material of a predetermined shape into a cylindrical body with a rectangular cross-section. The terminal body 3 has an elastic contact piece inside, formed by folding the plate-shaped material into the rectangular cylindrical body. The terminal body 3 is used for connection by inserting a male terminal or the like into its front end. Furthermore, in the following description, an example of a female terminal is shown where the terminal body 3 allows the insertion of a male terminal or the like through an insertion tab (not shown). However, in this invention, the shape of the details of the terminal body 3 is not particularly limited. For example, instead of a female terminal body 3, an insertion tab for a male terminal may be provided, or a bolt fastening portion such as a circular terminal may be provided.

[0123] The crimping portion 5 of terminal 1 is the portion that crimps the covered wire 11, and it includes: a wire crimping portion 7, which crimps the wire 13 exposed from the covered portion 15 at the front end side of the covered wire 11; and a covering crimping portion 9, which crimps the covered portion 15 of the covered wire 11. That is, the wire 13 exposed due to the peeling of the covered portion 15 is crimped by the wire crimping portion 7, and the wire 13 is electrically connected to terminal 1. In addition, the covered portion 15 of the covered wire 11 is crimped by the covering crimping portion 9 of terminal 1. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wire crimping portion 7 and the covering crimping portion 9 are integrally configured as a tubular shape (generally cylindrical) that is closed in the circumferential direction.

[0124] Alternatively, serrations (not shown) can be provided on a portion of the inner surface of the wire crimping portion 7 along the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the length direction). By forming serrations in this way, the oxide film on the surface of the wire 13 can be easily broken when crimping the wire 13, and the contact area with the wire 13 can be increased.

[0125] A wire holding portion 7a with relatively strong holding force for the wire 13 is provided on the front end side (terminal body 3 side) of the wire crimping portion 7. In addition, a conductive portion 7b for obtaining conduction with the wire 13 is formed on the rear end side (covering crimping portion 9 side) of the wire crimping portion 7. That is, the wire crimping portion 7 has a wire holding portion 7a and a conductive portion 7b.

[0126] The tensile strength (connection strength) of the conductor 13 in the wire holding part 7a is greater than that of the conductor 13 in the conducting part 7b. For example, the compression ratio (cross-sectional area of ​​the compressed conductor 13 / cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 13 before compression) of the wire holding part 7a is smaller than that of the conducting part 7b. That is, the compression amount of the wire holding part 7a is greater than that of the conducting part 7b, and the wire holding part 7a is strongly crimped.

[0127] Thus, since the wire retaining part 7a is strongly pressed, at least a portion of the wire 13 can break. While breaking a portion of the wire 13 increases the resistance, by allowing a portion of the fibers of the tensile strength body (described later) to enter the gap in the broken wire 13, the pull-out resistance of the wire 13 can be increased, thereby ensuring connection strength. On the other hand, in the conducting part 7b, the wire 13 does not break in order to maintain a low resistance.

[0128] Furthermore, the compression ratio of the crimped portion 9 (cross-sectional area of ​​the crimped portion 15 after compression / cross-sectional area of ​​the crimped portion 15 before compression) can be smaller than the compression ratio of the conductive portion 7b. That is, the compression amount in the crimped portion 9 can be larger than the compression amount in the conductive portion 7b. In addition, in this case, the outer diameter of the crimped portion 9 is larger than the outer diameter of the conductive portion 7b due to the thickness of the crimped portion 15.

[0129] Figure 3AThis is a diagram showing a cross-section of the wire retaining part 7a. Figure 3A In the example shown, conductor 13 consists of 7 bare wires. In the wire holding part 7a, conductor 13 is compressed into a roughly circular shape and crimped. Alternatively, the shape of the crimped wire holding part 7a does not have to be roughly circular, but the cross-sectional shape of the crimped conductive part 7b is preferably roughly circular.

[0130] Furthermore, there is no particular limitation on the number of bare wires in conductor 13. For example, such as Figure 3B As shown, there can also be 16 bare wires. Alternatively, it is preferable that the bare wires are twisted together.

[0131] Alternatively, the covered conductor 11 can also be formed by covering at least one conductor 13 and a tensile resisting body with the covering portion 15. The tensile resisting body is a component that bears tension under tensile loads. For example, it can be as follows: Figure 3C As shown, in a cross-section perpendicular to the length direction of the covered conductor 11, at least one tensile body 17 is located approximately at the center of the covered conductor 11, and a plurality of conductors 13 are disposed on the outer periphery of the tensile body 17. In this case, each conductor 13 (bare wire) disposed on the outer periphery of the tensile body 17 can be a conductor 13 (bare wire) with the same cross-sectional area and shape. Furthermore, on the outer periphery of the tensile body 17, the conductors 13 can also be helically twisted in the length direction of the covered conductor 11. In this case, the conductors 13 and the tensile body 17 are crimped and held together in the wire holding portion 7a and the conducting portion 7b.

[0132] Furthermore, the configuration of the tensile body 17 is not limited to... Figure 3C Examples are shown. For example, such as... Figure 4A As shown, the conductor 13 and the tensile body 17 can also be configured by twisting them together. Additionally, as... Figure 4B As shown, multiple conductors 13, each consisting of a conductor-coated tensile body 17, can also be twisted together. Additionally, as... Figure 4C As shown, the conductor can also be arranged around the periphery of the central tensile strength element 17. That is, in the case of a conductor 11 covered with a tensile strength element, its cross-sectional shape is not particularly limited as long as it has at least one conductor and at least one tensile strength element. Furthermore, the tensile strength element 17 can be a single (integral) tensile wire or it can be composed of multiple bare wires. For example, in... Figure 4A , Figure 4B In this context, each tensile body 17, which is divided into multiple and configured, can also be composed of multiple bare wires.

[0133] Here, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 13 (total cross-sectional area of ​​bare wires) is preferably 0.35 sq or less. In this case, it is preferable that the terminal 1 can crimp the conductor 13 with a cross-sectional area of ​​0.35 sq or less. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 13 (total cross-sectional area of ​​bare wires) is preferably 0.3 sq or less. In this case, it is preferable that the terminal 1 can crimp the conductor 13 with a cross-sectional area of ​​0.3 sq or less. Additionally, for example, when the conductor 13 is used with the tension resist 17, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 13 may also be 0.05 sq or less. The smaller the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 13, the greater the effect of this embodiment.

[0134] Furthermore, the tensile strength 17 can be a metal wire such as steel wire, or it can be resin or fiber-reinforced resin. Also, as mentioned above, the tensile strength 17 can be a single wire, or it can be formed by bundling multiple fibers such as aramid fibers. By using such a tensile strength 17, for example, even if the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 13 is 0.05 sq or less, the tensile strength of the conductor in the wire retaining part 7a can be ensured to be 50 N or more.

[0135] Next, the manufacturing method of the wire 10 with terminals will be described. Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the terminal 1 and the covered wire 11 before crimping. As described above, the terminal 1 has a terminal body 3 and a crimping portion 5. The crimping portion 5 is configured as a generally cylindrical shape, with the wire crimping portion 7 and the covered crimping portion 9 integrally formed. For example, the crimping portion 5 can be formed by rounding a plate component and joining its ends together by welding or brazing in the longitudinal direction, or it can be formed by unfolding a tubular component to form the terminal 1. In addition, the wire crimping portion 7 and the covered crimping portion 9 can have the same diameter, but as shown in the figure, the inner diameter of the wire crimping portion 7 can be made approximately constant, and the inner diameter of the covered crimping portion 9 can be larger than the inner diameter of the wire crimping portion 7.

[0136] First, as described above, the covering portion 15 at the front end of the conductor 11 is peeled off to expose the conductor 13 at the front end. Next, as... Figure 6A As shown, a terminal processing section 19 can be formed at the front end of the wire 13 before it is inserted into the crimping part 5 of the terminal 1. The terminal processing section 19 is a processing section that integrates each bare wire of the wire 13 in a manner that prevents them from separating.

[0137] Figure 6B This diagram shows the shape of the front end of the conductor 13 before terminal processing. In this embodiment, when viewed from the front end of the covered conductor 11, the tensile strength 17 is positioned approximately in the center, with the conductor 13 arranged around its periphery. The conductor 13 is composed of multiple bare wires. Furthermore, this embodiment describes the case where the tensile strength 17 is in the center, but this is also true for other covered conductors.

[0138] In such a situation, such as Figure 6C As shown, by compressing at least the front end of the conductor 13 from the outer periphery, a terminal processing section 19 can be formed. In this way, by compressing the front end of the conductor 13 from the outer periphery, it is possible to suppress the bare wire from spreading out and to facilitate insertion into the tubular crimping section 5.

[0139] In addition, such as Figure 6D As shown, at least the front end of the conductor 13 can also be plated, and the plating layer 21 forms the terminal processing section 19. In this way, by plating the front end of the conductor 13 from the outer periphery, it is possible to suppress the bare wire from spreading out and to facilitate insertion into the tubular crimping section 5.

[0140] Furthermore, when plating is performed on the outer circumference of the conductor 13, the temperature may be high depending on the plating method. If the conductor 13 is twisted together and then plated together, the tensile body 17 may deteriorate due to heat, and the tensile strength may decrease.

[0141] In such a situation, such as Figure 7A As shown, after forming the plating 21 on each conductor, they can be twisted to the outer periphery of the tensile body 17. Additionally, as... Figure 7B As shown, plating layer 21 can also be formed on each conductor individually, and then plating is performed on the front ends of multiple conductors together from the outer perimeter. In this case, the type of plating for each conductor and the type of plating performed together can also be changed. By performing plating together, conductor scattering can be suppressed, but if the conductors are bundled together and plating is performed together, due to the shape of the conductors, it is possible to locally produce areas with thicker or thinner plating. In contrast, by performing a substrate plating treatment on each conductor beforehand, this effect can be reduced and a generally uniform plating can be performed.

[0142] Furthermore, the terminal processing unit 19 is not limited to compression and plating methods; for example, soldering or welding processes can be used to suppress the spreading of the lead end of the conductor 13. Additionally, multiple terminal processing methods, such as compression from the periphery and simultaneous plating, can be used simultaneously.

[0143] Next, the coated wire 11 with its front end treated as described is inserted into the rear end of the tubular crimping portion 5 of the terminal 1. When the front end of the coated wire 11 is inserted into the crimping portion 5, the exposed portion of the wire 13 is located inside the wire crimping portion 7, and the coated portion 15 is located inside the coated crimping portion 9. At this time, the front end of the wire 13 can also be exposed from the front end of the wire crimping portion 7.

[0144] Figure 8A This is a cross-sectional view showing the upper die 31a, lower die 31b, etc., before crimping in the terminal crimping die used to manufacture the terminal wire 10. Figure 8BThis is a cross-sectional view showing the crimping portion 5 during crimping. The upper die 31a and lower die 31b have generally semi-cylindrical cavities extending along their length. Furthermore, the upper die 31a includes: a covering crimping die 34, which corresponds to the covering crimping portion 9 and has a diameter slightly smaller than the radius of the covering crimping portion 9; and wire crimping dies 32a and 32b, which correspond to the wire crimping portion 7 and have diameters smaller than the covering crimping die 34. That is, any portion of the upper die 31a and lower die 31b corresponding to the wire crimping portion 7 and the covering crimping portion 9 is formed such that it has a generally circular cross-section when crimping the terminal 1.

[0145] Furthermore, the wire crimping die 32a is the die corresponding to the wire holding part 7a, and the wire crimping die 32b is the die corresponding to the conducting part 7b. That is, the diameter of the wire crimping die 32a is smaller than the diameter of the wire crimping die 32b, and the interval between the upper die 31a and the lower die 31b at the part corresponding to the wire holding part 7a is narrower than the interval between the upper die 31a and the lower die 31b at the part corresponding to the conducting part 7b.

[0146] Furthermore, to ensure the conductivity between the covered wire 11 and the terminal 1, the length of the conductive portion 7b can be relatively longer than that of the wire holding portion 7a. On the other hand, even if the length of the wire holding portion 7a is shorter, as long as the wire 13 or the tensile body 17 is reliably attached to the terminal 1 with appropriate pressure, the strength of both is high enough, so the length of the wire holding portion 7a can be relatively shorter than that of the conductive portion 7b.

[0147] like Figure 8B As shown, when the upper die 31a and the lower die 31b are engaged to compress the crimping portion 5, the wire crimping portion 7 is crimped onto the wire 13, and the covering crimping portion 9 is crimped onto the covering portion 15. At this time, the diameter of the wire holding portion 7a is at its smallest, then the diameter of the conducting portion 7b decreases, and the diameter of the covering crimping portion 9 is at its largest. Through the above method, a wire 10 with terminals can be obtained. Furthermore, a wire harness consisting of multiple wires with terminals, including the obtained wire 10 with terminals, can be obtained.

[0148] Furthermore, as described above, the compression ratio of the wire holding portion 7a is smaller than that of the conducting portion 7b, and the compression ratio of the covering crimp portion 9 is smaller than that of the conducting portion 7b. Here, if the cross-sectional area of ​​the covering portion 15 before the crimping process (the entire cross-sectional area of ​​the inner side relative to the outer peripheral surface of the covering crimp portion 9) is set as A0, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the interior of the covering crimp portion 9 after being compressed by the upper die 31a and the lower die 31b is set as A2, then the compression ratio of the covering crimp portion 9 = A2 / A0 (%).

[0149] Similarly, if the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 13 before the crimping process (the entire cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 13 including the tensile body if included) is set as A1, and the cross-sectional areas of the conductive portion 7b and the wire holding portion 7a after being compressed by the upper die 31a and the lower die 31b (the entire cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 13 including the tensile body if included) are set as A3 and A4 respectively, then the compression rate of the wire holding portion 7a = A4 / A1 (%), and the compression rate of the conductive portion 7b = A3 / A1 (%). Furthermore, when the entire conductor crimping portion 7 is compressed under certain conditions, only one of the conductor crimping dies 32a and 32b is required.

[0150] In addition, the tensile body 17 has higher strength and is less prone to deformation than the conductor 13. Therefore, during compression, the cross-sectional area of ​​the tensile body 17 will not decrease significantly, and the deformation (reduction of cross-sectional area) of the conductor 13 will be the main factor.

[0151] Here, when the tensile strength element 17 is formed from multiple bare wires, each bare wire is thinner than the conductor constituting the conductor 13, making it difficult to clearly distinguish the bare wires of the tensile strength element and the gaps between them. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the tensile strength element 17 before crimping is defined as the area of ​​the region of the tensile strength element surrounded by the conductor 13. In this case, during the initial compression stage, the tensile strength element deforms while the conductor 13 deforms to reduce the gaps between the bare wires of the tensile strength element. During the later compression stage, almost no reduction in the cross-sectional area of ​​the tensile strength element occurs; the reduction in the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 13 mainly occurs. Therefore, the compression rate of the conductor 13 after crimping is less than or equal to the apparent compression rate of the region where the tensile strength element 17 is disposed. Furthermore, the area ratio of the compressed conductor 13 to the tensile strength element 17 varies depending on the overall compression rate of the wire.

[0152] Furthermore, due to the movement of the bare wire of the tension body 17 during compression, the shape of the tension body 17 becomes concave-convex, thereby increasing the contact area between the conductor 13 and the tension body 17 and increasing the frictional force. Therefore, compared to tension, it is easier to transfer force from the conductor 13 to the tension body 17, and the increase in strength when a tensile force is applied to the conductor 13 can be anticipated.

[0153] Furthermore, since the tensile body 17 deforms less than the conductor 13, it is less prone to breakage due to the reduction in cross-sectional area. In particular, since the conductor crimping portion 7 is tubular, the conductor 13 is compressed around its entire circumference. The conductor 13 is positioned between the tensile body 17 and the conductor crimping portion 7, and the tensile body 17 does not contact the conductor crimping portion 7, so the tensile body 17 will not be damaged.

[0154] Furthermore, during compression, sometimes a portion of the bare wire constituting the tension resist 17 enters between the conductors 13, and a portion of the tension resist 17 comes into contact with the conductor crimping portion 7. As described above, it is preferable that the tension resist 17 does not come into contact with the conductor crimping portion 7, but a portion of the tension resist 17 may also come into slight contact with the conductor crimping portion 7. For example, in any cross-section, if the perimeter of the tension resist 17 in contact with the conductor crimping portion 7 within the total outer perimeter of the tension resist 17 is 30% or less, a damage suppression effect on the tension resist 17 can be obtained.

[0155] As explained above, according to this embodiment, the wire crimping part 7 has a wire holding part 7a and a conductive part 7b. Therefore, the wire holding part 7a can be crimped at a compression rate suitable for ensuring connection strength, and the conductive part 7b can be crimped at a compression rate suitable for ensuring conductivity. That is, the compression rates (compression amounts) of the wire holding part 7a and the conductive part 7b can be different, so that each part can be crimped at a compression rate suitable for the purpose.

[0156] More specifically, by using the front end side (terminal body 3 side) of the wire crimping portion 7 as the wire holding portion 7a, a stronger crimp can be performed, ensuring high connection strength. At this time, a portion of the wire 13 may break. On the other hand, since the conductive portion 7b is located at the rear end side (covering portion 15 side) of the wire crimping portion 7, even if a portion of the wire 13 breaks in the wire holding portion 7a, the continuity between the covered wire 11 and the terminal 1 can be ensured.

[0157] Furthermore, since the crimping operation can be performed in the same manner as crimping conventional terminald wires, the operation is easy. In particular, it can also be applied to the sheathed conductor 11 that includes the tensile strength body 17, in which case high connection strength can be ensured even for small-diameter sheathed conductors 11. For example, even if the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 13 is 0.05 sq or less, the tensile strength of the conductor 13 in the wire holding part 7a can be 50 N or more.

[0158] At this time, since both the tension resisting body 17 and the wire 13 are crimped together by the wire holding part 7a, it is not necessary to crimp the tension resisting body 17 and the wire 13 separately, and the crimping operation is easy. In addition, when the covered wire 11 includes the tension resisting body 17, by placing the tension resisting body 17 at approximately the center of the cross-section and placing the wire 13 at the outer periphery, the terminal 1 and the wire 13 can be reliably crimped during crimping, and the terminal 1 can be brought into contact with the wire 13.

[0159] Furthermore, since the wire crimping portion 7 is approximately cylindrical, crimping can be reliably performed from the entire 360° circumference of the wire 13. Therefore, during crimping, localized stress (deformation) in the wire 13 can be suppressed.

[0160] Here, in the wire crimping portion 7, where the wire 13 is arranged around the tension resisting body 17 and covers the wire 11, compressive stress acts radially inside the wire crimping portion 7 during crimping. When this compressive stress is low, the frictional force on the contact surface between the wire 13 and the tension resisting body 17 is less than the frictional force on the contact surface between the terminal 1 and the wire 13. Therefore, when a tensile load is applied to the wire 10 with the terminal, the load is concentrated on the wire 13, and the wire 13 is prone to breakage.

[0161] On the other hand, if sliding occurs at the contact surface between the conductor 13 and the tension body 17, the compressive stress will not act on the tension body 17, and the tension body 17 may detach without being cut, potentially failing to fully demonstrate its tensile strength. To prevent this phenomenon and obtain sufficient compressive stress through crimping, the friction between the conductor 13 and the tension body 17 can be increased. For example, by providing irregularities on the inner surface of the conductor crimping portion 7, the compressive stress on the tension body 17 can be locally increased, preventing detachment.

[0162] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, the wire crimping portion 7 is cylindrical. When a brazing portion exists at the joint, the compressive stress on the wire 13 caused by the low hardness of the brazing portion is reduced, thus making it easier to pull out the tension-resistant body 17. Therefore, it is preferable to remove or eliminate the brazing portion so that the hardness of the joint formed in the wire crimping portion 7 is equal to the hardness of the material in the wire crimping portion 7.

[0163] (Second Implementation)

[0164] Next, the second embodiment will be described. Figure 9 This is a perspective view of terminal 1a before crimping in the second embodiment. Furthermore, in the following description, structures that perform the same function as in the first embodiment are marked with […]. Figures 1 to 8B The same labels are used, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0165] Terminal 1a has a structure that is substantially the same as terminal 1, but the shape of the crimping portion 5 is different. A gap is formed between the wire crimping portion 7 and the covering crimping portion 9 in terminal 1a. That is, the wire crimping portion 7 and the covering crimping portion 9 are formed separately.

[0166] Terminal 1a can also be crimped in the same way as terminal 1. In this case, crimping can be performed with the end of the covering portion 15 located in the gap between the wire crimping portion 7 and the covering crimping portion 9. In this way, by crimping in the wire crimping portion 7 in a manner that forms the wire holding portion 7a and the conducting portion 7b, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0167] (Third Implementation)

[0168] Next, the third embodiment will be described. Figure 10 This is a perspective view of terminal 1b before crimping according to the third embodiment. Terminal 1b has a structure substantially the same as terminal 1a, but the shape of the crimping portion 5 is different. Before crimping, terminal 1b has a wire holding portion 7a at the front end side of the wire crimping portion 7, and a conducting portion 7b for obtaining conduction with the wire is formed at the rear end side of the wire crimping portion 7. The wire holding portion 7a and the conducting portion 7b are separated by a gap. In this case, the wire holding portion 7a and the conducting portion 7b may also have different diameters.

[0169] Terminal 1b can also be crimped in the same way as terminal 1. In this way, by forming a wire holding part 7a and a conducting part 7b and crimping them in the wire crimping part 7, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0170] (Fourth implementation)

[0171] Next, the fourth embodiment will be described. Figure 11 This is a perspective view showing the wire 10a with terminals. In this embodiment, the wire crimping portion 7 of the terminal 1c is a tubular (generally cylindrical) shape that is closed in the circumferential direction, while the covering crimping portion 9 is an open cylindrical shape.

[0172] In this case, a wire holding portion 7a with relatively strong holding force for the wire 13 is also provided on the front end side (terminal body 3 side) of the wire crimping portion 7. In addition, a conductive portion 7b for obtaining conduction with the wire 13 is formed on the rear end side (covering crimping portion 9 side) of the wire crimping portion 7. That is, the wire crimping portion 7 has a wire holding portion 7a and a conductive portion 7b.

[0173] In this case, as described above, the compression ratio of the crimping portion 9 (cross-sectional area of ​​the crimped portion 15 after compression / cross-sectional area of ​​the crimped portion 15 before compression) can also be smaller than the compression ratio of the conductive portion 7b. That is, the compression amount of the crimping portion 9 can also be larger than the compression amount of the conductive portion 7b. In addition, depending on the thickness of the crimped portion 15, the outer diameter of the crimping portion 9 is larger than the outer diameter of the conductive portion 7b. Alternatively, the wire crimping portion 7 can be crimped with a certain compression ratio instead of being divided into a wire holding portion 7a and a conductive portion 7b.

[0174] Next, the manufacturing method of the wire 10a with terminals will be described. Figure 12 This is a perspective view showing the terminal 1c and the covered wire 11 before crimping. As described above, the terminal 1c has a terminal body 3 and a crimping portion 5. The wire crimping portion 7 is a tubular shape that is closed in the circumferential direction, and the covered crimping portion 9 is an open cylindrical shape that opens upward.

[0175] First, as described above, the covering portion 15 of the front end of the covered wire 11 is peeled off to expose the wire 13 at the front end. At this time, a terminal processing portion 19 may also be formed at the front end of the various wires 13 before insertion into the crimp portion 5 of the terminal 1c.

[0176] Alternatively, when removing the covering portion 15 at the front end of the covered wire 11, it is possible to leave a portion of the covering portion 15 unremoved. Figure 13A This diagram shows a state where the covering portion 15a, which is part of the covering portion 15, remains at the front end of the wire 13. The covered wire 11, with the covering portion 15a remaining at the front end or forming the terminal processing portion 19, is disposed on the crimping portion 5. Since the crimping portion 9 is an open cylindrical type, the wire 13 covering the wire 11 can be disposed above the crimping portion 9. By disposing the wire 13 on the crimping portion 9, the wire 13 can be positioned (positioned relative to the width direction of the terminal 1).

[0177] From that state onwards, as Figure 13B As shown, by sliding the covered wire 11 toward the wire crimping portion 7 of the terminal 1c, the wire 13 can be easily inserted into the tubular wire crimping portion 7. In this way, since the wire 13 can be positioned relative to the wire crimping portion 7, even if the inner diameter of the wire crimping portion 7 before crimping is reduced (approaching the outer diameter of the wire 13), the wire 13 can still be easily inserted into the wire crimping portion. For example, even if the cross-sectional area inside the covered portion 15 ( Figure 13A A1) is the cross-sectional area of ​​the insertion part of the wire crimping part 7 before crimping. Figure 13A Even with a cross-sectional area of ​​A5 exceeding 40%, it is easy to insert the wire 13 into the wire crimping portion 7. Furthermore, by forming the aforementioned terminal processing portion 19 or residual covering portion 15a, even if the internal cross-sectional area of ​​the covering portion 15 ( Figure 13A A1) is the cross-sectional area of ​​the insertion part of the wire crimping part 7 before crimping. Figure 13A More than 70% of the A5) can be easily inserted into the wire crimping part 7. As a result, the terminal 1c can be miniaturized.

[0178] Furthermore, when a portion of the covering portion 15 (covering portion 15a) is inserted into the wire crimping portion 7 while remaining at the tip of the wire 13, before crimping, as follows: Figure 13C As shown, the covering portion 15a at the front end of the wire 13 is removed. In this manner, the covered wire 11 can be positioned appropriately in the crimping portion 5. Furthermore, when the front end of the covered wire 11 is inserted into the crimping portion 5, the exposed portion of the wire 13 is located inside the wire crimping portion 7, and the covering portion 15a is located inside the covered crimping portion 9. At this time, the front end of the wire 13 can also be exposed from the front end of the wire crimping portion 7.

[0179] Next, the terminal 1c, which has a wire 11 covered in the crimping part 5, is placed in the die. Figure 14A This is a cross-sectional view showing the upper die 31a, lower die 31b, etc., before crimping in a terminal crimping die used to manufacture a terminald wire 10a. Figure 14B This is a cross-sectional view showing the crimping portion 5 during crimping. In this embodiment, the upper die 31a and the lower die 31b have generally semi-cylindrical cavities extending along the length direction. Furthermore, the upper die 31a includes: a covering crimping die 34, the shape of which corresponds to the open cylindrical shape corresponding to the covering crimping portion 9; and wire crimping dies 32a and 32b, which correspond to the tubular wire crimping portion 7. The upper die 31a and the lower die 31b are formed such that the portion corresponding to the covering crimping portion 9 corresponds to the open cylindrical shape after crimping, and the portion corresponding to the wire crimping portion 7 is formed with a generally circular cross-section after crimping.

[0180] In this embodiment, the wire crimping die 32a is also a die corresponding to the wire holding portion 7a, and the wire crimping die 32b is a die corresponding to the conducting portion 7b. That is, the diameter of the wire crimping die 32a is smaller than the diameter of the wire crimping die 32b, and the interval between the upper die 31a and the lower die 31b at the portion corresponding to the wire holding portion 7a is narrower than the interval between the upper die 31a and the lower die 31b at the portion corresponding to the conducting portion 7b.

[0181] like Figure 14B As shown, when the upper die 31a and the lower die 31b are engaged to compress the crimping portion 5, the wire crimping portion 7 is crimped onto the wire 13, and the covering crimping portion 9 is crimped onto the covering portion 15. Furthermore, in the tubular wire crimping portion 7, the wire 13 is crimped into a roughly circular shape. In the open cylindrical covering crimping portion 9, at the upper part of the covering crimping portion 9, a pair of opposing cylindrical plates are joined approximately at the center in the width direction and folded inwards towards the inside of the covering crimping portion 9 to crimp the covering portion 15. At this time, the diameter of the wire holding portion 7a becomes the smallest, then the diameter of the conducting portion 7b becomes smaller, and the diameter of the covering crimping portion 9 becomes the largest. Through the above method, a wire 10a with terminals can be obtained. Furthermore, a wire harness integrating multiple wires with terminals, including the obtained wire 10a with terminals, can be obtained.

[0182] According to the fourth embodiment, by forming a wire holding portion 7a and a conducting portion 7b and then crimping them in the wire crimping portion 7, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, the wire crimping portion 7 of the terminal 1c is tubular, while the covering crimping portion 9 is open cylindrical; the two have different shapes. Thus, the covering crimping portion 9 can also be open cylindrical instead of tubular. The terminal 1c can also be crimped in the same way as the terminal 1, etc.

[0183] Furthermore, since the crimping portion 9 is an open cylindrical shape, it is easy to position the covered wire 11 in the crimping portion 5. Additionally, positioning the covered wire 11 relative to the wire crimping portion 7 in the crimping portion 9 is easy, so even if the wire crimping portion 7 is tubular, the wire 13 can be easily inserted into it. Furthermore, since the wire crimping portion 7 is tubular, crimping can be reliably performed from the entire 360° circumference of the wire 13. Moreover, even if the diameter of the wire crimping portion 7 is small, the wire 13 can be inserted, thus reducing the size of the crimped terminal. As a result, insertion of the terminal into the connector becomes easier.

[0184] In addition, by forming a terminal processing section 19 or a residual covering section 15a at the front end of the wire 13, the wire 13 can be prevented from spreading out when it is inserted into the wire crimping section 7.

[0185] (Fifth Embodiment)

[0186] Next, the fifth embodiment will be described. Figure 15 This is a perspective view of terminal 1d before crimping according to the fifth embodiment. Terminal 1d has a structure substantially the same as terminal 1c, but the shape of the crimping portion 5 is different. Terminal 1d has a gap formed between the wire holding portion 7a and the conducting portion 7b in the tubular wire crimping portion 7. That is, the wire holding portion 7a and the conducting portion 7b are formed separately before crimping. In this case, the wire holding portion 7a and the conducting portion 7b may also have different diameters.

[0187] Terminal 1d can also be crimped in the same way as terminal 1. In this way, by forming a wire holding part 7a and a conducting part 7b and crimping them in the wire crimping part 7, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0188] Furthermore, when the wire crimping portion 7 is divided into a wire holding portion 7a and a conducting portion 7b, the conducting portion 7b can also be an open cylindrical type, with only the wire holding portion 7a being tubular. In this way, as long as at least a portion of the wire crimping portion 7 is a tubular shape closed in the circumferential direction, the other portions can also be open cylindrical types.

[0189] (Sixth Embodiment)

[0190] Next, the sixth embodiment will be described. Figure 16 This is a perspective view showing the terminald wire 10b of the sixth embodiment. In this embodiment, the wire crimping portion 7 and the covering crimping portion 9 are tubular (generally cylindrical) and closed in the circumferential direction.

[0191] At least a portion between the covering crimp portion 9 and the wire crimp portion 7 is formed with a wire positioning portion 8 whose size (height) decreases as it moves toward the front end side (wire crimp portion 7 side). In the inner surface of the wire positioning portion 8, the front end of the covering portion 15 contacts the inner surface of the wire positioning portion 8, thus limiting the amount of wire 13 inserted into the wire crimp portion 7. Furthermore, the insertion process of the wire 13 will be described in detail later.

[0192] In this embodiment, a wire holding portion 7a with relatively strong holding force for the wire 13 is also provided on the front end side (terminal body 3 side) of the wire crimping portion 7. Furthermore, a conductive portion 7b for obtaining conductivity with the wire 13 is formed on the rear end side (covering crimping portion 9 side) of the wire crimping portion 7. That is, the wire crimping portion 7 has a wire holding portion 7a and a conductive portion 7b. Alternatively, the wire holding portion 7a and the conductive portion 7b can be separated through a gap or the like. Alternatively, the wire crimping portion 7 may not be divided into a wire holding portion 7a and a conductive portion 7b, and the wire crimping portion 7 may be crimped at a certain compression ratio.

[0193] Next, the manufacturing method of the wire 10b with terminals will be described. Figure 17 This is a perspective view showing the terminal 1e and the covered wire 11 before crimping. As described above, the terminal 1e has a terminal body 3 and a crimping portion 5.

[0194] First, as described above, the covering portion 15 of the front end of the covered wire 11 is peeled off to expose the front end of the wire 13. Alternatively, a terminal processing portion 19 may be formed at the front end of the wire 13 before insertion into the crimp portion 5 of the terminal 1e.

[0195] Figure 18A This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the process of inserting the covered wire 11 from the rear end of the crimping portion 5. The inner diameter of the covered crimping portion 9 is larger than the outer diameter of the covered portion 15. In addition, the height of the covered crimping portion 9 is higher than the height of the wire crimping portion 7. That is, a wire positioning portion 8 is formed between the covered crimping portion 9 and the wire crimping portion 7, with its height gradually decreasing towards the wire crimping portion 7. In addition, the wire positioning portion 8 may not be formed in the height direction, but in the width direction, or it may be formed in both the height and width directions. That is, the wire positioning portion 8 is formed relative to the covered crimping portion 9 such that its size decreases as it approaches the front end.

[0196] From that state onwards, as Figure 18BAs shown, when the covered wire 11 is further inserted into the crimping portion 5, the front end of the covered portion 15 contacts the wire positioning portion 8. Here, the inner diameter of the wire crimping portion 7 before crimping is larger than the outer diameter of the wire 13 and smaller than the outer diameter of the covered portion 15. That is, before crimping, the size of the wire positioning portion 8 is larger than the inner diameter (outer diameter of the wire 13) of the covered portion 15 and smaller than the outer diameter of the covered portion 15. Therefore, the front end of the covered portion 15 contacts the inner surface of the wire positioning portion 8.

[0197] Thus, when the tip of the covered wire 11 is inserted into the crimping portion 5 until the tip of the covered portion 15 contacts the wire positioning portion 8, the exposed portion of the wire 13 is located inside the wire crimping portion 7, and the covered portion 15 is located inside the covered crimping portion 9. At this time, the tip of the wire 13 can also be exposed from the tip of the wire crimping portion 7. In this way, the insertion depth of the wire 13 into the wire crimping portion 7 can be limited, and the wire 13 can be reliably positioned in the predetermined position of the wire crimping portion 7 with good reproducibility.

[0198] Next, when the terminal 1e, on which the wire-covered part 11 is disposed in the crimping part 5, is placed in the die and... Figure 8A , Figure 8B Similarly, when the die is engaged to compress the crimping portion 5, the wire crimping portion 7 is crimped onto the wire 13, and the covering crimping portion 9 is crimped onto the covering portion 15. Through this method, a terminald wire 10b can be obtained. Furthermore, a wire harness comprising multiple terminald wires, including the obtained terminald wire 10b, can be obtained.

[0199] According to the sixth embodiment, since a wire positioning part 8 is provided at the terminal 1e, when the covered wire 11 is inserted into the crimping part 5, the wire 13 is automatically positioned in a suitable crimping position by the front end of the covered part 15 abutting against the wire positioning part 8. Therefore, it is not necessary to visually confirm the placement and crimping position of the wire 13, and the wire 13 can be reliably positioned in the predetermined position of the wire crimping part 7 with good reproducibility. In addition, since the wire crimping part 7 is tubular, crimping can be reliably performed from the entire 360° circumference of the wire 13.

[0200] (Seventh Embodiment)

[0201] Next, the seventh embodiment will be described. Figure 19 This is a perspective view of the terminal 1f in the seventh embodiment before the covered wire 11 is crimped. The terminal 1f has a structure that is substantially the same as that of the terminal 1e, but the shape of the crimping portion 5 is different. The terminal 1f differs in that the wire crimping portion 7 is tubular and the covered crimping portion 9 is open cylindrical. Thus, the covered crimping portion 9 may not be tubular but open cylindrical.

[0202] In terminal 1f, a wire positioning part 8 is formed between the covering crimping part 9 and the wire crimping part 7, with the width gradually narrowing toward the wire crimping part 7. Figure 20A This is a plan view showing the state in which the wire 13 is positioned on the crimping portion 9. Since the crimping portion 9 is an open cylindrical shape, the wire 13 covering the wire 11 can be positioned from above the crimping portion 9. By positioning the wire 13 on the crimping portion 9, the wire 13 can be positioned (positioned in the width direction of the terminal 1f).

[0203] From that state onwards, as Figure 20B As shown, by sliding the covered wire 11 toward the wire crimping portion 7 of the terminal 1f, the wire 13 can be easily inserted into the tubular wire crimping portion 7. In this way, since the wire 13 can be positioned relative to the wire crimping portion 7, even if the inner diameter of the wire crimping portion 7 before crimping is reduced (approaching the outer diameter of the wire 13), the wire 13 can still be easily inserted into the wire crimping portion. This allows for miniaturization of the terminal 1f.

[0204] Furthermore, since the width of the covering portion 15 is larger than that of the wire positioning portion 8, when the wire 13 is slid into the wire crimping portion 7, the front end of the covering portion 15 abuts against the wire positioning portion 8. Therefore, positioning of the wire 13 in the longitudinal direction is also easy. By crimping in this state, a wire with terminals can be obtained.

[0205] According to the seventh embodiment, the same effects as in the sixth embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, since the covering crimping portion 9 is an open cylindrical shape, it is easy to place the covered wire 11 in the crimping portion 5. Additionally, in the covering crimping portion 9, the positioning of the covered wire 11 relative to the wire crimping portion 7 is easy; therefore, even if the wire crimping portion 7 is tubular, the wire 13 can be easily inserted into the wire crimping portion 7.

[0206] (Eighth Embodiment)

[0207] Next, the eighth embodiment will be described. Figure 21 This is a perspective view showing the terminald wire 10c of the eighth embodiment. Figure 22 This is a cross-sectional view of the wire 10c with terminals. Both the conductor crimping part 7 and the sheathing crimping part 9 of the wire 10c with terminals are open cylindrical.

[0208] Figure 23A This is a diagram showing a cross-section of the wire retaining part 7a. Figure 23A In the example shown, conductor 13 consists of 7 bare wires. In the open cylindrical conductor crimping section 7, at the upper part of the conductor crimping section 7, a pair of opposing cylindrical plates are joined approximately at the center in the width direction and folded into the inside of the conductor crimping section 7 to crimp conductor 13.

[0209] Furthermore, there is no particular limitation on the number of bare wires in conductor 13. For example, such as Figure 23B As shown, there can also be 16 bare wires. Alternatively, it is preferable that the bare wires are twisted together.

[0210] Alternatively, the covered conductor 11 can also be formed by covering at least one conductor 13 and a tensile resisting body with the covering portion 15. The tensile resisting body is a component that bears tension under tensile loads. For example, it can be as follows: Figure 23C As shown, in a cross-section perpendicular to the length direction of the covered conductor 11, at least one tensile body 17 is located approximately at the center of the covered conductor 11, and a plurality of conductors 13 are disposed on the outer periphery of the tensile body 17. Furthermore, the conductors 13 may also be helically twisted in the length direction of the covered conductor 11 on the outer periphery of the tensile body 17. In this case, the conductors 13 and the tensile body 17 are crimped and held together in the wire holding portion 7a and the conducting portion 7b.

[0211] Furthermore, the configuration of the tensile body 17 is not limited to... Figure 23C The example shown. For example, the conductor 13 and the tensile body 17 can be twisted together. Alternatively, multiple conductors 13, each consisting of a conductor covering the tensile body 17, can be twisted together. Alternatively, the conductor can be arranged to cover the outer periphery of the central tensile body 17. That is, in the case of the conductor 11 covered with a tensile body, its cross-sectional shape is not particularly limited as long as it has at least one conductor and at least one tensile body. In addition, the tensile body 17 can be a single (integral) tensile wire or it can be composed of multiple bare wires.

[0212] Next, the manufacturing method of the wire 10c with terminals will be described. Figure 24 This is a perspective view showing the terminal 1g and the covered wire 11 before crimping. As described above, the terminal 1g has a terminal body 3 and a crimping portion 5. The crimping portion 5 is composed of an open cylindrical wire crimping portion 7 with an opening at the top that is approximately U-shaped and a covered crimping portion 9, and they are configured to be separate from each other.

[0213] First, as described above, the covering portion 15 of the front end of the covered wire 11 is peeled off to expose the wire 13 at the front end. Alternatively, a terminal processing portion 19 may be formed at the front end of the wire 13 before it is inserted into the crimping portion 5 of the terminal 1g.

[0214] Next, the covered wire 11 is placed on the crimping portion 5 of the terminal 1g. At this time, the crimping portion 5 is an open cylindrical type, so the covered wire 11 can be placed from above the terminal 1g. When the front end of the covered wire 11 is placed on the crimping portion 5, the exposed portion of the wire 13 is located at the wire crimping portion 7, and the covered portion 15 is located at the covered crimping portion 9. At this time, the front end of the wire 13 can also be exposed from the front end of the wire crimping portion 7.

[0215] Figure 25A This is a cross-sectional view showing the upper die 31a, lower die 31b, etc., before crimping in a terminal crimping die used to manufacture a terminald wire 10c. Figure 25B This is a cross-sectional view showing the crimping portion 5 during crimping. The upper die 31a and lower die 31b have generally semi-cylindrical cavities extending along their length. Furthermore, the upper die 31a includes: a covering crimping die 34, the shape of which corresponds to the open cylindrical shape corresponding to the covering crimping portion 9; and wire crimping dies 32a and 32b, the shapes of which correspond to the open cylindrical shapes corresponding to the wire crimping portion 7. That is, any portion of the upper die 31a and lower die 31b corresponding to the wire crimping portion 7 and the covering crimping portion 9 is formed into a shape corresponding to the open cylindrical shape after crimping.

[0216] like Figure 25B As shown, when the upper die 31a and the lower die 31b are engaged to compress the crimping part 5, the wire crimping part 7 is crimped onto the wire 13, and the covering crimping part 9 is crimped onto the covering part 15. Through this method, a terminald wire 10c can be obtained. Furthermore, a wire harness comprising multiple terminald wires, including the obtained terminald wire 10c, can be obtained.

[0217] According to the eighth embodiment, since the wire crimping portion 7 is an open cylindrical type, for example, it is not necessary to insert the wire 13 into the tubular crimping portion, and the wire 13 can be easily placed on the wire crimping portion 7 of the terminal 1g. Therefore, the crimping operation is easy. In addition, when the wire crimping portion 7 is an open cylindrical type, brazing can be further performed after crimping.

[0218] (9th embodiment)

[0219] Next, the ninth embodiment will be described. Figure 26 This is a perspective view showing the terminald wire 10d according to the ninth embodiment. The terminald wire 10d has a structure that is substantially the same as that of the terminald wire 10c, but the shape of the crimping portion 5 is different.

[0220] Figure 27A This is a cross-sectional view showing the wire holding portion 7a of the wire 10d with terminals. Figure 27A In the example shown, conductor 13 consists of 7 bare wires. In this embodiment, at the upper part of conductor crimping portion 7, a pair of opposing cylindrical plates are rounded in a manner that overlaps each other to crimp conductor 13. That is, conductor holding portion 7a compresses conductor 13 into a roughly circular shape for crimping.

[0221] Furthermore, in this case, the number of bare wires in conductor 13 is not particularly limited. For example, as Figure 27B As shown, there can also be 16 bare wires. Alternatively, it can be as follows: Figure 27C As shown, in a cross-section perpendicular to the length direction of the covered conductor 11, at least one tensile body 17 is located approximately at the center of the covered conductor 11, and a plurality of conductors 13 are disposed on the outer periphery of the tensile body 17. Furthermore, the conductors 13 may also be helically twisted in the length direction of the covered conductor 11 on the outer periphery of the tensile body 17. In this case, the conductors 13 and the tensile body 17 are crimped and held together in the wire holding portion 7a and the conducting portion 7b.

[0222] Thus, in the ninth embodiment, the same effect as in the eighth embodiment can be obtained. That is, as long as the open cylindrical pressing part 5 is present, the cross-sectional shape after pressing is not particularly limited.

[0223] (10th Embodiment)

[0224] Next, the tenth embodiment will be described. Figure 28 This is a perspective view of the terminal 1h before crimping according to the 10th embodiment. The terminal 1h has a structure that is substantially the same as that of the terminal 1g, but the shape of the crimping portion 5 is different. The terminal 1h differs in that a gap is formed between the wire holding portion 7a and the conducting portion 7b in the wire crimping portion 7. Thus, even if the wire holding portion 7a and the conducting portion 7b are formed separately and crimped together in the wire crimping portion 7, the same effect as in the 9th embodiment can be obtained.

[0225] (11th Embodiment)

[0226] Next, the 11th embodiment will be described. Figure 29 This is a perspective view of the terminal 1i before crimping according to the 11th embodiment. The terminal 1i has a structure that is substantially the same as that of the terminal 1h, etc., but the shape of the crimping portion 5 is different. The terminal 1i differs in that the wire holding portion 7a of the wire crimping portion 7 is tubular, but the conducting portion 7b and the covering crimping portion 9 of the wire crimping portion 7 are open cylindrical. In this way, at least a portion of the wire crimping portion 7 can be formed into a tubular shape that is closed in the circumferential direction.

[0227] Terminal 1i can also be crimped in the same way as terminal 1h, etc. Figure 30 This is a plan view showing a terminald wire 10e after the terminal 1i and the covered wire 11 are crimped together. The tubular wire holding portion 7a, the open cylindrical conducting portion 7b, and the covered crimping portion 9 of the terminal 1i are crimped together with each part of the covered wire 11. At this time, as described above, the compression ratio of the wire holding portion 7a is smaller than the compression ratio of the conducting portion 7b.

[0228] Here, in the open cylindrical conductive portion 7b and the covering crimping portion 9, at least one pair of opposing cylindrical pieces are folded in so that the wire 13 and the covering portion 15 are crimped together. In this embodiment, the opposing cylindrical pieces are arranged in a staggered pattern relative to the axial direction of the crimping portion.

[0229] In this way, the open cylindrical crimping portion with staggered, interlocking cylindrical plates generally does not damage the object being crimped, and can reliably crimp the cylindrical plates tightly against the object. However, it is difficult to obtain high connection strength. Therefore, in this embodiment, by making the wire holding portion 7a tubular for strong crimping, high connection strength is ensured, and by making the conducting portion 7b an interlocking open cylindrical shape, reliable continuity with the wire 13 can be ensured without damaging the internal wire 13.

[0230] Alternatively, the cylindrical pieces of at least one of the conductive portion 7b and the covering crimping portion 9 may not be arranged in an alternating configuration, but rather positioned opposite each other and crimped by overlapping the cylindrical pieces. In this case, the front ends of the opposing cylindrical pieces do not abut against each other, the opposing cylindrical pieces overlap each other, and one cylindrical piece is crimped by wrapping around the other cylindrical piece. Thus, the crimping method for the open cylindrical type is not particularly limited.

[0231] In this way, by forming a wire holding part 7a and a conducting part 7b and crimping them in the wire crimping part 7, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0232] [Example]

[0233] (Example A)

[0234] Production Figure 1 The electrical (resistance) and mechanical (connection strength) properties of the crimped joint are evaluated by varying the compression ratio of the terminald wire as shown. As for the electrical properties, the resistance between the terminal and the covered conductor is measured. As for the mechanical properties, the tensile strength is measured by pulling the covered conductor from the terminal and applying the load when the covered conductor is pulled out. Furthermore, as for the covered conductor, such as... Figure 3C As shown, a sheathed conductor is used, consisting of multiple soft copper conductors with the same circular cross-sectional area, arranged around the periphery of the tensile body and connected to the tensile body and adjacent conductors, and twisted together. The total cross-sectional area of ​​the conductors and the tensile body is 0.05 sq, 0.08 sq, 0.13 sq, 0.3 sq, and 0.35 sq. Furthermore, the number of conductors twisted around the periphery of the tensile body is 12 when the total cross-sectional area of ​​the conductors and the tensile body is 0.05 sq, and 8 for the 0.08 sq, 0.13 sq, 0.3 sq, and 0.35 sq cases.

[0235] For all wire sizes, when the compression rate of the wire retainer is 59.6%, the compression rate of the conductor is 80.2%, and the compression rate of the crimped portion is 52.3%, both resistance and connection strength are good for any wire size. The same applies when the compression rate of the wire retainer is 40.7% and 50.4%. Conversely, when the wire is crimped at the same compression rate of 50.4% without dividing the crimped portion into a wire retainer and a conductor, wire breakage occurs for all wire sizes, resulting in higher resistance. The same applies when crimping at a compression rate of 59.6%. On the other hand, when the wire is crimped at the same compression rate of 80.2% without dividing the crimped portion into a wire retainer and a conductor, the connection strength decreases for all wire sizes.

[0236] (Example B)

[0237] Similarly, various wires with terminals were manufactured, and the electrical characteristics (resistance), mechanical characteristics (connection strength), and manufacturability of the crimped joints were evaluated. Manufacturability was further evaluated by assessing the insertion smoothness of the insulated wire into the terminal. The conditions and evaluation results are shown in Tables 1 to 4.

[0238] [Table 1]

[0239]

[0240] [Table 2]

[0241]

[0242]

[0243] [Table 3]

[0244]

[0245] [Table 4]

[0246]

[0247]

[0248] The cross-sectional area of ​​an electrical wire is the total cross-sectional area of ​​its conductors. Additionally, the number of bare wires is the number of individual conductors. Wires with a tensile strength symbol "-" are as follows: Figure 3A , Figure 3B Such wires do not have tensile strength; "having" wires have a cross-section like... Figure 3C The diagram shows an electrical wire with a central tensile strength element and conductors arranged around the outer periphery of the tensile strength element. Furthermore, in all cases, a material made by twisting together multiple soft copper conductors is used.

[0249] The "circular compression" of the terminal processing unit refers to, for example, Figure 6C The process of compressing the conductor from the outer periphery, "circular compression + simultaneous plating" refers to further forming a plating layer from the outer periphery.

[0250] The "tubular split type" of the terminal shape is related to Figure 10 In the same manner as terminal 1b shown, the "tubular integrated type" is the same as... Figure 9 The terminal 1a shown has the same shape; "tubular / open cylindrical" is the same as... Figure 12 The same applies to terminal 1c shown.

[0251] A crimping die is a die that simultaneously crimps the wire crimping portion and the covering crimping portion. The wire crimping portion being "strong compression / weak compression (2 sections)" refers to... Figure 8A The diagram shows two sections, 32a and 32b, with wire crimping dies. One section (front end) is designated for strong compression, while the other (rear end) is designated for weak compression. In contrast, "Level 1" refers to components where the wire crimping portion is crimped at a specific compression rate, categorized as "weak compression," "medium compression," or "strong compression" based on the compression rate. Furthermore, a compression rate of 40% or higher but less than 50% is designated as strong compression, 50% or higher but less than 60% as medium compression, and 60% or higher but less than 90% as weak compression.

[0252] The resistance value is the resistance between the front end of the terminal and the rear end of a 100mm long covered wire. Tensile strength is the load when the covered wire is pulled out of the terminal. Furthermore, regarding terminal insertion ease, "good" is defined as easy to insert the covered wire into the crimp of the terminal, and "average" is defined as slightly more difficult.

[0253] As shown in Tables 1 to 3, Examples 1 to 19, which use two-section crimped wire joints, can balance resistance and tensile strength. For example, if the wire cross-sectional area is 1.25 sq, the resistance is 2 mΩ / 100 mm or less, ensuring a tensile strength of 300 N or more. Furthermore, if the wire cross-sectional area is 0.35 sq, the resistance is 10 mΩ / 100 mm or less, ensuring a tensile strength of 70 N or more. Additionally, if the wire cross-sectional area is 0.13 sq, the resistance is 30 mΩ / 100 mm or less, ensuring a tensile strength of 30 N or more. Furthermore, if the wire cross-sectional area is 0.08 sq, the resistance is 50 mΩ / 100 mm or less, ensuring a tensile strength of 30 N or more. Moreover, if a tensile-resistant element is included, even at 0.05 sq, the resistance is 40 mΩ / 100 mm or less, ensuring a tensile strength of 60 N or more.

[0254] Furthermore, in embodiments 8-14 where the crimping portion is an open cylindrical type, the wire can first be positioned on the crimping portion from above, and then the wire can be inserted into the tubular wire crimping portion. Therefore, positioning of the wire relative to the wire crimping portion is easy, and the wire can be easily inserted into the terminal.

[0255] On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1 with a conductor cross-sectional area of ​​1.25 sq, compared to Examples 1 and 8, the resistance value reached as high as 2.5 mΩ / 100 mm due to conductor breakage because the entire conductor crimping portion was strongly compressed. Furthermore, in Comparative Example 2 with a conductor cross-sectional area of ​​0.3 sq, compared to Examples 3 and 10, the conductor holding force was weak and the tensile strength was as low as 59 N because the entire conductor crimping portion was weakly compressed. In Comparative Example 3 with a conductor cross-sectional area of ​​0.13 sq, compared to Examples 4, 11, 15, and 16, the resistance value reached as high as 34 mΩ / 100 mm and the tensile strength was as low as 19 N because the entire conductor crimping portion was moderately compressed. In addition, in Comparative Examples 4 and 5 with a conductor cross-sectional area of ​​0.05 sq having a tensile body, compared to Examples 5-7 and 12-14, the resistance value reached as high as 100 mΩ / 100 mm or more because the entire conductor crimping portion was strongly compressed.

[0256] (Example C)

[0257] Similarly, various wires with terminals were manufactured, and the electrical characteristics (resistance), mechanical characteristics (connection strength), and manufacturability of the crimped joints were evaluated. Manufacturability was further evaluated by assessing the insertion smoothness of the insulated wire into the terminal. The conditions and evaluation results are shown in Tables 5 to 10.

[0258] [Table 5]

[0259]

[0260]

[0261] [Table 6]

[0262]

[0263] [Table 7]

[0264]

[0265]

[0266] [Table 8]

[0267]

[0268] [Table 9]

[0269]

[0270] [Table 10]

[0271]

[0272]

[0273] The cross-sectional area of ​​an electrical wire is the total cross-sectional area of ​​its conductors. Additionally, the number of bare wires is the number of individual conductors. Wires with a tensile strength symbol "-" are as follows: Figure 23A , Figure 23B , Figure 27A , Figure 27B Such wires do not have tensile strength; "having" wires have a cross-section like... Figure 23C , Figure 27C The diagram shows an electrical wire with a central tensile strength element and conductors arranged around the outer periphery of the tensile strength element. Furthermore, in all cases, a material made by twisting together multiple soft copper conductors is used.

[0274] The "circular compression" of the terminal processing unit refers to, for example, Figure 6C The process of compressing the conductor from the outer periphery, "circular compression + simultaneous plating" refers to further forming a plating layer from the outer periphery.

[0275] All terminals are open cylindrical, and the "segmentation" of the terminal shape is related to... Figure 28 Similarly, terminal 1h, as shown, refers to the separation of the wire holding part 7a and the conducting part 7b, which are "integrated" with... Figure 24 The terminal 1g shown also indicates that the wire crimping part 7 is integral. Additionally, "butt-fitting type" means... Figures 23A-23C The crimping pattern shown is "overlapping type". Figures 27A-27C The crimping configuration is shown.

[0276] A crimping die is a die that simultaneously crimps the wire crimping portion and the covering crimping portion. The wire crimping portion being "strong compression / weak compression (2 sections)" refers to... Figure 25A The diagram shows two sections, 32a and 32b, with wire crimping dies. One section (front end) is for strong compression, and the other (rear end) is for weak compression. In contrast, "Level 1" refers to components where the wire crimping part crimps the wire at a specific compression rate, categorized as "weak compression," "medium compression," or "strong compression" based on the compression rate. Furthermore, a compression rate of 40% or higher but less than 50% is defined as strong compression, 50% or higher but less than 60% as medium compression, and 60% or higher but less than 90% as weak compression.

[0277] The resistance value is the resistance between the front end of the terminal and the rear end of the 100mm long covered wire. The tensile strength is the load when the covered wire is pulled out of the terminal. Furthermore, regarding crimping workability, the case where it is easy to place the covered wire on the crimping portion of the terminal is marked as "good," and the case where it is slightly more difficult is marked as "normal."

[0278] As shown in Tables 5-10, since the wire crimping section is an open cylindrical type, the crimping operability of any wire with terminals is "good". Furthermore, Examples 18-44, which use two-section crimping of the wire crimping section, all achieve a good balance between resistance and tensile strength. For example, if the wire cross-sectional area is 1.25 sq, the resistance is 2 mΩ / 100 mm or less, and a tensile strength of 300 N or more can be ensured. If the wire cross-sectional area is 0.35 sq, the resistance is 10 mΩ / 100 mm or less, and a tensile strength of 70 N or more can be ensured. If the wire cross-sectional area is 0.13 sq, the resistance is 30 mΩ / 100 mm or less, and a tensile strength of 30 N or more can be ensured. If the wire cross-sectional area is 0.08 sq, the resistance is 50 mΩ / 100 mm or less, and a tensile strength of 30 N or more can be ensured. Furthermore, if it is a tensile body, even at 0.05sq, the resistance value is below 40mΩ / 100mm, which can ensure a tensile strength of over 60N.

[0279] On the other hand, in Comparative Example 6, with a conductor cross-sectional area of ​​1.25 sq, compared to Examples 20 and 27, the resistance value reached as high as 2.7 mΩ / 100 mm due to conductor breakage because of the overall strong compression of the conductor crimping portion. Furthermore, in Comparative Example 7, with a conductor cross-sectional area of ​​0.3 sq, compared to Examples 22 and 29, the conductor holding force was weak and the tensile strength was as low as 55 N due to the overall weak compression of the conductor crimping portion. In addition, in Comparative Example 8, with a conductor cross-sectional area of ​​0.13 sq, compared to Examples 23, 30, 34, 35, 39, 40, 44, and 45, the resistance value reached as high as 34 mΩ / 100 mm and the tensile strength was as low as 19 N due to the overall moderate compression of the conductor crimping portion. Furthermore, in Comparative Examples 9 and 10, with a conductor cross-sectional area of ​​0.05 sq and having a tensile strength body, compared to Examples 24-26 and 31-33, the resistance value reached as high as 100 mΩ / 100 mm or more due to the overall strong compression of the conductor crimping portion.

[0280] (Example D)

[0281] Similarly, wires with terminals were fabricated, and the insertion workability of the covered conductor to the terminals and the insertion workability of the resulting terminald wires to the connectors were evaluated. The conditions and evaluation results are shown in Tables 11 to 14.

[0282] [Table 11]

[0283]

[0284]

[0285] [Table 12]

[0286]

[0287] [Table 13]

[0288]

[0289]

[0290] [Table 14]

[0291]

[0292] The cross-sectional area of ​​the wire is the total cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor's section perpendicular to its length. Furthermore, in Example 56, although the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor is the same as in Example 55, it is manufactured with a residual covering portion at the front end of the conductor (see [reference]). Figure 13A The table lists the cross-sectional area including the covered portion. Additionally, the bare wire count refers to the number of conductors. Wires with a tensile strength marked "-" indicate... Figure 3A , Figure 3B Such wires do not have tensile strength; "wires with" tensile strength refer to those with a cross-section like... Figure 3C The diagram shows an electrical wire with a central tensile strength element and conductors arranged around the outer periphery of the tensile strength element. Furthermore, in all cases, a material made by twisting together multiple soft copper conductors is used.

[0293] The "circular compression" of the terminal processing unit is as follows: Figure 6C The conductor is compressed from the outer periphery. Alternatively, "circular compression + simultaneous plating" involves further forming the plating layer from the outer periphery. Another method is "circular compression + arc welding," which involves arc welding the front end after compressing the conductor from the outer periphery. Finally, "circular compression + ultrasonic welding" involves welding the front end of the conductor to integrate it after compressing it from the outer periphery.

[0294] The term "tubular" for the wire crimping portion and "open cylindrical" for the covering crimping portion refers to... Figure 12 The terminal 1c shown has the same shape, with both the wire crimping portion and the covering crimping portion being "tubular," meaning they are similar in shape to... Figure 5 The terminal 1 shown has the same shape, with the crimping part being tubular and integrally formed.

[0295] The cross-sectional area of ​​the wire crimping portion before crimping is the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal space of the tubular wire crimping portion before crimping, in a section perpendicular to the wire insertion direction. The ratio of wire cross-sectional area to crimping portion cross-sectional area (%) is the ratio of the wire cross-sectional area to the cross-sectional area of ​​the wire crimping portion before crimping. Furthermore, only in Example 7 is the ratio of the cross-sectional area of ​​the wire including the covering portion to the cross-sectional area of ​​the wire crimping portion before crimping.

[0296] Regarding the insertion capability into the terminal, when inserting the front end of the wire into the tubular wire crimping part, the situation where the wire can be easily inserted into the wire crimping part without any fraying or jamming at the front end of the wire is defined as "very good", the situation where the wire can be inserted into the wire crimping part even with some jamming is defined as "good", and the situation where the wire is difficult to insert into the wire crimping part due to fraying or other issues is defined as "poor".

[0297] Regarding the insertability of the connector, when inserting the crimped terminal into the connector, the case where it can be easily inserted into the connector is set as "good", and the case where it is difficult to insert is set as "bad".

[0298] As shown in Tables 11-13, for tubular wire crimp portions, in Examples 49-64 where the crimp portion is an open cylindrical type, insertion into the terminal is good regardless of whether the wire cross-sectional area / crimp portion cross-sectional area (%) is 40% or more. In particular, by retaining a portion of the crimp portion or by integrating it using plating, arc welding, soldering, etc., instead of only compressing the wire tip, wire fraying can be reliably suppressed, and the rigidity of the wire tip can be increased, thus resulting in good insertion into the terminal. For example, in Example 56, where a portion of the crimp portion remains, the insertion is good compared to when the cross-sectional area including the crimp portion / crimp portion cross-sectional area is 70% or more.

[0299] Thus, in all embodiments 49-64, the wire can be inserted into the wire crimping portion after positioning the wire crimping portion by placing the wire in the open cylindrical crimping portion. Therefore, even if the diameter of the wire crimping portion is small compared to the diameter of the wire, the wire can be easily inserted into the wire crimping portion. In addition, since the diameter of the wire crimping portion can be reduced, the subsequent insertion into the connector is also good.

[0300] On the other hand, in Comparative Example 11, since both the wire crimping portion and the covering crimping portion are tubular, it is not easy to position the covered wire into the tubular crimping portion, making it difficult to insert the wire into the tubular crimping portion. Regarding Comparative Examples 12 and 13, although the insertion capability of the wire is improved by increasing the diameter of the wire crimping portion compared to Comparative Example 11, the result is that the terminal size becomes larger, making it difficult to insert the wire into the connector (1.25mm). 2 The cross-sectional area of ​​the connector insertion port for the wire is 3.2 mm². 2 The insertional deterioration of ).

[0301] Similarly, in Comparative Example 14, since both the wire crimping portion and the covering crimping portion are tubular, positioning is difficult, making it hard to insert the wire into the tubular crimping portion. Regarding Comparative Example 15, although the wire insertionability is improved by increasing the diameter of the wire crimping portion compared to Comparative Example 14, the result is that the terminal size becomes larger, making it difficult to insert the wire into the connector (0.05mm). 2 The cross-sectional area of ​​the connector insertion port for the wire is 0.125 mm². 2 The insertional deterioration of ).

[0302] As in Examples A to D above, by dividing the wire crimping portion into a wire holding portion and a conductive portion, and crimping them under different conditions, the requirements for both resistance and connection strength can be met. Furthermore, as long as the crimping is performed in a manner where the connection strength of the wire holding portion is higher than that of the conductive portion, the method of changing the compression ratio is not limited. For example, other methods such as changing the cross-sectional shape of the wire holding portion after crimping the wire crimping portion can also be used.

[0303] (Example E)

[0304] Multiple wires with various terminals were fabricated, and the positional relationship between the wires and the crimped parts of the resulting wires with terminals, as well as their insertion workability, were evaluated.

[0305] (Example 65)

[0306] use Figure 19 The terminal 1f shown is used to fabricate a wire with a terminal. As a sheathed conductor, a wire with... Figure 3B The cross-sectional shape shown is that of a soft copper wire with 1.25sq / 16 cores.

[0307] (Example 66)

[0308] Compared to Example 65, a wire with [specific feature] was used as the sheathing conductor. Figure 3A The cross-sectional shape shown is that of a soft copper wire with 0.35sq / 7 cores.

[0309] (Example 67)

[0310] Compared to Example 65, a wire with [specific feature] was used as the sheathing conductor. Figure 3A The cross-sectional shape shown is that of a soft copper wire with 0.3sq / 7 cores.

[0311] (Example 68)

[0312] Compared to Example 65, a wire with [specific feature] was used as the sheathing conductor. Figure 3A The cross-sectional shape shown is that of a soft copper wire with 0.13sq / 7 cores.

[0313] (Example 69)

[0314] Compared to Example 65, a wire with [specific feature] was used as the sheathing conductor. Figure 3C The cross-sectional shape shown is provided, and 12 soft copper wires with the same cross-sectional area and circular cross-section are arranged around the tensile body, and the total cross-sectional area of ​​the wires and the tensile body is 0.05sq.

[0315] (Example 70)

[0316] Compared to Example 69, the method of using the front end of the wire to cover the wire is as follows: Figure 6D The wires are coated with a layer, as shown.

[0317] (Example 71)

[0318] use Figure 16 The terminal 1e shown is used to make a wire with a terminal. As a sheathed conductor, a wire with... Figure 3C The cross-sectional shape shown is provided, and 12 soft copper wires with the same cross-sectional area and circular cross-section are arranged around the tensile body, and the total cross-sectional area of ​​the wires and the tensile body is 0.05sq.

[0319] (Example 72)

[0320] use Figure 19 The terminal 1f shown is used to make a wire with a terminal. As a sheathed conductor, a wire with... Figure 3A The cross-sectional shape shown is that of a soft copper wire with 0.13sq / 7 cores.

[0321] (Example 73)

[0322] Compared to Example 72, a wire with [specific feature] was used as the sheathing conductor. Figure 3C The cross-sectional shape shown is provided, and eight soft copper wires with the same cross-sectional area and circular cross-section are arranged around the tensile body, and the total cross-sectional area of ​​the wires and the tensile body is 0.13sq.

[0323] (Example 74)

[0324] Compared to Example 72, a wire with [specific feature] was used as the sheathing conductor. Figure 3A The cross-sectional shape shown is that of a soft copper wire with 0.08sq / 7 cores.

[0325] (Example 75)

[0326] Compared to Example 72, a wire with [specific feature] was used as the sheathing conductor. Figure 3CThe cross-sectional shape shown is provided, and eight soft copper wires with the same cross-sectional area and circular cross-section are arranged around the tensile body, and the total cross-sectional area of ​​the wires and the tensile body is 0.08sq.

[0327] (Example 76)

[0328] Compared to Example 75, the method of using the front end of the wire to be covered is as follows: Figure 6D The wires are coated with a layer, as shown.

[0329] (Example 77)

[0330] use Figure 16 The terminal 1e shown is used to make a wire with a terminal. As a sheathed conductor, a wire with... Figure 3C The cross-sectional shape shown is provided, and eight soft copper wires with the same cross-sectional area and circular cross-section are arranged around the tensile body, and the total cross-sectional area of ​​the wires and the tensile body is 0.13sq.

[0331] (Example 78)

[0332] use Figure 16 The terminal 1e shown is used to make a wire with a terminal. As a sheathed conductor, a wire with... Figure 3C The cross-sectional shape shown is provided, and eight soft copper wires with the same cross-sectional area and circular cross-section are arranged around the tensile body, and the total cross-sectional area of ​​the wires and the tensile body is 0.08sq.

[0333] (Comparative Example 16)

[0334] As a crimping part, a tubular terminal with a constant inner diameter without a wire positioning part is used; as a covered wire, a terminal with... Figure 3B The cross-sectional shape shown is that of a soft copper wire with 1.25sq / 16 cores.

[0335] (Comparative Example 17)

[0336] Compared to Comparative Example 16, as a covered conductor, a conductor with... Figure 3A The cross-sectional shape shown is that of a soft copper wire with 0.3sq / 7 cores.

[0337] (Comparative Example 18)

[0338] Compared to Comparative Example 16, as a covered conductor, a conductor with... Figure 3A The cross-sectional shape shown is that of a soft copper wire with 0.13sq / 7 cores.

[0339] (Comparative Example 19)

[0340] Compared to Comparative Example 16, as a covered conductor, a conductor with... Figure 3C The cross-sectional shape shown is provided, and 12 soft copper wires with the same cross-sectional area and circular cross-section are arranged around the tensile body, and the total cross-sectional area of ​​the wires and the tensile body is 0.05sq.

[0341] (Comparative Example 20)

[0342] Compared to Comparative Example 19, the method of using the front end of the wire to cover the wire is as follows: Figure 6D The wires are coated with a layer, as shown.

[0343] Examples 65-78 all successfully positioned the wires relative to the wire crimping portion and crimped them. On the other hand, Comparative Examples 16-20 were difficult to align the wires with, and positioning required time. Furthermore, the wire placement deviation was large, resulting in a significant positional deviation between the wires and the wire crimping portion.

[0344] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the technical scope of the present invention is not affected by the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art will be able to conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the technical concept described in the claims, and these naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0345] For example, the above description shows an example where a layer of wire 13 is disposed on the outer periphery of the tensile body 17, but the arrangement of the wire 13 is not limited to this. If the wire 13 is disposed on the outer periphery of the tensile body 17, then as Figure 31A As shown, the conductors 13 can also be arranged in two layers around the tensile body 17, or as shown in the diagram. Figure 31B As shown, the conductors 13 are arranged in three layers around the tensile body 17. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of the conductivity and strength of the conductors 13 themselves, the number of conductors 13 is only required to be three or more in the layers connected to the tensile body 17, and preferably 20 or fewer. For example, as... Figures 6B to 6D , Figures 7A-7B As shown, there can be 12 or 14 sticks, or even 6 or 8 sticks, etc.

[0346] Label Explanation

[0347] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, 1h, 1i: Terminal; 3: Terminal body; 4: Transition part; 5: Crimping part; 7: Wire crimping part; 7a: Wire holding part; 7b: Conducting part; 8: Wire positioning part; 9: Covering crimping part; 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e: Wire with terminal; 11: Covered wire; 13: Wire; 15, 15a: Covering part; 17: Tensile body; 19: Terminal processing part; 21: Plating; 31a: Upper die; 31b: Lower die; 32a, 32b: Wire crimping die; 34: Covering crimping die.

Claims

1. A terminal-equipped wire, comprising an insulated conductor and a terminal electrically connected together, characterized in that, The terminal has: A wire crimping portion that crimps the wire exposed from the front end of the covered wire; and The crimping portion crimps the covering portion of the covered wire. The wire crimping portion has: Wire retainer, which holds the wire; and A conductive section, used to achieve conductivity with the wire. The wire holding portion is provided at the front end of the wire crimping portion, and the conductive portion is formed at the rear end of the wire crimping portion. The compression ratios of the wire holding portion and the conductive portion are different. The covered conductor is composed of multiple conductors and at least one tensile strength element. In the wire holding part, at least a portion of the broken wire and the tensile body are held together. The compression ratio of the wire retaining portion is 40% or more and less than 50%, the compression ratio of the conducting portion is 60% or more and less than 90%, and the compression ratio of the covering crimp portion is 40% or more and less than 50%. In the conductive section, the wire does not break. The resistance of the wire in the conducting part is lower than the resistance of the wire in the wire holding part.

2. The wire with terminals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tensile strength of the conductor in the wire holding part is greater than the tensile strength of the conductor in the conducting part.

3. The terminal-equipped wire according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The covered conductor is formed by covering at least one conductor and a tensile body with the covering portion.

4. The terminal-equipped wire according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, In a cross-section perpendicular to the length direction of the covered conductor, the tensile body is located approximately at the center of the covered conductor, and the conductor is disposed on the outer periphery of the tensile body.

5. The wire with terminals according to claim 4, characterized in that, The conductor is twisted along the length of the covered conductor.

6. The terminal-equipped wire according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor is 0.35sq or less, and the terminal is capable of crimping the conductor with a cross-sectional area of ​​0.35sq or less.

7. The terminal-equipped wire according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor is 0.3sq or less, and the terminal is capable of crimping the conductor with a cross-sectional area of ​​0.3sq or less.

8. The terminal-equipped wire according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor is 0.05 sq or less, and the tensile strength of the conductor in the wire retaining part is 50 N or more.

9. The terminal-equipped wire according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, At least a portion of the wire crimping portion is a tubular structure that is closed in the circumferential direction.

10. The terminal-equipped wire according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, At least the front end of the conductor is compressed from the outer periphery, or is plated from the outer periphery of the conductor.

11. The terminal-equipped wire according to claim 9, characterized in that, The covering and pressing part has an open cylindrical shape.

12. The wire with terminals according to claim 9, characterized in that, At least a portion between the wire crimping portion and the covering crimping portion is formed with a wire positioning portion whose size decreases as it moves toward the wire crimping portion. In the wire positioning portion, the front end of the covering portion contacts the wire positioning portion to limit the amount of wire insertion into the wire crimping portion.

13. The terminal-equipped wire according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The wire crimping part is an open cylindrical type.

14. A wire harness, characterized in that, The wiring harness is an integral assembly of multiple terminal wires, including the terminal wires as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A terminal electrically connected to a covered conductor, characterized in that, The terminal has: A wire crimping part crimps the wire exposed from the front end of the covered wire; as well as The crimping portion crimps the covering portion of the covered wire. A wire retaining portion is provided at the front end of the wire crimping portion, and a conductive portion for obtaining conductivity with the wire is formed at the rear end of the wire crimping portion. The wire retaining portion and the conductive portion are separated. The covered conductor is composed of multiple conductors and at least one tensile strength element. In the wire holding part, at least a portion of the broken wire and the tensile body are held together. The compression ratio of the wire retaining portion is 40% or more and less than 50%, the compression ratio of the conducting portion is 60% or more and less than 90%, and the compression ratio of the covering crimp portion is 40% or more and less than 50%. In the conductive section, the wire does not break. The resistance of the wire in the conducting part is lower than the resistance of the wire in the wire holding part.

16. The terminal according to claim 15, characterized in that, At least a portion of the wire crimping portion is a tubular shape that is closed in the circumferential direction.

17. The terminal according to claim 16, characterized in that, At least a portion between the wire crimping portion and the covering crimping portion is formed with a wire positioning portion whose size decreases as it moves toward the wire crimping portion.

18. The terminal according to claim 15, characterized in that, The wire crimping part is an open cylindrical shape.

19. A terminal crimping die for manufacturing the terminal-equipped wire as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal crimping die has an upper die and a lower die. The distance between the upper die and the lower die corresponding to the wire holding part is narrower than the distance between the upper die and the lower die corresponding to the conducting part.

20. A method for manufacturing a terminald wire, the method being the method for manufacturing a terminald wire according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area inside the covering portion is more than 40% of the cross-sectional area of ​​the insertion portion of the wire crimping portion before crimping.

21. The method for manufacturing a terminald wire according to claim 20, characterized in that, When removing the covering portion at the front end of the covered conductor, a portion of the covering portion is inserted into the conductor crimping portion while remaining at the front end of the conductor, and the covering portion is removed from the conductor before crimping.

22. A method for manufacturing a terminald wire, the method being the method for manufacturing a terminald wire as described in claim 12, characterized in that, Before crimping, the size of the wire positioning portion is larger than the inner diameter of the covering portion and smaller than the outer diameter of the covering portion. Insert the front end of the covered wire until the front end of the covered portion contacts the wire positioning portion. The wire crimping portion is crimped.

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