A manufacturing method for an electric wire equipped with a terminal

Abstract

A manufacturing method for an electric wire equipped with terminals, including a step of press-fitting a first terminal to one end of the electric wire, a step of press-fitting a second terminal to the other end of the electric wire with a tubular sealing member, a first waterproofing step of providing an anticorrosion member covering an element harness of the electric wire at the one end of the electric wire, and a second waterproofing step of providing a sealing member to fill gaps between conductive element wires of the element harness in a tubular insulating sheath at the other end of the electric wire. The second waterproofing step is performed after the first waterproofing step is performed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a manufacturing method for an electric wire equipped with a terminal, in which the terminal is crimped to both ends of the electric wire. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the related art, an electric wire equipped with a terminal for communication, power supply, or the like between devices mounted on a vehicle or the like has been proposed. Generally, such an electric wire equipped with a terminal has a structure in which a terminal is crimped to both ends of an electric wire, and is used to house both terminals in respective terminal housing chambers of a connector housing. Further, each connector is connected to a counterpart connector of a respective device or the like. Further, for example, in one of the electric wires equipped with a terminal in the related art, an element wire harness exposed from an end portion of the electric wire is covered with an anticorrosion member to prevent corrosion of a crimped portion between the electric wire and the terminal or the like (for example, see JP 2019-129067 A).

[0003] In an electric wire equipped with a terminal laid in a place such as an engine room of a vehicle that can be exposed to water, generally, a sealing member such as a rubber plug is crimped to an end portion of the electric wire along with the terminal, and a gap between the terminal housing chamber of the connector housing and the electric wire is sealed by the sealing member. The connector having such a waterproof structure is also referred to as a waterproof connector because it is possible to prevent water from entering the terminal housing chamber from the outside of the connector. On the other hand, generally, in an electric wire equipped with a terminal laid in a place such as an interior of a vehicle that has a relatively low possibility of being exposed to water, a sealing member is not provided. Such a connector is also referred to as a non-waterproof connector.

[0004] The waterproof connector is fitted to a counterpart connector provided in an electrical junction block provided in an engine room of a vehicle, for example. In this context, if the sealing performance of the electrical junction block itself is improved from the waterproof or the like perspective, the air pressure in the electrical junction block can be lower than the air pressure in the interior of the vehicle (i.e., negative pressure can occur) because the air temperature in the electrical junction block sharply decreases when the engine that is being driven is stopped or the like. In this case, water such as moisture can be sucked from the end portion of the electric wire on the non-waterproof connector side laid in the interior of the vehicle toward the end portion of the electric wire on the waterproof connector side laid in the engine room through a slight gap between the conductive element wires in the electric wire. In this water sucking phenomenon, it is difficult to stop the water with the above-described sealing member because the water reaches the terminal on the waterproof connector side through the electric wire. SUMMARY

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a manufacturing method for an electric wire equipped with a terminal that can prevent water from entering a gap between conductive element wires of the electric wire.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the manufacturing method for an electric wire equipped with a terminal according to the present disclosure is characterized as follows.

[0007] Aspects of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a manufacturing method for a terminal-equipped electric wire including an electric wire having a plurality of conductive element wires bundled into an element wire bundle and a tubular insulating sheath covering the element wire bundle, a first terminal crimped to one end of the electric wire, and a second terminal crimped to the other end of the electric wire, the method including:

[0008] a step of crimping the first terminal to the one end of the electric wire to electrically connect the element wire bundle exposed from the one end of the electric wire and the first terminal;

[0009] a step of crimping the second terminal to the other end of the electric wire such that an element wire crimping portion of the second terminal is crimped to the element wire bundle exposed from the other end of the electric wire and a sheath crimping portion of the second terminal is crimped to a tubular sealing member attached to an outer periphery of the other end of the electric wire;

[0010] a first waterproofing step of providing an anticorrosion member covering the element wire bundle to isolate the element wire bundle from external air at the one end of the electric wire to which the first terminal is crimped; and

[0011] a second waterproofing step of providing a sealing member to fill gaps between the conductive element wires in the tubular insulating sheath and seal an inside of the tubular insulating sheath at the other end of the electric wire to which the second terminal is crimped, after the first waterproofing step is performed.

[0012] According to the manufacturing method of the terminal-equipped electric wire according to the present application, after the terminals (i.e., the first terminal and the second terminal) are crimped to both ends of the electric wire, first, in a first waterproofing step, at the one end of the electric wire to which the non-waterproof first terminal not including the sealing member is crimped, an anticorrosion member is provided to cover the element wire bundle exposed from the insulating sheath to isolate the element wire bundle from the outside air. Thereafter, in a second waterproofing step, at the other end of the electric wire to which the waterproof second terminal including the sealing member is crimped, the sealing member is provided to fill the gap between the conductive element wires in the tubular insulating sheath and seal the inside of the tubular insulating sheath. By sequentially performing the waterproofing steps, even in the case where the sealing member is made of a material having a low viscosity sufficient to fill (e.g., permeate) the gap between the conductive element wires, since the element wire bundle is covered by the anticorrosion member at the one end of the electric wire on the opposite side and the entry and exit of air is restricted, the sealing member is less likely to enter the inside of the tubular insulating sheath. In other words, the sealing member can be held within the tubular insulating sheath near the other end of the electric wire. Thus, the softness of the electric wire is prevented from being impaired due to the excessive entry of the sealing member into the inside of the tubular insulating sheath. Further, since the gap between the conductive element wires is sealed at the other end of the electric wire (i.e., the electric wire end portion to which the waterproof second terminal is attached), even when the other end of the electric wire is routed in a place where temperature fluctuation is large, such as an engine room or the like, water entry due to the above-described negative pressure can be prevented. Even if the sealing of the other end of the electric wire is not complete, since the one end of the electric wire is covered by the anticorrosion member, the amount of water absorbed when negative pressure is generated is limited to a very small amount of water initially present in the tubular insulating sheath of the electric wire. Thus, according to the manufacturing method of the present configuration, a terminal-equipped electric wire capable of preventing water from entering the gap between the conductive element wires of the electric wire can be manufactured.

[0013] The present application has been briefly described above. The details of the present application will be further clarified by reading the following description of embodiments for carrying out the present application, with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a side view of a terminal-equipped electric wire according to an embodiment of the present application, showing a state before the anticorrosion member and the sealing member are provided in the terminal-equipped electric wire.

[0015] Figure 2 is a top view of a non-waterproof first terminal crimped to Figure 1 one end of the terminal-equipped electric wire shown in

[0016] Figure 3 is a top view of a waterproof second terminal crimped to Figure 1 the other end of the terminal-equipped electric wire shown in

[0017] Figure 4is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 2 and shows a step of providing an anticorrosion member at one end of the electric wire, Figure 2 the first terminal shown in

[0018] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 3 and shows a step of providing a sealing member to the other end of the electric wire, Figure 3 the other end of the electric wire to which the second terminal shown in

[0019] Figure 6 is an enlarged view of part C in Figure 5

[0020] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in Figure 6

[0021] Figure 8 is a conceptual view showing one example of a state in which the electric wire equipped with terminals according to an embodiment of the present application is installed on and used in a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] <EMBODIMENT>

[0023] Hereinafter, an electric wire 1 equipped with terminals according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 8 , the electric wire 1 equipped with terminals includes an electric wire 10, a first terminal 20 crimped to one end of the electric wire 10, and a second terminal 30 crimped to the other end of the electric wire 10. As shown in Figure 8 , a waterproof sealing member 40 is attached to the outer periphery of the other end of the electric wire to which the second terminal 30 is crimped, and the sealing member is not provided at the one end of the electric wire 10 to which the first terminal 20 is crimped. An anticorrosion member 50 is provided at the one end of the electric wire 10 to which the first terminal 20 is crimped, and a sealing member 60 is provided at the other end of the electric wire 10 to which the second terminal 30 is crimped.

[0024] As shown in Figure 8 ​​As shown in FIG. 1, a non-waterproof first terminal 20, which does not include a waterproof sealing member, is attached to a connector housing 70. Specifically, the connector housing 70 includes a receiving hole (not shown) for inserting and accommodating the first terminal 20 crimped to one end of the electric wire 10 and a terminal accommodating chamber (not shown) communicating with the receiving hole. The first terminal 20 is inserted into the receiving hole of the connector housing 70 and accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber. The connector including the connector housing 70, the first terminal 20, and the like is generally fitted to a counterpart connector provided in an apparatus (not shown) arranged in a vehicle interior, which has a relatively low possibility of exposure to water.

[0025] On the other hand, a waterproof second terminal 30 having a waterproof sealing member 40 is attached to a connector housing 80. Specifically, the connector housing 80 includes a receiving hole (not shown) for receiving and accommodating the second terminal 30 crimped to the other end of the electric wire 10 and a terminal accommodating chamber (not shown) communicating with the receiving hole. The second terminal 30 is inserted into the receiving hole of the connector housing 80 and accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber. When the second terminal 30 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber, the inner wall surface of the receiving hole and the sealing member 40 are in close contact with each other, thereby preventing water from entering the terminal accommodating chamber from the receiving hole (the post-fitting side). The connector including the connector housing 80, the second terminal 30, and the like is generally fitted to a counterpart connector provided in an electrical junction block (not shown) arranged in an engine room 90 of a vehicle which has a possibility of exposure to water. A gap between the connector housing 80 and a housing (not shown) of the counterpart connector to be fitted is sealed with a gasket or the like, and also prevents water from entering the terminal accommodating chamber from the fitting counterpart (the pre-fitting side).

[0026] In a state where the second terminal 30 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber of the connector housing 80, the sealing member 40 seals a gap between the terminal accommodating chamber and the electric wire 10, whereby it is possible to prevent water from entering the inside of the terminal accommodating chamber from the outside. That is, the second terminal 30, the sealing member 40, and the connector housing 80 constitute a connector having a waterproof structure, and this connector is also referred to as a waterproof connector. On the other hand, the first terminal 20 and the connector housing 70 constitute a connector not having a waterproof structure, and this connector is also referred to as a non-waterproof connector. The electric wire 1 equipped with the terminals, the connector housing 70, and the connector housing 80 constitute a wiring 2 (see FIG. 2) laid in a vehicle. Figure 8 ).

[0027] Hereinafter, the electric wire 10, the first terminal 20, the second terminal 30, and the sealing member 40 constituting the electric wire 1 equipped with the terminals will be described in order. First, the electric wire 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the electric wire 10 includes a plurality of electrically conductive element wires 11a (see FIG. 2) and an insulating layer 12 covering the plurality of electrically conductive element wires 11a. Figure 1 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1, the electric wire 10 includes a plurality of electrically conductive element wires 11a (see FIG. 2) and an insulating layer 12 covering the plurality of electrically conductive element wires 11a. Figure 7) bundled element wire bundle 11 and a tubular insulating sheath 12 covering the element wire bundle 11. The conductive element wire 11a is made of, for example, a metal material containing aluminum. Each of the two end portions of the electric wire 10 is subjected to a process of removing a portion of the insulating sheath 12 to expose an end portion of the element wire bundle 11. Hereinafter, for the convenience of explanation, in the direction of extension of the electric wire 10, the side from the center of the electric wire 10 toward the end portion of the electric wire 10 will be referred to as the "distal side", and the side from the end portion of the electric wire 10 toward the center of the electric wire 10 will be referred to as the "proximal side".

[0028] Next, the first terminal 20 will be described. The first terminal 20 is formed by pressing, bending, or the like of a piece of a metal plate made of copper or a copper alloy. As shown in Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 4 indicated, the first terminal (female terminal) 20 includes a connection portion 21, an element wire crimping portion 22 located on the proximal side of the connection portion 21 and spaced apart from the connection portion 21, and a sheath crimping portion 23 located on the proximal side of the element wire crimping portion 22 and spaced apart from the element wire crimping portion 22.

[0029] The connection portion 21 has a rectangular box shape, and has a function of inserting and connecting a counterpart terminal (male terminal). The element wire crimping portion 22 includes a pair of crimping pieces 22a extending upward from both sides of the bottom portion, and has a function of crimping the element wire bundle 11 exposed on the one end side of the electric wire 10. The sheath crimping portion 23 includes a pair of crimping pieces 23a extending upward from both sides of the bottom portion thereof, and has a function of crimping the end portion on the one end side of the insulating sheath 12 of the electric wire 10.

[0030] Next, the second terminal 30 will be described. The second terminal 30 is formed by pressing, bending, or the like of a piece of a metal plate made of copper or a copper alloy. As shown in Figure 1 、 Figure 3 and Figure 5 indicated, the second terminal (female terminal) 30 includes a connection portion 31, an element wire crimping portion 32 located on the proximal side of the connection portion 31 and spaced apart from the connection portion 31, and a sheath crimping portion 33 located on the proximal side of the element wire crimping portion 32 and spaced apart from the element wire crimping portion 32.

[0031] The connection portion 31 has a rectangular box shape, and has a function of inserting and connecting a counterpart terminal (female terminal). The element wire crimping portion 32 includes a pair of crimping pieces 32a extending upward from both sides of the bottom portion, and has a function of crimping the element wire bundle 11 exposed on the other end side of the electric wire 10. The sheath crimping portion 33 has a pair of crimping pieces 33a extending upward from both sides of the bottom portion, and has a function of crimping the end portion on the other end side of the insulating sheath 12 of the electric wire 10 (more specifically, the small diameter portion 42 of the sealing member 40 arranged on the outer periphery of the end portion, which will be described later).

[0032] Next, the sealing member 40 will be described. The sealing member 40 made of rubber includes a cylindrical large-diameter portion 41 including a lip portion provided on an outer periphery thereof and a cylindrical small-diameter portion 42 having a diameter smaller than that of the large-diameter portion 41. The sealing member 40 is attached to the other end of the electric wire 10 in a state where the small-diameter portion 42 is located on the distal side of the large-diameter portion 41, so that the small-diameter portion 42 is located on the outer periphery of the end portion on the other end side of the insulating sheath 12 of the electric wire 10. The components constituting the electric wire 1 equipped with the terminal have been described in order above.

[0033] Next, a manufacturing method for the electric wire 1 equipped with the terminal will be described. In order to manufacture the electric wire 1 equipped with the terminal, first, as shown in Figure 1 , in a state where the sealing member 40 is disposed on the electric wire 10, the first terminal 20 is crimped to one end of the electric wire 10, and the second terminal 30 is crimped to the other end of the electric wire 10. The order of crimping of the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 30 is not limited.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 4 , in a state where the component wire harness 11 exposed on the one end side of the electric wire 10 is placed on the component wire crimp portion 22 and the end portion on the one end side of the insulating sheath 12 of the electric wire 10 is placed on the sheath crimp portion 23, the first terminal 20 is crimped to one end of the electric wire 10 by crimping a pair of crimp pieces 22a and a pair of crimp pieces 23a using a predetermined jig. In a state where the first terminal 20 is crimped, the distal portion of the component wire harness 11 protruding toward the distal side from the component wire crimp portion 22, and the component wire harness 11 between the component wire crimp portion 22 and the sheath crimp portion 23 are exposed to the outside (contact with the outside air) (see Figure 2 ). The component wire crimp portion 22 after crimping has a B-crimp shape. That is, the component wire crimp portion 22 is crimped so that the pair of crimp pieces 22a bites into the component wire harness 11 to push away a portion of the component wire harness 11. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4 , the component wire harness 11 is pushed away by a slight gap 11b on the distal side and the proximal side of the crimp piece 22a. However, Figure 4 only a conceptual view of a state where the anticorrosion member 50 is provided in the first terminal 20 is illustrated, and it is not necessarily required that such a gap 11b exists, and the gap 11b does not substantially affect the waterproof effect of the anticorrosion member 50.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3 and Figure 5, in a state where the component wire harness 11 exposed on the other end side of the electric wire 10 is placed on the component wire crimping portion 32, and the small diameter portion 42 of the sealing member 40 located at the end portion on the other end side of the insulating sheath 12 of the electric wire 10 is placed on the sheath crimping portion 33, the second terminal 30 is crimped to the other end of the electric wire 10 by crimping a pair of crimping pieces 32a and a pair of crimping pieces 33a using a predetermined jig. In a state where the second terminal 30 is crimped, the component wire harness 11 located between the component wire crimping portion 32 and the sheath crimping portion 33 is exposed to the outside (in contact with the outside air) (see Figure 3 ).

[0036] Next, if Figure 4 As shown in FIG, an anti-corrosion member 50 is provided at one end of the electric wire 10 to which the first terminal 20 is crimped (a first waterproofing step). The anti-corrosion member 50 is provided at one end of the electric wire 10 by applying a fluid ultraviolet curing resin to the surface of the component wiring harness 11 exposed to the outside at one end side of the electric wire 10 using a nozzle 100, and then irradiating the applied resin with ultraviolet rays to cure the resin. By providing the anti-corrosion member 50 in this manner, the entire surface of the distal end portion of the component wiring harness 11 exposed to the outside and the entire surface of the component wiring harness 11 located between the component wire crimping portion 22 and the sheath crimping portion 23 are covered by the anti-corrosion member 50 and isolated from the outside air (see FIG. Figure 4 ).

[0037] The viscosity of the fluid UV-curable resin at room temperature before curing is preferably 20 mPa·s or more, and more preferably 20 mPa·s or more and 100 mPa·s or less. Thus, by using a UV-curable resin having a suitably high viscosity, it is easy to construct the corrosion-resistant member 50 that appropriately covers the periphery of the component harness 11 exposed from the insulating sheath 12 while preventing liquid dripping, excessive penetration, and the like. Acrylic resin or epoxy resin can be used as the UV-curable resin.

[0038] The viscosity value as described above can be measured, for example, according to the viscosity test method specified in JIS Standard K 7233. Room temperature is a test temperature determined in this type of viscosity test method, and is, for example, 25°C.

[0039] As described above, after the corrosion-resistant member 50 is provided at one end of the electric wire 10 to which the first terminal 20 is crimped, the sealing member 60 is provided at the other end of the electric wire 10 to which the second terminal 30 is crimped. Figure 5The sealing member 60 is provided at the other end of the electric wire 10 by applying the wet-curing resin having fluidity to the element wire bundle 11 exposed to the outside between the element wire press joint 32 and the sheath press joint 33 on the other end side of the electric wire 10 using the nozzle 110, permeating the wet-curing resin into the gaps between the conductive element wires 11a, and then waiting for a predetermined period of time in the outside air containing moisture to cure the resin, as shown in (the second waterproofing step) of FIG. 6. By providing the sealing member 60 in this way, as shown in FIG. 7, the entire area of the gaps between the conductive element wires 11a in the element wire bundle 11 on the other end side of the electric wire 10 is continuously filled with the sealing member 60 except for the entire area of the gaps between the conductive element wires 11a in the tube at the end portion on the other end side of the insulating sheath 12. Therefore, the inside of the tubular insulating sheath 12 at the end portion on the other end side of the insulating sheath 12 of the electric wire 10 is sealed. At the position where the element wire press joint 32 is press joined to the element wire bundle 11, each of the gaps between the conductive element wires 11a becomes extremely narrow due to the press joining. Therefore, as described above, the applied resin is less likely to permeate to the element wire press joint 32 side (i.e., the distal side of the second terminal 30), and is likely to permeate to the inside of the tube of the insulating sheath 12 (i.e., the proximal side of the second terminal 30). Figures 5 to 7

[0040] As the wet-curing resin having fluidity, for example, a resin containing a cyano acrylate as a main component (a resin for instant adhesion) is used. The viscosity of the wet-curing resin having fluidity is preferably 5 mPa s or less and more preferably 2 mPa s or more and 5 mPa s or less at room temperature before curing. As described above, by using the wet-curing resin having a suitably low viscosity that allows the resin to quickly permeate into the gaps between the conductive element wires 11a to suitably fill the gaps in the insulating sheath 12 at the end portion on the other end side of the electric wire 10, the sealing member 60 can be formed. By using a resin containing a cyano acrylate as a main component as the wet-curing resin, the curing waiting time of the resin can be shortened, and the productivity of the electric wire 1 equipped with a terminal can be improved.

[0041] ​Further, as described above, after the anticorrosion member 50 is provided on one end of the electric wire 10, the sealing member 60 is provided on the other end of the electric wire 10, whereby even when the sealing member 60 is formed of a moisture-cured resin having a relatively low viscosity, the sealing member 60 is less likely to enter the inside of the tubular insulating sheath 12 at the other end side of the electric wire 10 because the air intake and exhaust is restricted by the anticorrosion member 50 at one end of the electric wire 10. In other words, the sealing member 60 can be held between the conductive element wires 11a near the other end of the electric wire 10. Thus, the flexibility of the electric wire 10 is prevented from being impaired by the excessive entry of the sealing member 60 into the inside of the tubular insulating sheath 12 on the other end side of the electric wire 10. As described above, after the anticorrosion member 50 is provided on one end of the electric wire 10, the sealing member 60 is provided on the other end of the electric wire 10, thereby completing Figure 8 the electric wire 1 equipped with terminals shown in FIG. 1.

[0042] As Figure 8 shown in FIG. 1, in the completed electric wire 1 equipped with terminals, the first terminal 20 is housed in the terminal housing chamber of the connector housing 70, and the second terminal 30 is housed in the terminal housing chamber of the connector housing 80, thereby forming the wiring 2. The connector housing 70 is fitted to a counterpart connector provided in an apparatus arranged in the interior of a vehicle having a relatively small probability of exposure to water, and the connector housing 80 is fitted to a counterpart connector provided in an electrical junction block arranged in the engine compartment 90 of a vehicle having a possibility of exposure to water. Thus, the wiring 2 to the vehicle is completed.

[0043] Hereinafter, it is assumed that the electrical junction block to which the connector housing 80 is connected has high sealing performance as a matter of waterproofing. In this case, when the engine being driven is stopped or the like, the air pressure in the electrical junction block can be lower than the air pressure in the interior of the vehicle (i.e., negative pressure can be generated) due to a sharp drop in the air temperature in the electrical junction block. In the electric wire 1 equipped with terminals, the gap between the conductive element wires 11a is sealed by the sealing member 60 at the other end of the electric wire 10 (i.e., the end portion at which the second terminal 30 is provided), and the element wire bundle 11 is covered by the anticorrosion member 50 at one end of the electric wire (i.e., the end portion at which the first terminal 20 is provided), and thus moisture such as humidity is prevented from being drawn in from the non-waterproof connector side of the electric wire 10 on which the first terminal 20 is provided through the gap between the conductive element wires 11a in the electric wire 10 toward the waterproof connector side on which the second terminal 30 is provided. In this way, it is possible to prevent water from entering through the tubular insulating sheath 12 of the electric wire 10 due to negative pressure caused by the above-described temperature fluctuation.

[0044] <Operation and Effects>

[0045] As described above, according to the manufacturing method for the electric wire 1 equipped with terminals according to the present embodiment, after the terminals (i.e., the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 30) are crimped to both ends of the electric wire 10, first, at the end of the electric wire 10 to which the non-waterproof first terminal 20, which does not include a waterproof sealing member, is crimped, the corrosion-resistant member 50 is provided to cover the element wire bundle 11 exposed from the insulating sheath 12 to isolate the element wire bundle 11 from the outside air in the first waterproof step. Then, at the other end of the electric wire 10 to which the waterproof second terminal 30 is crimped, the sealing member 60 is provided to fill the gaps between the conductive element wires 11a in the tubular insulating sheath 12 and seal the inside of the tubular insulating sheath 12 in the second waterproof step. By sequentially performing the waterproof process, even in the case where the sealing member 60 is formed of a material having a low viscosity sufficient to fill (e.g., penetrate) the gaps between the conductive element wires 11a, the sealing member 60 is less likely to enter the inside of the tubular insulating sheath 12 due to the restriction of the entry and exit of air by the corrosion-resistant member 50 at the end of the electric wire 10. In other words, the sealing member 60 can be held between the conductive element wires 11a near the other end of the electric wire 10. Therefore, the flexibility of the electric wire 10 is prevented from being impaired by the excessive entry of the sealing member 60 into the inside of the tubular insulating sheath 12. Further, since the gaps between the conductive element wires 11a are sealed at the other end of the electric wire 10 (i.e., the electric wire end portion to which the waterproof second terminal 30 is attached), water entry due to negative pressure caused by temperature fluctuations as described above can be prevented. Even if the other end of the electric wire 10 is not completely sealed, since the end of the electric wire 10 is covered by the corrosion-resistant member 50, the amount of water absorbed when negative pressure occurs is limited to a very small amount of water initially present in the tubular insulating sheath 12 of the electric wire 10. Therefore, the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment can manufacture an electric wire 1 capable of preventing water from entering the gaps between the conductive element wires 11a of the electric wire 10.

[0046] <Other Embodiments>

[0047] The present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present application. For example, the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, and the like. In addition, the materials, shapes, sizes, numbers, arrangement portions, and the like of the components in the above-described embodiments are optional and not limited as long as the present application can be implemented.

[0048] In the above-described embodiments, the corrosion-resistant member 50 is formed by using an ultraviolet-cured resin. On the other hand, the corrosion-resistant member 50 can be formed using a resin other than an ultraviolet-cured resin. Similarly, the sealing member 60 is formed by using a moisture-cured resin. On the other hand, the sealing member 60 can be formed using a resin other than a moisture-cured resin.

[0049] Here, features of the embodiment of the manufacturing method for the electric wire 1 equipped with a terminal according to the present application as described above will be briefly summarized and listed in [1] and [2] below.

[0050] [1] A manufacturing method for an electric wire (1) equipped with a terminal, the electric wire (1) including an electric wire (10), a first terminal (20), and a second terminal (30), the electric wire (10) including a bundle of element wires (11) in which a plurality of conductive element wires (11a) are bundled and a tubular insulating sheath (12) covering the bundle of element wires (11), the first terminal (20) being crimped to one end of the electric wire (10), the second terminal (30) being crimped to the other end of the electric wire (10), the method including:

[0051] a step of crimping the first terminal (20) to one end of the electric wire (10) to electrically connect the bundle of element wires (11) exposed from the one end of the electric wire (10) and the first terminal (20);

[0052] a step of crimping the second terminal (30) to the other end of the electric wire (10) such that an element wire crimping portion (32) of the second terminal (30) is crimped to the bundle of element wires (11) exposed from the other end of the electric wire (10) and a sheath crimping portion (33) of the second terminal (30) is crimped to a tubular sealing member (40) inserted outwardly into the other end of the electric wire (10);

[0053] a first waterproofing step of providing an anticorrosion member (50) covering the bundle of element wires (11) at the one end of the electric wire (10) to which the first terminal (20) is crimped to isolate the bundle of element wires (11) from outside air; and

[0054] a second waterproofing step of providing a sealing member (60) at the other end of the electric wire (10) to which the second terminal (30) is crimped to fill gaps between the conductive element wires (11a) in the tubular insulating sheath (12) and seal the inside of the tubular insulating sheath (12) after the first waterproofing step is performed.

[0055] According to the manufacturing method of the terminal-equipped electric wire having the configuration of the above [1], after the terminals (i.e., the first terminal and the second terminal) are crimped to both ends of the electric wire, first, in the first waterproofing step, an anticorrosion member is provided at the one end of the electric wire to which the non-waterproof first terminal not including the sealing member is crimped to cover the element wire bundle exposed from the insulating sheath, to isolate the element wire bundle from the outside air. Thereafter, in the second waterproofing step, the sealing member is provided at the other end of the electric wire to which the waterproof second terminal including the sealing member is crimped to fill the gaps between the conductive element wires in the tubular insulating sheath and seal the inside of the tubular insulating sheath. By sequentially performing the waterproofing steps, even in the case where the sealing member is made of a material having a low viscosity sufficient to fill (e.g., penetrate into the gaps between the element wires) the gaps between the conductive element wires, the sealing member is less likely to enter the inside of the tubular insulating sheath due to the element wire bundle being covered by the anticorrosion member at the one end of the electric wire on the opposite side and the air being restricted from entering and exiting. In other words, the sealing member can be held within the tubular insulating sheath near the other end of the electric wire. Thus, the flexibility of the electric wire is prevented from being impaired due to the sealing member excessively entering the inside of the tubular insulating sheath. Furthermore, since the gaps between the conductive element wires are sealed at the other end of the electric wire (i.e., the electric wire end portion to which the waterproof second terminal is attached), water is prevented from entering due to the negative pressure as described above even if the other end of the electric wire is routed in a place where the temperature fluctuates greatly, such as an engine room. Even if the other end of the electric wire is not completely sealed, since the one end of the electric wire is covered by the anticorrosion member, the amount of water absorbed when the negative pressure is generated is limited to a very small amount of water initially present in the tubular insulating sheath of the electric wire. Thus, the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment can manufacture a terminal-equipped electric wire capable of preventing water from entering the gaps between the element wires of the electric wire.

[0056] [2] The manufacturing method according to the above [1], wherein

[0057] In the first waterproofing step, the anticorrosion member (50) is provided by applying the ultraviolet-curable resin to cover the element wire bundle (11) and curing the ultraviolet-curable resin,

[0058] In the second waterproofing step, the sealing member (60) is provided by applying the moisture-curable resin to the element wire bundle (11) exposed to the outside and located between the element wire crimp portion (32) and the sheath crimp portion (33), permeating the moisture-curable resin to the inside of the tubular insulating sheath (12), and curing the moisture-curable resin,

[0059] The ultraviolet-curable resin has a viscosity of 20 mPa s or more at room temperature before curing, and

[0060] The moisture-curable resin has a viscosity of 5 mPa s or less at room temperature before curing.

[0061] According to the manufacturing method for the electric wire equipped with the terminal having the configuration of the above [2], the anticorrosion member is provided at the electric wire end portion to which the first terminal (i.e., the non-waterproof terminal) is attached by using the ultraviolet-curing resin having a proper high viscosity. Thus, the anticorrosion member that properly covers the outer periphery of the element wire harness exposed from the insulating sheath can be formed, while preventing liquid dripping, excessive penetration into the element wire harness, and the like. On the other hand, the sealing member is provided at the electric wire end portion to which the second terminal (i.e., the waterproof terminal) is attached by using the moisture-curing resin having a proper low viscosity. Thus, the sealing member that allows the resin to rapidly penetrate into the gaps between the conductive element wires to properly fill the gaps in the tubular insulating sheath is formed. As described above, the "viscosity" can be measured, for example, in accordance with the viscosity test method prescribed in JIS K 7233. Further, the "room temperature" is a test temperature determined in such a viscosity test method, and is, for example, 25°C.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a terminal-equipped electric wire, the terminal-equipped electric wire comprising an electric wire, a non-waterproof first terminal, and a non-waterproof second terminal, the electric wire having an element wire harness formed by bundling a plurality of conductive element wires and a tubular insulating sheath covering the element wire harness, the first terminal being crimped to one end of the electric wire, the first terminal not having a sealing member, and the second terminal being crimped to the other end of the electric wire, the second terminal having a sealing member, the method comprising: a step of crimping the first terminal to the one end of the electric wire to electrically connect the component wiring harness and the first terminal, the component wiring harness being exposed from the one end of the electric wire; a step of crimping the second terminal to the other end of the electric wire so that the element wire crimping portion of the second terminal is crimped to the element wire bundle exposed from the other end of the electric wire and the sheath crimping portion of the second terminal is crimped to a tubular sealing member attached to the outer periphery of the other end of the electric wire; a first waterproofing step of providing an anti-corrosion member at the one end of the electric wire to which the first terminal is crimped, the anti-corrosion member covering the component harness to isolate the component harness from outside air; and In a second waterproofing step after the first waterproofing step is performed, a sealing member is provided at the other end of the electric wire to which the second terminal is crimped so as to fill gaps between the conductive element wires in the tubular insulating sheath and seal the interior of the tubular insulating sheath, the sealing member being held in the tubular insulating sheath near the other end of the electric wire.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein In the first waterproofing step, the corrosion-resistant member is provided by applying an ultraviolet curing resin to cover the element harness and curing the ultraviolet curing resin, In the second waterproofing step, the sealing member is provided by applying a moisture-curing resin to the element wire bundle exposed to the outside and located between the element wire crimping portion and the sheath crimping portion, causing the moisture-curing resin to penetrate into the interior of the tubular insulating sheath, and curing the moisture-curing resin. The ultraviolet curable resin has a viscosity of 20 mPa·s or more at room temperature before curing, and The moisture-curable resin has a viscosity of 5 mPa·s or less at room temperature before curing.

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