Stranded wire equipped with terminal block

The terminal-equipped strand design addresses the issue of increased terminal height by using a crimp terminal with sealed gaps and resin application to enhance anticorrosive properties without height increase.

DE102020204947B4Active Publication Date: 2026-02-05YAZAKI CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
DE102020204947
Authority / Receiving Office
DE · DE
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2019-05-21
Filing Date
2020-04-20
Publication Date
2026-02-05
Estimated Expiration
2040-04-20

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional techniques for applying resin to terminal-equipped strands result in increased terminal height, which can compromise the anticorrosive properties of the connection.

Method used

A terminal-equipped strand design that includes a crimp terminal with specific crimping portions and a UV curable resin application that seals gaps between crimping pieces, preventing water ingress without increasing the terminal's overall height.

Benefits of technology

The design enhances anticorrosive properties by sealing gaps with resin, thereby preventing water penetration while maintaining the existing terminal height, thus protecting the electrical connection from corrosion.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Stranded wire (2) provided with terminal, comprising: a stranded wire (60) with a core conductor wire (61) and a sheath (62) configured such that an end section of the core conductor wire (61) is stripped and covers the core conductor wire (61); a crimp terminal (1) with a core conductor wire crimp section (12) crimped to the core conductor wire (61) and a sheath crimp section (13) crimped to the sheath (62); and a resin (3) which in one piece covers an area from a tip (61a) of the core conductor wire (61) to a side face (32d, 33d) of the sheath crimp section (13) and shields the core conductor wire (61) from an external space, wherein the sheath crimp section (13) comprises a bottom wall section (31), a first crimp piece (32) extending from one end of the bottom wall section (31) in the width direction (W), and a second crimp piece (33) extending from another end of the bottom wall section (31) in the width direction (W),the sheath crimp section (13) has a configuration in which the bottom wall section (31), the first crimp piece (32) and the second crimp piece (33) are in close contact with the sheath (62), and the sheath crimp section (13) is crimped to the sheath (62) such that the first crimp piece (32) lies over a tip section (33e) of the second crimp piece (33), the resin (3) fills a gap (4) surrounded by a tip end face (33a) of the second crimp piece (33), an inner surface (32e) of the first crimp piece (32) and an outer surface (62d) of the sheath (62) from the side of the core wire crimp section (12), the resin (3) fills an area from the tip (61a) of the core wire (61) including an end face (61c) to the side faces (32d, 33d) of the sleeve crimp section (13) covered without covering the upper surface of the sleeve crimp section (13).
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

1. The Invention Subject MatterThe present invention relates to a stranded wire provided with a terminal.2. Description of the Prior ArtConventionally, techniques for applying a resin to a terminal-equipped strand are known as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. JP 2016-181387 A and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. JP 2015-4404 A. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. JP 2016-181387 A discloses a terminal-equipped strand having a covered strand, a terminal having a conductor crimping portion and a covering crimping portion, and a UV curable resin member covering the conductor stripped from an insulating covering. In the terminal-equipped strand of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. JP 2016-181387 A, the entire conductor crimping portion and the sheath crimping portion are covered with a resin member.The application of a resin to the sheath crimping portion may thus cause an increase in the terminal height.Further prior art is known from documents US 2013 / 0 126 234 A1, CN 109119 770 A, JP 2011-113 708 A and US 2011 / 0 070 770 A1.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide a terminal-equipped strand capable of improving the anticorrosive properties while suppressing the terminal height.To achieve the aforementioned object, a terminal-equipped strand comprises the features of claim 1.Preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.The foregoing and other objects, features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of the invention will be better understood when the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiments of the invention is read with reference to the accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFIG. 1 is a perspective view of a crimp terminal and a braid according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a strand according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a terminal crimping apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a front view of a terminal crimping apparatus according to an embodiment when an upper die is at a bottom dead center; FIG. 5 is a plan view of a terminal-equipped strand according to an embodiment before applying a resin; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a core wire crimping portion of a terminal-equipped strand according to an embodiment; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a sheath crimping portion of a terminal-equipped strand according to an embodiment; FIG. 8 is a plan view of a resin applying portion according to an embodiment; FIG. 9 is a plan view of a stranded wire provided with a terminal according to an embodiment; FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of a terminal-equipped strand according to an embodiment; FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of a terminal-equipped strand according to an embodiment; and FIG. 12 is a front view of an application device according to an embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSHereinafter, a terminal-equipped strand according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Moreover, components of the following embodiment include those that can be easily adopted by a person skilled in the art or are substantially identical.EmbodimentHereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 to 12. The present embodiment relates to a stranded wire provided with a terminal. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a crimp terminal and a braid according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the strand according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a terminal crimping apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of the terminal crimping apparatus of the embodiment when an upper die is at the bottom dead center. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the terminal-equipped strand according to the embodiment before applying the resin. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a core wire crimping portion of the terminal-equipped strand according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a sheath crimping portion of the terminal-equipped strand according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating a resin application area of the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the terminal-equipped strand according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal section of the terminal-equipped strand according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of the terminal-equipped strand according to the embodiment.FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 5, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG. 9, FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 9.As shown in FIG. 1, a crimp terminal 1 according to the present embodiment includes a terminal connection portion 11, a core wire crimping portion 12, and a sheath crimping portion 13. The crimp terminal 1 is formed of a conductive metal plate (for example, a copper plate or a copper alloy plate) as a base material. The crimp terminal 1 is formed into a predetermined shape by punching or bending the base material. The surface of the crimp terminal 1 may be coated with tin (Sn) or the like.In the description of the crimp terminal 1 in the present specification, a connection direction with the mating terminal, i.e., an insertion direction with respect to the mating terminal, is referred to as a first direction L. A width direction of the crimp terminal 1 is referred to as a second direction W. The second direction W is orthogonal to the first direction L. In the crimp terminal 1, a direction orthogonal to both the first direction L and the second direction W is referred to as a third direction H. The third direction H is a direction of compression by an upper die 50 when the crimp terminal 1 is crimped. The third direction H is a height direction of the crimp terminal 1.The terminal connection portion 11 is a portion electrically connected to a counterpart terminal. The shape of the terminal connection portion 11 of the present embodiment is a rectangular tube shape. The core wire crimping portion 12 is a portion to be crimped to a core wire 61 of a strand 60. The braid 60 includes a core wire 61 and an insulating sheath 62 covering the core wire 61. Examples of the material of the core wire 61 include copper and aluminum. As shown in FIG. 2, the cross-sectional shape of the strand 60 of the present embodiment is circular. The outer diameter of the braid 60 is referred to as a finished outer diameter D. The finished outer diameter D is like the outer diameter of the stranded wire 60 before the crimp terminal 1 is crimped to the stranded wire 60. The finished outer diameter D of the terminal-equipped strand 2 (see FIG. 8 or the like) corresponds to an outer diameter of the sheath 62 of a portion 60 aof the strand 60 to which the crimp terminal 1 is not crimped.As shown in FIG. 1, in the braid 60, the sheath 62 is removed at the end to strip the core wire 61 by a predetermined length. The core wire 61 is a group of multiple wires. Alternatively, the core wire 61 is a single wire such as a coaxial cable. The crimp terminal 1 is crimped to the end portion of the strand 60, and thereby electrically connected to the stripped core wire 61.The shape of the core wire crimping portion 12 before crimping with the core wire 61 is a U-shape as shown in FIG. 1. The core wire crimping portion 12 includes a bottom wall portion 21, a first crimping piece 22, and a second crimping piece 23. the bottom wall portion 21 is a portion forming a bottom wall of the core wire crimping portion 12 and is held by a lower die 40 as described below. The first crimping piece 22 and the second crimping piece 23 are a pair of conductor crimping pieces crimped to the core conductor wire 61. The first crimping piece 22 is a side wall portion extending from one end of the bottom wall portion 21 in both directions. The second crimping piece 23 is a side wall portion extending from the other end in the width direction of the bottom wall portion 21. The first crimping piece 22 and the second crimping piece 23 extend in a direction intersecting the width direction of the bottom wall portion 21. The first crimping piece 22 and the second crimping piece 23 face each other in the second direction W. As shown in FIG. 1, the distance between the first crimping piece 22 and the second crimping piece 23 increases from the bottom wall portion 21 side toward the tip side.As shown in FIG. 1, the sheath crimping portion 13 includes a bottom wall portion 31, a first crimping piece 32, and a second crimping piece 33. The bottom wall portion 31 is a portion that becomes a bottom wall of the sheath crimping portion 13. The first crimping piece 32 and the second crimping piece 33 are a pair of sheath crimping pieces crimped to the sheath 32. The first crimping piece 32 is a side wall extending from one end of the bottom wall portion 31 in the width direction. The second crimping piece 33 is a side wall portion extending from the other end of the bottom wall portion 31 in the width direction. The first crimping piece 32 and the second crimping piece 33 face each other in the second direction W. The distance between the first crimping piece 32 and the second crimping piece 33 increases from the bottom wall portion 31 side toward the tip side.The terminal connection portion 11 and the core wire crimping portion 12 are connected via an intermediate portion 14. The height of the intermediate portion 14 is lower than the height of the terminal connection portion 11 or the height of the core wire crimping portion 12. The intermediate portion 15 includes a bottom wall portion 15 aand a side wall portion 15 b. The bottom wall portion 15 aconnects the bottom wall portion 21 of the core wire crimping portion 12 to the bottom wall portion 31 of the sheath crimping portion 13. One side wall portion 15 bconnects the first crimping piece 22 of the core wire crimping portion 12 to the first crimping piece 32 of the sheath crimping portion 13. the other side wall portion 15 bconnects the second crimping piece 23 of the core wire crimping portion 12 to the second crimping piece 33 of the sheath crimping portion 13. the height of the side wall portion 15 bis lower than the heights of the crimping pieces 22 and 23 of the core wire crimping portion 12 or the heights of the crimping pieces 32 and 33 of the sheath crimping portion 13.As shown in FIG. 1, the braid 60 is fixed to the crimp terminal 1 such that an axial direction of the braid 60 is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the crimp terminal 1. In a state fixed to the crimp terminal 1, a tip 61 aof the core wire 61 faces the terminal connection portion 11. The core wire 61 exposed to the outside of the sheath 62 is fixed to the core wire crimping portion 12. At this time, the tip 61 aof the core wire 61 may protrude from the core wire crimping portion 12 toward the terminal connection portion 11 side. The sheath 62 of the strand 60 is fixed to the sheath crimping portion 13. The braid 60 is fixed such that a tip 62 aof the sheath 62 is disposed between the core wire crimping portion 12 and the sheath crimping portion 13.The core wire crimping portion 12 and the sheath crimping portion 13 are crimped to the strand 60 by the lower die 40 and the upper die 50 as shown in FIG. 3. The lower die 40 and the upper die 50 are components of a terminal crimping apparatus 100. The lower mold 40 is a support surface side mold that supports the core wire crimping portion 12 and the sheath crimping portion 13 from below. A support surface 40 aof the lower die 40 supports an outer surface of the bottom wall portions 21 and 31 of the crimp terminal 1, respectively. FIG. 3 shows the sheath crimping portion 13 supported by the lower die 40. The first crimping piece 32 and the second crimping piece 33 are located in a state of extending diagonally upward from the bottom wall portion 31 in a state where the sheath crimping portion 13 is held by the lower die 40. Similarly, the lower mold 40 holds the core wire crimping portion 12 from below.In the sheath crimping portion 13 of the present embodiment, the length of the second crimping piece 33 is the same as the length of the first crimping piece 32, and thus, in a state where the sheath crimping portion 13 is fixed to the support surface 40 a, a tip surface 33 aof the second crimping piece 33 is positioned at the same height as a tip surface 32 aof the first crimping piece 32 in the third direction H.The upper die 50 is a terminal crimping die that receives the crimp terminal 1 and the braid 60 between the lower die 40 and itself, thus crimping the crimp terminal 1 to the braid 60. The upper die 50 accommodates the core wire crimping portion 12 and the core wire 61 between the lower die 40 and itself, and thus crimps the core wire crimping portion 12 to the core wire 61. The upper die 50 moves relative to the lower die 40 in the third direction H. The terminal crimping apparatus 100 includes a driving device that moves the upper die 50 up and down in the third direction H.The upper die 50 has a crimping surface 51 that crimps the sheath crimping portion 13. The crimping surface 51 includes a first wall surface 52, a second wall surface 53, and an end surface 54. the first wall surface 52, the second wall surface 53, and the end surface 54 are continuous and form a groove open downward. The first wall surface 52 and the second wall surface 53 face each other in the second direction W. The first wall surface 52 includes a flat portion 52 aand a crimped portion 52 b. The second wall surface 53 includes a flat portion 53 aand a crimped portion 53 b. The flat portions 52 aand 53 aextend in the first direction L and the third direction H and are orthogonal to the second direction W. The flat portions 52 aand 53 aface each other in the second direction W and are parallel to each other.The curved portions 52 band 53 bextend downward from the flat portions 52 aand 53 a, respectively. The curved portions 52 band 53 bare faced to each other in the second direction W and slightly curved such that the distance between the curved portions increases downward. A boundary 52c between the flat portion 52a and the curved portion 52b is located above a boundary 53c between the flat portion 53a and the curved portion 53b. This results in a sufficient time difference between the time when the second crimping piece 33 starts bending and the time when the first crimping piece 32 starts bending. Accordingly, in the crimping step, the second crimping piece 33 is wound around the sheath 62 before the first crimping piece 32. In other words, the second crimping piece 33 penetrates between the first crimping piece 32 and the sheath 62.The end surface 54 connects an upper end of the first wall surface 52 and an upper end of the second wall surface 53. The end surface 54 is a curved surface indented upward. The end surface 54 includes a central portion 54 aarranged at the center in the second direction W and connecting portions 54 band 54 carranged at both ends in the second direction W. The central portion 54 aand the connecting portions 54 b, 54 care each curved so as to protrude upward.The connecting portion 54 bconnects the middle portion 54 ato the flat portion 52 aof the first wall surface 52. the connecting portion 54 cconnects the middle portion 54 ato the flat portion 53 aof the second wall surface 53. the curvatures of the connecting portions 54 band 54 cchange gradually from the middle portion 54 atoward the flat portions 52 aand 53 a.The flat portions 52 aand 53 aof the present embodiment are formed such that the first crimping piece 32 and the second crimping piece 33 can be brought into close contact with the sheath 62 of the strand 60, as described below. More specifically, a distance Wd 1 between the flat portion 52 aof the first wall surface 52 and the flat portion 53 aof the second wall surface 53 is defined so that the sheath 62 can be compressed from both sides in the second direction W by the crimping pieces 32 and 33. The distance Wd 1 in the second direction W satisfies the following formula (1). The distance Wd1 preferably satisfies the following formula (2). Here, D: the finished outer diameter of the braid 60, and t: the plate thickness of the sheath crimping portion 13.The position of the bottom dead center of the upper die 50 is defined so that the first crimping piece 32 and the second crimping piece 33 can be brought into close contact with the sheath 62 of the strand 60. FIG. 4 shows the terminal crimping apparatus 100 in a state where the upper die 560 is at the bottom dead center. In a case where the upper die 50 is at the bottom dead center, a distance Ht 1 between the support surface 40 aand the end surface 54 is set so that the sheath crimping portion 13 can compress the sheath 62 from both sides in the third direction H. It should be noted that the distance Ht 1 is a distance from a lowermost portion 40 bof the support surface 40 ato an uppermost portion 54 dof the end surface 54 in the third direction H. In the present embodiment, the lowermost portion 40 bof the support surface 40 acorresponds to the center of the support surface 40 ain the second direction W. The uppermost portion 54 dof the end surface 54 corresponds to the center of the end surface 54 in the second direction W. That is, the lowermost portion 40 band the uppermost portion 54 dare located on an identical line in the third direction H. The distance Ht 1 is a distance in the third direction H.The distance Ht1is satisfying the following formula (3). The distance Ht1preferably satisfies the following formula (4).Downward movement of the upper die 50 to the bottom dead center makes it possible to crimp the crimp terminal 1 with the braid 60, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 to 7. As shown in FIG. 5, the core wire crimping portion 12 is crimped to the core wire 61. The tip 61 aof the core wire 61 protrudes from the core wire crimping portion 12 toward the terminal connecting portion 11. The sheath crimping portion 13 is crimped to the sheath 62. A central exposed portion 61 dof the core wire 61 is exposed between the core wire crimping portion 12 and the sheath crimping portion 13. Further, the end of the sheath 62 is exposed from the sheath crimping portion 13 toward the core wire crimping portion 12 side.As shown in FIG. 6, the core wire crimping portion 12 is crimped to the core wire 61 into a substantially B shape. The cross-sectional shape of each of the first crimping piece 22 and the second crimping piece 23 after crimping is a curved shape protruding toward the side opposite to the bottom wall portion 21 side. More specifically, the first crimping piece 22 includes a curved portion 22 band a base portion 22 c. The base portion 22 cis a portion linearly extending from the bottom wall portion 21 in the third direction H. The curved portion 22 bis a portion of the first crimping piece 22 on a side closer to the tip as compared to the base portion 22 c, and is curved outward.The second crimping piece 23 includes a curved portion 23 band a base portion 23 c. The base portion 23 cis a portion linearly extending from the bottom wall portion 21 in the third direction H. The curved portion 23 bis a portion of the second crimping piece 23 on a side closer to the tip compared to the base portion 23 c, and is curved outward. A portion where an outer surface 22 dof the first crimping piece 22 and an outer surface 23 dof the second crimping piece 23 are brought into contact is formed into a groove 24. The groove 24 extends in the first direction L.As shown in FIG. 7, the sheath crimping portion 13 has a ring shape, and is crimped to the sheath 62 with the first crimping piece 32 laid over the second crimping piece 33. Each of the cross-sectional shapes of the first crimping piece 32 and the second crimping piece 33 after crimping is a shape protruding outward. More specifically, the first crimping piece 32 has a curved portion 32 band a base portion 32 c. The base portion 32 cis a portion linearly extending from the bottom wall portion 31 in the third direction H. The curved portion 32 bis a portion of the first crimping piece 32 on a side closer to the tip compared to the base portion 32 c. The curved portion 32 bis curved outward. In the curved portion 32 b, the tip is located at the uppermost side.The second crimping piece 33 has a curved portion 33 band a base portion 33 c. The base portion 33 cis a portion linearly extending from the bottom wall portion 31 in the third direction H. The curved portion 33 bis a portion of the second crimping piece 33 on a side closer to the tip compared to the base portion 33 cand is curved outward. The tip surface 33 aof the second crimping piece 33 is located closer to the first crimping piece 32 side of a center 31 cof the bottom wall portion 31 in the width direction of the bottom wall portion 31. The curved portion 33 bof the second crimping piece 33 covers an upper portion 62 bof the sheath 62 and is in close contact with the upper portion 62 b.The second crimping piece 33 is crimped to the sheath 62 such that the tip surface 33 ais buried in the sheath 62, for example. In the crimping step, the first crimping piece 32 is laid over a tip portion 33 eof the second crimping piece 33 and presses the tip portion 33 etoward the sheath 62, resulting in the formation of a depression 62 ccorresponding to a corner 33 gof the second crimping piece 33 in the sheath 62. The tip surface 33a faces an outer surface 62d of the sheath 62, and preferably in contact with the sheath 62.The first crimping piece 32 is laid over the tip portion 33 eof the second crimping piece 33. More specifically, the first crimping piece 32 is laid over a portion of the second crimping piece 33 between the tip surface 33 aand an upper surface 33 f. The upper surface 33 fis a portion of the curved portion 33 bdisposed farthest from the bottom wall portion 31 in the third direction H. That is, the first crimping piece 32 covers substantially half of the curved portion 33 bon the base portion 32 cside.In the terminal-equipped strand 2 of the present embodiment, a gap 4 is closed by the resin 3 as described below. The gap 4 is a gap surrounded by the tip surface 33 aof the second crimping piece 33, an inner surface 32 eof the first crimping piece 32, and the outer surface 62 dof the sheath 62. The gap 4 may have a cross-sectional area large enough to be visually detected or too small to be visually detected. The gap 4 is a gap that allows water to penetrate, for example. In the terminal-equipped strand 2 of the present embodiment, the closing of the gap 4 with the resin 3 ensures the anticorrosive effect.After crimping, in the sheath crimping portion 13, the base portion 32 cof the first crimping piece 32 may be parallel to the base portion 33 cof the second crimping piece 33. In the present embodiment, the outer surface of the base portion 32 cand the outer surface of the base portion 33 care parallel to each other and orthogonal to the second direction W. The base portions 32 cand 33 care respectively formed by the flat portions 52 aand 53 aof the upper mold 50.In the sheath crimping portion 13, the bottom wall portion 31, the first crimping piece 32, and the second crimping piece 33 are in close contact with the sheath 62. in other words, the sheath crimping portion 13 is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the sheath 62 over the entire circumference. Accordingly, the sheath 62 is compressed in a state sandwiched between the sheath crimping portion 13 and the core conductor wire 61. Consequently, the sheath 62 generates a repulsive force that acts repulsively toward the sheath crimping portion 13. Thus, the formation of a gap between the sheath crimping portion 13 and the sheath 62 is suppressed.The sheath crimping portion 13 according to the present embodiment is crimped to the sheath 62 so as to satisfy the following formulas (5) and (7). The sheath crimping portion 13 is preferably crimped to the sheath 62 so as to satisfy the following formulas (6) and (8). Here, CH: terminal height in the sheath crimping portion 13 and CW: terminal width in the sheath crimping portion 13. The terminal height CH of the sheath crimping portion 13 is, for example, the maximum dimension in the third direction H in the side cross section of the sheath crimping portion 13. The terminal height CH of the present embodiment is a height from the outer surface of the center 31 cof the bottom wall portion 31 to the outer surface of the tip of the first crimping piece 32. The terminal width CW of the sheath crimping portion 13 is, for example, the maximum dimension in the second direction W in the side cross section of the sheath crimping portion 13. The terminal width CW of the present embodiment is a distance in the second direction W from the outer surface of the base portion 32 cto that of the sheath crimping portion The outer surface of the base portion 33c.When formulas (5) and (7) are satisfied, the sheath crimping portion 13 is crimped to the sheath 62 while the sheath 62 is compressed toward the core wire 61 in both the second direction W and the third direction H. The sheath crimping portion 13 of the present embodiment is crimped such that the terminal width CW and the terminal height CH are substantially equal. However, the relationship between the terminal width CW and the terminal height CH is not limited to the above relationship. For example, the sheath crimping portion 13 may be crimped such that the terminal width CW is larger than the terminal height CH, or crimped such that the terminal height CH is larger than the terminal width CW.Moreover, in the terminal-equipped strand 2 of the present embodiment, the shape of the sheath crimping portion 13 after crimping is formed such that the gap 4 can be easily closed by the resin 3. Specifically, a height ΔH of the tip portion 33 eof the second crimping piece 33 satisfies the following formula (9). Here, the height ΔH is a distance in the third direction H from the upper surface 33 fto the lower end of the tip surface 33 a. The gap 4 is located near the top surface 33 fin the third direction H, whereby it is easy to apply the resin 3 to close the gap 4.After completion of the crimping step in which the crimp terminal 1 is crimped to the strand 60, an applying step in which a resin 3 is applied is performed. FIG. 8 shows an application region B 1 in which the resin 3 is applied. The application region B 1 is a region spreading in the first direction L and the second direction W. The application area B 1 is an area ranging from the tip 61 aof the core wire 61 to the side surfaces 32 dand 33 dof the sheath crimping portion 13. More specifically, the application region B 1 is a region including the tip 61 aof the core wire 61 having an end surface 61 c, a bottom portion 14 a, and an end surface 14 bof the intermediate region 14, the groove 24 of the core wire crimping portion 12, the central exposed portion 61 b, an end surface 15 cof the intermediate region 15, the side surface 32 dof the first crimping piece 32, and the side surface 33 dof the second crimping piece 33. The side surfaces 32 dand 33 dare side surfaces on the core wire crimping portion 12 side, and are surfaces facing the core wire crimping portion 12 side.In the application step, the resin 3 is applied by an application device 70 shown in FIG. 12. The application device 70 includes a main body 71, an injection unit 72, and a holding unit 73. the injection unit 72 is supported by the main body 71 via an arm unit 74. The injection unit 72 includes a nozzle 72 aand an injection mechanism 72 b. The nozzle 72 ais a hollow cylinder member. A discharge port 72c at the tip of the nozzle 72a faces the holding unit 73. The injection mechanism 72 bis a mechanism for intermittently injecting droplets 7 of the resin 3 onto the nozzle 72 a.The holding unit 73 is a portion that holds the crimp terminal 1, and is relatively movable with respect to the main body 71. The application device 70 injects the droplets 7 of the resin 3 from the nozzle 72 awhile moving the holding unit 73 such that the resin is applied to the strand 60 and the crimp terminal 1. The applied resin 3 is, for example, a UV curable resin. The resin 3 used may be, for example, a thermosetting resin or a two-component curable resin.As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the application device 70 applies the resin 3 in the application area B 1. The core wire 61 is shielded from the outside by applied resin 3. The resin 3 serves as a protective film that tightly wraps the strand 60 and the crimp terminal 1 and protects the core wire 61. As shown in FIG. 11, the resin 3 is applied so as to close the gap 4 from the core wire crimping portion 12 side. That is, the resin 3 is applied so as to close the opening formed by the tip portion 33 aof the second crimping piece 33, the inner surface 32 eof the first crimping piece 32, and the outer surface 62 dof the sheath 62.The resin 3 is applied so as to cover the side surface 32 dof the first crimping piece 32 and the side surface 33 dof the second crimping piece 33. The resin 3 is applied so as to cover a region from the outer surface of the sheath 62 to the side surface 32 dof the first crimping piece 32 in the radial direction. An application area of the resin 3 in the radial direction includes at least the tip surface 33 aof the second crimping piece 33. the resin 3 can be applied so as to cover the entire side surface 32 dof the first crimping piece 32 and the entire side surface 33 dof the second crimping piece 33, as shown in FIG. 11.When the application step is completed, a curing step is performed. The curing step is a step of curing the applied resin 3. The UV curing resin 3 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays in a curing step. The curing step is performed to fix the resin 3 to the core wire 61, the sheath 62, and the crimp terminal 1 so as to form a resin film integrally covering the core wire 61, the sheath 62, and the crimp terminal 1. The curing step cures the resin 3, thereby completing the formation of the terminal-equipped strand 2. The resin 3 cures in a state where the gap 4 is shielded from the core wire crimping portion 12 side.As shown in FIG. 11, in the terminal-equipped strand 2 of the present embodiment, the tip surface 33 aof the second crimping piece 33 is located farther from the bottom wall portion 31 in the third direction H compared to the end surface 15 cof the intermediate portion 15. This configuration enables the applied resin 3 to easily close the gap 4.Moreover, as shown in FIG. 10, the tip 62 aof the sheath 62 protrudes from the sheath crimping portion 13 toward the core wire crimping portion 12. Thereby, the gap 4 can be easily closed by the resin 3 applied to the outer surface of the shell 62. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the recess 62 cformed in the shell 62 has a substantially V-shaped cross section. In other words, the shape of the recess 62 cis a groove shape that opens toward the side opposite to the bottom wall portion 31. The applied resin 3 accumulates in the recess 62 c, thereby allowing the gap 4 to be easily closed by the resin 3.According to the terminal-equipped strand 2 according to the present embodiment, the intrusion of water through the sheath crimping portion 13 and the resin 3 is suppressed, thereby preventing the decrease in electric power. For example, when water enters the gap 4, the water is blocked by the resin film 3. The resin 3 regulates the penetration of water into the electrical connection between the core wire 61 and the crimp terminal 1, thereby suppressing the generation of corrosion on the core wire 61 and the crimp terminal 1. Moreover, the sheath crimping portion 13 is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the sheath 62 and suppresses water ingress. In other words, the sheath 62 serves as a seal that is in contact with the sheath crimping portion 13.As a comparative example, a terminal-equipped strand wire in which the resin 3 is applied to the upper surface of the sheath crimping portion 13 in the applying step is considered. In the terminal-fitted strand of the comparative example, the terminal height CH in the sheath crimping portion 13 is increased by an amount corresponding to the height of the applied resin 3, thereby resulting in an increase in the terminal-fitted strand. In contrast, the terminal-equipped strand 2 of the present embodiment can improve the anti-corrosion performance without increasing the terminal height CH. Therefore, it is possible to improve the anticorrosive properties while the existing combination of the crimp terminal 1 and the housing is used unchanged.As described above, the terminal-equipped strand 2 according to the present embodiment includes the strand 60, the crimp terminal 1, and the resin 3. the strand 60 includes: the core wire 61; and the sheath 62 applied such that the end of the core wire 61 is stripped and sheaths the core wire 61. The crimp terminal 1 includes: the core wire crimping portion 12 crimped to the core wire 61; and the sheath crimping portion 13 crimped to the sheath 62. The resin 3 completely covers the range from the tip 61 aof the core wire 61 to the side surfaces 32 dand 33 dof the sheath crimping portion 13, so that the core wire 61 is shielded from the exterior.The sheath crimping portion 13 includes the bottom wall portion 31, the first crimping piece 32, and the second crimping piece 33. the first crimping piece 32 extends from one end of the bottom wall portion 31 in the width direction, and the second crimping piece 33 extends from the other end of the bottom wall portion 31 in the width direction. In the sheath crimping portion 13, the bottom wall portion 31, the first crimping piece 32, and the second crimping piece 33 are crimped in close contact with the sheath 62, respectively. Moreover, the sheath crimping portion 13 is crimped such that the first crimping piece 32 is located above the tip portion 33 eof the second crimping piece 33.The resin 3 closes the gap 4 from the core wire crimping portion 12 side, so as to be surrounded by the tip surface 33 aof the second crimping piece 33, the inner surface 32 eof the first crimping piece 32, and the outer surface 62 dof the sheath 62. According to the terminal-equipped strand 2 of the present embodiment, the penetration of water into the gaps 4 is suppressed by resin. Moreover, the bottom wall portion 31, the first crimping piece 32, and the second crimping piece 33 are each in close contact with the sheath 62, thereby making it possible to prevent water from entering the electrical connection. Thus, the terminal-equipped strand 2 of the present embodiment can improve the anti-corrosion performance while keeping the terminal height CH low.The crimp terminal 1 of the present embodiment includes the intermediate portion 15 that connects the bottom wall portion 31 to the core wire crimping portion 12 in the axial direction of the braid 60. The tip surface 33 aof the second crimping piece 33 is disposed farther from the bottom wall portion 31 in the height direction of the crimp terminal 1 as compared with the end surface 15 cof the intermediate portion 15. The position of the tip surface 33a enables the gap 4 to be easily closed by the applied resin 3.The terminal-equipped strand 2 of the present embodiment satisfies the formulas (5) and (7). Accordingly, it is possible to eliminate a gap between the sheath crimping portion 13 and the sheath 62, thereby generating a repulsive force in the sheath 62. Thereby, it is possible to suitably suppress the intrusion of a corrosive liquid such as salt water into the electrical connection between the core wire 61 and the crimp terminal 1.The tip surface 33 aof the second crimping piece 33 of the present embodiment is disposed closer toward the first crimping piece 32 side of the center point 31 cof the bottom wall portion 31 in the width direction of the bottom wall portion 31. The terminal-equipped strand 2 satisfies the formula (9) when the height from the tip surface 33 ain the height direction of the crimp terminal 1 to the top surface 33 fof the second crimp piece 33 is ΔH. Accordingly, the position of the gap 4 is a position that can be easily closed by the applied resin 3.Modification of EmbodimentA modification of an embodiment will be described below. The crimping shape of the sheath crimping portion 13 is not limited to the illustrated shape as an example in the above embodiment. For example, the area where the first crimping piece 32 and the second crimping piece 33 are superimposed is appropriately determined.The application area B 1 is not limited to the area exemplified in the above embodiment. The application area B 1 is set appropriately such that the resin 3 completely covers an area from the tip 61 aof the core wire 61 to the side surfaces 32 dand 33 dof the sheath crimping portion 13.The contents disclosed in the above embodiments and modification examples can be combined with each other as appropriate.In the terminal-equipped strand according to the present embodiment, the sheath crimping portion includes a bottom wall portion, a first crimping piece, and a second crimping piece, each of which is in close contact with the sheath, the sheath crimping portion being crimped to the sheath so that the first crimping piece is laid over a tip portion of the second crimping piece. Accordingly, the resin closes a gap surrounded by the tip surface of the second crimping piece, an inner surface of the first crimping piece, and an outer surface of the sheath from the core wire crimping portion side. It is possible to regulate the penetration of water through the sheath crimping portion without applying resin to the upper surface of the sheath crimping portion. This improves the corrosion protection effect with simultaneous suppression of the connection height.

Claims

A terminal-equipped strand (2) comprising: a strand (60) including a core wire (61) and a sheath (62) formed such that an end portion of the core wire (61) is stripped and covers the core wire (61); a crimp terminal (1) including a core wire crimping portion (12) crimped to the core wire (61) and a sheath crimping portion (13) crimped to the sheath (62); and a resin (3) integrally covering a region from a tip (61a) of the core wire (61) to a side surface (32d, 33d) of the sheath crimping portion (13) and shielding the core wire (61) from an external space, wherein the sheath crimping portion (13) comprises a bottom wall portion (31), a first crimping piece (32) extending from one end of the bottom wall portion (31) in the width direction (W), and a second crimping piece (33) extending from another end of the bottom wall portion (31) in the width direction (W), the sheath crimping portion (13) has a configuration in which each of the bottom wall portion (31), the first crimping piece (32), and the second crimping piece (33) is in close contact with the sheath (62), and the sheath crimping portion (13) is crimped to the sheath (62) such that the first crimping piece (32) overlies a tip portion (33e) of the second crimping piece (33), the resin (3) has a gap (4), which is surrounded by a tip end surface (33a) of the second crimping piece (33), an inner surface (32e) of the first crimping piece (32), and an outer surface (62d) of the sheath (62), from the core wire crimping portion (12) side, the resin (3) covers a region from the tip (61a) of the core wire (61) including an end surface (61c) to the side surfaces (32d, 33d) of the sheath crimping portion (13) without covering the upper surface of the sheath crimping portion (13).The terminal-equipped strand (2) according to claim 1, wherein the crimp terminal (1) includes an intermediate portion (15) that connects the bottom wall portion (31) to the core wire crimping portion (12) in an axial direction of the strand (60), and the tip end surface (33a) of the second crimping piece (33) is located farther from the bottom wall portion (31) compared to an end surface (15c) of the intermediate portion (15) in a height direction of the crimp terminal (1).The terminal-equipped strand (2) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the following formulas (1) and (2) are satisfied when a terminal height in the sheath crimping portion (13) is CH, a terminal width in the sheath crimping portion (13) is CW, a finished outer diameter of the electric wire (60) is D, and a plate thickness of the sheath crimping portion (13) is t: CH < D + 3 × t CW < D + 2 × t The terminal-equipped strand (2) according to claim 3, wherein the tip end surface (33a) of the second crimping piece (33) is disposed on the side facing the first crimping piece (32) with respect to a center (31c) of the bottom wall portion (31) in the width direction of the bottom wall portion (31), and the following formula (3) is satisfied when the height from the tip end surface (33a) of the second crimping piece (33) to an upper side of the second crimping piece (33) in the height direction of the crimping terminal (I) is ΔH. Δ H<2×t The terminal-equipped strand (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the resin (3) shielding the core wire (61) from an external space is applied in a drop shape during an application step and solidified after the application step, and the resin (3) is an ultraviolet curable resin in the form of a thermosetting resin or a two-component curable resin.

Citation Information

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