Terminal fitting

Abstract

To provide a terminal fitting which can improve the workability when joining a core wire of an electric wire.SOLUTION: A terminal fitting 1 includes: a contact part 11 for connecting a part of a mating terminal; and a joint part 12 integrated with the contact part 11, the joint part joining a core wire 101 of an electric wire 100 by welding. The joint part 12 is a V-shaped plate including a first inner surface 12b and a second inner surface 12c, which define a bending angle θ as an obtuse angle, a cross-sectional shape of the V-shaped plate which is perpendicular to a bending line 12a being in the shape of V. The first inner surface 12b and the second inner surface 12c are flat surfaces.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal fitting. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in vehicles such as automobiles, terminal fittings are used to be attached to the ends of electric wires as components for connecting the electric wires to a predetermined location. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology relating to a terminal fitting that solders a core wire exposed at the end of an electric wire to a flat support surface. In the terminal fitting disclosed in Patent Document 1, a guide groove grips the covering of the electric wire, thereby positioning the core wire relative to the support surface prior to joining the core wire. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-111509 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the terminal fitting disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, if the electric wire has a bent tendency or is frayed before the core wire is joined, it may not be possible to align the position of the core wire with the joining processing area on the support surface. Therefore, before joining the core wire, various steps are required, such as a task of correcting the frayed core wire, a task of detecting the joining position using a camera, or a task of correcting the position on the joining target side or on the joining machine side. In other words, there may be difficulties in the overall workability related to joining, such as an increase in the work time or work cost related to joining the core wires.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems inherent in the conventional art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal fitting which improves the workability when joining the core wires of electric wires. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A terminal fitting according to one embodiment of the present invention has a contact portion that connects a portion of a mating terminal, and a joint portion that is integral with the contact portion and joins a core wire of an electric wire by welding, the joint portion including a first inner surface and a second inner surface that define an obtuse bending angle, the joint portion being a V-shaped plate having a V-shaped cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the bending line, and the first inner surface and the second inner surface being flat. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a terminal fitting that improves the workability when joining the core wires of electric wires. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a terminal fitting according to the first embodiment. [Figure 1B] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the terminal fitting according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a state in which core wires are joined when the electric wire is in an ideal shape. [Figure 2B] 10 is a plan view showing a state in which core wires are joined when the electric wire has a bent tendency; FIG. [Figure 2C] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a state in which core wires are joined when there is fraying. [Figure 3A] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a joint in which a core wire is placed when the bending angle is 100°. [Figure 3B] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a joint in which a core wire is placed when the bending angle is 120°. [Figure 3C] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a joint in which a core wire is placed when the bending angle is 160°. [Figure 4] 1 is a graph showing the amount of axial deviation of a core wire from a central plane versus bending angle. [Figure 5A] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a terminal fitting according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 11 is a rear view of the terminal fitting according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6A] This is a cross-sectional view of a joint where the radius of curvature is half the conductor diameter of the core wire. [Figure 6B] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a joint where the radius of curvature is the conductor diameter of the core wire. [Figure 6C] This is a cross-sectional view of a joint where the radius of curvature is one-fourth the conductor diameter of the core wire. [Figure 7A] 11 is a cross-sectional view of a joint before joining when the conductor diameter of the core wire is large. FIG. [Figure 7B] 11 is a cross-sectional view of a joint portion after joining when the conductor diameter of the core wire is large. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a metal plate that is a material for a terminal fitting according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a terminal fitting according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, terminal fittings according to each embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0010] (First embodiment) 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a terminal fitting 1 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 1A is a perspective view of the terminal fitting 1. Fig. 1B is a rear view of the terminal fitting 1 as viewed from the joint portion 12 side along the extension direction of the terminal fitting 1.

[0011] 2A to 2C are plan views illustrating a state when the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is joined to the joint portion 12 of the terminal fitting 1. FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a case where the electric wire 100 has a so-called ideal shape in which the core wire 101 has no bending tendency and is not frayed. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a case where the electric wire 100 has a bending tendency. FIG. 2C is a diagram showing a case where the core wire 101 has frayed. In FIGS. 2A to 2C, a support portion 200 that supports the insulator 102 of the electric wire 100 in advance when the core wire 101 is joined by welding is shown generally as a pair of triangles.

[0012] Generally, in a connector structure for connecting a male connector and a female connector, there are a male terminal as a terminal fitting that can be provided on the male connector, and a female terminal as a terminal fitting that can be provided on the female connector. The terminal fitting 1 according to the present embodiment is, as an example, a female terminal that can be freely connected to a part of a male terminal as a mating terminal. The terminal fitting 1 can be attached to, for example, a core wire 101 exposed at the end of an electric wire 100.

[0013] The electric wire 100 includes a core wire 101 which is a conductor, and an insulator 102 which covers the core wire 101. The type of the electric wire 100 is not particularly limited. For example, the electric wire 100 may correspond to one of two wires of an electric wire including two wires as differential wiring, such as a shielded twisted pair (STP). The core wire 101 is a twisted wire formed by twisting together a plurality of single wires 101a such as tin-plated soft copper wires.

[0014] The terminal fitting 1 is manufactured by punching out a conductive metal plate material of uniform thickness into a predetermined shape and then performing bending processing on the plate material. The terminal fitting 1 is generally rod-shaped with the X direction as the extension direction, and has a contact portion 11, a joint portion 12, and a connecting portion 13, each of which is aligned integrally along the X direction. Hereinafter, the two directions that are perpendicular to the X direction and perpendicular to each other will be referred to as the Y direction and the Z direction.

[0015] The contact portion 11 is inserted with a part of a male terminal, which is a mating terminal. In this embodiment, the shape of the contact portion 11 is a square tube whose axial direction is the X direction and whose outer periphery of a cross section perpendicular to the X direction is rectangular. In this case, the cross section of the contact portion 11 is a surface parallel to both the Y direction as the width direction and the Z direction as the height direction. The contact portion 11 having such a shape may be called a "box portion." As an example, the contact portion 11 has a bottom plate 11a, a first side plate 11b, a second side plate 11c, an upper plate 11d, and a top plate 11e.

[0016] When the contact portion 11 is processed into a product form, the top plate 11e, the first side plate 11b, the bottom plate 11a, the second side plate 11c, and the upper plate 11d are continuous around an axis based on the X-direction axis. The first side plate 11b rises in the height direction from one end of the bottom plate 11a in the Y direction. The second side plate 11c rises in the Z direction from the other end of the bottom plate 11a in the Y direction. That is, the first side plate 11b and the second side plate 11c face each other in the Y direction. The upper plate 11d is bent from the upper end of the second side plate 11c toward the first side plate 11b and faces the bottom plate 11a in the Z direction. The top plate 11e is bent from the upper end of the first side plate 11b toward the second side plate 11c and faces the upper plate 11d closely so as to overlap in the Z direction. One axial end of the contact portion 11 is an insertion opening 11f into which a part of the male terminal is inserted. The other axial end of the contact portion 11 is continuous with the connecting portion 13. Here, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1B, a central axis AX1 of the terminal fitting 1 along the X direction is defined as an axis passing through approximately the center of gravity of a cross section of the internal space IS in the contact portion 11.

[0017] 1 and the following figures illustrate schematic examples of the shape of the contact portion 11. For example, the contact portion 11 may have an elastic contact piece on the inner surface of the bottom plate 11a that elastically contacts a part of the male terminal inserted into the internal space IS for electrical connection.

[0018] Furthermore, the shape of the contact portion 11 is not limited to the above-described rectangular tube shape, and may be, for example, a cylindrical shape whose axial direction is along the X-direction. In this case, a part of the open end of the cylindrical contact portion 11 may be composed of a pair of elastic contact pieces.

[0019] The joint 12 joins the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 by welding. In this embodiment, the joint 12 is integrated with the contact portion 11 via the connecting portion 13. The joint 12 is a V-shaped plate having a V-shaped cross section perpendicular to the bending line 12a, including a first inner surface 12b and a second inner surface 12c that define a bending angle θ with the X direction as the longitudinal direction. The bending line 12a is along the X direction. The bending angle θ is an obtuse angle. The first inner surface 12b and the second inner surface 12c are each flat. That is, the joint 12 can be formed by bending a flat plate portion having a certain thickness to a preset bending angle θ with the bending line 12a as a reference.

[0020] 1B, an imaginary plane passing through the central axis AX1 and the bending line 12a, which are spaced apart from each other, is defined as a central plane P. The Z direction is parallel to the central plane P. The Y direction is perpendicular to the central plane P. In this case, the first inner surface 12b and the second inner surface 12c are symmetrical to each other with respect to the central plane P.

[0021] 2A to 2C, a welding processing range WL in which the core wire 101 is joined by welding is set on the first inner surface 12b and the second inner surface 12c. At this time, the core wire 101 may be joined by laser welding, as an example of fusion joining. In this case, when the core wire 101 in the welding processing range WL is irradiated with laser light, the temperature of the core wire 101 increases to generate a molten ball, and then the joint portion 12 is heated and blends with the molten ball, so that the core wire 101 is joined to the joint portion 12.

[0022] The connecting portion 13 is located between the contact portion 11 and the joint portion 12 along the X direction, and connects the contact portion 11 to the joint portion 12. In this embodiment, the width of the rectangular cylindrical contact portion 11 in the Y direction is set smaller than the width of the joint portion 12 in the Y direction, so that a part of the connecting portion 13 is formed in a tapered shape.

[0023] Next, the function and effect of the terminal fitting 1 will be described.

[0024] The terminal fitting 1 has a contact portion 11 for connecting a part of a mating terminal, and a joint portion 12 which is integral with the contact portion 11 and joins a core wire 101 of an electric wire 100 by welding. The joint portion 12 is a V-shaped plate having a V-shaped cross section perpendicular to the bending line 12a, and includes a first inner surface 12b and a second inner surface 12c which define an obtuse bending angle θ. The first inner surface 12b and the second inner surface 12c are flat surfaces.

[0025] In the terminal fitting 1, when the core wire 101 is joined to the joint portion 12, the core wire 101 is placed on the side of the joint portion 12 where the first inner surface 12b and the second inner surface 12c are located, with the insulator 102 of the electric wire 100 supported by the support portion 200.

[0026] Here, as shown in FIG. 2A, when electric wire 100 is in an ideal shape, core wire 101 is appropriately positioned in welding processing range WL when placed on joint 12, and therefore joining by laser welding or the like starts immediately.

[0027] On the other hand, if the electric wire 100 has a tendency to bend, and if the joint 12 were simply a flat plate, the core wire 101 would protrude from the side of the assumed joint 12 and would be outside the welding range WL. In this case, joining by laser welding or the like cannot be started immediately, and if it were started, there is a risk that a terminal fitting that does not maintain its quality would be manufactured.

[0028] In contrast, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the terminal fitting 1 is used and the electric wire 100 has a bending tendency, the core wire 101 comes into contact with the bent line 12a, i.e., any of the inner surfaces inclined toward the center plane P, when the core wire 101 is placed on the joint portion 12. In the example shown in FIG. 2B, the core wire 101 first comes into contact with the second inner surface 12c. Here, since the second inner surface 12c is a flat surface, a centering effect acts on the core wire 101, which can be considered to have an approximately circular cross section, and the core wire 101 moves in the direction shown by the hollow arrow in FIG. 2B. Therefore, even if the core wire 101 has a shape that protrudes from the side of the joint portion 12 when it comes into contact with the second inner surface 12c, the core wire 101 is guided by the second inner surface 12c and appropriately positioned in the welding processing range WL.

[0029] Furthermore, if fraying occurs in the core wire 101, and if the joint 12 were simply a flat plate, even if some of the single wires 101a constituting the core wire 101 are within the welding range WL, the other single wires 101a may be outside the welding range WL. In this case, too, joining by laser welding or the like cannot be started immediately, and if it were started, there is a risk that a terminal fitting that does not maintain quality would be manufactured.

[0030] In contrast, as shown in Fig. 2C, when the terminal fitting 1 is placed on the joint 12, if fraying occurs in the core wire 101, the spreading single wire 101a comes into contact with the first inner surface 12b or the second inner surface 12c that is inclined toward the center plane P. Therefore, the single wire 101a that was spreading when it came into contact with the first inner surface 12b or the second inner surface 12c comes together toward the center plane P in the direction shown by the hollow arrow in Fig. 2C. In other words, the fraying is automatically corrected, and the core wire 101 is positioned so as to be appropriately located in the welding processing range WL.

[0031] In this way, with the terminal fitting 1, even if the electric wire 100 has a bending tendency or the core wire 101 is frayed, the core wire 101 is appropriately positioned in the welding processing range WL when it is placed on the joint portion 12. Therefore, various steps for eliminating the above-mentioned problems, such as, for example, a task of correcting fraying of the core wire 101 before joining the core wire 101, a task of detecting the joining position by a camera, or a position correction on the joining target side or on the joining machine side, are not required. Therefore, with the terminal fitting 1, it is possible to suppress an increase in the work time or work cost related to joining the core wire 101.

[0032] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the terminal fitting 1 that improves the workability when joining the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100.

[0033] In addition, in the terminal fitting 1, the bending angle θ may be set so that when the core wire 101 is placed on the joint portion 12 in a position along the extension direction of the bending line 12a, it contacts the first inner surface 12b and the second inner surface 12c.

[0034] In the above example, the extension direction of the bending line 12a corresponds to the X direction.

[0035] 3A to 3C are cross-sectional views of the joint 12 for explaining the derivation of a more appropriate bending angle θ assuming an electric wire 100 having a specific structure and dimensions. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a case where the bending angle θ is set to 100°. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a case where the bending angle θ is set to 120°. FIG. 3C is a diagram showing a case where the bending angle θ is set to 160°. The core wire 101 in the electric wire 100 illustrated here is a twisted wire including seven single wires 101a. The outer diameter of one single wire 101a is 0.16 mm. The conductor diameter D of the core wire 101 is 0.48 mm, and is indicated by a dashed line in the figure. In FIGS. 3A to 3C, such a core wire 101 is placed on the joint 12 in a position along the X direction.

[0036] Fig. 4 is a graph showing the amount of axial misalignment W [mm] versus bending angle θ [°], including the results corresponding to Fig. 3A to Fig. 3C. Here, as shown in Fig. 3A to Fig. 3C, the central axis of core wire 101 is defined as central axis AX2. Axial misalignment W is the amount of misalignment of central axis AX2 from central plane P.

[0037] 3A, when the bending angle θ is set to 100°, one single wire 101a contacts the first inner surface 12b, and another single wire 101a contacts the second inner surface 12c. In this case, the axial misalignment amount W is approximately 0.017 mm.

[0038] 3B, when the bending angle θ is set to 120°, one single wire 101a contacts the first inner surface 12b, and another single wire 101a contacts the second inner surface 12c, similar to when the bending angle θ is set to 100°. In this case, the axial misalignment amount W is approximately 0.004 mm, which is smaller than when the bending angle θ is set to 100°.

[0039] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 3C, when the bending angle θ is set to 160°, one single wire 101a is clearly in contact with the first inner surface 12b, but another single wire 101a is roughly on the bending line 12a and cannot be said to be clearly in contact with the second inner surface 12c. In this case, the axial deviation W is approximately 0.055 mm, which is larger than when the bending angle θ is set to 100° or 120°. Since the outer diameter of one single wire 101a is 0.16 mm, the axial deviation W in this case is close to 0.08 mm, which is the axial deviation W of one single wire 101a when it is considered to be shifted left and right along the Y direction.

[0040] In addition, when the bending angle θ is set to 80°, the amount of axial misalignment W is approximately 0.012 mm. When the bending angle θ is set to 140°, the amount of axial misalignment W is approximately 0.028 mm. These cases also follow the tendency of the above case where the values ​​of the bending angle θ are close.

[0041] Therefore, by setting the bending angle θ so that the core wire 101 comes into contact with both the first inner surface 12b and the second inner surface 12c when placed on the joint portion 12, the core wire 101 can be positioned in a more appropriate welding range WL where the axial misalignment amount W is small. According to this example, it is desirable to set the bending angle θ to approximately 120°.

[0042] Second embodiment 5A and 5B are diagrams showing a terminal fitting 2 according to a second embodiment. Fig. 5A is a perspective view of the terminal fitting 2. Fig. 5B is a rear view of the terminal fitting 2 as viewed from the joint portion 22 side along the extension direction of the terminal fitting 2.

[0043] The basic shape of the terminal fitting 2 corresponds to the shape of the terminal fitting 1. The terminal fitting 2 has a contact portion 21, a joint portion 22, and a connecting portion 23. The shape of the contact portion 21 is the same as the shape of the contact portion 11 of the terminal fitting 1. That is, like the contact portion 11, the contact portion 21 also has a bottom plate 21a, a first side plate 21b, a second side plate 21c, an upper plate 21d, and a top plate 21e. The shape of the connecting portion 23 is the same as the shape of the connecting portion 13 of the terminal fitting 1.

[0044] On the other hand, the joint 22, like the joint 12 of the terminal fitting 1, includes a first inner surface 22b corresponding to the first inner surface 12b and a second inner surface 22c corresponding to the second inner surface 12c, with respect to the bend line 22a corresponding to the bend line 12a. However, unlike the joint 12, the joint 22 includes a curved surface portion 22d between the first inner surface 22b and the second inner surface 22c. The curved surface portion 22d has a symmetrical shape with respect to the bend line 22a while including the bend line 22a. In other words, one side of the curved surface portion 22d smoothly continues to the first inner surface 22b, and the other side of the curved surface portion 22d smoothly continues to the second inner surface 22c. Hereinafter, the radius of curvature of the curved surface portion 22d is defined as the radius of curvature R.

[0045] 6A to 6C are cross-sectional views of the joint 22 for explaining the derivation of a more appropriate radius of curvature R assuming an electric wire 100 having a specific structure and dimensions. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a case where the radius of curvature R is set to a half value (D / 2) of the conductor diameter D. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a case where the radius of curvature R is set to the value of the conductor diameter D. FIG. 6C is a diagram showing a case where the radius of curvature R is set to a quarter value (D / 4) of the conductor diameter D. The core wire 101 in the electric wire 100 illustrated here is the same as that illustrated in FIGS. 3A to 3C. In addition, in FIGS. 6A to 6C, the bending angle θ at each joint 22 is unified to 120°. In FIG. 6A, the core wire 101 placed on the joint 12 in a posture along the X direction is drawn in the same manner as in FIG. 3A, but in FIGS. 6B and 6C, only the conductor diameter D of the core wire 101 is illustrated in a schematic manner.

[0046] 6A, when the radius of curvature R is set to a value half the conductor diameter D, one single wire 101a contacts the first inner surface 22b, and another single wire 101a contacts the second inner surface 22c. Therefore, according to the terminal fitting 2, a centering effect acts on the core wire 101, similar to the effect of the terminal fitting 1 according to the first embodiment, so that the core wire 101 can be appropriately positioned in the welding processing range WL.

[0047] Furthermore, in the terminal fitting 2, as described above, the joint 22 may include a curved portion 22d between the first inner surface 22b and the second inner surface 22c, which includes the bend line 22a and has a symmetrical shape with respect to the bend line 22a.

[0048] 6A, when the core wire 101 is placed on the joint portion 22, the gap space S between the core wire 101 and the curved portion 22d becomes narrower. Therefore, when the core wire 101 is joined to the joint portion 22 by welding, the fit between the core wire 101 and the joint portion 22 is improved compared to the case of the terminal fitting 1, and as a result, a decrease in the shear tensile strength can be suppressed.

[0049] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 6B, when the radius of curvature R is set to the value of the conductor diameter D, that is, when the radius of curvature R is larger than that shown in Fig. 6A, a situation may arise in which none of the single wires 101a contacts either the first inner surface 22b or the second inner surface 22c. In this case, no centering effect is produced in the core wire 101, which is undesirable in that the core wire 101 cannot be appropriately positioned in the welding processing range WL.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6C, when the radius of curvature R is set to a value of one-fourth of the conductor diameter D, that is, when the radius of curvature R is smaller than the case shown in FIG. 6A, one single wire 101a is in contact with the first inner surface 22b, and another single wire 101a is in contact with the second inner surface 22c. Therefore, according to the terminal fitting 2, a centering effect acts on the core wire 101, so that the core wire 101 can be appropriately positioned within the welding range WL. However, in this case, when the core wire 101 is placed on the joint portion 22, the gap space S does not become relatively narrow. Therefore, when the core wire 101 is joined to the joint portion 22 by welding, it is difficult to exhibit the effect of improving the conformity between the core wire 101 and the joint portion 22.

[0051] Therefore, in the terminal fitting 2, if the conductor diameter of the core wire 101 is D and the radius of curvature of the curved surface portion 22d is R, the radius of curvature may satisfy the condition of (D / 4) < R < D.

[0052] According to this terminal fitting 2, while appropriately positioning the core wire 101 within the welding range WL, when the core wire 101 is joined to the joint portion 22 by welding, the conformity between the core wire 101 and the joint portion 22 can be improved.

[0053] Note that, so far, the electric wire 100 with the conductor diameter D of the core wire 101 being 0.48 mm has been described as an example. However, the terminal fitting 1 and the like according to each embodiment can be applied to electric wires 100 of different sizes having a core wire 101 with a conductor diameter D larger than 0.48 mm or a core wire 101 with a conductor diameter D smaller than 0.48 mm, as long as various conditions are satisfied.

[0054] For example, the shape of the terminal fitting 2 according to the second embodiment is also advantageous for connecting an electric wire 100 in which the conductor diameter D of the core wire 101 is larger than 0.48 mm. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7A, the radius of curvature R is the same as that shown in FIG. 6A, and when the core wire 101 is placed on the joint portion 22, the gap space S between the core wire 101 and the curved surface portion 22d is relatively wide. However, when the core wire 101 is joined to the joint portion 22 by welding, the volume of the molten ball becomes larger as shown in FIG. 7B, so that the molten ball flows into the gap space S, and as a result, the gap space S is filled. Therefore, there is no lack of compatibility between the core wire 101 and the joint portion 22, and as a result, there are cases in which a decrease in shear tensile strength does not occur.

[0055] Third embodiment In each of the above-described embodiments, both the terminal fitting 1 and the terminal fitting 2 are formed from a metal plate material having a constant thickness. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the terminal fitting is made of a metal plate material 300 having a different thickness according to each portion of the terminal fitting, rather than a constant thickness. Below, an example will be given of a case where a terminal fitting having a shape conforming to the terminal fitting 2 according to the second embodiment is manufactured from the metal plate material 300. Therefore, the same components as those of the terminal fitting 2 according to the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0056] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the metal plate 300. The metal plate 300 has a first plate portion 301 set to a first thickness t1 and a second plate portion 302 set to a second thickness t2. The first plate portion 301 and the second plate portion 302 are continuous in series along the X direction aligned with the extension direction of the terminal fitting 2. The first plate portion 301 is a portion where the contact portion 21 and the connecting portion 23 of the terminal fitting 2 are formed. The second plate portion 302 is a portion where the joint portion 24 of the terminal fitting 2 is formed. The second thickness t2 is thicker than the first thickness t1. Here, one surface of the first plate portion 301 is defined as a first surface 301a. In this embodiment, the second thickness t2 is set so that the second surface 302a of the second plate portion 302, which faces in the same direction as the first surface 301a, is one step higher in the Z direction than the first surface 301a.

[0057] 9 is a perspective view of a terminal fitting 2 according to the third embodiment, manufactured using a metal plate material 300 as a material. The terminal fitting 2 according to this embodiment has a contact portion 21, a joint portion 24 replacing the joint portion 22 in the second embodiment, and a connecting portion 23. The joint portion 24 includes a first inner surface 24b and a second inner surface 24c, similar to the joint portion 22 in the second embodiment. The joint portion 24 also includes a curved portion 24d between the first inner surface 24b and the second inner surface 24c.

[0058] In the manufacturing stage of the terminal fitting 2, the portions to become the contact portion 21 and the connecting portion 23 are punched out of a part of the first plate portion 301, and at the same time, the portion to become the joint portion 24 is punched out of a part of the second plate portion 302. Then, the punched plate material is subjected to bending processing or the like, so that the terminal fitting 2 is finally manufactured. At this time, the surface that was the first surface 301a of the first plate portion 301 becomes, in particular, the inner surface of the contact portion 21, and at the same time, the surface that was the second surface 302a of the second plate portion 302 becomes the first inner surface 24b or the second inner surface 24c of the joint portion 24. When comparing the terminal fitting 2 according to this embodiment with the terminal fitting 2 shown in FIG. 5A according to the second embodiment, the thicknesses of the contact portion 21 and the connecting portion 23 are the same as the first thickness t1. On the other hand, the thickness of the joint portion 22 in the terminal fitting 2 according to the second embodiment is the same dimension as the first thickness t1, whereas in the terminal fitting 2 according to this embodiment, the first inner surface 24b and the second inner surface 24c become thicker toward the inside. For example, when the core wire 101 to be joined has a conductor diameter D of 0.48 mm, the first thickness t1 may be set to approximately 0.15 mm, and the second thickness t2 may be set to approximately 0.3 mm.

[0059] Thus, in the terminal fitting 2 of this embodiment, if the thickness of the first plate portion 301 as the plate portion forming the contact portion 21 is defined as the first thickness t1 and the thickness of the joint portion 24 is defined as the second thickness t2, the second thickness t2 may be thicker than the first thickness t1.

[0060] According to this terminal fitting 2, firstly, the first thickness t1 of the first plate portion 301 forming the contact portion 21 can be set to be equivalent to that of a general terminal fitting, so that the compatibility conditions of the terminal fitting 2 as a product are not narrowed. Meanwhile, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the core wire 101 is joined to the joint portion 24 by fusion joining such as laser welding, as in the above-mentioned embodiments. Therefore, according to this terminal fitting 2, the second thickness t2 of the joint portion 24 is set to be thicker than the first thickness t1, so that the restrictions on the welding conditions due to the thin thickness are alleviated, and the compatibility conditions of the terminal fitting 2 as a product can be broadened.

[0061] Here, in this embodiment, the second thickness t2 of the joint 24 is thicker than the first thickness t1 so that the first inner surface 24b and the second inner surface 24c are directed more inward, as shown in Fig. 9. In this case, the shape of the outer surface of the joint 24 opposite the first inner surface 24b and the second inner surface 24c is the same as that of the terminal fitting 2 according to the second embodiment shown in Fig. 5A. In other words, since the joint 24 is not enlarged outward, there is an advantage that the compatibility conditions of the terminal fitting 2 as a product are not easily narrowed. On the other hand, the second thickness t2 may be set so that the outer surface of the joint 24 is directed more outward than in the case shown in Fig. 5A, as long as it does not narrow the compatibility conditions of the terminal fitting 2.

[0062] In this embodiment, an example has been given of the case where a terminal fitting having a shape conforming to the terminal fitting 2 of the second embodiment is manufactured using metal sheet material 300 as a material, but metal sheet material 300 can also be applied to the case of manufacturing a terminal fitting having a shape conforming to the terminal fitting 1 of the first embodiment.

[0063] Although the embodiments have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1,2 Terminal fittings 11,21 Contact part 12,22 joint 12a,22a bending line 12b, 22b First inner surface 12c, 22c Second inner surface 22d curved part 100 wire 101 Core Wire 301 1st plate part D Conductor diameter R radius of curvature t1 First thickness t2 Second thickness θ bending angle

Claims

1. A contact portion for connecting a part of a mating terminal; a joint portion which is integral with the contact portion and which joins a core wire of the electric wire by welding, the joint portion is a V-shaped plate including a first inner surface and a second inner surface that define an obtuse bending angle, and a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the bending line is V-shaped; The terminal fitting, wherein the first inner surface and the second inner surface are flat surfaces.

2. The terminal fitting according to claim 1 , wherein the bend angle is set so that the core wire comes into contact with the first inner surface and the second inner surface when the core wire is placed on the joint portion in a position along an extension direction of the bend line.

3. The terminal fitting according to claim 2 , wherein the joint portion includes a curved surface portion between the first inner surface and the second inner surface, the curved surface portion including the bend line and having a symmetrical shape with respect to the bend line.

4. If the conductor diameter of the core wire is D and the radius of curvature of the curved portion is R, then The terminal fitting according to claim 3 , wherein the radius of curvature satisfies the condition: (D / 4)<R<D.

5. A thickness of the plate portion forming the contact portion is defined as a first thickness, When the thickness of the joint portion is defined as a second thickness, The terminal fitting according to claim 1 , wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

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