Terminal, wire-attached terminal, and connector

Abstract

To provide a terminal, a wire-attached terminal, and a connector, in which the vibration resistance of the terminal can be improved even when a wire to be used in a high-voltage circuit is employed.SOLUTION: A terminal 10 includes a connection part 11 to which a counterpart terminal is connected, and a bonding part 12 to which a wire 100, which is used in a high-voltage circuit, is bonded. The bonding part 12 includes an ultrasonic bonding part 13 to which the core wire 101 of the wire 100 is bonded with ultrasonic waves, and a coupling part 14 that couples the ultrasonic bonding part 13 to the connection part 11. Here, in the ultrasonic bonding part 13, a notch 13a with a substantially U-like shape is formed. In the part surrounded by the notch 13a, an ultrasonic bonding piece 13d capable of swinging in one direction is formed. In the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d, an ultrasonic bonding region 13e to which the core wire 101 of the wire 100 is bonded with ultrasonic waves is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal, a terminal with a wire, and a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when joining a wire to a terminal, those using ultrasonic joining are known.

[0003] In the ultrasonic joining disclosed in Patent Document 1, with the core wire exposed from the insulation coating of the wire arranged at the joining portion of the terminal, the horn of the ultrasonic joining device is pressed against the core wire in the joining portion to apply ultrasonic vibration, thereby joining the core wire to the joining portion.

[0004] Thereby, the joining strength between the wire and the terminal can be improved.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] By the way, since a large current flows through the wire applied to the high - voltage circuit, in order to increase the allowable current, it is necessary to use a thick wire with a large cross - sectional area as the wire.

[0007] When such a wire is joined to a terminal, as the size of the wire increases, the wire reaction force increases. Therefore, if the vibration force due to wire vibration or the like is directly input to the connection portion between the terminal and the mating terminal, the terminal may vibrate greatly with respect to the mating terminal, and the connection state between the terminal and the mating terminal may become unstable.

[0008] Thus, when joining an electric wire used in a high-voltage circuit to a terminal using ultrasonic bonding, if the vibration force due to wire vibration or the like is directly input to the connection part between the terminal and the mating terminal, the connection state between the terminal and the mating terminal may become unstable, and the vibration resistance of the terminal may decrease. Therefore, when using an electric wire for a high-voltage circuit, further improvement has been required to improve the vibration resistance of the terminal.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art. And the object of the present invention is to provide a terminal, a terminal with an electric wire, and a connector that can improve the vibration resistance of the terminal even when an electric wire used in a high-voltage circuit is used.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The terminal according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a connection part to which a mating terminal is connected and a joining part to which an electric wire used in a high-voltage circuit is joined. The joining part includes an ultrasonic joining part where the core wire of the electric wire is ultrasonically joined and a connecting part that connects the ultrasonic joining part to the connection part. A substantially U-shaped notch is formed in the ultrasonic joining part, and an ultrasonic joining piece that can swing in one direction is formed in the part surrounded by the notch. An ultrasonic joining region where the core wire of the electric wire is ultrasonically joined is formed in the ultrasonic joining piece.

[0011] The terminal with an electric wire according to the second aspect of the present invention includes the terminal according to the first aspect and an electric wire joined to the terminal. The core wire of the electric wire is ultrasonically joined only to the ultrasonic joining region.

[0012] The connector according to the third aspect of the present invention includes the terminal according to the first aspect and a housing that houses the terminal.

[0013] The connector according to the fourth aspect of the present invention includes the terminal with an electric wire according to the second aspect and a housing that houses the terminal with an electric wire.

Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a terminal, a terminal with a wire, and a connector that can improve the vibration resistance of a terminal even when a wire used for a high-voltage circuit is used.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, the terminal, the terminal with wire, and the connector according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0017] In addition, the following plurality of embodiments include similar components. Therefore, hereinafter, the same reference numerals will be given to these similar components, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

[0018] (First Embodiment) [Overall Configuration of Connector] First, the overall configuration of the connector 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the connector 1. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector 1.

[0019] The X direction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 corresponds to the width direction of the connector 1. The Y direction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 corresponds to the height direction of the connector 1 and is orthogonal to the X direction. The Z direction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the connector 1 and is orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction. Note that the Z direction is also referred to as the first direction. The Y direction is also referred to as the second direction. The X direction is also referred to as the third direction.

[0020] The connector 1 is, for example, a high-voltage connector that can be adopted in the power supply system of a rear motor mounted on an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. In the present embodiment, the connector 1 is assumed to be attached to the power supply system of a three-phase motor (not shown) as a rear motor.

[0021] As the power supply system of the three-phase motor, there are three wires 100, namely, a first wire 100a, a second wire 100b, and a third wire 100c, in advance. The first wire 100a is a wire for the U phase. The second wire 100b is a wire for the V phase. The third wire 100c is a wire for the W phase. Note that each wire 100 is also referred to as a wire used in a high-voltage circuit because it is used as a power supply system.

[0022] Each wire 100 has a core wire 101 which is a conductor and a covering portion 102 which is an insulator covering the core wire 101. One terminal of each wire 100 is connected to a three-phase motor, and the other terminal of each wire 100 is connected to a connector 1. In each wire 100, at the terminal on the side connected to the connector 1, the covering portion 102 is removed, and the core wire 101 composed of a plurality of strands is exposed. In FIG. 2, as will be described later, a terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 formed by connecting a plurality of strands to each other is drawn in the ultrasonic bonding process.

[0023] The connector 1 includes a plurality of terminals 10, an inner housing 20, an outer housing 30, and a rear cover 40 as a group of components related to electrical connection. The assembly of the inner housing 20 and the outer housing 30 is also referred to as a housing.

[0024] In the present embodiment, corresponding to the three-phase motor, there are three terminals 10, namely a first terminal 10a, a second terminal 10b, and a third terminal 10c. The three terminals 10 are respectively connected to the wires 100 to form three terminals with wires 50. The first terminal 10a is attached to the terminal of the first wire 100a to form a first terminal with wire 50a. The second terminal 10b is attached to the terminal of the second wire 100b to form a second terminal with wire 50b. The third terminal 10c is attached to the terminal of the third wire 100c to form a third terminal with wire 50c.

[0025] The three terminals 10 are respectively female terminals made of metal having the same shape as each other, and have a connection portion 11 and a joining portion 12.

[0026] The connection portion 11 is a cylindrical portion into which a male terminal in a rod shape can be inserted. The connection portion 11 has a leaf spring portion that presses a part of the male terminal against the inner wall portion of the connection portion 11 in order to stably maintain the conduction state with the inserted male terminal. The leaf spring portion may be a part integrated with the connection portion 11, or may be a separately prepared leaf spring member installed inside the connection portion 11 in advance. The male terminal is also referred to as a mating terminal.

[0027] As will be described later, the joint portion 12 is a flat plate portion to which the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 in the electric wire 100 is joined. Assuming that one end in the axial direction in the connection portion 11 is an open end for inserting the male terminal, the joint portion 12 is integrated with the other end in the axial direction in the connection portion 11.

[0028] Details of each terminal 10 and the terminal with wire 50 will be described later.

[0029] The inner housing 20 is made of synthetic resin and is an insulating member that protects each terminal 10 by holding the three terminals 10 inside. The inner housing 20 has a first terminal accommodating portion 21, a second terminal accommodating portion 22, a third terminal accommodating portion 23, a base portion 24, and a reinforcing structure portion 25.

[0030] The first terminal accommodating portion 21 is a cylindrical portion that accommodates the connection portion 11 of the first terminal 10a. The second terminal accommodating portion 22 is a cylindrical portion that accommodates the connection portion 11 of the second terminal 10b. The third terminal accommodating portion 23 is a cylindrical portion that accommodates the connection portion 11 of the third terminal 10c. The tip portions of each of the first terminal accommodating portion 21, the second terminal accommodating portion 22, and the third terminal accommodating portion 23 are open in the first direction and do not hinder the entry of the male terminal into the connection portion 11.

[0031] The base portion 24 is a flat plate portion that supports the first terminal accommodating portion 21, the second terminal accommodating portion 22, and the third terminal accommodating portion 23. The reinforcing structure portion 25 is a structure in which a plurality of reinforcing ribs are combined to ensure the strength of the inner housing 20. The reinforcing structure portion 25 is provided on the back surface of the base portion 24 so as not to hinder the arrangement of the joint portion 12 of each terminal 10.

[0032] The outer housing 30 is made of synthetic resin and is an insulating member that protects the entire three terminals 10 by accommodating at least a part of the inner housing 20 and the joint portion 12 of each terminal 10. The outer housing 30 has a housing main body portion 31, a connector frontage portion 32, and a wire lead-out portion 33.

[0033] The housing main body 31 is formed in a box shape and has a front wall 34, an annular side wall 35, and a plurality of support pieces 36.

[0034] The front wall 34 is a wall portion orthogonal to the first direction, and supports the connector frontage portion 32 and the wire lead-out portion 33 so as to be separated from each other in the second direction. The planar shape of the front wall 34 is a substantially rectangular shape defined by a long side approximately along the second direction and a short side approximately along the third direction. Further, on the wall surface of the front wall 34 facing the inside of the housing main body 31, although not shown, a first wire contact portion is provided so as to face while being separated from the second wire contact portion 45 when a rear cover 40 described later is attached to the outer housing 30. The shape of the first wire contact portion is approximately symmetric with the shape of the second wire contact portion 45 in the first direction.

[0035] The annular side wall 35, together with the front wall 34, forms an internal space for accommodating at least the joint portions 12 of the respective terminals 10. One annular end of the annular side wall 35 in the first direction is continuous with the peripheral edge portion of the front wall 34. The other annular end of the annular side wall 35 in the first direction is an open end 35a that forms an opening facing the front wall 34. When assembling the connector 1, the three terminals 10 each attached to the end of the wire 100 are accommodated inside the housing main body 31 through the opening formed by the open end 35a.

[0036] The support piece 36 is provided on the outer wall surface 35b of the annular side wall 35 and has a fitting hole 36a for fitting an annular color (not shown). The fitting hole 36a penetrates the support piece 36 along the first direction.

[0037] The connector frontage portion 32 has a frontage 32a with a cross-section that is a long round hole opening in the first direction, and is a cylindrical portion that fits with a part of a mating connector (not shown) having a male terminal when the mating connector is connected to the connector 1. The connector frontage portion 32 is provided so as to protrude from the front wall 34 of the housing main body 31 in the first direction. The frontage 32a penetrates between the outside of the outer housing 30 and the inside of the housing main body 31 and can accommodate the inner housing 20.

[0038] The wire lead-out portion 33 is a cylindrical portion for leading out three wires 100 from the inside of the housing main body portion 31 to the outside of the outer housing 30 through a through-space having an oval long-hole-shaped cross section that opens in the first direction. The wire lead-out portion 33 is provided so as to protrude in the first direction from the front wall 34 of the housing main body portion 31.

[0039] That is, according to the structure of the outer housing 30, in the connector 1, the direction in which the frontage 32a of the connector frontage portion 32 faces, that is, the direction of connection to the external connector, and the direction in which the three wires 100 are led out from the wire lead-out portion 33 are along the same direction as each other. In the present embodiment, the direction in which the frontage 32a of the connector frontage portion 32 faces and the direction in which the three wires 100 are led out from the wire lead-out portion 33 are along each other in the first direction.

[0040] The rear cover 40 is made of synthetic resin. This rear cover 40 is an insulating member that covers an opening formed by an open end 35a in a state where each terminal 10 having the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 joined to the joining portion 12 is housed together with the terminal portion of the wire 100 inside the housing main body portion 31 of the outer housing 30. Further, the rear cover 40 has a main body wall 41, a plurality of locking portions 42, a plurality of packing locking portions 43, a cover reinforcing rib 44, and a second wire contact portion 45.

[0041] The main body wall 41 is a flat plate portion having an outer peripheral edge 41a along the open end 35a of the housing main body portion 31 when the rear cover 40 is attached to the outer housing 30. The inner wall surface 41b of the main body wall 41 faces the front wall 34 of the housing main body portion 31 when the rear cover 40 is attached to the outer housing 30.

[0042] The plurality of locking portions 42 are respectively provided on the outer peripheral edge 41a of the main body wall 41 at intervals from each other in the circumferential direction along the outer peripheral edge 41a. Although not shown, a plurality of engaging portions are provided on the outer surface portion of the annular side wall 35 of the housing main body portion 31. When the rear cover 40 is attached to the outer housing 30, each locking portion 42 engages with an engaging portion on the annular side wall 35 to prevent the rear cover 40 from falling off the outer housing 30.

[0043] The plurality of packing locking portions 43 are respectively provided on the outer peripheral edge 41a of the main body wall 41 at intervals from each other in the circumferential direction along the outer peripheral edge 41a while avoiding the plurality of locking portions 42. Although not shown, a plurality of engaging protrusions are provided on the rear cover packing 61 described later. When the rear cover 40 is attached to the outer housing 30, each packing locking portion 43 engages with an engaging protrusion on the rear cover packing 61 to hold the rear cover packing 61 on the rear cover 40.

[0044] The cover reinforcing ribs 44 are provided on the inner wall surface 41b so as not to obstruct the arrangement of the respective terminals 10 and the respective electric wires 100 in order to ensure the strength of the rear cover 40.

[0045] The second wire contact portion 45 is a structural portion that contacts each electric wire 100 when the rear cover 40 is attached to the outer housing 30. The second wire contact portion 45 has a first contact groove 45a, a second contact groove 45b, and a third contact groove 45c that respectively extend in the second direction and include a curved surface that conforms to the side surface shape of each electric wire 100 routed inside the housing main body portion 31. The first contact groove 45a contacts while accommodating a part of the side surface of the first electric wire 100a. The second contact groove 45b contacts while accommodating a part of the side surface of the second electric wire 100b. The third contact groove 45c contacts while accommodating a part of the side surface of the third electric wire 100c.

[0046] Here, when the rear cover 40 is attached to the outer housing 30, the first contact groove 45a sandwiches the first electric wire 100a together with an equivalent contact groove provided in the housing main body portion 31. Similarly, the second contact groove 45b sandwiches the second electric wire 100b together with an equivalent contact groove provided in the housing main body portion 31. The third contact groove 45c sandwiches the third electric wire 100c together with an equivalent contact groove provided in the housing main body portion 31. That is, the second electric wire contact portion 45 constitutes an electric wire holding portion that holds each electric wire 100 as a combination with the first electric wire contact portion in the housing main body portion 31, thereby suppressing the vibration transmitted from the outside through the electric wire 100 from reaching the terminal 10.

[0047] In addition, the connector 1 includes a unit packing 60, a rear cover packing 61, and a wire packing 62 as waterproof members that suppress the intrusion of moisture from the outside.

[0048] The unit packing 60 is an annular elastic member that is closely attached to the outer peripheral surface of the connector front end opening portion 32 in the outer housing 30. The unit packing 60 seals between the outer peripheral surface of the connector front end opening portion 32 and the fitting surface of the external connector when the external connector is connected to the connector 1.

[0049] The rear cover packing 61 is an annular elastic member that is closely attached to the opening end 35a of the housing main body portion 31 in the outer housing 30. The rear cover packing 61 seals between the opening end 35a of the housing main body portion 31 and the outer peripheral edge 41a of the rear cover 40 when the rear cover 40 is attached to the outer housing 30.

[0050] The wire packing 62 is an oblong flat plate-shaped elastic member that is closely attached to the inner wall surface of the wire lead-out portion 33 in the outer housing 30. Further, the wire packing 62 has three through holes 62a that individually penetrate while being in close contact with each electric wire 100. The wire packing 62 seals between the inner wall surface of the wire lead-out portion 33 and each electric wire 100 that penetrates the through space of the wire lead-out portion 33.

[0051] In addition, the connector 1 includes a front holder 70 and a rear holder 75 as members for holding various packings.

[0052] The front holder 70 is made of synthetic resin and is attached to the outer housing 30 to prevent the unit packing 60 from falling off from the connector mating opening 32.

[0053] The rear holder 75 is made of synthetic resin and is attached to the outer housing 30 to prevent the wire packing 62 from falling off from the wire lead-out portion 33.

[0054] In addition, the connector 1 includes an upper shell 80, a lower shell 81, and a shield ring 83 as shield members for shielding noise.

[0055] The upper shell 80 is made of metal and covers the housing main body portion 31 of the outer housing 30 with the rear cover 40 attached thereto. Note that the upper shell 80 may cover at least a part of the connector mating opening 32 or the wire lead-out portion 33 of the outer housing 30 while accommodating the housing main body portion 31. The upper shell 80 is formed in a box shape and has a bottom wall 80a, an annular side wall 80b, a plurality of first support pieces 80e, and a plurality of second support pieces 80g.

[0056] The bottom wall 80a is a wall portion orthogonal to the first direction. The planar shape of the bottom wall 80a is a substantially rectangular shape defined by a long side approximately along the second direction and a short side approximately along the third direction.

[0057] The annular side wall 80b, together with the bottom wall 80a, forms an internal space for housing the housing main body 31. One annular end of the annular side wall 80b in the first direction is continuous with the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 80a. The other annular end of the annular side wall 80b in the first direction is an open end 80c that forms an opening facing the bottom wall 80a. When assembling the connector 1, the housing main body 31 with the rear cover 40 attached is accommodated through the opening formed at the open end 80c.

[0058] The first support piece 80e is provided, for example, as a part where a part of the annular side wall 80b is bent, and has a first through hole 80d through which a bolt 90 passing through the fitting hole 36a provided in the outer housing 30 passes when assembling the connector 1.

[0059] The second support piece 80g is provided, for example, as a part where a piece protruding from the open end 80c of the annular side wall 80b is bent, and has a second through hole 80f through which a mounting bolt (not shown) passes when attaching the connector 1 to the housing of an external connector.

[0060] The lower shell 81 is made of metal and covers a part of the front wall 34 of the housing main body 31 and the wire lead-out part 33 in the outer housing 30. The lower shell 81 has a cylindrical part 81a, a flange part 81b, and a support piece 81c.

[0061] The cylindrical part 81a covers the wire lead-out part 33 by accommodating the wire lead-out part 33 through a through space with an oval cross-section that opens in the first direction. One open end of the cylindrical part 81a is a fixed end continuous with the flange part 81b. The other open end of the cylindrical part 81a is an open end that forms an opening for pulling out each wire 100 from the wire lead-out part 33 to the outside.

[0062] The flange part 81b is a flat plate part orthogonal to the first direction, and covers a part of the front wall 34 by facing a part of the front wall 34.

[0063] The support piece 81c is provided as a part protruding outward from the edge of the flange portion 81b, and has a through hole 81d through which a bolt 90 that penetrates a fitting hole 36a provided in the outer housing 30 during the assembly of the connector 1 is pre-penetrated.

[0064] The shield ring 83 is a metal fastening member for crimping a shield braid (not shown) to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 81a of the lower shell 81. The shield braid is a metal braid that partially covers the tip of the cylindrical portion 81a and is wound so as to integrally cover three electric wires 100 drawn out from the cylindrical portion 81a to the outside.

[0065] Furthermore, the connector 1 includes, as members for assembling each component, a plurality of bolts 90 (see FIG. 1) and a plurality of collars (not shown) that are pre-fitted into the fitting holes 36a of the outer housing 30. As described above, the support piece 81c of the lower shell 81 is provided with a through hole 81d. A collar is fitted into the fitting hole 36a of the outer housing 30. And, the first support piece 80e of the upper shell 80 is provided with a first through hole 80d. The bolt 90 passes through the through hole 81d, the collar in the fitting hole 36a, and the first through hole 80d and is fastened, whereby the lower shell 81, the outer housing 30, and the upper shell 80 are integrally assembled.

[0066] [Configuration of Terminal with Electric Wire] Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the configurations of the terminal 10 and the terminal with electric wire 50 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the terminal with electric wire 50. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the state in which the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d swings in one direction. The X1 direction shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the terminal 10. The Y1 direction shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 corresponds to the width direction of the terminal 10 and is orthogonal to the X1 direction. The Z1 direction shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 corresponds to the thickness direction of the terminal 10 and is orthogonal to the X1 direction and the Y1 direction. The Z1 direction is also referred to as the first direction.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal 10 extends in the axial direction. The axial direction is the direction along the axis of the terminal 10 and is parallel to the longitudinal direction (X1 direction) of the terminal 10. As described above, the terminal 10 has a connection portion 11 and a joint portion 12. The axial direction of the terminal 10 coincides with the axial direction of the connection portion 11 and the axial direction of the joint portion 12.

[0068] A male terminal is connected to the connection portion 11 as a mating terminal. The connection portion 11 has a first end portion 11a and a second end portion 11b. The first end portion 11a is one end portion of the connection portion 11 in the axial direction and is an open end for inserting the male terminal. The second end portion 11b is the other end portion of the connection portion 11 in the axial direction and is continuous with the joint portion 12. Note that since the second end portion 11b is connected to a connecting portion 14 described later, it is shown by a dashed-dotted line in FIG. 3.

[0069] The joint portion 12 has an ultrasonic joint portion 13 and a connecting portion 14. The connecting portion 14 connects the ultrasonic joint portion 13 to the connection portion 11. The connecting portion 14 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape symmetric with respect to the width direction of the terminal 10.

[0070] The ultrasonic joint portion 13 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape symmetric with respect to the width direction of the terminal 10 and is continuously provided to the connecting portion 14 so as to extend from the other end portion in the axial direction of the connecting portion 14 toward the other end portion in the axial direction.

[0071] Here, in the present embodiment, a notch 13a having a substantially U shape in a plan view of the terminal 10 is formed in the ultrasonic joint portion 13 so as to penetrate in the thickness direction (one direction) of the terminal 10. By doing so, the ultrasonic joint portion 13 is divided into two regions by the notch 13a. That is, the ultrasonic joint portion 13 includes a peripheral portion 13b located on the outer peripheral side of the notch 13a and a central portion 13c located inside (center side) of the notch 13a and surrounded by the notch 13a on three sides. And the central portion 13c can be swung in the thickness direction (Z1 direction: one direction) of the terminal 10 with the connection portion with the peripheral portion 13b as a base point.

[0072] As described above, in the present embodiment, the central portion 13c surrounded by the notch 13a serves as an ultrasonic bonding piece 13d that can swing in the thickness direction (Z1 direction: one direction) of the terminal 10.

[0073] This ultrasonic bonding piece 13d has a first surface 13d1 and a second surface 13d2 (see FIG. 4). In the present embodiment, the first surface 13d1 is one surface in the thickness direction (one direction) of the terminal 10 in the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d, and is an open surface to which nothing is bonded. The second surface 13d2 is the other surface in the thickness direction (one direction) of the terminal 10 in the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d, and is a bonding surface to which the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 in the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically bonded.

[0074] The first surface 13d1 and the second surface 13d2 are parallel to a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the terminal 10. In the present embodiment, the state seen from one side in the thickness direction of the terminal 10, that is, the state seen from the second surface 13d2 side of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d, is expressed as "plan view of the terminal 10".

[0075] Then, by ultrasonically bonding the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100, the terminal with wire 50 is formed. At this time, the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 in the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically bonded only to the ultrasonic bonding region 13e formed in the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d.

[0076] Specifically, in the present embodiment, the region on the tip 13d3 side rather than the base 13d4 side of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d, which is the starting point of the swing of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d in the thickness direction (Z1 direction: one direction) of the terminal 10, serves as the ultrasonic bonding region 13e. That is, the region of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d that can swing in the thickness direction (Z1 direction: one direction) of the terminal 10 serves as the ultrasonic bonding region 13e.

[0077] Then, the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 is ultrasonically joined only to the ultrasonic joining piece 13d that can swing in the thickness direction (Z1 direction: one direction) of the terminal 10 among the ultrasonic joining pieces 13d. At this time, the core wire 101 is ultrasonically joined to the ultrasonic joining region 13e of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d in a state where the extending direction substantially coincides with the extending direction of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d.

[0078] That is, by removing the covering portion 102 of the terminal on the side connected to the connector 1 of the electric wire 100, the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 is exposed. When the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 is ultrasonically joined to the ultrasonic joining region 13e, the tip side of the exposed terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 is positioned on the tip 13d3 side of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d. Also, the root side of the exposed terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 is positioned on the root 13d4 side of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d. By doing so, when the electric wire 100 vibrates, for example, it is possible to suppress the electric wire 100 from interfering with the peripheral portion 13b of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d. In this way, the ultrasonic joining region 13e, which is the joining portion between the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100, can swing following the movement of the electric wire 100 without being obstructed by the peripheral portion 13b of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d.

[0079] As described above, in this embodiment, a substantially U-shaped notch 13a is formed in the ultrasonic joining portion 13, and an ultrasonic joining piece 13d that can swing in one direction is formed in the portion surrounded by the notch 13a. And an ultrasonic joining region 13e to which the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically joined is formed in the ultrasonic joining piece 13d.

[0080] By doing so, even when the electric wire 100 vibrates due to wire swing or the like, the vibration of the electric wire 100 can be absorbed by swinging the ultrasonic joining piece 13d. And by making it possible to absorb the vibration of the electric wire 100 with the ultrasonic joining piece 13d, the vibration force due to wire swing or the like of the electric wire 100 is prevented from being directly input to the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10.

[0081] In this way, even when the wire reaction force increases due to using a thick wire 100 to increase the allowable current, it is possible to suppress the vibration force caused by wire vibration or the like of the wire 100 from being directly input to the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10. And if the vibration force caused by wire vibration or the like of the wire 100 is not directly input to the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10, it is possible to suppress the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 from vibrating greatly with respect to the mating terminal. As a result, the connection state between the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 and the mating terminal can be made more stable. That is, even when the wire 100 with a high wire reaction force vibrates, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the connection reliability between the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 and the mating terminal. As a result, even when using the wire 100 with a high wire reaction force, it is possible to improve the vibration resistance of the terminal 10.

[0082] Thus, with the terminal 10 according to the present embodiment, even when using the wire 100 used in a high-voltage circuit, it is possible to improve the vibration resistance of the terminal 10.

[0083] Also, if the core wire 101 of the wire 100 is ultrasonically joined to the ultrasonic joining region 13e formed in the ultrasonic joining piece 13d that can swing in one direction, it is also possible to absorb the linear expansion difference between the wire 100 and the terminal 10.

[0084] Specifically, when current flows through the terminal 10 and the wire 100, or when the terminal 10 and the wire 100 are ultrasonically joined, the terminal 10 and the wire 100 will thermally expand. On the other hand, when the current flow to the terminal 10 and the wire 100 stops, or when the ultrasonic joining between the terminal 10 and the wire 100 ends, the terminal 10 and the wire 100 will thermally contract.

[0085] When the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100 expand or contract thermally, if the linear expansion rate of the terminal 10 is different from that of the electric wire 100, a force that relatively displaces the electric wire 100 with respect to the terminal 10 will act on the joint portion between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101.

[0086] In particular, when the difference in the linear expansion rate between the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100 (the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10) is large, the force acting on the joint portion between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101 will become large.

[0087] Therefore, when using a thick electric wire 100 to increase the allowable current and the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 becomes large, if the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically joined to a non - swaying part of the terminal 10, the following phenomenon may occur.

[0088] First, when the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100 expand or contract thermally, due to the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10, a force that relatively displaces the electric wire 100 with respect to the terminal 10 will act on the joint portion between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101. At this time, since the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically joined to a non - swaying part of the terminal 10, the force acting on the joint portion between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101 will be directly transmitted to the connection part 11 of the terminal 10.

[0089] Therefore, when the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100 are thermally expanded or contracted by controlling the flow of current to the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100, etc., the connection part 11 of the terminal 10 will be greatly displaced relative to the mating terminal. And when the connection part 11 of the terminal 10 is greatly displaced relative to the mating terminal, it becomes impossible to stably connect the connection part 11 of the terminal 10 to the mating terminal, and the wear of the connection part between the connection part 11 and the mating terminal tends to progress.

[0090] On the one hand, when the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100 are ultrasonically joined, the joining position between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101 may shift due to thermal expansion or contraction of the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100. And when the joining position between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101 shifts, there may be a case where the connection part 11 of the terminal 10 cannot be stably connected to the mating terminal.

[0091] As described above, when the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 becomes large, if the core wire 101 is ultrasonically joined to the non-swaying part of the terminal 10, the connection reliability between the connection part 11 of the terminal 10 and the mating terminal may decrease. Also, when the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 becomes large, if the core wire 101 is ultrasonically joined to the non-swaying part of the terminal 10, the influence of thermal expansion and contraction of the electric wire 100 may be directly applied to the connection part 11 of the terminal 10. And there may be a case where direct damage is applied to the connection part 11 of the terminal 10 due to thermal expansion and contraction of the electric wire 100.

[0092] Therefore, in the present embodiment, by ultrasonically joining the core wire 101 to the ultrasonic joining piece 13d that sways in one direction, even when the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 becomes large, the connection part 11 of the terminal 10 can be stably connected to the mating terminal.

[0093] Specifically, when a force caused by the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 acts on the joining part between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101, the ultrasonic joining piece 13d can be swayed. And by swaying the ultrasonic joining piece 13d, it is possible to suppress the force acting on the joining part between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101 due to the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 from being directly transmitted to the connection part 11 of the terminal 10. By doing so, the connection part 11 of the terminal 10 can be stably connected to the mating terminal.

[0094] Thus, in this embodiment, the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically joined to the ultrasonic joining piece 13d that swings in one direction, and by swinging the ultrasonic joining piece 13d, the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 can be absorbed. That is, even if the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 becomes large by using a thick electric wire 100 to increase the allowable current, the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 can be absorbed by swinging the ultrasonic joining piece 13d. Here, absorbing the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 means suppressing the force generated due to the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 from being directly transmitted to the connection part 11 and reducing the influence on the connection part 11.

[0095] And by making the ultrasonic joining piece 13d absorb the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10, it is possible to suppress the connection part 11 from moving relatively to the mating terminal when the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100 are thermally expanded or thermally contracted. That is, by adopting a configuration in which the core wire 101 is ultrasonically joined to the ultrasonic joining piece 13d that swings in one direction, the influence of the thermal expansion and thermal contraction of the electric wire 100 can be absorbed by the ultrasonic joining piece 13d. In this way, the connection part 11 of the terminal 10 can be stably connected to the mating terminal, and it becomes possible to suppress the connection reliability between the connection part 11 and the mating terminal from decreasing. Further, it becomes possible to suppress the influence of the thermal expansion and thermal contraction of the electric wire 100 from being directly applied to the connection part 11 of the terminal 10, and it becomes possible to prevent direct damage from being applied to the connection part 11 due to the thermal expansion and thermal contraction of the electric wire 100.

[0096] [An example of ultrasonic joining process] Next, with reference to FIG. 5, an example of the ultrasonic joining process for joining the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 to the ultrasonic joining part 13 of the terminal 10 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the ultrasonic joining process. The X1 direction, Y1 direction, and Z1 direction shown in FIG. 5 are the same as the X1 direction, Y1 direction, and Z1 direction shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively.

[0097] The ultrasonic bonding device 200 includes a horn 201 and an anvil 202. The horn 201 is a member that applies ultrasonic vibration to the bonding target. On the surface portion of the horn 201 that contacts the bonding target, uneven portions 201a are formed in order to efficiently transmit ultrasonic vibration to the bonding target. Specifically, the uneven portions 201a have a knurl shape in which linear ridges and valleys parallel to each other are alternately and continuously arranged.

[0098] The anvil 202 is a member that is arranged to face the horn 201 and positions and fixes the bonding target. On the surface portion of the anvil 202 that contacts the bonding target, uneven portions 202a are formed in order to efficiently transmit ultrasonic vibration to the bonding target. Specifically, the uneven portions 202a have a knurl shape in which linear ridges and valleys parallel to each other are alternately and continuously arranged.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 5, when performing the ultrasonic bonding process, first, with the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 in contact with the second surface 13d2 of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d, the ultrasonic bonding portion 13 is arranged between the horn 201 and the anvil 202. In this state, the surface portion (uneven portions 201a) of the horn 201 is brought into contact with the core wire 101, and ultrasonic vibration is applied from the horn 201 to the core wire 101 while applying pressure.

[0100] In this way, when the ultrasonic bonding process is started, the ultrasonic vibration is transmitted into the core wire 101, and a plurality of strands are joined to each other. At the same time, the core wire 101 is joined to the ultrasonic bonding region 13e on the second surface 13d2 of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d. At this time, the ultrasonic vibration transmitted into the core wire 101 is also transmitted to the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d and vibrates on the anvil.

[0101] Then, when the ultrasonic bonding process is completed, the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 is formed, and the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 is bonded to the ultrasonic bonding portion 13. At this time, the terminal portion 101a is formed into a flat plate shape with a substantially rectangular planar shape by the ultrasonic bonding process. Although not shown, if the side bonded to the second surface 13d2 in the terminal portion 101a is defined as the inner surface portion, the shape of the uneven portion 201a formed on the surface portion of the horn 201 is transferred to the outer surface portion on the side opposite to the inner surface portion by the ultrasonic bonding process. That is, the outer surface portion of the terminal portion 101a becomes a knurled uneven portion.

[0102] Note that the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 may be separately formed before starting the ultrasonic bonding process. In this case, at the start of the ultrasonic bonding process, the ultrasonic bonding portion 13 is disposed between the horn 201 and the anvil in a state where the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 is in contact with the second surface 13d2 of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d.

[0103] [Modification Example of Terminal with Wire] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, a modification example of the terminal 10 and the terminal with wire 50 will be described in detail. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the terminal with wire 50 according to a modification example of the present embodiment.

[0104] The terminal 10 shown in FIG. 6 also extends in the axial direction, and this axial direction is a direction along the axis of the terminal 10 and is parallel to the longitudinal direction (X1 direction) of the terminal 10. Further, the terminal 10 has a connection portion 11 and a bonding portion 12, and the axial direction of the terminal 10 coincides with the axial direction of the connection portion 11 and the axial direction of the bonding portion 12.

[0105] In addition, a male terminal is to be connected to the connection portion 11 as a mating terminal. This connection portion 11 has a first end portion 11a and a second end portion 11b. The first end portion 11a is one end portion in the axial direction of the connection portion 11 and is an open end for inserting the male terminal. The second end portion 11b is the other end portion in the axial direction of the connection portion 11 and is continuous with the bonding portion 12. Note that since the second end portion 11b is connected to a connecting portion 14 to be described later, it is also shown by a dashed-dotted line in FIG. 6.

[0106] The joint portion 12 has an ultrasonic joint portion 13 and a connecting portion 14. The connecting portion 14 is a portion that connects the ultrasonic joint portion 13 to the connecting portion 11. This connecting portion 14 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is symmetric with respect to the width direction of the terminal 10.

[0107] The ultrasonic joint portion 13 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is symmetric with respect to the width direction of the terminal 10, and is continuously provided to the connecting portion 14 so as to extend from the other axial end portion in the axial direction to the other axial end portion in the connecting portion 14.

[0108] Also, in the terminal 10 shown in FIG. 6, the ultrasonic joint portion 13 is formed with a notch 13a having a substantially U shape in a plan view of the terminal 10 so as to penetrate in the thickness direction (one direction) of the terminal 10. That is, the ultrasonic joint portion 13 includes a peripheral edge portion 13b located on the outer peripheral side of the notch 13a and a central portion 13c located inside (center side) of the notch 13a and surrounded by the notch 13a on three sides.

[0109] And the central portion 13c surrounded by the notch 13a is an ultrasonic joint piece 13d that can swing in the thickness direction (Z1 direction: one direction) of the terminal 10.

[0110] This ultrasonic joint piece 13d has a first surface 13d1 and a second surface 13d2, and the second surface 13d2 is a joint surface to which the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 in the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically joined.

[0111] And the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100 are ultrasonically joined to form a terminal with wire 50. This terminal with wire 50 is housed in the housing (inner housing 20 and outer housing 30) of the connector 1.

[0112] Also, at the terminal 10 shown in FIG. 6, the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 in the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically joined only to the ultrasonic joining region 13e, which is a region in the ultrasonic joining piece 13d that can swing in the thickness direction (Z1 direction: one direction) of the terminal 10.

[0113] Here, in the terminal 10 shown in FIG. 6, a notch 13a is formed such that the tip 13d3 of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d is located on one side in the axial direction of the ultrasonic joining portion 13, and the base 13d4 is located on the other side in the axial direction of the ultrasonic joining portion 13.

[0114] Then, with the extending direction of the core wire 101 substantially coinciding with the extending direction of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d, the terminal portion 101a is ultrasonically joined to the ultrasonic joining region 13e of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d. Specifically, when the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 is ultrasonically joined to the ultrasonic joining region 13e, the tip side of the exposed terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 is positioned on the tip 13d3 side of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d. Also, the base side of the exposed terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 is positioned on the base 13d4 side of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d.

[0115] By doing so, when the electric wire 100 vibrates or the like, it is possible to prevent the electric wire 100 from interfering with the peripheral portion 13b of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d. In this way, the ultrasonic joining region 13e, which is the joining portion between the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100, can swing following the movement of the electric wire 100 without being obstructed by the peripheral portion 13b of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d.

[0116] In this way, the substantially U-shaped notch 13a can be changed in direction according to the extraction direction of the electric wire 100. In this way, regardless of the extraction direction of the electric wire 100, the ultrasonic joining region 13e, which is the joining portion between the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100, can swing following the movement of the electric wire 100 without being obstructed by the peripheral portion 13b of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d.

[0117] (Second Embodiment) Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the configurations of the terminal 10 and the wire-attached terminal 50 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the wire-attached terminal according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the ultrasonic bonding portion according to the second embodiment.

[0118] The terminal 10 according to the present embodiment also extends in the axial direction, and this axial direction is the direction along the axis of the terminal 10 and is parallel to the longitudinal direction (X1 direction) of the terminal 10. Further, the terminal 10 has a connection portion 11 and a bonding portion 12, and the axial direction of the terminal 10 coincides with the axial directions of the connection portion 11 and the bonding portion 12.

[0119] Also, a male terminal is connected to the connection portion 11 as a mating terminal. This connection portion 11 has a first end portion 11a and a second end portion 11b. The first end portion 11a is one end portion in the axial direction of the connection portion 11 and is an open end for inserting the male terminal. The second end portion 11b is the other end portion in the axial direction of the connection portion 11 and is continuous with the bonding portion 12. Note that since the second end portion 11b is connected to a connecting portion 14 described later, it is also shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 7.

[0120] The bonding portion 12 has an ultrasonic bonding portion 13 and a connecting portion 14. The connecting portion 14 is a portion that connects the ultrasonic bonding portion 13 to the connection portion 11. This connecting portion 14 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is symmetric with respect to the width direction of the terminal 10.

[0121] The ultrasonic bonding portion 13 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is symmetric with respect to the width direction of the terminal 10, and is continuously provided to the connecting portion 14 so as to extend from the other end portion in the axial direction of the connecting portion 14 toward the other end portion in the axial direction.

[0122] Also, in this embodiment, in the ultrasonic joint portion 13, a notch 13a having a substantially U shape in a plan view of the terminal 10 is formed so as to penetrate in the thickness direction (one direction) of the terminal 10. That is, the ultrasonic joint portion 13 includes a peripheral portion 13b located on the outer peripheral side of the notch 13a and a central portion 13c located inside (center side) of the notch 13a and surrounded by the notch 13a on three sides.

[0123] And the central portion 13c surrounded by the notch 13a is an ultrasonic joint piece 13d that can swing in the thickness direction (Z1 direction: one direction) of the terminal 10.

[0124] This ultrasonic joint piece 13d has a first surface 13d1 and a second surface 13d2, and the second surface 13d2 is a joint surface where the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 in the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically joined.

[0125] And by ultrasonically joining the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100, a terminal with electric wire 50 is formed. This terminal with electric wire 50 is also housed in the housing (inner housing 20 and outer housing 30) of the connector 1.

[0126] Also, in this embodiment, the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 in the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically joined only to the ultrasonic joint region 13e which is a region where the ultrasonic joint piece 13d can swing in the thickness direction (Z1 direction: one direction) of the terminal 10.

[0127] Here, in this embodiment, a spring region 13f having spring properties is formed on the base 13d4 side of the ultrasonic joint piece 13d rather than the ultrasonic joint region 13e. By giving spring properties to the spring region 13f, vibrations of the electric wire 100 and the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 can be absorbed by the spring region 13f. In this way, vibrations of the electric wire 100 and the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 can be more reliably absorbed, and it becomes possible to more reliably suppress a decrease in the connection reliability between the connection portion 11 and the mating terminal.

[0128] Also, if a spring region 13f is formed at a position different from the ultrasonic bonding region 13e of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d to absorb the vibration of the electric wire 100 and the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10, it becomes possible to reduce the force acting on the joint portion between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress the decrease in the bonding force between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101. That is, the bonding strength between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 (holding force between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 by ultrasonic bonding) used in the high-voltage circuit can be improved.

[0129] In the present embodiment, the ultrasonic bonding portion 13 is formed such that the notch 13a extends to both sides on the base 13d4 side of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d. By doing so, the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d is provided with an ultrasonic bonding region 13e located on the tip 13d3 side and a narrow portion 13f1 located on the base 13d4 side. That is, a spring region 13f that is narrower than the ultrasonic bonding region 13e is formed on the base 13d4 side of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d.

[0130] In this way, in the present embodiment, the width W2 in the width direction, which is the direction intersecting the one direction in the spring region 13f, is made narrower than the width W1 in the width direction in the ultrasonic bonding region 13e (see FIG. 8). By doing so, the base 13d4 side of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d is given spring properties.

[0131] In this way, if the spring region 13f that is narrower than the ultrasonic bonding region 13e is provided in the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d, it becomes possible to more surely give spring properties to the spring region 13f. As a result, it becomes possible to more surely absorb the vibration of the electric wire 100 and the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10, and more surely suppress the decrease in the connection reliability between the connection portion 11 and the mating terminal.

[0132] Note that, as shown in FIG. 9, also in this embodiment, it is possible to change the direction of the substantially U-shaped notch 13a according to the extraction direction of the electric wire 100.

[0133] (Third Embodiment) Next, with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13, the configurations of the terminal 10 and the terminal with electric wire 50 according to the third embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the terminal according to the third embodiment. It is a plan view of the terminal according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a front view of the terminal according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is an enlarged plan view of the ultrasonic bonding portion according to the third embodiment.

[0134] The terminal 10 according to this embodiment also extends in the axial direction, and this axial direction is the direction along the axis of the terminal 10 and is parallel to the longitudinal direction (X1 direction) of the terminal 10. Further, the terminal 10 has a connection portion 11 and a bonding portion 12, and the axial direction of the terminal 10 coincides with the axial direction of the connection portion 11 and the axial direction of the bonding portion 12.

[0135] Also, a male terminal is connected to the connection portion 11 as a mating terminal. This connection portion 11 has a first end portion 11a and a second end portion 11b. The first end portion 11a is one end portion in the axial direction of the connection portion 11 and is an open end into which the male terminal is inserted. The second end portion 11b is the other end portion in the axial direction of the connection portion 11 and is continuous with the bonding portion 12. Note that since the second end portion 11b is connected to a connecting portion 14 described later, it is also shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 11.

[0136] The bonding portion 12 has an ultrasonic bonding portion 13 and a connecting portion 14. The connecting portion 14 is a portion that connects the ultrasonic bonding portion 13 to the connection portion 11. This connecting portion 14 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape symmetric with respect to the width direction of the terminal 10.

[0137] The ultrasonic bonding portion 13 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape symmetric with respect to the width direction of the terminal 10 and is continuously provided to the connecting portion 14 so as to extend from the other end portion in the axial direction of the connecting portion 14 toward the other end portion in the axial direction.

[0138] Also, in this embodiment, the ultrasonic bonding portion 13 is formed with a notch 13a that is substantially U-shaped in a plan view of the terminal 10 so as to penetrate in the thickness direction (one direction) of the terminal 10. That is, the ultrasonic bonding portion 13 includes a peripheral portion 13b located on the outer peripheral side of the notch 13a and a central portion 13c located inside (center side) of the notch 13a and surrounded by the notch 13a on three sides.

[0139] And the central portion 13c surrounded by the notch 13a is an ultrasonic bonding piece 13d that can swing in the thickness direction (Z1 direction: one direction) of the terminal 10.

[0140] This ultrasonic bonding piece 13d has a first surface 13d1 and a second surface 13d2, and the second surface 13d2 is a bonding surface to which the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 in the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically bonded.

[0141] And by ultrasonically bonding the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100, a terminal with wire 50 is formed. This terminal with wire 50 is also housed in the housing (inner housing 20 and outer housing 30) of the connector 1.

[0142] Also, in this embodiment, the terminal portion 101a of the core wire 101 in the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically bonded only to the ultrasonic bonding region 13e, which is a region where the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d can swing in the thickness direction (Z1 direction: one direction) of the terminal 10.

[0143] Also, in this embodiment, a spring region 13f having spring properties is formed on the base 13d4 side of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d rather than the ultrasonic bonding region 13e. By giving spring properties to the spring region 13f, vibrations of the electric wire 100 and the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 can be absorbed by the spring region 13f. In this way, vibrations of the electric wire 100 and the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 can be more reliably absorbed, and it becomes possible to more reliably suppress a decrease in the connection reliability between the connection portion 11 and the mating terminal.

[0144] Also, if the spring region 13f formed at a position different from the ultrasonic bonding region 13e of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d absorbs vibrations of the electric wire 100 and the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10, it becomes possible to reduce the force acting on the joint portion between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress a decrease in the bonding force between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101. That is, the bonding strength between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 (holding force between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 by ultrasonic bonding) used in the high-voltage circuit can be improved.

[0145] Here, in this embodiment, the spring region 13f includes a stepped portion 13f2 bent in one direction. Such a stepped portion 13f2 can be formed by step-bending the base 13d4 side of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d. In this embodiment, the stepped portion 13f2 is formed by step-bending the base 13d4 side of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d so that the ultrasonic bonding region 13e protrudes toward the second surface 13d2 side of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d. That is, by providing the stepped portion 13f2, the bonding surface where the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically bonded protrudes from the surface of the peripheral portion 13b. Further, in this embodiment, the bonding surface (surface of the ultrasonic bonding region 13e) where the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically bonded and the surface of the peripheral portion 13b are made parallel. By doing so, the ultrasonic bonding process between the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100 is facilitated.

[0146] Thus, by forming the step portion 13f2 on the base 13d4 side of the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d, it becomes possible to more surely impart spring property to the spring region 13f. Therefore, it becomes possible to more surely absorb the vibration of the electric wire 100 and the difference in linear expansion between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10, and it becomes possible to more surely suppress the reduction in the connection reliability between the connection portion 11 and the mating terminal.

[0147] Although not shown, in this embodiment as well, it is possible to change the direction of the substantially U-shaped notch 13a according to the extraction direction of the electric wire 100.

[0148] [Operation and Effect] Hereinafter, the characteristic configurations of the terminals, terminals with electric wires, and connectors shown in the above-described embodiments and their modifications, and the effects obtained thereby will be described.

[0149] The terminal 10 shown in the above-described embodiments and their modifications includes a connection portion 11 to which a mating terminal is connected, and a bonding portion 12 to which an electric wire 100 used in a high-voltage circuit is bonded.

[0150] The bonding portion 12 includes an ultrasonic bonding portion 13 to which the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically bonded, and a connecting portion 14 that connects the ultrasonic bonding portion 13 to the connection portion 11.

[0151] A substantially U-shaped notch 13a is formed in the ultrasonic bonding portion 13, and an ultrasonic bonding piece 13d that can swing in one direction is formed in a portion surrounded by the notch 13a.

[0152] And an ultrasonic bonding region 13e to which the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically bonded is formed in the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d.

[0153] Thus, in the terminal 10 shown in the above-described embodiments and their modifications, the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically bonded to the ultrasonic bonding region 13e formed in the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d that can swing in one direction.

[0154] By doing so, even when the electric wire 100 vibrates due to, for example, wire swing, the vibration of the electric wire 100 can be absorbed by swinging the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d. And by enabling the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d to absorb the vibration of the electric wire 100, the vibration force caused by wire swing or the like of the electric wire 100 is prevented from being directly input to the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10.

[0155] In this way, even when the wire reaction force increases due to using a thick electric wire 100 to increase the allowable current, it is possible to suppress the vibration force caused by wire swing or the like of the electric wire 100 from being directly input to the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10. And if the vibration force caused by wire swing or the like of the electric wire 100 is not directly input to the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10, it is possible to suppress the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 from vibrating greatly with respect to the mating terminal. As a result, the connection state between the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 and the mating terminal can be made more stable. That is, even when the electric wire 100 with a high wire reaction force vibrates, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the connection reliability between the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 and the mating terminal. As a result, it is possible to improve the vibration resistance of the terminal 10 even when using the electric wire 100 with a high wire reaction force.

[0156] Thus, with the terminal 10 shown in each of the above embodiments and their modifications, it becomes possible to improve the vibration resistance of the terminal 10 even when using the electric wire 100 used in a high-voltage circuit.

[0157] Also, if the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically bonded to the ultrasonic bonding region 13e formed in the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d that can swing in one direction, it is also possible to absorb the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10.

[0158] Specifically, when current flows through terminal 10 and wire 100, or when terminal 10 and wire 100 are ultrasonically joined, terminal 10 and wire 100 will thermally expand. On the other hand, when the flow of current to terminal 10 and wire 100 stops, or when the ultrasonic joining of terminal 10 and wire 100 ends, terminal 10 and wire 100 will thermally contract.

[0159] And when terminal 10 and wire 100 thermally expand or contract, if the linear expansion rate of terminal 10 and the linear expansion rate of wire 100 are different, the force that causes wire 100 to be displaced relative to terminal 10 will act on the joint portion between terminal 10 and core wire 101.

[0160] In particular, when the difference between the linear expansion rate of terminal 10 and the linear expansion rate of wire 100 (the linear expansion difference between wire 100 and terminal 10) is large, the force acting on the joint portion between terminal 10 and core wire 101 will become large.

[0161] Therefore, when using a thick wire 100 to increase the allowable current and the linear expansion difference between wire 100 and terminal 10 becomes large, if the core wire 101 of wire 100 is ultrasonically joined to a non - swaying part of terminal 10, the following phenomenon may occur.

[0162] First, when terminal 10 and wire 100 thermally expand or contract, due to the linear expansion difference between wire 100 and terminal 10, the force that causes wire 100 to be displaced relative to terminal 10 will act on the joint portion between terminal 10 and core wire 101. At this time, since the core wire 101 of wire 100 is ultrasonically joined to a non - swaying part of terminal 10, the force acting on the joint portion between terminal 10 and core wire 101 will be directly transmitted to the connection part 11 of terminal 10.

[0163] Therefore, if the terminal 10 and the wire 100 are thermally expanded or contracted by controlling the current flow to the terminal 10 and the wire 100, the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 will be greatly displaced with respect to the mating terminal. When the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 is greatly displaced with respect to the mating terminal, it becomes impossible to stably connect the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 to the mating terminal, and the wear of the connection portion between the connection portion 11 and the mating terminal tends to progress.

[0164] On the other hand, when the terminal 10 and the wire 100 are ultrasonically joined, the joining position between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101 may be displaced due to thermal expansion or contraction of the terminal 10 and the wire 100. When the joining position between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101 is displaced, it may become impossible to stably connect the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 to the mating terminal.

[0165] From the above, when the linear expansion difference between the wire 100 and the terminal 10 becomes large, if the core wire 101 is ultrasonically joined to the non - swinging portion of the terminal 10, the connection reliability between the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 and the mating terminal may decrease. Also, when the linear expansion difference between the wire 100 and the terminal 10 becomes large, if the core wire 101 is ultrasonically joined to the non - swinging portion of the terminal 10, the influence of thermal expansion and contraction of the wire 100 may be directly applied to the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10. And in some cases, direct damage may be caused to the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 due to thermal expansion and contraction of the wire 100.

[0166] On the contrary, when the core wire 101 of the wire 100 is ultrasonically joined to the ultrasonic joining piece 13d that swings in one direction, even when the linear expansion difference between the wire 100 and the terminal 10 becomes large, the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 can be stably connected to the mating terminal.

[0167] Specifically, due to the difference in linear expansion between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10, the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d will swing due to the force acting on the joint portion between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101. And if the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d is swung, it becomes possible to suppress the force acting on the joint portion between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101 due to the difference in linear expansion between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 from being directly transmitted to the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10. As a result, the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 can be stably connected to the mating terminal.

[0168] In this way, if the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically bonded to the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d that swings in one direction, it becomes possible to absorb the difference in linear expansion between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 by swinging the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d. That is, even if the difference in linear expansion between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 becomes large by using a thick electric wire 100 to increase the allowable current, it becomes possible to absorb the difference in linear expansion between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 by swinging the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d. Here, absorbing the difference in linear expansion between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 means suppressing the force generated due to the difference in linear expansion between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 from being directly transmitted to the connection portion 11 and reducing the influence on the connection portion 11.

[0169] And if the difference in linear expansion between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 is absorbed by the ultrasonic bonding piece 13d, it becomes possible to suppress the connection portion 11 from moving relatively to the mating terminal when the terminal 10 and the electric wire 100 are thermally expanded or thermally contracted. As a result, the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 can be stably connected to the mating terminal, and it becomes possible to suppress the connection reliability between the connection portion 11 and the mating terminal from decreasing.

[0170] In addition, if the core wire 101 is ultrasonically joined to the ultrasonic joining piece 13d that swings in one direction, the ultrasonic joining piece 13d can absorb the influence of thermal expansion and contraction of the electric wire 100. By doing so, it becomes possible to suppress the influence of thermal expansion and contraction of the electric wire 100 from directly acting on the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10, and it becomes possible to prevent direct damage from being applied to the connection portion 11 due to thermal expansion and contraction of the electric wire 100.

[0171] Further, a spring region 13f having spring properties may be formed on the base 13d4 side rather than the ultrasonic joining region 13e in the ultrasonic joining piece 13d.

[0172] In this way, if the spring region 13f has spring properties, the vibration of the electric wire 100 and the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 can be absorbed by the spring region 13f. As a result, the vibration of the electric wire 100 and the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 can be more reliably absorbed, and it becomes possible to more reliably suppress the decrease in the connection reliability between the connection portion 11 and the mating terminal.

[0173] In addition, if the spring region 13f formed at a position different from the ultrasonic joining region 13e of the ultrasonic joining piece 13d absorbs the vibration of the electric wire 100 and the linear expansion difference between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10, it becomes possible to reduce the force acting on the joining portion between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress the decrease in the joining force between the terminal 10 and the core wire 101. That is, the joining strength (holding force between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 by ultrasonic joining) between the electric wire 100 used in the high-voltage circuit and the terminal 10 can be improved.

[0174] Further, the width W2 in the width direction, which is a direction intersecting the one direction in the spring region 13f, may be made narrower than the width W1 in the width direction in the ultrasonic joining region 13e.

[0175] By doing so, the spring region 13f can be more surely given spring properties, and vibrations of the electric wire 100 and the difference in linear expansion between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 can be more surely absorbed. As a result, it becomes possible to more surely suppress a decrease in the connection reliability between the connection portion 11 and the mating terminal.

[0176] Further, the spring region 13f may be provided with a stepped portion 13f2 bent in one direction.

[0177] By doing so too, the spring region 13f can be more surely given spring properties, and vibrations of the electric wire 100 and the difference in linear expansion between the electric wire 100 and the terminal 10 can be more surely absorbed. As a result, it becomes possible to more surely suppress a decrease in the connection reliability between the connection portion 11 and the mating terminal.

[0178] The terminal 50 with an electric wire shown in each of the above embodiments and its modifications includes the terminal 10 described above and an electric wire 100 joined to the terminal 10. And the core wire 101 of the electric wire 100 is ultrasonically joined only to the ultrasonic joining region 13e.

[0179] By doing so, it is possible to obtain a terminal 50 with an electric wire that can improve the vibration resistance of the terminal 10 even when the electric wire 100 used in a high-voltage circuit is used.

[0180] The connector 1 shown in each of the above embodiments and its modifications includes the terminal 10 described above, and an inner housing 20 and an outer housing 30 that house the terminal 10. Further, the connector 1 shown in each of the above embodiments and its modifications includes the terminal 50 with an electric wire described above, and an inner housing 20 and an outer housing 30 that house the terminal 50 with an electric wire.

[0181] By doing so, it is possible to obtain a connector 1 that can improve the vibration resistance of the terminal 10 even when the electric wire 100 used in a high-voltage circuit is used.

[0182] [Others] The above describes the present embodiment, but the present embodiment is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present embodiment.

[0183] For example, it is possible to appropriately combine the configurations shown in the above embodiments and their modifications. As a method of combining the configurations shown in the above embodiments and their modifications, for example, while forming the stepped portion 13f2 in the spring region 13f, the width of the stepped portion 13f2 is made narrower than the width of the ultrasonic bonding region 13e.

[0184] Also, the ultrasonic bonding portion 13 does not need to extend in the longitudinal direction (X1 direction) of the terminal 10, and can extend in various directions. Also, the shape of the ultrasonic bonding portion 13 can be various shapes.

[0185] Also, the connection portion, the electric wire, and other detailed specifications (shape, size, layout, etc.) can be appropriately changed.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0186] 1 Connector 10 Terminal 11 Connection Portion 12 Bonding Portion 13 Ultrasonic Bonding Portion 13a Notch 13d Ultrasonic Bonding Piece 13d4 Root 13e Ultrasonic Bonding Region 13f Spring Region 13f2 Stepped Portion 14 Connecting Portion 20 Inner Housing 30 Outer Housing 50 Terminal with Electric Wire 100 Electric Wire 101 Core Wire W1 Width of Ultrasonic Bonding Region W2 Width of Spring Region

Claims

1. a connection part to which a mating terminal is connected; a joint part to which an electric wire used in a high-voltage circuit is joined; comprising; the joint part; an ultrasonic joint part where the core wire of the electric wire is ultrasonically joined; a connecting part that connects the ultrasonic joint part to the connection part; comprising; a substantially U-shaped notch is formed in the ultrasonic joint part; an ultrasonic joint piece that can swing in one direction is formed in a part surrounded by the notch; an ultrasonic joint region where the core wire of the electric wire is ultrasonically joined is formed on the ultrasonic joint piece; terminal.

2. a spring region having springiness is formed on the ultrasonic joint piece on the root side of the ultrasonic joint region; the terminal according to claim 1.

3. the width in the width direction, which is the direction intersecting the one direction in the spring region, is narrower than the width in the width direction in the ultrasonic joint region; the terminal according to claim 2.

4. the spring region includes a stepped portion bent in the one direction; the terminal according to claim 2.

5. the terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4; an electric wire joined to the terminal; comprising; the core wire of the electric wire is ultrasonically joined only to the ultrasonic joint region; terminal with wire.

6. the terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a housing that houses the terminal; comprising; connector.

7. the terminal with wire according to claim 5; a housing that houses the terminal with wire; comprising; connector.

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