Pressure contact connector

Abstract

To provide a pressure contact connector with high contact reliability.SOLUTION: A pressure contact connector 1 includes a pressure contact terminal 3 and a twisting member 5. The pressure contact terminal 3 has a base 10 and a pair of pressure contact pieces 11 extending from the base 10. By pressing an electric wire 2 into an electric wire press-fit groove 12 formed between the pair of pressure contact pieces 11, a core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 comes into contact with the pair of pressure contact pieces 11. By fitting the twisting member 5 into the pressure contact terminal 3, the twisting member 5 twists the electric wire 2 such that the direction of the line segment Q changes in a plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a press-connection connector.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a press-connection connector 104 including a press-connection terminal 102 into which an electric wire 101 is press-fitted between a pair of press-connection blades 100, and a cylindrical clamping member 103 that pushes the pair of press-connection blades 100 so that the pair of press-connection blades 100 approach each other. Specifically, when the pair of press-connection blades 100 of the press-connection terminal 102 are fitted into the fitting space 105 of the clamping member 103, the electric wire 101 is press-fitted into the groove 106 between the pair of press-connection blades 100. As a result, the coating 107 of the electric wire 101 is cut by the pair of press-connection blades 100. Due to this cutting, the core wire 108 of the electric wire 101 is exposed, and the exposed core wire 108 comes into contact with the pair of press-connection blades 100. Further, with the above fitting, the pair of press-connection blades 100 are pushed by the clamping member 103 so as to approach each other, thereby narrowing the groove 106. As a result, the oxide film formed on the core wire 108 of the electric wire 101 is removed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above Patent Document 1, there is still room for improvement from the viewpoint of contact reliability.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a press-connection connector with high contact reliability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A crimping terminal having a base portion and a pair of crimping pieces extending from the base portion, wherein the core wire of the electric wire contacts the pair of crimping pieces by press-fitting the electric wire into a groove formed between the pair of crimping pieces; and a twisting member that twists the electric wire so that the longitudinal direction of the core wire of the electric wire changes as viewed along the press-fitting direction in which the electric wire is press-fitted into the groove of the crimping terminal by fitting with the crimping terminal are provided. The twisting member may have a pair of covering contact pieces that contact the covering of the electric wire, and the pair of covering contact pieces may be arranged on opposite sides of each other with the crimping terminal interposed therebetween and on opposite sides of each other with the electric wire interposed therebetween as viewed along the press-fitting direction. The twisting member may further have a connecting portion that connects the pair of covering contact pieces and is inserted into the groove of the crimping terminal. The twisting member may have a pair of pushing portions that push the pair of crimping pieces so that the pair of crimping pieces approach each other. The pair of pushing portions may be formed so as to protrude from the pair of covering contact pieces, respectively. As viewed along the press-fitting direction, in a state where the twisting member is fitted to the crimping terminal, the pair of pushing portions may protrude so as to move away from the electric wire. The pair of pushing portions, the pair of covering contact pieces, and the connecting portion may form an S shape or an inverted S shape as viewed along the press-fitting direction. One of the pair of pushing portions, one of the pair of covering contact pieces, the connecting portion, the other of the pair of covering contact pieces, and the other of the pair of pushing portions may be connected in this order. The crimping terminal has a terminal-side locking portion, the twisting member has a member-side locking portion, and in a state where the twisting member is fitted to the crimping terminal, the terminal-side locking portion and the member-side locking portion are arranged in this order in the press-fitting direction, whereby the fitting state between the twisting member and the crimping terminal may be locked.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a crimping connector with high contact reliability is realized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Also, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential as means for solving the problems. For the sake of clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been appropriately omitted and simplified. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0010] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the crimp connector 1 and the electric wire 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the crimp connector 1 includes a crimp terminal 3, a crimp terminal side housing 4 that holds the crimp terminal 3, a twisting member 5, and a twisting member side housing 6 that holds the twisting member 5. In FIG. 1, the crimp terminal side housing 4 and the twisting member side housing 6 are shown by a two-dot chain line. The crimp terminal 3 and the twisting member 5 are typically held in the crimp terminal side housing 4 and the twisting member side housing 6 by press fitting or insert molding, respectively. The crimp terminal 3 and the twisting member 5 are typically formed by pressing a metal thin plate such as copper or a copper alloy. The crimp terminal side housing 4 and the twisting member side housing 6 are typically formed by injection molding an insulating resin such as PBT (Polybutylene terephthalate), PPS (Poly Phenylene Sulfide), nylon resin, LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer, registered trademark). The crimp terminal side housing 4 and the twisting member side housing 6 can be omitted.

[0011] <electric wire 2> The electric wire 2 is composed of a core wire 7 and an insulating coating 8 that covers the core wire 7. The core wire 7 is typically composed of a stranded wire such as copper or a copper alloy, aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

[0012] <crimp terminal 3> FIGS. 2 and 3 show a state where the electric wire 2 is press-fitted into the crimp terminal 3. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the crimp terminal 3 is typically formed in a flat plate shape. The crimp terminal 3 has a base portion 10 held in the crimp terminal side housing 4 and a pair of crimping pieces 11 extending from the base portion 10.

[0013] The pair of pressure contact pieces 11 extend from the base portion 10 in the same direction. The pair of pressure contact pieces 11 are arranged apart from each other. Accordingly, a wire press-fitting groove 12 is formed between the pair of pressure contact pieces 11. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, by press-fitting the wire 2 into the wire press-fitting groove 12 using a jig (not shown), the coating 8 of the wire 2 is cut by the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 and the core wire 7 is exposed, and the exposed core wire 7 comes into electrical contact with the pair of pressure contact pieces 11. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the core wire 7 is press-fitted into the wire press-fitting groove 12 so that the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 are crushed in the facing direction. In FIG. 3, it should be noted that although the core wire 7 remains a stranded wire even when crushed, it is drawn as a single wire for convenience. In a state where the wire 2 is press-fitted into the pressure contact terminal 3, the wire 2 extends in the thickness direction of the pressure contact terminal 3.

[0014] Here, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the wire direction, the width direction, and the vertical direction are defined. The wire direction, the width direction, and the vertical direction are orthogonal to each other. The wire direction is the longitudinal direction of the wire 2 press-fitted into the pressure contact terminal 3. Since the longitudinal direction of the wire 2 coincides with the thickness direction of the pressure contact terminal 3, the wire direction can also be said to be the thickness direction of the pressure contact terminal 3. The width direction is the direction in which the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 face each other. The width direction includes the inner side in the width direction and the outer side in the width direction. The inner side in the width direction is the direction of viewing the wire press-fitting groove 12 from the pair of pressure contact pieces 11. The outer side in the width direction is the direction of viewing the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 from the wire press-fitting groove 12. The vertical direction includes the downward direction as the press-fitting direction for press-fitting the wire 2 into the pressure contact terminal 3 and the upward direction opposite thereto. It should be noted that the wire direction, the width direction, and the vertical direction are merely directions defined for convenience of explanation, and the posture during use of the pressure contact connector 1 should not be limitedly interpreted by these terms.

[0015] Continuing to refer to FIG. 2, the crimp terminal 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the wire crimping groove 12 is formed to widen upward. Specifically, the wire crimping groove 12 includes a wire accommodating portion 13 and a wire guiding portion 14. The wire accommodating portion 13 and the wire guiding portion 14 are arranged side by side upward in this order of description. The wire accommodating portion 13 accommodates the wire 2 crimped into the crimp terminal 3. The wire guiding portion 14 guides the wire 2 to the wire accommodating portion 13. Therefore, the wire accommodating portion 13 is formed to slightly widen upward, while the wire guiding portion 14 is formed to greatly widen upward.

[0016] The crimp terminal 3 further has a pair of terminal-side locking portions 15. The pair of terminal-side locking portions 15 are formed to respectively protrude outward in the width direction from the bases of the pair of crimping pieces 11.

[0017] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the pair of crimping pieces 11 may be referred to as a first crimping piece 16 and a second crimping piece 17. Also, the pair of terminal-side locking portions 15 may be referred to as a first terminal-side locking portion 18 and a second terminal-side locking portion 19. As shown in FIG. 2, the first crimping piece 16 and the first terminal-side locking portion 18 are arranged on one side as viewed from the wire crimping groove 12, and the second crimping piece 17 and the second terminal-side locking portion 19 are arranged on the other side as viewed from the wire crimping groove 12.

[0018] <Twisting member 5> Returning to FIG. 1, the twisting member 5 is used to improve the contact reliability between the core wire 7 of the wire 2 and the crimp terminal 3. FIG. 4 shows a state where the twisting member 5 is fitted to the crimp terminal 3 into which the wire 2 is crimped. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the twisting member 5 is fitted to the crimp terminal 3 by moving relatively downward toward the crimp terminal 3. And when the twisting member 5 is fitted to the crimp terminal 3, the contact reliability between the core wire 7 of the wire 2 and the crimp terminal 3 is improved. Thus, in the state where the twisting member 5 is fitted to the crimp terminal 3, the posture of the twisting member 5 with respect to the crimp terminal 3 is uniquely determined. Therefore, when the twisting member 5 is described below, the wire direction, width direction, and vertical direction defined during the description of the crimp terminal 3 are used as they are.

[0019] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the twisting member 5. FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the twisting member 5 fitted to the pressure contact terminal 3. However, in FIG. 6, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the electric wire 2 is not drawn. FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the twisting member 5 fitted to the pressure contact terminal 3. However, in FIG. 7, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the electric wire 2 is drawn in a simplified manner by a two-dot chain line.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the twisting member 5 is formed in an S shape in plan view. Specifically, the twisting member 5 includes a pair of covering contact pieces 20, a pair of pushing portions 21, a connecting portion 22, and a pair of member-side locking portions 23.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of covering contact pieces 20 extends in the vertical direction. The pair of covering contact pieces 20 are separated from each other in the width direction. The thickness direction of the pair of covering contact pieces 20 coincides with the electric wire direction. The pair of covering contact pieces 20 are slightly displaced in the electric wire direction. Here, with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, a first electric wire direction and a second electric wire direction are defined. The first electric wire direction and the second electric wire direction are both directions parallel to the electric wire direction and are opposite to each other. Therefore, the first electric wire direction and the second electric wire direction can also be referred to as a first electric wire orientation and a second electric wire orientation. The pair of covering contact pieces 20 includes a first covering contact piece 30 and a second covering contact piece 31. When observing the twisting member 5 along the width direction, the first covering contact piece 30 and the second covering contact piece 31 are arranged in this order along the second electric wire direction. Therefore, when observing the twisting member 5 along the width direction, the second electric wire direction can also be said to be the direction from the first covering contact piece 30 to the second covering contact piece 31. The pair of covering contact pieces 20 are connected to each other via the connecting portion 22. Specifically, the connecting portion 22 connects the upper ends of the pair of covering contact pieces 20 to each other. Therefore, the twisting member 5 is partitioned by the pair of covering contact pieces 20 in the width direction, partitioned by the connecting portion 22 in the vertical direction, and has a wire accommodation groove 32 that opens downward. The wire accommodation groove 32 is formed so as to gradually widen downward. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first covering contact piece 30 and the second covering contact piece 31 face the first pressure contact piece 16 and the second pressure contact piece 17 in the electric wire direction, respectively.

[0022] The pair of pushing portions 21 are each formed so as to protrude in the wire direction from the upper ends of the pair of covering contact pieces 20. The pair of pushing portions 21 include a first pushing portion 33 and a second pushing portion 34.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first pushing portion 33 protrudes in the second wire direction from the upper end of the end portion on the outer side in the width direction of the first covering contact piece 30. As shown in FIG. 7, the first pushing portion 33 protrudes so as to be slightly inclined with respect to the wire direction so as to go outward in the width direction as it goes in the second wire direction. Therefore, it can be said that the first pushing portion 33 protrudes so as to move away from the wire 2.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the second pushing portion 34 protrudes in the first wire direction from the upper end of the end portion on the outer side in the width direction of the second covering contact piece 31. As shown in FIG. 7, the second pushing portion 34 protrudes so as to be slightly inclined with respect to the wire direction so as to go outward in the width direction as it goes in the first wire direction. Therefore, it can be said that the second pushing portion 34 protrudes so as to move away from the wire 2.

[0025] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the pair of covering contact pieces 20, the pair of pushing portions 21, and the connecting portion 22 form an S shape in plan view as described above. And the first pushing portion 33, the first covering contact piece 30, the connecting portion 22, the second covering contact piece 31, and the second pushing portion 34 are connected in this order of description.

[0026] Continuing as shown in FIG. 7, with the twisting member 5 fitted to the pressure contact terminal 3, the pair of pushing portions 21 face each other in the width direction with respect to the pair of pressure contact pieces 11. Specifically, the first pushing portion 33 and the second pushing portion 34 are respectively arranged outside the width direction of the first pressure contact piece 16 and the second pressure contact piece 17. And with the twisting member 5 fitted to the pressure contact terminal 3, the first pushing portion 33 and the second pushing portion 34 are respectively in contact with the first pressure contact piece 16 and the second pressure contact piece 17 in the width direction. With the twisting member 5 fitted to the pressure contact terminal 3, the first pushing portion 33 and the second pushing portion 34, by the elastic restoring force of the twisting member 5, push the first pressure contact piece 16 and the second pressure contact piece 17 respectively in the width direction so that the first pressure contact piece 16 and the second pressure contact piece 17 approach each other. In other words, the first pushing portion 33 and the second pushing portion 34, by the elastic restoring force of the twisting member 5, push the first pressure contact piece 16 and the second pressure contact piece 17 inward in the width direction. By this pushing, the contact pressure of the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 against the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 is increased.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the pair of member-side locking portions 23 are each formed so as to project in the electric wire direction from the lower ends of the pair of covering contact pieces 20. The pair of member-side locking portions 23 include a first member-side locking portion 38 and a second member-side locking portion 39. The first member-side locking portion 38 projects in the second electric wire direction from the lower end of the end portion on the outer side in the width direction of the first covering contact piece 30. The second member-side locking portion 39 projects in the first electric wire direction from the lower end of the end portion on the outer side in the width direction of the second covering contact piece 31.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6, with the twisting member 5 fitted to the pressure contact terminal 3, the first member-side locking portion 38 faces the first terminal-side locking portion 18 in the vertical direction and is located below the first terminal-side locking portion 18. Similarly, the second member-side locking portion 39 faces the second terminal-side locking portion 19 in the vertical direction and is located below the second terminal-side locking portion 19. Thereby, with the twisting member 5 fitted to the pressure contact terminal 3, the relative upward movement of the twisting member 5 with respect to the pressure contact terminal 3 is restricted, so that the fitting state between the twisting member 5 and the pressure contact terminal 3 is locked.

[0029] <Press-fitting state> Next, the process of press-fitting the electric wire 2 into the pressure contact terminal 3 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the electric wire 2 is press-fitted into the wire press-fitting groove 12 of the pressure contact terminal 3, the electric wire 2 is compressed in the width direction as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the coating 8 of the electric wire 2 is cut by contact with the pair of pressure contact pieces 11, and along with this cutting, the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 is exposed in the width direction. As a result, the exposed core wire 7 comes into electrical contact with the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 with a certain contact pressure.

[0030] <Fitting state> Next, the process of fitting the twisting member 5 onto the pressure contact terminal 3 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, to fit the twisting member 5 onto the pressure contact terminal 3, with the pressure contact terminal 3 and the twisting member 5 facing each other in the vertical direction, the twisting member 5 is displaced relatively downward toward the pressure contact terminal 3. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, attention is paid to the fitting positional relationship between the pressure contact terminal 3 and the twisting member 5 in plan view such that the pair of coating contact pieces 20 of the twisting member 5 are arranged on opposite sides of each other with the pressure contact terminal 3 interposed therebetween and on opposite sides of each other with the electric wire 2 interposed therebetween in plan view.

[0031] While maintaining the above-described fitting position relationship, when the twisting member 5 is further displaced downward relative to the pressure contact terminal 3, first, as shown in FIG. 6, the first member side locking portion 38 and the second member side locking portion 39 respectively overcome the first terminal side locking portion 18 and the second terminal side locking portion 19, and the twisting member 5 fits into the pressure contact terminal 3. Specifically, when the first member side locking portion 38 contacts the first terminal side locking portion 18, the first member side locking portion 38 elastically displaces outward in the width direction with the torsional deformation of the first covering contact piece 30. When the first member side locking portion 38 overcomes the first terminal side locking portion 18, the first member side locking portion 38 elastically returns inward in the width direction by the elastic restoring force of the first covering contact piece 30. As a result, the first terminal side locking portion 18 and the first member side locking portion 38 are arranged in the described order downward, and the first terminal side locking portion 18 and the first member side locking portion 38 are in a positional relationship of facing each other in the vertical direction. The same applies to the second member side locking portion 39 and the second terminal side locking portion 19. That the twisting member 5 fits into the pressure contact terminal 3 means that the above-described positional relationship among the first terminal side locking portion 18, the second terminal side locking portion 19, the first member side locking portion 38, and the second member side locking portion 39 is established. And due to this positional relationship, the twisting member 5 is restricted from being displaced upward relative to the pressure contact terminal 3, whereby the fitting state of the pressure contact terminal 3 and the twisting member 5 is locked.

[0032] Second, as shown in FIG. 4, the connecting portion 22 of the twisting member 5 faces the electric wire 2 in the vertical direction. Thereby, the electric wire 2 press-fitted into the pressure contact terminal 3 does not come out upward. In the fitting state shown in FIG. 4, typically, the connecting portion 22 of the twisting member 5 does not contact the covering 8 of the electric wire 2 in the vertical direction. However, in the above-described fitting state, the connecting portion 22 of the twisting member 5 may contact the covering 8 of the electric wire 2 in the vertical direction.

[0033] Thirdly, as shown in FIG. 7, when a pair of pressure contact pieces 11 are in contact with a pair of pushing-in parts 21 in the width direction respectively, a force directed inward in the width direction acts on the pair of pressure contact pieces 11. Thereby, the contact pressure of the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 against the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 increases, and the contact reliability between the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 and the pressure contact terminal 3 is improved. At this time, the pair of pushing-in parts 21 are elastically displaced slightly outward in the width direction along with the elastic deformation of the pair of covering contact pieces 20 and the connecting part 22, so that dimensional errors during manufacturing can be absorbed to a certain extent. Therefore, when the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 are in contact with the pair of pushing-in parts 21 in the width direction respectively, the force directed inward in the width direction acting on the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 will not become excessive, and damage to the core wire 7 can be prevented.

[0034] Fourthly, as shown in FIG. 9, the first covering contact piece 30 and the second covering contact piece 31 are pressed inward in the width direction against the covering 8 of the electric wire 2. Here, as described above, the first covering contact piece 30 and the second covering contact piece 31 are arranged on the opposite sides across the pressure contact terminal 3 in a plan view of FIG. 9, and are arranged on the opposite sides across the electric wire 2. Therefore, when the first covering contact piece 30 and the second covering contact piece 31 are pressed inward in the width direction against the covering 8 of the electric wire 2 as described above, a couple acts on the electric wire 2. As a result, the electric wire 2 is locally twisted counterclockwise in the vicinity area P of the electric wire press-fitting groove 12 of the pressure contact terminal 3 in a plan view. Here, the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 2 in the vicinity area P is indicated by a line segment Q. As shown in FIG. 9, the line segment Q is inclined counterclockwise with respect to the electric wire direction in a plan view. Due to this inclination, the contact pressure of the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 against the first pressure contact piece 16 becomes extremely large locally. Similarly, due to this inclination, the contact pressure of the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 against the second pressure contact piece 17 becomes extremely large locally. As a result, the maximum value of the contact pressure of the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 against the pressure contact terminal 3 increases as compared with that before fitting, so that high contact reliability between the electric wire 2 and the pressure contact terminal 3 is realized.

[0035] <During stress relaxation> Next, the stress relaxation of the insulation displacement terminal 3 will be described. As shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, when the electric wire 2 is press-fitted into the insulation displacement terminal 3, a stress directed outward in the width direction is generated in the pair of insulation displacement pieces 11. Therefore, the pair of insulation displacement pieces 11 gradually try to displace outward in the width direction so that the stress held by the pair of insulation displacement pieces 11 is relieved. This phenomenon is called stress relaxation phenomenon, and appears prominently when the insulation displacement terminal 3 is exposed to high temperatures. When the pair of insulation displacement pieces 11 displace outward in the width direction in this manner, a problem occurs in that the contact pressure of the core 7 of the electric wire 2 against the pair of insulation displacement pieces 11 decreases, and there is a risk of the contact reliability between the electric wire 2 and the insulation displacement terminal 3 being impaired. Here, as shown in Fig. 7, the pair of insulation displacement pieces 11 are prevented to a certain extent from displacing outward in the width direction due to stress relaxation by the rigidity of the torsion member 5, via the pair of insulation displacement pieces 11 coming into contact with the pair of push-in portions 21 in the width direction.

[0036] In addition, in the insulation displacement connector 1 of the present embodiment, the problem of the pair of insulation displacement pieces 11 being displaced outward in the width direction due to stress relaxation, resulting in a decrease in the contact pressure of the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 against the pair of insulation displacement pieces 11, is alleviated by a different approach. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the second pushing portion 34 is inclined with respect to the electric wire direction in a plan view. More specifically, in a plan view, the second pushing portion 34 protrudes in the first electric wire direction so as to move away from the electric wire 2. Therefore, when the second insulation displacement piece 17 is displaced outward in the width direction due to stress relaxation, the second pushing portion 34 slides against the second insulation displacement piece 17 and displaces in the second electric wire direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the second sheath contact piece 31 rotates counterclockwise in a plan view together with the second pushing portion 34. Similarly, the first sheath contact piece 30 rotates counterclockwise in a plan view together with the first pushing portion 33. Due to this rotation, the electric wire 2 further rotates counterclockwise in the vicinity region P. This local rotation of the electric wire 2 increases the contact pressure of the core 7 of the electric wire 2 against the pair of insulation displacement pieces 11. As a result, even if the pair of insulation displacement pieces 11 are displaced outward in the width direction due to stress relaxation, the maximum value of the contact pressure of the core 7 of the electric wire 2 against the insulation displacement terminal 3 does not decrease significantly compared to before the displacement, so that high contact reliability between the electric wire 2 and the insulation displacement terminal 3 can be maintained.

[0037] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. The above embodiments have the following features.

[0038] That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the crimp connector 1 includes a crimp terminal 3 and a twisting member 5. The crimp terminal 3 has a base portion 10 and a pair of crimping pieces 11 extending from the base portion 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, by press-fitting the electric wire 2 into the wire press-fitting groove 12 (groove) formed between the pair of crimping pieces 11, the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 comes into contact with the pair of crimping pieces 11. As shown in FIG. 9, the twisting member 5 is fitted with the crimp terminal 3 so that, in a plan view (when viewed along the press-fitting direction in which the electric wire 2 is press-fitted into the wire press-fitting groove 12 of the crimp terminal 3), the direction of the line segment Q (the longitudinal direction of the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 in the vicinity region P) changes to twist the electric wire 2. According to the above configuration, the contact pressure of the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 against the pair of crimping pieces 11 increases, so that the crimp connector 1 with high contact reliability is realized.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 9, further, the twisting member 5 has a pair of covering contact pieces 20 that contact the covering 8 of the electric wire 2. The pair of covering contact pieces 20 are arranged on opposite sides of each other with the crimp terminal 3 interposed therebetween and on opposite sides of each other with the electric wire 2 interposed therebetween in a plan view. According to the above configuration, since the pair of covering contact pieces 20 contact the covering 8 of the electric wire 2, a torsional moment for twisting the electric wire 2 acts on the electric wire 2. Therefore, the twisting member 5 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0040] Further, the twisting member 5 further has a connecting portion 22 that connects the pair of covering contact pieces 20 and is inserted into the wire press-fitting groove 12 of the crimp terminal 3. According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the electric wire 2 from being pulled out upward from the wire press-fitting groove 12.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 7, further, the twisting member 5 has a pair of pushing portions 21 that push the pair of crimping pieces 11 so that the pair of crimping pieces 11 approach each other. According to the above configuration, the contact pressure of the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 against the pair of crimping pieces 11 further increases.

[0042] Also, as shown in FIG. 7, a pair of pushing portions 21 are formed so as to protrude from a pair of covering contact pieces 20 respectively. According to the above configuration, the pair of pushing portions 21 can move away from each other by accompanying the elastic deformation of the pair of covering contact pieces 20, so that it is possible to prevent the contact pressure on the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 of the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 from becoming excessively high.

[0043] Also, as shown in FIG. 10, in a plan view, in a state where the twisting member 5 is fitted to the pressure contact terminal 3, the pair of pushing portions 21 protrude so as to move away from the electric wire 2 respectively. According to the above configuration, when the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 move away from each other due to stress relaxation, the pair of pushing portions 21 slide with respect to the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 respectively, and in the plan view shown in FIG. 11, the pair of covering contact pieces 20 rotate about the connecting portion 22 so as to separate from the pair of pressure contact pieces 11. Due to this rotation, the couple generated by the pair of covering contact pieces 20 coming into contact with the covering 8 of the electric wire 2 increases. Therefore, according to the above configuration, even if the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 move away from each other due to stress relaxation, the contact pressure on the pair of pressure contact pieces 11 of the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 can be ensured.

[0044] Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the pair of pushing portions 21, the pair of covering contact pieces 20, and the connecting portion 22 form an S shape when viewed along the press-fitting direction. According to the above configuration, the twisting member 5 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0045] Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the first pushing portion 33 as one of the pair of pushing portions 21, the first covering contact piece 30 as one of the pair of covering contact pieces 20, the connecting portion 22, the second covering contact piece 31 as the other of the pair of covering contact pieces 20, and the second pushing portion 34 as the other of the pair of pushing portions 21 are connected in this order of description.

[0046] Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the crimp terminal 3 has a pair of terminal-side locking portions 15. The twisting member 5 has a pair of member-side locking portions 23. In a state where the twisting member 5 is fitted to the crimp terminal 3, the pair of terminal-side locking portions 15 and the pair of member-side locking portions 23 are arranged in this order from below, whereby the fitting state between the twisting member 5 and the crimp terminal 3 is locked. According to the above configuration, the fitting state between the twisting member 5 and the crimp terminal 3 can be stably maintained.

[0047] The above embodiment can be modified as follows, for example.

[0048] For example, in FIG. 9, the pair of coated contact pieces 20 may cut the coating 8 of the electric wire 2 and directly contact the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2.

[0049] In FIG. 6, one of the pair of terminal-side locking portions 15 may be omitted. Similarly, one of the pair of member-side locking portions 23 may be omitted. All of the pair of terminal-side locking portions 15 and the pair of member-side locking portions 23 may be omitted.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 7, in the above embodiment, the twisting member 5 forms an S shape in plan view. However, the twisting member 5 may form an inverted S shape in plan view. In this case, in the vicinity region P shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the electric wire 2 will rotate clockwise in plan view.

[0051] Note that an IDC connector is a connector in which when the electric wire 2 is pushed into the crimp terminal 3 (IDC: Insulation Displacement Contact) without removing the coating 8 of the electric wire 2, the coating 8 of the electric wire 2 is locally cut and the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 is electrically connected to the crimp terminal 3. The crimp terminal 3 is a terminal that can be electrically contacted with the core wire 7 of the electric wire 2 by locally cutting the coating 8 of the electric wire 2.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0052] 1 Crimp connector 2 Electric wire 3 Crimp terminal 4 Crimp Terminal Side Housing 5 Twisting Member 6 Twisting Member Side Housing 7 Core Wire 8 Coating 10 Base 11 Crimping Piece 12 Wire Press-Fit Groove (Groove) 13 Wire Accommodation Portion 14 Wire Guide 15 Terminal Side Locking Portion 16 First Crimping Piece 17 Second Crimping Piece 18 First Terminal Side Locking Portion (Terminal Side Locking Portion) 19 Second Terminal Side Locking Portion (Terminal Side Locking Portion) 20 Coating Contact Piece 21 Pushing-In Portion 22 Connecting Portion 23 Member Side Locking Portion 30 First Coating Contact Piece (Coating Contact Piece) 31 Second Coating Contact Piece (Coating Contact Piece) 32 Wire Accommodation Groove 33 First Pushing-In Portion (Pushing-In Portion) 34 Second Pushing-In Portion (Pushing-In Portion) 38 First Member Side Locking Portion (Member Side Locking Portion) 39 Second Member Side Locking Portion (Member Side Locking Portion) P Vicinity Region Q Line Segment

Claims

1. A crimping terminal having a base portion and a pair of crimping pieces extending from the base portion, wherein a core wire of the electric wire comes into contact with the pair of crimping pieces by press-fitting the electric wire into a groove formed between the pair of crimping pieces, A twisting member that, when fitted with the crimping terminal, twists the electric wire so that the longitudinal direction of the core wire of the electric wire changes as viewed along the press-fitting direction in which the electric wire is press-fitted into the groove of the crimping terminal, comprising a crimping connector.

2. The crimping connector according to claim 1, wherein the twisting member has a pair of covering contact pieces that contact the covering of the electric wire, wherein the pair of covering contact pieces are arranged on opposite sides of each other with the crimping terminal interposed therebetween and on opposite sides of each other with the electric wire interposed therebetween as viewed along the press-fitting direction, a crimping connector.

3. The crimping connector according to claim 2, wherein the twisting member further has a connecting portion that connects the pair of covering contact pieces and is inserted into the groove of the crimping terminal, a crimping connector.

4. The crimping connector according to claim 3, wherein the twisting member has a pair of pushing portions that push the pair of crimping pieces so that the pair of crimping pieces approach each other, a crimping connector.

5. The crimping connector according to claim 4, wherein the pair of pushing portions are formed so as to project from the pair of covering contact pieces, respectively, a crimping connector.

6. The crimping connector according to claim 5, wherein, as viewed along the press-fitting direction, in a state where the twisting member is fitted to the crimping terminal, the pair of pushing portions project so as to move away from the electric wire, a crimping connector.

7. The crimping connector according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the pair of pushing portions, the pair of covering contact pieces, and the connecting portion form an S shape or an inverted S shape as viewed along the press-fitting direction, a crimping connector.

8. The crimping connector according to claim 7, wherein one of the pair of pushing portions, one of the pair of covering contact pieces, the connecting portion, the other of the pair of covering contact pieces, and the other of the pair of pushing portions are connected in this order of description, a crimping connector.

9. The crimping connector according to claim 1, wherein the crimping terminal has a terminal-side locking portion, wherein the twisting member has a member-side locking portion, With the twisting member fitted to the pressure contact terminal, the fitting state of the twisting member and the pressure contact terminal is locked by arranging the terminal-side locking portion and the member-side locking portion in this order in the press-fitting direction. Pressure contact connector.

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