Electric wire with terminal and wire harness

Abstract

To provide an electric wire with a terminal that can obtain sufficient joining strength regarding the joining of the end of the electric wire with a terminal component, and a wire harness including the electric wire with a terminal.SOLUTION: In an electric wire with a terminal 11, a fused connecting portion 113 that joins a conductor exposed portion 111d of an electric wire 111 and a joint portion 112b of a terminal component 112 to each other has a cross-sectional contour line 113a that passes through an extension center axis X11 of the conductor exposed portion 111d and intersects with a mounting surface 112b-1 at the joint portion 112b, and has a shape that does not pass inside an arc-shaped area A11 whose center A111 is an end portion located near the edge on the electric wire extension side and whose radius R11 is the length obtained by subtracting the thickness L12 of one wire 111a, from the distance L11 from the center A111 to the outer surface of the conductor exposed portion 111d.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal-attached electric wire in which an end of an electric wire is joined to a terminal part, and a wire harness including such a terminal-attached electric wire. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electric wires with terminals, in which the end of an electric wire is joined to a terminal part, have been widely used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The electric wire with terminal described in Patent Document 1 is an electric wire in which the end of an electric wire is joined to a terminal part by crimping, but electric wires with terminals, in which the end of an electric wire is fused and joined to a terminal part by, for example, laser welding, are also known. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-59304 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, with regard to fusion-bonded type electric wires with terminals, it is not always clear what type of bonding state is required between the end of the electric wire and the terminal part to obtain sufficient bonding strength, and there is currently room for improvement in terms of bonding strength.

[0005] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide an electric wire with a terminal that can obtain sufficient joining strength between the end of the electric wire and the terminal part, and a wire harness including such an electric wire with a terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a terminal-attached electric wire is characterized by comprising: an electric wire in which a conductor portion formed by twisting together a plurality of wires is covered with a resin coating, and which has an exposed conductor portion at one end where the conductor portion extends exposed from the resin coating; a terminal component formed of a conductive metal and provided with a joint portion on which the exposed conductor portion is placed and fused to be joined; and a fused connection portion, which is a portion where the exposed conductor portion and the joint portion are fused together by at least a portion of the exposed conductor portion and the joint portion are fused to be one piece, and which joins the exposed conductor portion and the joint portion to each other, and which has a shape such that a contour line of a cross section passing through the extension central axis of the exposed conductor portion and intersecting with the placement surface of the exposed conductor portion at the joint portion has a center at an end portion on the placement surface that is located near the edge of the placement surface on the wire extension side, and does not pass inside an arc-shaped area whose radius in a direction perpendicular to the placement surface is the distance from the center to the outer surface of the exposed conductor portion minus the thickness of one of the wires.

[0007] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the wire harness is characterized by comprising the above-mentioned electric wire with terminals, and a connector housing which is a housing member formed of insulating resin and into which a plurality of the electric wires with terminals are combined, and which is provided with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers each formed in a cylindrical shape, and in which the terminal parts of the plurality of electric wires with terminals are accommodated one-to-one in the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above-described electric wire with terminal and wire harness, sufficient joining strength can be obtained for joining the end of the electric wire and the terminal part. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a wire harness according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 2 is an enlarged view showing a state in which an exposed conductor portion of one electric wire shown in FIG. 1 is placed on a placement surface in a joint portion of a terminal part. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a three-view diagram showing the electric wire and the terminal part shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the shape of the fused connection portion shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. [Figure 5] 5 is a side view and partial cross-section view equivalent to FIG. 4 showing an example for comparison with the shape of the fused connection portion shown in FIG. 4. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the electric wire with terminal and the wire harness will be described.

[0011] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a wire harness according to one embodiment, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing a state in which an exposed conductor portion of one electric wire shown in Fig. 1 is placed on a placement surface at a joint portion of a terminal part. Also, Fig. 3 is a three-view diagram showing the electric wire and the terminal part shown in Fig. 2.

[0012] The wire harness 1 of this embodiment is intended to be mounted on, for example, an automobile or the like to connect various devices, and includes a plurality of electric wires with terminals 11 and a connector housing 12. Each electric wire with terminal 11 has a terminal part 112 serving as a female connector terminal fused to an end of the electric wire 111 by, for example, laser welding. The connector housing 12 is a housing member formed from insulating resin into a rectangular block-like shape, into which a plurality of electric wires with terminals 11 are assembled. The connector housing 12 is provided with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 121 each formed in a cylindrical shape, and the terminal parts 112 of the plurality of electric wires with terminals 11 are accommodated in the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 121 in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0013] The electric wire 111 in the electric wire with terminal 11 is a coated electric wire in which a conductor portion 111b formed by twisting together a plurality of wires 111a is coated with a resin coating 111c. The electric wire 111 has, at one end thereof, an exposed conductor portion 111d where the conductor portion 111b extends in an exposed state from the resin coating 111c.

[0014] The terminal component 112, serving as a female connector terminal, is a sheet metal processed component formed of a conductive metal and provided with a rectangular cylindrical fitting portion 112a into which a mating male pin terminal is fitted, and a joint portion 112b on which the conductor exposed portion 111d of the electric wire 111 is placed and fused to be joined. The joint portion 112b is a flat metal plate portion extending from the bottom plate portion of the fitting portion 112a toward the opposite side from the fitting side, widening the width of the metal plate. The conductor exposed portion 111d placed on the joint portion 112b is fused to the joint portion 112b. As a result, at least a portion of the conductor exposed portion 111d and the joint portion 112b are fused and integrated to form a fused joint portion 113 that joins the conductor exposed portion 111d and the joint portion 112b to each other. At this time, the fused joint portion 113 is formed in the shape described below.

[0015] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the shape of the fused connection portion shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Fig. 4 shows the fused connection portion 113 of the terminal-fitted electric wire 11 in a side view and a partial cross section of the joint portion between the conductor exposed portion 111d of the electric wire 111 and the joint portion 112b of the terminal part 112, as viewed from the direction of arrow V11 in Fig. 2. The partial cross section here is a cross section that passes through the extension central axis X11 of the conductor exposed portion 111d and intersects with the mounting surface 112b-1 of the conductor exposed portion 111d at the joint portion 112b.

[0016] 4, the fused connection portion 113 is formed so that the outline 113a of the cross section does not pass through the inside of the following arc-shaped area A11. The arc-shaped area A11 has a center A111 at an end portion of the cross section of the fused connection portion 113 on the mounting surface 112b-1 that is located near the edge of the mounting surface 112b-1 on the wire extending side. The arc-shaped area A11 is an arc-shaped area having a radius R11 around the center A111 and the following length: That is, the radius R11 of the arc-shaped area A11 is the distance L11 from the center A111 to the outer surface of the exposed conductor portion 111d minus the thickness L12 of one wire 111a, in the direction D11 orthogonal to the mounting surface 112b-1.

[0017] The contour line 113a of the fused connection portion 113 in the cross section extends from the side opposite the wire extending side toward the mounting surface 112b-1, forming a convex curve 113a-1 and a rounded-corner recess 113a-2 before reaching the mounting surface 112b-1. The distance L13 from the closest point 113a-3 on the contour line 113a to the center A111 is 70% or more of the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b. Furthermore, the joint length L15 of the fused connection portion 113 along the extension central axis X11 with the mounting surface 112b-1 is longer than the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b.

[0018] The electric wire with terminal 11 and the wire harness 1 according to the above-described embodiment can achieve the following effects. Specifically, in this embodiment, the conductor exposed portion 111d at the end of the electric wire 11 and the joint portion of the terminal component 112 are joined by a fused connection portion 113, which is formed by at least a portion of the conductor exposed portion 111d and the joint portion 112b being fused together. The cross-sectional contour line 113a of the fused connection portion 113 does not pass inside an arc-shaped area A11 around the center A111 and has a radius R11 obtained by subtracting the thickness L12 of one wire 111a from the distance L11 to the outer surface of the conductor exposed portion 111d. This arc-shaped area A11 indicates that the fused connection portion 113 has a volume sufficient to provide sufficient joint strength to the conductor exposed portion 111d and a joint length L15 between the fused connection portion 113 and the mounting surface 112b-1.

[0019] Figure 5 shows comparative examples for the shape of the fused connection portion shown in Figure 4, with a side view and partial cross section equivalent to that of Figure 4. Figure 5(A) shows a first comparative example, and Figure 5(B) shows a second comparative example. Note that in Figure 5, components equivalent to those shown in Figure 4 are assigned the same reference numerals as in Figure 4 only for those components necessary for explanation, and redundant explanations of these equivalent components will be omitted below.

[0020] In the first comparative example shown in FIG. 5A, the fused connection portion 513 is crushed and flows. As a result, the cross-sectional contour line 513a of the fused connection portion 513 passes inside the arc-shaped area A11. The fused connection portion 513 in this first comparative example does not have enough volume to provide sufficient bonding strength. Furthermore, in this first comparative example, due to the crushing of the fused connection portion 513, the distance L53 from the adjacent point 513a-3 on the contour line 513a to the center A111 is less than 70% of the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b. The fused connection portion 513 in the first comparative example has an even smaller volume due to the short distance L53 from the adjacent point 513a-3 on the contour line 513a to the center A111.

[0021] In the second comparative example shown in FIG. 5B, the wettability of the fused connection portion 613 with the mounting surface 112b-1 of the joint portion 112b is insufficient, resulting in a gap between the fused connection portion 613 and the mounting surface 112b-1. At the gap, the cross-sectional contour 613a passes through the inside of the arc-shaped area A11. The fused connection portion 613 in the second comparative example lacks the volume required to provide sufficient bonding strength due to chipping at the gap. In the second comparative example, the edge of the gap is a proximity point 613a-3, and the distance L63 from the proximity point 613a-3 to the center A111 is less than 70% of the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b. Furthermore, the distance L63 from the proximity point 613a-3 to the center A111 is a joint length L65 along the extension central axis X11 of the fused connection portion 613 with the mounting surface 112b-1, and this joint length L65 is shorter than the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b. The fused connection portion 613 in the second comparative example has even less joint strength due to the short distance L63 from the proximity point 613a-3 to the center A111 and the short joint length L65.

[0022] In contrast, according to the above-described embodiment, the outline 113a of the cross section of the fused connection portion 113 does not pass inside the arc-shaped area A11, so that a sufficient volume and joining length L15 are ensured. Furthermore, by providing such a fused connection portion 113, sufficient joining strength can be obtained for the joining between the end of the electric wire 111 and the terminal part 112.

[0023] In this embodiment, the contour line 113a forms a convex curve 113a-1 and a rounded-corner recessed shape 113a-2 before reaching the mounting surface 112b-1. With this configuration, the contour line 113a forms a convex curve 113a-1, which ensures that the fused connection portion 113 has a sufficient volume. Furthermore, the contour line 113a forms the rounded-corner recessed shape 113a-2 before reaching the mounting surface 112b-1, which ensures that the fused connection portion 113 is integrated with the mounting surface 112b-1 with sufficient smooth continuity. In view of these points, the above configuration further improves the bonding strength between the end of the electric wire 111 and the terminal component 112.

[0024] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the distance L13 from the proximity point 113a-3 on the contour line 113a that is closest to the center A11 to the center A11 is 70% or more of the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b. In this configuration, the distance L13 from the proximity point 113a-3 on the contour line 113a to the center A11 of the arc-shaped area A11 indicates the degree of volume reduction when the fused connection portion 113 is partially crushed. By setting the distance L13 to 70% or more of the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b, the volume reduction is suppressed, and the joining strength between the end of the electric wire 111 and the terminal part 112 can be further improved.

[0025] In this embodiment, the joint length L13 between the fused connection portion 113 and the mounting surface 112b-1 is longer than the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b. This configuration provides a more sufficient joint length L15 between the fused connection portion 113 and the mounting surface 112b-1, thereby further improving the joint strength between the end of the electric wire 111 and the terminal part 112.

[0026] The above-described embodiments merely show typical forms of the electric wire with terminal and the wire harness. The electric wire with terminal and the wire harness are not limited to these, and can be implemented in various modifications.

[0027] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the wire harness 1 that is mounted on an automobile or the like to connect various devices is exemplified as an example of the wire harness. However, the wire harness is not limited to this, and the specific object to which the wire harness is mounted is not limited.

[0028] In the above-described embodiment, an electric wire with a terminal 11 is exemplified as an example of an electric wire with a terminal, in which a female connector terminal 112 is joined to the end of an electric wire 111. However, the electric wire with a terminal is not limited to this, and may be an electric wire in which a male pin terminal is joined to the end of the electric wire, or an electric wire in which, for example, a round terminal other than a connector terminal is joined.

[0029] In the above-described embodiment, as an example of a connector housing in a wire harness, the connector housing 12 is exemplified, which has a rectangular block-like appearance and is provided with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 121. However, the connector housing is not limited to this, and any specific external shape can be adopted as long as the terminal components of a plurality of terminal-attached electric wires are accommodated one-to-one in the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers.

[0030] In the above-described embodiment, the fused connection portion 113 is exemplified as an example of the fused connection portion, in which the contour line 113a reaches the mounting surface 112b-1 while forming a convex curve 113a-1 and a rounded-corner recessed shape 113a-2. However, the fused connection portion is not limited to this, and the contour line may have any shape as long as it does not pass inside the arc-shaped area. However, as described above, the bonding strength between the end of the electric wire 111 and the terminal component 112 can be further improved by forming the contour line 113a with the convex curve 113a-1 and the rounded-corner recessed shape 113a-2.

[0031] In the above-described embodiment, an example of the fused connection portion is the fused connection portion 113 in which the distance L13 from the adjacent point 113a-3 on the contour line 113a to the center A11 is 70% or more of the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b. However, the fused connection portion is not limited to this. As long as the fused connection portion has a shape that does not pass inside the above-described arc-shaped area, the distance from the adjacent point on the contour line to the center may be less than 70% of the outer diameter of the conductor portion. However, as described above, by setting the distance L13 from the adjacent point 113a-3 on the contour line 113a to the center A11 to 70% or more of the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b, the bonding strength between the end of the electric wire 111 and the terminal part 112 can be further improved.

[0032] In the above-described embodiment, the joint length L13 between the fused connection portion 113 and the mounting surface 112b-1 is longer than the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b. However, the fused connection portion is not limited to this, and the conductor length may be shorter than the outer diameter of the conductor portion. However, as described above, by making the joint length L13 longer than the outer diameter L14 of the conductor portion 111b, the joint strength between the end of the electric wire 111 and the terminal part 112 can be further improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Wire harness 11 Wires with terminals 12 Connector housing 111 Electric wire 111a Plain wire 111b Conductor part 111c resin coated 111d Exposed conductor 112 Terminal parts 112a Mating part 112b Joint 112b-1 Placement surface 113 Fused joint 113a Contour line 113a-1 Convex curve 113a-2 Concave shape with rounded corners 113a-3 Near point 121 Terminal housing A11 Arc-shaped area A111 center D11 Orthogonal direction L11 Distance from the center to the outer surface of the exposed conductor L12 The thickness of one wire L13 Distance from the nearest point to the center of the contour L14 Outer diameter of conductor L15 joint length R11 radius X11 Extended center axis

Claims

1. an electric wire in which a conductor portion formed by twisting together a plurality of wires is covered with a resin coating, and which has an exposed conductor portion at one end where the conductor portion extends from the resin coating in an exposed state; a terminal component formed of a conductive metal and provided with a joining portion on which the exposed conductor portion is placed and melt-joined; a fused connection portion, which is a portion where the conductor exposed portion and the joint portion are joined together by at least a part of the conductor exposed portion and the joint portion being melted and integrated, and which has a shape such that a contour line of a cross section passing through the extension central axis of the conductor exposed portion and intersecting with the mounting surface of the conductor exposed portion at the joint portion does not pass inside an arc-shaped area whose center is an end portion located near the edge of the mounting surface on the electric wire extending side of the mounting surface in the cross section, and whose radius is the length obtained by subtracting the thickness of one of the wires from the distance from the center to the outer surface of the conductor exposed portion in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface; A terminal-attached electric wire comprising:

2. The electric wire with terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the contour line extends in a convex curve toward the side opposite the electric wire extending side toward the placing surface, and reaches the placing surface while drawing a concave shape with rounded corners.

3. 2. The electric wire with terminal according to claim 1, wherein the distance from the closest point to the center on the contour line to the center is 70% or more of the outer diameter of the conductor portion.

4. The electric wire with terminal according to claim 1 , wherein a joint length of the fused joint portion along the extending central axis with the mounting surface is longer than an outer diameter of the conductor portion.

5. An electric wire with a terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a connector housing, which is a housing member formed of insulating resin and to which a plurality of the electric wires with terminals are combined, and which is provided with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers each formed in a cylindrical shape, and in which the terminal parts of the plurality of electric wires with terminals are accommodated one-to-one in the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers; A wire harness comprising:

Images