Terminal, terminal member, and electrical apparatus

Abstract

To achieve a terminal with reduced electrical resistance.SOLUTION: A terminal (1) includes a lead pin (10) having a core material (10a) and a first covering material (10b) covering the core material, and a metal plate (20) joined to the lead pin. The electrical conductivity of the core material is higher than the electrical conductivity of the first covering material. The lead pin has, in a longitudinal direction, a first portion (11) and a second portion (12) having the first covering material thicker than the first portion. The metal plate is joined to the first portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal, a terminal member including the terminal, and an electrical device including the terminal member. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal having a conductive pin made of a composite metal material consisting of a copper core material and an Fe—Cr alloy jacket material. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] WO2017 / 006881 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a terminal or the like with reduced electrical resistance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, a terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a lead pin having a core material and a first coating material that coats the core material, and a metal plate joined to the lead pin, wherein the electrical conductivity of the core material is higher than the electrical conductivity of the first coating material, the lead pin has, in the longitudinal direction, a first portion and a second portion in which the thickness of the first coating material is thicker than that of the first portion, and the metal plate is joined to the first portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal or the like with reduced electrical resistance can be realized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an electrical device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a terminal member according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a terminal member according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a front view illustrating a terminal member according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 is a side view illustrating a terminal member according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a terminal member according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Embodiment 1] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below.

[0009] (Electrical Equipment) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an electric device 200 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The electric device 200 is a device driven by power supplied from a power source 300. The electric device 200 may be a device installed in an electric product, such as a compressor installed in an air conditioner or a refrigerator. The type of the electric device 200 is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 1 , the electric device 200 includes a terminal member 100, a housing 210, and an electric component 220.

[0010] The electric component 220 is a component that constitutes the electric device 200. When the electric device 200 is a compressor, the electric component 220 is a component that has a function of compressing air.

[0011] The box body 210 is a housing that houses the electric component 220. The box body 210 has an opening 211. A lid body 110 of the terminal member 100, which will be described later, is joined to the box body 210 so as to close the opening 211. The box body 210 may be in an airtight state when the lid body 110 is joined. That is, the box body 210 may form an airtight container together with the lid body 110.

[0012] (Terminal material) FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the terminal member 100. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the terminal member 100. FIG. 4 is a front view illustrating the terminal member 100. FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating the terminal member 100. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the terminal member 100 includes a cover body 110, a terminal 1, and a fixing member 120.

[0013] As described above, the lid 110 is a plate-like member joined to the box 210 so as to close the opening 211. The lid 110 has, for example, a disk-like shape. The lid 110 has a through-hole 111 penetrating in the thickness direction. The material of the lid 110 may be the same as or different from the material of the metal plate 20 described below. At least one of the lid 110 and the box 210 may be provided with a sealing member (not shown) for making the contact points between the lid 110 and the box 210 airtight.

[0014] Terminal 1 is a terminal that introduces current to electrical component 220. Terminal 1 is located within through-hole 111. Fixing member 120 fixes terminal 1 to through-hole 111. Fixing member 120 may contain, for example, glass. This makes it easier to ensure airtightness around terminal 1. The glass contained in fixing member 120 may be soda-lime glass, soda-barium glass, or borosilicate glass. This makes it even easier to ensure airtightness around terminal 1. However, when fixing member 120 contains glass, the type of glass is not limited to these. Furthermore, fixing member 120 does not necessarily have to contain glass, and may contain, for example, resin or ceramic.

[0015] (Terminal) The terminal 1 is electrically connected to the electric component 220. Therefore, in the electric device 200, even when the box 210 and the lid 110 form an airtight container, a current can be introduced into the electric component 220 via the terminal 1. For simplicity, only one terminal 1 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. However, the number of terminals 1 included in the terminal member 100 is not limited to this, and the terminal member 100 may include multiple terminals 1. When the terminal member 100 includes multiple terminals 1, multiple through holes 111 may be formed in the lid 110 corresponding to the multiple terminals 1, respectively, or multiple terminals 1 may be located within a single through hole 111. The terminal 1 includes a lead pin 10 and a metal plate 20.

[0016] 3, the lead pin 10 has a core material 10a and a first coating material 10b that coats the core material 10a. The electrical conductivity of the core material 10a may be higher than the electrical conductivity of the first coating material 10b. This allows the core material 10a to serve as a main path for current flow in the lead pin 10.

[0017] The core material 10a may contain copper. The copper may be, for example, oxygen-free copper. This improves the electrical conductivity of the core material 10a and reduces the electrical resistance of the lead pin 10. However, the core material 10a does not necessarily have to contain copper.

[0018] The first coating material 10b may contain either an alloy of iron and chromium or iron. The iron referred to here may be, for example, cold-rolled steel plate (SPC, Steel Plate Cold). The alloy of iron and chromium referred to here may be, for example, stainless steel such as SUS304.

[0019] When the first coating material 10b contains an alloy of iron and chromium, the lead pin 10 becomes less susceptible to rust and the strength of the lead pin 10 is improved. Furthermore, when the fixing member 120 contains glass, the airtightness at the contact point between the first coating material 10b and the fixing member 120 is improved.

[0020] Furthermore, when the first coating material 10b contains iron, the lead pin 10 is less susceptible to rust and has improved strength compared to when the first coating material 10b contains neither an iron-chromium alloy nor iron. Furthermore, when the first coating material 10b contains iron, the electrical conductivity of the lead pin 10 is improved compared to when the first coating material 10b contains an iron-chromium alloy. However, the first coating material 10b does not have to contain either an iron-chromium alloy or iron.

[0021] The lead pin 10 has a first portion 11 and a second portion 12 in the longitudinal direction. The second portion 12 becomes the base portion of the lead pin 10 when the terminal 1 is fixed in the through hole 111 by the fixing member 120. The first portion 11 becomes the portion of the lead pin 10 closer to the tip side than the second portion 12 when the terminal 1 is fixed in the through hole 111 by the fixing member 120.

[0022] The thickness of the core material 10a in the second portion 12 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lead pin 10 may be greater than the thickness of the core material 10a in the first portion 11 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lead pin 10. This improves the strength of the second portion 12, which is the base portion of the lead pin 10.

[0023] The thickness of the first covering material 10b is greater in the second region 12 than in the first region 11. In other words, the thickness of the first covering material 10b in the first region 11 is smaller than the thickness of the first covering material 10b in the second region 12. The second region 12 may have, for example, a cylindrical shape, but is not limited to this shape.

[0024] The first portion 11 may be formed, for example, by rolling the first coating material 10b in the vicinity of the longitudinal tip portion of the lead pin 10, where the thickness of the first coating material 10b is constant, so as to reduce the thickness of the first coating material 10b. Alternatively, the first portion 11 may be formed by polishing the first coating material 10b in the vicinity of the longitudinal tip portion of the lead pin 10, where the thickness of the first coating material 10b is constant, to reduce the thickness. The first portion 11 formed by the above method may have, for example, a flat plate shape or a cylindrical shape with an elliptical cross section, but is not limited to these shapes.

[0025] The metal plate 20 is a member to which the power source 300 is connected. The metal plate 20 may have, for example, a flat plate shape, but is not limited to this. The metal plate 20 and the power source may be electrically connected by a lead wire (not shown). A receiving member (not shown) that can be fitted into the metal plate 20 may be attached to the end of the lead wire that is connected to the metal plate 20. The receiving member may have, for example, a claw into which the end of the metal plate 20 is fitted. In this case, the metal plate 20 and the power source can be easily connected by fitting the end of the metal plate 20 into the claw of the receiving member. However, the method of connecting the metal plate 20 and the power source is not limited to this.

[0026] The metal plate 20 may contain at least one of copper, iron, and an alloy of iron and chromium. The copper referred to here may be, for example, brass. The iron referred to here may be, for example, a cold-rolled steel plate. The iron and chromium alloy referred to here may be, for example, stainless steel such as SUS304.

[0027] When the metal plate 20 contains copper, the electrical conductivity of the metal plate 20 is improved. Furthermore, when the metal plate 20 contains iron or an alloy of iron and chromium, the stability of the receiving member connected to the metal plate 20 is improved. However, the metal plate 20 does not have to contain any of copper, iron, or an alloy of iron and chromium.

[0028] The metal plate 20 is joined to the first portion 11 of the lead pin 10. Specifically, the first portion 11 may have a surface 11a facing the metal plate 20 that is wider than the second portion 12. The width here refers to the width in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lead pin 10. The metal plate 20 may be joined to the first portion 11 so that the wide surface 11a of the metal plate 20 is aligned along the longitudinal direction of the lead pin 10. However, the wide surface 11a and the longitudinal direction of the lead pin 10 do not need to be completely parallel. Joining the metal plate 20 to the first portion 11 in this manner improves the stability of the joint between the metal plate 20 and the lead pin 10.

[0029] As described above, the thickness of the first coating material 10b in the first region 11 is thinner than the thickness of the first coating material 10b in the second region 12. By joining the metal plate 20 to such a first region 11, the electrical resistance between the lead pin 10 and the metal plate 20 can be reduced compared to, for example, when the metal plate 20 is joined to the second region 12.

[0030] Furthermore, by reducing the electrical resistance between the lead pin 10 and the metal plate 20, heat generation in the terminal 1 can be reduced. This reduces the possibility that the metal plate 20 will come off the lead pin 10 due to heat generated by the terminal 1 itself. This also reduces the possibility that the fixing member 120 will peel off or crack due to heat generated when the terminal is in use, if the fixing member 120 is made of glass or resin.

[0031] Furthermore, the terminal 1 can improve the energy efficiency of the electrical device 200. Such an effect also contributes to achieving, for example, Goal 7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocated by the United Nations, "Affordable and clean energy."

[0032] The metal plate 20 may be joined to the first portion 11 by one or more bonding materials 25. The bonding materials 25 may be a bonding material that can electrically connect the metal plate 20 and the exposed portion 31. That is, the metal plate 20 may be joined to the first portion 11 by a conductive bonding material as the bonding material 25. Examples of conductive bonding materials include, but are not limited to, solder and silver brazing. In the example shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the bonding materials 25 join the metal plate 20 and the first portion 11 at two locations, but the number of bonding materials 25 is not limited to this.

[0033] The metal plate 20 may be welded to the first portion 11. In this case, the joining material 25 may be a part of the first portion 11 that has melted and solidified again, a part of the metal plate 20 that has melted and solidified again, or a combination of a part of the first portion 11 that has melted and solidified again and a part of the metal plate 20.

[0034] 2 and the like, the entire core material 10a is covered with the first coating material 10b in the first region 11. However, in the terminal 1, a portion of the core material 10a may be exposed from the first coating material 10b in the first region 11. Furthermore, a bonding material 25 may be disposed in the portion of the core material 10a exposed from the first coating material 10b.

[0035] In this case, by disposing the bonding material 25 at the location where the core material 10a is exposed from the first coating material 10b on the side of the first portion 11, a current flows from the lead pin 10 to the metal plate 20 without passing through the first coating material 10b. This makes it possible to further reduce the electrical resistance between the lead pin 10 and the metal plate 20.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3 , in the terminal 1, the side where the first portion 11 is located relative to the second portion 12 is referred to as the first side, and the side opposite the first side is referred to as the second side. As described above, the fixing member 120 fixes the terminal 1 to the through hole 111. Specifically, the fixing member 120 may fix the second portion 12 of the lead pin 10 to the through hole 111. In this case, a distance d may be provided between the first-side end portion 121 of the fixing member 120 and the second-side end portion 11b of the first portion 11. In this case, stress on the lead pin 10 is less likely to be concentrated in the first portion 11 compared to when the distance d is not provided between the first-side end portion 121 of the fixing member 120 and the second-side end portion 11b of the first portion 11. This reduces the possibility of stress concentration in the first portion 11, where the core material 10a and the first coating material 10b are thinner than those in the second portion 12, causing damage to the terminal 1. A specific value of the distance d may be, for example, in the range of 0.5 mm or more and 15.0 mm or less, but is not limited to this.

[0037] Furthermore, the second-side end 122 of the fixing member 120 may have an arched shape. In other words, the second-side end 122 of the fixing member 120 may have a convex shape. In other words, more specifically, in a cross section of the lead pin 10 and the fixing member 120 cut along a plane along the longitudinal direction of the lead pin 10, the second-side end 122 of the fixing member 120 may have a curved shape that protrudes in a direction from the inside to the outside of the fixing member 120. In other words, the second-side end 122 of the fixing member 120 does not need to be tapered. This reduces the possibility of stress concentration and breakage at a portion of the terminal 1 located near the end 122, compared to when the end 122 does not have an arched shape.

[0038] Furthermore, in the terminal member 100, the lid 110 may further have a tubular portion 112 extending from the through hole 111 to the second side. The tubular portion 112 may have an inner surface 112a facing the terminal 1 and an open end 112b on the second side. In this case, the fixing member 120 may be in contact with both the inner surface 112a and the end face of the open end 112b of the tubular portion 112. This increases the contact area between the fixing member 120 and the lid 110 compared to, for example, a case where the fixing member 120 is in contact only with the inner surface 112a of the tubular portion 112. This improves the airtightness around the terminal 1.

[0039] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0040] 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a terminal member 100A according to embodiment 2. The terminal member 100A differs from the terminal member 100 in that it includes a terminal 1A instead of the terminal 1. The terminal 1A differs from the terminal 1 in that it includes a lead pin 30 instead of the lead pin 10 and a metal plate 40 instead of the metal plate 20.

[0041] The lead pin 30 includes the same components as the lead pin 10, but also includes a second coating material 10c. The second coating material 10c is a member that covers the first coating material 10b. The second coating material 10c may have higher corrosion resistance than the first coating material 10b. For example, the ionization tendency of the second coating material 10c may be lower than the ionization tendency of the first coating material 10b. When the first coating material 10b includes either an alloy of iron and chromium or iron, the second coating material 10c may be, for example, a nickel plating layer. However, the first coating material 10b and the second coating material 10c are not limited thereto. By including the second coating material 10c, the lead pin 30 has higher corrosion resistance than the lead pin 10.

[0042] 6, the second coating material 10c covers the entire first coating material 10b of the lead pin 30. However, the second coating material 10c only needs to cover at least the first portion 11, and does not necessarily have to cover the entire first coating material 10b.

[0043] For example, the second coating material 10c may cover a portion of the first coating material 10b that is not covered by the fixing member 120. Specifically, in the manufacturing process of the terminal member 100A, the lead pin 30 without the second coating material 10c may be fixed in the through hole 111 by the fixing member 120. Thereafter, the portion of the lead pin 30 that is not covered by the fixing member 120 may be plated to form the lead pin 30 that has a plating layer as the second coating material 10c. In this case, the second coating material 10c covers the portion of the first coating material 10b that is not covered by the fixing member 120.

[0044] Furthermore, when the second coating material 10c is a nickel-plated layer, the second coating material 10c may contain additives depending on the plating method. For example, when the second coating material 10c is formed by electrolytic plating, the second coating material 10c may contain boron. When the second coating material 10c is formed by electroless plating, the second coating material 10c may contain phosphorus.

[0045] Furthermore, in the lead pin 30, the second coating material 10c may be further coated with a coating material having higher corrosion resistance than the second coating material 10c. For example, if the second coating material 10c is a nickel-plated layer, the second coating material 10c may be coated with, for example, gold. This can further improve the corrosion resistance of the lead pin 30.

[0046] Furthermore, the metal plate 40 may have a structure in which the surface of the metal plate 20 is coated with a third coating material 21. The third coating material 21 may be, for example, nickel. In this case, the metal plate 40 may be said to have a structure in which the metal plate 20 is nickel-plated. This improves the corrosion resistance of the metal plate 40. However, the third coating material 21 is not limited to nickel. Furthermore, the second coating material 10c and the third coating material 21 may be different from each other.

[0047] In the terminal member 100A, the terminal 1A does not necessarily have to include the metal plate 40. For example, the terminal 1A may include the metal plate 20 instead of the metal plate 40. Furthermore, the terminal 1 of the first embodiment may include the metal plate 40 instead of the metal plate 20.

[0048] 〔summary〕 A terminal according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises a lead pin having a core material and a first coating material that coats the core material, and a metal plate joined to the lead pin, wherein the electrical conductivity of the core material is higher than the electrical conductivity of the first coating material, the lead pin has, in the longitudinal direction, a first portion and a second portion in which the thickness of the first coating material is greater than that of the first portion, and the metal plate is joined to the first portion.

[0049] A terminal according to aspect 2 of the present disclosure is the same as aspect 1, wherein the thickness of the core material in the second region in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lead pin is greater than the thickness of the core material in the first region in the same direction.

[0050] A terminal according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the terminal of the first or second aspect, wherein the first portion has a surface facing the metal plate and wider than the second portion.

[0051] A terminal according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the terminal of any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the core material includes copper.

[0052] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure relates to the terminal of the fourth aspect, wherein the first coating material includes either an alloy of iron and chromium or iron.

[0053] A terminal according to aspect 6 of the present disclosure is any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the lead pin further has a second coating material covering the first coating material, and the second coating material has higher corrosion resistance than the first coating material.

[0054] A terminal according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the terminal of any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the metal plate includes at least one of copper, iron, and an alloy of iron and chromium.

[0055] A terminal member according to aspect 8 of the present disclosure comprises a cover body having a through hole, a terminal according to any one of aspects 1 to 6 positioned within the through hole, and a fixing member that fixes the terminal to the through hole.

[0056] A terminal member according to aspect 9 of the present disclosure is the same as that of aspect 8, in which the side of the terminal on which the first portion is located relative to the second portion is defined as the first side, and the side opposite the first side is defined as the second side, and the fixing member fixes the second portion of the lead pin to the through hole, with a gap between the first side end of the fixing member and the second side end of the first portion.

[0057] A terminal member according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure is the same as in the eighth or ninth aspect, wherein the fixing member includes glass.

[0058] A terminal member according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is the terminal member of the tenth aspect, wherein the glass is soda-lime glass, soda-barium glass, or borosilicate glass.

[0059] The terminal member according to aspect 12 of the present disclosure is, in any one of aspects 8 to 11, such that the side of the terminal where the first portion is located relative to the second portion is defined as a first side, the side opposite the first side is defined as a second side, and the end of the second side of the fixing member has an arched shape.

[0060] The terminal member of aspect 13 of the present disclosure is, in any of aspects 8 to 12, such that the side of the terminal where the first portion is located relative to the second portion is the first side, and the side opposite the first side is the second side, the cover body further has a tubular portion extending from the through hole to the second side, the tubular portion having an inner surface facing the terminal and an open end on the second side, and the fixing member contacts the inner surface of the tubular portion and the end face of the open end.

[0061] An electrical device according to aspect 14 of the present disclosure comprises a terminal member according to any one of aspects 8 to 13, a box body to which the lid body is joined, and an electrical component housed in the box body and electrically connected to the terminal.

[0062] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1, 1A terminal 10, 30 lead pins 10a core material 10b 1st covering material 10c 2nd covering material 11 Part 1 11a surface 11b Second side end of first portion 12 Part 2 20, 40 metal plate 100, 100A terminal material 110 Lid 111 Through hole 112 Cylinder part 112a Inner surface 112b Open end 120 Fixing member 121 first end of fixing member 122 second end of fixing member 200 Electrical Equipment 210 Box body 220 Electrical Components

Claims

1. a lead pin having a core material and a first coating material that coats the core material; a metal plate joined to the lead pin, the electrical conductivity of the core material is higher than the electrical conductivity of the first coating material; the lead pin has, in a longitudinal direction, a first portion and a second portion in which the thickness of the first coating material is greater than that of the first portion; The metal plate is joined to the first portion.

2. The terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the core material in the second portion in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lead pin is greater than the thickness of the core material in the first portion in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lead pin.

3. The terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first portion has a surface facing the metal plate and having a width greater than that of the second portion.

4. The terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the core material comprises copper.

5. The terminal according to claim 4 , wherein the first coating material comprises either an alloy of iron and chromium or iron.

6. the lead pin further includes a second coating material covering the first coating material, The terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second coating material has higher corrosion resistance than the first coating material.

7. 3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the metal plate contains at least one of copper, iron, and an alloy of iron and chromium.

8. a lid having a through hole; The terminal according to claim 1 or 2, which is located in the through hole; a fixing member that fixes the terminal in the through hole.

9. In the terminal, a side where the first portion is located relative to the second portion is defined as a first side, and a side opposite to the first side is defined as a second side, the fixing member fixes the second portion of the lead pin to the through hole; The terminal member according to claim 8 , wherein an end portion of the fixing member on the first side and an end portion of the first portion on the second side are spaced apart from each other.

10. The terminal member according to claim 8 , wherein the fixing member includes glass.

11. 11. The terminal member according to claim 10, wherein the glass is soda-lime glass, soda-barium glass, or borosilicate glass.

12. In the terminal, a side where the first portion is located relative to the second portion is defined as a first side, and a side opposite to the first side is defined as a second side, The terminal member according to claim 8 , wherein the second end of the fixing member has an arched shape.

13. In the terminal, a side where the first portion is located relative to the second portion is defined as a first side, and a side opposite to the first side is defined as a second side, the lid body further includes a cylindrical portion extending from the through hole to the second side, the cylindrical portion has an inner surface facing the terminal and an open end portion on the second side, The terminal member according to claim 8 , wherein the fixing member is in contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion and an end face of the opening end.

14. The terminal member according to claim 8; a box body to which the lid body is joined; an electrical component housed in the box and electrically connected to the terminal.

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