Wire with terminal and terminal

Abstract

To provide a wire with a terminal that has excellent electrical properties by achieving good conduction between wires at the crimped portion of the core wire crimped to the terminal, and a terminal.SOLUTION: A wire 1 with a terminal includes an electric wire 10 and a terminal 20, and is resistance-welded by clamping the terminal 20, which is crimped onto a core wire 12 of the electric wire 10, from the outside between a pair of electrodes and passing an electric current through them. The terminal 20 includes a core wire crimping portion 22 consisting of a base 221 on which the core wire 12 is placed and a pair of crimping pieces 222 extending from both ends in the width direction of the base 221. Each of the pair of crimping pieces 222 is provided with a penetration portion 223 that extends from the crimping piece 222 and penetrates into the core wire 12 when the terminal 20 is crimped onto the core wire 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric wire with a terminal and a terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] Electric wires with terminals have been proposed in the past, in which a terminal is crimped onto a core wire exposed from an electric wire. This type of electric wire with terminals may be used, for example, as a power electric wire for use in electric vehicles. In this case, the number of element wires constituting the core wire is large, and when a terminal is crimped onto the core wire, the element wires in the radial center portion are less likely to undergo plastic deformation. This prevents the oxide film on the surface of the element wires from being destroyed, making it difficult to achieve electrical continuity, particularly between the element wires. In addition, this can result in high electrical resistance at the core wire crimped portion, which can cause heat generation problems when current is applied.

[0003] To address this problem, one method is to melt the wires in the core wire crimped portion by resistance welding using the processing tools (so-called anvil and crimper) used during the crimping as electrodes, but this can cause variations in electrical heating and does not necessarily result in satisfactory conductivity.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric wire with a terminal in which, at the connection portion between the terminal and the electric wire, a convex portion consisting of a convex strip is provided on the smooth surface of the bottom wall of the terminal at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the electric wire, and this convex portion is directly connected to the conductor at the end of the electric wire by resistance welding. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4158889 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the electric wire with terminal disclosed in Patent Document 1, the core wire of the electric wire and the core crimping portion of the terminal are not crimped together, but are directly resistance welded to the core wire using an electrode, so repeated joining can cause the molten core wire to adhere to the electrode surface, or the electrode material (metal) and the molten core wire form an intermetallic compound, which changes the electrical properties and surface shape of the electrode surface, resulting in an unstable weld state.As such, conventional electric wires with terminals have room for improvement.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide an electric wire with a terminal and a terminal that have excellent electrical properties by achieving good conduction between the wires at the crimped portion of the core wire that is crimped to the terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the electric wire with terminal according to the present invention comprises: An electric wire with terminal, comprising: an electric wire having a core wire made of a plurality of wires and an insulating coating covering the core wire; and a terminal crimped onto the core wire exposed at an end of the electric wire, the terminal crimped onto the core wire being resistance-welded by sandwiching the terminal crimped onto the core wire from the outside between a pair of electrodes and passing current therethrough, the terminal has a core wire crimping portion including a base portion on which the core wire is placed and a pair of crimping pieces extending from both widthwise end portions of the base portion, Each of the pair of crimping pieces is provided with a penetration portion extending from the crimping piece and inserted into the core wire when the crimping piece is crimped to the core wire. It is an electric wire with terminals.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the terminal according to the present invention comprises: A terminal that is crimped onto a core wire exposed from the end of an electric wire, a core wire crimping portion including a base portion on which the core wire is placed and a pair of crimping pieces extending from both widthwise end portions of the base portion, Each of the pair of crimping pieces is provided with a penetration portion extending from the crimping piece and adapted to penetrate into the core wire when the crimping piece is crimped to the core wire. It is a terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electric wire with a terminal and a terminal that have excellent electrical properties by achieving good electrical continuity between the wires at the crimped portion of the core wire that is crimped to the terminal.

[0011] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an electric wire with a terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the electric wire with terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic development view of the terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a first schematic diagram for explaining the method for manufacturing an electric wire with a terminal. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a second schematic view for explaining the method for manufacturing an electric wire with a terminal. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are schematic cross-sectional views of FIG. 1, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of A1 portion, (b) is a cross-sectional view of B1 portion, (c) is a cross-sectional view of C1 portion, (d) is a cross-sectional view of D1 portion, and (e) is a cross-sectional view of E1 portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of an electric wire with a terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of the electric wire with terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic development view of a terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 8, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of part A2, (b) is a cross-sectional view of part B2, (c) is a cross-sectional view of part C2, (d) is a cross-sectional view of part D2, and (e) is a cross-sectional view of part E2. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a modified example of the terminal shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an electric wire with terminal 1 and a terminal 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The electric wire with terminal 1 can be used to be routed between various devices such as a battery, an inverter, and a motor of an electric vehicle, for example.

[0014] First Embodiment Hereinafter, a terminal-fitted electric wire 1 and a terminal 20 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0015] [Outline of terminal-attached wire configuration] The general configuration of the terminal-attached wire will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the electric wire with terminal 1 includes an electric wire 10 and a terminal 20.

[0016] 1, the electric wire 10 includes a core wire 12 made up of a plurality of wires 11 and an insulating coating 13 covering the core wire. In this example, the wires 11 are made of, for example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The insulating coating 13 is made of an insulating resin.

[0017] The terminal 20 is formed by pressing and bending a metal plate into a predetermined shape. In this example, the metal plate is made of, for example, copper or a copper alloy.

[0018] 1, the terminal 20 is configured to have a connecting portion 21, a first connecting portion 20a, a core wire crimping portion 22, a second connecting portion 20b, and a coating crimping portion 23. The connecting portion 21, the first connecting portion 20a, the core wire crimping portion 22, the second connecting portion 20b, and the coating crimping portion 23 are arranged in a line in this order along the extending direction of the electric wire 10 from one terminal side (left side in FIG. 1) to the other terminal side (right side in FIG. 1).

[0019] The connecting portion 21 is a portion of the terminal 20 that is connected to a mating terminal. In this example, the connecting portion 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular tubular shape extending in the extension direction. The connecting portion 21 is connected to the core wire crimping portion 22 via the first coupling portion 20a.

[0020] The core wire crimping portion 22 is a portion that is crimped to the core wire 12 exposed at one end portion of the electric wire 10. As shown in FIG. 3 etc., the core wire crimping portion 22 has a base 221 and a pair of crimping pieces 222. The base 221 has a generally U-shaped cross section (see FIG. 4) and extends in the extension direction. The pair of crimping pieces 222 are formed in the shape of arms that extend upward from a pair of widthwise ends of the base 221, and extend upward while inclining outward in the widthwise direction before being crimped to the core wire 12 (see FIG. 4). The core wire crimping portion 22 is connected to the insulation crimping portion 23 via the second connecting portion 20b.

[0021] Each of the pair of crimping pieces 222 is provided with a penetration portion 223 that extends further from a part of the extending end of the crimping piece 222. The penetration portion 223 is provided on one terminal side of the extending end of one crimping piece 222 (upper side in FIG. 3), and is provided on the other terminal side of the extending end of the other crimping piece 222 (lower side in FIG. 3).

[0022] The penetration portions 223 penetrate into the core wire 12, i.e., between the plurality of strands 11, when the core wire crimping portion 22 is crimped to the core wire 12. The penetration portions 223 are shorter in the extension direction than the crimping pieces 222 and are formed in a generally right-angled triangular shape whose length in the extension direction decreases from the base end to the extension end. That is, the penetration portions 223 have hypotenuses that intersect obliquely with the extension direction. Therefore, when the core wire crimping portion 22 is crimped to the core wire 12, the penetration portions 2223 penetrate from the center of the core wire crimping portion 22 in the extension direction to the outside, while drawing a spiral around the central axis of the electric wire 10. Therefore, in the crimped state, the penetration portions 2223 have a spiral shape around the central axis of the electric wire 10, and the amount of penetration into the core wire 12 increases with increasing distance from the center of the core wire crimping portion 22 in the extension direction (see FIG. 6).

[0023] The coating crimping portion 23 is a portion that is crimped to an end portion of the insulating coating 13 of the electric wire 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the coating crimping portion 23 has a base 23a and a pair of crimping pieces 23b. Similar to the base 221, the base 23a has a generally U-shaped cross section and extends in the extension direction (not shown). Similar to the pair of crimping pieces 222, the pair of crimping pieces 23b are formed in the shape of arms that extend upward from a pair of ends in the width direction of the base 23a, and extend upward while inclining outward in the width direction before being crimped to the core wire 12 (not shown).

[0024] [Manufacturing equipment for electric wires with terminals] An example of a manufacturing apparatus for an electric wire with terminal will be described below. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the manufacturing apparatus 100 for an electric wire with terminal has an anvil-type electrode 101 and a crimper-type electrode 102.

[0025] The anvil electrode 101 is a fixed mold and has a function of supporting the terminal 20. The anvil electrode 101 is one of the electrodes used for resistance welding.

[0026] The crimper electrode 102 is a movable die located above the anvil electrode 101 and is movable relative to the anvil electrode 101 in the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the extension direction). The crimper electrode 102 is one of the electrodes used for resistance welding. The crimper electrode 102 has a thickness in the extension direction, and a pair of crimping surfaces 102a recessed upward is formed in the center of the width direction of the lower surface (see FIG. 4). The pair of crimping surfaces 102a are formed to crimp while guiding the pair of crimping pieces 222.

[0027] [Manufacturing method for electric wire with terminal] An example of a method for manufacturing an electric wire with a terminal will be described below. However, the method for manufacturing the electric wire with terminal is not limited to the following method.

[0028] First, the terminal 20 is crimped onto the electric wire 10. As a preparation for this step, the electric wire 10 is subjected to end treatment in which the insulating coating 13 is removed from one end of the electric wire 10 to expose a predetermined length of the core wire 12.

[0029] Next, the terminal 20 is placed on the anvil-type electrode 101, and then the electric wire 10 is placed on the terminal 20 so that the exposed core wire 12 is positioned at the base 221 of the core wire crimping portion 22 and the terminal portion of the insulating coating 13 is positioned at the base 23a of the coating crimping portion 23 (see Figure 4).

[0030] Next, the crimper-type electrode 102 is moved downward relative to the anvil-type electrode 101, and the pair of crimping pieces 222 of the core wire crimping portion 22 is crimped to the core wire 12 (see FIG. 5). At this time, the pair of crimping pieces 222 and the penetrating portion 223 are crimped by the crimping surface 102a of the crimper-type electrode 102 so as to surround the core wire 12 and so as to bite into the upper part of the core wire 12 while the pair of downward-facing tips abut against each other. As a result, when the core wire crimping portion 22 is crimped to the core wire 12, the penetrating portion 223 penetrates into the core wire 12 and takes a spiral shape around the central axis of the electric wire 10, and the amount of penetration of the core wire crimping portion 22 increases with increasing distance from the center in the extension direction (see FIG. 6).

[0031] Next, similar to the process of crimping the core wire crimping portion 22 to the core wire 12, a pair of crimping pieces 23b of the cover crimping portion 23 are crimped to the insulating cover 13 by a processing tool (so-called anvil and crimper) not shown. This completes the crimping of the terminal 20 to the electric wire 10.

[0032] Next, the anvil electrode 101 and the crimper electrode 102 apply electricity to heat the crimped portion of the core wire 12 from outside the core wire crimping portion 22 (see FIG. 5 ). As a result, the crimped portion of the core wire 12 (the plurality of elemental wires 11) generates heat via the core wire crimping portion 22, causing it to melt and soften. The melted and softened core wire 12 then solidifies, integrating the plurality of elemental wires 11 and welding the outer periphery of the core wire 12 to the core wire crimping portion 22, thereby completing the electric wire with terminal 1. This step is performed with the core wire 12 and the core wire crimping portion 22 being pressed by the anvil electrode 101 and the crimper electrode 102.

[0033] After heating by applying current, the crimper electrode 102 is moved upward relative to the anvil electrode 101, completing the production of the electric wire with terminal 1. The step of crimping the core wire crimping portion 22 onto the core wire 12 and the step of crimping the coating crimping portion 23 onto the insulating coating 13 may be performed simultaneously or sequentially. Furthermore, the step of crimping the core wire crimping portion 22 onto the core wire 12 and the step of welding the core wire 12 and the core wire crimping portion 22 (i.e., applying current between the anvil electrode 101 and the crimper electrode 102) may be performed simultaneously or sequentially.

[0034] [Example of effect] As described above, according to this embodiment, the penetration portion 223 that penetrates into the core wire 12 is provided, and thus, when heated by electrical current, it is possible to promote melting of the inside of the core wire 12 by heat conduction to the penetration portion 223. That is, the entire crimped portion of the core wire 12 is heated by the base portion 221, the pair of crimping pieces 222, and the penetration portion 223, thereby achieving good electrical conduction between the plurality of wires 11.

[0035] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the penetration portion 223 is spiral around the central axis, a sufficient heat transfer range can be secured inside the core wire 12 in the extension direction, and the inside of the core wire 12 can be heated sufficiently.

[0036] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the penetration amount of the penetration portion 223 into the core wire 12 increases with increasing distance from the center in the extension direction of the core wire crimping portion 22, thereby making it possible to effectively heat locations away from the center of the core wire crimping portion 22, where the heating temperature tends to decrease. In other words, by adjusting the penetration amount as described above for a heat distribution in which the heating temperature generally decreases with increasing distance from the center of the core wire crimping portion 22, it is possible to make the heat distribution uniform.

[0037] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the provision of the penetration portion 223 means that the exposed core wire 12 is entirely covered by the core wire crimping portion 22, making it difficult for the molten core wire to adhere to the pair of electrodes (i.e., the anvil-type electrode 101 and the crimper-type electrode 102). As a result, even if the pair of electrodes are used continuously, dirt is unlikely to adhere to their surfaces, allowing for stable boathouse welding.

[0038] As described above, according to this embodiment, better conduction between the wires 11 can be achieved at the crimped portion of the core wire 12, and the electrical characteristics are superior compared to the conventional art.

[0039] Second Embodiment Hereinafter, a terminal-fitted wire 1 and a terminal 20 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0040] The present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shape of the penetration portion 223 and the state of the penetration portion 223 when the core wire crimping portion 22 is crimped to the core wire 12. In the present embodiment, the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0041] 9, each of the pair of crimping pieces 222 is provided with a penetration portion 223 that extends further in a tapered shape from the entire area of ​​the extending end of the crimping piece 222. In the crimped state, the penetration portion 223 penetrates into the core wire 12, i.e., between the plurality of wires 11. The penetration portion 223 has a length in the extending direction that is approximately the same as that of the crimping pieces 222 at the base end, and is formed in a substantially isosceles triangular shape (i.e., tapered shape) that decreases in length in the extending direction from the base end toward the extending end.

[0042] In the crimped state, the penetration portion 223 in this example has a spiral shape around the central axis of the electric wire 10, and the amount of penetration into the core wire 12 decreases as the core wire crimping portion 22 moves away from the center in the extension direction (see Figure 10).

[0043] Generally, when the size of an electric wire is large, the center of the electric wire in the extension direction, particularly the core wire near the central axis, tends to be less likely to melt. Furthermore, depending on the electric wire used, the above-mentioned heat distribution may not be an issue. By employing the terminal 20 of this embodiment for such an electric wire, it is possible to heat the center of the electric wire 10 in the extension direction, particularly the area near the central axis, in a concentrated manner. In other words, this embodiment can effectively promote melting of the inside of the core wire 12. Note that, in this embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained with respect to the other configurations that are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0044] <Other embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. Furthermore, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention.

[0045] For example, the penetration portion 223 may be configured as shown in Fig. 11. In the penetration portion 223 of this modified example (see Fig. 11), the position of the so-called hypotenuse is formed on the opposite side in the extension direction to the penetration portion 223 of the first embodiment (see Fig. 3). As a result, when the core wire crimping portion 22 is crimped to the core wire 12, the direction of penetration (the direction of spiral extension) in the extension direction differs, and the penetration portion 223 of the modified example (see Fig. 11) has a spiral shape around the central axis of the electric wire 10 in the crimped state, and the amount of penetration of the core wire crimping portion 22 into the core wire 12 decreases with increasing distance from the center in the extension direction. Therefore, according to this modified example, the same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained. <Features of the embodiment> Hereinafter, features of the embodiments of the electric wire with terminal and the terminal according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed.

[0046] [1] An electric wire (10) includes a core wire (12) made of a plurality of wires (11) and an insulating coating (13) covering the core wire (12), and a terminal (20) crimped onto the core wire (12) exposed from an end of the electric wire (10), and the terminal (20) is resistance-welded by sandwiching the terminal (20) crimped onto the core wire (12) from the outside between a pair of electrodes and passing a current through the terminal, The terminal (20) has a core wire crimping portion (22) including a base (221) on which the core wire (12) is placed and a pair of crimping pieces (222) extending from both widthwise ends of the base (221), Each of the pair of crimping pieces (222) is provided with a penetration portion (223) extending from the crimping piece (222) and penetrating into the core wire (12) when the crimping piece (222) is crimped to the core wire (12). Wire with terminal (1).

[0047] [2] The terminal-attached electric wire (1) described in [1] above, The penetration portion (223) has a spiral shape around the central axis of the electric wire (10). Wire with terminal (1).

[0048] [3] The terminal-attached electric wire (1) according to the above [1] or [2], The penetration portion (223) of the core wire crimping portion (22) penetrates the core wire (12) by a larger amount as it moves away from the center of the electric wire (10) in the extending direction. Wire with terminals.

[0049] [4] The terminal-attached electric wire (1) according to the above [1] or [2], In the core wire crimping portion (22), the penetration amount of the penetration portion (223) into the core wire (12) decreases as the distance from the center in the extension direction of the electric wire (10) increases. Wire with terminal (1).

[0050] [5] A terminal (20) to be crimped onto a core wire (12) exposed from the end of an electric wire (10), a core wire crimping portion (22) including a base portion (221) on which the core wire (12) is placed and a pair of crimping pieces (222) extending from both widthwise ends of the base portion (221), Each of the pair of crimping pieces (222) is provided with a penetration portion (223) that extends from the crimping piece (222) and penetrates into the core wire (12) when the crimping piece (222) is crimped to the core wire (12). Terminal(20).

[0051] According to the configurations [1] and [5] above, by providing a penetration portion that penetrates into the core wire, when the pair of electrodes apply electrical current and heat, heat conduction to the penetration portion can promote melting of the inside of the core wire. That is, the entire crimped portion of the core wire is heated by the base portion, the pair of crimping pieces, and the penetration portion, thereby achieving good electrical conduction between the multiple strands. In other words, according to this configuration, better electrical conduction between the strands can be achieved in the crimped portion of the core wire than in the conventional configuration, resulting in superior electrical properties.

[0052] According to the configuration [2] above, since the penetration portion is spiral around the central axis, a sufficient heat transfer range can be secured inside the core wire in the extension direction, and the inside of the core wire can be heated sufficiently.

[0053] According to the configuration [3], the penetration amount of the penetration portion into the core wire increases as the distance from the center of the core wire crimping portion in the extending direction of the electric wire increases, thereby making it possible to effectively heat a location away from the center of the core wire crimping portion where the heating temperature by the pair of electrodes tends to decrease. Note that, in general, the heating temperature by the pair of electrodes decreases with increasing distance from the center of the core wire crimping portion.

[0054] According to the configuration [4], the penetration amount of the penetration portion into the core wire at the core wire crimping portion decreases as the distance from the center in the extension direction of the electric wire increases. This allows for concentrated heating of the center in the extension direction of the electric wire, particularly near the central axis. Therefore, particularly when the electric wire size is large, melting of the inside of the core wire can be effectively promoted. Note that, in general, when the electric wire size is large, it is difficult for the core wire in the center in the extension direction of the electric wire, particularly near the central axis, to melt. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 electric wire 10 Electric wire 11 Wire 12 core wire 13 Insulation coating 20 terminals 22 Core wire crimping part 221 Base 222 Crimping piece 223 Penetration

Claims

1. An electric wire with terminal, comprising: an electric wire having a core wire made of a plurality of wires and an insulating coating covering the core wire; and a terminal crimped onto the core wire exposed at an end of the electric wire, the terminal crimped onto the core wire being resistance-welded by sandwiching the terminal crimped onto the core wire from the outside between a pair of electrodes and passing current therethrough, the terminal has a core wire crimping portion including a base portion on which the core wire is placed and a pair of crimping pieces extending from both widthwise end portions of the base portion, Each of the pair of crimping pieces is provided with a penetration portion extending from the crimping piece and inserted into the core wire when the crimping piece is crimped to the core wire. Wire with terminals.

2. The electric wire with terminal according to claim 1, The penetration portion has a spiral shape around the central axis of the electric wire. Wire with terminals.

3. The electric wire with terminal according to claim 1, the penetration portion penetrates the core wire by a larger amount as it moves away from the center of the core wire in the extending direction of the electric wire in the core wire crimping portion; Wire with terminals.

4. The electric wire with terminal according to claim 1, the penetration portion has a core wire crimping portion, and the penetration amount of the penetration portion into the core wire decreases as the penetration portion moves away from the center in the extending direction of the electric wire. Wire with terminals.

5. A terminal that is crimped onto a core wire exposed from the end of an electric wire, a core wire crimping portion including a base portion on which the core wire is placed and a pair of crimping pieces extending from both widthwise end portions of the base portion, Each of the pair of crimping pieces is provided with a penetration portion extending from the crimping piece and adapted to penetrate into the core wire when the crimping piece is crimped to the core wire. Terminal.

Images