Ultrasonic bonding device and wire with terminals

Abstract

The present invention provides an ultrasonic bonding device and a wire with a terminal that can properly verify the connection status between the terminal and the wire. [Solution] The ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 comprises an anvil 120 having a mounting surface 121 on which the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 of the electric wire 10 are placed on top of each other, a horn 110 having a pressing surface 111 provided opposite to the mounting surface 121 of the anvil 120, which presses the pressing surface 111 against the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 on the mounting surface 121 to bond the terminal 10 and the conductor portion 11 by ultrasonic vibration, and a gliding jaw 130 arranged adjacent to the conductor portion 11 which supports the terminal 20 by sandwiching it between itself and the mounting surface 121, and the mounting surface 121 has a plurality of protrusions 121a projecting toward the pressing surface 111 and a clamping region 122 that clamps the terminal 20 between itself and the gliding jaw 130, and the area of ​​the mounting surface 121 other than the clamping region 122 has a non-forming region 123 on which the protrusions 121a are not formed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic bonding device and a wire with a terminal.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as related to an ultrasonic bonding device and a wire with a terminal, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, there is provided an anvil on which a terminal and a core wire of a covered wire are overlapped and placed, and a horn disposed apart from the anvil. There is known a device that presses a terminal and a core wire (conductor portion) placed on the anvil by a hole and applies ultrasonic vibration to bond the terminal and the core wire to manufacture a wire with a terminal. This device forms a convex portion on the mounting surface of the anvil and engages it with the concave portion of the terminal, thereby preventing the terminal from moving along the mounting surface with respect to the mounting surface of the anvil and appropriately bonding the conductor portion of the wire and the terminal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the above-described ultrasonic bonding device and wire with a terminal have room for improvement in that it is difficult to confirm the bonding state between the terminal and the conductor portion. For example, there may be a case where the bonding state between the terminal and the conductor portion in a wire with a terminal bonded by an ultrasonic bonding device is inspected by ultrasonic inspection. That is, there may be a case where ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the surface of the terminal toward the bonding portion between the terminal and the conductor portion, and the bonding state is inspected according to the reflection of the ultrasonic waves. At this time, if the surface of the terminal becomes uneven due to the transfer of the convex portion of the mounting surface of the anvil, the ultrasonic inspection cannot be appropriately performed, and the bonding state between the terminal and the wire may not be confirmed.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an ultrasonic bonding device and a wire with terminals that can appropriately confirm the bonding state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In other words, the ultrasonic bonding apparatus according to the present invention comprises: an anvil having a mounting surface on which a conductive terminal and a conductive wire conductor are placed on top of each other; a horn having a pressing surface provided opposite to the mounting surface of the anvil, which presses the pressing surface against the terminal and the conductor on the mounting surface to bond the terminal and the conductor by ultrasonic vibration; and a support portion arranged adjacent to the conductor and supporting the terminal by sandwiching it between itself and the mounting surface, wherein the mounting surface has a plurality of protrusions projecting toward the pressing surface and a clamping region that clamps the terminal between itself and the support portion, and the area of ​​the mounting surface other than the clamping region has a non-formed area where the protrusions are not formed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The ultrasonic bonding apparatus according to the present invention allows for proper confirmation of the bonding state between terminals and electric wires. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a wire with terminals according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a wire with terminals according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the ultrasonic bonding apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of ultrasonic bonding using the ultrasonic bonding apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of ultrasonic bonding using the ultrasonic bonding apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the anvil in the ultrasonic bonding apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 7]Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of a modified anvil in the ultrasonic bonding apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of a modified anvil in the ultrasonic bonding apparatus according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Furthermore, some of the components in the following embodiments may be easily substituted or substantially identical to those that are easily substituted by those skilled in the art.

[0010] [Embodiment] This embodiment relates to an ultrasonic bonding apparatus and a wire with terminals. In the following description, of the three intersecting directions, the first direction is referred to as the "axial direction X," the second direction as the "left-right direction Y," and the third direction as the "up-down direction Z." Here, the axial direction X, the left-right direction Y, and the up-down direction Z are mutually orthogonal. The axial direction X typically corresponds to the direction of extension of the wire with terminals, the front-to-back direction of the ultrasonic bonding apparatus used to manufacture the wire with terminals, etc. The left-right direction Y typically corresponds to the width direction of the terminals of the wire with terminals, the width direction of the ultrasonic bonding apparatus used to manufacture the wire with terminals, etc. The up-down direction Z corresponds to the vertical direction, and typically corresponds to the thickness direction of the terminals of the wire with terminals, the height direction of the ultrasonic bonding apparatus used to manufacture the wire with terminals, etc. In the vertical direction, the upper part is referred to as the top or upper side, and the lower part is referred to as the bottom or lower side. Note that "orthogonal" here includes approximately orthogonal.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the wire with terminals 1 according to this embodiment comprises a wire 10 and a terminal 20, and is constructed by joining the terminal 20 to the end of the wire 10. The wire with terminals 1 is used, for example, as part of a wire harness for electrical connections in a vehicle. Here, a wire harness is, for example, a bundle of multiple wires used for power supply and signal communication for connecting various devices mounted on a vehicle, and multiple wires 10 are connected to devices, equipment or components using connectors or the like.

[0012] The electric wire 10 is an insulated electric wire comprising a conductive conductor portion 11 (core wire) and an insulating coating portion 12, with the conductor portion 11 covered by the insulating coating portion 12. The conductor portion 11 is made up of a bundle of multiple conductive strands 11a. The insulating coating portion 12 is formed, for example, by extruding an insulating resin material. The conductor portion 11 may also be made up of multiple strands 11a twisted together.

[0013] Furthermore, the electric wire 10 extends linearly along the axial direction X, and the cross-sectional shape of the conductor portion 11 (the cross-sectional shape in the direction intersecting the axial direction X, which is the direction in which the electric wire 10 extends) is approximately circular, and the cross-sectional shape of the insulating coating portion 12 is approximately annular, resulting in an overall approximately circular cross-sectional shape. In addition, at least one end of the electric wire 10 has the insulating coating portion 12 stripped off, and a terminal 20 is provided on the exposed conductor portion 13 where the conductor portion 11 is exposed from the end of the insulating coating portion 12.

[0014] Terminal 20 is to which the electric wire 10 is electrically connected and to which a conductive object to be connected is connected. Terminal 20 comprises an electrical connection part 21 and an electric wire connection part 22.

[0015] Furthermore, the terminal 20 is formed by shaping a single sheet metal made of conductive metal into a three-dimensional, integrated form by various processes such as punching, pressing, and bending, according to the shape corresponding to each part. Therefore, in this embodiment, the terminal 20 has an electrical connection part 21 and a wire connection part 22 that are formed integrally and connected along the axial direction X.

[0016] The electrical connection part 21 is a part that is electrically connected to the object to be connected. The electrical connection part 21 of the present embodiment is, as an example, formed in the shape of a round terminal (LA terminal) and provided with a through hole (not shown). The terminal 20 formed in this way is, for example, inserted with a fastening member such as a bolt through the through hole of the electrical connection part 21 and the through hole of the electrical connection part in the object to be connected, and the electrical connection part of the object to be connected is fixed to the electrical connection part 21, so as to be electrically connected to the object to be connected. Note that the shape of the electrical connection part 21 is not particularly limited, and the connection form between the terminal 20 and the object to be connected is not particularly limited.

[0017] The wire connection part 22 is on one end side of the electrical connection part 21, provided on the side opposite to the side that is electrically connected to the object to be connected, and is the part to which the wire 10 is connected. The wire connection part 22 of the present embodiment is formed in a plate shape as a whole.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the wire connection part 22 of the terminal 20 has a flat part 222 in the pressing area 221. The flat part 222 is a part having a flat surface without unevenness on the surface of the terminal 20. The flat surface without unevenness includes a surface with substantially no unevenness. In the pressing area 221, the area other than the flat part 222 is a non-flat part 223. The non-flat part 223 is a part with unevenness on the surface, for example, a part with a large number of depressions. The pressing area 221 is an area that abuts against and is pressed by the placement surface of the anvil 120 when the terminal 20 and the conductor part 11 are joined. As shown in FIG. 4, the terminal 20 is placed on and pressed by the placement surface 121 of the anvil 120. When a protrusion 121a is formed on the placement surface 121, the shape of the protrusion 121a is transferred to the surface of the terminal 20 and the non-flat part 223 is formed.

[0019] In FIG. 2, one flat part 222 is formed in the pressing area 221, but two or more flat parts 222 may be formed. For example, the flat part 222 may be formed by being divided into a plurality along the axial direction X.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 according to this embodiment is a device for ultrasonic bonding a terminal 20 to the conductor portion 11 of an electric wire 10, and is used in the manufacture of an electric wire with a terminal 1. The ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 is equipped with a horn 110, an anvil 120, and gliding jaws 130.

[0021] The horn 110 presses the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 of the electric wire 10, joining the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 by ultrasonic vibration. In this embodiment, the horn 110 faces the anvil 120 along the vertical direction Z and is positioned above the anvil 120. The horn 110 can also move downward (towards the anvil 120) and press the terminal 20 and the end of the conductor portion 11 between itself and the anvil 120. Furthermore, the horn 110 can apply ultrasonic vibration while contacting and pressurizing the conductor portion 11, thereby transmitting ultrasonic vibration to the joint between the electric wire 10 and the terminal 20. The direction of pressure applied by the horn 110 is the direction of the arrow D1 shown in Figure 4, and the direction of the arrow D1 is from top to bottom. Furthermore, the vibration direction of the horn 110 is in the direction of the arrow D2 shown in Figure 4, and the direction of the arrow D2 is along the axial direction X.

[0022] In Figure 3, the horn 110 has a pressing surface 111 that applies ultrasonic vibrations to the terminal 20 and the end of the conductor portion 11. The pressing surface 111 contacts the conductor portion 11 while sandwiching the terminal 20 and the end of the conductor portion 11 between itself and the anvil 120. Multiple protrusions 111a are formed on the pressing surface 111. The protrusions 111a project toward the anvil 120 and are formed, for example, in a tapered mountain shape. For example, the protrusions 111a are formed over the entire area of ​​the pressing surface 111. The protrusions 111a suppress the movement of the conductor portion 11 in the axial direction X or left-right direction Y. In other words, the contact of the protrusions 111a with the conductor portion 11 makes it difficult for the conductor portion 11 to move relative to the horn 110, and ultrasonic bonding is performed properly.

[0023] The anvil 120 is a base member that receives the members to be ultrasonically bonded. In this embodiment, the anvil 120 faces the horn 110 along the vertical Z direction and is positioned below the horn 110. Furthermore, when the terminal 20 and the end of the conductor portion 11 are sandwiched between the anvil 120 and the horn 110, the anvil 120 receives the load transmitted from the horn 110 to the terminal 20, thereby pressing the end of the conductor portion 11 against the terminal 20 and applying pressure.

[0024] Furthermore, the anvil 120 has a mounting surface 121 on which the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 are placed. The mounting surface 121 contacts the terminal 20 with the terminal 20 and the end of the conductor portion 11 sandwiched between it and the horn 110. The mounting surface 121 is provided opposite the pressing surface 111 of the horn 110. Multiple protrusions 121a are formed on the mounting surface 121. The protrusions 121a project toward the horn 110 and are formed, for example, in a tapered mountain shape. The protrusions 121a suppress the movement of the terminal 20 in the axial direction X or the left-right direction Y. In other words, the contact of the protrusions 121a with the terminal 20 makes it difficult for the terminal 20 to move relative to the anvil 120, and ultrasonic bonding is performed appropriately. The region on the mounting surface 121 in which the protrusions 121a are formed will be described later.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the gliding jaws 130 are support parts positioned adjacent to the conductor portion 11 and supporting the terminal 20 by sandwiching it between them and the mounting surface 121. For example, two gliding jaws 130 are provided and positioned on either side of the conductor portion 11. The gliding jaws 130 are formed to be tall in the vertical direction Z and are also provided to sandwich the horn 110. The gliding jaws 130 support the ends of the terminal 20 in the left-right direction Y by sandwiching them with the anvil 120.

[0026] As shown in Figure 6, the mounting surface 121 of the anvil 120 has a plurality of protrusions 121a formed thereon. The mounting surface 121 has areas where the protrusions 121a are formed and areas where the protrusions 121a are not formed. The mounting surface 121 is a surface that extends in the left-right direction Y and the axial direction X, and is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape. The mounting surface 121 has a clamping area 122. The clamping area 122 is the area that clamps the terminal 20 between itself and the gliding jaw 130. Two clamping areas 122 are formed according to the number of gliding jaws 130 installed. The clamping areas 122 are formed at positions closer to the ends from the center in the left-right direction Y of the mounting surface 121. Protrusions 121a are formed in the clamping area 122. Therefore, the gliding jaws 130 and the anvil 120 grip the terminal 20, and the projection 121a of the mounting surface 121 comes into contact with the terminal 20, thereby preventing the terminal 20 from moving along the mounting surface 121 relative to the anvil 120.

[0027] The area of ​​the mounting surface 121 other than the clamping area 122 has a non-formed area 123 where the projection 121a is not formed. The non-formed area 123 is, for example, the area where the terminal 20 is clamped between the conductor portion 11 and the non-formed area, and is the area that is not pressed by the gliding jaw 130. The projection 121a is not formed in the non-formed area 123. Therefore, the part of the terminal 20 that contacts the non-formed area 123 becomes a flat portion 222 (see Figure 2). In Figure 6, the entire area where the terminal 20 is clamped between the conductor portion 11 and the non-formed area 123.

[0028] Next, the joining of the terminal-equipped wire 1 by the ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, and the confirmation of the joining state of the terminal-equipped wire 1 will be described.

[0029] In this embodiment, the joining of a wire with a terminal using the ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 begins with the placement of the terminal 20 and the wire 10, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Specifically, the terminal 20 is placed on the mounting surface 121 of the anvil 120, and the conductor portion 11 of the wire 10 is placed on top of the terminal 20, so that the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 are stacked on the mounting surface 121. Then, the gliding jaws 130 are placed adjacent to the conductor portion 11. The gliding jaws 130 are positioned on both sides of the conductor portion 11 in the left-right direction Y, and each presses and supports the end of the terminal 20 toward the anvil 120. The mounting surface 121 that sandwiches the terminal 20 between itself and the gliding jaws 130 is a clamping area 122 and has a projection 121a formed thereon. Therefore, the terminal 20 can be supported so that it does not move relative to the anvil 120 due to the pressure of the gliding jaws 130.

[0030] Next, pressure is applied by moving the horn 110. The horn 110 is moved toward the anvil 120, and the pressing surface 111 comes into contact with the conductor portion 11, pressing the conductor portion 11. The conductor portion 11 and the terminal 20 are pressed while sandwiched between the horn 110 and the anvil 120. In addition to the pressure from the horn 110, ultrasonic vibration is also applied. That is, the horn 110 vibrates, and the ultrasonic vibration is transmitted to the conductor portion 11 and the terminal 20. The conductor portion 11 and the terminal 20 are joined by the pressure and ultrasonic vibration. With the conductor portion 11 and the terminal 20 joined, the manufacturing of the wire with terminal 1 is completed.

[0031] Next, the connection state of the terminal-equipped wire 1 is checked. That is, an inspection is performed to determine whether the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 of the terminal-equipped wire 1 are properly connected. The inspection of the connection state of the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 is performed using ultrasound. For example, the connection state is inspected using an ultrasonic microscope, and ultrasonic vibrations are input from the surface of the terminal 20 toward the connection portion between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 to perform the inspection. At this time, as shown in Figure 2, a flat portion 222 is formed on the surface of the terminal 20, and by applying ultrasonic vibrations from the flat portion 222, the connection state of the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 can be properly observed and the connection state of the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 can be properly confirmed.

[0032] For example, if a flat portion 222 is not formed on the terminal 20 due to the irregularities caused by the protrusions 121a of the anvil 120, it becomes difficult to properly observe the bonding state between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11. That is, the irregularities on the surface of the terminal 20 are detected by the ultrasonic microscope, and the bonding portion between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 and the irregularities on the terminal 20 are observed overlapping in the ultrasonic microscope image. Therefore, it becomes difficult to properly observe the bonding state between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11, and it is not possible to properly confirm the bonding state between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11. In contrast, in the ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 and terminal-equipped wire 1 according to this embodiment, a flat portion 222 is formed on the terminal 20 of the terminal-equipped wire 1. Therefore, the ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 and terminal-equipped wire 1 according to this embodiment allow for proper confirmation of the bonding state between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11. Furthermore, the ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 and the terminal-equipped wire 1 according to this embodiment allow for easy confirmation of the bonding state between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11, ensuring stable quality of the terminal-equipped wire 1, and eliminating the need for confirmation of bonding force or inspection by contactor pressing.

[0033] As described above, the ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 according to this embodiment has a non-forming region 123 on the mounting surface 121 of the anvil 120 where no protrusions 121a are formed, thereby enabling the manufacture of a wire with a terminal 1 having a flat portion 222 on the terminal 20. For this reason, the ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 according to this embodiment can appropriately confirm the bonding state between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 of the wire with a terminal 1.

[0034] In this embodiment, the wire 1 with a terminal has a flat portion 222 formed on the terminal 20, which allows for proper confirmation of the connection state between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11.

[0035] Furthermore, the ultrasonic bonding apparatus and terminal-equipped wire according to the present invention described above are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0036] For example, the ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment had a non-forming region 123 on the mounting surface 121 of the anvil 120 in which no protrusions 121a were formed in areas other than the clamping region 122. However, the entire area of ​​the mounting surface 121 other than the clamping region 122 may be the non-forming region 123. Even in this case, similar to the ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100 according to the above embodiment, having a non-forming region 123 on the mounting surface 121 in which no protrusions 121a were formed allows for proper confirmation of the bonding state between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 of the terminal-equipped wire 1.

[0037] Furthermore, in the ultrasonic bonding apparatus 100, a portion of the area other than the clamping area 122 on the mounting surface 121 of the anvil 120 may be designated as a non-forming area 123. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the non-forming area 123 may be an area of ​​the mounting surface 121 other than the clamping area 122 where the bonding between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 is easily affected. Here, the area where the bonding is easily affected corresponds to the area corresponding to the recess of the pressing surface 111 of the horn 110 where the bonding is reduced. In other words, the non-forming area 123 may be an area corresponding to the area between the protrusions 111a formed on the pressing surface 111. In this case, the area where the bonding between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 is reduced can be appropriately identified for the terminal-equipped wire 1.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the central region of the mounting surface 121 that affects the bonding force between the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11, excluding the clamping region 122, may be designated as the non-formed region 123. In other words, the central region that affects the joining of the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 in the terminal-equipped wire 1 may be designated as the non-formed region 123. In this case, the joining state of the central region that affects the joining of the terminal 20 and the conductor portion 11 in the terminal-equipped wire 1 can be appropriately checked, and the quality of the terminal-equipped wire 1 can be guaranteed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 1: Wire with terminals 10: Electric wire 11: Conductor part 20: Terminals 22: Wire connection section 100: Ultrasonic bonding equipment 110: Horn 111: Pressing surface 111a: Protrusion 120: Anvil 121: Mounting surface 122: Sandwiching area 123: Non-formation area 130: Gliding jaw (support part) 222: Flat part 223: Non-flat area D1: Horn pressure direction D2: Direction of horn vibration X: Axial direction Y: Left / right direction Z: Vertical direction

Claims

1. An anvil having a mounting surface on which a conductive terminal and the conductive portion of a conductive wire are placed in parallel, A horn having a pressing surface provided opposite to the aforementioned mounting surface of the anvil, which presses the pressing surface against the terminal and the conductor on the aforementioned mounting surface to join the terminal and the conductor by ultrasonic vibration, It comprises a support portion arranged adjacent to the conductor portion, which sandwiches and supports the terminal between itself and the aforementioned mounting surface, The mounting surface has a plurality of protrusions projecting toward the pressing surface and a clamping region that clamps the terminal between itself and the support portion. The area of ​​the mounting surface other than the clamping area has a non-formed area where the protrusion is not formed. Ultrasonic bonding equipment.

2. The entire area of ​​the mounting surface other than the clamping area is the non-formed area. The ultrasonic bonding apparatus according to claim 1.

3. A portion of the area on the mounting surface other than the clamping area is the non-formed area. The ultrasonic bonding apparatus according to claim 1.

4. A wire comprising a conductive portion having electrical conductivity, A terminal comprising a wire connection portion connected to the conductor portion by ultrasonic bonding, The wire connection portion has a flat surface without irregularities in the area of ​​the surface that is pressed during ultrasonic bonding. Electrical wire with terminals.

5. The wire connection portion has an uneven, non-flat portion and a flat portion without irregularities in the area of ​​the surface that is pressed during ultrasonic bonding. The wire with terminals as described in claim 4.

Images