Electric wire, electrical connection parts using the same, wire with terminals, and method for manufacturing electric wire

Abstract

To provide an electric wire and an electric connection part which can be electrically connected to a counterpart electric wire by using a graphene film without using metal plating for an electric contact point.SOLUTION: An electric wire 10 includes a conductor 11 and an insulation layer 12 that covers the conductor 11. An end surface of the conductor 11 in an axial direction is covered with a graphene film 13. An electric connection part 1 includes a pair of electric wires 10, each including the conductor 11 and the insulation layer 12 that covers the conductor 11. An end surface of the conductor 11 in the axial direction in each of the pair of electric wires 10 is covered with the graphene film 13, and the individual graphene films 13 in the pair of electric wires 10 are in contact with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric wire, an electrical connection component using the same, a wire with terminals, and a method for manufacturing an electric wire.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in connector terminals, in order to protect the base material from corrosion while ensuring the conductivity of electrical contacts, metal plating such as gold, silver, and tin has been applied. Further, in order to suppress the reaction between the base material of the connector terminal and the metal plating, a reaction suppression layer such as a nickel layer may be provided between the base material and the metal plating.

[0003] In recent years, with the high functionality of electronic devices, high-frequency digital signals in the range of several GHz to several tens of GHz have come to be used. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for manufacturing an electrical contact that enables stable low-inductive reactance in the transmission of high-frequency signals. The method includes a step of forming a nickel-phosphorus alloy plating film on the surface of a copper plating film formed on the surface of a base material, and a step of forming a surface plating film on the surface of the nickel-phosphorus alloy plating film. By setting the phosphorus content of the nickel-phosphorus alloy plating film within a predetermined range, the nickel-phosphorus alloy plating film is made a non-magnetic material.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Conventional electrical contacts include a multilayer structure including a copper plating film, a nickel-phosphorus alloy plating film, and a surface plating film, and the material ratio is carefully controlled to make the nickel-phosphorus alloy plating film a non-magnetic material. Also, in the prior art, expensive gold is used as the surface plating film. Therefore, electrical contacts manufactured by the conventional method may have a high manufacturing cost.

[0006] On the other hand, when silver or tin is used for the surface plating film instead of gold, the surface of the surface plating is covered with a natural oxide film that is an insulator. Therefore, from the viewpoint of conductivity, it is preferable to provide a mechanism for breaking or removing the natural oxide film by applying a large load. However, providing such a mechanism may cause a deterioration in the quality of high-frequency signals due to the shape of the connector terminal.

[0007] As described above, although the metal plating used for electrical contacts is useful for ensuring conductivity and protecting the base material, it may cause an increase in manufacturing cost or a deterioration in the quality of high-frequency signals.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art. And an object of the present invention is to provide a wire capable of electrically connecting to a mating wire without using metal plating for an electrical contact by using a graphene film, an electrical connection component using the same, a wire with a terminal, and a method for manufacturing a wire.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] A wire according to an aspect of the present invention includes a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, and an end face in the axial direction of the conductor is covered with a graphene film.

[0010] An electrical connection component according to another aspect of the present invention includes a pair of wires each including a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, and end faces in the axial direction of the conductors in each of the pair of wires are covered with graphene films. And the graphene films in each of the pair of wires are in contact with each other.

[0011] The wire with a terminal according to another aspect of the present invention includes a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, and is provided with a wire in which an axial end face of the conductor is covered with a graphene film. The wire with a terminal includes a terminal provided on the wire such that the graphene film on the end face contacts the mating wire and the wire and the mating wire are electrically connected.

[0012] A method for manufacturing a wire according to another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a wire including a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor. In this method, an electrophoretic deposition method is used to cover an axial end face of the conductor with a graphene film.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, by using a graphene film, it is possible to provide a wire capable of being electrically connected to a mating wire without using metal plating at an electrical contact, an electrical connection component using the same, a wire with a terminal, and a method for manufacturing a wire.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, the electric wire according to this embodiment, its manufacturing method, the electrical connection component, and the electric wire with terminals will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0016] [Electric Wire] First, the electric wire 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric wire 10 according to this embodiment includes a conductor 11 and an insulating layer 12 that covers the conductor 11.

[0017] The conductor 11 extends in the axial direction. The conductor 11 may be composed of only one strand, may be a collective stranded wire formed by twisting a plurality of strands, or may be a composite stranded wire formed by twisting a plurality of collective stranded wires. The diameter of the conductor 11 may be 0.2 mm or more, may be 1 mm or more, may be 3 mm or more, or may be 5 mm or more. The diameter of the conductor 11 may be 30 mm or less, may be 25 mm or less, or may be 20 mm or less. The conductor 11 may contain at least one metal selected from the group consisting of copper, copper alloy, aluminum, and aluminum alloy.

[0018] The insulating layer 12 covers the conductor 11. Specifically, the insulating layer 12 covers the outer surface of the conductor 11 along the circumferential direction so as to surround it. Also, the insulating layer 12 covers the conductor 11 along the axial direction. The outer surface in the radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction at the axial end of the conductor 11 may be covered by the insulating layer 12 so as not to be exposed, or a part of the insulating layer 12 may be peeled off and a part may be exposed. In this embodiment, the outer surface of the conductor 11 is covered with the insulating layer 12 along the circumferential direction up to the axial end face of the conductor 11. Thereby, the end of the conductor 11 can be protected by the insulating layer 12, and it is not necessary to peel off a part of the insulating layer 12.

[0019] The thickness of the insulating layer 12 may be 0.2 mm or more, may be 0.4 mm or more, or may be 0.6 mm or more. Also, the thickness of the insulating layer 12 may be 2 mm or less, may be 1.9 mm or less, or may be 1.8 mm or less. The insulating layer 12 may contain a resin composition.

[0020] The resin composition may contain at least one of polyolefin and polyvinyl chloride. The polyolefin may contain at least one resin selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene copolymer, and propylene copolymer. The resin in the resin composition may be crosslinked by radiation irradiation or the like. The resin composition may contain various additives such as a flame retardant and an antioxidant.

[0021] The electric wire 10 may further include a shield layer covering the insulating layer 12 and a sheath layer further covering the shield layer. The shield layer can suppress the emission of electromagnetic waves from the conductor 11. The shield layer may be a metal foil or a mesh-like metal member. The sheath layer may contain a resin composition. The composition of the resin composition of the sheath layer may be the same as or different from that of the resin composition of the insulating layer 12.

[0022] The axial end face of the conductor 11 is covered with a graphene film 13. The graphene film 13 may be graphene or a laminate of graphene. Graphene is a conductive material made from an inexpensive carbon source. Graphene is 2 a film-like substance with a thickness of one atom having a planar hexagonal lattice structure formed by sp bonding of carbon atoms. Since graphene is a conductive material and does not have strong magnetism, it can suppress the deterioration of the quality of high-frequency signals in the range of several GHz to several tens of GHz. Also, since graphene is a non-metal, it is less likely to be oxidized and is suitable as an electrical contact.

[0023] The number of graphene layers included in the graphene film 13 may be three or more. By setting the number of graphene layers to three or more, it is possible to prevent the intrusion of oxygen and water and suppress the movement of metal atoms due to ion migration. The upper limit of the number of graphene layers is not particularly limited. The number of graphene layers may be 100 layers or less, 50 layers or less, or 30 layers or less.

[0024] From the perspective of contact reliability, the thickness of the graphene film 13 may be 0.9 nm to 10 μm. The thickness of the graphene film 13 can be obtained by observing the cross-section of the graphene film 13 with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) or a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and measuring the thickness.

[0025] Next, a method for manufacturing the electrical connection component 1 from the electric wire 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the state before connecting a pair of electric wires 10. FIG. 4 is a side view showing an example of the state after connecting a pair of electric wires 10.

[0026] First, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of electric wires 10 including the electric wire 10 and the counterpart electric wire 10 are prepared. The counterpart electric wire 10 is the same as the electric wire 10 and includes a conductor 11 and an insulating layer 12 that coats the conductor 11. The axial end faces of the conductors 11 in each of the pair of electric wires 10 are coated with the graphene film 13. Then, the pair of electric wires 10 are arranged such that the graphene films 13 in each of the pair of electric wires 10 face each other. Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the pair of electric wires 10 are brought closer to each other in the axial direction, and the graphene films 13 in each of the pair of electric wires 10 are brought into contact with each other, thereby forming the electrical connection component 1.

[0027] As described above, the electric wire 10 according to the present embodiment includes a conductor 11 and an insulating layer 12 that coats the conductor 11, and the axial end face of the conductor 11 is coated with the graphene film 13.

[0028] The electrical connection component 1 according to this embodiment includes a pair of electric wires 10 including a conductor 11 and an insulating layer 12 covering the conductor 11. The axial end faces of the conductor 11 in each of the pair of electric wires 10 are covered with graphene films 13. The graphene films 13 in each of the pair of electric wires 10 are in contact with each other.

[0029] Since the graphene film 13 has conductivity, by directly contacting the graphene films 13 with each other, the conductors 11 of the pair of electric wires 10 are electrically connected via the graphene film 13. Therefore, according to the electric wire 10 of this embodiment, by using the graphene film 13, it is possible to electrically connect to the other electric wire 10 without using metal plating at the electrical contact point.

[0030] Normally, metals such as copper and aluminum used for the conductor 11 have a natural oxide film formed on their surfaces. Therefore, simply butting the end faces of the conductor 11 as in this embodiment cannot obtain a good electrical connection. Also, when silver plating or tin plating is applied to the end face of the conductor 11, simply butting the end faces of the conductor 11 does not easily break or remove the natural oxide film, so a good electrical connection cannot be obtained. Furthermore, in the case of gold plating where it is difficult to form a natural oxide film, a ferromagnetic nickel layer is required as a reaction suppression layer between the connector terminal base material such as copper, which may deteriorate high-frequency signals.

[0031] On the other hand, in the electric wire 10 according to this embodiment, since electrical connection is possible without using a connector terminal with metal plating, expensive materials such as gold plating and a removal mechanism for removing the natural oxide film of metal plating such as silver and tin are not required. Also, since the graphene film 13 does not have ferromagnetism, it is possible to suppress the quality deterioration of high-frequency signals in the range of several GHz to several tens of GHz.

[0032] [Manufacturing method of electric wire] Next, the manufacturing method of the electric wire 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5. In the manufacturing method of the electric wire 10 according to the present embodiment, the electrophoretic deposition method (EPD method) is used, and the axial end face of the conductor 11 is coated with the graphene film 13.

[0033] FIG. 5 shows an electrophoresis apparatus 50 used for the electrophoretic deposition method. The electrophoresis apparatus 50 includes an electrophoresis tank 51, a dispersion liquid 52, a cathode 53, and an anode 54. The dispersion liquid 52 is accommodated in the electrophoresis tank 51. At least a part of the cathode 53 and the anode 54 is immersed in the dispersion liquid 52. The cathode 53 and the anode 54 are connected to a DC power supply 55. In the present embodiment, the conductor 11 of the electric wire 10 is used as the anode 54.

[0034] The dispersion liquid 52 contains graphene or graphene oxide. The dispersion medium of the dispersion liquid 52 may contain water. The concentration of graphene or graphene oxide in the dispersion liquid 52 may be 0.001 mg / L or more and 500 mg / L or less from the viewpoint of forming a graphene film 13 or a graphene oxide film with an appropriate thickness. Note that the above concentration may be 0.005 mg / L or more and may be 50 mg / L or less. The dispersion liquid 52 may contain various additives such as a pH buffer solution and a preservative in addition to graphene or graphene oxide.

[0035] The cathode 53 may be a soluble cathode or an insoluble cathode. The soluble cathode may be a copper-containing metal such as phosphor copper, electrolytic copper, or oxygen-free copper, or a nickel-containing metal such as nickel or a nickel alloy. The insoluble cathode may be carbon, platinum, or titanium with a platinum coating.

[0036] Before the conductor 11 of the electric wire 10 is immersed in the dispersion liquid 52, the natural oxide film on the end face may be removed. The natural oxide film may be physically removed by polishing or the like, or may be chemically removed by a chemical solution. The chemical solution can be appropriately selected according to the characteristics of the natural oxide film. The chemical solution may be, for example, an acidic solution such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or nitric acid.

[0037] In the electrophoretic deposition method, when a voltage is applied between the cathode 53 and the anode 54 by the DC power supply 55, graphene or graphene oxide in the dispersion liquid 52 migrates toward the conductor 11 which is the anode 54 and deposits on the axial end face of the conductor 11. Thereby, a graphene film 13 or a graphene oxide film is formed on the end face of the conductor 11.

[0038] After forming the graphene film 13 or the graphene oxide film on the end face of the conductor 11, the electric wire 10 may be pulled out from the dispersion liquid 52 and then dried. The drying temperature when drying the graphene film 13 or the graphene oxide film may be 80°C to 120°C. The drying time may be 5 minutes to 30 minutes. The drying atmosphere may be an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen in order to prevent oxidation of the conductor 11 of the electric wire 10.

[0039] When a graphene oxide film is formed on the end face of the conductor 11, the graphene oxide film may be reduced to produce the graphene film 13. The graphene oxide film may be reduced by a known method such as chemical reduction treatment, thermal reduction treatment, or photoreduction treatment.

[0040] The thickness of the graphene film 13 or the graphene oxide film can be controlled by adjusting the concentration of graphene or graphene oxide in the dispersion liquid 52, the voltage between the electrodes of the cathode 53 and the anode 54, and the voltage application time. For example, by increasing the voltage between the electrodes or increasing the voltage application time, the thickness of the graphene film 13 or the graphene oxide film can be increased. On the other hand, by decreasing the voltage between the electrodes or decreasing the voltage application time, the thickness of the graphene film 13 or the graphene oxide film can be decreased.

[0041] In this embodiment, the conductor 11 of the electric wire 10 is used as the anode 54, and a graphene film or a graphene oxide film is formed on the end face of the conductor 11 by the electrophoretic deposition method. However, by adjusting the pH of the dispersion liquid 52 and changing the zeta potential of graphene or graphene oxide in the dispersion liquid 52 from negative to positive, the conductor 11 of the electric wire 10 can be used as the cathode 53.

[0042] As described above, the manufacturing method of the electric wire 10 according to this embodiment is a manufacturing method of an electric wire 10 including a conductor 11 and an insulating layer 12 covering the conductor 11. Using the electrophoretic deposition method, the end face in the axial direction of the conductor 11 is covered with the graphene film 13.

[0043] Since the electrophoretic deposition method does not require heat treatment and can form a film under non-vacuum and normal temperature conditions, the graphene film 13 can be easily formed on the end face of the conductor 11 at low cost.

[0044] In this embodiment, an example of covering the end face of the conductor 11 with the graphene film 13 using the electrophoretic deposition method has been described. However, the method of covering the end face of the conductor 11 with the graphene film 13 is not limited to this. For example, the CVD (chemical vapor deposition) method, the transfer method, or the synthesis method may be used to cover the end face of the conductor 11 with the graphene film 13. In the transfer method, a pressing member with the graphene film 13 disposed on its surface may be pressed against the end face of the conductor 11 to transfer the graphene film 13 to the end face of the conductor 11. In the synthesis method, the graphene film 13 may be synthesized by heating the end face of the conductor 11 on which an organic material such as polymethyl methacrylate and a carbon source such as graphene oxide are disposed with a laser. By these methods, the end face of the conductor 11 can be covered with the graphene film 13.

[0045] [Electric wire with terminal] Next, the electric wire 100 with a terminal according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a first electric wire 200 with a terminal, which is an example of the electric wire 100 with a terminal. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a second electric wire 300 with a terminal, which is an example of the electric wire 100 with a terminal.

[0046] First, the wire 200 with a first terminal according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the wire 200 with a first terminal includes a wire 10 and a terminal 210 (terminal 110). The terminal 210 is provided on the wire 10 such that the graphene film 13 on the end face contacts the mating wire 10 which is the wire 10 of the wire 200 with a second terminal, and the wire 10 and the mating wire 10 are electrically connected. Specifically, the graphene film 13 is provided on the end face of the conductor 11 so as not to contact the terminal 210. And the terminal 210 is provided on the wire 10 such that the graphene film 13 is visible from the outside of the terminal 210. Also, the wire 10 is provided so as to be swingable in the axial direction with respect to the terminal 210. The terminal 210 includes a first holding portion 220 and a first housing 230.

[0047] The first holding portion 220 holds the wire 10 by sandwiching the outer peripheral surface of the wire 10. The first holding portion 220 includes a sandwiching portion 221, a restricting portion 222, and a pressing portion 223.

[0048] The sandwiching portion 221 is provided so as to sandwich the alignment portion 321 of the wire 200 with a second terminal. The sandwiching portion 221 is disposed near the end of the conductor 11 where the graphene film 13 is provided. The sandwiching portion 221 surrounds the wire 10 with a space therebetween along the circumferential direction of the wire 10. The sandwiching portion 221 is provided such that the cylindrical wall portion of the alignment portion 321 of the wire 200 with a second terminal can be inserted into the space between the sandwiching portion 221 and the wire 10. By sandwiching the alignment portion 321 by the sandwiching portion 221, the radial positions of the wire 200 with a first terminal and the wire 200 with a second terminal are adjusted.

[0049] The sandwiching portion 221 may include a protruding portion 221a disposed at a position facing the wire 10 and provided so as to protrude toward the wire 10. The protruding portion 221a contacts the outer surface of the alignment portion 321 to ensure the connection between the wire 200 with a first terminal and the wire 200 with a second terminal so that the wire 200 with a second terminal does not come off from the wire 200 with a first terminal.

[0050] The restricting part 222 surrounds the wire 10 along the outer surface of the wire 10 of the wire with the first terminal 200. Therefore, the restricting part 222 can suppress the wire 10 of the wire with the first terminal 200 from bending when the wire 10 of the wire with the first terminal 200 is axially pressed by the mating wire 10 of the wire with the second terminal 300.

[0051] The pressing part 223 is provided at the end of the first holding part 220 on the side opposite to the clamping part 221. When the wire 10 is axially pressed by the mating wire 10, the pressing part 223 applies a force to push back the mating wire 10 against the wire 10. Specifically, the pressing part 223 includes a housing part 223a and an elastic body 223b housed in the housing part 223a. The housing part 223a surrounds the outer periphery of the wire 10 and has a space in which the wire 10 and the elastic body 223b are arranged inside. In this embodiment, a coil spring is used as the elastic body 223b, and the coil spring is provided so as to be wound around the wire 10. One end of the coil spring is fixed to the wire 10 via an elastic body fixing part 223c.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 8, when the wire 10 of the wire with the first terminal 200 is not pressed by the mating wire 10, the coil spring is in contact with a pair of inner walls facing each other in the axial direction of the housing part 223a. The elastic body fixing part 223c is arranged at a position close to the inner wall provided on the graphene film 13 side among the pair of opposing inner walls.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 9, when the wire 10 of the wire with the first terminal 200 is pressed by the mating wire 10, one end of the coil spring is in contact with the inner wall away from the graphene film 13 among the pair of inner walls. On the other hand, the other end of the coil spring is fixed to the wire 10 via the elastic body fixing part 223c. Therefore, when the wire 10 is axially pressed, the coil spring is compressed. Due to the restoring force of the elastic body, the pressing part 223 can push back the mating wire 10 against the wire 10, so that the state in which the wire 10 and the mating wire 10 are pressed against each other via the graphene film 13 can be maintained.

[0054] The first housing 230 covers the outer surface of the first holding part 220. The second joint part 231 of the first housing 230 is joined to the first joint part 224 provided on the radially outer surface of the first holding part 220.

[0055] Next, the wire 300 with a second terminal according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, the wire 300 with a second terminal includes a wire 10 and a terminal 310 (terminal 110). The terminal 310 is provided on the wire 10 such that the graphene film 13 on the end face contacts the counterpart wire 10 which is the wire 10 of the wire 300 with a first terminal, and the wire 10 and the counterpart wire 10 are electrically connected. Specifically, the graphene film 13 is provided on the end face of the conductor 11 so as not to contact the terminal 310. And the terminal 310 is provided on the wire 10 such that the graphene film 13 is visible from the outside of the terminal 310. The terminal 310 includes the wire 10, a second holding part 320, and a second housing 330.

[0056] The second holding part 320 sandwiches the outer peripheral surface of the wire 10 and holds the wire 10. The second holding part 320 includes an alignment part 321 and a wire fixing part 322.

[0057] The alignment part 321 surrounds the outer periphery of the wire 10, and adjusts the radial position of the counterpart wire 10 with respect to the wire 10 such that when the counterpart wire 10 is brought closer to and contacted with the wire 10 in the axial direction, the counterpart wire 10 is electrically connected to the wire 10. Since the connection position between the wire 10 and the counterpart wire 10 is adjusted by the alignment part 321, the electrical connection between the wire 10 and the counterpart wire 10 can be made more reliable.

[0058] The core alignment part 321 is a cylindrical member that extends axially along the outer surface of the electric wire 10 and has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the electric wire 10. The core alignment part 321 includes a covering part 321a and a non-covering part 321b that is formed continuously with the covering part 321a in the axial direction. The covering part 321a covers the outer surface of the electric wire 10 in the circumferential direction to suppress the radial movement of the electric wire 10 within the core alignment part 321. The non-covering part 321b is provided so that the mating electric wire 10 can be inserted, and the electric wire 10 of the electric wire 300 with the second terminal is not arranged within the space surrounded by the non-covering part 321b. The core alignment part 321 has the covering part 321a and the non-covering part 321b formed continuously in the axial direction. Therefore, when the mating electric wire 10 is inserted into the core alignment part 321, the radial position of the mating electric wire 10 is adjusted to be the same as the radial position of the electric wire 10 of the electric wire 300 with the second terminal.

[0059] The electric wire fixing part 322 fixes the electric wire 10 of the electric wire 300 with the second terminal so as not to swing axially with respect to the terminal 310 by sandwiching the electric wire 10 from the outer surface. Thereby, even if the electric wire 10 of the electric wire 300 with the second terminal is pressed by the mating electric wire 10, it is difficult to move axially. Therefore, it becomes easy for the electric wire 10 of the electric wire 300 with the second terminal to maintain the state of pressing the mating electric wire 10 in the axial direction.

[0060] The second housing 330 covers the outer surface of the second holding part 320. The fourth joint part 331 of the second housing 330 is joined via a third joint part 323 provided on the radially outer surface of the second holding part 320.

[0061] Next, a method for manufacturing the electrical connection component 1 from the electric wire 200 with the first terminal and the electric wire 300 with the second terminal will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the state before connecting the electric wire 200 with the first terminal and the electric wire 300 with the second terminal. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the state after connecting the electric wire 200 with the first terminal and the electric wire 300 with the second terminal.

[0062] First, as shown in FIG. 8, a pair of terminal-attached wires 100 including the wire 10 of the wire 200 with the first terminal and the wire 10 of the wire 300 with the second terminal are prepared. The axial end faces of the conductors 11 in each of the pair of terminal-attached wires 100 are covered with the graphene film 13. Then, the wire 200 with the first terminal and the wire 300 with the second terminal are arranged so that the graphene films 13 in each of the pair of wires 10 face each other.

[0063] Next, as shown in FIG. 9, by bringing the wire 200 with the first terminal and the wire 300 with the second terminal closer to each other in the axial direction, the electrical connection component 1 is formed. Specifically, by bringing the graphene films 13 of the conductors 11 in each of the pair of wires 10 into contact with each other, the conductor 11 of the wire 200 with the first terminal and the conductor 11 of the wire 300 with the second terminal are electrically connected via the graphene film 13. Thus, according to the terminal-attached wire 100 according to the present embodiment, by using the graphene film 13, it is possible to electrically connect to the other wire 10 without using metal plating at the electrical contact point.

[0064] As described above, the terminal-attached wire 100 according to the present embodiment includes a wire 10 and a terminal 110. The wire 10 includes a conductor 11 and an insulating layer 12 that covers the conductor 11, and the axial end face of the conductor 11 is covered with the graphene film 13. The terminal 110 is provided on the wire 10 so that the graphene film 13 on the end face contacts the other wire 10 and the wire 10 and the other wire 10 are electrically connected.

[0065] The terminal-attached wire 100 according to the present embodiment includes a terminal 110 provided on the wire 10 so that the graphene film 13 on the end face contacts the other wire 10 and the wire 10 and the other wire 10 are electrically connected. Therefore, it is possible to facilitate the handling of the wire 10, and by using the graphene film 13, it is possible to electrically connect to the other wire 10 without using metal plating at the electrical contact point.

[0066] Further, the terminal 110 may include a pressing portion 223 that applies a force to push back the wire 10 when the wire 10 is axially pressed by the mating wire 10. By the pressing portion 223, the wire 10 of the first wire-with-terminal 200 is connected in a state where it axially presses the wire 10 of the second wire-with-terminal 300. Also, even when the second wire-with-terminal 300 moves in a direction away from the first wire-with-terminal 200, the wire 10 of the first wire-with-terminal 200 is pushed back and thus follows the wire 10 of the second wire-with-terminal 300. Therefore, the electrical connection between the wire 10 of the first wire-with-terminal 200 and the wire 10 of the second wire-with-terminal 300 is maintained well.

[0067] Further, the terminal 110 may include an alignment portion 321. The alignment portion 321 surrounds the outer periphery of the wire 10 and adjusts the radial position of the mating wire 10 with respect to the wire 10 so that the mating wire 10 is electrically connected to the wire 10 when the mating wire 10 is brought into contact with the wire 10 while approaching the wire 10 in the axial direction. Since the connection position between the wire 10 and the mating wire 10 is adjusted by the alignment portion 321, the electrical connection between the wire 10 and the mating wire 10 can be made more reliable.

[0068] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the terminal 210 of the first wire-with-terminal 200 includes the pressing portion 223 and the terminal 310 of the second wire-with-terminal 300 includes the alignment portion 321. However, the wire-with-terminal 100 may be provided with a terminal 110 that includes the pressing portion 223 and the alignment portion 321.

[0069] Also, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the alignment portion 321 includes a cylindrical member having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the wire 10. However, the cylindrical member of the alignment portion 321 may have an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the wire 10, and the alignment portion 321 may be provided with a slit in the axial direction. In this way, the alignment portion 321 may be a split sleeve that generates a stress such as an elastic force toward the center of the cylinder. Since the alignment portion 321 has a split sleeve structure, the conductors 11 can be aligned with high precision.

[0070] In the above embodiment, an example in which the wire 100 with terminals includes one wire 10 has been described. However, instead of one wire 10, the wire 100 with terminals may use a cable formed by bundling a plurality of wires 10. Examples of the cable formed by bundling a plurality of wires 10 include a twisted pair cable formed by bundling two wires.

[0071] The above is the description of this embodiment. However, this embodiment is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of this embodiment.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0072] 1 Electrical connection component 10 Wire 11 Conductor 12 Insulation layer 13 Graphene film 100 Wire with terminals 200 First wire with terminals 210 Terminal 223 Pressing part 300 Second wire with terminals 310 Terminal 321 Core adjustment part

Claims

1. A pair of electric wires including a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, wherein axial end faces of the conductor in each of the pair of electric wires are covered with graphene films, the graphene films in each of the pair of electric wires are in contact with each other, and an outer surface of the conductor is covered with the insulating layer along a circumferential direction up to the axial end face, an electrical connection component.

2. An electric wire including a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, wherein an axial end face of the conductor is covered with a graphene film, and a terminal provided on the electric wire such that the graphene film on the end face is in contact with a mating electric wire and the electric wire and the mating electric wire are electrically connected, wherein an outer surface of the conductor is covered with the insulating layer along a circumferential direction up to the axial end face, an electric wire with a terminal.

3. The electric wire with a terminal according to claim 2, wherein the terminal includes a pressing portion that applies a force to push back the mating electric wire to the electric wire when the electric wire is axially pressed by the mating electric wire.

4. The electric wire with a terminal according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the terminal includes a centering portion that surrounds an outer circumference of the electric wire and adjusts a radial position of the mating electric wire with respect to the electric wire such that the mating electric wire is electrically connected to the electric wire when the mating electric wire is brought into contact with the electric wire closer in the axial direction.

5. A method for manufacturing an electric wire including a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, wherein an axial end face of the conductor is covered with a graphene film using an electrophoretic deposition method, and an outer surface of the conductor is covered with the insulating layer along a circumferential direction up to the axial end face, a method for manufacturing an electric wire.

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