Flat wires and flat wires with terminals

Abstract

To provide a flat type electric wire and a flat type electric wire with terminal which can be easily bent and wired.SOLUTION: A flat type electric wire 2 comprises a belt-like conductor 21 and an insulator 22 covering the conductor 21, where the conductor 21 has: a belt-like first conductor 21a constituted by braiding a first wire made of aluminum or aluminum alloy; and a second conductor 21b which is provided at least so as to sandwich the first conductor 21a in a thickness direction of the conductor 21, and constituted by braiding a second wire made of copper or copper alloy.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In facilities such as factories or vehicles such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, bus bars shaped to fit the shape of the wiring portion have traditionally been used as wiring material between devices such as control panels (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-87471 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-177878 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, in order to realize a carbon-neutral society, facilities using industrial robots, for example, are being upgraded to energy-saving equipment. As such equipment upgrades occur, the wiring materials used between devices, such as control panels, also need to be updated. However, to manufacture bus bars that are compatible with the upgraded equipment, molds are required to mold the bus bars according to their shapes. Therefore, a wide variety of molds are required to accommodate the various wiring shapes required for the upgraded equipment, and the production volume of bus bars with the same shape tends to be low. Because bus bars are not very versatile and tend to be produced in small quantities and in a wide variety of types, using bus bars as wiring materials between devices poses the problem of high production costs.

[0005] Therefore, the inventors considered using a flat electric wire with a braided conductor as a wiring material between devices that is more versatile than a bus bar. However, because conventional flat electric wires are difficult to bend, they can meander and interfere with surrounding devices, especially when wiring in a narrow space between devices.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flat electric wire and a flat electric wire with a terminal that are easy to bend and wire. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a flat electric wire comprising a band-shaped conductor and an insulator covering the conductor, wherein the conductor has a band-shaped first conductor formed by braiding together first wires made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and a second conductor formed by braiding together second wires made of copper or a copper alloy, arranged to sandwich the first conductor at least in the thickness direction of the conductor.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a flat electric wire with terminal, comprising a flat electric wire and a terminal provided on at least one end of the flat electric wire, wherein the flat electric wire comprises a band-shaped conductor and an insulator covering the conductor, and the conductor comprises a band-shaped first conductor formed by braiding first wires made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and a second conductor formed by braiding second wires made of copper or a copper alloy, arranged so as to sandwich the first conductor at least in the thickness direction of the conductor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flat electric wire and a flat electric wire with a terminal that are easy to bend and wire. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1A and 1B are diagrams showing a flat electric wire with a terminal using a flat electric wire according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a perspective view, (b) is an enlarged view of an end portion of (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of (a). [Figure 2] 2(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of wiring of the flat electric wire with terminal of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic diagram showing an example of wiring of a conventional flat electric wire with terminal. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the terminal portion. [Figure 4] 1(a) and 1(b) are cross-sectional views showing a modified example of the flat electric wire 2. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a flat electric wire according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1(a) and 1(b) are diagrams showing an example of a connection structure between a first flat electric wire and a second flat electric wire. [Figure 7] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a connection structure between a first flat electric wire and a second flat electric wire. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 1(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a flat electric wire, and FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view showing a modified example of a flat electric wire with a terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [Embodiment Mode] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 shows a flat electric wire 1 with a terminal using a flat electric wire 2 according to the present embodiment, where (a) is a perspective view, (b) is an enlarged view of an end of (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of (a).

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c), the flat electric wire with terminal 1 includes a flat electric wire 2, a terminal 3 provided on at least one end of the flat electric wire 2, and a heat-shrinkable tube 4.

[0014] (Flat wire 2) The flat electric wire 2 according to this embodiment has a strip-shaped conductor 21 and an insulator 22 that covers the conductor 21 .

[0015] The conductor 21 has a strip-shaped first conductor 21a formed by braiding together first wires made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and a second conductor 21b formed by braiding together second wires made of copper or a copper alloy.

[0016] The first conductor 21a is formed by flattening an annular braided conductor. For example, when manufacturing a coaxial cable, the braided conductor is provided around a core that is covered with an insulator. In this embodiment, however, the annular braided conductor is formed without passing through the core, and then the braided conductor is flattened by pressing or the like to form the first conductor 21a. The first conductor 21a is disposed at the center of the cable.

[0017] Examples of aluminum alloys used for the first wire include Al-Zr alloy, Al-Ni-Zr alloy, Al-Co-Zr alloy, and Al-Fe-Zr alloy. The first wire may contain impurities unavoidable during manufacturing. The first wire may also be a plated wire in which the surface of a wire made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy is plated with Zn (e.g., amorphous Zn), Ni, Sn, or the like. The tensile strength and breaking elongation of the first wire are smaller than those of the second wire described below. For example, the first wire has a tensile strength of 200 MPa or less and a breaking elongation of 5% to 17%. The tensile strength and breaking elongation of the first and second wires are measured by conducting a tensile test on a test piece in accordance with the test method specified in JIS C 3002 (1992).

[0018] Here, a first wire made of aluminum with an outer diameter of 0.16 mm is used. The outer diameter of the first wire is larger than the outer diameter of the second wire. More specifically, the outer diameter of the first wire is preferably at least 1.3 times the outer diameter of the second wire, and it is desirable to adjust the outer diameter so that the resistance values ​​of the first wire and the second wire are approximately equal. This prevents problems such as high resistance of the first conductor 21a located at the center of the cable, resulting in increased heat generation and heat buildup inside the cable. The outer diameter of the first wire is, for example, 0.10 mm or more and 0.50 mm or less. Note that if the surface of the first wire is plated, the outer diameter of the first wire is the outer diameter of a wire made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy with plating applied around its periphery (i.e., a plated wire).

[0019] By configuring a portion of the conductor 21 using the first conductor 21a made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy with a low modulus, the flat electric wire 2 can be easily bent and can easily maintain the bent shape when bent, making wiring work easier when wiring in a narrow space between devices. Furthermore, by configuring a portion of the conductor 21 using the first conductor 21a made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, the flat electric wire 2 can be made lighter and less expensive than when the entire conductor 21 is made of copper or a copper alloy.

[0020] The second conductor 21b is arranged to sandwich the first conductor 21a at least in the thickness direction of the conductor 21. In this embodiment, the second conductor 21b is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to cover the entire periphery of the first conductor 21a. The second conductor 21b is formed by braiding a second wire in a ring shape around the first conductor 21a as a core material so as to cover the periphery of the first conductor 21a. The second conductor 21b is arranged in contact with the first conductor 21a.

[0021] The second wire may be a plated wire, which is a wire made of copper or a copper alloy plated with Zn (e.g., amorphous Zn), Ni, Sn, or the like. The tensile strength and breaking elongation of the second wire are greater than those of the first wire. For example, the second wire has a tensile strength of 200 MPa or more and a breaking elongation of 10% or more. To make the flat electric wire 2 easier to bend, it is desirable to use a second wire that is as thin as possible. The outer diameter of the second wire is preferably 0.10 mm or more and 0.20 mm or less. Here, the second wire used is a Sn-plated annealed copper wire with an outer diameter of 0.12 mm, which is smaller than the first wire. Note that if the surface of the second wire is plated, the outer diameter of the second wire is the outer diameter of a copper or copper alloy wire that is plated (i.e., a plated wire).

[0022] The first conductor 21a, made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, is susceptible to friction and is prone to breakage due to friction with parts of the device, for example, during molding of the insulator 22. Therefore, in this embodiment, the second conductor 21b, made of copper or a copper alloy, which is resistant to friction, is provided to cover the periphery of the first conductor 21a. This second conductor 21b protects the first conductor 21a and prevents breakage of the first conductor 21a. Furthermore, by providing the second conductor 21b to cover the periphery of the first conductor 21a, the outermost layer is made of copper or a copper alloy. This allows the use of connectors and terminals 3 that have traditionally been used to connect conductors made of copper or a copper alloy, and also allows for the use of fastening methods such as crimping. Furthermore, by forming a portion of the conductor 21 using the second conductor 21b made of copper or a copper alloy, the electrical conductivity and heat resistance of the conductor 21 can be improved, and mechanical strength such as tensile strength can also be improved.

[0023] Although the first conductor 21a and the second conductor 21b are described here as braided conductors, the first conductor 21a and the second conductor 21b may be formed by weaving a plurality of metal wires together using a loom or the like to form a strip. In other words, in this specification, the expression "made by braiding metal wires together" also includes weaving metal wires together.

[0024] The insulator 22 is intended to protect the conductor 21 and is made of a resin composition containing, as a main component, at least one resin selected from, for example, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyolefin resin, fluororesin, polyurethane resin, etc. The thickness of the insulator 22 is preferably 0.8 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. By making the thickness of the insulator 22 0.8 mm or more, the mechanical strength of the insulator 22 can be ensured, and by making the thickness of the insulator 22 2.0 mm or less, the flat electric wire 2 can be easily bent.

[0025] The insulator 22 is coated around the conductor 21 by insertion extrusion. This allows the surface of the conductor 21 to be tightly attached to the inner surface of the insulator 22 to such an extent that the conductor 21 can move within the insulator 22 when the flat electric wire 2 is bent, making the flat electric wire 2 easier to bend.

[0026] In this embodiment, the ratio (W / H) of the thickness H to the width W of the flat electric wire 2 is set to 4 or more. This makes the flat electric wire 2 flatter, making it easier to bend. Here, the thickness H of the flat electric wire 2 is 6.1 mm, the width W is 30 mm, and the ratio (W / H) thereof is set to approximately 4.9. It is also desirable that the ratio (Wd / Hd) of the thickness (maximum thickness) Hd to the width (maximum width) Wd of the conductor 21 is 4 or more.

[0027] (Terminal 3) The terminal 3 is provided on at least one end of the flat electric wire 2. Fig. 1(a) shows a case where terminals 3 are provided on both ends of the flat electric wire 2. The terminal 3 is a crimp terminal that integrally includes a fixing portion (hereinafter referred to as a crimping portion) 31 that is fixed by a fixing method such as crimping to the end of the conductor 21 exposed from the end of the insulator 22, and a flat connecting portion 32 that is fixed by a bolt or the like to a connected member such as an electrode 11a (see Fig. 2(a)) provided on a device 11 such as a control panel. Note that the terminal 3 may be fixed to the conductor 21 by a method other than crimping.

[0028] The crimping portion 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is fixed to the conductor 21 by crimping the conductor 21 with the conductor 21 inserted therein. The connecting portion 32 extends outward from the crimping portion 31 in the longitudinal direction of the flat electric wire 2. The connecting portion 32 is formed in a flat plate shape, and has a through-hole 32a formed in its center for passing a bolt therethrough.

[0029] In the flat electric wire with terminal 1 according to this embodiment, the terminal 3 is provided so that the normal direction of the connection portion 32 intersects with the thickness direction of the flat electric wire 2. More specifically, the terminal 3 is provided so that the normal direction of the connection portion 32 is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the flat electric wire 2 (so that it is parallel to the width direction).

[0030] This allows the flat electric wire 2 to be bent in the thickness direction for wiring, as shown in FIG. 2(a), making it possible to easily wire the flat electric wire 2 in a narrow space between devices 11 such as control panels. The angle of the normal direction of the connection portion 32 with respect to the thickness direction of the flat electric wire 2 can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the shape and orientation of the electrode 11a provided on the device 11. In contrast, for example, in the case of a conventional flat electric wire 1 with a terminal in which the terminal 3 is provided so that the normal direction of the connection portion 32 is parallel to the thickness direction of the flat electric wire 2, the flat electric wire 2 must be wired in a twisted manner, as shown in FIG. 2(b). This makes the flat electric wire 2 prone to meandering and interfering with (contacting) the device 11, potentially damaging the flat electric wire 2. This embodiment prevents such problems and makes it possible to easily wire the flat electric wire 2 in a narrow space between devices 11.

[0031] That is, if the angle between the normal direction of the connection portion 32 and the thickness direction of the flat electric wire 2 (= the angle between the normal direction of the connection portion 32 and the thickness direction of the flat electric wire 2) is defined as 90 degrees when the normal direction of the connection portion 32 and the thickness direction of the flat electric wire 2 are orthogonal, and 0 degree when the normal direction of the connection portion 32 and the thickness direction of the flat electric wire 2 are parallel, the orientation of the connection portion 32 of the terminal 3 can be adjusted so that the angle is in the range of more than 0 degrees and not more than 90 degrees. As a result, the terminal-equipped flat electric wire 1 is less likely to meander or twist during wiring, as shown in Fig. 2(a), and wiring can be performed according to the shape and orientation of the electrode 11a provided on the device 11.

[0032] Here, the case where the terminal 3 is provided so that the normal direction of the connection portion 32 intersects with the thickness direction of the flat electric wire 2 has been described, but this is not limiting, and as shown in Fig. 3, the normal direction of the connection portion 32 may be parallel to the thickness direction of the flat electric wire 2. The orientation of the connection portion 32 can be appropriately selected by adjusting the orientation of the normal direction of the connection portion 32 within the range of the angle formed between the width direction and the thickness direction depending on the arrangement of the electrode 11a to be connected, etc.

[0033] (Shapes of the ends of the heat shrink tube 4 and flat electric wire 2) The heat-shrinkable tube 4 serving as a covering member is provided at the end of the flat electric wire 2 so as to cover the entire periphery from the insulator 22 to the crimped portion 31 of the terminal 3. More specifically, the heat-shrinkable tube 4 is provided so as to cover the conductor 21 exposed between the insulator 22 and the terminal 3, at least a portion of the crimped portion 31 of the terminal 3, and the tip of the insulator 22. The heat-shrinkable tube 4 serves to cover and insulate the exposed conductor 21 and to prevent moisture, dust, and the like from entering the flat electric wire 2.

[0034] In this embodiment, the conductors 21 exposed from the insulator 22 of the flat electric wire 2 are bundled and fixed at the crimped portion 31, and the width of the conductors 21 at the crimped portion 31 is smaller than the width Wd of the conductors 21 in the flat electric wire 2. The heat-shrinkable tube 4 is provided so as to fit tightly around the exposed conductors 21 with as few gaps as possible. Therefore, between the insulator 22 and the terminal 3, the outer shape of the heat-shrinkable tube 4 has a tapered shape that narrows as it approaches the terminal 3. Hereinafter, the portion of the conductor 21 exposed between the tip of the insulator 22 and the tip of the terminal 3, where the terminal 3 is not fixed, is referred to as the non-crimped portion (or non-fixed portion) 5. By configuring the outer shape of the heat-shrinkable tube 4 covering the non-crimped portion 5 to be tapered, the flat electric wire 2 can be bent in the width direction at the non-crimped portion 5. This makes it possible to prevent the flat electric wire 2 from meandering or twisting during wiring, making the wiring work easier. Furthermore, by shrinking the heat-shrinkable tube 4 sufficiently so that it fits tightly around the exposed conductor 21, it is possible to prevent the heat-shrinkable tube 4 from floating off the surface of the insulator 22 when the tube is bent, or to prevent the heat-shrinkable tube 4 from becoming misaligned. In this embodiment, the heat-shrinkable tube 4 is not filled with adhesive.

[0035] To make the non-crimped portion 5 easier to bend and the wiring process easier, it is desirable to make the length L of the non-crimped portion 5 (i.e., the length along the longitudinal direction of the flat electric wire 2 from the tip of the insulator 22 to the tip of the crimped portion 31) as long as possible. Furthermore, if the length L of the non-crimped portion 5 is too short, the flat electric wire 2 is likely to bend like a bow when viewed from the longitudinal direction when bundling the conductors 21. As a result, when the heat-shrinkable tube 4 is provided, a gap is generated between the heat-shrinkable tube 4 and the insulator 22, which may allow moisture and dust to easily enter and reduce connection reliability. Therefore, it is desirable for the length L of the non-crimped portion 5 to be at least equal to or greater than the width W of the flat electric wire 2.

[0036] (Variation) 4(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views showing a modified example of the flat electric wire 2. As shown in Fig. 4(a) and (b), the flat electric wire 2 may further include a belt-like or linear shape-retaining member 23 for retaining the shape provided around the conductor 21.

[0037] 4(a) shows a case where linear shape-retaining members 23a are used, and a pair of shape-retaining members 23a are arranged so as to sandwich the conductor 21 in the width direction. For example, annealed copper wire or aluminum wire can be used as the linear shape-retaining members 23a. Note that the number and arrangement positions of the shape-retaining members 23a used are not limited to those shown in the figure.

[0038] 4(b) shows the case where a strip-shaped shape-retaining member 23b is used, and the shape-retaining member 23b is arranged adjacent to the conductor 21 in the thickness direction (adjacent to the second conductor 21b). For example, a copper plate can be used as the strip-shaped shape-retaining member 23b.

[0039] By including the shape-retaining member 23, it becomes possible to maintain the shape of the flat electric wire 2 in a desired bent state, making it easier to wire according to a desired wiring layout. In the illustrated example, the shape-retaining member 23 is provided between the conductor 21 and the insulator 22 and is in contact with the conductor 21, but this is not limiting, and the conductor 21 and the shape-retaining member 23 may be spaced apart. In other words, the insulator 22 may be present between the conductor 21 and the shape-retaining member 23.

[0040] (Actions and Effects of the Embodiments) As described above, in the flat electric wire 2 according to this embodiment, the conductor 21 includes a band-shaped first conductor 21a formed by braiding together first wires made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and a second conductor 21b arranged to sandwich the first conductor 21a at least in the thickness direction of the conductor 21 and formed by braiding together second wires made of copper or a copper alloy.

[0041] The conductor 21 has the first conductor 21a made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, which reduces the amount of expensive copper used and realizes a low-cost, lightweight flat electric wire 2 that is easy to bend and maintains its bent shape. Furthermore, by providing the second conductor 21b made of copper or a copper alloy so as to sandwich the first conductor 21a in the thickness direction, the first conductor 21a can be protected by the second conductor 21b, and can be easily connected to a connector or terminal 3 by, for example, crimping, thereby improving the conductivity, heat resistance, and mechanical strength of the conductor 21.

[0042] Since the conductor 21 has the first conductor 21a made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, the flat electric wire 2 can be easily bent in the thickness direction, and therefore the flat electric wire 2 can be wired in narrow gaps between devices 11 such as control panels without meandering or twisting, making the wiring work easier. In other words, according to this embodiment, a flat electric wire 2 that is easy to bend and wire can be realized. Furthermore, compared to conventional bus bars that have been used as wiring material for supplying power between devices 11, the flat electric wire 1 with terminals can be wired in various wiring layouts and is highly versatile, making it possible to provide low-cost wiring material when updating equipment, etc.

[0043] (Other embodiments) In the above embodiment, the second conductor 21b is provided so as to completely cover the periphery of the first conductor 21a. However, as shown in FIG. 5, the conductor 21 may be configured so that a pair of strip-shaped second conductors 21b sandwich the first conductor 21a between them in the thickness direction of the conductor 21. This configuration increases the thickness but makes it possible to reduce the width compared to the configuration shown in FIG. 1(c). Depending on the shape of the wiring space, etc., it is possible to appropriately select whether the flat electric wire 2 has the structure shown in FIG. 1(c) or the structure shown in FIG. 5. For the sake of distinction, the flat electric wire 2 shown in FIG. 1(c) will be referred to as the first flat electric wire 2a, and the flat electric wire 2 shown in FIG. 5 will be referred to as the second flat electric wire 2b.

[0044] Two or more flat electric wires 2 may be connected together. In this case, it is of course possible to connect a first flat electric wire 2a and a second flat electric wire 2b. For example, as shown in FIG. 6(a), a connection structure in which both flat electric wires 2a and 2b are connected may be formed by fixing a terminal 3 provided at an end of the first flat electric wire 2a and a terminal 3 provided at an end of the second flat electric wire 2b to each other with a bolt or the like. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6(b), a cylindrical crimping metal fitting 6 may be used, and the conductors 21 of both flat electric wires 2a and 2b may be arranged inside the crimping metal fitting 6 with the tips of the conductors 21 of both flat electric wires 2a and 2b butted or overlapped, and then the conductors 21 of both flat electric wires 2a and 2b may be crimped and fixed to form a connection structure in which both flat electric wires 2a and 2b are connected. A heat shrink tube 4 is preferably provided in the range from the insulator 22 of the first flat electric wire 2a, through the crimping fitting 6, to the insulator 22 of the second flat electric wire 2b so as to cover the periphery of the connected portion connected by the crimping fitting 6.

[0045] Furthermore, to further strengthen the connection between the two flat electric wires 2a, 2b, a connection structure may be used in which, as shown in Fig. 7, only the first conductor 21a at the end of the second flat electric wire 2b is cut off by a predetermined length, thereby forming a space surrounded by the second conductor 21b in the cut-off portion, and the conductor 21 of the first flat electric wire 2a is inserted into this space so that the conductor 21 is sandwiched in the thickness direction between the pair of second conductors 21b of the second flat electric wire 2b, and the overlapping portion of both conductors 21 is crimped and fixed with the second conductors 21 of both conductors 21 in contact with each other. Furthermore, although not shown, a heat-shrinkable tube 4 as shown in Fig. 6(b) may be provided to cover the periphery of the connection portion connected by crimping. Contrary to FIG. 7, a connection structure may be formed in which a predetermined length of the first conductor 21a of the first flat electric wire 2a is cut off to form a space surrounded by the second conductor 21b in the cut-off portion, and the conductor 21 of the second flat electric wire 2b is inserted into the space and fixed by crimping.

[0046] In the connection structures shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the flat electric wire 2 (first flat electric wire 2a) shown in Fig. 1(c) and the flat electric wire 2 (second flat electric wire 2b) shown in Fig. 5 are connected together. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a connection structure in which flat electric wires 2 (first flat electric wire 2a) shown in Fig. 1(c) are connected together, or a connection structure in which flat electric wires 2 (second flat electric wire 2b) shown in Fig. 5 are connected together may also be used.

[0047] Fig. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the flat electric wire 2, and Fig. 8(b) is a perspective view showing a modified example of the flat electric wire with terminal 1. As shown in Fig. 8(a), the flat electric wire 2 may further include a linear insulating covered wire 24 having an insulating covered portion 24b provided around a conductor 24a. The insulating covered wire 24 is disposed inside the insulator 22 in parallel with the conductor 21 along the longitudinal direction of the conductor 21. The insulating covered wire 2 is disposed so as to be aligned with the conductor 21 in the width direction.

[0048] The conductor wire 24a is made of a metal wire made of, for example, copper or a copper alloy, aluminum or an aluminum alloy, etc. The insulating coating portion 24b is made of, for example, a resin composition containing a resin such as polyvinyl chloride resin as a main component, similar to the insulator 22.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 8(b), the insulating coated wire 24 is arranged at the end of the flat electric wire with terminal 1 so as to protrude from the tip of the heat shrink tube 4. At this time, the insulating coated wire 24 is arranged along the fixing portion (crimping portion) 31 of the terminal 3, and is covered together with the crimping portion 31 by the heat shrink tube 4. A connection terminal 6 is connected to the tip of the insulating coated wire 24, and the insulating coated wire 24 is connected via the connection terminal 6 to a control electrode or a grounding electrode of the device 11, or to equipment other than the device 11.

[0050] By including the insulating coated wire 24, when wiring the insulating coated wire 24 and the flat electric wire 2 between devices 11 shown in FIG. 2(a), the wiring space can be reduced, the wiring workability is improved, and the degree of freedom in the wiring layout is increased compared to when the insulating coated wire 24 and the flat electric wire 2 are separately wired. Note that while FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) illustrate the case where one insulating coated wire 24 is provided, this is not limiting and multiple insulating coated wires 24 may be provided. For example, a pair of insulating coated wires 24 may be provided so as to sandwich the conductor 21 in the width direction. Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide the terminals 3, 6 as separate bodies; a connector integrating both terminals 3, 6 may be provided at the end of the flat electric wire 2.

[0051] (Summary of the embodiment) Next, the technical ideas grasped from the above-described embodiments will be described by using the reference numerals and the like in the embodiments. However, the reference numerals and the like in the following description do not limit the components in the claims to the members and the like specifically shown in the embodiments.

[0052] [1] A flat electric wire (2) comprising a strip-shaped conductor (21) and an insulator (22) covering the conductor (21), wherein the conductor (21) has a strip-shaped first conductor (21a) formed by braiding together first wires made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and a second conductor (21b) formed by braiding together second wires made of copper or a copper alloy, and arranged to sandwich the first conductor (21a) at least in the thickness direction of the conductor (21).

[0053] [2] The flat electric wire (2) according to [1], wherein the second conductor (21b) is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to entirely cover the periphery of the first conductor (21a).

[0054] [3] The conductor (21) has a pair of the second conductors (21b) formed in a band shape, and is configured such that the first conductor (21a) is sandwiched between the pair of second conductors (21b) in the thickness direction of the conductor (21). This is a flat electric wire (2) described in [1].

[0055] [4] The flat electric wire (2) according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the ratio (W / H) of the thickness H to the width W is 4 or more.

[0056] [5] The flat electric wire (2) according to any one of [1] to [3], further comprising a strip-shaped or linear shape-retaining member (23) for retaining the shape provided around the conductor (21).

[0057] [6] The flat electric wire (2) according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the outer diameter of the first wire (21a) of the conductor (21) is larger than the outer diameter of the second wire (21b).

[0058] [7] A flat electric wire (1) with terminal, comprising a flat electric wire (2) and a terminal (3) provided at least on one end of the flat electric wire (2), wherein the flat electric wire (2) comprises a strip-shaped conductor (21) and an insulator (22) covering the periphery of the conductor (21), and the conductor (21) comprises a strip-shaped first conductor (21a) formed by braiding together first wires made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and a second conductor (21b) formed by braiding together second wires made of copper or a copper alloy, at least in the thickness direction of the conductor (21) so as to sandwich the first conductor (21a).

[0059] [8] The flat electric wire with terminal (1) according to [7], wherein the conductor (21) is exposed between the tip of the insulator (22) and the tip of the terminal (3), and the length of the non-crimped portion (5) of the conductor (21) where the terminal (3) is not fixed is equal to or greater than the width of the flat electric wire (2).

[0060] [9] The flat electric wire (1) with terminal described in [8], further comprising a covering member (4) arranged to cover the non-crimped portion (5), at least a portion of the terminal (3), and the periphery of the end of the insulator (22), and the covering member (4) covering the non-crimped portion (5) has a tapered outer shape.

[0061] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the invention according to the claims is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It should be noted that not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. Furthermore, the present invention can be appropriately modified and implemented within the scope of its spirit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1...Flat wire with terminal 2...Flat wire 21...conductor 21a...First conductor 21b...Second conductor 22...Insulator 23...Shape-retaining member 3...Terminal 4...Heat shrink tubing (covering material)

Claims

1. a strip-shaped conductor; an insulator covering the conductor; The conductor includes a band-shaped first conductor formed by braiding together first wires made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and a second conductor formed by braiding together second wires made of copper or a copper alloy, the second conductor being disposed so as to sandwich the first conductor at least in the thickness direction of the conductor, The ratio of thickness H to width W (W / H) is 4 or more, The device is used by bending it in the thickness direction. Flat electric wire.

2. The second conductor is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to cover the entire periphery of the first conductor. The flat electric wire according to claim 1.

3. The conductor is a pair of the second conductors formed in a strip shape; The first conductor is sandwiched between a pair of the second conductors in the thickness direction of the conductors. The flat electric wire according to claim 1.

4. The insulator is coated around the conductor by insertion extrusion. The flat electric wire according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The device further includes a pair of linear shape-retaining members arranged to sandwich the conductor in the width direction. The flat electric wire according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The conductor has an outer diameter of the first wire that is larger than an outer diameter of the second wire. The flat electric wire according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. A flat electric wire with a terminal, comprising a flat electric wire and a terminal provided at at least one end of the flat electric wire, The flat electric wire includes a strip-shaped conductor and an insulator covering the conductor, The conductor includes a band-shaped first conductor formed by braiding together first wires made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and a second conductor formed by braiding together second wires made of copper or a copper alloy, the second conductor being disposed so as to sandwich the first conductor at least in the thickness direction of the conductor, The flat electric wire has a ratio (W / H) of thickness H to width W of 4 or more, and is used by being bent in the thickness direction. Flat wire with terminal.

8. the length of the non-crimped portion of the conductor exposed between the tip end of the insulator and the tip end of the terminal, which is the conductor at the portion to which the terminal is not fixed, is equal to or greater than the width of the flat electric wire; The flat electric wire with terminal according to claim 7.

9. a covering member provided to collectively cover the non-crimped portion, at least a portion of the terminal, and the periphery of the tip end of the insulator; The outer shape of the covering member covering the non-crimped portion is tapered. The flat electric wire with terminal according to claim 8.

10. The terminal has an integral fixing portion fixed to the end of the conductor exposed from the end of the insulator, and a flat connecting portion for fixing to the connected member, and is configured such that the connecting portion extends outward from the fixing portion in the longitudinal direction of the flat electric wire, and the fixing portion and the end of the conductor are fixed so that the angle between the normal direction of the connecting portion and the thickness direction of the flat electric wire is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. The flat electric wire with terminal according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

Images