Wire conductor and insulated wire

Abstract

The present invention provides a wire conductor and an insulated wire that, despite having a flat shape, are easy to bend in the width direction of the flat shape.　Provided is a wire conductor 2 comprising an assembled plurality of unit conductors 21, each of which is formed from a long conductive material, wherein the shape of the overall wire conductor 2 in a cross section cut perpendicular to an axial direction L of the wire conductor 2 is such that the dimension in the width direction x is greater than the dimension in the height direction y orthogonal to the width direction x, the shape of each of the unit conductors 21 is such that the dimension in the width direction x is less than or equal to the dimension in the height direction y, and the plurality of unit conductors 21 are arranged in parallel along the width direction x. Also provided is an insulated wire 1 having the wire conductor 2 and an insulating sheath 3 covering the outer perimeter of the wire conductor 2, and of which the dimension in the width direction x is greater than the dimension in the height direction y.

Description

Electrical conductors and insulated wires

[0001] The present disclosure relates to electrical wire conductors and insulated wires.

[0002] In the field of automotive wiring materials, there is an increasing demand for electric wires with large conductor cross-sectional areas due to factors such as the increasing need for larger currents in electric vehicles. Since electric wires with large conductor cross-sectional areas require a large amount of space for routing, the shape of the conductor is sometimes flattened to reduce the space in the height direction. A busbar electric wire as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as an electric wire with such a flat conductor. As shown in FIG. 4A , a typical conventional busbar electric wire 9 is configured such that an insulating coating 93 is formed around the outer periphery of a flat metal conductor 92.

[0003] A busbar wire 9 including a flat conductor 92 offers excellent space-saving properties, but is less flexible because the conductor 92 is made entirely of a continuous metal. One way to improve the flexibility of a busbar wire is to stack multiple conductive flat conductors, as disclosed in Patent Document 2. An example of such a structure is a laminated busbar 9' shown in FIG. 4B . The laminated busbar 9' is formed by stacking multiple metal foil-like conductor layers 9a in the thickness direction to form a laminated conductor 92', with an insulating coating 93 appropriately formed around the outer periphery of the laminated conductor 92'. This type of laminated busbar 9' has high flexibility in the height direction (y direction) of the laminated conductor 92', which corresponds to the stacking direction of the conductor layers 9a, making it easy to bend in the height direction. Furthermore, the laminated busbar 9' can be suitably used to accommodate route length tolerances in a wiring route composed of other electric wires, for example, by inserting the laminated busbar 9' into the middle of the wiring route.

[0004] JP 2020-177878 A JP 2022-6856 A

[0005] In automobiles, due to factors such as the increase in the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor and the limited space available for routing the wire, sharp bends and continuous bends are required even for wires with large cross-sectional areas. However, a busbar electric wire 9 having a flat conductor 92 as shown in FIG. 4A is difficult to bend and is therefore difficult to fully accommodate applications that require such bending. In particular, bending the busbar electric wire 9 in the width direction (x direction; edgewise direction) of the flat shape requires a large force, making the bending itself difficult. Even if the busbar electric wire 9 is bent, a large load is applied to the inside of the bend, which tends to cause large deformation of the conductor 92 on the inside of the bend. Furthermore, the large force applied to the wire 9 from the jig used to form the bend also tends to deform or damage the insulating coating 93. When a laminated bus bar 9′ as shown in FIG. 4B is used, it is easy to bend in the height direction of the flat shape (y direction; flatwise direction), but it is not easy to bend edgewise in a sufficiently high degree. As a result, as in the case of the bus bar wire 9 including the flat conductor 92, the problem of load being applied to the inside of the bend occurs.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric conductor and an insulated electric wire that have a flat shape but are easy to bend in the width direction of the flat shape.

[0007] The electric wire conductor of the present disclosure is an electric wire conductor formed by assembling a plurality of unit conductors, each of which is made of a long conductive material, and in a cross section cut perpendicular to the axial direction of the electric wire conductor, the electric wire conductor as a whole has a width dimension that is greater than a height dimension that is perpendicular to the width direction, and each of the unit conductors has a width dimension that is equal to or smaller than a height dimension, and the plurality of unit conductors are arranged in parallel along the width direction.

[0008] The insulated wire of the present disclosure includes a conductor and an insulating coating that covers the outer periphery of the conductor, and has a width dimension that is greater than a height dimension.

[0009] The conductor and insulated wire of the present disclosure have a flat shape, but are also easily bendable in the width direction of the flat shape.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an insulated wire according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in an unbent state. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the insulated wire in an edgewise bent state. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the insulated wire taken along the line A-A in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4A is a perspective view showing a busbar wire having a flat conductor, and Fig. 4B is a perspective view showing a laminated busbar having a laminated conductor.

[0011] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. An electric conductor and an insulated electric wire according to the embodiments of the present disclosure have the following configurations.

[0012] [1] An electric wire conductor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an electric wire conductor formed by assembling a plurality of unit conductors, each of which is made of a long conductive material, and in a cross section cut perpendicular to the axial direction of the electric wire conductor, the electric wire conductor as a whole has a width dimension that is larger than a height dimension that is perpendicular to the width direction, and each of the unit conductors has a width dimension that is equal to or smaller than a height dimension, and the plurality of unit conductors are arranged in parallel along the width direction.

[0013] The above-mentioned electric wire conductor has a flat cross section elongated in the width direction as a whole. Therefore, a high space saving effect can be achieved in the height direction. On the other hand, the above-mentioned electric wire conductor is composed of a plurality of unit conductors arranged in the width direction. Each unit conductor does not have a shape elongated in the width direction, but rather its width dimension is equal to or smaller than its height dimension, making it easy to bend in the width direction. Therefore, the electric wire conductor as a whole, which is an assembly of a plurality of unit conductors, is easy to bend in the width direction (edgewise direction) without applying a large force. Furthermore, when bending, a large load is not likely to be applied to the inner part of the bend, and the electric wire conductor is less likely to deform. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor can be easily adjusted by changing the number of unit conductors arranged in the width direction.

[0014] [2] In the aspect [1] above, each of the unit conductors may be formed from a continuous metal plate. In this case, the shape of each unit conductor can be stably maintained. Furthermore, an electric wire including such a conductor is common to a conventional busbar wire as shown in FIG. 4A in that the conductor is formed from a metal plate, and therefore can be easily used as a replacement for that type of busbar wire. However, since the electric wire conductor is formed from multiple unit conductors arranged in the width direction, it is easier to bend edgewise compared to a busbar wire having a flat conductor, making it easier to route in limited or complex routing paths. Even if the electric wire conductor is formed from a plate material, dividing the electric wire conductor into multiple unit conductors increases the convenience of manufacturing and obtaining the plate material.

[0015] [3] In the above-described aspect [1] or [2], each of the unit conductors may have a rectangular (including square) cross-sectional shape. This allows a plurality of unit conductors to be densely arranged, thereby enabling a wire conductor having a predetermined conductor cross-sectional area to be configured as a highly space-saving device. Furthermore, even when the wire conductor is bent edgewise, the densely arranged state of the unit conductors is likely to be maintained, thereby preventing deformation of the overall shape of the wire conductor due to bending.

[0016] [4] In any one of the above aspects [1] to [3], the dimension of the entire conductor in the width direction in the cross section may be 5.7 mm or more, which makes it easy to configure the flat conductor to have a sufficiently large conductor cross-sectional area.

[0017] [5] In any one of the above aspects [1] to [4], the flattening ratio of the overall shape of the conductor in the cross section, which is the ratio of the width dimension to the height dimension, may be 1:2 or more and 1:100 or less. This effectively improves the space-saving effect in the height direction of the conductor. Also, the flattened conductor is easily bent in both the width direction and the height direction.

[0018] [6] In any one of the above aspects [1] to [5], the conductor may have a bent portion bent in the width direction at a midpoint in the axial direction. By forming a bent portion in the conductor, the conductor can be suitably used in applications where the bend is utilized to route the conductor in a limited space or a space with a complex shape. The conductor of the present disclosure is composed of a plurality of unit conductors arranged in the width direction, and is therefore easily bent in the width direction (edgewise direction), and the load associated with the bending can be kept small, making it suitable for use with a bent portion formed.

[0019] [7] In the aspect [6], the deformation rate of the unit conductor in the cross section of the bent portion may be 60% or less based on a portion of the conductor where the bend is not applied. This makes it possible to reduce the load applied to each unit conductor constituting the conductor when the conductor is bent. The conductor of the present disclosure is formed by arranging a plurality of unit conductors in the width direction, and therefore the entire conductor can be bent significantly in the edgewise direction without significantly deforming each unit conductor.

[0020] [8] An insulated wire according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a conductor according to any one of [1] to [7] above and an insulating coating covering the outer periphery of the conductor, wherein the width dimension is greater than the height dimension. As described above, the conductor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is composed of a plurality of unit conductors arranged in the width direction, and the width dimension of each unit conductor is equal to or less than the height dimension. Therefore, the insulated wire including the conductor as a whole has a flat shape and is easy to bend in the width direction of the flat shape. Therefore, the load and deformation applied to each unit conductor constituting the conductor due to bending are reduced. Furthermore, because the insulated wire can be bent in the width direction with a small force, the force required to grip the insulated wire from the outside with a jig or the like during bending can be reduced, and the force applied to the insulating coating due to bending, such as force from the jig, is also reduced. This reduces the load applied to the insulating coating due to bending and the occurrence of deformation or damage to the insulating coating.

[0021] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] The conductor and the insulated wire according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The insulated wire according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes the conductor according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] <Outline of the Wire Conductor and Insulated Wire> Figures 1 to 3 show the configuration of an insulated wire 1 and a wire conductor 2 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the insulated wire 1 in a straightened state, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the insulated wire 1 bent midway. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A shown in Figures 1 and 2. The A-A cross section is a cross section of the insulated wire 1 cut perpendicular to the axial direction (longitudinal direction; L direction) of the insulated wire 1. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, "cross section" refers to a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction (L direction) of the insulated wire 1 and the wire conductor 2. Furthermore, terms such as "perpendicular" and "rectangular" that indicate the shape or arrangement of components include not only strict geometrical concepts but also tolerances within a generally acceptable range for insulated wires and wire conductors, such as approximately ±15% in length and approximately ±15° in angle.

[0023] The insulated wire 1 includes a conductor 2 and an insulating coating 3. The configuration of the conductor 2 will be described in detail later. The conductor 2 has a flat shape. That is, in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction, the conductor 2 as a whole has a width dimension w (x-direction) greater than a height dimension h (y-direction). The insulated wire 1 as a whole also has a flat cross section reflecting the shape of the conductor 2. The conductor 2 is configured as an assembly of a plurality of unit conductors 21. Here, the width direction (x-direction) refers to the direction along the longest side or diameter constituting the cross section of the conductor 2. The height direction (y-direction) refers to the direction perpendicular to the width direction (x-direction) in the cross section. Note that, in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the conductor 2 is illustrated with the insulating coating 3 partially removed along the axial direction to facilitate understanding of the structure thereof. However, in an actual insulated wire 1, the conductor 2 may be provided with the insulating coating 3 over the entire surface thereof, or may have a region without the insulating coating 3.

[0024] The insulating coating 3 is made of an insulating material and covers the outer periphery of the conductor 2. The material for the insulating coating 3 is not particularly limited, and various polymer materials can be used. Additives may be added to the polymer material as appropriate. The insulating coating 3 is preferably formed on the outer periphery of the conductor 2 by extrusion molding. However, a coating material preformed into a predetermined shape, such as a heat-shrinkable tube or an insulating sheet, may also be placed on the outer periphery of the conductor 2. The thickness of the insulating coating 3 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 4% to 65% of the height dimension h of the conductor 2, from the viewpoint of effectively utilizing the flat shape and bendability of the conductor 2 as overall characteristics of the insulated wire 1 while ensuring sufficient insulation.

[0025] <Uses of Insulated Wire> The use of the insulated wire 1 according to the present embodiment is not particularly limited, but it can be particularly suitably used as an automotive wire. Automotive wires require space-saving design, and the insulated wire 1 having a flat shape offers excellent space-saving capabilities in the height direction. Furthermore, as will be described later with respect to the electric conductor 2, the insulated wire 1 is easily bent in the width direction, making it suitable for installation in a limited space or installation involving bending into a complex shape. The insulated wire 1 may be used in a straight state as shown in FIG. 1 , or may have a bent portion B formed at a required location as shown in FIG. 2 . Here, the bent portion B is formed by bending the insulated wire 1 in the width direction (edgewise direction) of the flat shape. However, in addition to or instead of bending the insulated wire 1 in the edgewise direction, the insulated wire 1 may also be bent in the height direction (flatwise direction) of the flat shape. When bending the insulated wire 1, the wire conductor 2 may be bent in a predetermined direction at a predetermined location before forming the insulating coating 3. However, the versatility of the insulated wire 1 can be increased by forming the insulating coating 3 on the wire conductor 2 in a straight state and then bending the insulated wire 1 in a necessary direction at a necessary location each time depending on the application, wiring route, etc.

[0026] The insulated electric wire 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be used alone, or a wire harness may be formed by assembling a plurality of insulated electric wires 1 together, or by assembling a plurality of insulated electric wires 1 together with other types of insulated electric wires. When a plurality of insulated electric wires 1 are assembled, the plurality of insulated electric wires 1 may be arranged in the width direction, stacked in the height direction, or arranged in a matrix in both the height direction and the width direction. From the viewpoint of effectively utilizing the properties of the flat insulated electric wire 1 as the properties of the entire wire harness, it is preferable to limit the number of layers of insulated electric wires 1 stacked in the height direction to an extent that the height dimension of the entire laminate does not exceed the width dimension of the insulated electric wire 1.

[0027] <Structure of the Wire Conductor> Next, the structure of the wire conductor 2 will be described in detail. The wire conductor 2 is configured as an assembly of a plurality of unit conductors 21, each of which is made of a long, conductive material. As described above, the wire conductor 2 has an overall flat (horizontally elongated) shape in a cross section cut perpendicular to the axial direction, in which the widthwise (x-direction) dimension w is greater than the heightwise (y-direction) dimension h. However, the shape of each unit conductor 21 is such that the widthwise (x-direction) dimension a is equal to or less than the heightwise (y-direction) dimension b (a≦b). In other words, the cross-sectional shape of each wire conductor 2 has equal length and width dimensions or is vertically elongated. Unless otherwise specified, the cross-sectional shape will be referred to as vertically elongated even when the widthwise dimension a and the heightwise dimension b are equal.

[0028] In the electric wire conductor 2, a plurality of unit conductors 21 are arranged in parallel along the width direction (x direction) to form the electric wire conductor 2. Although a configuration in which a plurality of unit conductors 21 are also arranged in the height direction (y direction) is not excluded, from the viewpoint of space saving, etc., it is preferable that the unit conductors 21 are arranged in only one layer in the vertical direction. In the electric wire conductor 2, adjacent unit conductors 21 are in direct contact with each other without any other member therebetween.

[0029] The conductor 2 has a flat shape as a whole, which allows for high space-saving in the height direction. On the other hand, unlike the flat conductor 92 shown in FIG. 4A or the laminated conductor 92' shown in FIG. 4B , the conductor 2 is not made of a single, continuous material in the width direction, but rather has a structure in which multiple, mutually separated unit conductors 21 are arranged in the width direction. This makes the conductor 2 easy to bend in the width direction, i.e., edgewise direction. Even though the conductor 2 has a horizontally elongated shape as a whole, each unit conductor 21 has a vertically elongated shape, rather than a horizontally elongated shape. Therefore, bending the conductor 2 as a whole in the edgewise direction corresponds to bending each conductor 2 in a direction in which its cross-sectional area is smaller, i.e., bending each conductor 2 in the flatwise direction. Because the conductor 2 has a flat shape yet is easy to bend in the edgewise direction, the insulated wire 1 including the conductor 2 can be easily routed in narrow spaces or spaces with complex shapes, even when the conductor cross-sectional area is large. Furthermore, even when bending is applied in the edgewise direction, the load applied to each unit conductor 21 at the bent portion B is kept small, so that each unit conductor 21 is unlikely to be deformed, such as distorted.

[0030] The conductive material constituting the unit conductors 21 is not particularly limited, and metals such as copper or copper alloys, aluminum or aluminum alloys, etc. can be suitably used. In particular, aluminum and aluminum alloys have lower electrical conductivity than copper and copper alloys, and therefore require a larger conductor cross-sectional area to ensure the required electrical conductivity. However, the application of the structure of the electric wire conductor 2 according to this embodiment is advantageous in that it can achieve both high space-saving and ease of bending even when the conductor cross-sectional area is increased. The multiple unit conductors 21 constituting the electric wire conductor 2 may be a mixture of multiple types of unit conductors 21 with different configurations such as materials, shapes, and dimensions. However, from the viewpoint of simplicity of the configuration of the electric wire conductor 2 as a whole, it is preferable to use unit conductors 21 that all have the same configuration.

[0031] Each of the unit conductors 21 constituting the electric wire conductor 2 may be formed by assembling a plurality of strands, such as in a twisted wire, and forming them into a flat shape, or may be formed entirely from a continuous metal plate. The former form is particularly excellent in terms of ease of bending in the edgewise and flatwise directions, while the latter form is preferable in that it is easy to increase the conductor cross-sectional area, can stably maintain its shape, and is similar to conventional busbar electric wires 9, whose entire conductor is formed from a single metal plate, making it easy to use in place of those busbar electric wires 9. In this case, each unit conductor 21 is formed from a metal plate. However, unlike the case where the entire electric wire conductor is formed from a single metal material, such as the flat conductor 92 shown in Fig. 4A, it is sufficient to prepare unit conductors 21 with a small cross-sectional area as a continuous metal material, which improves convenience in obtaining the unit conductors 21 and in manufacturing the unit conductors 21 by extruding, rolling, or the like of a metal material.

[0032] The cross-sectional shape of each unit conductor 21 is not particularly limited as long as the width dimension a is equal to or less than the height dimension b. However, from the viewpoint of improving the space-saving and edgewise bending properties of the entire electric wire conductor 2, a shape in which the width dimension a is smaller than the height dimension b, such as a rectangle, ellipse, or oval, or a shape approximating these, in which the width dimension a is larger than the height dimension b, is preferable, rather than a shape in which the width dimension a is equal to the height dimension b, such as a square, circle, or a shape approximating these. Furthermore, a shape in which at least both outer edges in the width direction are linear, such as a rectangle (including a square), is preferable to a shape with a curved periphery, such as a circle or ellipse. In this case, it is easier to arrange adjacent unit conductors 21 in the electric wire conductor 2 without any gaps between them. This allows the unit conductors 21 to be densely arranged in the width direction, thereby achieving high space-saving properties for the electric wire conductor 2. Furthermore, the unit conductors 21 tend to remain densely packed at the bent portion B, and the overall shape of the electric wire conductor 2 is less likely to be distorted even after bending. When the unit conductors 21 are made of a metal plate, it is possible to easily obtain unit conductors 21 having a rectangular cross section, as shown in Fig. 3. The rectangular shape also includes shapes with chamfered corners.

[0033] The specific dimensions of the entire conductor 2 and each unit conductor 21 are not particularly limited, but a preferred example is shown below. The widthwise dimension w of the entire conductor 2 is preferably 5.7 mm or more, and even 9.1 mm or more. This makes it easier to configure the flattened conductor 2 to have a large conductor cross-sectional area. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of increasing the ease of bending the conductor 2 in the edgewise direction, the widthwise dimension w of the conductor 2 is preferably kept to 286 mm or less. Furthermore, the flattening ratio of the conductor 2, i.e., the ratio of the widthwise dimension w to the heightwise dimension h (w / h), may be 2 or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of ensuring sufficient ease of bending in both the edgewise and flatwise directions, the flattening ratio of the conductor 2 is preferably kept to approximately 100 or less.

[0034] The larger the conductor cross-sectional area of ​​the entire electric wire conductor 2, the greater the effect of improving space saving and ease of bending in the edgewise direction by adopting the configuration of this embodiment. ２ On the other hand, in order to avoid the wire conductor 2 becoming difficult to bend due to an excessively large conductor cross-sectional area, the conductor cross-sectional area should be 1000 mm or more. ２ It is preferable to keep the number of unit conductors 21 to 820 or less. The conductor cross-sectional area of ​​the electric wire conductor 2 can be easily adjusted by selecting the number of unit conductors 21 arranged in the width direction. The number of unit conductors 21 constituting the electric wire conductor 2 is not particularly limited and may be two or more. However, from the viewpoint of enhancing the significance of constituting the electric wire conductor 2 as a collection of a plurality of unit conductors 21, it is more preferable to keep the number of unit conductors 21 to 820 or less. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of enhancing the simplicity of the manufacturing process and structure of the electric wire conductor 2, it is preferable to keep the number of unit conductors 21 to 820 or less.

[0035] Regarding the dimensions of each unit conductor 21 constituting the electric wire conductor 2, the height dimension b may be set to the same as the height dimension h of the electric wire conductor 2 as a whole. The width dimension a of each unit conductor 21 is preferably set to 22 mm or less from the viewpoint of increasing the ease of bending in the edgewise direction when a plurality of unit conductors 21 are arranged to form the electric wire conductor 2. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of ensuring material strength, the width dimension a of each unit conductor 21 is preferably set to 0.63 mm or more. From the same viewpoint, the aspect ratio of the cross section of each unit conductor 21, i.e., the ratio of the height dimension b to the width dimension a (b / a), may be set to 1 or more, and more preferably 1.5 or more. Furthermore, it is preferable that the ratio (b / a) be kept to 100 or less. The relationship between the flatness ratio (w / h) of the electric wire conductor 2 as a whole and the aspect ratio (b / a) of each unit conductor 21 is not particularly specified, but it is preferable that the flatness ratio of the electric wire conductor 2 as a whole is larger. Furthermore, it is preferable that the flatness ratio of the conductor 2 as a whole is at least twice the aspect ratio of each unit conductor 21 .

[0036] The electric wire conductor 2 according to this embodiment is formed by arranging a plurality of unit conductors 21 in the width direction. Therefore, even if the electric wire conductor 2 is bent significantly as a whole when bent edgewise, a large load is unlikely to be applied to each of the individual unit conductors 21 constituting the electric wire conductor 2. For example, the deformation rate of the unit conductor 21 at the bent portion B can be suppressed to 60% or less. Here, the deformation rate of the unit conductor 21 at the bent portion B refers to the rate of deformation of the shape of the unit conductor 21 in the cross section of the bent portion B relative to the cross section of the unit conductor 21 before bending, i.e., the cross section of the unit conductor 21 at a portion of the electric wire conductor 2 where the bent portion is not bent. For example, when the cross-sectional shape of the unbent portion and the cross-sectional shape of the bent portion B are overlapped so that their centers of gravity coincide, the ratio of the area of ​​the portion where the two do not overlap can be calculated as a ratio to the cross-sectional area of ​​the unit conductor 21. The deformation rate of the unit conductor 21 at the bent portion B may be evaluated for a cross section cut at the center of the bent shape of the bent portion B along the axial direction L, and particularly for the unit conductor 21 at the innermost portion of the bend. The lower the deformation rate of the unit conductors 21 at the bent portion B, the better, and no lower limit is specified. The bending angle of the wire conductor 2 at the bent portion B is not particularly specified, and the wire conductor 2 may be bent to a required angle depending on the wiring route. However, for example, as shown in Fig. 2, when the straight portions on both sides of the bent portion B are bent to an angle of 90° with respect to each other, it is preferable that the deformation rate of each unit conductor 21 is kept below the above upper limit. Keeping the deformation rate of the unit conductors 21 small is an indicator that the load applied to each unit conductor 21 is kept small when the wire conductor 2 is bent edgewise.

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0038] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 insulated wire 2 wire conductor 21 unit conductor 3 insulating coating B bent portion L axial direction a width dimension of unit conductor b height dimension of unit conductor h height dimension of wire conductor w width dimension of wire conductor x width direction y height direction 9 busbar wire 9' laminated busbar 92 flat conductor 92' laminated conductor 93 insulating coating 9a conductor layer

Claims

1. An electric wire conductor comprising a plurality of unit conductors each made of a long conductive material, wherein, in a cross section taken perpendicular to the axial direction of the electric wire conductor, the overall shape of the electric wire conductor has a width dimension greater than a height dimension perpendicular to the width direction, each of the unit conductors has a width dimension equal to or smaller than its height dimension, and the plurality of unit conductors are arranged in parallel along the width direction.

2. The electric wire conductor according to claim 1, wherein each of said unit conductors is made of a continuous metal plate.

3. The electric wire conductor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the unit conductors has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

4. The electric wire conductor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dimension in the width direction of the entire electric wire conductor in the cross section is 5.7 mm or more.

5. The electric wire conductor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flattening ratio of the overall shape of the electric wire conductor in the cross section, defined as the ratio of the width dimension to the height dimension, is 1:2 or more and 1:100 or less.

6. The electric wire conductor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electric wire conductor has a bent portion bent in the width direction at a midpoint in the axial direction.

7. The electric wire conductor according to claim 6, wherein the deformation rate of the unit conductor in the cross section of the bent portion is 60% or less with respect to a portion of the electric wire conductor where no bend is applied.

8. An insulated wire comprising: the conductor according to claim 1 or 2; and an insulating coating covering the outer periphery of the conductor, wherein the width dimension is greater than the height dimension.

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