Relay terminal and wiring member

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to make it possible to reduce the size of a relay terminal and to more reliably maintain the state of connection with a conductor to be connected. The relay terminal connects a conductor of the flat cable and the conductor to be connected. This relay terminal comprises: a first piece; a second piece; and a holding piece that is continuous with a base end of the first piece and a base end of the second piece, and that maintains the first piece and the second piece in a parallel state in a state in which a slit is interposed between the first piece and the second piece. A slit-side edge of each of the first piece and the second piece has a pressure-welding part that is pressure-welded to the conductor to be connected. Each of the first piece and the second piece has a piercing end part that penetrates an insulating base material of the flat cable and is connected to the conductor on the tip side of the pressure-welding part.

Description

Relay Terminal and Wiring Member

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a relay terminal and a wiring member.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal fitting that includes a square tube-shaped connection portion and a fixing portion for connection to a flat cable.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-206992

[0004] Here, regarding a relay terminal that relays and connects the conductors of a flat cable to other connection target conductors, while aiming for miniaturization, it is desired to more reliably maintain the connection state with other connection target conductors.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to make the relay terminal capable of miniaturization and more reliably maintain the connection state with the connection target conductor.

[0006] The relay terminal of the present disclosure is a relay terminal that connects the conductor of a flat cable and a connection target conductor, and includes a first piece, a second piece, and a holding piece that is continuous with the base end of the first piece and the base end of the second piece and keeps the first piece and the second piece in a parallel state with a slit interposed between the first piece and the second piece. Each of the edge portions on the slit side of the first piece and the second piece has a pressure contact portion that is pressure contacted with the connection target conductor, and each of the first piece and the second piece has a piercing end portion that penetrates the insulating base material of the flat cable and is connected to the conductor on the tip side of the pressure contact portion.

[0007] Further, the wiring member of the present disclosure includes a flat cable including a conductor and an insulating base material that holds the conductor, a connection target conductor, and the above relay terminal. The connection target conductor is press-fitted into the back side of the slit, and the pressure contact portions on the slit side of each of the first piece and the second piece sandwich the connection target conductor. Each of the piercing end portions of the first piece and the second piece is bent so as to fold back in a state of penetrating the insulating base material and is connected to the conductor.

[0008] According to this disclosure, the relay terminal can be miniaturized and the connection state with the conductor to be connected can be maintained more reliably.

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a wiring member according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a partial front view of the wiring member. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the connection structure between the relay terminal and the conductor to be connected. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the relay terminal before connection to the flat cable. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a wiring member according to the embodiment. Figure 6 is a partial front view showing the wiring member. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the relay terminal before connection to the flat cable.

[0010] [Description of Embodiments of the Disclosure] First, embodiments of the Disclosure will be listed and described.

[0011] The relay terminals of this disclosure are as follows:

[0012] (1) A relay terminal for connecting a conductor of a flat cable to a conductor to be connected, comprising: a first piece; a second piece; and a retaining piece connected to the base end of the first piece and the base end of the second piece, with a slit interposed between the first piece and the second piece, thereby maintaining the first piece and the second piece in a parallel state, wherein the slit-side edge of each of the first piece and the second piece has a pressure contact portion that is pressed against the conductor to be connected, and each of the first piece and the second piece has a piercing end that penetrates the insulating substrate of the flat cable and is connected to the conductor, on the tip side of the pressure contact portion.

[0013] With this relay terminal, the tip of the first piece and the tip of the second piece each have piercing ends, and the slit-side edges of the first and second pieces each have pressure-contact portions. As a result, the relay terminal connecting the conductor of the flat cable to the conductor to be connected is made smaller. Furthermore, with the pressure-contact portion connected to the conductor to be connected, the piercing ends of the tips of the first and second pieces penetrate the insulating material of the flat cable and connect to the conductor further forward than the pressure-contact portion, making it difficult for the conductor to be connected to come loose towards the tips of the first and second pieces. Thus, the connection with the conductor to be connected can be maintained more reliably.

[0014] (2) The relay terminal of (1), comprising two sets of the first piece and the second piece, wherein the retaining piece may maintain the two sets of the first piece and the second piece in a parallel state with a gap between them.

[0015] In this case, since each of the two combinations of the first and second pieces makes a connection to the conductor of the flat cable and a connection to the target conductor, the connection state becomes more stable.

[0016] (3) A relay terminal according to (1) or (2), wherein the retaining piece is connected to the base end of the first piece and the base end of the second piece via a bent portion.

[0017] In this case, the conductor to be connected is held in contact with the retaining piece. Therefore, the connection between the conductor to be connected and the pressure contact portion is stable. In addition, the positional relationship between the conductor to be connected held by the retaining piece and the piercing end is also stable, so that the piercing end can make stable contact with the conductor.

[0018] (4) The relay terminal of (3), wherein the slit may be formed in the retaining piece beyond the bent portion.

[0019] In this case, even if the conductor to be connected is bent towards the retaining piece, it is unlikely to come into contact with the retaining piece over a small area. Therefore, localized forces are less likely to act on the conductor to be connected.

[0020] (5) Any one of the relay terminals from (1) to (4), wherein the first piece and the second piece are formed in such a way that the tip portion is narrower than the base portion.

[0021] In this case, the rigidity required for pressure welding is easily secured in the region where the pressure-welded portion is formed between the first and second pieces. Since the tip side of the first and second pieces can be easily deformed, the piercing end can be easily processed to come into contact with the conductor to be connected.

[0022] Furthermore, the wiring components of this disclosure are as follows:

[0023] (6) A wiring member comprising a flat cable including a conductor and an insulating substrate for holding the conductor, a conductor to be connected, and one relay terminal from (1) to (5), wherein the conductor to be connected is press-fitted into the back of the slit, the slit-side press-fit portions of the first piece and the second piece respectively sandwich the conductor to be connected, and the piercing ends of the first piece and the second piece respectively are bent back to penetrate the insulating substrate and connected to the conductor.

[0024] In this case, the pressure contact portions on the slit side of the first and second pieces are in a state where they sandwich the conductor to be connected, and the piercing ends of the first and second pieces are bent back after passing through the insulating substrate and connected to the conductor. As a result, the flat cable is located on the opening side of the slit, and the conductor to be connected inside the slit is held in place by the flat cable so as not to come out. Thus, the connection between the relay terminal and the conductor to be connected is maintained more reliably.

[0025] (7) The wiring member of (6), wherein the conductor to be connected may extend from the relay terminal in a direction intersecting the conductor.

[0026] This allows the circuit, composed of conductors, to be easily drawn out in a direction that intersects with the conductor being connected.

[0027] (8) The wiring member of (6), wherein the conductor to be connected may extend from the relay terminal in a direction along the conductor.

[0028] A circuit composed of conductors can be easily drawn out in the direction along the conductor by the conductor to which it is connected.

[0029] [Details of Embodiments of the Disclosure] Specific examples of the relay terminals and wiring members of the Disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the Disclosure is not limited to these examples and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims, as indicated by the claims.

[0030] [Embodiment 1] The relay terminal and wiring member according to Embodiment 1 will be described below.

[0031] <Regarding the wiring component> Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the wiring component 10. Figure 2 is a partial front view of the wiring component 10.

[0032] The wiring component 10 comprises a flat cable 20, a conductor to be connected 18, and a relay terminal 30.

[0033] The flat cable 20 comprises a conductor 22 and an insulating substrate 24.

[0034] The insulating substrate 24 is a sheet-shaped insulating member. The insulating substrate 24 may be, for example, a sheet made of resin. The shape of the insulating substrate 24 is arbitrary. In this embodiment, the insulating substrate 24 is rectangular.

[0035] The conductor 22 is a linear conductor made of metal. The metal may be, for example, copper or a copper alloy. For example, the conductor 22 may be an elongated metal foil formed on the insulating substrate 24. The conductor 22 does not have to be a metal foil. The conductor 22 may be a thin strip of metal or a round rod-shaped member.

[0036] The conductor 22 is held along a predetermined wiring path by being bonded or joined to the insulating substrate 24. In this embodiment, multiple conductors 22 are arranged in parallel on the insulating substrate 24 with intervals between them. The conductors 22 may be bent or branched on the insulating substrate 24.

[0037] The conductor 22 may be covered by an insulating cover on the side opposite to the insulating substrate 24. The insulating cover may be a resin film.

[0038] The flat cable 20 may be configured as a flexible cable.

[0039] The conductor 18 to be connected is a linear conductor. The conductor 18 to be connected is a conductor that is at least one connection target of the plurality of conductors 22. The conductor 18 to be connected may be a bare conductor. The conductor 18 to be connected may be covered with an insulating coating. The conductor 18 to be connected may be a single-core wire or a stranded wire. The conductor 18 to be connected may be formed of a metal such as copper or a copper alloy.

[0040] The relay terminal 30 connects the conductor 22 of the flat cable 20 and the conductor 18 to be connected.

[0041] For example, the conductor 18 to be connected is disposed on the surface of the flat cable 20 opposite to the conductor 22. The conductor 18 to be connected extends in a direction intersecting the conductor 22 from the relay terminal 30.

[0042] An insulating base material 24 is interposed between the conductor 22 and the conductor 18 to be connected. Therefore, the conductor 18 to be connected can extend outside the flat cable 20 while being insulated from the conductor 22 that is not the connection target and intersecting the conductor 22 that is not the connection target.

[0043] <Regarding the relay terminal> The relay terminal 30 will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the connection structure between the relay terminal 30 and the conductor 18 to be connected. The flat cable 20 is omitted in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the relay terminal 30 before connection to the flat cable 20.

[0044] [[ID=]] The relay terminal 30 is formed, for example, by press-working a metal plate. For example, the relay terminal 30 may be an integral part formed by punching and bending a single metal plate into a predetermined shape.

[0045] The relay terminal 30 includes a first piece 34, a second piece 3, and a holding piece 32.

[0046] The first piece 34 is formed in an elongated shape. The second piece 36 is formed in an elongated shape.

[0047] The holding piece 32 is formed in a plate shape that is continuous with the proximal ends of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36. By the holding piece 32, the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are kept in a parallel state with a slit 38 interposed therebetween.

[0048] When the connection target conductor 18 is pushed into the inner side of the slit 38, the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are press-connected to the connection target conductor 18. The edge portions on the slit 38 side of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are press-contact portions 34a and 36a that are press-contact with the connection target conductor 18.

[0049] The first piece 34 and the second piece 36 protrude from the opposite side of the insulating base material 24 through the insulating base material 24 to the conductor 22 side. Then, the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are bent back and contact the conductor 22 from the opposite side of the insulating base material 24. Thereby, the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are connected to the conductor 22. The tips of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are piercing end portions 34b and 36b that penetrate the insulating base material 24 of the flat cable 20 and are connected to the conductor 22.

[0050] In the present embodiment, the relay terminal 30 includes two sets of combinations of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36. The holding piece 32 keeps the two sets of combinations of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 in a parallel state with a gap therebetween. That is, the combination of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 is held on each of both side portions of the holding piece 32.

[0051] Therefore, on each of both sides of the holding piece 32, the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are press-connected to the connection target conductor 18, and the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are connected to the conductor 22.

[0052] Each component configuration of the relay terminal 30 will be described more specifically.

[0053] The first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are formed in the shape of elongated plates. The retaining piece 32 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate. The base end of the first piece 34 and the base end of the second piece 36 are connected via a bent portion 33. The first piece 34 and the second piece 36 may be perpendicular to the retaining piece 32. Here, the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 being perpendicular to the retaining piece 32 means that the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are at an angle of 85 to 95 degrees with respect to the retaining piece 32.

[0054] On both sides of the retaining piece 32, the first piece 34 may extend parallel to each other. On both sides of the retaining piece 32, the second piece 36 may extend parallel to each other.

[0055] The slit 38 passes between the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 and reaches the bent portion 33. Therefore, the conductor to be connected 18, which is located at the back of the slit 38, is received by the retaining piece 32. If the conductor to be connected 18 has an insulating coating, the conductor to be connected 18 may be received by the retaining piece 32 through the insulating coating. The conductor to be connected 18 or its insulating coating may or may not be in contact with the retaining piece 32.

[0056] The slit 38 may be formed in the retaining piece 32 beyond the bent portion 33. For example, the innermost part of the slit 38 may be formed to be recessed compared to the side portion of the retaining piece 32 that is connected to the first piece 34 and the second piece 36.

[0057] When the conductor to be connected 18, which is positioned at the back of the slit 38 and extends from the relay terminal 30, is pulled toward the retaining piece 32, the conductor to be connected 18 can enter the recessed portion of the retaining piece 32 within the slit 38. As a result, the conductor to be connected 18 is less likely to be pressed against the side edge of the retaining piece 32 with strong force. Therefore, localized contact with the conductor to be connected 18 is suppressed.

[0058] The tip portion of the first piece 34 may be formed to be narrower than the base portion. In this embodiment, the first piece 34 includes a base region 34E1, an intermediate region 34E2, and a tip region 34E3. The base region 34E1 and the tip region 34E3 are continuous portions of the same width. The tip region 34E3 is formed to be narrower than the base region 34E1. The intermediate region 34E2 is formed to gradually narrow from the base region 34E1 toward the tip region 34E3.

[0059] The tip portion of the second piece 36 may be formed to be narrower than the base portion. In this embodiment, similar to the first piece 34, the second piece 36 includes a base region 36E1 corresponding to the base region 34E1, an intermediate region 36E2 corresponding to the intermediate region 34E2, and a tip region 36E3 corresponding to the tip region 34E3. In other words, the second piece 36 may be mirror-symmetric with respect to the first piece 34 with respect to the plane midway in the width direction of the slit 38 as the plane of symmetry.

[0060] In this embodiment, the edges of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 on the slit 38 side are formed in a shape that changes the opening width of the slit 38, thereby changing the width of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 at the front end and the base end. The edges of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 on the side opposite to the slit 38 extend in a straight line.

[0061] However, the width of the first or second piece may be changed between the tip and base ends by forming at least a portion of the edge of the first or second piece 36 opposite to the slit in a curved shape.

[0062] The edges of the base-side regions 34E1 and 36E1 on the slit 38 side are the pressure contact portions 34a and 36a. For example, the distance to the pressure contact portions 34a and 36a is set to be the same as or smaller than the diameter of the conductor to be connected 18. When the conductor to be connected 18 is inserted into the slit 38 and positioned between the pressure contact portions 34a and 36a, the conductor to be connected 18 is sandwiched between the pressure contact portions 34a and 36a. This keeps the pressure contact portions 34a and 36a pressed against the conductor to be connected 18, and the relay terminal 30 is electrically connected to the conductor to be connected 18.

[0063] If the distance between the contact portions 34a and 36a is smaller than the diameter of the conductor 18 to be connected, the contact portions 34a and 36a may be pressed against the conductor 18 in a deformed state.

[0064] If the conductor 18 to be connected has an insulating coating, the pressure contact portions 34a and 36a may bite into the insulating coating and be pressed against the conductor 18 to be connected within the insulating coating.

[0065] The intermediate regions 34E2, 36E2 and tip regions 34E3, 36E3 of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36, which are narrower than the base-side regions 34E1, 36E1, are piercing ends 34b, 36b located on the tip side of pieces 34, 36, more so than the pressure-contact portions 34a, 36a.

[0066] Because the piercing ends 34b and 36b are narrow, they are more easily deformed than the base end regions 34E1 and 36E1. Therefore, it is easy to bend the piercing ends 34b and 36b in a way that folds them back and brings them into contact with the conductor 22 while the conductor 18 to be connected is sandwiched between the base end regions 34E1 and 36E1.

[0067] The tips of the piercing ends 34b and 36b may be formed to gradually thin out. In this case, the piercing ends 34b and 36b can easily penetrate the insulating substrate 24. Furthermore, if the tips of the piercing ends 34b and 36b are formed to gradually thin out and their tip edges are formed to align with the extending direction of the conductor 22, the tip edges can be brought into contact with the conductor 22 in a linear region. This makes it easier for the piercing ends 34b and 36b to make stable contact with the conductor 22.

[0068] The distance between the tip regions 34E3 and 36E3 may be greater than the diameter of the conductor 18 to be connected. The distance between the intermediate regions 34E2 and 36E2 may be formed to gradually decrease from the tip regions 34E3 and 36E3 toward the base regions 34E1 and 36E1. In other words, the longitudinal intermediate portion of the slit 38 may be formed to gradually narrow from the portion of the same width at the tip toward the portion of the same width at the base toward the base.

[0069] <Example of connection procedure> An example of the connection procedure between the conductor 18 and the conductor 22 to be connected using the relay terminal 30 will be explained.

[0070] In the initial state, the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 of the relay terminal 30 are erected in a straight line relative to the retaining piece 32.

[0071] On both sides of the retaining piece 32, the conductor to be connected 18 is pressed into the slit 38 between the first piece 34 and the second piece 36.

[0072] In this case, if the distance between the tip-side regions 34E3 and 36E3 is greater than the diameter of the conductor 18 to be connected, the conductor 18 to be connected can be easily positioned between the openings on the tip side of the slit 38.

[0073] As the distance between the intermediate regions 34E2 and 36E2 gradually decreases towards the back, the edges of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 on the slit 38 side gradually press more firmly against the conductor 18 as it is pushed further into the slit 38. Therefore, the conductor 18 can be gradually deformed as it is pushed further into the slit 38.

[0074] When the conductor 18 to be connected reaches the back of the slit 38, the pressure contact portions 34a and 36a are pressure-contacted to the conductor 18.

[0075] In this state, the conductor 18 to be connected may be in contact with the retaining piece 32 and received by the retaining piece 32.

[0076] Next, the relay terminal 30 and the conductor to be connected 18 are positioned on the opposite side of the flat cable 20 from the conductor 22. Then, both sides of the retaining piece 32 are positioned on both outer sides of the conductor 22, and two sets of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 penetrate the insulating substrate 24 at positions on both outer sides of the conductor 22.

[0077] The piercing ends 34b and 36b of the two combinations of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 penetrate the insulating substrate 24 and protrude toward the conductor 22 relative to the insulating substrate 24. The piercing ends 34b and 36b on both outer sides of the conductor 22 are bent so as to fold back onto the conductor 22 and come into contact with the conductor 22.

[0078] As a result, the relay terminal 30 and the conductor to be connected 18 are electrically and mechanically connected, and the relay terminal 30 and the conductor are electrically and mechanically connected. The conductor to be connected 18 is electrically connected to the conductor 22 via the relay terminal 30.

[0079] Since the outer piercing ends 34b and 36b of the conductor 22 are bent toward each other, the piercing ends 34b and 36b are in a state where they embrace the conductor 22. For this reason, the relay terminal 30 is difficult to detach toward the retaining piece 32.

[0080] Since the conductor 18 to be connected is pressed between the pressure contact portions 34a and 36a, it is difficult for the conductor 18 to come loose in its longitudinal direction. The opening side of the slit 38 is blocked by the flat cable 20. Therefore, if the conductor 18 to be connected tries to move toward the opening side of the slit 38, its movement is restricted by the flat cable 20. Thus, it is difficult for the conductor 18 to come loose toward the opening side of the slit 38.

[0081] <Effects, etc.> With the relay terminal configured in this way, the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 each have piercing ends 34b and 36b, and the edges of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 on the slit 38 side each have pressure contact portions 34a and 36a. In other words, the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 can be used as components that combine the functions of connection by pressure contact and connection by piercing. As a result, the relay terminal 30 that connects the conductor 22 of the flat cable 20 and the conductor 18 to be connected can be made smaller.

[0082] For example, compared to a relay terminal in which the piercing part and the cylindrical terminal part are integrated, or a terminal in which the piercing part and the crimping part to the conductor are integrated, a smaller relay terminal 30 is provided. Because the relay terminal 30 is smaller, it is also possible to reduce the weight of the relay terminal 30.

[0083] Furthermore, with the pressure contact portions 34a and 36a connected to the conductor 18, the first piece 34, the second piece 36, and their respective piercing ends 34b and 36b penetrate the insulating substrate 24 and are connected to the conductor 22. Therefore, the conductor 18 is less likely to come loose from the tip side of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36. Thus, the connection with the conductor 18 can be maintained more reliably.

[0084] Furthermore, the retaining piece 32 maintains two sets of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 in a parallel state with a gap between them. As a result, each of the two sets of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 is used to connect to the conductor 22 of the flat cable 20 and to the target conductor 18, thus making the connection state more stable.

[0085] Furthermore, the retaining piece 32 is connected to the base end of the first piece 34 and the base end of the second piece 36 via a bent portion 33. As a result, the conductor to be connected 18 is in contact with and received by the retaining piece 32. This stabilizes the connection between the conductor to be connected 18 and the pressure contact portions 34a and 36a. In addition, the positional relationship between the conductor to be connected 18 received by the retaining piece 32 and the piercing ends 34b and 36b is also stabilized, so that the piercing ends 34b and 36b can stably contact the conductor 22.

[0086] Furthermore, the slit 38 is formed in the retaining piece 32 beyond the bent portion 33. Therefore, even if the conductor 18 to be connected is bent towards the retaining piece 32, it is difficult for it to come into contact with the retaining piece 32 over a small area. Thus, localized forces are less likely to act on the conductor 18 to be connected.

[0087] Furthermore, the tip portion of each of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 is formed to be narrower than the base portion. Therefore, the rigidity necessary for pressure welding is easily secured in the regions where the pressure-contact portions 34a and 36a of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are formed. In addition, since the tip portions of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 can be easily deformed, the piercing ends 34b and 36b can be easily processed to come into contact with the conductor 18 to be connected.

[0088] Furthermore, in the wiring member 10, the pressure contact portions 34a and 36a on the slit 38 side of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are in a state where they sandwich the conductor 18 to be connected, and the piercing ends 34b and 36b of the first piece 34 and the second piece 36 are bent back after passing through the insulating base material 24 and connected to the conductor 22. As a result, the flat cable 20 is located on the opening side of the slit 38, and the conductor 18 to be connected inside the slit 38 is held in place by the flat cable 20 so as not to come out. Thus, the connection between the relay terminal 30 and the conductor 18 to be connected is maintained more reliably.

[0089] Furthermore, the conductor 18 to be connected extends from the relay terminal 30 in a direction intersecting with the conductor 22. Therefore, the circuit formed by the conductor 22 can be easily drawn out by the conductor 18 in a direction intersecting with the conductor 22. For example, the conductor 22 can be easily branched into a circuit.

[0090] [Embodiment 2] The relay terminal and wiring member according to Embodiment 2 will be described. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the wiring member 110 according to Embodiment 2. Figure 6 is a partial front view showing the wiring member 110. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the relay terminal 130 before connection to the flat cable 20. In Figure 7, the conductor 18 to be connected is shown by a dashed line. In the description of Embodiment 2, the same reference numerals are used for components similar to those described in Embodiment 1, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0091] In this wiring member 110, the conductor to be connected 18 extends from the relay terminal 130 in a direction along the conductor 22. In other words, the relay terminal 130 can extend the conductor 22 of the flat cable 20 in the same direction as the conductor 22 by means of the conductor to be connected 18.

[0092] The relay terminal 130 includes a retaining piece 132 corresponding to the retaining piece 32, a first piece 134 corresponding to the first piece 34, and a second piece 136 corresponding to the second piece 36.

[0093] The relay terminal 130 is provided with two sets of combinations of a first piece 134 and a second piece 136, and the retaining piece 132 may maintain the two sets of combinations of the first piece 134 and the second piece 136 in a parallel state with a gap between them. A pressure contact portion 134a corresponding to the pressure contact portion 34a or a pressure contact portion 136a corresponding to the pressure contact portion 36a is provided on the base end side of the edge of each of the first piece 134 and the second piece 136 on the slit 138 side.

[0094] Unlike Embodiment 1, the first piece 134 and the second piece 136 penetrate the insulating substrate 24 on both outer sides of the conductor 22. Then, the piercing end 134b corresponding to the piercing end 34b and the piercing end 136b corresponding to the piercing end 36b are positioned on both outer sides of the conductor 22. The piercing ends 134b and 136b are bent so as to fold back toward the slit 138 corresponding to the slit 38, and are connected to the conductor 22.

[0095] The piercing ends 134b and 136b may be formed to be narrow enough that they can be easily bent toward the slit 138.

[0096] The ends of the piercing ends 134b and 136b may be formed to gradually narrow towards the tip, so that the piercing ends 134b and 136b can penetrate the insulating substrate 24.

[0097] In this case, it is easier to increase the contact area between the piercing end 134b, the piercing end 136b, and the conductor 22 than to gradually thin the tips of each piercing end towards the end.

[0098] This second embodiment also provides the same effects as the first embodiment, except for the effects caused by the different direction of circuit extraction from the conductor 18 to be connected.

[0099] In addition, the circuit formed by the conductor 22 can be easily drawn out in the direction along the conductor 22 by the conductor 18 to be connected.

[0100] [Modifications] The components described in each of the above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate, as long as they do not contradict each other.

[0101] 10, 110 Wiring component 18 Conductor to be connected 20 Flat cable 22 Conductor 24 Insulating substrate 30, 130 Intermediate terminal 32, 132 Retaining piece 33 Bending portion 34, 134 First piece 34E1, 36E1 Base end region 34E2, 36E2 Intermediate region 34E3, 36E3 Tip end region 34a, 36a, 134a, 136a Pressure contact portion 34b, 36b, 134b, 136b Piercing end 36 Second piece 38, 138 Slit

Claims

1. A relay terminal for connecting a conductor of a flat cable to a conductor to be connected, comprising: a first piece; a second piece; and a retaining piece connected to the base end of the first piece and the base end of the second piece, with a slit interposed between the first piece and the second piece, thereby maintaining the first piece and the second piece in a parallel state, wherein the slit-side edge of each of the first piece and the second piece has a pressure contact portion that is pressed against the conductor to be connected, and each of the first piece and the second piece has a piercing end that penetrates the insulating substrate of the flat cable and is connected to the conductor, on the tip side of the pressure contact portion.

2. A relay terminal according to claim 1, comprising two sets of the first piece and the second piece, wherein the retaining piece maintains the two sets of the first piece and the second piece in a parallel state with a gap between them.

3. A relay terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the retaining piece is connected to the base end of the first piece and the base end of the second piece via a bent portion.

4. A relay terminal according to claim 3, wherein the slit is formed in the retaining piece beyond the bent portion.

5. A relay terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each of the first piece and the second piece is formed such that the tip portion is narrower than the base portion.

6. A wiring member comprising: a flat cable including a conductor and an insulating substrate for holding the conductor; a conductor to be connected; and a relay terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the conductor to be connected is press-fitted into the back of the slit, the slit-side press-fit portions of the first piece and the second piece sandwich the conductor to be connected, and the piercing ends of the first piece and the second piece are bent back to penetrate the insulating substrate and connected to the conductor.

7. A wiring member according to claim 6, wherein the conductor to be connected extends from the relay terminal in a direction intersecting the conductor.

8. A wiring member according to claim 6, wherein the conductor to be connected extends from the relay terminal in a direction along the conductor.

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