Patent Grant
10374327
The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-201871 filed in Japan on Oct. 13, 2016 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-135454 filed in Japan on Jul. 11, 2017.
The present invention relates to an electric wire with terminal, a manufacturing method of an electric wire with a terminal, and a terminal crimping apparatus.
In the related art, there are a crimping terminal crimped with respect to a core of an electric wire, and a terminal crimping apparatus crimping the crimping terminal with respect to the electric wire. As an example of the crimping terminals, in WO 2011/122622 A, a technology of a crimping terminal including a barrel piece configuring a crimping unit crimping an exposed portion of an electric wire conductor, exposed with a predetermined length by a tip end of a covered body in a covered electric wire in which an outer circumference of the electric wire conductor is covered with an insulating covered body, on both sides in a width direction, is disclosed in which the barrel piece is formed to have a length in a longitudinal direction which is longer than a length of the exposed portion of the electric wire conductor, a water stop unit is provided at least on a part of a surface of the crimping unit, and the crimping unit is crimped by the barrel piece to continuously and integrally surround a portion from a tip end side from a tip end of the electric wire conductor to a rear end side from the tip end of the covered body.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2017-84485, a technology of an electric wire with a terminal is disclosed in which a crimping unit includes a cover crimping unit crimping a covered portion of a covered conductive wire, a conductive wire crimping unit crimping a conductive wire exposed from the covered portion, and a sealing portion on a terminal main body side from the conductive wire crimping unit, and a compression height of the sealing portion is higher than a compression height of the conductive wire crimping unit.
Here, from the viewpoint of suppressing a performance degradation of the electric wire with a terminal, there is still room for improvement. For example, in a case where the core of the electric wire or a water stop member protrudes to the outside from the crimping terminal due to a pressure at the time of crimping, there is a case where electric performance or sealing properties decrease. In the crimping terminal including the water stop member, in a case where the protruding water stop member is attached to a metal mold, the sealing properties easily decrease. Alternatively, in a case where an elongation amount of the crimping terminal increases at the time of crimping, there is a possibility that the performance of the electric wire with a terminal varies.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electric wire with a terminal which is capable of suppressing a performance degradation, a manufacturing method of an electric wire with a terminal, and a terminal crimping apparatus.
An electric wire with a terminal according to one aspect of the present invention includes an electric wire; and a crimping terminal including an electric wire connection portion crimped by being wound around a core and a cover of the electric wire, wherein a diameter expansion portion is provided in an end portion of the electric wire connection portion on a tip end side of the core, and a sectional area of the electric wire connection portion at the diameter expansion portion is greater than a sectional area of the electric wire connection portion at a portion on a base end side of the core with respect to the diameter expansion portion.
A method for manufacturing an electric wire with a terminal according to another aspect of the present invention includes a crimping step of crimping an electric wire connection portion of a crimping terminal by interposing the electric wire connection portion and an electric wire between a first metal mold and a second metal mold including a concave portion and by winding the electric wire connection portion around a core and a cover of the electric wire, wherein in the crimping step, the electric wire connection portion is crimped with respect to the electric wire by the second metal mold including a diameter expansion portion in an end portion of the concave portion on a tip end side of the core, and a plane portion in which the diameter expansion portion faces the first metal mold.
The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, an electric wire with a terminal, a manufacturing method of an electric wire with a terminal, and a terminal crimping apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments. In addition, the constituents of the following embodiments include constituents which can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art or substantially the same constituents.
Embodiments will be described with reference to
First, a crimping terminal 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The crimping terminal 1 illustrated in
The crimping terminal 1 includes a terminal clasp 10 and a water stop member 20. The terminal clasp 10 is a main portion of the crimping terminal 1. The terminal clasp 10 is formed of a conductive metal plate (for example, a copper plate and a copper alloy plate) as a base material. The terminal clasp 10 is formed into a predetermined shape which can be connected to the counterpart terminal or the electric wire 50 by punching processing, bending processing, or the like with respect to the base material. The terminal clasp 10 includes a terminal connection portion 11 and an electric wire connection portion 12. The terminal connection portion 11 is a portion which is electrically connected to the counterpart terminal. The electric wire connection portion 12 is a portion which is crimped with respect to the electric wire 50, and is electrically connected to the core 51. A joining portion 13 is between the terminal connection portion 11 and the electric wire connection portion 12. In other words, the terminal connection portion 11 and the electric wire connection portion 12 are joined together through the joining portion 13. The joining portion 13 includes side walls 13a and 13a joining side walls 11a and 11a of the terminal connection portion 11 and barrel piece portions 15 and 16, which are side walls of the electric wire connection portion 12, together. One side wall 13a joins one side wall 11a and the first barrel piece portion 15 together, and the other side wall 13a joins the other side wall 11a and the second barrel piece portion 16 together. The height of the side wall 13a is lower than the height of the barrel piece portions 15 and 16 or the side wall 11a. More specifically, the height of the side wall 13a decreases towards the electric wire connection portion 12 from the terminal connection portion 11.
The terminal clasp 10 may be a male terminal or a female terminal. In a case where the terminal clasp 10 is the male terminal, the terminal connection portion 11 is molded in a male die, and in a case where the terminal clasp 10 is the female terminal, the terminal connection portion 11 is molded in a female die.
In the description of the crimping terminal 1, a connection direction of the counterpart terminal, that is, an insertion direction of the counterpart terminal will be referred to as a first direction L. The first direction L is a longitudinal direction of the crimping terminal 1. A parallel arrangement direction of the crimping terminal 1 will be referred to as a second direction W. The parallel arrangement direction is a direction in which the crimping terminals 1 are disposed in parallel in a terminal chain body 30 as described below, and is a width direction of the crimping terminal 1. In the crimping terminal 1, a direction orthogonal to both of the first direction L and the second direction W will be referred to as a third direction H. The third direction H is a height direction of the crimping terminal 1.
In a molding step, the crimping terminal 1 is molded into the shape of a flat plate, and from such a state, the terminal connection portion 11 is formed into the shape of a tube as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In the first barrel piece portion 15 and the second barrel piece portion 16, lengths from a base of on the bottom portion 14 side to end surfaces of tip ends 15a and 16a may be identical to each other, or one length may be longer than the other length. In the crimping terminal 1 of this embodiment, the length from the base of the first barrel piece portion 15 to the tip end 15a is longer than the length from the base of the second barrel piece portion 16 to the tip end 16a. The first barrel piece portion 15 and the second barrel piece portion 16, for example, are wound around the electric wire 50 while overlapping with each other. In this embodiment, the second barrel piece portion 16 overlaps with the outside of the first barrel piece portion 15. Furthermore, the first barrel piece portion 15 and the second barrel piece portion 16 may be subjected to swaging referred to as so-called B crimping. In the B crimping, each of the first barrel piece portion 15 and the second barrel piece portion 16 is swaged by being bent towards the bottom portion 14 side and by pressing the tip ends 15a and 16a towards the electric wire 50. In the crimping terminal 1 of this embodiment, the water stop member 20 described below is disposed, and thus, the swaging processing of the former is adopted.
The end portion of the electric wire 50 is inserted to an opening portion of the U-shape of the electric wire connection portion 12, that is, a space on the inside of the U-shape from a gap of the tip ends 15a and 16a. The electric wire connection portion 12 is formed such that the end portion of the electric wire 50 is easily inserted thereto. Specifically, in the electric wire connection portion 12, an interval between the first barrel piece portion 15 and the second barrel piece portion 16 in the second direction W is widened towards the end surfaces of the tip ends 15a and 16a from the bottom portion 14 side.
As illustrated in
The core crimping unit 12A is a portion which is crimped with respect to the core 51 of the tip end of the electric wire 50. The core crimping unit 12A is a portion closest to the joining portion 13 of each of the barrel piece portions 15 and 16. The cover crimping unit 12B is a portion which is crimped with respect to an end portion of the cover 52. The cover crimping unit 12B is a portion which is positioned on a side farthest from the joining portion 13 side of each of the barrel piece portions 15 and 16. The join crimping unit 12C is a portion which joins the core crimping unit 12A and the cover crimping unit 12B together. The join crimping unit 12C is crimped with respect to a boundary portion between the core 51 and the cover 52 of the electric wire 50. The electric wire connection portion 12 integrally covers the core 51 and the cover 52 by being crimped with respect to the electric wire 50.
As illustrated in
Here, it is not preferable that ingress of water occurs between the core 51, and the electric wire connection portion 12 crimped with respect to the core 51. For example, in a case where there is a difference in ionization tendency magnitudes between a metal material of the core 51 and a metal material of the electric wire connection portion 12, there is a possibility of corrosion. As an example, in a case where the material of the core 51 is aluminum, and the material of the electric wire connection portion 12 is copper, there is a possibility that the corrosion of the core 51 occurs. The water stop member 20 is disposed in the crimping terminal 1 of this embodiment. The water stop member 20 suppresses the ingress of water between the electric wire connection portion 12 and the core 51.
The water stop member 20, for example, is a member formed into the shape of a sheet, which is mainly consisted of an adhesive agent such as an acrylic adhesive agent. An adhesive sheet formed by infiltrating the adhesive agent into a sheet-like unwoven fabric, which has an adhesive effect on both surfaces, is used as the water stop member 20 of this embodiment.
The water stop member 20, for example, is stuck to the inner wall surface of the electric wire connection portion 12 in the shape of a flat plate, illustrated in
The second water stop portion 22 performs water stop with respect to the core 51 on the terminal connection portion 11 side from the tip end. The second water stop portion 22 is disposed in the end portion of the electric wire connection portion 12 on the terminal connection portion 11 side, and extends along the second direction W. It is desirable that at least a part of the second water stop portion 22 is disposed in a region where the core 51 is mounted. The second water stop portion 22, for example, is interposed between the barrel piece portions 15 and 16 which are overlap with each other, and thus, a water stop region is formed in a gap between the barrel piece portions 15 and 16. The second water stop portions 22 overlap with each other in a crimping step, and thus, it is possible to block a gap of the core 51 on the terminal connection portion 11 side from the tip end. The second water stop portion 22 suppresses the ingress of water between the electric wire connection portion 12 and the core 51 from the terminal connection portion 11 side.
The third water stop portion 23 suppresses the ingress of water from the gap between the electric wire connection portion 12 and the cover 52. The third water stop portion 23 is disposed in the end portion of the electric wire connection portion 12 on a side opposite to the terminal connection portion 11 side, and extends along the second direction W. The third water stop portion 23 is interposed between the cover 52 and the electric wire connection portion 12, and thus, a water stop region is formed between the cover 52 and the electric wire connection portion 12.
The terminal clasp 10 described above is processed into the shape including the flat plate-like electric wire connection portion 12 illustrated in
In this embodiment, the terminal chain body 30 illustrated in
The terminal chain body 30 is an aggregation of the crimping terminals 1. The terminal chain body 30 includes a joining piece 31, the plurality of crimping terminals 1, and a plurality of joints 32. The joining piece 31, the crimping terminal 1, and the joint 32 are formed of the same base material, and are integrated with each other. In the terminal chain body 30, each of the crimping terminals 1 is directed towards the same direction, and is arranged in parallel at regular intervals. In the terminal chain body 30, one end portions of each of the crimping terminals 1 are joined to each other by the joining piece 31. The joining piece 31, for example, is in the shape of an elongated rectangular plate. The joining piece 31 extends along the second direction W. The electric wire connection portion 12 is joined to the joining piece 31 through the joint 32. More specifically, the joint 32 joins the end portion of the bottom portion 14 on a side opposite to the terminal connection portion 11 side to the joining piece 31.
A plurality of terminal feeding holes 31a are formed in the joining piece 31. The terminal feeding holes 31a are arranged at regular intervals along a feeding direction of the terminal chain body 30. The terminal feeding hole 31a is a through hole penetrating into the joining piece 31 in a plate thickness direction. The positioning of the crimping terminal 1 is performed with respect to a crimping device 102 described below by the terminal feeding hole 31a. The terminal chain body 30 is set with respect to the terminal crimping device 100 in a state of being wound into the shape of a reel.
As illustrated in
The terminal supply device 101 sequentially takes out the terminal chain body 30 which is wound into the shape of a reel form from an outer circumference side. The terminal supply device 101 sequentially supplies the crimping terminal 1 of the taken terminal chain body 30 to a crimping position from a head side. In a case where crimping terminal 1 on the head is crimped with respect to the electric wire 50, and is separated from the joining piece 31, the terminal supply device 101 supplies the crimping terminal 1 which is newly becomes a head, to the crimping position. The terminal supply device 101 performs a supply operation whenever the crimping step and the terminal cutting step of one crimping terminal 1 are completed, and supplies the next crimping terminal 1 to the crimping position.
The terminal supply device 101 includes a terminal feeding member 101a and a power transmitting mechanism 101b. The terminal feeding member 101a includes a protruding portion which is inserted into the terminal feeding hole 31a of the joining piece 31. The terminal feeding member 101a moves the terminal chain body 30 in the feeding direction in a state where the protruding portion is inserted into the terminal feeding hole 31a. The power transmitting mechanism 101b operates the terminal feeding member 101a along with a crimping operation of the crimping device 102 (an up-and-down motion of a ram 114A or the like described below). The terminal supply device 101 moves the terminal feeding member 101a in an up-and-down direction and the feeding direction along with the crimping operation of the crimping device 102, and thus, supplies the crimping terminal 1 to the crimping position.
The crimping device 102 executes the crimping step of crimping the supplied crimping terminal 1 with respect to the electric wire 50, and the terminal cutting step of separating the crimping terminal 1 from the joining piece 31. The crimping device 102 includes a crimper 110 and a terminal cutting mechanism 120.
The crimper 110 is a device which swages the crimping terminal 1 in the end portion of the electric wire 50, and thus, crimps the crimping terminal 1 with respect to the electric wire 50. The crimper 110 of this embodiment swages the first barrel piece portion 15 and the second barrel piece portion 16 of the crimping terminal 1 to be wound around the core 51 and the cover 52 of the electric wire 50, and thus, crimps the crimping terminal 1 with respect to the electric wire 50. The crimper 110 includes a frame 111, a first metal mold 112, a second metal mold 113, and a power transmitting mechanism 114.
The frame 111 includes a pedestal 111A, an anvil support body 111B, a transmitting unit support body 111C, and a support base 111D. The pedestal 111A is a member forming the base of the terminal crimping apparatus 100. The pedestal 111A is fixed to a mounting base on which the terminal crimping apparatus 100 is mounted. The anvil support body 111B, the transmitting unit support body 111C, and the support base 111D are fixed onto the pedestal 111A.
The transmitting unit support body 111C is disposed on a rear side (a right side on the paper in
The first metal mold 112 and the second metal mold 113 form a pair. The first metal mold 112 and the second metal mold 113 are arranged at an interval in the up-and-down direction. As illustrated in
The first anvil 112A and the first crimper 113A face each other in the up-and-down direction. The first anvil 112A and the first crimper 113A crimp the core crimping unit 12A. That is, the first anvil 112A and the first crimper 113A have an interval therebetween, and thus, crimp the U-shaped core crimping unit 12A with respect to the core 51 by winding the U-shaped core crimping unit 12A around the core 51 of the electric wire 50.
The second anvil 112B and the second crimper 113B face each other in the up-and-down direction. The second anvil 112B and the second crimper 113B crimp the cover crimping unit 12B. That is, the second anvil 112B and the second crimper 113B have an interval therebetween, and thus, crimp the U-shaped cover crimping unit 12B with respect to the cover 52 by winding the U-shaped cover crimping unit 12B around the cover 52.
The driving device 103 transmits the power to the power transmitting mechanism 114, and thus, in the crimping step, the electric wire connection portion 12 is crimped with respect to the electric wire 50 at the interval between the first metal mold 112 and the second metal mold 113. On the other hand, in a case where the crimping step is completed, the driving device 103 widens the interval between the first metal mold 112 and the second metal mold 113. In the crimping device 102 of this embodiment, the second metal mold 113 is moved up and down with respect to the first metal mold 112, and thus, the interval between a pair of metal molds 112 and 113 is changed.
Furthermore, in the first metal mold 112, the first anvil 112A and the second anvil 112B may be separated from each other, and in the second metal mold 113, the first crimper 113A and the second crimper 113B may be separated from each other. In this case, the driving device 103 and the power transmitting mechanism 114 may be configured to be moved up and down separated from the first crimper 113A and the second crimper 113B.
The power transmitting mechanism 114 transmits the power output from the driving device 103 to the first crimper 113A and the second crimper 113B. As illustrated in
The ram 114A is a movable member which is supported to be movable up and down with respect to the ram support portion 111C2. The second metal mold 113 is fixed to the ram 114A. For this reason, the first crimper 113A and the second crimper 113B are moved up and down with respect to the ram support portion 111C2 by being integrated with the ram 114A. The ram 114A, for example, is in the shape of a cube. A female screw portion (not illustrated) is formed in the ram 114A. The female screw portion is formed on an inner circumferential surface of a hole in the up-and-down direction, which is formed towards upper end surface from the inside of the ram 114A.
The ram bolt 114B includes a male screw portion (not illustrated), and the male screw portion is screwed to the female screw portion of the ram 114A. For this reason, the ram bolt 114B is moved up and down with respect to the ram support portion 111C2 by being integrated with the ram 114A. In addition, the ram bolt 114B includes a bolt head portion 114B1 which is disposed on an upper side of the male screw portion. A female screw portion (not illustrated) is formed in the bolt head portion 114B1. The female screw portion of the bolt head portion 114B1 is formed on an inner circumferential surface of a hole in the up-and-down direction, which is formed towards an upper end surface from the inside of the bolt head portion 114B1.
The shank 114C is a cylindrical hollow member, and includes a male screw portion 114C1 and a connection portion (not illustrated) in each end portion. The male screw portion 114C1 of the shank 114C is formed on a lower side of the hollow member, and is screwed to the female screw portion of the bolt head portion 114B1 of the ram bolt 114B. Accordingly, the shank 114C is moved up and down with respect to the ram support portion 111C2 by being integrated with the ram 114A or the ram bolt 114B. The connection portion of the shank 114C is connected to the driving device 103.
The driving device 103 includes a driving source (not illustrated), and a power conversion mechanism (not illustrated) which converts a driving force of the driving source to power in the up-and-down direction. The connection portion of the shank 114C is joined to an output axis of the power conversion mechanism. Accordingly, the first crimper 113A and the second crimper 113B are moved up and down with respect to the ram support portion 111C2 by being integrated with the ram 114A, the ram bolt 114B, and the shank 114C, according to the output of the driving device 103 (the output of the power conversion mechanism). An electric actuator such as an electric motor, a hydraulic actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic actuator such as an air cylinder, and the like can be applied as the driving source of the driving device 103.
A relative position of the first crimper 113A in the up-and-down direction with respect to the first anvil 112A, and a relative position of the second crimper 113B in the up-and-down direction with respect to the second anvil 112B can be changed by adjusting a screwing amount between the female screw portion of the bolt head portion 114B1 and the male screw portion 114C1 of the shank 114C. The nut 114D is screwed to the male screw portion 114C1 of the shank 114C on an upper side of the ram bolt 114B. Accordingly, the nut 114D functions as a so-called lock nut along with the female screw portion of the bolt head portion 114B1. The nut 114D is fasten to the ram bolt 114B side after the adjustment of the relative position is completed, and thus, is capable of fixing the first crimper 113A and the second crimper 113B to the relative position.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The crimping terminal 1, which is subjected to the crimping processing by the crimper 110, is separated from the joining piece 31 by the terminal cutting mechanism 120. The terminal cutting mechanism 120 cuts the joint 32 of the crimping terminal 1 supplied to the crimping position by interposing the joint 32 between two terminal cutting portions, and performs the separation along with the proceeding of the crimping step. As illustrated in
The terminal cutting body 121 is molded into the shape of a cube, and is disposed to slide in the up-and-down direction along the front surface of the second anvil 112B. As illustrated in
The terminal cutting body 121 cuts the joint 32 while being relatively moved up and down with respect to the first metal mold 112 and the crimping terminal 1. Here, a position, in which the joining piece 31 or the like can be inserted into the slit 121b, is an initial position of the terminal cutting body 121 in the up-and-down direction. As illustrated in
The push down member 122 is fixed to the ram 114A, and is moved up and down by being integrated with the ram 114A. The push down member 122 is disposed on the upper side of the terminal cutting body 121, and is lowered, and thus, the terminal cutting body 121 is pushed down. The push down member 122 is molded into the shape of a cube. The elastic member 123 applies a biasing force to the terminal cutting body 121 on the upper side, and is formed of a spring member or the like. When a pushing down force from the push down member 122 is released, the elastic member 123 returns the terminal cutting body 121 to the initial position in the up-and-down direction.
In the terminal cutting mechanism 120, the push down member 122 is lowered along with the lowering of the second metal mold 113 at the time of the crimping processing, and the terminal cutting body 121 is pushed down. The terminal cutting body 121 is lowered, and thus, the joint 32 is interposed between the opening edge 121c of the slit 121b and the upper surface edge 112a of the second anvil 112B (
As illustrated in
Here, the predetermined position is a position in which the end portion of the electric wire 50 before the crimping processing is on the upper side of the bottom portion 14 of the flat plate-like electric wire connection portion 12. In addition, the predetermined position is a position in which the core 51 can be mounted on the bottom portion 14 of the core crimping unit 12A such that the tip end of the core 51 which is pushed down along with the start of the crimping processing does not protrude from the core crimping unit 12A. The core 51 is stretched in an axis line direction along the crimping processing, and a tip end position of the core 51 is moved along the axis line direction. It is desirable that the predetermined position is determined in consideration of the stretching.
On the other hand, the end portion (the core 51 or the cover 52 on the tip end) of the electric wire 50 is pushed down to the electric wire connection portion 12 on the inner wall surface side by the second metal mold 113. For this reason, in a case where the electric wire 50 is not retained at all, there is a concern that the electric wire 50 floats from the upper surface 121d of the terminal cutting body 121, and the core 51 or the cover 52 on the tip end is crimped in a state of not being mounted in the bottom portion 14 of the electric wire connection portion 12. For this reason, the terminal crimping apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes an electric wire retention mechanism in which the electric wire 50 is retained in the predetermined position with respect to the upper portion of the terminal cutting body 121, and a positional shift of the end portion of the electric wire 50 with respect to the electric wire connection portion 12 during the crimping processing is suppressed.
The electric wire retention mechanism includes an electric wire presser 118 retaining the electric wire 50 mounted on the upper surface 121d of the terminal cutting body 121 as an electric wire mounting portion by pressing the electric wire 50 against the upper surface 121d (
According to the terminal crimping apparatus 100 configured as described above, when the core crimping unit 12A is crimped with respect to the core 51, the core crimping unit 12A is pressed against the core 51 at a high pressure. The core 51, the core crimping unit 12A, or the water stop member 20, to which a pressure force is applied, is stretched along the first direction L. In the crimping step, there is a possibility that the pressed core 51 is stretched and protrudes to the outside from the core crimping unit 12A, or the pressed water stop member 20 considerably protrudes to the outside from the core crimping unit 12A. As a result thereof, in the crimping terminal 1, there is a concern that a decrease in sealing properties or a decrease in electric performance occurs. In addition, in a case where the water stop member 20 excessively protrudes from the core crimping unit 12A, there is a case where the water stop member 20 is attached to the second metal mold 113. As a result thereof, a decrease in the sealing properties is caused, or the crimping terminal 1 is not smoothly taken out from the second metal mold 113.
As described below, the terminal crimping apparatus 100 of this embodiment has a configuration in which the protrusion of the core 51 or the water stop member 20 from the core crimping unit 12A can be suppressed. As illustrated in
In the diameter expansion portion 113C, a sectional area of a space surrounded by the concave portion 113A1 and the first metal mold 112 is large compared to a sectional area of the portion 113D on a base end side from the diameter expansion portion 113C. Furthermore, here, the “sectional area” is a sectional area of a sectional surface orthogonal to the first direction L. The portion 113D on the base end side is a portion of the concave portion 113A1 on the second crimper 113B side from the diameter expansion portion 113C. In the diameter expansion portion 113C, the third wall surface 117 is widened towards an upper side, compared to the portion 113D on the base end side. More specifically, the third wall surface 117 of the first crimper 113A includes a step portion 117A in an end portion on a side separated from the second crimper 113B. The step portion 117A is positioned on a further upper side from the other portion of the third wall surface 117 of the first crimper 113A. A height position of the third wall surface 117 is changed towards the step portion 117A in the shape of a step. As illustrated in
In the diameter expansion portion 113C, the sectional area of the space surrounded by the concave portion 113A1 and the first metal mold 112 increases from the portion 113D on the base end side. Furthermore, a magnitude relationship of the sectional area is a magnitude relationship compared with a case where the position of the second metal mold 113 in the third direction H is the same. The diameter expansion portion 113C, for example, is formed such that the magnitude relationship described above is established when the second metal mold 113 is at least in the bottom dead center. The bottom dead center is a lower end position in a range where the second metal mold 113 is moved up and down. In a case where the second metal mold 113 is in the bottom dead center, the first metal mold 112 is closest to the second metal mold 113 in the third direction H.
According to the second metal mold 113 of this embodiment, when the core crimping unit 12A is crimped with respect to the core 51 of the electric wire 50, a pressure force of the diameter expansion portion 113C is smaller than a pressure force of the portion 113D on the base end side. In addition, a compression rate at which the diameter expansion portion 113C compresses the core 51 is less than a compression rate at which the portion 113D on the base end side compresses the core 51. Accordingly, the protrusion of the core 51 from the core crimping unit 12A or the excessive protrusion of the water stop member 20 is suppressed. The diameter expansion portion 113C of this embodiment is disposed in a range corresponding to the third water stop portion 23 in the first direction L. That is, in the concave portion 113A1, the diameter expansion portion 113C is disposed in a position where the third water stop portion 23 is compressed. Accordingly, the excessive protrusion of the water stop member 20, for example, protrusion to the extent of being attached to the second metal mold 113 is preferably suppressed.
The diameter expansion portion 113C of this embodiment is configured by widening the third wall surface 117 towards the upper side. A height from the concave surface 112A1 of the first metal mold 112 to the third wall surface 117 is low in the portion 113D on the base end side, and becomes relatively higher in the diameter expansion portion 113C. On the other hand, an interval between the first wall surface 115 and the second wall surface 116 in the second direction W is identical to an interval between the diameter expansion portion 113C and the portion 113D on the base end side. That is, the diameter expansion portion 113C is formed such that the flatness of the core crimping unit 12A and the core 51 after being crimped decreases, compared to the portion 113D on the base end side. The flatness of the crimped core crimping unit 12A decreases due to the diameter expansion portion 113C, and thus, it is difficult for the core 51 or the water stop member 20 to protrude to the outside from the core crimping unit 12A.
As illustrated in
In addition, according to the second metal mold 113 of this embodiment, as described above, it is possible to improve the electric performance of the core crimping unit 12A.
In contrast, in the core crimping unit 12A according to this embodiment, as illustrated in
A second example of the embodiment will be described with reference to
In the second example of the embodiment, the diameter expansion portion 113C of the second metal mold 113 includes a plane portion 117A1. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In the second metal mold 113, the plane portion 117A1 is disposed in the diameter expansion portion 113C, and thus, as described below, the electric wire connection portion 12 is prevented from being stretched in the crimping step. By providing the plane portion 117A1, it is possible to increase the sectional area of the diameter expansion portion 113C. That is, it is possible to increase the sectional area of the region surrounded by the first metal mold 112 and the diameter expansion portion 113C at the time of crimping. As illustrated in
More specifically, the diameter expansion portion 12D includes a side wall portion 12D2 and a curved corner portion 12D1. A pair of side wall portions 12D2 and 12D2 extend towards the flat portion 12F from the bottom portion 14 in the third direction H. The corner portion 12D1 joins the flat portion 12F and the side wall portion 12D2 together. The pair of side wall portions 12D2 and 12D2 face each other in the second direction W, and are substantially parallel to each other. That is, the diameter expansion portion 12D has approximately a constant dimension in the second direction W from the lower end to the upper end in the third direction H. Accordingly, the sectional area of the diameter expansion portion 12D is maximized with respect to the same terminal height H1. Furthermore, the terminal height H1 is the dimension of the crimping terminal 1 after being crimped in the third direction H, that is, a crimping height.
In the crimping step, a volume is absorbed in the corner portion 12D1 of the diameter expansion portion 12D. The volume is absorbed in the corner portion 12D1, and thus, an elongation amount of the electric wire connection portion 12 towards the front side is reduced. As a result thereof, a variation in a length dimension of the crimping terminal 1 is suppressed. In addition, the terminal height H1 is suppressed while the sectional area of the diameter expansion portion 12D is maximized, and thus, a step between the diameter expansion portion 12D and the portion 12E on the base end side is minimized. Accordingly, an inclined angle of an inclined portion 12J (refer to
The sectional area of the diameter expansion portion 12D increases, and thus, in the crimping step, the elongation amount of the electric wire connection portion 12 or the core 51 towards the first direction L is reduced. The elongation amount of the core 51 is reduced, and thus, a decrease in the water stop performance due to the water stop member 20 is suppressed. In addition, the elongation amount of the electric wire connection portion 12 decreases, and thus, a variation in the elongation amount of the electric wire connection portion 12 in the crimping step decreases. As a result thereof, in the electric wire 2 with a terminal, performance such as fixing properties or a resistance value is stable. In addition, the elongation amount of the core 51 is reduced, and thus, a decrease in the strength of the core 51 rarely occurs.
In addition, the elongation amount of the electric wire connection portion 12 is reduced, and thus, it is possible to downsize the crimping terminal 1 after being crimped. For example, in a case where a connector is required to be downsized, a depth dimension of a terminal containing portion containing the crimping terminal 1 is shortened. As a result thereof, it is considered that a reduction in the length dimension with respect to the crimping terminal 1 after being crimped is required. In a manufacturing method of an electric wire with a terminal of the second example, the diameter expansion portion 113C crimps the electric wire connection portion 12 with respect to the electric wire 50 by the second metal mold 113 including the plane portion 117A1. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the length dimension of the crimping terminal 1.
In addition, in the second metal mold 113 of the second example, the diameter expansion portion 113C is disposed to be separated from the protrusion 112C in the first direction L. Accordingly, the diameter expansion portion 113C is rarely affected by the adhesion acceleration of the protrusion 112C. Accordingly, it is possible to make ensuring electrical performance of the second metal mold 113 of the second example electric wire 2 with a terminal and stabling of the length dimension of the crimping terminal 1 compatible.
Further, as illustrated in
The inclined portion 117C is inclined to be moved close to the first metal mold 112 as being separated from the first crimper 113A along the first direction L. That is, an interval H2 between the inclined portion 117C and the concave surface 112B1 of the first metal mold 112 in the third direction H decreases as being moved away from the first crimper 113A along the first direction L. The interval H2 in the third direction H, for example, is changed at a constant rate along the first direction L. In the second example, the inclined portion 117C extends to a rear end of the concave portion 113B1. In other words, in the third wall surface 117, the entire portion on the rear side from the joint 117B is the inclined portion 117C. Furthermore, in the second metal mold 113 of the second example, the curved shape of the joint 117B and the curved shape of the inclined portion 117C are common.
By providing the inclined portion 117C, the compression rate with respect to the cover crimping unit 12B increases as being moved away from the first crimper 113A along the first direction L. That is, the inclined portion 117C compresses the cover crimping unit 12B at a high pressure force as being directed towards the rear side.
As illustrated in
The joint 12H is joined to the join crimping unit 12C. The taper portion 12G is positioned on the rear side in the first direction L from the joint 12H. In the description of the crimping terminal 1, the “front side” is the core crimping unit 12A side seen from the cover crimping unit 12B, and the “rear side” is the cover crimping unit 12B side seen from the core crimping unit 12A. In the taper portion 12G, a terminal height H3 decreases as being directed towards the rear side from the front side. The terminal height H3 is a distance from the outside surface of the bottom portion 14 to the outside surface of the cover crimping unit 12B in the third direction H. On the other hand, in the joint 12H, the terminal height H3 does not fluctuate along the first direction L. In the joint 12H, the terminal height H3 is substantially constant regardless of the position in the first direction L. Accordingly, in the sectional view of
In the sectional surface orthogonal to the second direction W as
The cover crimping unit 12B is crimped by the second metal mold 113 including the inclined portion 117C, and thus, the cover crimping unit 12B is prevented from being stretched. In the crimping step, the second metal mold 113 applies a pressure force larger than the pressure force with respect to a portion of the cover crimping unit 12B on the front side, with respect to the portion of the cover crimping unit 12B on the rear side. Accordingly, the cover crimping unit 12B is prevented from being stretched. In addition, as illustrated in
In addition, an inclination direction of the inclined portion 117C is a direction in which the cover crimping unit 12B is prevented from being stretched towards the rear side. The inclined portion 117C applies a reactive force towards the front side with respect to the cover crimping unit 12B which is stretched towards the rear side. That is, the inclined portion 117C prevents not only the stretching of the cover crimping unit 12B due to the frictional force but also the stretching of the cover crimping unit 12B due to the reactive force towards the front side. Thus, the second metal mold 113 of the second example is capable of preventing the cover crimping unit 12B from being stretched towards the rear side of the first direction L.
In addition, as described above, the cover crimping unit 12B crimped by the second metal mold 113 of the second example includes the taper portion 12G. The crimping terminal 1 in which the taper portion 12G is formed in the cover crimping unit 12B represents that the cover crimping unit 12B is prevented from being stretched in the crimping step. That is, the second metal mold 113 of the second example, the manufacturing method of an electric wire with a terminal using the second metal mold 113, and the electric wire 2 with a terminal have the common effect that the cover crimping unit 12B is prevented from being stretched.
In addition, in the electric wire 2 with a terminal including the joint 12H, a decrease in the water stop performance rarely occurs. An electric wire with a terminal in which the joint 12H is not provided, and the join crimping unit 12C and the taper portion 12G are directly joined together, is set as a comparative example. In the electric wire with a terminal of the comparative example, the barrel piece portions 15 and 16 are bent at a steep angle in a joint between the join crimping unit 12C and the taper portion 12G. As a result thereof, a gap is generated between the first barrel piece portion 15 and the second barrel piece portion 16, and thus, a decrease in the water stop performance is easily caused. In contrast, the cover crimping unit 12B of the second example includes the joint 12H, and thus, a bending angle between the barrel piece portions 15 and 16 becomes a small angle. As a result thereof, in the electric wire 2 with a terminal of the second example, a decrease in the water stop performance is suppressed.
As described above, the electric wire 2 with a terminal according to this embodiment includes the electric wire 50, and the crimping terminal 1 including the electric wire connection portion 12 which is crimped by being wound around the core 51 and the cover 52 of the electric wire 50. The end portion of electric wire connection portion 12 on the tip end side of the core 51 includes the diameter expansion portion 12D. The diameter expansion portion 12D covers the tip end portion of the core 51, and contains the water stop member 20 sealing the gap between the core 51 and the electric wire connection portion 12. A sectional area of the diameter expansion portion 12D is greater than a sectional area of the portion 12E on the base end side of the core 51 with respect to the diameter expansion portion 12D. In the crimping terminal 1 crimped by the terminal crimping apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the diameter expansion portion 12D is formed, and thus, the elongation amount of the electric wire connection portion 12 decreases, and thus, a variation in the length of the crimping terminal 1 is suppressed. As a result thereof, the electric wire 2 with a terminal according to this embodiment has an effect that a decrease in the performance can be suppressed.
In addition, in the electric wire connection portion 12 of this embodiment, the bottom portion 14 of the portion crimped with respect to the core 51 includes the recess portion 14a, which is recessed, on the core 51 side. The diameter expansion portion 12D is separated from the recess portion 14a in an axis direction of the electric wire 50. The recess portion 14a is formed by the protrusion 112C of the first metal mold 112. The recess portion 14a is formed, and thus, the adhesion between the core 51 and the core crimping unit 12A is accelerated. Further, the diameter expansion portion 12D is formed in a portion which is separated from the recess portion 14a, and thus, the adhesion accelerating effect of the recess portion 14a rarely decreases.
In addition, in the electric wire 2 with a terminal of this embodiment, the diameter expansion portion 12D faces the bottom portion 14 of the crimping terminal 1 in the height direction, and the outside surface 12F1 includes the flat portion 12F which is parallel to the width direction of the bottom portion 14. The sectional area of the diameter expansion portion 12D including the flat portion 12F increases compared to a case where the flat portion 12F is not provided. Accordingly, the diameter expansion portion 12D of this embodiment reduces the elongation amount of the electric wire connection portion 12, and thus, is capable of suppressing a variation in the length of the crimping terminal 1.
In addition, the diameter expansion portion 12D includes the side wall portion 12D2 which extends towards the flat portion 12F from the bottom portion 14 in the height direction, and the curved corner portion 12D1 which joins the flat portion 12F and the side wall portion 12D2 together. Such a diameter expansion portion 12D has a sectional shape which is approximately a rectangular shape. Accordingly, it is possible to maximize the sectional area of the diameter expansion portion 12D while suppressing an increase in a terminal width and a terminal height.
In addition, the manufacturing method of an electric wire with a terminal of this embodiment includes the crimping step. The crimping step is a step in which the electric wire connection portion 12 and the electric wire 50 of the crimping terminal 1 are interposed between the first metal mold 112 and the second metal mold 113 including the concave portions 113A1 and 113B1, and thus, the electric wire connection portion 12 is crimped with respect to the core 51 and the cover 52 of the electric wire 50 by being wound around the core 51 and the cover 52 of the electric wire 50.
In the manufacturing method of an electric wire with a terminal of this embodiment, in the crimping step, the electric wire connection portion 12 is crimped with respect to the electric wire 50 by the second metal mold 113 including the diameter expansion portion 113C. The diameter expansion portion 113C is positioned on the tip end 51a side of the core 51 in the concave portion 113A1. The diameter expansion portion 113C includes the plane portion 117A1 facing the first metal mold 112. The electric wire connection portion 12 is crimped with respect to the electric wire connection portion 12 by the second metal mold 113 including the plane portion 117A1, and thus, the diameter expansion portion 12D including the flat portion 12F is formed in the electric wire connection portion 12. As a result thereof, the sectional area of the diameter expansion portion 12D increases, and thus, a variation in the length of the crimping terminal 1 is suppressed.
The terminal crimping apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes the first metal mold 112 and a second metal mold 113. The first metal mold 112 is a lower mold which supports the electric wire connection portion 12 of the crimping terminal 1 by the concave surfaces 112A1 and 112B1. The second metal mold 113 includes the concave portions 113A1 and 113A2. The concave portions 113A1 and 113A2 are upper molds which crimp the electric wire connection portion 12 with respect to the core 51 and the cover 52 of the electric wire 50 by interposing the electric wire connection portion 12 and the electric wire 50 between the first metal mold 112 and by winding the electric wire connection portion 12 around the core 51 and the cover 52 of the electric wire 50.
The diameter expansion portion 113C is disposed in the end portion of the core 51 on the tip end side in the concave portion 113A1. In the diameter expansion portion 113C, the sectional area of the space surrounded by the concave portion 113A1 and the first metal mold 112 is large compared to the portion 113D on the base end side of the core 51 with respect to the diameter expansion portion 113C. Accordingly, when the core crimping unit 12A is crimped with respect to the core 51, the terminal crimping apparatus 100 of this embodiment sets the degree of the compression in the end portion of the core 51 on the tip end side to be lower than the degree of the compression in the other portion.
Accordingly, the terminal crimping apparatus 100 of this embodiment is capable of suppressing the protrusion of the core 51 from the core crimping unit 12A or the excessive protrusion of the water stop member 20. By decreasing the degree of the compression in the diameter expansion portion 113C, it is possible to interpose a sufficient amount of water stop member 20 between the core 51 and the core crimping unit 12A after the crimping is completed. In addition, the sectional area increases in the diameter expansion portion 113C, and thus, interference between the first barrel piece portion 15 and the second barrel piece portion 16 at the time of being wound around the electric wire 50 is suppressed. In addition, by providing the diameter expansion portion 113C, the elongation amount of the electric wire connection portion 12 is reduced. As a result thereof, a variation in the length of the crimping terminal 1 is suppressed.
In addition, in the diameter expansion portion 113C, the concave portion 113A1 is recessed towards a side opposite to the first metal mold 112 compared to the portion 113D of the core 51 on the base end side. The step portion 117A, which is recessed towards the side opposite to the first metal mold 112, is disposed in the third wall surface 117. The step portion 117A has an escaping structure at the time of crimping, and allows the escape of the compressed core crimping unit 12A or the core 51. The concave portion 113A1 is recessed towards the side opposite to the first metal mold 112, and thus, it is possible to suitably suppress the protrusion of the core 51 from the core crimping unit 12A and the excessive protrusion of the water stop member 20. In addition, the concave portion 113A1 is recessed towards the side opposite to the first metal mold 112, and thus, a variation in the length of the crimping terminal 1 is suppressed.
Furthermore, the material of the core 51 of the electric wire 50 is not limited to aluminum. The core 51, for example, may be copper or a copper alloy, or may be other metals having conductivity or the like. The material of the crimping terminal 1 is not limited to copper or a copper alloy, and may be other metals having conductivity.
The position and the shape of the taper portion 12G of the second example are not limited to the exemplified position and shape. For example, a portion in which the terminal height H3 does not fluctuate may be disposed on the rear side from the taper portion 12G. In the sectional surface illustrated in
A first modification example of the embodiment will be described.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In a case where the curved portions 115a and 116a are not disposed in the second metal mold 113, the side wall 13a is easily damaged by the front end of the second metal mold 113 as a width Wd1 of the terminal connection portion 11 increases. In addition, the side wall 13a is easily damaged by the front end of the second metal mold 113 as a length L1 of the joining portion 13 is reduced. In contrast, the second metal mold 113 of the first modification example includes the curved portions 115a and 116a. The second metal mold 113 of the first modification example is capable of increasing the width Wd1 while suppressing the damage with respect to the side wall 13a or of reducing the length L1 of the joining portion 13 while suppressing the damage with respect to the side wall 13a.
A second modification example of the embodiment will be described. The water stop member 20 may not protrude from the electric wire connection portion 12 after being crimped. The water stop member 20 may not protrude from the electric wire connection portion 12 insofar as the water stop member 20 covers the tip end of the core 51, and suitably seals a gap between the core 51 and the electric wire connection portion 12.
The shape of the diameter expansion portion 113C is not limited to the exemplified shape. For example, the diameter expansion portion 113C may be formed such that the sectional area of the space surrounded by the concave portion 113A1 and the first metal mold 112 gradually increases as being directed towards the tip end side of the core 51. In contrast, the diameter expansion portion 113C may be formed such that the sectional area of the space surrounded by the concave portion 113A1 and the first metal mold 112 gradually decreases as being directed towards the tip end side of the core 51.
In addition, in the diameter expansion portion 113C, in a plurality of step portions 117A may be disposed in the third wall surface 117. In this case, it is desirable that the sectional area of the space surrounded by the concave portion 113A1 and the first metal mold 112 gradually increases along the first direction L. In the front view, the shape of the step portion 117A is not limited to an arc shape. The shape of the step portion 117A, for example, may be a multiangular shape.
The contents disclosed in the embodiment and the modification examples described above can be executed by being suitably combined.
An electric wire with a terminal according to the present embodiment, includes: an electric wire; and a crimping terminal including an electric wire connection portion crimped by being wound around a core and a cover of the electric wire. In an end portion of the electric wire connection portion on a tip end side of the core, a diameter expansion portion which contains a water stop member covering a tip end portion of the core and sealing a gap between the core and the electric wire connection portion is provided, and a sectional area of the diameter expansion portion is greater than a sectional area of a portion on the base end side of the core with respect to the diameter expansion portion. According to the electric wire with a terminal of the present embodiment, the diameter expansion portion is provided, and thus, an elongation amount of the electric wire connection portion is reduced. A variation in a length dimension is suppressed according to a reduction in the elongation amount of the electric wire connection portion, and thus, a performance degradation of the electric wire with a terminal is suppressed.
Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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| 2016-201871 | Oct 2016 | JP | national |
| 2017-135454 | Jul 2017 | JP | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20180109009 A1 | Apr 2018 | US |
