Patent Grant
11152718
The technology described herein relates to an electric cable including a terminal including an electric wire and a terminal.
A terminal connected with a portion of a core wire exposed at an end of an electric cable has been known. The terminal includes a crimping portion that is crimped on the portion of the core wire exposed at the end of the electric cable from an outer side.
To crimp the terminal to the electric cable, the following steps may be performed. First, the terminal is prepared in a predefined shape by pressing sheet metal. Next, the terminal is placed on a holding portion of a lower die of a pair of dies that are movable relative to each other in the vertical direction. Then, the portion of the core wire exposed at the end of the electric cable is placed over the crimping portion of the terminal. After that, one of the dies or both dies are moved in a direction to approach each other until the crimping portion is pressed between a crimping portion of the upper die and the holding portion of the lower die so that the crimping portion is crimped to the portion of the core wire of the electric cable. Through the steps, the terminal is connected with the end of the electric wire (see PATENT DOCUMENT 1).
[Patent Document 1]
In recent years, a reduction in weight of a wire harness including terminals and electric wires. For the reduction, a reduction in diameter of the electric wires is considered. If diameters of the electric wires are simply reduced without changing a conductive material of the electric wires, sufficient strength may not be achieved for the electric wires. Therefore, the reduction in diameter of the electric wires with a conductive material having higher strength is considered.
If the conductive material having higher strength is used for the electric wires, the terminals may be deformed during connecting of the terminals with the electric wires due to the increase in strength of the conductive material for the electric wires in comparison to strength of the terminals. If the terminals are deformed, the terminal may not be able to hold the electric wires with sufficient forces.
The technology described herein was made in view of the above circumstances. An object is to provide an electric cable including a terminal in which the terminal holds an electric wire with an increased force.
An electric cable including a terminal according to the technology described herein includes an electric wire and a terminal. The terminal includes a holding portion holding the electric wire and a pressing portion pressing the holding portion toward the electric wire. One of the electric wire and the holding portion includes a protrusion protruding toward another one of the electric wire and the holding portion. The other one of the electric wire and the holding portion includes a recess in which the protrusion is fitted.
According to the configuration, when a force is applied to the electric wire, the protrusion of one of the electric wire and the holding portion is fitted in the other one of the electric wire and the holding portion. The force applied to the electric wire is received by the terminal via the protrusion and the recess. According to the configuration, a holding force for holding the terminal on the electric wire can be increased.
Following embodiments according to the technology described herein may have preferred configurations.
The holding portion may include a retaining section at a position different from the protrusion or the recess to hold the electric wire.
The terminal may include a connector coupled to the holding portion and configured to be connected with a meting terminal. The retaining section may be between the connector and the protrusion or the recess.
According to the configurations, the electric wire is further held by the retaining section. Therefore, the holding force for holding the terminal on the electric wire can be further increased.
The terminal may include a window through which the end of the electric wire is detectable. The window is at a position corresponding to an end of the electric wire.
According to the configuration, displacement of the electric wire relative to the terminal in a longitudinal direction of the electric wire can be reduced by placing the end of the electric wire at a position visible through the window. Accuracy in positioning of the protrusion relative to the recess improves. This properly increases the holding force for holding the terminal on the electric wire.
The end of the electric wire may include a marker. The marker may be formed on a side of the electric wire on which the protrusion or the recess is formed.
According to the configuration, accuracy in positioning of the protrusion relative to the recess in a circumferential direction of the electric wire by adjusting an orientation of the electric wire so that the marker faces the holding portion during connection of the electric wire with the terminal. This further increases the holding force for holding the terminal on the electric wire.
The protrusion or the recess may be included in a bent section of the electric wire.
According to the configuration, the recess or the protrusion can be formed by bending the electric wire, which is a simple method.
According to the technology described herein, the holding force for holding the terminal on the electric wire can be increased.
A first embodiment to which the technology described herein is applied will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
At an end of the electric wire 11, a section of the insulating sheath 35 is stripped and a section of the core wire 13 is exposed. The exposed section of the core wire 13 includes a recess 36 (an example of a recess) at the middle of the exposed section in a longitudinal direction of the core wire 13. The recess 36 has a diameter reduced from a diameter of the core wire 13 in a radial direction of the core wire 13. The recess 36 is formed for an entire periphery of the core wire 13.
As illustrated in
The female terminal 12 is made of a metal material having conductivity. Metal of the terminal may be selected from copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, and any appropriate metal where appropriate. The terminal in this embodiment is made of copper or copper alloy. The female terminal 12 may be prepared by a known method including cutting, casting, and pressing.
The female terminal 12 includes a connecting tube portion 20 (an example of a connecting portion) in which a male terminal, which is not illustrated, is to be inserted. The connecting tube portion 20 has a rectangular tube shape that extends in a front-rear direction. The connecting tube portion 20 has openings on the front and the rear. An elastic connecting member 34 is disposed inside the connecting tube portion 20 to contact the male terminal with an elastic force. Through contact between the elastic connecting member 34 and the male terminal with the elastic force, electric connection is established between the male terminal and the female terminal 12.
An extending portion 21 extends rearward from a rear end of the connecting tube portion 20. The electric wire connector 19 extends from a rear end of the extending portion 21. The electric wire connector 19 includes a base portion 22, the first holding portion 14, and the second holding portion 15. The first holding portion 14 and the second holding portion 15 extend from a rear end of the base portion 22.
An upper surface of the extending portion 21 includes a window 37 that opens upward. The end of the core wire 13 disposed inside the extending portion 21 and exposed through the window 37 is detectable from above. Detectable means that the end of the core wire 13 is viewable or electrically detectable using a probe inserted through the window 37.
The base portion 22 has a rectangular tube shape that extends in the front-rear direction. The base portion 22 includes openings on the front and the rear. Fitting projections 23 protrude leftward from a left wall of the base portion 22 and rightward from a right wall of the base portion 22 (see
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The slider 18 includes permanent holders 32 in the right wall and the left wall at positions more to the rear than the temporary holders 31. The fitting projections 23 are fitted in the permanent holders 32 with elastic forces to hold the slider 18 to the electric wire connector 19 at a permanent holding position. The permanent holders 32 are through holes in the right wall and the left wall of the slider 18. A size of each permanent holder 32 is equal to or slightly larger than the size of each fitting projection 23 so that the fitting projection 23 can be fitted in the permanent holder 32.
As illustrated in
The slider 18 includes the second pressing portion 17 (an example of a pressing portion) at a position slightly more to the rear than the middle in the front-rear direction. The second pressing portion 17 protrudes upward from an upper surface of the lower wall of the slider 18 and extends in the front-rear direction. A rear end of the second pressing portion 17 is located at a position slightly more to the front than the rear edge of the slider 18.
The slider 18 held to the electric wire connector 19 at a temporary holding position is illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The slider 18 held to the electric wire connector 19 at the permanent holding position is illustrated in
As illustrated in
The second pressing portion 17 contacts the lower surface of the second holding portion 15 (a surface on an opposite side from the second contact surface 27) from below. Therefore, the second holding portion 15 bends upward and contacts the core wire 13 from below.
The first holding portion 14 is pressed by the first pressing portion 16 from above and the second holding portion 15 is pressed by the second pressing portion 17 from below. As a result, the core wire 13 disposed between the first holding portion 14 and the second holding portion 15 is sandwiched between the first holding portion 14 and the second holding portion 15. According to the configuration, the electric wire 11 is electrically connected to the female terminal 12.
As illustrated in
Next, an example of a process for connecting the female terminal 12 to the electric wire 11. The process for connecting the female terminal 12 to the electric wire 11 is not limited to the process described below.
The slider 18 is fitted on the electric wire connector 19 of the female terminal 12 from the rear. The rear end of the electric wire connector 19 of the female terminal 12 is inserted in the opening of the slider 18 on the front and the slider 18 is moved frontward. When the fitting projections 23 of the electric wire connector 19 contact a hole edge of the opening of the slider 18 on the front from the front, the right wall and the left wall of the electric wire connector 19 elastically deform inward. When the slider 18 is further moved frontward, the fitting projections 23 are fitted in the temporary holders 31 and the right wall and the left wall of the electric wire connector 19 recover from the elastic deformation. The fitting projections 23 contact the hole edges of the temporary holders 31 from the front or the rear and the slider 18 is held to the electric wire connector 19 at the temporary holding position (see
The insulating sheath 35 is stripped at the end of the electric wire 11 so that the section of the core wire 13 is exposed. The exposed section of the core wire 13 is inserted in the opening of the slider 18 on the rear. The section of the core wire 13 is further inserted to the front until the front end of the core wire 13 is located inside the window 37 in the extending portion 21. By viewing the extending portion 21 from above, the location of the front end of the core wire 13 in the window 37 can be confirmed (see
When the slider 18 is moved frontward, the right wall and the left wall of the slider 18 move over the fitting projections 23 of the electric wire connector 19. The right wall and the left wall of the electric wire connector 19 elastically deform inward in the horizontal direction. When the slider 18 is further moved frontward, the first pressing portion 16 contacts the upper surface of the first holding portion 14 from above and the second pressing portion 17 contacts the lower surface of the second holding portion 15 from below.
When the slider 18 is further moved frontward, the first pressing portion 16 presses the first holding portion 14 downward and the second pressing portion 17 pressed the second holding portion 15 upward. As a result, the first holding portion 14 deforms downward and the second holding portion 15 deforms upward. As a result, the section of the core wire 13 is sandwiched between the first holding portion 14 and the second holding portion 15.
When the slider 18 is further moved frontward, the fitting projections 23 are fitted in the permanent holders 32 and the right wall and the left wall of the electric wire connector 19 recover from the elastic deformation. As a result, the fitting projections 23 contact hole edges of the permanent holders 32 from the front or the rear and the slider 18 is held to the electric wire connector 19 at the permanent holding position (see
Effects of this embodiment will be described. The electric cable 10 including the terminal according to this embodiment includes the electric wire 11 and the female terminal 12. The female terminal 12 includes the first holding portion 14 and the second holding portion 15 that sandwich the electric wire 11. The female terminal 12 further includes the first pressing portion 16 and the second pressing portion 17 that press the first holding portion 14 and the second holding portion 15 toward the electric wire 11. The first holding portion 14 and the second holding portion 15 of the electric cable 10 including the terminal include the first protrusion 25 and the second protrusion 28, respectively. The first protrusion 25 and the second protrusion 28 protrude toward the electric wire 11. The core wire 13 of the electric wire 11 includes the recess 36 in which the first protrusion 25 and the second protrusion 28 are fitted.
According to the configuration, when a force is applied to the electric wire 11, the first protrusion 25 of the first holding portion 14 and the second protrusion 28 of the second holding portion 15 are fitted in the recess 36 of the electric wire 11 in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 11. The force applied to the electric wire 11 is received by the female terminal 12 via the first protrusion 25, the second protrusion 28, and the recess 36. Therefore, the holding force for holding the female terminal 12 on the electric wire 11 can be increased.
According to this embodiment, the first holding portion 14 and the second holding portion 15 include the first retaining section 26 and the second retaining section 29 for sandwiching the section of the core wire 13 of the electric wire 11 at the positions different from the first protrusion 25 and the second protrusion 28.
According to this embodiment, the female terminal 12 includes the connecting tube portion 20 that is coupled to the first holding portion 14 and the second holding portion 15. The connecting tube portion 20 is to be connected to a mating terminal. The first retaining section 26 is between the connecting tube portion 20 and the first protrusion 25. The second regaining section 29 is between the connecting tube portion 20 and the second protrusion 28.
According to the configuration, the electric wire 11 is further held by the first retaining section 26 and the second retaining section 29. Therefore, the holding force for holding the female terminal 12 on the electric wire 11 can be further increased. Further, the electrical connection between the female terminal 12 and the electric wire 11 is further ensured.
According to this embodiment, the female terminal 12 includes the window 37 at the position corresponding to the front end of the core wire 13 of the electric wire 11 so that the front end of the core wire 13 is detectable.
According to the configuration, the front end of the core wire 13 of the electric wire 11 is disposed at the position detectable by viewing or with an electrical device such as a probe to reduce displacement of the core wire 13 relative to the female terminal 12 in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 11. According to the configuration, accuracy in positioning of the first protrusion 25 and the second protrusion 28 relative to the recess 36 can be improved. This properly increases the holding force for holding the female terminal 12 on the electric wire 11.
A second embodiment of the technology described herein will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The first recess 53 is formed by reducing a diameter of a portion of the core wire 52 other than a lower portion. The second recess 54 is formed by reducing a diameter of a portion of the core wire 52 other than an upper portion.
A front end of the core wire 52 includes an upper flat surface 57 (an example of a marker) on an upper side of the core wire 52 and a lower flat surface 58 (an example of a marker) on a lower side of the core wire 52. The upper flat surface 57 is located on a side of the core wire 52 in which the first recess 53 is formed. The lower flat surface 58 is located on a side of the core wire 52 in which the second recess 54 is formed.
The upper flat surface 57 and the lower flat surface 58 are formed by pressing the core wire 52. The upper flat surface 57 is at a position slightly below the top of the core wire 52. The lower flat surface 58 is coupled to the bottom of the core wire 52. The front end of the core wire 52 includes the upper flat surface 57 and the lower flat surface 58. The front end of the core wire 52 further includes right and left flat surfaces. The front end of the core wire 52 has an about rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The front end of the core wire 52 has a width measuring in the horizontal direction is slightly larger than a diameter of the core wire 52. The front end of the core wire 52 including the upper flat surface 57 and the lower flat surface 58 may have an oval shape when viewed from the front.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
when the front end of the core wire 52 is at a position within the window 37, the first protrusion of the first holding portion 14 is opposed to the first recess 53 of the core wire 52. The second protrusion 56 of the second holding portion 15 is opposed to the second recess 54 of the core wire 52.
As illustrated in
Configurations other than those described above are similar to those of the first embodiment. Components having the same configurations as those of the components of the first embodiment will be indicated by the same symbols and will not be described in detail.
In this embodiment, the end of the electric wire 51 includes the upper flat surface 57 on the side of the electric wire 51 in which the first recess 53 is formed.
According to the configuration, an orientation of the electric wire 51 can be adjusted so that the upper flat surface 57 faces upward when viewed through the window 37 during connection of the electric wire 51 with the female terminal 59. Through the adjustment, accuracy in positioning of the first recess 53 of the electric wire 51 relative to the first protrusion 55 of the first holding portion 14 can be improved. This further increases the holding force for holding the female terminal 59 on the electric wire 51.
A third embodiment of the technology described herein will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Configurations other than those described above are similar to those of the second embodiment. Components having the same configurations as those of the components of the second embodiment will be indicated by the same symbols and will not be described in detail.
In this embodiment, the first protrusion 73 and the second recess 74 of the core wire 72 are included in the bent section of the core wire 72. By bending the core wire 72, which is a simple method, the first protrusion 73 and the second recess 74 can be formed.
The technology described herein is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings. For example, the following embodiments will be included in the technical scope of the technology described herein.
(1) In the above embodiments, the female terminal 12 is provided as an example of a terminal. However, a male terminal or a round terminal may be used. Alternatively, a splice terminal for connecting multiple electric wires 11 may be used.
(2) In the above embodiments, the electric wire 11 is provided with the sheath. However, the electric wire 11 may be a bare wire. The electric wire 11 may be a stranded wire including metal fine wires that are stranded.
(3) In the above embodiments, the female terminal 12 includes the first holding portion 14 and the second holding portion 15. However, the female terminal 12 may include a single holding portion or three or more holding portions.
(4) In the above embodiments, the base portion 22 has the rectangular tube shape. However, the base portion 22 may have a round tube shape, or a polygonal tube shape including a triangular tube shape and a hexagonal tube shape. The slider 18 may have a round tube shape or a polygonal tube shape including a triangular tube shape.
(5) In the above embodiments, the slider 18 that is movable in the front-rear direction includes the first pressing portion 16 and the second pressing portion 17. However, a slider that is movable in the vertical direction including pressing portions may be used and moved from above toward the electric wire to press the holding portions from above.
(6) In the above embodiments, the upper flat surface 57 of the end of the electric wire is provided as the marker. However, the marker may be provided in a form of a groove, a rib, a protrusion, or any other shape in the end of the electric wire.
(7) In the above embodiments, the core wire has the round cross section. However, the cross section of the core wire may be rectangular, oval, or any other appropriate shape.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2018-025371 | Feb 2018 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2019/003564 | 2/1/2019 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2019/159714 | 8/22/2019 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4973262 | Gerke et al. | Nov 1990 | A |
| 7306495 | Hashimoto et al. | Dec 2007 | B2 |
| 7377803 | Matsuoka | May 2008 | B2 |
| 8662935 | Jouas et al. | Mar 2014 | B2 |
| 20050026515 | Hashimoto et al. | Feb 2005 | A1 |
| 20070134946 | Matsuoka | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20120244756 | Jouas et al. | Sep 2012 | A1 |
| 20130252488 | Ito | Sep 2013 | A1 |
| 20130252489 | Kumakura | Sep 2013 | A1 |
| 20150325929 | Okura | Nov 2015 | A1 |
| 20170179637 | Nakata | Jun 2017 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1041486 | Apr 1990 | CN |
| 1871747 | Nov 2006 | CN |
| 201063378 | May 2008 | CN |
| 202855982 | Apr 2013 | CN |
| S15-000085 | Jan 1940 | JP |
| 2005-050736 | Feb 2005 | JP |
| 2015-056209 | Mar 2015 | JP |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2019/003564, dated Mar. 19, 2019, together with English translation thereof. |
| Written Opinion issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2019/003564, dated Mar. 19, 2019, together with English translation thereof. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210273351 A1 | Sep 2021 | US |
