Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact also having securing part...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-16
2003-11-04
Duverne, Jean F. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact also having securing part...
C439S882000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06641444
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connecting structure and a connecting method of a terminal fitting and an electric wire in which a terminal is caulked and connected to a core wire portion of an electric wire by swaging, while forming a male contact portion on the terminal.
FIGS. 9 and 10
show a configuration of a related connecting structure and a connecting method of a terminal fitting and an electric wire as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 48-32885U.
In
FIG. 9
, the reference numeral
41
denotes a male terminal formed of a copper alloy, the reference numeral
42
denotes a sheathed electric wire which exposes a core wire portion
43
formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the reference numeral
44
denotes a relay terminal for connecting the male terminal
41
to the core wire portion (core wire portion)
43
. The relay terminal
44
is formed of the same aluminum material as that of the core wire portion
43
, that is, aluminum or an aluminum alloy.
The male terminal
41
is provided with a plate-shaped contact portion
48
having such a shape as to be similar to that of an LA terminal based on JIS, that is, a ring terminal for an automobile on one of ends and an uneven shaft portion
45
on the other end. The relay terminal
44
has hole portions
46
and
47
on both front and rear sides, and the shaft portion
45
of the male terminal
41
is inserted in the hole portion
46
on the front side, and the outside part of the hole portion
46
is caulked by a proper tool (not shown) so that the male terminal
41
is connected to the relay terminal
44
as shown in FIG.
10
.
Moreover, the core wire portion
43
of the electric wire
42
is inserted into the hole portion
47
on the rear side and the outside part of the hole portion
47
is caulked by a proper tool (not shown) so that the electric wire
42
is connected to the relay terminal
44
. Consequently, the electric wire
42
and the male terminal
41
are electrically connected through the relay terminal
44
.
Although the core wire portion
43
formed of the aluminum material has a poorer conductivity than that of the core wire portion formed of copper, it is light-weighted and inexpensive. In addition, if a diameter thereof is increased, a corona characteristic can be improved. Therefore, the core wire portion
43
can meet a requirement for a multi-source and a large current and is suitable for an electric car, for example.
In the structure shown in
FIG. 10
, the male terminal
41
formed of copper having a greater elastic modulus than that of the relay terminal
44
formed of aluminum is used. Consequently, the caulked shaft portion
45
comes in close contact with the inner periphery of the hole portion
46
(
FIG. 9
) so that an excellent electrical contact property can be obtained. Moreover, the relay terminal
44
and the core wire portion
43
which are formed of the same material are caulked so that an connecting portion can be prevented from being loosened due to a difference in the elastic modulus.
As a matter of course, the materials of the relay terminal
44
and the core wire portion
43
having the configuration described above are not limited to aluminum but copper or a copper alloy can also be used for formation.
In the related connecting structure and connecting method of a terminal and an electric wire, however, the relay terminal
44
is used so that the number of parts is increased. Consequently, there is a problem in that a cost is increased. Moreover, the male terminal
41
and the relay terminal
44
are caulked and connected while the relay terminal
44
and the electric wire
42
are caulked and connected so that a time and labor to be taken is doubled. Thus, there is a problem in that a connecting workability is poor.
Moreover, there are two front and rear connecting portions, that is, the connection of the male terminal
41
to the relay terminal
44
and the connection of the relay terminal
44
to the electric wire
42
. Therefore, a contact resistance might be increased so that a conduction performance might be deteriorated.
When the caulking operation is performed, a clearance is easily formed between the shaft portion
45
and the relay terminal
44
and between the relay terminal
44
and the core wire portion
43
, and a clearance is easily formed between wires constituting the core wire portion
43
. Consequently, there is a probability that the conduction performance might be deteriorated.
In particular, the core wire portion
43
and the relay terminal
44
which are formed of the aluminum material are used. Therefore, in the case in which the clearance is formed, the inner face of the hole portion
46
of the relay terminal
44
connecting the male terminal
41
, the face of the core wire portion
43
and the inner face of the hole portion
47
of the relay terminal
44
are oxidized with the passage of time so that an oxide film is formed. Consequently, the contact resistance of the male terminal
41
and the core wire portion
43
might be increased so that the conduction performance is deteriorated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connecting structure and a connecting method of a terminal and an electric wire, wherein a male terminal and a core wire portion of an electric wire can be easily connected in a short time at a low cost with a high workability; the male terminal and the core wire portion of the electric wire can be reliably connected without a clearance to enhance a conduction performance; and the problem of an oxide film can be eliminated to attain the object easily and reliably even if a terminal and a core wire portion are formed of an aluminum material.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a connecting structure, comprising:
an electric wire in which a core wire is covered with an insulation sheath; and
a cylindrical terminal fitting, integrally formed with a male type contact portion at a front end portion thereof by rotary swaging, the terminal fitting including a connecting portion which is electrically connected to the electric wire such that at least a part of the core wire is caulked uniformly over a whole periphery thereof by rotary swaging.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of manufacturing a terminal fitting electrically connected with an electric wire in which a core wire is covered with an insulating sheath, comprising the steps of:
providing a cylindrical conductive member formed with a through hole;
inserting at least a part of the core wire of the electric wire into the through hole from a first end of the cylindrical member;
performing rotary swaging onto at least the first end of the cylindrical member so as to caulk the inserted portion of the electric wire uniformly over a whole periphery thereof; and
performing rotary swaging onto at least a second end of the cylindrical member so as to compress radially to form a male type contact portion thereat.
In the above configurations, since the connecting portion of the terminal fitting is uniformly compressed and plastically deformed over the whole periphery by the rotary swaging (the whole peripheral face of the connecting portion is uniformly caulked), the inner face of the connecting portion comes in close contact with the core wire of the electric wire without a clearance. Further, since the core wire is strongly compressed in a central direction over the whole periphery by the rotary swaging, a clearance between a plurality of strand wires constituting the core wire is eliminated so that the conduction resistance of the electric wire and the terminal fitting can be reduced and the conduction performance can be enhanced.
Moreover, the male type contact portion is formed simultaneously or almost simultaneously at the same step as the formation of the connecting portion by the rotary swaging. Consequently, a time required for manufacturing the terminal can be shortened and the cost of the term
Hanazaki Hisashi
Kuwayama Yasumichi
Onuma Masanori
Duverne Jean F.
Yazaki -Corporation
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