Wire harness, method of connecting terminal and coated wire, and mold

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016276754-A1
Application number	US-201415033462-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2014
Priority date	Nov 1, 2013
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The height (F) of a protruding portion ( 7 ) is less than the thickness of a crimping portion ( 5 ) before crimping. If the height of the protruding portion ( 7 ) is greater than the thickness of the crimping portion, then a recess is prone to form in the inner surface of the crimping portion ( 5 ). In other words, because there is more metal flowing outwards, a recess corresponding to the metal flow is prone to form on the inner surface side. If such a recess does form, adhesion with a covered area ( 27 ) is likely to deteriorate. This is problematic because such a gap would be a path allowing the ingress of moisture. On the other hand, if the height of the protruding portion ( 7 ) is less than the thickness of the crimping portion ( 5 ) before crimping, then when the crimping portion ( 5 ) is compressed during crimping, the amount, of metal flowing towards the protruding portion ( 7 ) diminishes, making it possible to suppress the formation of a receding portion on the inner surface of the crimping portion ( 5 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A wire harness comprising:
a coated wire and a terminal that are connected with each other, wherein the terminal includes an approximately cylindrical crimping portion, in which the coated wire is crimped, and a terminal body; except for a part through which the coated wire is inserted, other parts of the crimping portion are sealed; a protruding portion is formed along a longitudinal direction of the terminal on a periphery surface of the crimping portion that corresponds to a covered portion of the coated wire; and a protruding height of the protruding portion from a periphery surface of the crimping portion in a direction perpendicular to a compression direction of the crimping portion on a cross section in a diameter direction of the crimping portion is equal to or less than a body thickness of the crimping portion before crimping.

2 . The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein:
the protruding portion is formed at a position that corresponds to a fitting section of a first mold and a second mold that are used for crimping.

3 . The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein:
a level difference is formed between the protruding portion and the periphery surface of the crimping portion on the cross section in the diameter direction of the crimping portion; and a tilted portion that is tilted toward the direction perpendicular to the compression direction of the crimping portion is provided on the level difference.

4 . A method of connecting a terminal and a coated wire wherein:
the terminal includes a crimping portion, in which the coated wire is crimped, and a terminal body; and except for a part through which the coated wire is inserted, other parts of the crimping portion are sealed, the method comprising: inserting the coated wire into the crimping portion; using a first mold and a second mold that face each other to press the crimping portion; fitting the first mold into an inner part of the second mold; crimping a covered portion of the coated wire at the crimping portion; and forming a protruding portion on the periphery surface of the crimping portion at a position corresponding to a fitting section of the first mold and the second mold, wherein the protruding height of the protruding portion from a periphery surface of the crimping portion in a direction perpendicular to a compression direction of the crimping portion on a cross section in a diameter direction of the crimping portion is equal to or less than a body thickness of the crimping portion before crimping.

5 . The method of connecting a terminal and a coated wire according to claim 4 , wherein:
a tapered portion that is tilted inward to a direction perpendicular to the compression direction of the first mold and the second mold is provided at an end portion of the first mold; on the cross section in the diameter direction of the crimping portion, a level difference corresponding to the shape of the end portion of the first mold is formed on the protruding portion between the protruding portion and the periphery surface of the crimping portion; and a tilted portion corresponding to the tapered portion is provided on the level difference.

6 . A mold used for crimping a terminal and a coated wire comprising a first mold and a second mold that face each other, wherein:
the first mold fits into an inner portion of the second mold so that it is possible to crimp a covered portion of the coated wire with the terminal; a tapered portion that is tilted inward to a direction perpendicular to the compression direction of the first mold and the second mold is provided at an end portion of the first mold; a level difference according to a shape of the end part of the first mold is formed on a periphery surface of the terminal after crimping; and a tilted portion corresponding to the tapered portion can be formed at the level difference.

Assignees

• Furukawa Electric Co Ltd
• Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kihara Yasushi
• Kawamura Yukihiro
• TONOIKE Takashi
• Nakashima Takahito
• Kobayashi Hiroshi
• Taga Hiroyasu

Classifications

• H01R13/5205

  Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet (H01R13/5221 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R43/058

  Crimping mandrels · CPC title

• H01R4/185 Primary

  combined with a U-shaped insulation-receiving portion · CPC title

• H01R4/20 Primary

  using a crimping sleeve {(H01R4/01 takes precedence)} · CPC title