DESCRIPTION
Connection method and electric wire with terminal
Technical field
This invention relates to a connection method and an electric wire with a terminal, in particular, to a connection method for connecting a fiber conductor composed of a plurality of braided conductors made by plating conductive metal on a surface of a fiber with a terminal, and to an electric wire with a terminal mcluding: fiber conductors connected to each other using the connection method; and a terminal.
Back ground art
A main type of a conventional electric wire has a core wire made of a plurality of braided copper wires. For improving tensile strength, weight reduction, and flexibility relative to the electric wire using the copper wire as a core wire, there is suggested an electric wire using a fiber conductor as a core wire composed of a plurality of braided conductors made by plating conductive metal such as copper on a surface of a fiber.
Further, as a method for connecting a terminal to an end of the fiber conductor, similar to the conventional copper wire, there is supposed a method of pressure bonding the fiber conductor to the terminal. However, the fiber conductor is strong in a tensile direction, but weak in a shear direction because each one fiber of the fiber conductor is extra fine. Accordingly, there is a problem that the fiber conductor may be cut upon the pressure bonding.
Alternatively, there is suggested a connection method of soldering after winding the fiber conductor around the terminal (Patent Documents 1 to 4). However, according to this connection method, electric and mechanic connections between the fiber conductor and the terminal cannot be done by just winding the fiber conductor around the terminal. It is necessary to do the electric and mechanic connections between the fiber conductor and the terminal by soldering. Therefore, this method is time-consuming and expensive.
Prior art document
Patent document
Patent Document l: JP, A, S53-96489
Patent Document % JP, A, S55-69910
Patent Document 3: JP, A, S50- 150887
Patent Document 4- WO2000/51140
Disclosure of the invention
Problem to be solved by the invention
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connection method allowing a connection between a fiber conductor and a terminal surely at low cost and an electric wire with a terminal including a fiber conductor and the terminal connected by using the connection method.
Means for solving the problem
For attaining the object, according to the invention described in claim 1, there is provided a connection method for connecting a fiber conductor composed of a plurality of braided conductors made by plating conductive metal on a surface of a fiber with a terminal,
wherein the fiber conductor is connected with the terminal by tying the fiber conductor to the terminal in a manner that an end of the fiber conductor is pulled after the end is passed through a ring made of the fiber conductor while the terminal is inserted into the ring. According to the invention described in claim 2, there is provided the connection method as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the fiber conductor is wound around the terminal at an inside or an outside of the ring.
According to the invention described in claim 3, there is provided an electric wire with a terminal comprising:
a fiber conductor composed of a plurality of braided conductors made by plating conductive metal on a surface of a fiber,' and
a terminal connected to an end of the fiber conductor,
wherein the fiber conductor is connected with the terminal by tying the fiber conductor to the terminal in a manner that an end of the fiber conductor is pulled after the end is passed through a ring made of the fiber conductor while the terminal is inserted into the ring.
Effects of the Invention
According to the invention claimed in claim 1, when the fiber conductor is tied to the terminal, by pulling the end of the fiber conductor which is passed through the ring, a friction is generated between the fiber conductors. Then, the fiber conductor is electrically and mechanically connected to the terminal by the frictional force. Accordingly, the fiber conductor is surely connected to the tenninal at low cost without soldering. Further, because the fiber conductor has high flexibility, the fiber conductor is easily fastened when tying. Further, after tying, a force for releasing the tie is rarely generated. Therefore, the fiber conductor is further surely connected to the terminal.
According to the invention claimed in claim 2, because the fiber conductor is wound around the terminal at an inside or an outside of the ring, so-called the uni-knot or the hangman's knot, the fiber conductor is further surely connected to the terminal.
According to the invention claimed in claim 3, when the fiber conductor is tied to the terminal, by pulling the end of the fiber conductor which is passed through the ring, a friction is generated between the fiber conductors. Then, the fiber conductor is electrically and mechanically connected to the terminal by the frictional force. Accordingly, the fiber conductor is surely connected to the terminal at low cost without soldering. Further, because the fiber conductor has high flexibility, the fiber conductor is easily fastened when tying. Further, after tying, a force for releasing the tie is rarely generated. Therefore, the fiber conductor is further surely connected to the terminal.
Brief description of drawings
[Fig. 1A] A perspective view showing an electric wire as a component of an electric wire with a terminal according to the present invention.
[Fig. IB] A front view of Fig. 1A.
[Fig. 1C] A perspective view showing a conductor shown in Fig. IB.
[Fig. 2] An explanatory view for explaining a first embodiment of a connection method according to the present invention.
[Fig. 3] An explanatory view for explaining a second embodiment of the connection method arreting to the present invention.
Description of embodiments
First embodiment
Hereinafter, a connection method and an electric wire with a terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in Fig. 2(D), the electric wire with the terminal 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes: an electric wire 2,' and a terminal 3 connected to an end of the electric wire 2.
The electric wire 2 is a component of a wiring harness arranged in a vehicle as a moving object. As shown in Fig. 1, the electric wire 2 includes: a conductive fiber conductor 21; and an insulating cover 22. The fiber conductor 21 is made of a plurality of braided conductors 23. This conductor 23 is composed of a fiber 23A made of resin such as para-aramid or polyarylate, and copper 23B as conductive metal plated on a surface of the fiber 23A.
Incidentally, in this embodiment, copper 23B is used as conductive metal, however, the present invention is not limited to this. Any material which can be plated on the surface of the fiber 23A can be used. Further, a chemical fiber made of resin is used as the fiber 23A, however, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a natural fiber can be used.
The terminal 3 is made of conductive metal, and integrally provided with a bar-shaped wire connecting part 31 to which the fiber conductor 21 is connected using the uni-knot, and a not-shown terminal connecting part to which a terminal of a mating connector is connected.
Next, a connection method between the electric wire 2 and the terminal 3 will be explained with reference to Fig. 2. First, the cover 22 at an end of the electric wire 2 is peeled, and the fiber conductor 21 is exposed. Next, as shown in Fig. 2 (A), the exposed fiber conductor 21 is bent to form a ring, and the wire connecting part 31 of the terminal 3 is inserted into the ring. At this time, a part of the ring follows along the wire connecting part 31 of the terminal 3.
Next, as shown in Fig. 2 (B), an end of the fiber conductor 21 is wound around the wire connecting part 31 of the terminal 3 and the ring extended along the wire connecting part 31 several times at an inside of the ring. Namely, the wound end of the fiber conductor 21 is passed through the ring several times. Then, as shown in Fig. 2 (C), the end of the fiber conductor 21 is pulled for reducing a size of the ring, thereby as shown in Fig. 2 (D), the fiber conductor 21 is tied to the terminal 3.
According to the first embodiment described above, when the fiber conductor 21 is tied to the terminal 3, by pulling the end of the fiber conductor 21 which is passed through the ring, a friction is generated between the fiber conductors 21. Then, the fiber conductor 21 is electrically and mechanically connected to the terminal 3 by the frictional force. Accordingly, the fiber conductor 21 is surely connected to the terminal 3 at low cost without soldering. Further, because the fiber conductor 21 has high flexibiHty, the fiber conductor 21 is easily fastened when tying. Further, after tying, a force for releasing the tie is rarely generated. Therefore, the fiber conductor 21 is further surely connected to the terminal 3.
Second embodiment
Next, a connection method and an electric wire with a terminal 1 awarding to a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figs. 1 and 3. As shown in Fig. 3(D), the electric wire with the terminal 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes^ an electric wire 2," and a terminal 3 connected to an end of the electric wire 2.
A configuration of the electric wire 2 and the terminal 3 is the same as the first embodiment, therefore a detailed explanation is omitted here. A widely different point between the first and second embodiments is how to tie the fiber conductor 21 as a component of the electric wire 2. In the first embodiment, the fiber conductor 21 is tied to the wire connecting part 31 of the terminal 3 using the uni-knot. In the second embodiment, the fiber conductor 21 is tied to the wire connecting part 31 of the terminal 3 using the hangman's knot.
Next, a connection method between the electric wire 2 and the terminal 3 according to the second embodiment will be explained with reference to Fig. 3. First, similar to the first embodiment, the cover 22 at an end of the electric wire 2 is peeled, and the fiber conductor 21 is exposed. Next, as shown in Fig. 2 (A), the exposed fiber conductor 21 is bent to form a ring, and the wire connecting part 31 of the terminal 3 is inserted into the ring. At this time, the fiber conductor 21 at the cover 22 side than the ring follows along the wire connecting part 31 of the terminal 3.
Next, as shown in Fig. 3 (A), an end of the fiber conductor 21 is wound around the wire connecting part 31 of the terminal 3 and the fiber conductor 21 extended along the wire connecting part 31 several times at an outside of the ring. Then, as shown in Fig. 3 (C), the end of the fiber conductor 21 is pulled for reducing a size of the ring, thereby as shown in Fig. 3 (D), the fiber conductor 21 is tied to the terminal 3.
According to the second embodiment similar to the first embodiment, when the fiber conductor 21 is tied to the terminal 3, by pulling the end of the fiber conductor 21 which is passed through the ring, a friction is generated between the fiber conductors 21. Then, the fiber conductor 21 is electrically and mechanically connected to the terminal 3 by the frictional force. Accordingly, the fiber conductor 21 is surely connected to the terminal 3 at low cost without soldering. Further, in this hangman's knot, a generally-known device for automatically tying a fishing leader to a fishhook can be used. In detail, the terminal 3 instead of the fishhook is set to the device, and the fiber conductor 21 instead of the fishing leader is set to the device, thereby the fiber conductor 21 is tied to the terminal 3.
Incidentally, according to the above embodiments, the fiber conductor 21 is tied using the uni-hook or the hangman's hook. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The nail knot or the other knots can be used as long as the fiber conductor 21 is tied to the terminal 3 by pulling the end of the fiber conductor 21 after the end of the fiber conductor 21 is passed through the ring while the terminal 3 is inserted into the ring made of the fiber conductor
21.
Although the present invention has been fully described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention hereinafter defined, they should be construed as being included therein.
Reference Signs Last
1 electric wire with terminal
3 terminal
21 fiber conductor
23 conductor
23A fiber
23B copper (conductive metal)