Connector terminal and manufacturing method of connector terminal

A connector terminal (10) which includes a barrel portion (21) to which a core wire (12) exposed from an outer cover (13) of an electric cable (11) is electrically connected, a tab terminal portion (31) that is electrically connected to a mating terminal and, a resin mold which covers and waterproofs the barrel portion (21) and an end portion of the electric cable (11). Before the connector terminal (10) is finalized, the connector terminal (10) is connected to a carrier (42) through an interconnection portion (41) and is separated from the carrier (42) at interconnection portion (41). A cutting groove (44) is formed on the interconnection portion (41) along a width direction thereof.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a connector terminal connected to an end portion of a cable, and a manufacturing method of the connector terminal.

BACKGROUND ART

In the related art, a technique is known in which, in order to maintain a waterproof property in a connector terminal to be connected to an end portion of a cable, a mold portion of a molding cavity is provided inside a molding metallic die configured of upper and lower dies, which accommodates and sets the terminal connection portion that compresses a terminal fitting to a conductor of a front end portion of a coated electric cable, and a mold resin in a molten state is injected into the mold portion and thereby the terminal connection portion is coated and formed (for example, see, Patent Literature 1).

This type of terminal fitting is used to be connected to a carrier through an interconnection portion and to be separated from the carrier by cutting of the interconnection portion (for example, see, Patent Literature 2).

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

However, as shown inFIG. 9, when the interconnection portion is cut with a cutter and a terminal fitting1is separated from a carrier, a burr A occurs at the cutting position. Thus, in the terminal fitting1having the burr A, as shown inFIG. 10, even though a connection position of an electric cable2is covered by a resin mold3, the burr A protrudes from the resin mold3. Accordingly, there are concerns that a waterproof effect will be insufficient by the resin mold3and that the connection position between a core wire4of the electric cable2and the terminal fitting1will be permeated by water.

Specifically, in a case where an aluminum electric cable and a copper terminal are compressed and connected to each other, a connection position formed of different types of metals is permeated by water and electrolytic corrosion such as bimetallic contact corrosion occurs.

The present invention is made in view of the situation described above. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector terminal where a favorable waterproof property and corrosion resistance can be obtained at a connection position with a conductor.

Solution to Problem

In order to achieve the object described above, a connector terminal connected to a carrier according to aspects of the present invention may be configured by the followings (1) to (4).

(1) A connector terminal connected to a carrier, including:a barrel portion to which a conductor exposed from an outer cover of an electric cable is electrically connected;a tab terminal portion to be electrically connected to a mating terminal;an interconnection portion through which the connector terminal is connected to the carrier; anda cutting groove formed on the interconnection portion along a width direction of the interconnection portion.

(2) The connector terminal according to the configuration (1), wherein the cutting groove is formed on a surface opposed to a surface from which the barrel portion and the tab terminal portion are formed.

(3) The connector terminal according to the configuration (1) or (2), wherein the cutting groove is formed in a V-shape, a circular concave shape, or a rectangular concave shape.

(4) The connector terminal according to the configuration (1) or (2), wherein the connector terminal is formed of a copper or a copper alloy, and the electric cable, the conductor of which is formed of an aluminum or an aluminum alloy, is connected to the connector terminal.

In order to achieve the object described above, a manufacturing method of a connector terminal according to an aspect of the present invention may be configured by the following (5).

(5) A manufacturing method of a connector terminal, including:providing the connector terminal connected to the carrier as defined in the configuration (1) or (2);cutting the interconnection portion of the connector terminal through the cutting groove from a surface opposite to a surface on which the cutting groove is formed to separate the connector terminal from the carrier; andforming a resin mold which covers and waterproofs the barrel portion and an end portion of the electric cable.

In the connector terminal of the configuration (1) described above, the cutting groove is formed on interconnection portion that is to be cut to separate from the carrier and thereby even though the interconnection portion is cut with a cutter, occurrence of a burr can be suppressed.

Accordingly, a drawback, where a burr protrudes from the resin mold and thereby the waterproof property is reduced, can be overcome. The waterproof property of a connection position with an electric cable can be maintained by the resin mold well for a long period of time and high connection reliability can be obtained.

In the connector terminal of the configuration (2) described above, the cutting groove is formed on a surface opposed to a surface from which the barrel portion and the tab terminal portion are formed, thereby even though the interconnection portion is cut with a cutter, occurrence of a burr can be suppressed.

In the connector terminal of the configuration (3) described above, the cutting groove may have various shapes depending on the situation.

In the connector terminal having the configuration (4) described above, an electric cable having a conductor formed from aluminum or an aluminum alloy, is connected to the connector terminal and thereby, even though copper-aluminum contact, which largely causes electrolytic corrosion due to contact between different types of metals, occurs, the connection position of different types of metals can be reliably waterproofed using a resin mold and favorable corrosion resistance can be secured.

In the manufacturing method of the configuration (5) described above, the connector terminal can be manufactured by which a favorable waterproof property and corrosion resistance can be obtained at a connection position with a conductor.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention, a connector terminal can be provided where a favorable waterproof property and corrosion resistance can be obtained at the connection position with the conductor.

Hereinabove, the present invention is described briefly. Details of the present invention will be clarified further by reading through the embodiments of the present invention described below with reference to the attached drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1is a perspective view of a connector terminal connected to a carrier according to the embodiment,FIG. 2is a perspective view of the connector terminal connected to the carrier according to the embodiment, as viewed from a back side,FIG. 3is a side view of an end portion of an electric cable connected to the connector terminal,FIG. 4is a side view of an interconnection portion that interconnects the connector terminal and the carrier,FIG. 5is a side view explaining method of connection of an electric cable to the connector terminal andFIG. 6is a side view of a barrel portion of the connector terminal where a resin mold is provided.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, a connector terminal10is formed of a conductive metal material such as a copper or a copper alloy with for example, press processing, and has a barrel portion21and a tab terminal portion31.

As shown inFIG. 3, an electric cable11, in which the connector terminal10is connected, has for example, a core wire (a conductor)12formed of an aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and an outer cover13which is extruded and coated around the core wire12.

The barrel portion21has a core wire crimp part22and an outer cover crimp part23. The core wire crimp part22compresses the core wire12exposed at an end portion of the electric cable11. Accordingly, the core wire12of the electric cable11and the connector terminal10are electrically connected. In addition, the outer cover crimp part23compresses the outer cover13in the end portion of the electric cable11. Accordingly, the outer cover13portion of the electric cable11is fixed to the connector terminal10.

The connector terminal10described above is configured such that an interconnection portion41is formed at an end portion of the barrel portion21side and the end portion thereof is connected to a strip-shaped carrier42via the interconnection portion41. In the carrier42, fitting holes43are provided in a line in the longitudinal direction thereof to fit convex portions (not shown) of transportation equipment such as a robot arm used during assembly of a connector. As described above, the connector terminal10corresponds to a chain terminal connected to the carrier42and is supplied by a parts feeder (not shown).

The connector terminal10is separated from the carrier42by cutting the interconnection portion41from an upper surface side that is a forming side of the barrel portion21to be used.

As shown inFIG. 4, in the interconnection portion41that interconnects the connector terminal10and the carrier42, a cutting groove44is formed at a portion near the connector terminal10through the width direction thereof. The cutting groove44is formed at a lower side that is the opposite side to a forming side of the barrel portion21that is a front side in a cutting direction in a V-shape in a cross-sectional view.

Next, a case where the electric cable11is connected to the connector terminal10is described.

As shown inFIG. 5, a cutter52moves down in a state where the connector terminal10, which is connected to the carrier42transported from a parts feeder, is arranged in a predetermined position of a die51. Accordingly, a portion near the connector terminal10of the interconnection portion41is cut by the cutter52.

At this time, in the interconnection portion41, the cutting groove44is formed at the front side in the cutting direction at the portion near the connector terminal10through the width direction and thereby an external force of the cutter52for cutting is focused on a bottom portion of the cutting groove44. As a result, the occurrence of a burr is suppressed compared to the related art in which the cutting groove44is not provided at the interconnection portion41and the external force of the cutter52for cutting disperses in the interconnection portion41.

Next, an end portion of the electric cable11, a core wire12of which is exposed, is arranged at the barrel portion21of the connector terminal10, a core wire crimp part22and an outer cover crimp part23of the barrel portion21are crimped and the electric cable11is compressed to the connector terminal10by a crimper (not shown).

Next, the barrel portion21of the connector terminal10is covered by a forming die and molten resin is injected into the forming die. As shown inFIG. 6, the periphery of the barrel portion21and around the end portion of the electric cable11are covered by the resin mold55. In this way, the connection position of the electric cable11is covered by the resin mold55at the connector terminal10so that the connection position of the electric cable11can be reliably waterproofed.

Here, when a burr occurs at the connector terminal10, there are concerns that the burr will protrude from the resin mold55, the waterproof effect of the resin mold55will be insufficient and the connection position with the connector terminal10of the electric cable11will be permeated by water. Specifically, as in this example, in a case where the electric cable11, which has the core wire12formed of an aluminum or an aluminum alloy, is connected to the connector terminal10formed of a copper or a copper alloy, the connection position which is formed of different types of metals is permeated by water and thereby electrolytic corrosion such as contact corrosion between different types of metals occurs.

However, in the embodiment, the cutting groove44is formed at the front side in the cutting direction at the interconnection portion41that is cut to separate from the carrier42and thereby even though the interconnection portion41is cut with the cutter52, the occurrence of a burr can be suppressed at the connector terminal10.

In other words, according to the connector terminal10of the embodiment, a drawback, where a burr protrudes from the resin mold55and then the waterproof property is reduced, can be overcome.

Accordingly, the waterproof property of the connection position with the electric cable11can be maintained well for a long period of time by the resin mold55and high connection reliability can be obtained. Specifically, the core wire12formed of the aluminum or the aluminum alloy, is connected to the connector terminal10formed of the copper or the copper alloy and thereby, even though copper-aluminum contact, which largely occurs the electrolytic corrosion due to contact between different types of metals, occurs, the connection position of different types of metals can be reliably waterproofed using the resin mold55and favorable corrosion resistance can be secured.

In addition, the cutting groove44is formed at the interconnection portion41and thereby a shearing force or the like which is required to cut in the interconnection portion41can be decreased. Accordingly, cutting of the interconnection portion41is performed manually and the interconnection portion41can be separated from the carrier42.

In addition, in the embodiment described above, the embodiment illustrates a case where the V-shaped cutting groove44is formed at the interconnection portion41. The shape of the cutting groove44is not limited to a V-shape.

As the shapes of the cutting groove44, as shown inFIG. 7, the groove may be a circular concave shape or as shown inFIG. 8, may be a rectangular concave shape.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be appropriately altered, improved, or the like. In addition, material, shape, dimension, number, arrangement position, or the like of each of configuration elements in the embodiment described above is arbitrary and is not limited if it can achieve the effects of the present invention.

The present application is based upon and claims the benefit of Japanese patent application No. 2011-181776 filed on Aug. 23, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in its entirety.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention, it is useful to use the connector terminal, especially in a place where water, obstacles or the like can enter, since the connector has favorable protection and corrosion resistance ability in a connection position of a conductor.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST