Electric cable for use with a cramping terminal and electric connection means

Abstract: A cable 20 comprises a conductive wire 21 of copper and an insulating sheath 22 of synthetic resin covering the conductive wire 21. The conductive wire 21 has, for example, a rectangular cross section. The cable 20 is produced by continuously extruding the conductive wire 21 by means of a metal extruder. In the process of producing the conductive wire 21, the extruder with a die (not shown) having a rectangular opening is used. The cable 20 can be pressed into a slit of a cramping terminal with an improved operability and a temperature increase of the conductive wire 21 can be suppressed.

Description: The present invention relates to an electric connection means according to claim 1. A known cable consists essentially of a conductive wire 1 having a circular cross section and an insulating sheath 2 covering the conductive wire 1 as shown in FIG. 7. When this cable is pressed into a slit 3a formed in a cramping terminal 3, edges of the slit 3a of the cramping terminal 3 penetrate an insulating sheath 2 and linearly cut the outer portion of the conductive wire 1, thereby contacting the conductive wire 1. In such an electrical connection structure, if a contact area between the conductive wire 1 and the slit 3a of the cramping terminal 3 is smaller than the cross section of the conductive wire 1, an electrical resistance value of the contact portion is larger than that of the conductive wire 1. This is not preferable because it causes local generation of heat. In consideration of a thickness of the plate forming the cramping terminal 3, a diameter of the conductive wire 1, a rate of deformation of the conductive wire when it is pressed into the slit and other factors, a width w of the slit 3a of the cramping terminal 3 has been set such that the contact area of the conductive wire 1 with the cramping terminal 3 is larger than the cross section of the conductive wire 1. In order to set the width w of the slit 3a of the cramping terminal 3 as described above, the width w needs to be considerably smaller than the diameter of the conductive wire 1. Particularly, when a thick conductive wire 1 is used, the lateral edges of the slit 3a cuts the outer portion of the conductive wire 1 more. Thus, a larger pressing force is required, making the cable pressing operation less smooth. Comparing an electrical wiring using the cables and the cramping terminals of this type with a busbar type wiring using conductive plates as conductors, the temperature of the conductors increases to a larger extent in the former wiring, thereby necessitating measures to cope with a large temperature increase. The temperature increase is larger in the former wiring because the surface area of the conductive wire having a circular cross section is smaller than that of the busbar having a rectangular cross section provided that both cross sections have the same area. The GB-2 095 481 discloses a connector for a flat cable having a plurality of flat conductors. The connector comprises a plurality of contacts corresponding to the conductors so that each conductor is engaged by a single contact. The contacts each have a slot into which a corresponding conductor is forced for establishing an electrical contact therewith. The US-A-3 994 554 also shows a connector for a flat cable comprising a series of flat conductors. The connector comprises a plurality of insulation piercing contacts which are pierced through the insulation of the cable when the connector is assembled. Each of the contacts has a slot in which a corresponding conductor is engaged. These prior art connectors are provided for flat cables having a plurality of flat conducting elements. It is an object of the invention to provide an electric connection means for use with a cable having only one single conductive wire, which provides an improved operability and a safe electric connection between the wire and the contacts. The above object is achieved by an electric connection means having the features disclosed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments are defined by the dependent subclaims. A cable for use with a cramping terminal includes a conductive wire which has a polygonal cross section, preferably having four or more sides. When the conductive wire has a rectangular, hexagonal or polygonal, in particular equilateral rectangular, hexagonal or polygonal cross section having eight or a larger even-numbered sides, two opposite sides are parallel. The cable is pressed into the slits of the cramping terminal with the two opposite sides along the opposite lateral edges of the slits. This minimizes the outer portion of the conductive portions to be cut by the slits, thereby making a force required to press the cable into the slits of the cramping terminal smaller. Further, since the two opposite sides entirely contact the lateral edges of the slits, an electrical resistance value of the contact portions becomes smaller, thereby preventing local generation of heat at the contact portions. When the conductive wire has a pentagonal, heptagonal or polygonal cross section having nine or a larger odd-numbered sides, the two opposite sides are not parallel. However, the outer portion of the conductive wire to be cut by the slits is less compared with a conductive wire having a circular cross section. Accordingly, a smaller pressing force is required. Further, since the conductive wire having a polygonal cross section, in general, has a larger surface area than a conductive wire having a circular cross section provided that both cross sections have the same area, a larger amount of heat is radiated from the outer surface. Since only a small force is required to press the cable into the slits of the cramping terminal, operability during the cable pressing operation can be improved. Further, since the contact resistance between the cramping terminal and the conductive wire can be made smaller, local generation of heat can be suppressed. Furthermore, since a larger amount of heat can be released from the outer surface, a temperature increase can be suppressed. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the polygonal cross section has four or more sides, preferably a rectangular, pentagonal or hexagonal shape. Preferably, the polygonal cross section having an even number of sides is equilateral, and the polygonal cross section having an odd number of sides is non-equilateral. The polygonal cross section having an odd number of sides preferably has two substantially parallel sides, in particular being longer than the other sides. Preferably the conductive wire comprises a plurality of twisted and/or compressed strands. Furthermore, the insulating sheath preferably has a polygonal outer shape, in particular corresponding to the polygonal cross section of the conductive wire. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the electric connection means comprises at least two electric cables and a cramping terminal bus having at least two cramping terminals, wherein each conductive wire is pressingly insertable into the slits formed in the corresponding cramping terminal. Preferably, the slits of each cramping terminal have a width equal or slightly smaller, preferably by about several tenths of a millimetre than a width of the conductive wire along a widthwise direction of the cramping terminal. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view entirely showing one embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged section of a cable according to the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a section of the cable pressed into a slit of a cramping terminal, FIG. 4 is a section of a cable as another embodiment, FIG. 5 is a section of a cable as another embodiment, FIG. 6 is a section of a cable as another embodiment, FIG. 7 is a section of a prior art cable, and FIG. 8 is a section of the prior art cable pressed into a slit of a cramping terminal. Hereafter, one embodiment of the invention is described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. A cramping terminal 11 is formed by bending a conductive plate as shown in FIG. 1. Lateral edges of a slit 13 extend linearly downward and continuously with a pair of tapered cutters 12. On the other hand, a cable 20 is of a known structure in which a conductive wire 21 of copper is covered with an insulating sheath 22 of synthetic resin. The conductive wire 21 has, for example, a rectangular cross section as shown in FIG. 2. The cable 20 is produced according to the following known method. The conductive wire 21 is continuously extruded by means of a metal extruder. The thus produced conductive wire 21 is fed to a resin extruder to cover the conductive wire 21 with the insulating sheath 22. In the process of producing the conductive wire 21, the metal extruder with a die (not shown) having a rectangular opening is used. Further, in the process of covering the conductive wire 21 with the insulating sheath 22, the resin extruder with a die having a rectangular opening is used. A width or length A of a shorter side of the rectangular cross section of the conductive wire 21 of the cable 20 is set slightly (e.g. by 0.2 mm) larger than a width W of the slit 13 of the cramping terminal 11 (A = W + 0.2 mm). When the cable 20 is pressed into the slits 13 of the cramping terminal 1 1, the cable 20 is positioned with respect to the cramping terminal 11 such that the longer sides of the cross section of the conductive wire 21 extend along a cable pressing direction and is pressed against the tapered cutters 12 of the cramping terminal 11 by means of, e.g. a press. Then, the cable 20 slips into the slits 13 while the insulating sheath 22 thereof is penetrated by the tapered cutters 12. Since the length A is set slightly larger than the width W of the slits 13 of the cramping terminal 11, the lateral side portions of the conductive wire 21 of the cable 20 are slightly cut by the lateral edges of the slits 13, thereby establishing an electrical contact between the conductive wire 21 and the cramping terminal 11. In such a contact state, since the conductive wire 21 has a vertically long rectangular cross section, the conductive wire 21 is in contact with the cramping terminal 11 substantially entirely along its longer sides B. Accordingly, if t denotes a thickness of the plate forming the cramping terminal 11, a contact area Ac is: Ac = 2 × B × t. The contact of the conductive wire 21 with the cramping terminal 11 substantially entirely along its longer sides B means that a larger contact area is assured compared with a conductive wire having a circular cross section provided that both conductive wires have the same cross-sectional area. Thus, local generation of heat can be prevented by lowering a contact resistance or electrical resistance of the contact. Further, since the cable 20 is pressed into the slits 13 of the cramping terminal 11 with the longer sides of the cross section of the conductive wire 21 along the cable pressing direction, the cutting of the outer portion of the conductive wire 21 by the slits 13 results in a small reduction of the cross section of the conductive wire 21. Thus, only a small force is required to press the cable 20 into the slits 13 and the cable pressing operation can be easily performed. Further, since the conductive wire 21 having a rectangular cross section has a larger surface area than the conductive wire having a circular cross section provided that both cross sections have the same area, an increased amount of heat can be radiated from the surface, thereby suppressing a temperature increase. The invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment, but may be embodied, for example, in the following manners. These embodiments are also embraced by the technical scope of the invention. Although the cross section of the conductive wire is rectangular in the foregoing embodiment, it may be square, pentagonal or hexagonal as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. In other words, it is sufficient that the conductive wire have any polygonal cross section having four or more sides. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 11 ... Cramping Terminal 12 ... Tapered Cutter 13 ... Slit 20 ... Cable 21 ... Conductive Wire 22 ... Insulating Sheath

Claims: An electric connection means comprising at least one electric cable (20) having only one single conductive wire (21) which is covered with an insulating sheath (22), wherein the conductive, the electric wire (21) has a polygonal cross section connection means also comprising at least one cramping terminal (11), wherein the conductive wire (20) is pressingly insertable into a pair of slits (13) formed in the cramping terminal (11). An electric connection means according to claim 1, wherein the opposite sides of the section of the conductive wire (21) are pressingly insertable into the lateral edges of the slits (13) extending linearly downward and continuously with a pair of tapered cutters (12) and become parallel. An electric connection means according to claim 1 or 2, comprising at least two electric cables (20) and a cramping terminal bus having at least two cramping terminals (11), wherein each conductive wire (21) is pressingly insertable into the slits (13) formed in the corresponding cramping terminal (11). An electric connection means according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the slits (13) of each cramping terminal (11) have a width (W) equal or slightly smaller, preferably by about several tenths of a millimetre than a width (A) of the conductive wire (21) along a widthwise direction of the cramping terminal (11). An electric connection means according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the polygonal cross section has four or more sides and preferably a rectangular, pentagonal or hexagonal shape. An electric connection means according to one of the preceding claims, wherein if the polygonal cross section has an even number of sides, it is equilateral, or if the polygonal cross section has an odd number of sides, it is non-equilateral. An electric connection means according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the polygonal cross section has two substantially parallel sides, particularly being longer than the other side(s). An electric connection means according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conductive wire (21) comprises a plurality of twisted and/or compressed strands. An electric connection means according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the insulating sheath (22) has a polygonal outer shape, in particular corresponding to the polygonal cross section of the conductive wire (21).

Inventors: INOUE NORI, KOBAYASHI MAKOTO, OKA YOSHITO, ONIZUKA TAKAHIRO, SAKA YUUJI, INOUE, NORI, KOBAYASHI, MAKOTO, OKA, YOSHITO, ONIZUKA, TAKAHIRO, SAKA, YUUJI, Inoue, Nori, c/o Sumitomo Wirings Systems, Ltd., Kobayashi, Makoto, Sumitomo Wirings Systems, Ltd., Oka, Yoshito, c/o Sumitomo Wirings Systems, Ltd., Onizuka, Takahiro, c/o Sumitomo Wirings Syst. Ltd., Saka, Yuuji, c/o Sumitomo Wirings Systems, Ltd.
Applicants: SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: H01R4
IPC codes: H01B7, H01R4