Patent Publication Number: US-2015072573-A1

Title: Crimp terminal, cable with terminal, and cable harness structure

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to crimp terminals and the like that are electrically connected with covered cables by crimping. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cable harnesses are wired throughout bodies of automobiles and used for supplying power to various electrical devices with which the automobiles are equipped, transmitting control signals between the electrical devices, and the like. The cable harness comprises a plurality of covered electric wires that are bundled together and terminals that are connected to these covered wires. 
     When crimp terminals are used, in order to prevent a conduction part from corrosion, it is necessary to prevent water from entering from a gap of the crimp terminal and a boundary between the covered cable and the crimp terminal. Particularly, when different metals are used for the crimp terminal and the connecting parts, entering of water must be prevented to prevent electrolytic corrosion. The prior Patent Document 1 and 2 disclose these types of technologies. 
     In Patent Document 1, when the conduction part of a covered cable is crimped to a crimp terminal, the conduction part is exposed at a plurality of locations at this point. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology of covering these exposed parts of the cable altogether by molded resin for waterproofing. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology of coating and covering only the exposed conduction parts with resin for waterproofing. 
     Also, if oxide film is formed on the conduction parts due to oxidization, it may not be possible to obtain a good conduction even if the cable is connected with the crimp terminal by crimping. In this regard, Patent Document 3 discloses a technology in which edges of grooves formed on the surface of the crimp terminal are pressed onto the conduction parts to remove the oxide film for better conduction. 
     PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Documents 
     
         
         [Patent Document 1] JJP-A-2001-162647 
         [Patent Document 2] JP-A-2010-108828 
         [Patent Document 3] JP-A-2010-3584 
       
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Problems to be Solved by the Invention 
     However, the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are high cost since the costs for the resin itself, an apparatus for coating the resin, process of coating the resin, and the like are required. Also, in Patent Document 1 and 2, ensuring the conduction is difficult if the oxide film is formed on the conduction part of the electric wires. 
     On the other hand, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 3 aims for ensuring the conduction, and is irrelevant to waterproofing of the crimp terminal. 
     The present invention was achieved in view of such problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a crimp terminal and the like which has the ability of good conduction and waterproofing at low cost. 
     Means for Solving Problems 
     The problems to be solved are as described above, and means for solving the problems and its effects will now be described below. 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention, a crimp terminal comprising a terminal connector and a cable connector is provided. The terminal connector connects to another terminal (the counter terminal). The cable connector is coupled with the terminal connector and connects with a covered cable. Also, the cable connector includes a hollow formed by welding a plate-like material, in which a pressing part for conduction and a compression part for waterproofing are formed. The pressing part for conduction presses the conduction part of the covered cable to ensure conduction. The compression part for waterproofing presses and compresses the covered part of the cable to prevent water from entering into the cable connector. 
     Thereby, the electrical conduction can be ensured by the pressing part for conduction while the process of welding and the compression part for waterproofing completely prevent entering of water into the cable connector. Also, this way of preventing water from entering can reduce cost significantly compared to the structure utilizing molded resin and the like. Furthermore, since the covered part of the covered cable is compressed and fixed, the covered cable can be prevented from coming off even if a force pulling the cable is applied. 
     It is preferable that the pressing part for conduction comprises first grooves or protrusions that are formed on the inner surface of the hollow. It is also preferable that the compression part for waterproofing comprises second grooves or protrusions that are different from the first grooves or protrusions, and are formed on the inner or outer surface of the hollow. Thus, each of the pressing part for conduction and the compression part for waterproofing has a different type of unevenness. 
     Thereby, the pressing part for conduction and the conduction part can be electrically connected by the edges of the grooves or the protrusions. Also, the waterproofing can be achieved by pressing into the grooves or the protrusions into the covered part. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention, a cable with a terminal is provided. The cable with a terminal comprises a crimp terminal having a terminal connector, which connects to another terminal, and a cable connector, which is coupled with the terminal connector and connects to the covered cable. The cable connector includes a hollow formed by welding a plate-like material, in which a pressing part for conduction and a compression part for waterproofing are formed. The pressing part for conduction presses the conduction part of the covered cable to ensure conduction. The compression part for waterproofing presses and compresses the covered part of the cable to prevent water from entering into the cable connector. The covered cable is connected to the cable connector. 
     Thereby, it is possible to provide the cable with a terminal, which has ensured electrical conduction with the covered cable and can completely prevent water from entering into the terminal, at low cost. 
     Preferably, in the cable with a terminal, the shape of the pressing part for conduction is different from the shape of the compression part for waterproofing. Particularly, it is preferred to use grooves for the pressing part for conduction and protrusions for the compression part for waterproofing, both of which are formed on the inner surface of the hollow. 
     By making the pressing part for conduction into shapes suitable for electrical conduction and the compression part for waterproofing into shapes suitable for waterproofing, the present invention can be more effective. 
     In the cable with a terminal, it is preferable that the compression part for waterproofing is formed over the whole circumference of the interior wall of the hollow. 
     Thereby, the higher waterproofing effect can be obtained since the whole circumference of covered part of the cable can be compressed. 
     In the cable with a terminal, it is preferable that the pressing part for conduction comprises a plurality of polygonal-shaped grooves or protrusions. 
     Thereby, the pressing part for conduction can be electrically connected with the conduction part securely with increased number of the edges of the grooves or the protrusions. 
     Preferably, in the cable with a terminal, a welding part formed parallel to the insertion direction of the covered cable exists on the surface of the cable connector and an end of the cable connector on the terminal connector side is sealed by welding. 
     Thereby, the cable connector is sealed everywhere except for the cable insertion part, ensuring waterproofing effect. It is also possible to reduce the costs significantly compared to the configuration utilizing molded resin and the like. 
     Preferably, the cable with a terminal is installed on automobiles. 
     That is, although it is common to use a plurality of bundled wires in automobiles, using molded resin and the like for all the terminals of the wires results in high cost. In this regard, the present invention can provide a configuration having a waterproofing property at low cost, which leads to significant reduction in cost. 
     Also, a plurality of cables with terminals, which include the crimp terminals and the covered cables connected to the cable connectors thereof, may be bundled together. 
     The conduction part of the covered cable may be made of aluminum or aluminum alloy. 
     Effects of the Invention 
     According to the present invention, a crimp terminal and the like having the ability of good conduction and waterproofing can be provided at low cost. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  ( a ) is an exploded perspective view of a cable with a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  ( b ) is an exterior perspective view of the assembled cable with a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  ( a ) is a cross-sectional perspective view of a crimp terminal. 
         FIG. 2  ( b ) is a side cross-sectional view of the crimp terminal. 
         FIG. 3  ( a ) is a development view showing a first interior wall shape of the crimp terminal. 
         FIG. 3  ( b ) is a cross-sectional view of the first interior wall shape of the crimp terminal. 
         FIG. 4  ( a ) and  FIG. 4  ( b ) are side cross-sectional views illustrating processes of connecting the crimp terminal and a covered cable. 
         FIG. 5  ( a ) is a development view showing a second interior wall shape of the crimp terminal. 
         FIG. 5  ( b ) is a cross-sectional view of the second interior wall shape of the crimp terminal. 
         FIG. 6  ( a ) is a development view showing a third interior wall shape of the crimp terminal. 
         FIG. 6  ( b ) is a cross-sectional view of the third interior wall shape of the crimp terminal. 
         FIG. 7  ( a ) is a side cross-sectional view of a fourth interior wall shape of the crimp terminal. 
         FIG. 7  ( b ) is a side cross-sectional view of a fifth interior wall shape of the crimp terminal. 
         FIG. 8  ( a ) and  FIG. 8  ( b ) are side cross-sectional views illustrating processes of connecting the crimp terminal and a covered cable in a first variation. 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view showing the crimp terminal and the covered cable in a variation. 
         FIG. 10  is a partially developed view of a crimp terminal  10   a.    
         FIG. 11  is a partial cross-sectional view of the crimp terminal  10   a.    
         FIG. 12  ( a ) and  FIG. 12  ( b ) are side cross-sectional views illustrating a process of connecting the crimp terminal and the covered cable in a variation. 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic view of a testing device. 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of a cable with a terminal  1   a.    
         FIG. 15  ( a ) shows an air pocket  27 . 
         FIG. 15  ( b ) shows a projection  25 . 
         FIG. 16  is a partially developed view of a crimp terminal  10   b.    
         FIG. 17  ( a ) and  FIG. 17(   b ) are side cross-sectional views illustrating a process of connecting the crimp terminal and a covered cable in a variation. 
         FIG. 18  is a partially developed view of a crimp terminal  10   c.    
         FIG. 19  is an exploded perspective view of a cable with a terminal  1   b.    
         FIG. 20  is a cross-sectional view of a crimp terminal  10   d.    
         FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view of the cable with a terminal  1   b.    
         FIG. 22  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a method of crimping the cable with a terminal  1   b  with a crimping tool. 
         FIG. 23  shows the shapes of a first crimping mold  61  and a second crimping mold  62 . 
         FIG. 24  is an enlarged view showing a flow of the conventional crimped part at a fitting section. 
         FIG. 25(   a ) is an enlarged view showing a flow of the crimped part at a fitting section before crimping in the present invention. 
         FIG. 25(   b ) is an enlarged view showing the flow of the crimped part at the fitting section after crimping in the present invention. 
         FIG. 26  is an exploded perspective view of a cable with a terminal in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 27  is a cross-sectional view of a crimp terminal  10   e.    
         FIG. 28(   a ) is an enlarged view showing a flow of the crimped part at a fitting section before crimping in the present invention. 
         FIG. 28(   b ) is an enlarged view showing the flow of the crimped part at the fitting section after crimping in the present invention. 
         FIGS. 29(   a ) to  29 ( d ) show other embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     First Embodiment 
     Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings.  FIG. 1  ( a ) is an exploded perspective view showing a structure of a cable with a terminal (cable harness).  FIG. 1  ( b ) is an exterior perspective view of the cable with a terminal (cable harness) after crimping.  FIG. 2  ( a ) and  FIG. 2  ( b ) illustrate a crimp terminal, showing a cross-sectional perspective view and a side cross-sectional view respectively. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  ( a ) and ( b ), the cable with a terminal  1  comprises a crimp terminal  10  and a covered cable  50 . 
     The covered cable  50  includes a conduction part  51  and a covered part  52 . The conduction part  51  is made of a plurality of aluminum element wires bundled together. Other conducting materials other than aluminum, such as copper or copper-plated aluminum, may be used for the conduction part  51 . The covered part  52  is made of an insulating material such as resin and the like, which surrounds the conduction part  51 . 
     The crimp terminal  10  is a female terminal made of Sn-plated brass and the like. The crimp terminal  10  may be made of other conductive materials such as aluminum. The crimp terminal  10  can be electrically connected with the conduction part  51  of the covered cable  50  as well as a male terminal (another terminal or a counter terminal), which is omitted in the drawing. The male terminal is connected to other cables and electrical devices for supplying power or signals to the devices. 
     The crimp terminal  10  will be described in detail below. A metal plate is punched, bended, welded, and so forth to form the crimp terminal  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1  ( a ), the crimp terminal  10  has a box part (a terminal connector)  20 , a cable connector  30 , and a transition part  40 . 
     The box part  20  is a rectangular parallelopiped with a hollow, shaped by bending the metal plate. As shown in  FIG. 2 , an elastic contactor  21  is formed by inwardly bending a bottom surface  22 , which is one of the surfaces of the box part  20 . 
     The elastic contractor  21  is formed on the tip of the box part  20 . The elastic contractor  21  is configured so to be elastically deformed in a direction of leaving away from the bottom surface  22  or approaching the bottom surface  22 . Inserting the male terminal, which is omitted in the drawing, pushes and transforms the elastic contractor to approach toward the bottom surface  22 . The elastic contractor  21  then returns back to the original shape when the male terminal is completely inserted. Thereby, the box part  20  and the male terminal is electrically and mechanically connected. 
     The cable connector  30  is coupled with the box part  20  via the transition part  40 . The cable connector  30  is cylindrical (with a hollow inside). One end of the cable connector  30 , which is on the insertion direction of the covered cable  50 , is open as an opening  31  and the other end (the end on the side of the box part  20 ) is sealed as a sealed part  32 . 
     To form the cable connector  30 , firstly, a metal plate is rolled and welded at the ends (the welded part A in  FIG. 1  ( a )) by fiber laser and the like to form a cylinder. Then, the metal plate on one end of the cylinder (on the side of the box part  20 ) is deformed, welded (the welded part B in  FIG. 1  ( a )), and sealed to form the sealed part  32 . Here, the welded part A is formed parallel to the insertion direction of the covered cable  50  (the axial direction of the cylindrical part) and the welded part B is formed perpendicular to the insertion direction of the covered cable. 
     The method of forming the cable connector  30  is not limited to the method described above. For example, the metal plate may be rolled to form a cylinder first (no welding is performed at this point) then the one end can be compressed followed by welding. This can decrease the number of steps in the process and reduce the cost. Also, the welding can be performed in any ways. For example, edges of the metal plate may be simply in contact with each other, or may be overlapped for welding. Furthermore, the welded part may not be on the upper surface side (upper side of  FIG. 1  ( a )) but may be on the bottom surface side (lower side of  FIG. 1  ( a )). 
     The cable connector  30  is completed after the processes above. Welding at the welded part A, as described above, enables to prevent entering of water from the surface of the cable connector  30 . Also, welding the welded part B to form the sealed part  32  enables to prevent entering of water from the gap between the cable connector  30  and the box part  20 . A method to prevent entering of water from the opening  31  (water entering along the covered cable  50 ) will be described below. 
     Also, on the interior wall  33 , which is a wall inside the cable connector  30 , a pressing part for conduction  33   b  including first grooves (or concave part) or protrusions and a compression part for waterproofing  33   a  including second grooves (or concave part) or protrusions that are different from the pressing part for conduction  33   b  are formed. The compression part for waterproofing  33   a  fixes the covered cable  50  and prevents water from entering into the crimp terminal  10 . The pressing part for conduction  33   b  allows good electrical conduction even if an oxide film covers the conduction part  51  of the covered cable  50 . 
     Hereinafter, the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  and the pressing part for conduction  33   b  will be described with reference to  FIG. 2  to  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 3  ( a ) and  FIG. 3  ( b ) are a development view and a side cross-sectional view respectively showing the shapes of an interior wall  33  of the crimp terminal  10 .  FIG. 4  ( a ) and  FIG. 4  ( b ) are side cross-sectional views illustrating processes of connecting the crimp terminal  10  and the covered cable  50 .  FIG. 3  ( b ) is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 3  ( a ) cut off at the chain line. In the side cross-sectional views, the shapes such as grooves that are behind the cross-section of the cable connector  30  on the paper may be omitted in the drawings for simplicity. 
     The compression part  33   a  for waterproofing includes, as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , protrusions (convex parts) formed over the whole circumference of the interior wall  33 . “Formed over the whole circumference” means that not only the shapes are formed without intermission but the shapes may be formed, for example, avoiding the welded part. Also, although the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  has two protrusions in this embodiment, the shapes of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  can be any shapes and may be changed appropriately (details will be described later). 
     It is preferable to have the protrusions of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  to be disposed at two or more locations (two or more rows). Having two or more protrusions increases the tensile strength as the resin of the covered part fits into the gap(s) between the two or more protrusions. 
     The pressing part for conduction  33   b  includes, as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , a plurality of grooves (concave parts) formed on the interior wall  33 . Although the pressing part for conduction  33   b  has a plurality of arranged rectangular shaped grooves, the shapes of the pressing part for conduction  33   b  can be any shapes and may be changed appropriately (details will be described later). 
     As shown in  FIG. 3  ( a ), the area for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  (the longitudinal length C in the drawing) is larger than the area for the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  (the longitudinal length D in the drawing). That is, the longitudinal length between the both ends of grooves (concave parts) formed on the interior wall  33  of the pressing part for conduction  33   b  is longer than the longitudinal length between the both ends of the protrusions formed in the compression part for waterproofing  33   a.    
     Thus, with a larger area of the pressing part for conduction  33   b , it is possible to caulk the conduction part  51  over a larger area and increase the tensile strength and improves the electrical properties between the conduction part  51  and the connector. On the other hand, with a plurality of protrusions in a narrow area for the compression part for waterproofing  33   a , the resin of the covered part  52  can be deformed drastically increasing the tensile strength and improving the waterproofing property between the covered part  52  and the connector. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4  ( a ), to fix the covered cable  50  to the crimp terminal  10 , the covered cable  50  is inserted into the cable connector  30 , which is then interposed between a first crimp mold  61  and a second crimp mold  62  of a crimp tool to be caulked. 
     Thereby, as shown in  FIG. 4  ( b ), the protrusions of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  compress the covered part  52  and are pressed into the covered part  52  preventing water from entering into the crimp terminal  10  along the covered cable  50 . In this embodiment, the protrusions are formed over the whole circumference of the interior wall  33  resulting in an effective waterproofing. 
     Also, in this embodiment, the conduction part  51  is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy and the crimp terminal is made of copper. When different metals are used for the cable connector  30  and the conduction part  51  as in this case, high waterproofing property is required to prevent electrolytic corrosion. In this respect, in the crimp terminal  10  in this embodiment, welding the surface prevents entering of water via the surface of the crimp terminal, and also the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  prevents entering of water via the cable, as described above. This waterproofing structure in this embodiment can reduce the costs significantly compared to the structure using molded resin and the like to fill in the gap between the cable connector  30  and the box part  20 . 
     Furthermore, compressing the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  as above prevents the covered cable  50  from coming off from the crimp terminal  10  even if a force pulling the covered cable is applied. 
     Also, crimping as described above presses the conduction part  51  strongly by the pressing part for conduction  33   b . Here, the edges of the grooves of pressing part for conduction  33   b  presses the conduction part  51  as lines, rather than surfaces. Therefore, even if an oxide film is formed on the surface of the conduction part  51 , the pressing part for conduction  33   b  can reach into the aluminum part which is under the oxide film. 
     Also, in this embodiment, the cable with a terminal  1  can be manufactured efficiently since waterproofing via the cable, treatment for better conduction, and crimping can be done simultaneously. 
     Other Embodiment 1 
     Next, other shapes for the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  and the pressing part for conduction  33   b  will be described.  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  are development views and side cross-sectional views showing other shapes on the interior wall  33  of the crimp terminal  10 .  FIG. 7  are cross-sectional views showing another shape on the interior wall  33  of the crimp terminal. 
     The other shapes of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  will be described first. Alternative to the protrusions formed on the interior wall  33  of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  in  FIG. 3 , grooves may be formed on the interior wall  33  as shown in  FIG. 5 . In this case, the covered part  52  is compressed by the edges of the grooves of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  and fixed into the grooves. 
     The shapes of the grooves or the protrusions of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  can be any shapes, and may be arc-shaped as in  FIG. 3  ( b ), rectangular-shaped as in  FIG. 5  ( b ), or trapezoidal protrusions as in  FIG. 6  ( b ). Also, the number of grooves or protrusions of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  can be any numbers and is not limited to two but can be one, three, or more than three. 
     Other than the shapes above, such a shape in which the protrusions have tips that gradually narrow as they approach the inner side of the cable connector  30  as shown in  FIG. 7  ( a ) may be used for the compression part for waterproofing  33   a . Using this shape can easily make the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  pressed into the covered part  52 . Also, since the tips of this compression part for waterproofing  33   a  are pointing toward the box part  20 , the covered cable  50  is prevented more securely from coming off even if a pulling force is applied to the covered cable  50 . 
     The shapes of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  are not limited to grooves or protrusions but may be in the form of inclinations as shown in  FIG. 7  ( b ). With this shape, waterproofing can still be obtained because the covered part  52  can be compressed at the parts in which the diameter of the compression part  33   a  is small. 
     Next, the other shapes of the pressing part for conduction  33   b  will be described. Alternative to the grooves formed on the interior wall  33  of the pressing part for conduction  33   b  in  FIG. 3 , protrusions may be formed on the interior wall  33  as shown in  FIG. 5 . In this case, the conduction part  51  is pressed with the corners and the like of the protrusions. 
     The shapes and arrangement of the grooves or the protrusions of the pressing part for conduction  33   b  can be any shapes and arrangements, and may be rectangular grooves s in  FIG. 3  ( a ) or parallelogram-shaped grooves as shown in  FIG. 6  ( a ). Furthermore, polygonal (triangular or pentagon-shaped) or circular grooves may be used as well. Although slit-like (rib-like) shapes can also be used for the grooves, forming a plurality of polygonal grooves may result in better conduction because the larger the number of the edges of the grooves, the easier to penetrate the oxide film on the conduction part  51 . 
     As described above, larger number of the edges of the grooves is preferable for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  for better conduction whereas it is preferable that the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  is formed over the whole circumference (i.e. less edges of the grooves) for better waterproofing property. Therefore, the optimum shape for the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  is different from the optimum shape for the pressing part for conduction  33   b.    
     The methods for forming the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  and the pressing part for conduction  33   b  will now described. The compression part for waterproofing  33   a  and the pressing part for conduction  33   b  may be formed in advance through pressing and cutting processes while making the crimp terminal  10  from a metal plate. 
     Alternatively, forming the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  and the like and crimping with a crimping tool may be done at the same time. To be specific, the first crimp mold  61  and the second crimp mold  62  having protrusions (or grooves) formed are used as shown in  FIG. 8  ( a ). Crimping with this crimp tool makes the protrusions of the first crimp mold  61  and the like to press the cable connector  30  forming protrusions on the interior wall  33 , which are pressed into the covered part  52 . This makes it possible for simultaneous operation of crimping and forming of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  and the like. Although only the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  is formed with this method in  FIG. 8 , the pressing part for conduction  33   b  may also be formed using the same method. 
     As described above, the crimp terminal  10  in this embodiment includes the box part  20  and the cable connector  30 . The box part  20  is connected to another terminal. The cable connector  30  is coupled with the box part  20  and connects with the covered cable  50 . Also, the cable connector  30  includes a hollow formed by welding a metal plate, and the pressing part for conduction  33   b  and the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  are formed inside the hollow. The pressing part for conduction  33   b  presses the conduction part  51  of the covered cable  50  so as to ensure electrical conduction with the covered cable  50 . The compression part for waterproofing  33   a  presses the covered part  52  of the covered cable  50  inwardly compressing the covered part  52  to prevent entering of water into the cable connector  30 . 
     Thereby, entering of water into the crimp terminal  10  is completely prevented with the welding process and the act of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  while the pressing part for conduction  33   b  ensures the conduction with the covered cable  50 . Also, this way of preventing water from entering can reduce cost significantly compared to the structure utilizing molded resin and the like. Furthermore, since the covered part  52  of the covered cable  50  is compressed and fixed, the covered cable  50  can be prevented from coming off even if a force pulling the cable  50  is applied. 
     In the crimp terminal  10  in this embodiment, the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  and the pressing part for conduction  33   b  comprise grooves of protrusions. 
     Thereby, even if an oxide film is formed on the conduction part  51 , the pressing part for conduction  33   b  and the conduction part  51  can be securely and electrically connected with means of the edges of the grooves or protrusions. Also, making the grooves or the protrusions pressed into the covered part  52  can completely prevent entering of water. 
     In the crimp terminal  10  in this embodiment, the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  is formed over the whole circumference of the interior wall of the hollow. 
     Thereby, the covered part  52  of the covered cable  50  can be compressed over the whole circumference thereof allowing better waterproofing property. 
     In the crimp terminal  10  in this embodiment, the pressing part for conduction  33   b  comprises a plurality of polygonal grooves or protrusions. 
     Thereby, the number of grooves or protrusions can be increased so that the pressing part for conduction  33   b  can be electrically connected with the conduction part  51  more securely 
     In the crimp terminal  10  in this embodiment, a welding part (welded part A) formed parallel to the insertion direction of the covered cable  50  exists on the surface of the cable connector  30 . The end of the cable connector  30  on the box part  20  side is sealed by welding (welded part B). 
     Thereby, the cable connector  30  is sealed everywhere except for the cable insertion part, which ensures waterproofing effect. It is also possible to reduce the costs significantly compared to the configuration utilizing molded resin and the like. 
     As described above, the present invention has two different types of projection-recess structures: one for ensuring connection with the conduction part  51  and another one for compressing the covered part  52 . Therefore, both electrical connection at the conduction part  51  and waterproofing at the covered part  52  can be ensured at the same time. 
     The above mentioned preferred embodiment and its variations of the present invention may be varied as follows. 
     The shapes and the locations of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  and the pressing part for conduction  33   b  are not limited to those as described above but may be changed accordingly. 
     The crimp terminal  10  may be used as a terminal to connect single wires (or to connect a single wire with an electrical device). Also, a plurality of the crimp terminals  10  may be arranged as to function as a part of a joint connector. 
     The method and the location of the welding may be changed accordingly. Also the crimp terminal  10  is not limited to the structure made from a sheet of metal plate. For example, the box part  20  and the cable connector  30  may be separately formed and then coupled later using an appropriate method such as welding. 
     The shape of the cable connector  30  may be changed accordingly. For example, although one end of the cable connector  30  above is sealed with the sealed part  32 , both ends may be opened if the other end coupled to the box part  20  is appropriately waterproofed. Also, the opening  31  of the cable connector  30  may be bent outward so to make the insertion of the cable easier. 
     Although the crimp terminal  10  is described above as an example of a female connector, the crimp terminal  10  of the present application can also be applied to a male connector. 
     The cable with a terminal  1  is expected to be applied, for an example, to cable harnesses installed in automobiles but also can be a part of connectors, which is used under conditions in which waterproofing is required. 
     Also, it may be possible to use a plurality of the cable with a terminal of the present invention bundled together. In the present invention, this structure in which a plurality of cables (cable harnesses) with terminals are bundled together is called a cable harness structure. 
     Other Embodiment 2 
     Also, although the diameter of the cable connector  30  before crimping is uniform in the embodiments described above, the diameter of the part for crimping the conduction part  51  (hereinafter called a wire crimping part  23 ) may be different from the diameter of the part for crimping the covered part (hereinafter called a covering crimping part  24 ). For example, the structure can be made as a step form in which the diameter of the covering crimping part  24  is larger than the diameter of the wire crimping part  23 . In this case, a pressing part for conduction  33   b  is provided on the inner side of the wire crimping part  23  and a compression part for waterproofing  33   a  is provided on the inner side of the covering crimping part  24 . 
     Other Embodiment 3 
       FIG. 10  is a partially developed view of a crimp terminal  10   a  and  FIG. 11  is a partial cross-sectional view of a cable connector  30 . As shown in  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 , the cable connector  30  is rolled to form a cylinder having a circular section, and its side edges are welded to be unified. A covered cable  50  is inserted into the opening of the cylindrical cable connector  30 . The cable connector  30  includes a covering crimping part  24  and a wire crimping part  23 . 
     On the wire crimping part  23 , recesses  13   a ,  13   b , and  13   c , which act as linear locking parts, are provided at equal spaces in the axial direction of the cable connector  30 . The recesses  13   a ,  13   b  and  13   c  correspond to the pressing part for conduction  33   b  and are continuous grooves on the inner surface of the cable connector  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the recesses  13   a  as main recesses are formed over approximately whole width of the cable connector  30  (the circumference of the cable connector  30  after it is made into a cylinder). Both edges in the width direction are to be welded so the recesses  13   a  are stopped slightly before the edges. The recesses  13   b  as sub-recesses are shorter than the recesses  13   a . For example, the length of the recesses  13   b  are as half as that of the recesses  13   a . Therefore, when the cable connector  30  is made into a cylinder, the recesses  13   b  are formed only at the semi-circular part of the approximately lower part of the cylinder. The recesses  13   c  are further shorter in length than the recesses  13   b . The recesses  13   c  are, for example, formed in the size which is approximately equal to the width of the bottom surface of the box part  20 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , the recesses  13   a  are formed approximately at the center vicinity of the wire crimping part  23  in the axial direction of the cable connector  30  (the right-left direction in  FIG. 11  and the insertion direction of the covered cable  50 ). The recesses  13   b  are formed on both sides (front and back) of the recesses  13   a  in the axial direction of the cable connector  30 . The recesses  13   c  are formed in front of the recesses  13   b  (on the side of the box part  20 ). The number of recesses  13   a ,  13   b , and  13   c  are not limited to those shown in the drawings and may be set accordingly. 
       FIG. 12  shows a process of forming a cable harness, in which the covered cable  50  is inserted into the cylindrical cable connector  30 . As mentioned above, the cable connector  30  is rolled into an approximately cylindrical shape, and the edges thereof are then welded. The cable connector  30  is sealed everywhere except for the insertion part of the covered cable  50 . 
     The covered cable  50  includes a conduction part  51  covered by the covered part  52 . When inserting the covered cable  50  into the cable connector  30 , a part of the covered part  52  at the tip of the covered wire  50  is removed to expose the conduction part  51 . 
     Thereby, the covering crimping part  24  is in contact with the covered part  52  and seals the cable connector  30  after crimping. The cable connector  30  is now sealed water-tight except for the rear edge so that entering of water into the cable connector  30  can be prevented. 
     First, as shown in  FIG. 12(   a ), the tip of the covered cable  50  is inserted into the cable connector  30 .  FIG. 12(   a ) is a side cross-sectional view of the cable connector  30  with a first crimping mold  61  and a second crimping mold  62  which are to crimp the cable connector  30 . 
     The first crimping mold  61  has a straight part formed at the part corresponding to the wire crimping part  23  to the axial direction of the cable connector  30 . The section of the straight part is approximately straight. Tapered parts are formed on both sides of the straight part so that the first crimping mold  61  has an inverted trapezoid projection at the approximately center part in the crimping direction. Therefore, the compressibility is high at the straight part which is a strong crimping part. At the boundary between the straight part and the tapered part, mold corners  66  are formed. The recesses  13   a  are provided at the parts corresponding to the straight part of the first crimping mold  61  and the recesses  13   b  are provided at the parts corresponding to the mold corners  66 . 
     Protrusions are formed on the first and second crimping molds  61  and  62  over the circumference of the part corresponding to the covering crimping part  24 . Two protrusions, for example, can be disposed. The protrusions form the compression part  33   a  after crimping. 
       FIG. 12(   b ) is a cross-sectional view of the first and the second crimping molds  61  and  62  in crimping. The cable connector  30  is put between the first and the second crimping molds  61  and  62  and the wire crimping part  23  and the conduction part  51  are crimped. 
     The conduction part  51  flows as being pushed by the recesses  13   a ,  13   b , and  13   c . Pushing the conduction part  51  by the recesses  13   a ,  13   b , and  13   c  ensures stronger crimping force. Also, flowing of the surface of the conduction part  51  breaks the oxide film on the surface and reduces the electrical resistance between the conduction part  51  and the wire crimping part  23 . This is particularly in full effect if the conduction part  51  is made of aluminum materials. 
     The recesses  13   a  are formed over approximately whole circumference of the wire crimping part  23  at the part that is to be crimped by the straight part of the first crimping mold  61 . Therefore, the conduction part  51  flows into the recesses  13   a  so that the conduction part  51  can be held by approximately whole circumference of the wire crimping part  23 . 
     On the other hand, recesses  13   b  are formed at the part which is to be crimped by the mold corners  66 . Stress force concentrates on the mold corners  66  in crimping and a crack may occur at the part corresponding to the mold corner  66  when crimped by the first crimp mold  61 . Therefore, compressing the part having the recesses  13   b  by the mold corners  66  may cause a crack at the thinner part that is made due to the recesses  13   b . In the present invention, the recesses  13   b  are formed only at the approximately lower semi-circumference of the wire crimping part  23  and are not formed on the upper part. Therefore, no thin part is formed at the part corresponding to the mold corners  66 , and cracks can be prevented. 
     When the conduction part  51  is crimped, the conduction part  51  extends in the axial direction and therefore flows to the front edge side of the cable connector  30 . The tip of the flowed conduction part  51  is then pushed into the recesses  13   c  holding the conduction part  51 . In the present invention, it is required that the recesses  13   b  at the part corresponding to the mold corner  66  are shorter than the others and are not formed on the upper part of the wire crimping part  23 . Therefore, the recesses  13   c  are not always necessary, or may be formed over approximately whole circumference of the cable connector  30 . As described above, the recesses  13   a ,  13   b , and  13   c  act as the pressing part for conduction  33   b.    
     Also, at the covering crimping part  24 , the protrusions of the first and the second crimping mold  61  and  62  form protrusions on the inner side of the cable connector  30  (compression part for waterproofing  33   a ). That is, the parts pressed by the protrusions of the molds  61  and  62  stronger than the other parts can compress the covered part  52  harder to ensure waterproofing property. 
     Here, ‘E’ in the drawing is the longitudinal length of the covering crimping part  24  and ‘F’ is the distance from the front edge to the center of the covering crimping part  24 . The protrusions of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  is preferably disposed in front of the bisection line of the longitudinal length of the covering crimping part  24  (on the side of the wire crimping part  23 ). If more than two protrusions are provided, the one closest to the front edge is required to be disposed in front of the bisection line. This is based on the following reasons. 
     With the use of the first and second crimping mold  61  and  62 , the diameter of the crimp terminal  10   a  tends to widen slightly toward the rear edge (to the right in the drawing). That is, the covered part  52  of the covered cable  50  extending from the rear edge is not pressed by the crimp terminal  10   a  and has a larger diameter than that of the pressed part. The covered part  52  has elasticity and a tendency to incline making the diameter thereof larger toward the rear edge. Thereby, corresponding to the inclination of the covered cable  50 , the crimp terminal  10   a  (the covering crimping part  24 ) inclines widening the diameter thereof larger toward the rear edge. 
     It is difficult to obtain desired crimping force if the protrusions are formed on the part in which the diameter widens as described above. However, disposing the protrusions in front of the center of the covering crimping part  24  allows the protrusions not to be greatly influenced by the widening of the diameter. That is, the covered part  52  can be securely crimped by the protrusions. 
     As described above, in this embodiment, the conduction part  51  can be securely held as the conduction part  51  is pressed into the recesses  13   a ,  13   b , and  13   c , which form pressing part for conduction  33   b . Also, the recesses  13   b  are provided on the wire crimping part  23  at the part corresponding to the mold corner  66 . The recesses  13   b  are formed on the lower half of the cable connector  30  without extending to the upper surface. Therefore, the thinner part is not formed when pressed by the mold corners  66 , therefore preventing cracks in the cable connector  30 . 
     Also, in this embodiment, the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  is formed when crimped with the first and second crimping molds  61  and  62 . Therefore, insertion of the covered cable  50  into the cable connector  30  is not obstructed by the protrusions. 
     In this embodiment, an example having two protruded lines is shown. This is because higher tensile force and waterproofing property can be obtained with two or more protrusions formed as mentioned above. 
     Water cut-off performance depending on the number of the protrusions is evaluated in practice. In the cable with a terminal  1 , air is sent from the covered part  52  of the covered cable  50  toward the crimp terminal  10  to test whether the air leaks out of the rear end of the terminal or not. The method of the experiment is outlined in  FIG. 13 . In the experiment, the crimp terminal  10  to which the covered cable  50  is crimped is placed into water in a water tank  41  and then pressurized air is sent from the end part of the covered cable  50  toward the crimp terminal  10  by a regulator  42 . The pressure of the air is increased up to 200 kpa. 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 number of 
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 protruded  
                 ‘n’ 
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 lines 
                 number 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
                 Sample 1 
                 0 
                 1 
                  90 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 2 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 3 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 4 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 5 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                 Sample 2 
                 1 
                 1 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 2 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 3 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 4 
                 140 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 5 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                 Sample 3 
                 2 
                 1 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 2 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 3 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 4 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 5 
                 200 kPa 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     No protrusion for the compression part for waterproofing  33   a  is provided in Sample 1. Sample 2 has one protruded line and Sample 3 has two protruded lines, which are formed around the circumference of the compression part for waterproofing  33   a . “200 kPa” in Table 1 means that air-leak is not detected at the pressure of up to 200 kPa. 
     According to the results, with the Sample 1 having no protrusion, an air-leak was detected at 90 kPa in one of the experiments of n=5. That is, the minimum leaking pressure is 90 kPa. With Sample 2, an air-leak was detected at 140 kPa in one of the experiments of n=5, which is a better result than the experiments with Sample 1. No air-leak was detected at 200 kPa in all the experiments of n=5 with Sample 2 having two lines of protrusions. Therefore, it is concluded that providing a protrusion improves water cut-off performance and even a better result can be obtained by forming two lines of protrusions. 
     Other Embodiment 4 
       FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of a cable with a terminal  1   a . The pressing part for conduction  33   b  is omitted in the drawings in this embodiment. The covered cable  50  is inserted into the cable connector  30 . As described above, the conduction part  51  is located at the wire crimping part  23  and the covered part  52  is located at the covering crimping part  24 . 
     The cable connector  30  is caulked by the molds mentioned above with the covered cable  50  inserted thereto. Thereby, the wire crimping part  23  and the conduction part  51  are crimped, and the covering crimping part  24  and the covered part  52  are crimped. 
     The protrusions for compression part for waterproofing  33   a  are provided at the covering crimping part  24 . Also, since the wire crimping part  23  is compressed and crimped more strongly than the covering crimping part  24 , a tapered part, having a gradually changing amount of compression, is formed between the wire crimping part  23  and the covering crimping part  24 . That is, the tapered part is formed in a vicinity of the boundary of the conduction part  51  and the covered part  52 . This type of tapered part is formed, for example, with a tapered shape of the first crimping mold  61 . 
     A projection  25  that protrudes inwardly is provided on the tapered part. The projection  25  can be located anywhere on the tapered part. That is, the projection  25  is provided at any place that corresponds to the tapered part when crimped. Although the example above shows the tapered part formed only on the upper part, the tapered part may be formed over the whole circumference. Also, the projection  25  may be formed with the mold when crimping, or may be formed in advance as a terminal. 
     Here, the outer diameter of the conduction part  51  is different from that of the covered part  52  before crimping. Thus, level difference is formed between the conduction part  51  and the covered part  52  with different diameters. The projection  25  is preferably provided at the part corresponding to the level difference of the diameters formed between the conduction part  51  and the covered part  52 . 
       FIG. 15  is an enlarged view of a vicinity of the tapered part formed between the conduction part  51  and the covered part  52 . As shown in  FIG. 15  ( a ), if there is no shape such as the projection  25  in the vicinity of the tapered part, an air pocket  27  according to the tapered shape is formed. This is because the conduction part  51  and the covered part  52  inside cannot exactly follow the change in the shape of the tapered part which is formed at the boundary of the wire crimping part  23  and the covering crimping part  24 . The tapered part is formed because the amount of compression on the wire crimping part  23  is different from the amount of compression on the covering crimping part  24 . 
     Such an air pocket may cause thermal expansion of the air in practical use. In that case, the air escapes from the gap between the covered part  52  and the covering crimping part  24  to the outside and water may enter along the path of the air-flow. Therefore, it is preferable to make such air pockets as small as possible. 
     On the other hand, as shown in  FIG. 15  ( b ), providing the projection  25  at the tapered part allows the air pocket  27 , which is formed by the tapered part and the level difference of the diameters, to be small. That is, the projection  25  protrudes to the air pocket  27  making this space smaller. Therefore, air-leak or accompanying entering of water can be prevented. 
     Other Embodiment 5 
       FIG. 16  is a developed view of a cable connector  30  of a crimp terminal  10   b . The compression part for waterproofing  33   a  is omitted in the drawings of this embodiment. Inside the cable connector  30 , a plurality of grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  is provided in the width direction at equal spaces. The spaces between the grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  provided in the width direction at equal spaces are flat without unevenness. Here, imaginary lines  35  stretching in the longitudinal direction between the grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  provided in the width direction at equal spaces are assumed. That is, grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  are not formed on the imaginary lines  35 . 
       FIG. 17  ( a ) and  FIG. 17  ( b ) illustrate a process of crimping the wire crimping part  23  with molds.  FIG. 17  ( a ) is a side cross-section before crimping and  FIG. 17  ( b ) is a side cross-section after crimping. The mold for crimping the wire crimping part  23  includes the first and second crimping molds  61  and  62 . The first crimping mold  61  has a projection protruding downwardly at approximately upper center and shoulder parts  26  on both sides of the projection in the width direction thereof. 
     The second crimping mold  62  has a recess that can engage with the first crimping mold  61 . The wire crimping part  23  with the conduction part  51  inserted is disposed between the first and second crimping molds  61  and  62  that are facing each other. The first and second crimping molds  61  and  62  are pressed together allowing the conduction part  51  and wire crimping part  23  to be crimped. 
     In this embodiment, the imaginary lines  35  mentioned above are located at the parts that correspond to the shoulder parts  26 . That is, the vicinity of the imaginary lines  35  is flat and the grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  are not provided thereon. Therefore, no grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  are formed on the vicinity of parts that are to be compressed by the shoulder parts  26 . 
     In the wire crimping part  23 , the vicinity of the shoulder parts  26  on both sides deforms greatly and the shoulder parts  26  tend to become thinner than the other parts. Forming the grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  on the thin parts may cause cracks. However, with the flat parts having no grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  at the parts corresponding to the shoulder parts  26 , cracks can be prevented even if the shoulder parts  26  become thin. 
     Although the grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  are in the shapes of straight stretching lines in this embodiment, the shapes may have curves as well. For example,  FIG. 18  shows a crimp terminal  10   c  having another aspect of the grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b . As shown in the drawing, the grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  may be a large number of dot shaped grooves arranged at intervals in the width direction as if linear grooves are formed as a whole. And, although the plane shape of the groove is approximately circular above, the shapes can be rectangle or parallelogram. 
     Though a drawing is omitted, the grooves for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  may not also be formed on the lower part of the wire crimping part  23  (for example, the vicinity of the lower center part that is in contact with the second crimping mold  62  in  FIG. 17  ( b )). That is, this part may be a flat part. 
     Furthermore, this part may have a projection protruding inwardly. The projection is formed continuously in the longitudinal direction of the wire crimping part  23 . 
     By using a terminal with the projected line that is formed in the vicinity of the center of the lower side of the wire crimping part  23  and is protruding toward the inner circumference, the conduction part  51  can be securely crimped due to the following reasons. That is, when the conduction part  51  is crimped, the wire crimping part  23  is deformed into a U-shape with a protruding lower surface. The vicinity of the projection is compressed greatly, ensuring the mobility of the conduction part  51 . Therefore, the conduction part  51  can flow from the center to the sides of the wire crimping part  23 . 
     Other Embodiment 6 
       FIG. 19  is an exploded perspective view of a cable with a terminal  1   b  before caulking.  FIG. 20  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a crimp terminal  10   d . The cable with a terminal  1   b  has a covered cable  50  and the crimp terminal  10   d . In this embodiment, drawings for the pressing part for conduction  33   b  are omitted. 
     In the cable connector  30  of the crimp terminal  10   d , a recess  28  is formed on the outer surface of the covering crimping part  24 . The recess  38  is annularly formed around the circumference of the covering crimping part  24 . The inner surface side of the covering crimping part  24  that corresponds to the recess  28  does not have unevenness and is flat as shown in  FIG. 20 . This allows to seal the rear end of the covering crimping part  24  (the cable insertion side) water-tight by contacting the covering crimping part  24  and the covered part  52  after crimping. 
       FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view of the cable with a terminal  1   b  showing the wire crimping part  23  and covering crimping part  24  which are caulked in a radial direction inwardly and crimped. The covered cable  50  is inserted into the cable connector  30 . The cable connector  30  is caulked in this state. Thereby, the wire crimping part  23  is crimped with the conduction part  51 , and the covering crimping part  24  is crimped with the covered part  52 . 
     The method for crimping the cable with a terminal  1   b  will be described next.  FIG. 22  is a schematic view showing the crimping method of the cable with a terminal  1   b . As shown in the drawing, the wire crimping part  23  and the covering crimping part  24  can be crimped with a crimping tool. The crimping tool includes a first and a second crimping mold  61  and  62 . The inner shape of the first crimping mold  61  is approximately semi-circular. The first crimping mold  61  has a large diameter part  34   b  and a small diameter part  34   a , which has a smaller diameter than the large diameter part  34   b . The large diameter part  34   b  corresponds to the covering crimping part  24 . The small diameter part  34   a  corresponds to the wire crimping part  23 . That is, the wire crimping part  23  is compressed and crimped more greatly than the covering crimping part  24 . 
     Both of the small diameter part  34   a  and the large diameter part  34   b  have diameters smaller than that of the cable connector  30  before crimping. The inner shape of the second crimping mold  62  is approximately semi-circular and the diameters are the same for both of the parts that correspond to the wire crimping part  23  and the covering crimping part  24 . By using the first and the second crimping molds  61  and  62  together, the object for the compression can be compressed into an approximately circular shape in cross section. The shape of the compressed part is not limited to the one in the drawing but may be other shapes. 
       FIG. 23  is a cross-sectional view of the crimping tool. As shown in the drawing, a slight difference in level can be created between the inner surface of the first crimping mold  61  and the outer surface of the second crimping mold  62  at the fitting section thereof. 
       FIG. 24  is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the fitting section of the upper and lower molds (G part in  FIG. 23 ) when the terminal is crimped. When the terminal and the cable are crimped, the pressure force of the covering crimping part  24  moves to escape toward the level difference at the fitting section  37  forming a protrusion  36  on the covering crimping part  24 . Thus, when the protrusion  36  is formed, the conductor of the covering crimping part  24  flows toward the protrusion (in the direction of an arrow H in the drawing). This flow of the conductor forms a depression  14  on the inner surface of the covering crimping part  24 . The depression  14  formed decreases the amount of compression at the covering part  52  at the corresponding part and may cause entering of water between the covering crimping part  24  and the covered part  52 . 
       FIG. 25  is an enlarged view of the recess  28  in the vicinity of the fitting section in this embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 25  ( a ), since the recess  28  is formed ring-shaped in the present invention, the recess  28  always exists at the fitting section of the molds before crimping. When crimping is performed in this state, as shown in  FIG. 25  ( b ), the conductor around the recess  28  flows toward the recess  28 . That is, the covering crimping part  24  flows toward the direction vertical to the plane of the paper in  FIG. 25  ( b ). This can prevent the conductor from flowing outwardly. The cross-sectional area of the recess  28  is preferably equivalent to the volume of the protrusion  36  above. 
     Thus, in this embodiment, since the covering crimping part  24  is prevented from flowing outwardly and forming protrusions, depressions are not formed on the inner surface of the covering crimping part  24 . Therefore, the covered part  52  can be compressed uniformly by the whole inner surface of the covering crimping part  24 . As a result, watertight sealing between the covering crimping part  24  and the covered part  52  at the vicinity of the fitting section  37  of the upper and lower molds is not impaired. 
     Thus, according to this embodiment, the covering crimping part  24  is prevented from flowing outwardly at the vicinity of the fitting section  37  of the upper and lower molds and forming the protrusions, allowing the inner surface thereof to be kept smooth. As a result, the watertight property between the covering crimping part  24  and the covered part  52  can be ensured. 
     Particularly, providing the recess  28  in the circumference direction makes the covering crimping part  24  easier to escape in longitudinal direction. Therefore, the extension of the terminal can be prevented. Thus, in this embodiment, the waterproofing property can be enhanced with the recess  28  formed on the outer surface without unevenness formed on the inner surface. That is, the recess  28  functions as the compression part for waterproofing  33   a.    
     Other Embodiment 7 
       FIG. 26  is an exploded perspective view of a cable with a terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 27  is a cross-sectional view of the covering crimping part  24 . In this embodiment, a recess  28   a , instead of the recess  28 , is formed on the circumference surface of a crimp terminal  10   e.    
     The recess  28   a  is formed along the longitudinal direction of the outer circumference surface of the covering crimping part  24 . Therefore, as shown in  FIG. 27 , the recess  28   a  is formed only on some parts (two parts of the circumference) in the cross section of the covering crimping part  24 . Unevenness is not formed on the inner side of the recess  28   a  (the inner surface of the covering crimping part  24 ). 
       FIG. 28  show the crimping of such terminal. First, the covering crimping part  24  is set in the mold as shown in  FIG. 28  ( a ), and the terminal is then crimped as shown in  FIG. 28  ( b ). Here, the recesses  28   a  are disposed at the parts corresponding to the fitting section of the first and the second crimping molds  61  and  62 . When crimping is performed in this state, the covering crimping part  24  flows (deforms) as to crush the recess  28   a . That is, the covering crimping part  24  flows (deforms) toward the direction in which the recess  28   a  is filled up. Therefore, the covering crimping part  24  can be prevented from flowing outwardly. The cross-sectional area of the recess  28   a  is preferably equivalent to the volume of the protrusion  36  above. 
     In the case in which the recess  28   a  is provided in the longitudinal direction, it is preferable that the recess  28   a  is formed slightly above the fitting section  37  (the curved part of the first crimping mold  61 ). 
     Thus, in this embodiment, since the covering crimping part  24  is prevented from flowing outwardly and forming protrusions, depressions are not formed on the inner surface of the covering crimping part  24 . Therefore, the covered part  52  can be compressed uniformly by the whole inner surface of the covering crimping part  24 . As a result, watertight sealing between the covering crimping part  24  and the covered part  52  at the vicinity of the fitting section  37  of the upper and lower molds is not impaired. That is, the recess  28   a  functions as the compression part for waterproofing  33   a.    
     Other Embodiment 8 
     If the fitting section is on the lower side of the covering crimping part  24 , a recess  28   b  may be formed only on the lower side of the covering crimping part  24  as in a crimp terminal  10   f  shown in  FIG. 29  ( a ). Similarly, if the fitting section is on the upper side of the covering crimping part  24 , a recess  28   c  may be formed only on the upper side of the covering crimping part  24  as in a crimp terminal  10   g  shown in  FIG. 29  ( b ). Or, if the fitting section is on the lower side of the covering crimping part  24 , a recess  28   d  may be formed only on a part of the lower side of the covering crimping part  24  as in a crimp terminal  10   h  shown in  FIG. 29  ( c ). Or, if the fitting section is on the upper side of the covering crimping part  24 , a recess  28   e  may be formed only on a part of the upper side of the covering crimping part  24  as in a crimp terminal  10   i  shown in  FIG. 29  ( d ). It is not necessary to form unevenness on the inner surface of the recesses  28   b ,  28   c ,  28   d , and  28   e.    
     Although the recesses  28 ,  28   a ,  28   b ,  28   c ,  28   d , and  28   e  are placed only at one part in the longitudinal direction in the above examples, the recesses may be formed and arranged on a plurality of locations (in double rings if ring-shaped) in the longitudinal direction. 
     Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described referring to the attached drawings, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. It is obvious that persons skilled in the art can think out various examples of changes or modifications within the scope of the technical idea disclosed in the claims, and it will be understood that they naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. 
     For example, descriptions mentioned above for each of the embodiments may be applied to other embodiments as long as there is no contradiction. Also, each composition in each embodiment is mutually combinable. 
     EXPLANATION OF NUMERALS 
     
         
           1 ,  1   a ,  1   b  . . . cables with terminals 
           10 ,  10   a ,  10   b ,  10   c ,  10   d ,  10   e ,  10   f ,  10   g ,  10   h ,  10   i  . . . crimp terminals 
           13   a ,  13   b ,  13   c  . . . recesses 
           14  . . . depression 
           20  . . . box part (terminal connector) 
           21  . . . elastic contactor 
           22  . . . bottom surface 
           23  . . . wire crimping part 
           24  . . . covering crimping part 
           25  . . . projection 
           26  . . . shoulder part 
           27  . . . air pocket 
           28 ,  28   a ,  28   b ,  28   c ,  28   d ,  28   e  . . . recesses 
           30  . . . cable connector 
           31  . . . opening 
           32  . . . sealed part 
           33  . . . interior wall 
           33   a  . . . compression part for waterproofing 
           33   b  . . . pressing part for conduction 
           34   a  . . . small diameter part 
           34   b  . . . large diameter part 
           35  . . . imaginary lines 
           36  . . . protrusion 
           37  . . . fitting section 
           40  . . . transition part 
           41  . . . water tank 
           42  . . . regulator 
           50  . . . covered cable 
           51  . . . conduction part 
           52  . . . covered part 
           61  . . . first crimping mold 
           62  . . . second crimping mold 
           66  . . . mold corner