Crimp Terminal, and Method and Apparatus for Manufacturing A Crimp Terminal

摘要

A method for manufacturing a crimp terminal having a crimp portion adapted to allow crimp connection with a coated wire having a conductor and an insulating coating, the crimp portion being adapted to crimp connect along the coated wire from a portion of the conductor coated with the insulating coating to a portion of the conductor exposed from the insulating coating at a tip of the coated wire includes providing a barrel member formed by arranging edges of a copper alloy plate material side-by-side, the barrel member having a diameter reducing on an end portion side in a longitudinal direction from a coating crimp portion, forming the crimp portion by welding the edges by laser irradiation from a laser irradiation unit onto a position where the edges are arranged side-by-side, while moving a laser light irradiation position in a longitudinal direction of the barrel member, and irradiating laser light with an output power density and a sweep rate for causing fine molten metal particles having a diameter of 60 μm or less to ejected from the weld portion during laser welding to adhere to an inner surface of the barrel member.

主权项

1. A method for manufacturing a crimp terminal, the method comprising:
bending a metal plate material having opposite side edges to form a barrel member such that the side edges are adjacent each other, the metal plate material comprising a copper alloy, the barrel member having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion having a first diameter, the second end portion having a second diameter, the second diameter being less than the first diameter; forming a crimp portion by welding the side edges of the barrel member with each other via laser irradiation performed by a laser irradiation unit irradiating laser light along the adjacent side edges from a first region of the barrel member to a second region of the barrel member, the second region being spaced longitudinally from the first region, the laser irradiation unit irradiating the laser light with an output power density and a sweep rate to cause fine molten metal particles to adhere to an inner surface of the barrel member, the fine molten metal particles being particles having a particle diameter of 60 @m or less that are ejected during the welding of the side edges of the barrel member.