Method of connecting a wire to a terminal and an apparatus therefor

• US 5,739,496 A
• Filed: 03/26/1996
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Ide, Tetsurou, Asakura, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PELHAM, JOSEPH MOORE
• Application Number:
  US08/621,884
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 219/56.1, 219/56.22, 219/85.18, 219/119
• US Class Current: 219/56.22
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/115 by means of two electrodes placed opposite one another on both sides of the welded parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/0214 Resistance welding H01R43/0228 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for spot welding a wire to a terminal where the core wires of the wire are not crushed or frayed and where the tensile strength of the connecting portion is improved. In the method of connecting the terminal and wire by spot welding, a concave groove (27a) corresponding to a section of the wire is formed in advance in the top end of a wire-side electrode (27) of spot welding electrodes. An exposed core portion (1a) of the wire is laid on the inner surface of a wire connection portion (13a) of the terminal, a section of which has been worked into a U-shape. While this overlaid portion is held between a terminal-side electrode (25) and the concave groove (27a) of the wire-side electrode (27), a current is supplied thereto under pressure. The apparatus includes the two electrodes including the wire-side electrode having a concave portion in which the wire is received as well as the opposing terminal-side electrode.

Claims

1. A method of connecting a terminal, having a U-shaped wire connecting portion, and a wire by spot welding, comprising the following steps:

forming a concave groove corresponding to a section of said wire in one of a pair of electrodes;

overlaying said wire onto an inner surface of said U-shaped wire connecting portion;

positioning said terminal such that said terminal is disposed between said pair of electrodes with said wire being received in said concave groove of said one electrode;

supplying a current to said electrodes; and

forming another one of said pair of electrodes into a tapered configuration with a distal end of said electrode being narrower than an opposite end thereof, said distal end having a flat surface on which said wire connecting portion abuts.

2. A method of connecting a terminal and a wire according to claim 1, wherein said flat surface is sufficiently large to hold said wire connecting portion.

3. A method of connecting a terminal and a wire according to claim 1, wherein said steps are performed in the stated order.

4. An apparatus for spot welding a wire to a terminal having a U-shaped wire connecting portion, comprising:

a pair of connecting electrodes, one of said electrodes having an end portion defining a concave cavity and the other of said electrodes having a planar support surface, wherein during a spot welding operation, said wire connecting portion of said terminal is positioned on said support surface of said other electrode and said end portion of said one electrode abuts against said wire such that said wire is received in said concave cavity, wherein said other electrode is tapered toward said support surface such that said support surface is narrower than an opposite base portion of said other electrode.