Conductive path and connector

• US 7,186,125 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshiaki, Watanabe, Kunihiko, Konda, Kazumoto
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, PHUONG K
• Application Number:
  US11/168,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20060003610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 439/213, 439/877, 439/949, 174/84.C, 174/71.B, 174/888, 295/221
• US Class Current: 439/213
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/113 co-operating with pins or blades having a rectangular transverse section
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2101/00 One pole
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/00 Coupling parts supported only by co-operation with counterpart
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/10 effected solely by twisting, wrapping, bending, crimping, or other permanent deformation
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/02 for soldered or welded connections

Abstract

A conductive path includes a terminal metal piece; and a bus bar overlapped with the terminal metal piece. The terminal piece and the bus bar are bonded while the terminal piece and the bus bar are deformed to form a recess portion on a surface where the terminal metal piece is overlapped with the bus bar by pressing the terminal metal piece and the bus bar with a die in a direction of intersecting with an overlapped face between the terminal metal piece and the bus bar.

Claims

1. A conductive path comprising:

a terminal metal piece; and

a bus bar overlapped with the terminal metal piece, the overlapped terminal metal piece and bus bar constituting a joint portion that includes (i) a first main surface and (ii) a second main surface opposite the first main surface, wherein the terminal piece and the bus bar are bonded while the terminal piece and the bus bar are deformed to form a recess portion in the first main surface of the joint portion by pressing the terminal metal piece and the bus bar with a die in a first direction, which intersects a plane of contact between the terminal metal piece and the bus bar, in a state of setting the terminal metal piece and the bus bar to a jig,

wherein the jig includes a first restricting portion that restricts a portion of the second main surface directly opposite the recess from deforming in the first direction beyond an original plane of the second main surface.

2. The conductive path according to claim 1, wherein the joint portion further includes a side surface connecting the first main surface and the second main surface, and

wherein the jig further includes a second restricting portion that restricts the terminal metal piece and the bus bar from deforming beyond an original plane of the side surface.

3. The conductive path according to claim 1, wherein the jig further includes a third restricting portion that restricts the terminal metal piece and the bus bar from deforming in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, beyond an original plane of the first main surface.

4. A connector comprising:

a conductive path according to claim 1; and

a housing capable of accommodating the conductive path.

5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the joint portion further includes a side surface connecting the first main surface and the second main surface, and

wherein the jig further includes a second restricting portion that restricts the terminal metal piece and the bus bar from deforming beyond an original plane of the side surface.

6. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the jig further includes a third restricting portion that restricts the terminal metal piece and the bus bar from deforming in a second direction, opposite the first direction, beyond an original plane of the first main surface.

7. A conductive path comprising:

a terminal metal piece having a first hardness;

a bus bar overlapped with the terminal metal piece, the bus bar having a second hardness substantially lower than the first hardness, the overlapped terminal metal piece and bus bar constituting a joint portion that includes (i) a first main surface, that is a surface of the terminal metal piece and (ii) a second main surface opposite the first main surface, wherein the terminal piece and the bus bar are bonded while the terminal piece and the bus bar are deformed to form a recess portion in the first main surface by pressing the terminal metal piece and the bus bar with a die in a direction that intersects a plane of contact between the terminal metal piece and the bus bar with the deformed region of the terminal piece pressed into the deformed bus bar region.

8. A connector comprising:

a conductive path according to claim 7; and

a housing capable of accommodating the conductive path.