Joined conductor, conductor joining device, method for manufacturing joined conductor, and conductor joining method

A method for manufacturing a joined conductor in which a plurality of conductors arranged along a longitudinal direction are fused and joined, the method comprising the steps of:

• when a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is referred to as a first direction, and a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and the first direction is referred to as a second direction,
• compressing the conductors along the first direction and regulating movement of the conductors in the second direction;
• and
• welding that performs ultrasonic welding of the conductors compressed in the first direction by ultrasonic oscillation, wherein
• the compressing comprises the step of:
• regulating movement of the conductors in the second direction such that a corrugated portion is formed along the longitudinal direction on a first surface provided on a conductor bundle configured of the plurality of conductors that are arranged, and
• the corrugated portion is continuously provided with a convex line portion protruding outward in the second direction, and a concave line portion recessed inward in the second direction.

A conductor joining device for joining a plurality of conductors by ultrasonic welding, the conductor joining device comprising:

• a horn having a contact surface that is brought into contact with the conductors and configured to ultrasonically oscillate;
• an anvil configured to relatively move in a movement direction of approaching to or separating from the contact surface;
• and
• a pair of regulating portions configured to be in contact with the contact surface and configured to be relatively movable along the contact surface, wherein
• the regulating portions have regulating surfaces that face each other, and
• in a case where a direction in which a pair of the regulating surfaces face each other is referred to as a facing direction, and a direction orthogonal to the movement direction is referred to as an orthogonal direction,
• on at least one of the regulating surfaces, a corrugated regulating portion in which a convex portion protruding toward another regulating surface facing the one regulating surface, and a concave portion recessed in a direction opposite to a protruding direction of the convex portion are continuously provided along the orthogonal direction is formed
• on a main surface facing in the facing direction of the anvil,
• an engaging concave portion and an engaging convex portion configured to engage with the convex portion and the concave portion are provided along the orthogonal direction, and
• at least one of the pair of regulating portions with respect to the anvil moves toward another of the pair of regulating portions so as to sandwich the anvil between the regulating portions facing each other, and the horn relatively moves with respect to the anvil.

A conductor joining method, the method comprising the steps of:

• arranging a plurality of conductors in a space formed by a horn having a contact surface that is brought into contact with the conductors, and configured to ultrasonically oscillate, and a pair of regulating portions configured to be in contact with the contact surface, arranged so as to face each other at a predetermined interval, and configured to relatively move along the contact surface;
• relatively moving the horn and the pair of regulating portions with respect to an anvil arranged at a predetermined interval with respect to the contact surface and moving at least one of the pair of regulating portions toward another of the regulating portions so as to sandwich the anvil between the pair of regulating portions facing each other, and compressing the conductors by the anvil and the horn with the pair of regulating portions sandwiching the anvil;
• and
• performing ultrasonic welding the conductors compressed by the anvil and the horn by making the horn ultrasonically oscillate, wherein
• on each of regulating surfaces facing each other in the pair of regulating portions,
• a corrugated regulating portion in which a convex portion protruding toward another regulating surface facing the regulating surface, and a concave portion recessed in a direction opposite to a protruding direction of the convex portion are continuously provided along a facing direction in which the pair of regulating portions face each other and an orthogonal direction orthogonal to a movement direction in which the horn relatively moves with respect to the anvil is formed, and
• an engaging concave portion and an engaging convex portion configured to engage with the convex portion and the concave portion are provided on a main surface facing in the facing direction of the anvil.