Metal terminal and wire connector

Abstract

A method of determining whether a metal terminal including a conductor clamping section for clamping a wire thereto is satisfactorily connected to the wire or not, the method includes steps of: providing a first metal terminal including a first conductor clamping section for clamping a first wire thereto; calculating one of dimensional variation and a rate of a dimensional change of the first conductor clamping section in an axial direction of the first metal terminal are caused before and after clamping the first conductor clamping section; and preparing compressibility comparison data by calculating, from a section of the first conductor clamping section after clamping the first conductor clamping section, compressibility of the first wire with respect to the first conductor clamping section based on the one of the dimensional variation and the rate of the dimensional change. In the method, after preparing the compressibility comparison data, a second metal terminal including a second conductor clamping section for clamping a second wire is provided, and one of dimensional variation and a rate of a dimensional change in distance between marks applied along formation reference positions on the second conductor clamping section is calculated and is compared with the compressibility comparison data, thereby determining whether or not the second metal terminal is satisfactorily connected to the second wire. Furthermore, each width of the marks is made equal to range of dimensional tolerance of each of the bellmouths in the formation thereof. Therefore, whether state of the formation of bellmouths is acceptable or not can be determined by detecting positions of base end portions of the bellmouths.