Female terminals and terminal units

Abstract

This invention discloses a female terminal that can suppress the enlargement of the female terminal and cope with the increase in current, and can also suppress the risk of deformation when manufacturing the contact spring part. The female terminal (10) includes: a main body part (20) having a connecting part (16) that is conductively connected to other components and a hollow cylindrical conductor part (18); and a contact forming part (22) conductively assembled to the cylindrical conductor part (18), the cylindrical conductor part (18) having a male terminal insertion port (26) opening towards one end, and the contact forming part (22) having: a frame part (52) assembled to the inner surface of the wall part (30, 32, 34, 35) of the cylindrical conductor part (18). 36); and the contact spring part (54), which is held in the frame part (52), protrudes toward the inside of the frame part (52), and is pressed against the male terminal (12) inserted from the male terminal insertion port (26). The welding part (80) provided on the outer surface (64) of the frame part (52) of the contact forming part (22) overlaps with and is welded to each other with the welding part (38) provided on the inner surface (36) of the wall part (30, 32, 34, 35) of the cylindrical conductor part (18) of the main body part (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to female terminals and terminal units. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a female terminal formed by stamping a metal plate. A wire connection portion, consisting of a pair of overlapping flat plate portions, is provided on the base side of the female terminal, and a male terminal mounting sleeve portion is provided on the top side of the female terminal for inserting a male terminal in the shape of a flat tab, thus providing a terminal unit composed of a female terminal and a male terminal. Furthermore, the male terminal mounting sleeve portion has a pair of L-shaped support plates that protrude from opposite sides of each flat plate portion in the overlapping direction and then protrude towards the top side. The male terminal mounting sleeve portion also has a pair of contact spring portions, which are connected in a cantilever beam shape to the protruding ends of the pair of support plates portions via semi-circular curved portions and protrude towards the base side. The pair of contact spring portions are arranged opposite each other across the male terminal insertion gap, and a separate contact pressure applying spring is installed at the top of the pair of contact spring portions. By applying contact pressure to the male terminal through this contact pressure applying spring, a stable connection state between the male and female terminals can be maintained. Existing technical documents Patent documents

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-83287 Summary of the Invention The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, the female terminal is formed by stamping a metal plate, so the contact spring portion also needs to have a thickness corresponding to the current capacity. Therefore, when a large current needs to flow, the plate thickness of the contact spring portion also increases. As a result, in order to ensure the follow-through of the contact spring portion to the male terminal, it is necessary to lengthen the contact spring portion, leading to a tendency for the female terminal to be larger. In addition, because the contact spring portion is open on the side, it is easy for it to come into contact with other components and tools during the manufacturing stage of the female terminal, and it may also be deformed.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a female terminal and a terminal unit that can suppress the enlargement of the female terminal and cope with the increase of current, and can also suppress the risk of deformation when manufacturing the contact spring part. Solution for solving the problem

[0006] The female terminal of the present invention comprises: a main body portion, which is a stamped product of a first metal plate, having a connecting portion that is conductively connected to other components and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion; and a contact forming part, which is a stamped product of a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate, and is conductively assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion, the cylindrical conductor portion having a male terminal insertion port that opens toward one end side, the contact forming part comprising: a frame portion, which is assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion; and a contact spring portion, which is held in the frame portion, protrudes toward the inner side of the frame portion, and is pressed against a male terminal inserted from the male terminal insertion port, wherein a welding portion provided on the outer surface of the frame portion of the contact forming part overlaps with and is welded to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body portion.

[0007] The terminal unit of the present invention includes a female terminal and a male terminal connected to the female terminal, wherein the female terminal is the female terminal described in the present invention. Invention Effects

[0008] According to the present invention, a female terminal and a terminal unit can be provided that can suppress the enlargement of the female terminal and cope with the increase of current, and can also suppress the risk of deformation during the manufacturing of the contact spring portion. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a perspective view taken from a planar side, showing the female terminal of Embodiment 1 in a connected state with the male terminal. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The top view of the female terminal shown. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Section III-III in the diagram. Figure 4 It is Figure 1 The diagram shown is a perspective view taken from a planar side, depicting the female terminal in a non-connected state to the male terminal. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A perspective view of the female terminal as seen from the bottom side. Figure 6 yes Figure 4 The longitudinal sectional view of the female terminal shown is in contrast to... Figure 3 The corresponding diagram. Figure 7 yes Figure 4 The longitudinal sectional view of the female terminal shown is equivalent to Figure 2 The diagram shows section VII-VII. Figure 8 yes Figure 4 An exploded perspective view of the female terminal shown. Figure 9It will constitute Figure 1 The diagram shows a perspective view of the female terminal contact forming part in its individual state before being assembled into the cylindrical conductor section. Detailed Implementation

[0010] <Description of Embodiments of the Invention> First, embodiments of the present invention will be described. (1) The female terminal of the present invention comprises: a main body portion, which is a stamped product of a first metal plate, having a connecting portion that is conductively connected to other components and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion; and a contact forming part, which is a stamped product of a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate, and is conductively assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion, the cylindrical conductor portion having a male terminal insertion port that opens toward one end side, the contact forming part comprising: a frame portion, which is assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion; and a contact spring portion, which is held in the frame portion, protrudes toward the inner side of the frame portion, and is pressed against the male terminal inserted from the male terminal insertion port, wherein a welding portion provided on the outer surface of the frame portion of the contact forming part overlaps with and is welded to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body portion.

[0011] According to the present invention, the female terminal comprises a main body having a connection portion with other components and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion, and a contact forming part of the cylindrical conductor portion that is conductively assembled to the main body, as separate components. Furthermore, the contact forming part is formed using a second metal plate having a plate thickness thinner than the first metal plate forming the main body. Thus, when high current is required, conductivity can be ensured in the main body with a large plate thickness, while the contact spring portion can be provided with a plate thickness thinner than the main body. Therefore, even when high current is required, compared to existing structures, the necessity of increasing the length of the contact spring portion can be reduced to achieve the following of the contact spring portion to the male terminal, and high current can be addressed while suppressing the enlargement of the female terminal.

[0012] Furthermore, the contact forming part has a frame portion assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion and a contact spring portion pressed against the male terminal. The contact spring portion is held in the frame portion and is formed in a manner that protrudes towards the inside of the frame portion. Therefore, when assembling the contact forming part to the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body, the frame portion can be maintained during the assembly operation, making assembly easy. In addition, the frame portion reduces the risk of interference between other components or tools and the contact spring portion during assembly, thus suppressing the risk of deformation during the manufacture of the contact spring portion compared to existing structures.

[0013] Furthermore, because the welded portion provided on the outer surface of the frame portion of the contact forming part overlaps and is welded to each other with the welded portion provided on the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body, even if the main body and the contact forming part are configured as separate components, the increase in conduction resistance can be suppressed to cope with large current. In particular, because the welded portion and the welded portion are provided on the outer surface of the frame portion and the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion that overlaps thereon, the welding area can be advantageously ensured, and conduction stability can be easily ensured.

[0014] (2) In (1) above, it is preferable to have a pressing part that presses the welded part against the welded part. This is because by also having a pressing part, the welded part can be pressed against the welded part to improve the tightness, and the joint between the main body and the contact forming part can be improved by means of laser welding or the like.

[0015] It should be noted that the pressing part can be constructed either as an integral part of the main body or the contact forming part, or as a separate elastic component from the main body or the contact forming part.

[0016] (3) In (2) above, preferably, the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body has a first main body wall portion and a second main body wall portion, the first main body wall portion and the second main body wall portion are arranged opposite each other in the Z direction orthogonal to the X direction which is the axial direction of the cylindrical conductor portion, the welded portion includes a first welded portion and a second welded portion, the first welded portion and the second welded portion are respectively formed by the inner surfaces of the male terminal insertion port side of the first main body wall portion and the second main body wall portion, and the contact forming part is The frame portion has a first frame wall portion that overlaps with the first welded portion in the Z direction, and a second frame wall portion that overlaps with the second welded portion in the Z direction. The welded portion includes: a first welded portion disposed on the first frame wall portion and welded to the first welded portion; and a second welded portion disposed on the second frame wall portion and welded to the second welded portion. At least one of the first frame wall portion and the second frame wall portion has a pressing portion that is formed by bending outward in the Z direction and can elastically deform inward in the Z direction.

[0017] A first weld portion and a first welded portion, as well as a second weld portion and a second welded portion, can be arranged on both sides of the male terminal insertion port side of the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body in the Z direction for welding to each other. Therefore, welding operations of the weld portion and the welded portion can be performed near the male terminal insertion port on the opening side of the cylindrical conductor portion, making welding operations easier. Furthermore, since the cylindrical conductor portion and the frame portion can be welded and fixed at two opposite points in the Z direction, the assembly stability or conduction stability of the main body portion and the contact forming parts can be improved.

[0018] Furthermore, by cleverly utilizing the contact forming part, which is thinner than the main body, a pressing part formed by bending outward in the Z-direction is provided on at least one of the first frame wall and the second frame wall. Thus, through the elastic deformation of the pressing part inward in the Z-direction, the contact forming part can be assembled into the cylindrical conductor portion. Through the elastic restoring force of the pressing part outward in the Z-direction, the first welding part and the second welding part can be pressed onto the first welded part and the second welded part, respectively. Therefore, it is possible to improve the bonding strength between the welding part and the welded part with fewer components, thereby improving the conductivity stability of the female terminal.

[0019] (4) In (3) above, preferably, the connecting portion of the main body is provided on the side of the first main body wall, and the pressing portion of the contact forming part is provided on the second frame wall, but not on the first frame wall. According to this method, by providing the pressing portion on the second frame wall instead of the first frame wall, the welding portion of the first frame wall can be secured over a wide area, and it can be welded to the first welded portion of the first main body wall. That is, on the side of the first main body wall where the conductive path to the connecting portion is shorter than that of the second main body wall, the welding portion and the welded portion can be secured and joined together over a wide area. As a result, the sealing between the welding portion and the welded portion can be improved by the pressing portion, and the main body and the contact forming part can be joined over a wide area near the connecting portion, effectively improving the conductivity stability of the female terminal.

[0020] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, preferably, the contact forming part is assembled to the cylindrical conductor by being inserted from the male terminal insertion port on one end side of the cylindrical conductor towards the other end side, and the frame portion of the contact forming part has an abutting edge portion that overlaps with the end face of the male terminal insertion port side of the cylindrical conductor part, and the insertion end of the contact forming part into the cylindrical conductor part is defined by the abutting edge portion abutting against the end face. Because the contact forming part is assembled to the cylindrical conductor part by being inserted from the male terminal insertion port of the cylindrical conductor part towards the other end side, the assembly workability is good. Moreover, by making the abutting edge portion of the contact forming part overlap and abut against the end face of the male terminal insertion port side of the cylindrical conductor part, thereby defining the insertion end of the contact forming part into the cylindrical conductor part, the assembly operation can be further facilitated.

[0021] (6) In any of (1) to (5) above, preferably, the cylindrical conductor portion is rectangular cylindrical, having a pair of sidewalls and an upper wall and a lower wall connected by the pair of sidewalls, and the frame portion of the contact forming part is rectangular frame, having a pair of side portions that overlap with the pair of sidewalls of the cylindrical conductor portion, and an upper portion and a lower portion that overlap with the upper wall and the lower wall of the cylindrical conductor portion, respectively, and the cantilever beam-shaped contact spring portion is formed by partially cutting at least one of the upper portion and the lower portion of the frame portion inward.

[0022] Because the cylindrical conductor portion is formed into a rectangular cylinder and the contact forming part is formed into a rectangular frame, their rigidity can be advantageously ensured. Furthermore, because a cantilever-beam-shaped contact spring portion is formed by partially cutting inwards from at least one of the upper and lower portions of the frame portion of the contact forming part, the contact spring portion can be manufactured easily with a high yield. Moreover, by adjusting the cutting length towards the inner side of the upper or lower portion, the spring stiffness or deflection of the contact spring portion can be easily set to the desired value, resulting in excellent manufacturability.

[0023] It should be noted that, more preferably, both the upper and lower parts are partially cut inwards, forming a pair of upper and lower contact spring portions facing each other. This allows the pair of upper and lower contact spring portions to contact the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal, improving the connection stability between the male and female terminals.

[0024] (7) In (6) above, preferably, the contact forming part is inserted into the cylindrical conductor part from the male terminal insertion port on one end side of the cylindrical conductor part toward the other end side and assembled to the cylindrical conductor part. One of the pair of sidewalls of the cylindrical conductor part and one of the pair of sidewalls of the frame part have locking holes, and the other of the pair of sidewalls of the cylindrical conductor part and one of the pair of sidewalls of the frame part have locking claws that engage with the locking holes. The contact forming part is allowed to be inserted toward the other end side by elastic deformation of the locking claws. The contact forming part is kept in the assembled state toward the cylindrical conductor part by elastic recovery of the locking claws and engagement with the locking holes.

[0025] By cleverly utilizing a pair of opposing sidewalls and a pair of side portions, locking holes and locking claws are provided to hold the contact forming component in an assembled state toward the cylindrical conductor portion. This maintains the assembly stability of the contact forming component and the cylindrical conductor portion without requiring an increase in the size of the female terminal. It should be noted that the locking holes and locking claws can be engaged in a manner that prevents the contact forming component from moving toward the male terminal insertion port, or in a manner that specifies the insertion end of the contact forming component to the other end, or multiple such arrangements can be formed.

[0026] (8) In (6) or (7) above, preferably, the contact forming part has a rear opening on the other end side of the cylindrical conductor portion, the contact spring portion includes a first contact spring portion and a second contact spring portion, the upper and lower portions of the frame portion have a pair of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are held on the frame portion at one end side and protrude inward toward the other end side, forming a cantilever beam shape. Furthermore, it also includes a contact pressure spring, which is configured to clamp the protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion respectively, and has a size that allows insertion through the rear opening. As the male terminal is pressed between the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, the protruding ends of each portion are forced by the contact pressure spring in a direction toward each other, and the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are pressed against the male terminal.

[0027] By applying contact pressure to the spring, the protruding ends of the first and second contact spring portions are forced towards each other, and the first and second contact spring portions are pressed against the male terminal pressed between the first and second contact spring portions with a high pressing force. This advantageously allows for miniaturization of the female terminal, ensuring both the flexibility / followability of the contact spring portions and the contact pressure between the male and female terminals. Furthermore, because the contact pressure applying spring has a size that allows insertion into the rear opening of the contact forming part, the contact pressure applying spring can be positioned from the front side of the protruding direction relative to the protruding ends of the first and second contact spring portions, allowing insertion into the rear opening. Therefore, compared to the existing structure where assembly is only possible from the side, or orthogonal to the protruding direction of the first and second contact spring portions, the assemblability of the female terminal is improved.

[0028] (9) The terminal unit of the present invention includes a female terminal and a male terminal connected to the female terminal, wherein the female terminal is any one of the female terminals described in (1) to (8) above. In the terminal unit of the present invention, since the female terminal is configured in any one of the manner described in (1) to (8) above, a terminal unit that can achieve the same effect as that obtained in any one of (1) to (8) above can be provided.

[0029] <Details of the embodiments of the present invention> The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrates specific examples of the female terminal and terminal unit of the present invention. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims, as indicated by the claims.

[0030] <Implementation Method 1> The following uses Figures 1 to 9 The female terminal 10 and the terminal unit 14 comprising the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 connected to the female terminal 10, according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, will be described. The female terminal 10 is, for example, a terminal used to connect a power source component such as a battery to a load component such as a motor. Furthermore, by having the female terminal 10, located on one side of the power source and the load side, and the male terminal 12, located on the other side of the power source and the load side, in contact with each other and in a conductive state, power is supplied from a power source such as a battery to a load such as a motor. It should be noted that the female terminal 10 can be arranged in any orientation; hereinafter, the upper orientation will be designated as the upper one. Figure 3 Above, set below to Figure 3 Below the middle, set the front to Figure 2 On the left, set the back to Figure 2 Set the right side to the left side. Figure 2 Above the middle, set the right side as Figure 2 The following explanation is provided below. Additionally, regarding multiple identical components, sometimes only some components are labeled with reference numerals, while the reference numerals for the others are omitted.

[0031] <Female terminal 10> The female terminal 10 includes a main body 20, which has a connecting portion 16 for conductive connection with other components (such as power supply components like batteries) and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion 18. The main body 20 is a stamped product of a first metal plate (not shown). Additionally, the female terminal 10 includes a contact forming part 22, which is conductively assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 18. The contact forming part 22 is a stamped product of a second metal plate (not shown) that is thinner than the first metal plate. It should be noted that, for ease of understanding, the following... Figure 1 , 2 In sections 4 and 5, the contact forming component 22 is represented by dashed lines. Additionally, in... Figure 2 In the diagram, in addition to the contact forming part 22, the male terminal 12 and the clamping spring 124, which is described later as a spring that imparts contact pressure, are also indicated by dashed lines.

[0032] <Yang terminal 12> The male terminal 12 is a plate-shaped connector terminal. Viewed from above, the male terminal 12 is generally rectangular, having a predetermined width dimension (left-right dimension) and thickness dimension (top-bottom dimension), and extends substantially straight along the front-back direction. In Embodiment 1, the male terminal 12 has a laterally longer shape where the width dimension is larger than the thickness dimension. It should be noted that the end portion (rear end portion) of the male terminal 12 in the insertion direction towards the female terminal 10 tapers towards the rear. The male terminal 12 is conductive and is formed, for example, of a metal with low electrical resistance such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. For example, a bolt through-hole is provided at the base end portion (front end portion) of the male terminal 12, and the male terminal 12 is fixed to other components (e.g., load-side components such as motors) by a bolt (not shown). Alternatively, without a bolt through-hole, load-side wires or the like are fixed to the base end portion of the male terminal 12 by crimping or the like.

[0033] <Connecting Part 16> The connecting part 16 is generally plate-shaped, and the female terminal 10 is as follows: Figures 1 to 3 In the configuration shown, the connecting portion 16 extends generally in the front-to-back direction and, when viewed from the side (left-to-right direction), is approximately rectangular in shape, with its front-to-back dimension larger than its vertical dimension. A bolt insertion hole 24 extending through the plate thickness direction (left-to-right direction) is formed at the rear end of the connecting portion 16. For example, a bolt (not shown) inserted into the bolt insertion hole 24 can be used to fix the female terminal 10 to other components (e.g., a power supply component such as a battery). For example, the connecting portion 16 can be used to connect other components such as wire terminals (not shown) or busbars.

[0034] <Cylindrical conductor section 18> The cylindrical conductor section 18 is generally cylindrical with openings on both sides in the front-rear direction, and has a male terminal insertion port 26 opening at one end (front end) in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical conductor section 18 and a rear opening window 28 opening at the other end (rear end) in the longitudinal direction. In Embodiment 1, the cylindrical conductor section 18 is a rectangular cylinder that is generally longer laterally. Specifically, the wall of the cylindrical conductor section 18 has a lower wall 30 as a first main body wall and an upper wall 32 as a second main body wall, which are arranged opposite each other in the Z direction (vertical direction) orthogonal to the X direction (front-rear direction) which is the axial direction of the cylindrical conductor section 18, and a left side wall 34 and a right side wall 35 as a pair of side walls. In other words, the cylindrical conductor section 18 is rectangular, and the rectangular cylinder has left and right side walls 34, 35 and an upper wall 32 and a lower wall 30 connected by these left and right side walls 34, 35.

[0035] Furthermore, by making the lateral dimensions of the upper wall 32 and the lower wall 30 larger than the vertical dimensions of the left and right side walls 34 and 35, the cylindrical conductor portion 18 is formed into a generally laterally elongated rectangular cylindrical shape. Each wall portion constituting the cylindrical conductor portion 18 (lower wall 30, upper wall 32, and left and right side walls 34 and 35) is generally rectangular plate-shaped. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the aforementioned connecting portion 16 is provided on the lower wall 30 side, which serves as the first main body wall portion, and the connecting portion 16 is integrally formed with the lower wall 30, extending rearward from the lower wall 30.

[0036] <Welded Part 38> That is, the inner surfaces 36 of each wall portion (lower wall 30, upper wall 32, and left and right side walls 34, 35) of the cylindrical conductor portion 18 include a lower inner surface 36a as the inner surface of the lower wall 30, an upper inner surface 36b as the inner surface of the upper wall 32, a left inner surface 36c as the inner surface of the left side wall 34, and a right inner surface 36d as the inner surface of the right side wall 35. Furthermore, as described later, the cylindrical conductor portion 18 and the contact forming member 22 are configured such that the welding portion 80 provided on the outer surface 64 of the frame portion 52 of the contact forming member 22 overlaps with and is welded to the welding portion 38 provided on the inner surfaces 36 of each wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion 18.

[0037] In Embodiment 1, the welded portion 38 includes a first welded portion 38a and a second welded portion 38b. The first welded portion 38a and the second welded portion 38b are formed by the inner surfaces 36 (the front portions of the lower inner surface 36a and the upper inner surface 36b) on the male terminal insertion port 26 side of the lower wall 30 (which is the first main body wall) and the upper wall 32 (which is the second main body wall). It should be noted that in Embodiment 1, the overlapping portion of the welding portion 80 and the welded portion 38, as described later, is the welding area R (the lower welding area LR) that is actually welded by irradiation with a laser. Figure 4 (Diagram with double-dotted lines) and the welding area UR above (in) Figure 5 (Illustrated with double-dotted lines) It has predetermined front-to-back dimensions and left-to-right dimensions. That is, the first welded portion 38a and the second welded portion 38b are each formed in a portion of the front part of the lower inner surface 36a and the upper inner surface 36b, respectively. Specifically, the first welded portion 38a is formed in the middle portion of the front part in the front-to-back direction of the lower inner surface 36a, extending approximately the entire length in the width direction. In addition, the second welded portion 38b is formed in the middle portion of the front part in the front-to-back direction of the upper inner surface 36b, at the center portion in the width direction.

[0038] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, a fitting protrusion 40 protruding toward the right side wall 35 is provided at the middle portion of the right end of the upper wall 32 in the front-rear direction, and a fitting recess 42 opening toward the upper wall 32 is provided at the middle portion of the upper end of the right side wall 35 in the front-rear direction. Further, a pair of fastening pieces 44, 44 are provided at both ends of the upper end of the right side wall 35 in the front-rear direction. The pair of fastening pieces 44, 44 overlap and are fastened to the upper wall 32 by protruding upwards and bending to the left. Therefore, when the first metal plate is stamped or otherwise processed to form the cylindrical conductor portion 18, for example, by inserting the fitting protrusion 40 of the upper wall 32 into the fitting recess 42 of the right side wall 35, and simultaneously bending each fastening piece 44 at both ends to the left and overlapping it with the upper wall 32, accidental separation of the upper wall 32 and the right side wall 35 can be prevented during the formation of the cylindrical conductor portion 18.

[0039] Furthermore, locking holes 46 are formed in the middle portion of the left and right side walls 34 and 35 in the front-rear direction, penetrating the left and right side walls 34 and 35 in the thickness direction (left-right direction). Each locking hole 46 is approximately rectangular when viewed from the side (left-right direction), and has a predetermined front-rear dimension and a predetermined vertical dimension. Also, the end face 47 of the male terminal insertion port 26 side of the cylindrical conductor portion 18 is approximately rectangular annular when viewed from the front-rear direction, but abutting portions 48 are provided at the front ends of each left and right side wall 34 and 35, protruding forward from the front ends of the lower wall 30 and the upper wall 32. Thus, when the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are connected, each abutting portion 48 abuts against the housing (not shown) that holds the male terminal 12.

[0040] <Main Body Section 20> Although the illustration is omitted, in the state before the stamping process of the first metal plate, for example, each wall portion constituting the main body 20 (lower wall 30, upper wall 32, left and right side walls 34, 35, and connecting portion 16) extends in a planar shape. Furthermore, bending portions 50 are provided between the upper wall 32 and the left side wall 34, the left side wall 34 and the lower wall 30, and the lower wall 30 and the right side wall 35. By bending each bending portion 50, the upper wall 32 and the right side wall 35 are fitted together as described above and fastened, thereby forming a cylindrical conductor portion 18 in the front portion of the main body 20. The material of the metal constituting the main body 20 is not limited; a metal with excellent conductivity can be used, such as pure copper.

[0041] <Contact Forming Component 22> The contact forming part 22 has a frame portion 52, which is assembled to the inner surface 36 of the wall portion (lower wall 30, upper wall 32, and left and right side walls 34, 35) of the cylindrical conductor portion 18. In addition, the contact forming part 22 has a contact spring portion 54, which is held in the frame portion 52, protrudes toward the inside of the frame portion 52, and is pressed against the male terminal 12 inserted from the male terminal insertion port 26.

[0042] <Frame section 52> Figure 9 This refers to the contact forming part 22 in its individual state before being assembled into the cylindrical conductor section 18. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the frame portion 52 of the contact forming part 22 is generally rectangular. Specifically, the frame portion 52 has a left side portion 56 and a right side portion 58 that overlap with the left and right side walls 34 and 35 of the cylindrical conductor portion 18, respectively; an upper portion 60 that overlaps with the upper wall 32; and a lower portion 62 that overlaps with the lower wall 30. Therefore, the outer surface 64 of the frame portion 52 includes a lower outer surface 64a (outer surface of the lower portion 62), an upper outer surface 64b (outer surface of the upper portion 60), a left outer surface 64c (outer surface of the left side portion 56), and a right outer surface 64d (outer surface of the right side portion 58). Furthermore, the left side portion 56 and the right side portion 58 are connected by the upper portion 60 and the lower portion 62, respectively. Thus, the frame portion 52 has openings on both sides in the front-rear direction, with a front opening portion 66 and a rear opening portion 68.

[0043] In the middle of the front-rear direction of the upper part 60 and the lower part 62, a generally rectangular through-window 70 extending through the thickness direction (vertical direction) is formed. Each through-window 70 extends the entire length of the upper part 60 and the lower part 62 in the left-right direction. Thus, the upper part 60 and the lower part 62 are cut off on the front and rear sides by each through-window 70. The upper part 60 and the lower part 62 are respectively composed of a front connecting part 72 connecting the left and right side parts 56 and 58 in the front and a rear connecting part 74 connecting the left and right side parts 56 and 58 in the rear. In other words, the left side part 56 and the right side part 58 are connected in the front by the front connecting parts 72 of the upper part 60 and the lower part 62, and are connected in the rear by the rear connecting parts 74 of the upper part 60 and the lower part 62.

[0044] In Embodiment 1, in the frame portion 52, the first frame wall portion 76 that overlaps with the aforementioned first welded portion 38a in the Z direction (vertical direction) is formed by the front connecting portion 72 of the lower portion 62, and the second frame wall portion 78 that overlaps with the aforementioned second welded portion 38b in the Z direction (vertical direction) is formed by the front connecting portion 72 of the upper portion 60.

[0045] <Welding Section 80> Here, a welding portion 80 is provided on the outer surface 64 of the frame portion 52. The welding portion 80 overlaps with and is welded to the aforementioned welded portion 38 of the cylindrical conductor portion 18. In Embodiment 1, the welding portion 80 includes: a first welding portion 80a, provided on the first frame wall portion 76 and welded to the first welded portion 38a; and a second welding portion 80b, provided on the second frame wall portion 78 and welded to the second welded portion 38b. That is, the front portion of the lower outer surface 64a constituting the outer surface of the first frame wall portion 76 and a portion of the front portion of the upper outer surface 64b constituting the outer surface of the second frame wall portion 78 respectively constitute the first welding portion 80a and the second welding portion 80b. Specifically, the first welding portion 80a is formed in the middle portion of the front portion of the lower outer surface 64a in the front-rear direction, and extends approximately the entire length in the width direction. In addition, the second welded portion 80b is formed in the middle part of the front portion in the front direction of the upper outer surface 64b and in the middle part in the width direction.

[0046] It should be noted that the welding method of each welding part 80 (first and second welding parts 80a, 80b) and each welded part 38 (first and second welded parts 38a, 38b) is not limited, but in Embodiment 1, welding is performed by laser welding.

[0047] <Pressing section 82> The female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1 has a pressing portion 82 for pressing the welding portion 80 to the welding portion 38. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the pressing portion 82 is provided at the front connecting portion 72 of the upper portion 60 constituting the second frame wall portion 78. In addition, the pressing portion 82 is not provided at the front connecting portion 72 constituting the lower portion 62 of the first frame wall portion 76.

[0048] Specifically, a pair of slits 84, 84 separated from each other in the left-right direction are provided in the central portion of the second frame wall 78. Each slit 84 extends rearward from the front end of the second frame wall 78, covering the entire front-rear length of the second frame wall 78, and the extended end of each slit 84 reaches the contact spring portion 54 located at the rear of the second frame wall 78. Between these slits 84 in the left-right direction is a pressing portion 82, which can elastically deform in the thickness direction (vertical direction). Figure 9 In the pre-assembly standalone state shown, the pressing part 82, compared to other parts of the second frame wall 78 (the parts further outward in the left-right direction than each slit 84), bends or tilts in a direction that becomes outward (upward) as it faces forward. It should be noted that in... Figure 6 In the middle, the pressing part 82 before elastic deformation is represented by a double-dotted line.

[0049] By inserting the contact forming member 22, which has such a pressing part 82 on the second frame wall portion 78, into the cylindrical conductor portion 18, the inner surfaces 36 of each wall portion 30, 32, 34, 35 of the cylindrical conductor portion 18 overlap with the outer surface 64 of the frame portion 52 of the contact forming member 22, thereby causing the pressing part 82 to elastically deform inward (downward) due to the front portion of the upper wall 32. As a result, the outer surface 64 of the second frame wall portion 78 (the front portion of the upper outer surface 64b) abuts against the front portion of the inner surface 36 (the upper inner surface 36b) of the upper wall 32, covering approximately the entire surface. Furthermore, as the pressing part 82 elastically deforms downward, an upward elastic restoring force (acting force) is generated in the pressing part 82, pressing the pressing part 82 against the front portion of the upper inner surface 36b. This allows for more reliable contact between the pressing part 82 and the upper inner surface 36b.

[0050] In particular, by bringing the first frame wall portion 76 into contact with the inner surface 36 (lower inner surface 36a) of the lower wall 30, and simultaneously inserting the contact forming part 22 into the cylindrical conductor portion 18, the pressing part 82 can be brought into contact with the upper inner surface 36b even when there is a gap between, for example, the second frame wall portion 78 and the front portion of the upper inner surface 36b. As a result, the outer surfaces 64 (the front portions of the lower outer surface 64a and the upper outer surface 64b) of the first and second frame wall portions 76 and 78 can be stably contacted on both sides in the vertical direction with the front portions of the inner surfaces 36 (lower inner surface 36a and upper inner surface 36b) of the lower wall 30 and the upper wall 32, respectively.

[0051] Furthermore, the aforementioned first welding portion 80a is provided for the first frame wall portion 76 that can contact the lower inner surface 36a, and the aforementioned second welding portion 80b is provided for the pressing portion 82 of the second frame wall portion 78 that can contact the upper inner surface 36b. Figure 5 As shown, the second welding portion 80b is formed throughout the entire width direction in the middle portion of the pressing portion 82 in the front-back direction.

[0052] <Edge Section 85> In Embodiment 1, the contact forming part 22 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 18 by being inserted from the male terminal insertion port 26 at one end of the cylindrical conductor portion 18 toward the rear opening window 28 at the other end. The contact forming part 22 has an abutment edge 85 that overlaps with the end face 47 of the male terminal insertion port 26 side of the cylindrical conductor portion 18. This abutment edge 85 is formed along the entire length of the front connecting portion 72 (first frame wall portion 76) of the lower portion 62 in the left-right direction, and is formed at both ends of the front connecting portion 72 (second frame wall portion 78) of the upper portion 60 in the left-right direction (the portion further outward in the left-right direction than each slit 84). Each abutment edge 85 is formed by extending outward in the up-down direction from the front ends of the first and second frame wall portions 76 and 78. Furthermore, when the contact forming part 22 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor part 18, the contact forming part 22 is directed to the insertion end of the cylindrical conductor part 18 by the vertical direction abutting the end face 47 on the male terminal insertion port 26 side of the cylindrical conductor part 18 through the abutting edge 85.

[0053] <Lock Claw 88> Furthermore, on the front portion of the left and right sides 56, 58 of the contact forming part 22, a generally rectangular through hole 86 extending through each side 56, 58 in the thickness direction is formed, and a locking claw 88 protruding forward is provided on the rear portion of the inner circumferential surface of each through hole 86. A space (gap) is provided around each locking claw 88 on three sides (both sides in the vertical direction and the front), allowing each locking claw 88 to elastically deform in the lateral direction. Figure 9 As shown, in the assembled state of the contact forming part 22, each locking claw 88 protrudes outward in a direction that gradually tilts to the left and right as it becomes forward.

[0054] <Contact Spring Section 54> In Embodiment 1, the contact spring portion 54 includes a first contact spring portion 96 protruding from the lower portion (lower portion 62) of the frame portion 52 toward the inside of the frame portion 52, and a second contact spring portion 98 protruding from the upper portion (upper portion 60) of the frame portion 52 toward the inside of the frame portion 52. Specifically, in each of the lower portion 62 and the upper portion 60, the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 extend rearward in a cantilever beam shape from the rear end of each front connecting portion 72 (first frame wall portion 76 and second frame wall portion 78) that penetrates the interior of each window portion 70. That is, the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 are held at the front connecting portion 72 of the frame portion 52 as one end side, and protrude inward toward the rear side as the other end side in a cantilever beam shape. Therefore, a space (gap) is provided on the three sides (both sides and the rear in the left and right directions) around the first contact spring 96 and the second contact spring 98, and the first contact spring 96 and the second contact spring 98 can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction with the connection part of the front end to each front connection part 72 as the base point.

[0055] like Figure 6 As shown, in the assembled state of the contact forming component 22, the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 are inclined towards each other (inward in the vertical direction) as they are positioned rearward. Thus, these first contact spring portions 96 and second contact spring portions 98 are provided in a pair, facing each other in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the first contact spring portion 96 has a first contact 100 with the male terminal 12 on its opposing surface (upper surface) to the second contact spring portion 98, and the second contact spring portion 98 has a second contact 102 with the male terminal 12 on its opposing surface (lower surface) to the first contact spring portion 96.

[0056] In Embodiment 1, before the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, the protruding ends 104, 104 of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98 are relatively close, and the first contact 100 and the second contact 102 abut against each other or are slightly separated and opposed in the vertical direction. In particular, in Embodiment 1, a chamfered curved surface 106 is formed on the outer surface of each protruding end 104 in the vertical direction, which gradually slopes inward in the upward direction as it becomes rearward. As will be described later, the clamping spring 124 can be easily assembled to each protruding end 104 of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98.

[0057] Furthermore, each protruding tip portion of the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 is provided with a bent portion 108, and the aforementioned first contact 100 and second contact 102 are provided at the locations where the bent portions 108 are formed. These first contacts 100 and second contacts 102 are... Figure 3 , Figure 6The longitudinal section shown is formed in a curved arc shape. The central portion of the first and second contact spring portions 96 and 98 in the left-right direction has a predetermined left-right dimension, and the first and second contact spring portions 96 and 98 are arranged across both sides in the front-back direction, separated by the bend 108. When viewed from above (in the vertical projection), the first and second contacts 100 and 102 are elongated ovals, with the front-back dimension in the insertion direction of the male terminal 12 being larger than its left-right dimension. Therefore, even if the male terminal 12 inserted into the female terminal 10 swings and shifts in the vertical direction, the contact area between the first and second contacts 100 and 102 and the male terminal 12 can be stably ensured. In Embodiment 1, the first and second contacts 100 and 102 are formed by stamping the first and second contact spring portions 96 and 98, respectively. On the opposite side (outside the vertical direction) of the first and second contact spring portions 96 and 98, a recess 110 is formed at a position corresponding to the first and second contacts 100 and 102.

[0058] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, first contact spring portions 96 and 96 are respectively provided at multiple (two) locations on the front connecting portion 72 (first frame wall portion 76) of the lower portion 62, which are separated from each other in the width direction (left-right direction) of the male terminal 12. Similarly, second contact spring portions 98 and 98 are respectively provided at multiple (two) locations on the front connecting portion 72 (second frame wall portion 78) of the upper portion 60, which are separated from each other in the width direction of the male terminal 12. That is, by providing slits 112 and 114 extending approximately the entire length in the front-back direction at the center of the approximately rectangular portion extending rearward from each front connecting portion 72 in the left-right direction, a pair of first contact spring portions 96 and 96 are provided separately in the left-right direction, and a pair of second contact spring portions 98 and 98 are also provided separately in the left-right direction.

[0059] It should be noted that, in Embodiment 1, the slit 112 constituting the lower side of the pair of first contact spring portions 96, 96 is formed with a length dimension (front-rear direction dimension) slightly longer than that of each first contact spring portion 96, and the front end of the slit 112 only reaches the front connecting portion 72 (first frame wall portion 76) of the lower portion 62. Furthermore, the slit 114 constituting the upper side of the pair of second contact spring portions 98, 98 is formed with a length dimension (front-rear direction dimension) approximately equal to that of each second contact spring portion 98, and the front end of the slit 114 does not reach the front connecting portion 72 (second frame wall portion 78, particularly the pressing portion 82) of the upper portion 60.

[0060] Therefore, compared to the case where the lower slit 112 is provided across approximately the entire length of the first frame wall 76 in the front-rear direction, the area of ​​the first frame wall 76 that can be used as the first welding part 80a can be ensured, for example, that the first welding part 80a and the first welded part 38a can be stably welded even if the laser irradiation position is shifted to the rearward direction to some extent. Similarly, by ensuring that the upper slit 114 does not reach the pressing part 82, the area of ​​the pressing part 82 that can be used as the second welding part 80b can be ensured, for example, that the second welding part 80b and the second welded part 38b can be stably welded even if the laser irradiation position is shifted to the rearward direction to some extent. Furthermore, since the lengths of the first and second contact spring sections 96 and 98 can be changed according to the lengths of the slits 112 and 114, the spring characteristics of the first and second contact spring sections 96 and 98 can be set to the desired manner by adjusting the lengths of the slits 112 and 114.

[0061] Furthermore, engaging protrusions 116 are provided on each of the first and second contact spring portions 96 and 98, protruding outward in the vertical direction toward each clamping plate portion 128 of the clamping spring 124 described later. In Embodiment 1, engaging protrusions 116 are provided on each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98, for a total of four engaging protrusions 116 provided on the contact forming part 22. Each engaging protrusion 116 is formed with a predetermined protrusion size on the left and right outer sides of the two side edges of each of the first and second contact spring portions 96 and 98, that is, the rear ends (protruding ends 104) of each of the first and second contact spring portions 96 and 98. These engaging protrusions 116 are generally rectangular when viewed from the side (left and right direction).

[0062] Furthermore, the contact forming part 22 with the above-described structure is formed by stamping or other processes on a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate, as described above. The material of the metal constituting the second metal plate is not limited; a conductive and elastic metal can be used, such as a copper alloy. In Embodiment 1, as... Figure 9 As shown, the left side portion 56 has portions that mate with each other when the second metal plate is bent to form the contact forming part 22. Specifically, a first left side portion 118a extending upward is provided at the left end of the front connecting portion 72 and the rear connecting portion 74 of the lower portion 62, and a second left side portion 118b extending downward is provided at the left end of the front connecting portion 72 and the rear connecting portion 74 of the upper portion 60. The left side portion 56 is formed by these first left side portions 118a and second left side portions 118b mate with each other in the vertical direction.

[0063] In particular, in Embodiment 1, an upwardly protruding engaging protrusion 120 is provided at the upper end of the first left side portion 118a, and a downwardly opening engaging recess 122 is provided at the lower end of the second left side portion 118b. Therefore, when forming the contact forming member 22, for example, by striking the engaging protrusion 120 from the outside to make it engage with the engaging recess 122 to form the left side portion 56, accidental separation of the first left side portion 118a and the second left side portion 118b can be prevented.

[0064] It should be noted that, although the illustrations are omitted, in the state before the stamping process of the second metal plate, for example, each wall portion (left side 56, right side 58, upper part 60, and lower part 62) constituting the contact forming part 22 is extended in a planar shape. In Embodiment 1, each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98 are formed by partially cutting off the wall portion constituting the lower part 62 and the upper part 60, respectively. That is, in the second metal plate before the stamping process, each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98 is cut off, for example, from the wall portion constituting the lower part 62 and the upper part 60 in the thickness direction, and when the second metal plate is bent to form the contact forming part 22, each first and second contact spring portion 96, 98 protrudes into the inside of the frame portion 52.

[0065] Similarly, each locking claw 88 is formed by partially cutting away the wall portion constituting the left side portion 56 (first left side portion 118a and second left side portion 118b) and the right side portion 58. That is, in the second metal plate before stamping, each locking claw 88 is cut away from the wall portion constituting the left side portion 56 and the right side portion 58 in the thickness direction, and protrudes outward in the left and right direction in the contact forming part 22 when it is formed. It should be noted that each first contact spring portion 96 or each second contact spring portion 98 and each locking claw 88 can also be bent in a way that protrudes inward or outward in the left and right direction after the contact forming part 22 is formed into a generally cylindrical shape.

[0066] <Contact pressure imparted to the spring (clamping spring 124)> The female terminal 10 has a clamping spring 124 that acts as a contact pressure spring, configured to clamp the protruding ends 104 of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98. Furthermore, by pressing the female terminal 10 into the male terminal 12, the protruding ends 104 of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98 are forced together by the clamping spring 124 in a direction that brings them closer to each other. In Embodiment 1, the clamping spring 124 is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical conductor portion 18 through the male terminal insertion port 26, and in the front view (viewed from the front-rear direction), the clamping spring 124 is sized to allow insertion through the male terminal insertion port 26. Additionally, the clamping spring 124 is inserted into the contact forming member 22 from the rear and is disposed inside the contact forming member 22, so in the front view (viewed from the front-rear direction), it is sized to allow insertion through the rear opening 68 of the contact forming member 22.

[0067] Specifically, as well as Figure 8 As shown, the clamping spring 124 has a rectangular flat connecting plate portion 126 and a pair of rectangular flat clamping plate portions 128, 128 protruding from the two side edges (upper and lower side edges) of the connecting plate portion 126 in a direction of approaching each other (inner side in the vertical direction). In Embodiment 1, multiple (two) clamping plate portions 128, 128 are respectively provided on the upper and lower sides of the connecting plate portion 126. The multiple clamping plate portions 128, 128 are separated from each other by slits 127 extending in the front-back direction, which are respectively provided at the center of the left-right direction in the width direction of the male terminal 12. A total of four clamping plate portions 128 are provided in the clamping spring 124. That is, another pair of clamping plate portions 128, 128, which are opposed in the vertical direction, are provided at a position separated in the left-right direction by each slit 127. Each of these clamping plate portions 128 can elastically deform in the vertical direction with the connection portion with the connecting plate portion 126 as the base point.

[0068] It should be noted that the lateral dimension of each clamping plate portion 128 is larger than the lateral dimension of each recess 110 provided on the outer side of each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, a bent portion 130 is provided in the middle of the length direction of each clamping plate portion 128. Therefore, as... Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, and the bent portion 130 of each clamping plate portion 128 abuts against the formation position of each recess 110 of each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98, the left and right end portions of each clamping plate portion 128 abut against the portion that is further outward in the left and right direction than the recess 110 of each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98.

[0069] Furthermore, because a bent portion 130 is provided in the middle of the length direction of each clamping plate portion 128, the protruding top portion of each clamping plate portion 128 extends from the bent portion 130 in a direction separating from each other. Therefore, the opposing distance between the clamping plate portions 128 in the vertical direction is minimized at the bent portion 130 provided in the middle of the length direction. The gap between these bent portions 130 is the insertion port 132 for inserting the protruding ends 104 of the first and second contact spring portions 96 and 98 into the assembly.

[0070] The opening size (vertical dimension) of each insertion port 132 of each clamping plate portion 128 of the clamping spring 124 before elastic deformation can be equal to, or slightly larger than, the female terminal 10 (vertical dimension) between the outer surfaces of the protruding ends 104 of each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98. Such a clamping spring 124 is inserted into the interior of the contact forming member 22 from the rear opening 68, and each clamping plate portion 128 is assembled in such a way that it clamps the protruding ends 104 of each first and second contact spring portion 96, 98. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, a notch-shaped engaging portion 134 is formed in the middle portion of each clamping plate portion 128 in the front-rear direction, opening outwards in the left-right direction and penetrating through the thickness direction of each clamping plate portion 128. Each engaging portion 134 can engage with each engaging protrusion 116 of the contact forming member 22.

[0071] When the aforementioned clamping spring 124 is assembled to the contact forming part 22, the clamping spring 124 is inserted from the rear opening 68 of the contact forming part 22. The protruding ends 104 of each first contact spring part 96 and each second contact spring part 98 will not abut against each bent portion 130 located at the innermost side in the vertical direction in each clamping plate part 128, or the protruding ends 104 of each first contact spring part 96 and each second contact spring part 98 will push each bent portion 130 outward in the vertical direction, while the protruding ends 104 of each first contact spring part 96 and each second contact spring part 98 will be inserted into each insertion port 132.

[0072] Furthermore, by bringing the clamping spring 124 closer to the first and second contact spring portions 96 and 98 from the rear, the engaging protrusions 116 on each of the first and second contact spring portions 96 and 98 abut against the left and right ends of the front end of each clamping plate portion 128. Moreover, by moving the clamping spring 124 forward relative to the contact forming member 22, each clamping plate portion 128 elastically deforms inward in the left-right direction due to the engaging protrusions 116, allowing further forward movement of the clamping spring 124. During this forward movement, the engaging protrusions 116 enter the engaged portions 134, causing each clamping plate portion 128 to elastically recover its deformation, and the clamping spring 124 is assembled to the contact forming member 22 in a position positioned in the front-rear direction. Therefore, as... Figure 2 , Figure 7 As shown, the insertion end position of the clamping spring 124 into the inner side of the contact forming part 22 is determined by the engagement protrusion 116 provided in each of the first and second contact spring parts 96 and 98 entering each of the engaged parts 134 provided in each of the clamping plates 128, and the engagement protrusion 116 abuts against the inner surface behind each engaged part 134.

[0073] Assembly of female terminal 10 The following describes a specific example of a method for assembling the female terminal 10. It should be noted that the method for assembling the female terminal 10 is not limited to the method described below.

[0074] First, a first metal plate constituting the main body 20 is prepared. Each bent portion 50 is bent, the fitting protrusion 40 is inserted into the fitting recess 42, and each fastening piece 44 is bent and fastened. Thus, the main body 20 having a cylindrical conductor portion 18 and a connecting portion 16 is formed. Next, a second metal plate constituting the contact forming part 22 is prepared and bent into… Figure 9 The shape shown is such that the engaging protrusion 120 of the first left side portion 118a is inserted into the engaging recess 122 of the second left side portion 118b. Thus, a contact forming part 22 having a frame portion 52 and contact spring portions 54 (each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98) is formed.

[0075] Then, as Figure 8 As shown, the contact forming part 22 and the clamping spring 124 are arranged opposite each other in the front-rear direction, and the clamping spring 124 is assembled into the interior of the contact forming part 22 through the rear opening 68 of the contact forming part 22. The assembly method of the clamping spring 124 relative to the contact forming part 22 is as described above. The assembly of these contact forming parts 22 and clamping spring 124 is arranged opposite to the male terminal insertion port 26 of the cylindrical conductor part 18 in the front-rear direction, and the assembly is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical conductor part 18 from the male terminal insertion port 26 toward the rear opening window 28. As a result, the pressing part 82 of the contact forming part 22 abuts against the front end of the inner surface 36 (upper inner surface 36b) of the upper wall 32, thereby elastically deforming the pressing part 82 downward. Furthermore, each locking claw 88 of the contact forming part 22 abuts against the front end of the inner surface 36 (left inner surface 36c and right inner surface 36d) of the left and right side walls 34 and 35, thereby causing each locking claw 88 to elastically deform inward in the left and right direction. This allows for further insertion of the assembly into the cylindrical conductor portion 18, while the pressing part 82 abuts against the upper inner surface 36b and each locking claw 88 abuts against the left and right inner surfaces 36c and 36d, thus allowing the assembly to be inserted and assembled into the cylindrical conductor portion 18.

[0076] The insertion end of the assembly into the cylindrical conductor section 18 is defined by the abutting edges 85 protruding outwards and upwards from the first and second frame wall portions 76 and 78 abutting against the end face 47 on the male terminal insertion port 26 side of the cylindrical conductor section 18. Furthermore, when the assembly is inserted into the insertion end relative to the cylindrical conductor section 18, the locking claws 88 of the contact forming member 22 enter the locking holes 46 of the cylindrical conductor section 18, and the locking claws 88 elastically recover their deformation. Furthermore, by the elastically recovered locking claws 88 engaging with the locking holes 46, and these locking claws 88 abutting against the front inner surface of the locking holes 46, the assembly is prevented from shifting in the direction of being pulled out of the cylindrical conductor section 18 (front), and the contact forming member 22 remains in the assembled state towards the cylindrical conductor section 18.

[0077] Furthermore, when the aforementioned assembly is inserted into the insertion end relative to the cylindrical conductor portion 18, the outer surface 64 (front portion of the lower outer surface 64a) of the first frame wall portion 76 overlaps with the front portion of the inner surface 36 (lower inner surface 36a) of the lower wall 30, and the outer surface 64 (front portion of the upper outer surface 64b) of the second frame wall portion 78, particularly the outer surface of the pressing portion 82, overlaps with the front portion of the inner surface 36 (upper inner surface 36b) of the upper wall 32. These overlapping surfaces are then welded and fixed by laser welding. That is, the first welding portion 80a provided on the first frame wall portion 76 and the first welded portion 38a provided on the front portion of the lower wall 30 are welded together to form the lower welding area LR. Additionally, the second welding portion 80b provided on the second frame wall portion 78 and the second welded portion 38b provided on the front portion of the upper wall 32 are welded together to form the upper welding area UR. Therefore, with the assembly inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion 18, it is welded and fixed, thus completing the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1. It should be noted that the welding sequence of the lower welding area LR and the upper welding area UR is not limited.

[0078] Assembly of Terminal Unit 14 Hereinafter, a specific example of a method for inserting the male terminal 12 into the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1 and assembling the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 in a connected state will be described.

[0079] First, the female terminal 10 and male terminal 12, assembled as described above, are positioned opposite each other in the front-to-back direction. Then, the male terminal 12 is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical conductor portion 18 through the male terminal insertion port 26, and pressed between the opposing surfaces of the first contact 100 and the second contact 102 of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and the second contact spring portions 98. Thus, as... Figure 3As shown, each first contact 100 of each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact 102 of each second contact spring portion 98 abuts against the lower surface and upper surface of the male terminal 12, respectively, and each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98 are pushed apart in the direction of mutual separation.

[0080] Furthermore, the bent portions 108 of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98, which are pushed outward in the upward and downward direction, abut against the bent portions 130 of the clamping spring 124 from the inward in the upward and downward direction, and each clamping plate portion 128 elastically deforms outward in the upward and downward direction. Through the elastic restoring force of these clamping plate portions 128, each clamping plate portion 128 clamps the protruding ends 104 of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98, and each protruding end 104 of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98 is forced in a direction that brings them closer to each other. As a result, each of the first contacts 100 and each of the second contacts 102 presses against the lower and upper surfaces of the male terminal 12 that is pressed between the opposing surfaces of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98. As a result, the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10 are electrically conductive, and the terminal unit 14 completes the connection between the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12.

[0081] That is, the vertical distance A between the bent portions 108 of each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98 pressed against the male terminal 12 from both the top and bottom after insertion (refer to...). Figure 3 The vertical dimension B of each bend 108 before the insertion of the male terminal 12 is greater than the vertical dimension B (refer to...). Figure 6 As a result, with the insertion of the male terminal 12, not only the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98, but also the clamping plate portion 128 of the clamping spring 124 are pushed outward in the upward and downward direction. Through the elastic restoring force of the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98, and through the elastic restoring force of the clamping plate portion 128, the first contact 100 and the second contact 102 are pressed against the lower and upper surfaces of the male terminal 12.

[0082] In particular, in Embodiment 1, a pair of first contact spring portions 96, 96 and a pair of second contact spring portions 98, 98, separated from each other in the left-right direction are provided, and a pair of clamping plate portions 128, 128, separated from each other in the left-right direction are respectively provided on the upper and lower sides of the clamping spring 124. Thus, the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 are clamped by the clamping plate portions 128, 128 on the upper and lower sides in the left-right direction, respectively, pressing the first contact 100 and the second contact 102 onto the male terminal 12.

[0083] According to Embodiment 1, the female terminal 10 is configured such that a contact forming member 22 having each first contact 100 and each second contact 102 is separated from a main body 20 having a cylindrical conductor portion 18, and the contact forming member 22 is assembled into the cylindrical conductor portion 18. Therefore, compared to the conventional structure where a metal plate is bent to form the contacts, the contact forming member 22 can be formed from a second metal plate with a relatively small plate thickness, thus achieving miniaturization of the female terminal 10. Furthermore, since the main body 20 having the cylindrical conductor portion 18 is formed by bending a first metal plate with a relatively large plate thickness, it can also handle high currents, achieving both increased conductivity and avoiding large terminal sizes.

[0084] In particular, the contact forming part 22 includes a frame portion 52 and contact spring portions 54 (each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98), with each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98 protruding inward from the frame portion 52. Therefore, when assembling the contact forming part 22 to the cylindrical conductor portion 18, the possibility of accidental contact between the contact forming part 22 and each first contact spring portion 96 or each second contact spring portion 98 can be reduced, and the undesirable situation of deformation of each first contact spring portion 96 or each second contact spring portion 98 during the assembly of the contact forming part 22 and the cylindrical conductor portion 18 can be avoided.

[0085] Furthermore, the cylindrical conductor portion 18 and the contact forming member 22 are fixed by welding together each of the welding portions 80 (first welding portion 80a and second welding portion 80b) provided on the contact forming member 22 and each of the welded portions 38 (first welded portion 38a and second welded portion 38b) provided on the cylindrical conductor portion 18. These welding portions 80 are provided on the outer surface 64 of the frame portion 52 of the contact forming member 22, and each welded portion 38 is provided on the inner surface 36 of each wall portion 30, 32, 34, 35 of the cylindrical conductor portion 18. Therefore, sufficient area is ensured in each welding portion 80 and each welded portion 38, thereby improving the fixing strength and thus the conduction stability.

[0086] The female terminal 10 has a pressing part 82 that presses the welding part 80 against the welded part 38. In Embodiment 1, the pressing part 82 is formed in the central portion of the second frame wall 78 where the second welding part 80b is located in the left-right direction. With this pressing part 82, the second welding part 80b can make more reliable contact with the second welded part 38b, and these welding operations can be performed stably.

[0087] The welding portion 80 is configured to include a first welding portion 80a and a second welding portion 80b, and the welded portion 38 is configured to include a first welded portion 38a and a second welded portion 38b. The first welding portion 80a and the first welded portion 38a are positioned downwards in one direction (vertical direction) of the Z-direction, and the second welding portion 80b and the second welded portion 38b are positioned upwards in the other direction (vertical direction) of the Z-direction. This allows the cylindrical conductor portion 18 and the contact forming part 22 to be welded on both sides in the vertical direction, thereby further improving the fixing strength and conductivity stability.

[0088] Furthermore, a pressing portion 82 is provided on the second frame wall portion 78 of the contact forming part 22. The pressing portion 82 is formed by bending a portion of the second frame wall portion 78 outward (upward) in the Z direction. Because the contact forming part 22 is formed from a thin-walled second metal plate, elastic deformation of the pressing portion 82 is easy to occur, and the effect of pressing the second welding portion 80b against the second welded portion 38b by the pressing portion 82 can be stably achieved.

[0089] The connecting portion 16 of the main body 20 is provided on the lower wall 30 side, which serves as the first main body wall, and the pressing portion 82 is provided on the second frame wall 78, but not on the first frame wall 76. That is, in order to provide the pressing portion 82 as in Embodiment 1, slits 84 are required on both the left and right sides of the pressing portion 82. However, since such slits 84 are not provided on the first frame wall 76, the first welding portion 80a provided on the first frame wall 76 can be provided across approximately the entire length of the width direction (left-right direction) of the first frame wall 76. Furthermore, a connecting portion 16 that is conductively connected to other components (e.g., power supply components such as batteries) is provided on the side of the first frame wall 76, where the welding area is large, in general, on the lower wall 30 side. Therefore, the conductive path from the portion welded to the connection portion 16 over a wide area of ​​the cylindrical conductor portion 18 and the contact forming part 22 (the lower welding area LR) can be shortened, thereby improving the conductivity of other components and the female terminal 10, and further improving the conductivity of the components on the power supply side and the components on the load side.

[0090] The frame portion 52 of the contact forming member 22 has an abutment edge 85 that overlaps with the end face 47 on the male terminal insertion port 26 side of the cylindrical conductor portion 18. The insertion end of the contact forming member 22 into the cylindrical conductor portion 18 is defined by the abutment edge 85 abutting against the end face 47. In Embodiment 1, the first and second frame wall portions 76 and 78 of the frame portion 52 are provided with abutment edges 85 that protrude outward in the upward and downward direction. With this simple structure, the rearward displacement of the contact forming member 22 relative to the cylindrical conductor portion 18 can be restricted.

[0091] The cylindrical conductor portion 18 is a rectangular cylinder with left and right sidewalls 34 and 35, an upper wall 32, and a lower wall 30, and the frame portion 52 of the contact forming part 22 is a rectangular frame with left and right side portions 56 and 58, an upper portion 60, and a lower portion 62. Thus, both the cylindrical conductor portion 18 and the contact forming part 22 have rectangular shapes, which helps to suppress displacement (wobbling, etc.) of the contact forming part 22 within the cylindrical conductor portion 18. Furthermore, since each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98 of the contact forming part 22 is formed by partially cutting away the lower portion 62 and the upper portion 60, no other components separate from the frame portion are used when forming the first and second contact spring portions, allowing the contact forming part 22 to be formed with a good yield.

[0092] The left and right sidewalls 34 and 35 of the cylindrical conductor portion 18 each have locking holes 46, and the left and right side portions 56 and 58 of the contact forming part 22 each have locking claws 88. When the contact forming part 22 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 18, each locking claw 88 engages with each locking hole 46. That is, the contact forming part 22 is restricted from shifting in the insertion direction relative to the cylindrical conductor portion 18 by the contact between the abutting edge portion 85 and the end face 47, and the contact forming part 22 is restricted from shifting in the opposite direction relative to the cylindrical conductor portion 18 by the engagement of each locking claw 88 and each locking hole 46. As a result, the contact forming part 22 and the cylindrical conductor portion 18 can be positioned in the front-rear direction. Consequently, the first welding portion 80a and the first welded portion 38a, and the second welding portion 80b and the second welded portion 38b can be stably overlapped, and welding on these overlapping surfaces can be performed more reliably.

[0093] The female terminal 10 has a spring clip 124 that acts as a contact pressure spring, configured to clamp the protruding ends 104 of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98. In Embodiment 1, after the spring clip 124 is assembled to the contact forming member 22, the assembly is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion 18 from the front through the male terminal insertion port 26. That is, compared to the conventional structure where the spring clip is assembled from the side with an enlarged opening, in the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1, the spring clip 124 is not enlarged, and it can be integrally assembled with the contact forming member 22 to the cylindrical conductor portion 18, thus improving the workability when assembling the spring clip 124.

[0094] In Embodiment 1, a clamping spring 124 is used as a contact pressure imparting spring that applies contact pressure to each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98 when the male terminal 12 is inserted. Thus, by inserting the protruding ends 104 of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98 into the insertion port 132 of the clamping spring 124, the clamping spring 124 can be assembled to each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98. Specifically, in Embodiment 1, a pair of first contact spring portions 96, 96 are separated from each other in the left-right direction by a slit 112, and a pair of second contact spring portions 98, 98 are separated from each other in the left-right direction by a slit 114. Furthermore, in the clamping spring 124, on each of the upper and lower sides of the connecting plate portion 126, two clamping plate portions 128 are separated from each other in the left-right direction by slits 127. Therefore, on both the left and right sides, the upper and lower clamping plates 128 can respectively apply contact pressure to the first contact spring 96 and the second contact spring 98. As a result, even if the male terminal 12 is rotated and displaced about a central axis extending in the front-rear direction after being inserted into the female terminal 10, it is possible to avoid adverse situations such as insufficient application of contact pressure on either the left or right side.

[0095] <Variation Example> The above description, as a specific example of the present invention, details Embodiment 1. The present invention is not limited to this specific description. Modifications and improvements within the scope of achieving the objectives of the present invention are included in the present invention. For example, the following modifications of the embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0096] (1) In the embodiment described above, the male terminal 12 is a flat-protruding terminal, and the cylindrical conductor portion 18 and the contact forming part 22 are both rectangular with a generally longer lateral direction, but this is not a limitation. For example, if the male terminal is a cylindrical pin terminal, the cylindrical conductor portion and the contact forming part may also be cylindrical. Similarly, if the male terminal is a longitudinally elongated terminal, the cylindrical conductor portion and the contact forming part may each be a generally longitudinally elongated rectangle. In this case, the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion constituting the contact spring portion may each be provided on a pair of sides of the contact forming part.

[0097] (2) In the embodiment described above, the first and second welding portions 80a and 80b are provided at the front connecting portions 72 of the lower portion 62 and the upper portion 60 of the contact forming member 22, and the first and second welded portions 38a and 38b are provided at the front portions of the lower wall 30 and the upper wall 32 of the cylindrical conductor portion 18, but this is not a limitation. The welding area between the cylindrical conductor portion and the contact forming member may replace the above-mentioned portions, or in addition, it may be provided at the overlapping portions of the left and right sides of the contact forming member and the left and right side walls of the cylindrical conductor portion, and may also be provided at the overlapping portions of the cylindrical conductor portion and the rear opening side of the contact forming member. In addition to the overlapping portions of the outer surface of the frame portion and the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion, the overlapping portions of the abutment edge portion of the frame portion and the end face of the male terminal insertion port side of the cylindrical conductor portion may also be welded.

[0098] (3) In the described embodiment, the contact forming member 22 is inserted from the male terminal insertion port 26 at the front of the cylindrical conductor portion 18, but it can also be inserted from the rear opening window side. Furthermore, when the contact forming member is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion from the rear, the abutting edge of the frame portion of the contact forming member can be provided at the periphery of the rear opening, and the locking claw provided on the contact forming member can protrude from the front to the rear. It should be noted that these abutting edges, locking claws, and locking holes are not necessary in the female terminal of the present invention.

[0099] (4) In the described embodiment, after the clamping spring 124 is assembled to the contact forming part 22, the assembly is inserted into the cylindrical conductor part 18 from the male terminal insertion port 26 side, but this method is not limited. That is, for example, the contact pressure imparting spring (e.g., the clamping spring) can also be inserted into the contact forming part from the rear through the rear opening window of the cylindrical conductor part and the rear opening of the contact forming part after the contact forming part is inserted into the cylindrical conductor part. It should be noted that the contact forming part and the contact pressure imparting spring (e.g., the clamping spring) are not limited to being fixed by the engagement of each engaging protrusion 116 and each engaged portion 134 as in the described embodiment. A component for preventing the contact pressure imparting spring inserted from the rear into the contact forming part from falling off to the rear can also be assembled to the contact forming part or the cylindrical conductor part.

[0100] (5) In the described embodiment, the pressing portion 82 of the contact forming member 22 is provided on the second frame wall portion 78 but not on the first frame wall portion 76, but this configuration is not limited to this. That is, for example, the pressing portion may be provided on the first frame wall portion in addition to the second frame wall portion. Alternatively, the pressing portion may not be provided on the second frame wall portion, or the pressing portion may be welded to the inner surfaces of the lower and upper walls of the cylindrical conductor portion along approximately the entire width of both the first and second frame walls. In these cases, since the contact forming member has a substantially symmetrical shape, the contact forming member can be assembled onto the cylindrical conductor portion without distinguishing between the upper and lower parts.

[0101] Alternatively, the pressing part can be provided either on the front portion of the side of the frame part or on the rear wall portion of the frame part (the rear connecting portion of the lower or upper part, or the rear portion of the side part). In either case, it is preferable to provide a welding part that is welded to the part to be welded on the pressing part. It should be noted that the pressing part is not necessary in the female terminal of the present invention. Furthermore, even when a pressing part is provided, it is not limited to a manner in which it protrudes outward from the contact forming part as described in the embodiment.

[0102] (6) In the described embodiment, each first contact spring portion 96 is formed by partially cutting off the lower portion 62 of the contact forming part 22, and each second contact spring portion 98 is formed by partially cutting off the upper portion 60 of the contact forming part 22, but this is not a limitation. That is, the first contact spring portion and / or the second contact spring portion may also be integrally formed with the frame portion of the contact forming part, and fixed to the metal plate constituting the frame portion by welding or the like. Then, the contact forming part may also be formed by stamping the metal plate.

[0103] (7) In the embodiment described above, each locking hole 46 is provided in the cylindrical conductor portion 18, and each locking claw 88 is provided in the contact forming member 22, but this is not a limitation. That is, the above method may be substituted, or alternatively, locking claws may be provided in the cylindrical conductor portion, and locking holes may be provided in the contact forming member. In addition, in the embodiment described above, each locking claw 88 protrudes in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the contact forming member 22 into the cylindrical conductor portion 18 (from rear to front), to prevent the contact forming member 22 from shifting relative to the cylindrical conductor portion 18 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, but this is not a limitation. For example, the locking claw may protrude in the same direction as the insertion direction of the contact forming member into the cylindrical conductor portion, which can prevent the contact forming member from shifting relative to the cylindrical conductor portion in the insertion direction. In this case, for example, by inserting the contact forming member into the cylindrical conductor portion with the locking claw pressed inward, it is possible to prevent the locking claw from hooking onto the wall of the cylindrical conductor portion when the contact forming member is inserted.

[0104] (8) In the described embodiment, the female terminal 10 is provided with a clamping spring 124 as a contact pressure applying spring. However, in the female terminal of the present invention, a contact pressure applying spring is not necessary. That is, the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion can be pushed outward in the up-down direction by inserting the male terminal, and the first contact and the second contact spring portion can be pressed against the male terminal by the elastic restoring force of these first contact spring portions and the second contact spring portions. In addition, even when a contact pressure applying spring is used, it does not have to be a clamping spring; a contact pressure applying spring with any structure such as a helical spring or a ring-shaped elastomer can be used.

[0105] (9) In the described embodiment, a pair of first contact spring portions 96, 96 are provided on the lower part 62 of the contact forming member 22, and a pair of second contact spring portions 98, 98 are provided on the upper part 60. However, the number of these first contact spring portions and second contact spring portions is not limited. That is, one or more first contact spring portions may be provided on the lower part of the contact forming member, and one or more second contact spring portions may be provided on the upper part of the contact forming member. Similarly, the number of upper and lower clamping plates of the clamping spring is not limited, and one or more may be provided respectively. It should be noted that the number of first contact spring portions and the number of lower clamping plates may be different from each other, and the number of second contact spring portions and the number of upper clamping plates may be different from each other.

[0106] (10) In the embodiment described, the connecting portion 16, which is conductively connected to other components, extends rearward from the lower wall 30 of the cylindrical conductor portion 18. However, it may also extend rearward from the upper wall or the left and right side walls of the cylindrical conductor portion, for example.

[0107] (11) In the embodiment described above, when the second metal plate is stamped to form the contact forming part 22, the mating parts are provided on the left side 56 of the contact forming part 22. However, it is not limited to this method. The mating parts can be set at any position of the contact forming part during the stamping process. Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0108] 10 Female terminal, 12 Male terminal, 14 Terminal unit, 16 Connecting part, 18 Cylindrical conductor part, 20 Main body part, 22 Contact forming part, 24 Bolt through hole, 26 Male terminal insertion port, 28 Rear opening window, 30 Lower wall (first main body wall part), 32 Upper wall (second main body wall part), 34 Left side wall (side wall), 35 Right side wall (side wall), 36 Inner surface, 36a Lower inner surface, 36b Upper inner surface, 36c Left inner surface, 36d Right inner surface, 38 Welded part, 38a First welded part, 38b Second welded part, 40 Fitting protrusion, 42 Fitting recess, 44 Fastening piece, 46 Locking hole, 47 End face, 48 Abutting part, 50 Bending part, 52 Frame part, 54 Contact spring part, 56 58 Left side, 60 Right side, 60 Upper part, 62 Lower part, 64 Outer surface, 64a Lower outer surface, 64b Upper outer surface, 64c Left outer surface, 64d Right outer surface, 66 Front opening, 68 Rear opening, 70 Through window, 72 Front connecting part, 74 Rear connecting part, 76 First frame wall, 78 Second frame wall, 80 Welded part, 80a First welded part, 80b Second welded part, 82 Pressing part, 84 Slit, 85 Abutting edge, 86 Through hole, 88 Locking claw, 96 First contact spring, 98 Second contact spring, 100 First contact, 102 Second contact, 104 Protruding end, 106 Curved surface, 108 Bending part, 110 Recess, 112, 114 Slit, 116 118a First left side portion, 118b Second left side portion, 120 Engaging protrusion, 122 Engaging recess, 124 Clamping spring (contact pressure imparting spring), 126 Connecting plate portion, 127 Slit, 128 Clamping plate portion, 130 Bending portion, 132 Insertion port, 134 Engaged portion, R Welding area, LR lower welding area, UR upper welding area.

Claims

1. A female terminal, comprising: The main body is a stamped product of the first metal plate, having a connecting part that is electrically connected to other components and a hollow cylindrical conductor part; and The contact forming component is a stamped product of a second metal plate, which is thinner than the first metal plate, and is electrically assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion, wherein... The cylindrical conductor section has a male terminal insertion port that opens towards one end. The contact forming part has: a frame portion assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion; and a contact spring portion held in the frame portion, protruding toward the inner side of the frame portion, and pressed against a male terminal inserted from the male terminal insertion port. The welded portion provided on the outer surface of the frame portion of the contact forming part overlaps with and is welded to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body portion.

2. The female terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing portion for pressing the welding portion onto the welded portion.

3. The female terminal according to claim 2, wherein, The wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body has a first main body wall portion and a second main body wall portion, which are arranged opposite each other in the Z direction orthogonal to the X direction, which is the axial direction of the cylindrical conductor portion. The welded portion includes a first welded portion and a second welded portion, wherein the first welded portion and the second welded portion are respectively formed by the inner surfaces of the male terminal insertion port side of the first main body wall portion and the second main body wall portion. The frame portion of the contact forming component has a first frame wall portion that overlaps with the first welded portion in the Z direction, and a second frame wall portion that overlaps with the second welded portion in the Z direction. The welding portion includes: a first welding portion disposed on the first frame wall portion and welded to the first welded portion; and a second welding portion disposed on the second frame wall portion and welded to the second welded portion. At least one of the first frame wall portion and the second frame wall portion has a pressing portion formed by bending outward in the Z direction and capable of elastically deforming inward in the Z direction.

4. The female terminal according to claim 3, wherein, The connecting portion of the main body is disposed on the side of the first main body wall portion. The pressing part of the contact forming part is disposed on the second frame wall and not on the first frame wall.

5. The female terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, The contact forming component is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion from the male terminal insertion port on one end side toward the other end side and assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion. The frame portion of the contact forming component has an abutting edge that overlaps with the end face of the male terminal insertion port side of the cylindrical conductor portion. The insertion end of the contact forming part into the cylindrical conductor is defined by the contact edge abutting against the end face.

6. The female terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, The cylindrical conductor section is rectangular and has a pair of sidewalls and an upper and lower wall connected by the pair of sidewalls. The frame portion of the contact forming component is rectangular, having a pair of side portions that overlap with the pair of side walls of the cylindrical conductor portion, and an upper portion and a lower portion that overlap with the upper wall and the lower wall of the cylindrical conductor portion, respectively. The contact spring portion is formed by partially cutting inward from at least one of the upper and lower portions of the frame portion.

7. The female terminal according to claim 6, wherein, The contact forming component is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion from the male terminal insertion port on one end side toward the other end side and assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion. Each of the pair of sidewalls of the cylindrical conductor portion and one of the pair of sidewalls of the frame portion has a locking hole. The cylindrical conductor portion and the frame portion each have a locking claw that engages with the locking hole on one of their respective sidewalls. The contact forming part is allowed to be inserted into the other end by the elastic deformation of the locking claw, and the contact forming part is kept in the assembled state toward the cylindrical conductor by the elastic recovery of the locking claw and engagement with the locking hole.

8. The female terminal according to claim 6, wherein, The contact forming part has a rear opening on the other end side of the cylindrical conductor portion. The contact spring portion includes a first contact spring portion and a second contact spring portion. The upper and lower portions of the frame have a pair of first and second contact spring portions, respectively. The first and second contact spring portions are held at one end of the frame and protrude inwards toward the other end, extending in a cantilever beam shape. It also includes a contact pressure applying spring, which is configured to clamp the protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, and is sized to allow passage through the rear opening. As the male terminal is pressed into the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring and the second contact spring, the respective protruding ends are subjected to the contact pressure, which forces the springs toward each other, and the first contact spring and the second contact spring are pressed against the male terminal.

9. A terminal unit comprising a female terminal and a male terminal connected to said female terminal, The female terminal is the female terminal as described in claim 1 or claim 2.

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