Female terminal and terminal unit

Abstract

Disclosed is a female terminal that is capable of handling larger currents while suppressing an increase in size of the female terminal, and that is also capable of minimizing the risk of deformation at the time of manufacturing a contact spring part.　A female terminal (10) comprises: a body part (20) having a connection part (16) that is conductively connected to another member and also having a hollow cylindrical conductor part (18); and a contact formation fitting (22) that is conductively assembled to the cylindrical conductor part (18). The cylindrical conductor part (18) has a male terminal insertion port (26) that opens toward one end side. The contact formation fitting (22) includes: a frame body part (52) that is assembled to the inner surfaces (36) of wall parts (30, 32, 34, 35) of the cylindrical conductor part (18); and a contact spring part (54) that is pressed against a male terminal (12) which is held by a frame body part (52), protrudes toward the inside of the frame body part (52), and is inserted from the male terminal insertion port (26). A welding part (80) provided on an outer surface (64) of the frame body part (52) of the contact formation fitting (22) is overlapped and welded to a welded part (38) provided on each of the inner surfaces (36) of the wall parts (30, 32, 34, 35) of the cylindrical conductor part (18) of the body part (20).

Description

Female terminals and terminal units

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a female terminal and a terminal unit.

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a female terminal formed by pressing a flat metal plate. The base end of the female terminal has an electric wire connection portion formed by overlapping a pair of flat plate portions. The tip end of the female terminal has a male terminal mounting tubular portion into which a flat tab-shaped male terminal is inserted. The female and male terminals form a terminal unit. The male terminal mounting tubular portion has a pair of L-shaped support plate portions that protrude from each flat plate portion on opposite sides of the overlapping direction and then protrude toward the tip end. The male terminal mounting tubular portion also has a pair of contact spring portions that are cantilevered and connected to the protruding ends of the pair of support plate portions via semicircular arc-shaped curved portions and protrude toward the base end. The pair of contact spring portions are arranged opposite each other across a male terminal insertion gap, and separate contact pressure springs are attached to the tip ends of the pair of contact spring portions. The contact pressure springs apply contact pressure to the pair of contact spring portions against the male terminals, maintaining a stable connection between the male and female terminals.

[0003] JP 2022-83287 A

[0004] However, because the female terminal of Patent Document 1 is formed by pressing a metal plate, 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 becomes thick. As a result, in order to ensure the contact spring portion's ability to follow the male terminal, the contact spring portion must be made longer, which tends to increase the size of the female terminal. Furthermore, because the contact spring portion is open on the side, it is easily exposed to other parts or tools during the manufacturing process of the female terminal, which may cause deformation.

[0005] Therefore, we disclose a female terminal and a terminal unit that can accommodate large currents while preventing the female terminal from becoming larger, and that can also reduce the risk of deformation during manufacturing of the contact spring portion.

[0006] The female terminal of the present disclosure comprises: a main body portion which is a pressed product of a first metal plate and has a connection portion which is electrically connected to another member and a hollow tubular conductor portion; and a contact-forming fitting which is a pressed product of a second metal plate which is thinner than the first metal plate and is electrically assembled to the tubular conductor portion, wherein the tubular conductor portion has a male terminal insertion port which opens toward one end, and the contact-forming fitting has a frame portion which is assembled to the inner surface of a wall portion of the tubular conductor portion, and a contact spring portion which is held by the frame portion and protrudes toward the inside of the frame portion to be pressed against a male terminal inserted through the male terminal insertion port, and a welding portion provided on the outer surface of the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting is overlapped with a welded portion provided on the inner surface of the wall portion of the tubular conductor portion of the main body portion, and the two are welded to each other.

[0007] The terminal unit of the present disclosure is a terminal unit including a female terminal and a male terminal to be connected to the female terminal, wherein the female terminal is the female terminal described in the present disclosure.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a female terminal and a terminal unit that can accommodate large currents while preventing the female terminal from becoming larger, and that can also reduce the risk of deformation of the contact spring portion during manufacturing.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the top side showing a female terminal according to a first embodiment in a connected state with a male terminal. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the female terminal shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the top side showing the female terminal shown in FIG. 1 in a disconnected state with a male terminal. FIG. 5 is a perspective view from the bottom side of the female terminal shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown in FIG. 4, corresponding to FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown in FIG. 4, corresponding to the VII-VII cross-section in FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the female terminal shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a contact-forming fitting constituting the female terminal shown in FIG. 1 in a separate state before being assembled to a cylindrical conductor portion.

[0010] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. A female terminal of the present disclosure includes: (1) a main body portion that is a pressed product of a first metal plate, the main body portion having a connection portion that is conductively connected to another member and a hollow tubular conductor portion; and a contact-forming fitting that is a pressed product of a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate and is conductively assembled to the tubular conductor portion, the tubular conductor portion having a male terminal insertion opening that opens toward one end, the contact-forming fitting having a frame portion that is assembled to an inner surface of a wall portion of the tubular conductor portion, and a contact spring portion that is held by the frame portion and protrudes inward of the frame portion to be pressed into contact with a male terminal inserted through the male terminal insertion opening, and a weld portion provided on an outer surface of the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting is overlapped with a weld portion provided on the inner surface of the wall portion of the tubular conductor portion of the main body, and the two are welded to each other.

[0011] According to the female terminal of the present disclosure, the main body portion, which has a connection portion with another member and a hollow tubular conductor portion, and the contact-forming fitting, which is electrically conductively attached to the tubular conductor portion of the main body portion, are configured as separate components. Furthermore, the contact-forming fitting is formed using a second metal plate having a thickness thinner than that of the first metal plate forming the main body portion. This allows the contact spring portion to be thinner than the main body portion, while ensuring current-carrying capacity in the thicker main body portion. Therefore, even when a high current is required, the need to increase the length of the contact spring portion to ensure its ability to follow the male terminal is reduced compared to conventional structures, making it possible to accommodate a high current without increasing the size of the female terminal.

[0012] In addition, the contact-forming fitting has a frame portion that is attached to the inner wall of the cylindrical conductor portion and a contact spring portion that is pressed against the male terminal. The contact spring portion is held by the frame portion and is formed to protrude toward the inside of the frame portion. This makes it easy to assemble the contact-forming fitting to the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body because the frame portion can be held during assembly. Furthermore, the frame portion reduces the risk of other parts or tools interfering with the contact spring portion during assembly, thereby reducing the risk of deformation of the contact spring portion during manufacturing compared to conventional structures.

[0013] Furthermore, because the welds on the outer surface of the frame of the contact-forming fitting are overlapped with the welded parts on the inner wall of the tubular conductor of the main body and welded to each other, even if the main body and the contact-forming fitting are constructed as separate parts, an increase in conduction resistance is suppressed and it is possible to handle larger currents. In particular, because the welds and welded parts are welded to each other on the outer surface of the frame and the wall of the tubular conductor that is overlapped and assembled thereto, an advantageous weld area can be secured, making it easy to ensure stable conduction.

[0014] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable to have a pressing portion that presses the welded portion against the welded portion. By further providing the pressing portion, the welded portion can be pressed against the welded portion to improve adhesion, thereby improving the joinability of the main body and the contact-forming fitting by laser welding or the like.

[0015] The pressing portion may be formed integrally with the main body portion and the contact-forming metal fitting, or may be formed using an elastic member separate from the main body portion and the contact-forming metal fitting.

[0016] (3) In the above (2), it is preferable that the wall portion of the tubular conductor portion of the main body portion has a first body wall portion and a second body wall portion arranged opposite each other in the Z direction perpendicular to the X direction, which is the axial direction of the tubular conductor portion, the welded portion includes a first welded portion and a second welded portion formed by the inner surfaces of the first body wall portion and the second body wall portion on the male terminal insertion opening side, respectively, the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting has a first frame wall portion overlapping the first welded portion in the Z direction and a second frame wall portion overlapping the second welded portion in the Z direction, the welded portion includes a first welded portion provided on the first frame wall portion and welded to the first welded portion, and a second welded portion provided on the second frame wall portion and welded to the second welded portion, and at least one of the first frame wall portion and the second frame wall portion has the pressing portion formed by being bent outward in the Z direction and elastically deformable inward in the Z direction.

[0017] The first weld and first welded portions, and the second weld and second welded portions, can be disposed on both sides of the tubular conductor of the main body in the Z direction, facing the male terminal insertion opening. This allows the welding of the weld and welded portions to be performed near the male terminal insertion opening, which is the opening side of the tubular conductor, making the welding process easier. Furthermore, since the tubular conductor and the frame can be fixed by welding at two opposing locations in the Z direction, the assembly stability and conductivity stability of the main body and the contact-forming fitting can be improved.

[0018] Furthermore, by cleverly utilizing the contact-forming fitting, which is thinner than the main body, a pressing portion is provided on at least one of the first and second frame walls, bent outward in the Z direction. This allows the pressing portion to elastically deform inward in the Z direction, allowing the contact-forming fitting to be assembled to the tubular conductor, and the outward elastic restoring force of the pressing portion presses the first and second welded portions against the first and second welded portions, respectively. This makes it possible to improve the bondability of the welded portions and welded portions with a small number of parts, thereby improving the conductivity stability of the female terminal.

[0019] (4) In the above (3), it is preferable that the connection portion of the main body portion is provided on the first main body wall portion, and the pressing portion of the contact-forming fitting is provided on the second frame wall portion, not on the first frame wall portion. According to this aspect, by providing the pressing portion on the second frame wall portion but not on the first frame wall portion, a wide area of ​​the welded portion of the first frame wall can be secured, and the first welded portion of the first main body wall can be welded. That is, the welded portion and the welded portion can be joined over a wide area on the first main body wall side, where the current path to the connection portion is shorter than that of the second main body wall. As a result, the main body portion and the contact-forming fitting can be joined over a wide area near the connection portion, while improving the adhesion between the welded portion and the welded portion by the pressing portion, thereby efficiently further improving the conductivity stability of the female terminal.

[0020] (5) In any one of (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that the contact-forming fitting is assembled to the tubular conductor by being inserted from the male terminal insertion opening at one end of the tubular conductor toward the other end, and that the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting has an abutting edge portion that overlaps the end face of the tubular conductor facing the male terminal insertion opening, and the insertion end of the contact-forming fitting into the tubular conductor is defined by the abutting edge portion abutting against the end face. Since the contact-forming fitting is assembled to the tubular conductor by being inserted from the male terminal insertion opening to the other end, assembly workability is improved. Moreover, the insertion end of the contact-forming fitting into the tubular conductor is defined by overlapping and abutting the abutting edge portion of the contact-forming fitting against the end face of the tubular conductor facing the male terminal insertion opening, making assembly even easier.

[0021] (6) In any one of (1) to (5) above, it is preferable that the tubular conductor portion has a rectangular tubular shape with a pair of side walls and an upper wall and a lower wall connected by the pair of side walls, and the frame portion of the contact-forming metal fitting has a rectangular frame shape with a pair of side portions that are superimposed on each of the pair of side walls of the tubular conductor portion, and an upper portion and a lower portion that are superimposed on each of the upper wall and the lower wall of the tubular conductor portion, and that the cantilever-shaped contact spring portion is formed by partially cutting and raising at least one of the upper portion and the lower portion of the frame portion inward.

[0022] The cylindrical conductor portion is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape, and the contact-forming fitting is formed in a rectangular frame shape, thereby advantageously ensuring their rigidity. Moreover, the cantilever-shaped contact spring portion is formed by partially cutting and raising at least one of the upper and lower portions of the frame body of the contact-forming fitting inward, which makes it easy to manufacture the contact spring portion with high yield. Furthermore, by adjusting the length of the inward cutting and raising of the upper and lower portions, the spring rigidity and deflection of the contact spring portion can be easily set to desired values, resulting in excellent manufacturability.

[0023] More preferably, both the upper and lower portions are partially cut inward to form a pair of upper and lower contact spring portions facing each other, which allows the pair of upper and lower contact spring portions to contact both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal, improving the connection stability between the male and female terminals.

[0024] (7) In the above (6), it is preferable that the contact-forming fitting is inserted from the male terminal insertion port on one end side of the tubular conductor portion toward the other end side and assembled to the tubular conductor portion, the pair of side walls of the tubular conductor portion and one of the pair of side portions of the frame body portion each have a locking hole, the other of the pair of side walls of the tubular conductor portion and the pair of side portions of the frame body portion each have a locking claw that fits into the locking hole, the locking claw elastically deforms to allow the contact-forming fitting to be inserted into the other end side, and the locking claw elastically returns to its original shape to fit into the locking hole, thereby maintaining the contact-forming fitting assembled to the tubular conductor portion.

[0025] The pair of side walls and the pair of side portions arranged opposite each other can be effectively used to provide locking holes and locking tabs that keep the contact-forming fitting assembled to the tubular conductor. This allows the contact-forming fitting and the tubular conductor to be assembled stably without increasing the size of the female terminal. The locking holes and locking tabs may be fitted to prevent the contact-forming fitting from moving into the male terminal insertion opening, or they may be fitted to define the insertion end of the contact-forming fitting toward the other end, or multiple locking holes and locking tabs may be formed to include both.

[0026] (8) In (6) or (7) above, it is preferable that the contact-forming fitting 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 parts of the frame body portion have a pair of upper and lower first and second contact spring portions that are held by the frame body portion at one end side and protrude inward toward the other end side, extending in a cantilevered manner, and further include a contact pressure spring that is arranged to sandwich the respective protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion and has a size that can be inserted through the rear opening, and as the male terminal is pressed between the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, the contact pressure spring urges the respective protruding ends in a direction approaching each other, and the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are pressed against the male terminal.

[0027] The contact pressure spring biases the protruding ends of the first and second contact spring portions toward each other, and the first and second contact spring portions are pressed into contact with a male terminal press-fitted between the first and second contact spring portions with a high contact pressure. This advantageously reduces the size of the female terminal, ensures the flexibility and compliance of the contact spring portions, and ensures contact pressure between the female and male terminals. Furthermore, because the contact pressure spring is large enough to pass through the rear opening of the contact-forming fitting, it can be inserted through the rear opening and positioned from the front side in the protruding direction relative to the protruding ends of the first and second contact spring portions. This improves the ease of assembly of the female terminal compared to conventional structures, which could only be assembled from the side, which is perpendicular to the protruding direction of the first and second contact spring portions.

[0028] The terminal unit of the present disclosure is (9) a terminal unit including a female terminal and a male terminal to be connected to the female terminal, wherein the female terminal is the female terminal described in any one of (1) to (8) above. In the terminal unit of the present disclosure, since the female terminal is configured in the manner described in any one of (1) to (8) above, it is possible to provide a terminal unit that can achieve the same effects as those obtained by any one of (1) to (8) above.

[0029] <Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> Specific examples of the female terminal and terminal unit of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0030] First Embodiment A female terminal 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure and a terminal unit 14 including the female terminal 10 and a male terminal 12 connected to the female terminal 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9 . The female terminal 10 is a terminal that connects a power source, such as a battery, to a load, such as a motor. The female terminal 10, which is provided on one side of the power source or the load, and the male terminal 12, which is provided on the other side of the power source or the load, are in contact with each other to establish electrical continuity, thereby supplying power from a power source, such as a battery, to a load, such as a motor. While the female terminal 10 can be oriented in any direction, in the following description, the upper side will be referred to as the upper side in FIG. 3 , the lower side as the lower side in FIG. 3 , the front side as the left side in FIG. 2 , the rear side as the right side in FIG. 2 , the left side as the upper side in FIG. 2 , and the right side as the lower side in FIG. 2 . In addition, when multiple identical components are illustrated, only some of the components may be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals may be omitted for the other components.

[0031] <Female Terminal 10> The female terminal 10 includes a connecting portion 16 that is electrically connected to another component (e.g., a power source component such as a battery) and a main body 20 that includes a hollow tubular conductor 18. The main body 20 is a pressed product of a first metal plate (not shown). The female terminal 10 also includes a contact-forming fitting 22 that is electrically connected to the tubular conductor 18. The contact-forming fitting 22 is a pressed product of a second metal plate (not shown) that is thinner than the first metal plate. For ease of understanding, the contact-forming fitting 22 is shown with dashed lines in the following Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5. In Figure 2, in addition to the contact-forming fitting 22, the male terminal 12 and a clip spring 124 (described later) that serves as a contact pressure spring are also shown with dashed lines.

[0032] <Male Terminal 12> The male terminal 12 is a tab terminal having an overall plate shape. The male terminal 12 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, a predetermined width dimension (left-right dimension) and thickness dimension (up-down dimension), and extends substantially straight in the front-rear direction. In the first embodiment, the male terminal 12 has a horizontally elongated shape in which the width dimension is greater than the thickness dimension. The forward end portion (rear end portion) of the male terminal 12 in the insertion direction into the female terminal 10 is tapered. The male terminal 12 is conductive and formed from a metal with low electrical resistance, such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. A bolt insertion hole, for example, is provided in the base end portion (front end portion) of the male terminal 12, and the male terminal 12 is fixed to another component (e.g., a load-side component such as a motor) with a bolt (not shown). Alternatively, if a bolt insertion hole is not provided, a load-side electric wire or the like is fixed to the base end portion of the male terminal 12 by crimping or the like.

[0033] <Connection Portion 16> The connection portion 16 is generally plate-shaped, and when the female terminal 10 is positioned as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connection portion 16 extends in the front-to-rear direction as a whole and has a generally rectangular shape in which the front-to-rear dimension is greater than the up-to-down dimension in a side view (left-to-right view). A bolt insertion hole 24 penetrating in the plate thickness direction (left-to-right direction) is formed at the rear end of the connection portion 16, and the female terminal 10 can be fixed to another member (e.g., a member on the power source side such as a battery) by, for example, a bolt (not shown) inserted into the bolt insertion hole 24. For example, the connection portion 16 can be connected to the other member, such as the end of an electric wire or a bus bar (not shown).

[0034] <Typical conductor portion 18> The tubular conductor portion 18 is generally cylindrical and opens on both sides in the front-to-rear direction. It has a male terminal insertion opening 26 that opens toward one longitudinal end (front end) of the tubular conductor portion 18 and a rear opening window 28 that opens toward the other longitudinal end (rear end). In embodiment 1, the tubular conductor portion 18 has a generally horizontally elongated rectangular tubular shape. Specifically, the walls of the tubular conductor portion 18 have a bottom wall 30 serving as a first main body wall, a top wall 32 serving as a second main body wall, and a pair of side walls, a left wall 34 and a right wall 35, which are arranged opposite each other in the Z direction (up-down direction) perpendicular to the X direction (front-to-rear direction) that is the axial direction of the tubular conductor portion 18. In other words, the tubular conductor portion 18 has a rectangular tubular shape having left and right side walls 34, 35 and the top wall 32 and bottom wall 30 connected by these left and right side walls 34, 35.

[0035] The left-right dimensions of the upper wall 32 and the lower wall 30 are larger than the up-down dimensions of the left and right side walls 34, 35, so that the cylindrical conductor portion 18 has a generally horizontally elongated rectangular cylindrical shape. Each wall portion (the lower wall 30, the upper wall 32, and the left and right side walls 34, 35) constituting the cylindrical conductor portion 18 is generally rectangular plate-shaped. In particular, in the first embodiment, the above-mentioned connecting portion 16 is provided on the side of the bottom wall 30, which is the first main body wall portion, and is formed integrally with the bottom wall 30 and extends rearward from the bottom wall 30.

[0036] <Welded portions 38> That is, the inner surfaces 36 of the walls (lower wall 30, upper wall 32, and left and right side walls 34, 35) of the tubular conductor 18 are configured to include a lower inner surface 36a that is the inner surface of the lower wall 30, an upper inner surface 36b that is the inner surface of the upper wall 32, a left inner surface 36c that is the inner surface of the left side wall 34, and a right inner surface 36d that is the inner surface of the right side wall 35. As will be described later, the tubular conductor 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 are welded to each other by overlapping weld portions 80 provided on the outer surface 64 of the frame portion 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22 with weld portions 38 provided on the inner surfaces 36 of the walls of the tubular conductor 18.

[0037] In the first embodiment, the welded portion 38 includes a first welded portion 38a and a second welded portion 38b formed by the inner surfaces 36 (respective front portions of the lower inner surface 36a and the upper inner surface 36b) of the lower wall 30, which is the first main body wall portion, and the upper wall 32, which is the second main body wall portion, on the male terminal insertion opening 26 side. In the overlapping portion of the welded portion 80 and the welded portion 38 in the first embodiment, the welding region R (lower welding region LR (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 ) and upper welding region UR (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5 )) that is actually welded by irradiating a laser as described below has predetermined front-rear and left-right dimensions. That is, the first welded portion 38a and the second welded portion 38b are formed in a portion of the front portions of the lower inner surface 36a and the upper inner surface 36b, respectively. Specifically, the first welded portion 38a is formed in a front-rear middle portion of the front portion of the lower inner surface 36a, extending over substantially the entire width. A second welded portion 38b is formed in the center in the width direction at the middle portion in the front-rear direction of the front portion of the upper inner surface 36b.

[0038] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a fitting protrusion 40 that protrudes toward the right side wall 35 is provided in a front-to-rear middle portion of the right end of the top wall 32, and a fitting recess 42 that opens toward the top wall 32 is provided in a front-to-rear middle portion of the upper end of the right side wall 35. Furthermore, a pair of crimping pieces 44, 44 that protrude upward and are bent leftward to be overlapped with the top wall 32 and crimped to be fixed are provided at both ends of the upper end of the right side wall 35 in the front-to-rear direction. As a result, when forming the tubular conductor 18 by performing a press work or the like on the first metal plate, for example, by fitting the fitting protrusion 40 of the top wall 32 into the fitting recess 42 of the right side wall 35 and bending the crimping pieces 44 at both front and rear ends leftward to be overlapped with the top wall 32, the top wall 32 and the right side wall 35 can be prevented from unintentionally separating from each other when the tubular conductor 18 is formed.

[0039] Furthermore, a locking hole 46 is formed in the front-to-rear middle portion of each of the left and right side walls 34, 35, penetrating each of the left and right side walls 34, 35 in the thickness direction (left-to-right direction). Each locking hole 46 is generally rectangular in side view (left-to-right direction) and has predetermined front-to-rear and up-to-down dimensions. An end face 47 of the tubular conductor portion 18 facing the male terminal insertion opening 26 is generally rectangular and annular in front-to-back view, and abutment portions 48 are provided at the front end of each of the left and right side walls 34, 35, protruding forward relative to the front ends of the lower wall 30 and the upper wall 32. As a result, when the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are connected, each abutment portion 48 abuts against a housing (not shown) that holds the male terminal 12.

[0040] <Main Body 20> Although not shown in the drawings, before the first metal plate is pressed, each wall (bottom wall 30, top wall 32, left and right side walls 34, 35, and connection portion 16) constituting the main body 20 extends flat. Bends 50 are provided between the top wall 32 and the left side wall 34, between the left side wall 34 and the bottom wall 30, and between the bottom wall 30 and the right side wall 35, respectively. By bending each bend 50, fitting the top wall 32 and the right side wall 35 as described above, and then crimping and fixing, the tubular conductor 18 is formed in the front portion of the main body 20. The metal material constituting the main body 20 is not limited, but a metal with excellent conductivity, such as pure copper, can be used.

[0041] <Contact-forming metal fitting 22> The contact-forming metal fitting 22 has a frame portion 52 that is assembled to the inner surface 36 of the wall portions (lower wall 30, upper wall 32, and left and right side walls 34, 35) of the cylindrical conductor portion 18. The contact-forming metal fitting 22 also has a contact spring portion 54 that is held by the frame portion 52, protrudes inward from the frame portion 52, and is pressed into contact with the male terminal 12 inserted through the male terminal insertion opening 26.

[0042] <Frame 52> Figure 9 shows the contact-forming fitting 22 in a standalone state before being assembled to the tubular conductor 18. As shown in Figure 9 and other figures, the frame 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22 has an overall rectangular frame shape. That is, the frame 52 has a pair of side portions, a left portion 56 and a right portion 58, which are respectively superimposed on the left and right side walls 34, 35 of the tubular conductor 18, an upper portion 60 which is superimposed on the upper wall 32, and a lower portion 62 which is superimposed on the lower wall 30. Therefore, the outer surface 64 of the frame 52 is configured to include a lower outer surface 64a which is the outer surface of the lower portion 62, an upper outer surface 64b which is the outer surface of the upper portion 60, a left outer surface 64c which is the outer surface of the left portion 56, and a right outer surface 64d which is the outer surface of the right portion 58. The left portion 56 and the right portion 58 are connected by the upper portion 60 and the lower portion 62, respectively. As a result, the frame portion 52 is open on both sides in the front-rear direction, and a front opening 66 and a rear opening 68 are provided.

[0043] A generally rectangular through-window 70 penetrating through the thickness direction (vertical direction) is formed in the middle of each of the upper and lower portions 60 and 62 in the front-to-rear direction, and each through-window 70 is formed over the entire left-to-right length of each of the upper and lower portions 60 and 62. As a result, the upper and lower portions 60 and 62 are divided into front and rear portions by each through-window 70, and each of the upper and lower portions 60 and 62 includes a front connection portion 72 connecting the left and right side portions 56, 58 at their front portions and a rear connection portion 74 connecting the left and right side portions 56, 58 at their rear portions. In other words, the left side portion 56 and the right side portion 58 are connected at their front portions by the front connection portions 72 of the upper and lower portions 60 and 62, and are connected at their rear portions by the rear connection portions 74 of the upper and lower portions 60 and 62.

[0044] In embodiment 1, in the frame body portion 52, the first frame body wall portion 76 that is overlapped with the first welded portion 38a in the Z direction (up and down direction) is formed by the forward connection portion 72 in the lower portion 62, and the second frame body wall portion 78 that is overlapped with the second welded portion 38b in the Z direction (up and down direction) is formed by the forward connection portion 72 in the upper portion 60.

[0045] <Welding Portion 80> Here, the outer surface 64 of the frame portion 52 is provided with a welding portion 80 that overlaps the aforementioned welded portion 38 of the tubular conductor portion 18 and is welded to the welded portion 38. In the first embodiment, the welding portion 80 includes a first welding portion 80a that is provided on the first frame wall portion 76 and welded to the first welded portion 38a, and a second welding portion 80b that is provided on the second frame wall portion 78 and welded to the second welded portion 38b. That is, the first welding portion 80a and the second welding portion 80b are respectively formed by a front portion of the lower outer surface 64a that constitutes the outer surface of the first frame wall portion 76 and a part of a front portion of the upper outer surface 64b that constitutes the outer surface of the second frame wall portion 78. Specifically, the first welding portion 80a is formed in a front-rear direction middle portion of the front portion of the lower outer surface 64a, extending over substantially the entire width direction. Additionally, a second welded portion 80b is formed in the center portion in the width direction at the middle portion in the front-rear direction of the front portion of the upper outer surface 64b.

[0046] The welding method between each welding portion 80 (first and second welding portions 80a, 80b) and each welded portion 38 (first and second welded portions 38a, 38b) is not limited, but in embodiment 1, they are welded by laser welding.

[0047] <Pressing portion 82> The female terminal 10 of embodiment 1 has a pressing portion 82 that presses the welding portion 80 against the welded portion 38. In particular, in embodiment 1, the pressing portion 82 is provided on the front connecting portion 72 in the upper portion 60 that constitutes the second frame wall portion 78. Furthermore, this pressing portion 82 is not provided on the front connecting portion 72 in the lower portion 62 that constitutes the first frame wall portion 76.

[0048] Specifically, a pair of slits 84, 84 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction is provided in the left-right central portion of the second frame wall 78. Each slit 84 extends rearward from the front end of the second frame wall 78, spanning the entire length of the second frame wall 78 in the front-to-rear direction. The extending end of each slit 84 reaches the contact spring portion 54 located rearward of the second frame wall 78. A pressing portion 82 is located between the slits 84 in the left-to-right direction, and this pressing portion 82 is elastically deformable in the thickness direction (up-down direction). In the unassembled state shown in FIG. 9 , the pressing portion 82 is bent or inclined outward (upward) as it moves forward relative to other portions of the second frame wall 78 (portions laterally outward from the slits 84). Note that the pressing portion 82 before elastic deformation is indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6 .

[0049] When the contact-forming fitting 22 having the pressing portion 82 provided on the second frame wall 78 is inserted into the tubular conductor 18, and the inner surfaces 36 of the walls 30, 32, 34, and 35 of the tubular conductor 18 are brought into contact with the outer surface 64 of the frame 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22, the pressing portion 82 is elastically deformed inward (downward) by the front portion of the upper wall 32. As a result, the outer surface 64 (the front portion of the upper outer surface 64b) of the second frame wall 78 abuts against the front portion of the inner surface 36 (the upper inner surface 36b) of the upper wall 32 over substantially the entire surface. Furthermore, as the pressing portion 82 elastically deforms downward, an upward elastic restoring force (biasing force) is generated in the pressing portion 82, pressing the pressing portion 82 against the front portion of the upper inner surface 36b. This allows the pressing portion 82 to more reliably contact the upper inner surface 36b.

[0050] In particular, by inserting the contact-forming fitting 22 into the cylindrical conductor 18 while the first frame wall 76 is in contact with the inner surface 36 (lower inner surface 36a) of the lower wall 30, the pressing portion 82 can be brought into contact with the upper inner surface 36b even when there is a gap between the second frame wall 78 and the front portion of the upper inner surface 36b. As a result, stable contact can be achieved on both the up and down sides of the outer surfaces 64 (front portions of the lower outer surface 64a and upper outer surface 64b) of the first and second frame walls 76, 78 and the front portions of the inner surfaces 36 (lower inner surface 36a and upper inner surface 36b) of the lower wall 30 and upper wall 32, respectively.

[0051] The first welded portion 80a is provided on the first frame wall portion 76 that can come into contact with the lower inner surface 36a, and the second welded portion 80b is provided on the pressing portion 82 of the second frame wall portion 78 that can come into contact with the upper inner surface 36b. As shown in Fig. 5, the second welded portion 80b is formed in the middle portion of the pressing portion 82 in the front-rear direction, over the entire width direction.

[0052] <Abutment Edge 85> In the first embodiment, the contact-forming fitting 22 is assembled to the tubular conductor 18 by being inserted from the male terminal insertion opening 26 at one end of the tubular conductor 18 toward the rear opening window 28 at the other end. The contact-forming fitting 22 has an abutment edge 85 that overlaps the end face 47 of the tubular conductor 18 on the male terminal insertion opening 26 side. The abutment edge 85 is formed over substantially the entire length of the front connection portion 72 (first frame wall 76) in the lower portion 62 in the left-right direction, and is also formed at both left-right end portions (portions laterally outward of the slits 84) of the front connection portion 72 (second frame wall 78) in the upper portion 60. Each abutment edge 85 extends outward in the up-down direction from the front end of the first and second frame walls 76, 78. When the contact-forming fitting 22 is assembled to the tubular conductor portion 18, each abutment edge 85 abuts against both the upper and lower sides of the end face 47 on the male terminal insertion port 26 side of the tubular conductor portion 18, thereby defining the insertion end of the contact-forming fitting 22 into the tubular conductor portion 18.

[0053] <Locking Claws 88> Furthermore, substantially rectangular through-holes 86 are formed in the front portions of the left and right side portions 56, 58 of the contact-forming fitting 22, penetrating each side portion 56, 58 in the thickness direction, and locking claws 88 are provided in the rear portion of the inner circumferential surface of each through-hole 86, protruding forward. Spaces (gaps) are provided on three sides (both up and down directions and the front) around each locking claw 88, allowing each locking claw 88 to elastically deform in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 9 and other figures, when the contact-forming fitting 22 is assembled, each locking claw 88 protrudes in a direction that gradually inclines outward in the left-right direction as it approaches the front.

[0054] <Contact Spring Portion 54> In the first embodiment, the contact spring portion 54 includes a first contact spring portion 96 that protrudes inwardly from a lower portion (lower portion 62) of the frame body portion 52, and a second contact spring portion 98 that protrudes inwardly from an upper portion (upper portion 60) of the frame body 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-like manner from the rear ends of the front connection portions 72 (first frame body wall portion 76 and second frame body wall portion 78) inside each through window portion 70. That is, the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 are held by the front connection portions 72 of the frame body portion 52 at one end, i.e., the front side, and extend inwardly toward the rear side, i.e., the other end, in a cantilever-like manner. As a result, spaces (gaps) are provided on three sides (both left and right sides and rear) around the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98, and the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 are each capable of elastic deformation in the vertical direction, based on the connection points with each front connection portion 72 at their front ends.

[0055] 6 and other figures, when the contact-forming fitting 22 is assembled, the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 are inclined in a direction that causes them to approach each other (inward in the vertical direction) as they move rearward. This results in the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 being provided as a pair, one above the other, and facing each other in the vertical direction. The first contact spring portion 96 has a first contact 100 with the male terminal 12 on its surface (upper surface) facing the second contact spring portion 98, while the second contact spring portion 98 has a second contact 102 with the male terminal 12 on its surface (lower surface) facing the first contact spring portion 96.

[0056] In the first embodiment, 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 to each other, and the first contact 100 and the second contact 102 are in contact with each other or slightly spaced apart and facing each other in the vertical direction. In particular, in the first embodiment, the vertical outer surface of each protruding end 104 is formed with a chamfered curved surface 106 that gradually slopes upward and inward toward the rear, which makes it easier to assemble a clip spring 124 to each protruding end 104 of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98, as will be described later.

[0057] Furthermore, a bent portion 108 is provided at each protruding tip portion of the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98, and the first contact 100 and the second contact 102 are provided at the position where each bent portion 108 is formed. These first contacts 100 and second contacts 102 are formed in a curved arc shape in the vertical cross section shown in Figures 3 and 6, have a predetermined left-right dimension at the left-right central portion of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98, and are provided so as to straddle both front-rear directions of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98, sandwiching the bent portion 108 therebetween. These first and second contacts 100, 102 have an elliptical shape in plan view (up-down projection) such that the dimension in the front-rear direction, which is the insertion direction of the male terminal 12, is larger than the dimension in the left-right direction. This ensures a stable contact area between the first and second contacts 100, 102 and the male terminal 12, even when the male terminal 12 inserted into the female terminal 10 swings and displaces in the up-down direction. In the first embodiment, the first and second contacts 100, 102 are formed by pressing the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98, respectively, and recesses 110 are formed on the outer sides of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98 in the opposing direction (outer sides in the up-down direction) at positions corresponding to the first and second contacts 100, 102.

[0058] In the first embodiment, the front connection portion 72 (first frame wall portion 76) in the lower portion 62 has first contact spring portions 96, 96 provided at each of a plurality of locations (two locations) spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction (left-right direction) of the male terminal 12, and the front connection portion 72 (second frame wall portion 78) in the upper portion 60 has second contact spring portions 98, 98 provided at each of a plurality of locations (two locations) spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction of the male terminal 12. That is, by providing slits 112, 114 extending over substantially the entire length in the front-to-rear direction in the left-to-right center of the substantially rectangular portion extending rearward from each front connection portion 72, the pair of first contact spring portions 96, 96 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-to-right direction, and the pair of second contact spring portions 98, 98 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-to-right direction.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the lower slits 112 constituting the pair of first contact spring portions 96, 96 are formed with a length dimension (front-rear direction dimension) slightly longer than the length dimension (front-rear direction dimension) of each first contact spring portion 96, and the front end portion of the slits 112 slightly reaches the front connection portion 72 (first frame wall portion 76) in the lower portion 62. The upper slits 114 constituting the pair of second contact spring portions 98, 98 are formed with a length dimension (front-rear direction dimension) substantially equal to the length dimension (front-rear direction dimension) of each second contact spring portion 98, and the front end portion of the slits 114 does not reach the front connection portion 72 (second frame wall portion 78, in particular the pressing portion 82) in the upper portion 60.

[0060] As a result, compared to, for example, a case in which the lower slit 112 is provided over substantially the entire length of the first frame wall 76 in the front-to-rear direction, a larger area of ​​the first frame wall 76 can be secured as the first weld 80a. Therefore, even if the laser irradiation position is shifted rearward to some extent, the first weld 80a and the first welded portion 38a can be stably welded together. Similarly, by ensuring that the upper slit 114 does not reach the pressing portion 82, a larger area of ​​the pressing portion 82 can be secured as the second weld 80b. Therefore, even if the laser irradiation position is shifted rearward to some extent, the second weld 80b and the second welded portion 38b can be stably welded together. Furthermore, because the length of each of the slits 112, 114 can be changed, the spring characteristics of each of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98 can be set to a desired state.

[0061] Furthermore, each of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98 is provided with an engaging protrusion 116 that protrudes outward in the up-down direction toward each clamping plate portion 128 of the clip spring 124 (described later). In the first embodiment, each of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98 is provided with an engaging protrusion 116, and a total of four engaging protrusions 116 are provided on the contact-forming fitting 22. Each engaging protrusion 116 is formed with a predetermined protrusion dimension on both side edges of each of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98, i.e., on the rear end portions (protruding ends 104) of each of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98, outward in the left-right direction. Each of these engaging protrusions 116 is generally rectangular in side view (left-right view).

[0062] The contact-forming fitting 22 having the above-described structure is formed by pressing a second metal plate having a thickness thinner than that of the first metal plate, as described above. The material of the second metal plate constituting the contact-forming fitting 22 is not limited, but a conductive and springy metal, such as a copper alloy, can be used. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 , the left side portion 56 includes portions that butt together when the second metal plate is bent to form the contact-forming fitting 22. That is, the left ends of the front and rear connection portions 72 and 74 in the lower portion 62 include first left side portions 118a extending upward, and the left ends of the front and rear connection portions 72 and 74 in the upper portion 60 include second left side portions 118b extending downward. The left side portion 56 is formed by the first left side portion 118a and the second left side portion 118b butting against each other in the vertical direction.

[0063] In particular, in the first embodiment, an upwardly projecting engagement protrusion 120 is provided at the upper end of the first left side portion 118a, and a downwardly opening engagement recess 122 is provided at the lower end of the second left side portion 118b. As a result, when forming the contact-forming fitting 22, the left side portion 56 is formed, for example, by striking the engagement protrusion 120 from the outside to fit it into the engagement recess 122, and unintentional separation of the first left side portion 118a and the second left side portion 118b can be prevented.

[0064] Although not shown, before the second metal plate is pressed, for example, each wall portion (left side portion 56, right side portion 58, upper portion 60, and lower portion 62) constituting the contact-forming fitting 22 extends flatly. In the first embodiment, each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98 is formed by partially cutting and raising the wall portions constituting the lower portion 62 and upper portion 60. That is, in the second metal plate before press working, each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98 is cut and raised to one side in the thickness direction from the wall portions constituting the lower portion 62 and upper portion 60, for example. When the second metal plate is bent to form the contact-forming fitting 22, each of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98 protrudes inward from the frame portion 52.

[0065] Similarly, each locking claw 88 is formed by partially cutting and raising the wall portions 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 press working, each locking claw 88 is cut and raised, for example, to the other side in the thickness direction from the wall portions constituting the left side portion 56 and the right side portion 58, so that when the contact-forming fitting 22 is formed, it protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the contact-forming fitting 22. Note that each first contact spring portion 96, each second contact spring portion 98, and each locking claw 88 may be bent so as to protrude inward or outward in the left-right direction from the frame portion 52 after the contact-forming fitting 22 is formed into a generally cylindrical shape.

[0066] <Contact Pressure Spring (Clip Spring 124)> The female terminal 10 includes clip springs 124 as contact pressure springs arranged to clamp the protruding ends 104 of the first contact spring portions 96 and the second contact spring portions 98. When the male terminal 12 is press-fitted into the female terminal 10, the clip springs 124 urge the protruding ends 104 of the first contact spring portions 96 and the protruding ends 104 of the second contact spring portions 98 in directions that bring them closer to each other. In the first embodiment, the clip springs 124 are inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18 through the male terminal insertion opening 26 in the tubular conductor portion 18, and are sized to be able to pass through the male terminal insertion opening 26 when viewed from the front (front-rear direction). Furthermore, since the clip spring 124 is inserted into the contact-forming fitting 22 from the rear and positioned inside the contact-forming fitting 22, it is formed to a size that allows it to pass through the rear opening 68 in the contact-forming fitting 22 when viewed from the front (front-to-back direction).

[0067] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8 and other figures, the clip spring 124 includes a rectangular flat connecting plate 126 and a pair of rectangular flat clamping plates 128, 128 that protrude toward each other (inward in the up-down direction) from both side edges (upper and lower side edges) of the connecting plate 126. In the first embodiment, a slit 127 extending in the front-rear direction is provided at the center of the left-right direction, which corresponds to the plate width direction of the male terminal 12, on each of the upper and lower sides of the connecting plate 126, thereby providing a plurality (two) of clamping plates 128, 128 that are spaced apart from each other, for a total of four clamping plates 128 in the clip spring 124. That is, a pair of clamping plates 128, 128 that face each other in the up-down direction is provided with another pair of clamping plates 128 at positions spaced apart in the left-right direction via each slit 127. Each of these clamping plates 128 is elastically deformable in the up-down direction, with the connection point with the connecting plate 126 as a base point.

[0068] The left-right dimension of each clamping plate 128 is greater than the left-right dimension of each recess 110 provided outward in the up-down direction of each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98. Also, a bent portion 130 is provided in a longitudinally intermediate portion of each clamping plate 128. As a result, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 , when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 and the bent portion 130 of each clamping plate 128 abuts against the formation positions of the recesses 110 of each first contact spring portion 96 and each second contact spring portion 98, both left and right end portions of each clamping plate 128 abut at portions outward in the left-right direction from the recesses 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 longitudinally intermediate portion of each clamping plate portion 128, the protruding tip portions of each clamping plate portion 128 extend in directions away from each other from the bent portion 130. Therefore, the opposing distance between each pair of opposing clamping plates 128 in the vertical direction is smallest at the bent portion 130 provided in the longitudinally intermediate portion. The gap between these bent portions 130 is an insertion opening 132 for inserting and assembling the protruding ends 104 of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98.

[0070] The opening dimension (vertical dimension) of each insertion opening 132 of each clamping plate 128 of the clip spring 124 before elastic deformation may be equal to, or slightly larger or smaller than, the separation distance (vertical dimension) between the outer surfaces of the protruding ends 104 of the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98. Such a clip spring 124 is inserted into the contact-forming fitting 22 through the rear opening 68 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and assembled so that the clamping plates 128 clamp the protruding ends 104 of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98. In addition, in the first embodiment, a notched engaged portion 134 is formed in the middle of each clamping plate 128 in the front-rear direction, opening outward in the left-right direction and penetrating the clamping plate 128 in the thickness direction. Each engaged portion 134 is engageable with a corresponding engaging protrusion 116 of the contact-forming fitting 22.

[0071] When assembling the above-mentioned clip spring 124 to the contact-forming fitting 22, the clip spring 124 is inserted through the rear opening 68 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and the protruding ends 104 of the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 are inserted into each insertion port 132 without the protruding ends 104 of the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 abutting against the respective bending portions 130 located furthest inward in the vertical direction in each clamping plate portion 128, or while the protruding ends 104 of the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98 push the respective bending portions 130 outward in the vertical direction.

[0072] Furthermore, by bringing the clip spring 124 closer to the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98 from behind, the engaging protrusions 116 provided on the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98 come into contact with the left and right side ends of the front end of the clamping plate portions 128. Then, by moving the clip spring 124 forward relative to the contact-forming fitting 22, the engaging protrusions 116 elastically deform the clamping plate portions 128 inward in the left-right direction, allowing further forward movement of the clip spring 124. As the clip spring 124 moves forward, the engaging protrusions 116 engage with the engaged portions 134, causing the clamping plate portions 128 to elastically restore their original deformation, and the clip spring 124 is assembled in a state where it is positioned relative to the contact-forming fitting 22 in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, the position of the inward insertion end of the contact-forming fitting 22 in the clip spring 124 is determined by the engagement protrusions 116 provided on each of the first and second contact spring portions 96, 98 entering into the respective engaged portions 134 provided on each clamping plate portion 128, and each engagement protrusion 116 abutting against the rear inner surface of each engaged portion 134.

[0073] <Assembly of Female Terminal 10> A specific example of a method for assembling the female terminal 10 will be described below. Note that the method for assembling the female terminal 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0074] First, a first metal plate constituting the main body 20 is prepared, and each bent portion 50 is bent. The mating protrusions 40 are fitted into the mating recesses 42, and each crimping piece 44 is bent and fixed by crimping. This forms the main body 20 having the tubular conductor 18 and the connecting portion 16. Next, a second metal plate constituting the contact-forming fitting 22 is prepared, and is bent into the shape shown in Figure 9. The engaging protrusions 120 of the first left side portion 118a are fitted into the engaging recesses 122 of the second left side portion 118b. This forms the contact-forming fitting 22 having the frame body portion 52 and the contact spring portions 54 (each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98).

[0075] 8, the contact-forming fitting 22 and the clip spring 124 are arranged opposite each other in the front-to-rear direction, and the clip spring 124 is assembled into the contact-forming fitting 22 through the rear opening 68 of the contact-forming fitting 22. The method of assembling the clip spring 124 to the contact-forming fitting 22 is as described above. The assembled body of the contact-forming fitting 22 and the clip spring 124 is arranged opposite the male terminal insertion opening 26 of the tubular conductor portion 18 in the front-to-rear direction, and the assembled body is inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18 from the male terminal insertion opening 26 toward the rear opening window 28. As a result, the pressing portion 82 of the contact-forming fitting 22 abuts against the front end of the inner surface 36 (upper inner surface 36b) of the upper wall 32, causing the pressing portion 82 to elastically deform downward. Furthermore, the locking claws 88 of the contact-forming fitting 22 abut against the front ends of the inner surfaces 36 (left inner surface 36c and right inner surface 36d) of the left and right side walls 34, 35, causing the locking claws 88 to elastically deform inward in the left-right direction. This allows the assembled body to be further inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18, and the assembled body is inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18 while the pressing portion 82 abuts against the upper inner surface 36b and while the locking claws 88 abut against the left and right inner surfaces 36c, 36d.

[0076] The insertion end of the assembled body into the tubular conductor 18 is determined by the abutment edges 85 protruding outward in the vertical direction from the first and second frame walls 76, 78 abutting against the end face 47 of the tubular conductor 18 on the male terminal insertion opening 26 side. When the assembled body is inserted into the tubular conductor 18 up to the insertion end, the locking claws 88 of the contact-forming fitting 22 enter the locking holes 46 of the tubular conductor 18, causing each locking claw 88 to elastically restore its original shape. The elastically restored locking claws 88 then fit into the locking holes 46 and abut against the front inner surfaces of the locking holes 46, preventing displacement of the assembled body in the removal direction (forward) from the tubular conductor 18 and maintaining the contact-forming fitting 22 attached to the tubular conductor 18.

[0077] Furthermore, when the assembly is inserted all the way into the tubular conductor portion 18, the outer surface 64 (the front portion of the lower outer surface 64a) of the first frame wall portion 76 overlaps the front portion of the inner surface 36 (the lower inner surface 36a) of the lower wall 30, and the outer surface 64 (the 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 the front portion of the inner surface 36 (the upper inner surface 36b) of the upper wall 32. These overlapping surfaces are then laser-welded and fixed. That is, the first weld portion 80a on the first frame wall portion 76 is welded to the first welded portion 38a on the front portion of the lower wall 30 to form a lower welded region LR. The second weld portion 80b on the second frame wall portion 78 is welded to the second welded portion 38b on the front portion of the upper wall 32 to form an upper welded region UR. As a result, the assembled body is welded and fixed in place while inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18, completing the female terminal 10 of embodiment 1. The order of welding in the lower welding region LR and the upper welding region UR is not limited.

[0078] <Assembly of Terminal Unit 14> A specific example of a method for inserting the male terminal 12 into the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment to assemble the terminal unit 14 in a state in which the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are connected will be described below.

[0079] First, the female terminal 10 and male terminal 12 assembled as described above are positioned opposite each other in the front-to-rear direction. Then, the male terminal 12 is inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18 through the male terminal insertion opening 26 and press-fit between the opposing surfaces of the first contacts 100 and second contacts 102 of the first contact spring portions 96 and second contact spring portions 98. As a result, as shown in Fig. 3, the first contacts 100 of the first contact spring portions 96 and the second contacts 102 of the second contact spring portions 98 abut against the lower and upper surfaces of the male terminal 12, respectively, and the first contact spring portions 96 and second contact spring portions 98 are pushed apart in directions separating them from each other.

[0080] Then, the bent portions 108 of the first contact spring portions 96 and the second contact spring portions 98, which have been spread outward in the vertical direction, come into contact with the bent portions 130 of the clip spring 124 from the inside in the vertical direction, causing the clamping plates 128 to elastically deform outward in the vertical direction. The elastic restoring force of the clamping plates 128 causes the clamping plates 128 to clamp the protruding ends 104 of the first contact spring portions 96 and the second contact spring portions 98, and urge the protruding ends 104 of the first contact spring portions 96 and the second contact spring portions 98 in directions approaching each other. As a result, the first contacts 100 and the second contacts 102 are pressed into contact with the lower and upper surfaces of the male terminal 12, which is press-fitted between the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring portions 96 and the second contact spring portions 98. As a result, the male terminals 12 and the female terminals 10 are electrically connected to each other, completing the terminal unit 14 in which the female terminals 10 and the male terminals 12 are connected to each other.

[0081] That is, the vertical distance A (see FIG. 3) of each bent portion 108 of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98 that are pressed against the male terminal 12 from both the top and bottom sides after the insertion of the male terminal 12 is greater than the vertical dimension B (see FIG. 6) of each bent portion 108 before the insertion of the male terminal 12. As a result, as the male terminal 12 is inserted, not only each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98 but also each of the clamping plate portions 128 of the clip spring 124 are pushed outward in the vertical direction, so that each of the first contacts 100 and each of the second contacts 102 is pressed against the bottom and top surfaces of the male terminal 12 not only by the elastic restoring force of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98 but also by the elastic restoring force of each of the clamping plate portions 128.

[0082] In particular, in the first embodiment, a pair of first contact spring portions 96, 96 and a pair of second contact spring portions 98, 98 are provided that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and a pair of clamping plate portions 128, 128 that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction are provided on each of the upper and lower sides of the clip spring 124. As a result, the upper and lower clamping plate portions 128, 128 on both the left and right sides respectively clamp the first contact spring portion 96 and the second contact spring portion 98, thereby pressing the first contact 100 and the second contact 102 against the male terminal 12.

[0083] According to the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment, the contact-forming fitting 22 having the first contacts 100 and the second contacts 102 is provided separately from the main body 20 having the tubular conductor portion 18, and the contact-forming fitting 22 is assembled within the tubular conductor portion 18. This allows the member constituting the contact (contact-forming fitting 22) to be formed from a second flat metal plate with a relatively small thickness, compared to conventional structures in which contacts are formed by bending a flat metal plate, thereby achieving a more compact female terminal 10. Furthermore, because the main body 20 having the tubular conductor portion 18 is formed by bending a first flat metal plate with a relatively large thickness, it can accommodate larger currents, achieving both an improved current-carrying capacity and avoiding an increase in the size of the terminal.

[0084] In particular, the contact-forming fitting 22 includes a frame portion 52 and contact spring portions 54 (first contact spring portions 96 and second contact spring portions 98), and each of the first contact spring portions 96 and second contact spring portions 98 protrudes inward from the frame portion 52. This reduces the risk of unintentional contact with each of the first contact spring portions 96 and second contact spring portions 98 when gripping the contact-forming fitting 22 during assembly of the contact-forming fitting 22 to the tubular conductor portion 18, thereby avoiding the problem of each of the first contact spring portions 96 and second contact spring portions 98 being deformed during assembly of the contact-forming fitting 22 and the tubular conductor portion 18.

[0085] The tubular conductor 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 are fixed together by welding together welds 80 (first welds 80a and second welds 80b) on the contact-forming fitting 22 and welded portions 38 (first welds 38a and second welds 38b) on the tubular conductor 18. These welds 80 are provided on the outer surface 64 of the frame 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and the welded portions 38 are provided on the inner surface 36 of the wall portions 30, 32, 34, and 35 of the tubular conductor 18. This ensures that each of the welds 80 and each of the welded portions 38 has a sufficient area, which improves the fixing strength and ultimately the conductivity stability.

[0086] The female terminal 10 has a pressing portion 82 that presses the weld portion 80 against the welded portion 38, and in the first embodiment, the pressing portion 82 is configured in the left-right central portion of the second frame wall portion 78 where the second weld portion 80b is provided. This pressing portion 82 can more reliably bring the second weld portion 80b into contact with the second welded portion 38b, thereby achieving stable welding.

[0087] The weld portion 80 is configured to include a first weld portion 80a and a second weld portion 80b, and the welded portion 38 is configured to include a first weld portion 38a and a second weld portion 38b. The first weld portion 80a and the first weld portion 38a are provided on the lower side in one direction (vertical direction) in the Z direction, and the second weld portion 80b and the second weld portion 38b are provided on the upper side in the other direction (vertical direction). This allows the tubular conductor portion 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 to be welded on both the upper and lower sides in the Z direction, further improving the fixing strength and conductivity stability.

[0088] Additionally, a pressing portion 82 is provided on the second frame wall portion 78 of the contact-forming fitting 22 by bending a portion of the second frame wall portion 78 outward (upward) in the Z direction. Because the contact-forming fitting 22 is formed from a relatively thin second metal plate, elastic deformation occurs easily in the pressing portion 82, and the pressing portion 82 can stably exert its effect of pressing the second welded portion 80b against the second welded portion 38b.

[0089] The connection portion 16 of the main body 20 is provided on the side of the bottom wall 30, which is the first main body wall portion, and the pressing portion 82 is provided on the second frame wall 78 but not on the first frame wall 76. That is, to provide the pressing portion 82 as in the first embodiment, slits 84 would be required on both the left and right sides of the pressing portion 82. However, because such slits 84 are not provided on the first frame wall 76, the first welded portion 80a can be provided on the first frame wall 76 over substantially the entire width (left-right) of the first frame wall 76. The connection portion 16 that is conductively connected to another member (e.g., a power source member such as a battery) is provided on the side of the first frame wall 76 with the larger welding area, i.e., on the side of the bottom wall 30. Therefore, the current path from the portion where the tubular conductor portion 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 are welded over a wide area (lower welding region LR) to the connection portion 16 can be shortened, thereby improving the conductivity between other components and the female terminal 10, and ultimately between the power supply side component and the load side component.

[0090] The frame 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22 has an abutment edge 85 that overlaps the end face 47 of the tubular conductor 18 on the male terminal insertion opening 26 side, and the insertion end of the contact-forming fitting 22 into the tubular conductor 18 is defined by the abutment of the abutment edge 85 against the end face 47. In the first embodiment, the first and second frame walls 76, 78 of the frame 52 are provided with abutment edges 85 that protrude outward in the vertical direction, and with this simple structure, rearward displacement of the contact-forming fitting 22 relative to the tubular conductor 18 can be limited.

[0091] The tubular conductor portion 18 is a rectangular tubular shape having left and right side walls 34, 35 and an upper wall 32 and a lower wall 30, while the frame portion 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22 is a rectangular frame shape having left and right side portions 56, 58 and an upper portion 60 and a lower portion 62. Because both the tubular conductor portion 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 have rectangular outer shapes, displacement (such as rattle) of the contact-forming fitting 22 within the tubular conductor portion 18 can be suppressed. Furthermore, because the first contact spring portions 96 and the second contact spring portions 98 of the contact-forming fitting 22 are formed by partially cutting and raising the lower portion 62 and the upper portion 60, respectively, no other members separate from the frame portion are used to form the first contact spring portions and the second contact spring portions, and the contact-forming fitting 22 can be formed with a good yield.

[0092] The left and right side walls 34, 35 of the tubular conductor 18 have locking holes 46, and the left and right side portions 56, 58 of the contact-forming fitting 22 have locking claws 88. When the contact-forming fitting 22 is assembled to the tubular conductor 18, the locking claws 88 fit into the locking holes 46. That is, the abutment between the abutting edges 85 and the end faces 47 limits displacement of the tubular conductor 18 in the insertion direction of the contact-forming fitting 22, while the engagement between the locking claws 88 and the locking holes 46 limits displacement of the tubular conductor 18 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the contact-forming fitting 22. This allows the contact-forming fitting 22 and the tubular conductor 18 to be positioned in the front-rear direction. As a result, the first welded portion 80a and the first welded portion 38a, and the second welded portion 80b and the second welded portion 38b, can be stably overlapped, ensuring reliable welding at these overlapping surfaces.

[0093] The female terminal 10 has clip springs 124 as contact pressure springs that are arranged to clamp the protruding ends 104 of the first contact spring portions 96 and the second contact spring portions 98. In the first embodiment, the clip springs 124 are assembled to the contact-forming fittings 22, and then the assembled body is inserted from the front into the tubular conductor portion 18 through the male terminal insertion opening 26. That is, in the conventional structure, the clip springs are assembled from the side with the opening widened, whereas in the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment, the clip springs 124 can be assembled to the tubular conductor portion 18 integrally with the contact-forming fittings 22 without widening them, thereby improving the workability when assembling the clip springs 124.

[0094] In the first embodiment, a clip spring 124 is employed as a contact pressure applying 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. This allows the clip spring 124 to be assembled to each of the first contact spring portions 96 and each of the second contact spring portions 98 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 openings 132 of the clip spring 124. In particular, in the first embodiment, the pair of first contact spring portions 96, 96 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction via a slit 112, and the pair of second contact spring portions 98, 98 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction via a slit 114. Furthermore, in the clip spring 124, two clamping plates 128 are provided on each of the upper and lower sides of the connecting plate 126, spaced apart in the left-right direction via slits 127. This allows the upper and lower clamping plates 128 to apply contact pressure to the first contact spring 96 and the second contact spring 98 separately on each of the left and right sides. As a result, even if, for example, the male terminal 12 is rotated about a central axis extending in the front-to-rear direction after insertion of the male terminal 12 into the female terminal 10, problems such as insufficient contact pressure being applied to either the left or right side can be avoided.

[0095] <Modifications> Although the first embodiment has been described above in detail as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0096] (1) In the above embodiment, the male terminal 12 is a flat tab terminal, and the tubular conductor portion 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 are each substantially rectangular with a horizontally long axis. However, this is not limited to this. For example, if the male terminal is a cylindrical pin terminal, the tubular conductor portion and the contact-forming fitting may each be cylindrical. Similarly, if the male terminal is a vertically long terminal, the tubular conductor portion and the contact-forming fitting may each be substantially rectangular with a vertically long axis. In this case, the first and second contact spring portions constituting the contact spring portion may be provided on each of a pair of side portions of the contact-forming fitting.

[0097] (2) In the above embodiment, the first and second welded portions 80a, 80b are provided at the respective front connection portions 72 of the lower portion 62 and upper portion 60 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and the first and second welded portions 38a, 38b are provided at the front portions of the lower wall 30 and upper wall 32 of the tubular conductor 18. However, this is not limiting. Instead of or in addition to the above-described portions, the welded regions between the tubular conductor and the contact-forming fitting may be provided at overlapping portions between the left and right side portions of the contact-forming fitting and the left and right side walls of the tubular conductor, or at overlapping portions between the tubular conductor and the rear opening of the contact-forming fitting. Furthermore, in addition to overlapping portions between the outer surface of the frame and the inner surface of the wall of the tubular conductor, overlapping portions between the abutting edges of the frame and the end face of the tubular conductor on the male terminal insertion opening side may also be welded.

[0098] (3) In the above embodiment, the contact-forming fitting 22 is inserted from the front male terminal insertion opening 26 side of the tubular conductor 18, but it may also be inserted from the rear opening window side. Also, when the contact-forming fitting is inserted into the tubular conductor from the rear, the abutting edge portion provided on the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting may be provided on the periphery of the rear opening, and the locking claw provided on the contact-forming fitting may be configured to protrude from the front to the rear. Note that these abutting edge portions, locking claws, and locking holes are not essential to the female terminal according to the present disclosure.

[0099] (4) In the above embodiment, after the clip spring 124 is assembled to the contact fitting 22, the assembled body is inserted into the tubular conductor 18 from the male terminal insertion opening 26 side. However, this is not limited to this. That is, for example, after the contact fitting is inserted into the tubular conductor, the contact pressure spring (e.g., clip spring) may be inserted into the contact fitting from the rear through the rear opening window in the tubular conductor and the rear opening in the contact fitting. Note that the contact fitting and the contact pressure spring (e.g., clip spring) are not limited to being fixed by the engagement between the engaging protrusions 116 and the engaged portions 134 as in the above embodiment. A member for preventing the contact pressure spring inserted into the contact fitting from falling off rearward may be assembled to the contact fitting or the tubular conductor.

[0100] (5) In the above embodiment, the pressing portion 82 of the contact-forming fitting 22 is provided on the second frame wall 78 and not on the first frame wall 76. However, this is not limited to this. That is, for example, a pressing portion may be provided on the first frame wall in addition to the second frame wall. Alternatively, a pressing portion may not be provided on the second frame wall, and both the first and second frame walls may be welded to the inner surfaces of the lower and upper walls of the tubular conductor over substantially the entire width. In these cases, the contact-forming fitting has a substantially vertically symmetrical shape, and therefore can be assembled to the tubular conductor regardless of whether it is on the top or bottom.

[0101] Alternatively, the pressing portion may be provided on the front portion of the side of the frame body, or on the rear wall of the frame body (the rear connection portion of the lower or upper part, or the rear portion of the side). In either case, it is preferable that a welding portion be provided in the pressing portion to be welded to the welded portion. Note that the pressing portion is not essential to the female terminal according to the present disclosure. Furthermore, even if a pressing portion is provided, it is not limited to a form in which it protrudes outward from the contact-forming fitting as in the above embodiment.

[0102] (6) In the above embodiment, each first contact spring portion 96 is formed by partially cutting and raising the lower portion 62 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and each second contact spring portion 98 is formed by partially cutting and raising the upper portion 60 of the contact-forming fitting 22. However, this is not limiting. That is, the first contact spring portion and / or the second contact spring portion may be formed separately from the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting and then later fixed to the metal plate that constitutes the frame portion by welding or the like. The contact-forming fitting may then be formed by pressing this metal plate.

[0103] (7) In the above embodiment, the tubular conductor 18 is provided with the locking holes 46, and the contact-forming fitting 22 is provided with the locking claws 88. However, this is not a limitation. That is, instead of or in addition to the above embodiment, the tubular conductor may be provided with locking claws, and the contact-forming fitting may be provided with locking holes. Also, in the above embodiment, the locking claws 88 protrude in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the contact-forming fitting 22 into the tubular conductor 18 (from rear to front), preventing displacement of the contact-forming fitting 22 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the contact-forming fitting 22 relative to the tubular conductor 18. However, this is not a limitation. For example, the locking claws may protrude in the same direction as the insertion direction of the contact-forming fitting into the tubular conductor, preventing displacement of the contact-forming fitting relative to the tubular conductor in the insertion direction. In this case, for example, inserting the contact-forming fitting into the tubular conductor with the locking claws pressed inward can prevent the locking claws from catching on the wall of the tubular conductor during insertion of the contact-forming fitting.

[0104] (8) In the above embodiment, the female terminal 10 includes a clip spring 124 as a contact pressure applying spring. However, a contact pressure applying spring is not essential for the female terminal according to the present disclosure. That is, the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion may be pushed outward in the vertical direction by the insertion of the male terminal, and the first and second contacts of the first and second contact spring portions may be pressed against the male terminal by the elastic restoring force of the first and second contact spring portions. Furthermore, even when a contact pressure applying spring is used, it does not have to be a clip spring; a contact pressure applying spring of any structure, such as a coil spring or an annular elastic body, may be used.

[0105] (9) In the above embodiment, a pair of first contact spring portions 96, 96 was provided on the lower portion 62 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and a pair of second contact spring portions 98, 98 was provided on the upper portion 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 portion of the contact-forming fitting, and one or more second contact spring portions may be provided on the upper portion of the contact-forming fitting. Similarly, the number of upper and lower clamping plates of the clip spring is not limited, and one or more of each may be provided. Note 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 above embodiment, the connection portion 16 that is electrically connected to another component extends rearward from the lower wall 30 of the tubular conductor portion 18. However, it may also extend rearward from, for example, the upper wall or the left and right side walls of the tubular conductor portion.

[0107] (11) In the above embodiment, the portions that butt together when the second metal plate is pressed to form the contact-forming fitting 22 are provided on the left side portion 56 of the contact-forming fitting 22, but this is not limited to this form, and the portions that butt together when pressed can be set at any position on the contact-forming fitting.

[0108] 10 female terminal 12 male terminal 14 terminal unit 16 connection portion 18 tubular conductor portion 20 main body portion 22 contact forming fitting 24 bolt insertion hole 26 male terminal insertion port 28 rear opening window 30 lower wall (first main body wall portion) 32 upper wall (second main body wall portion) 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 portion 38a first welded portion 38b second welded portion 40 mating convex portion 42 mating concave portion 44 crimping piece 46 lock hole 47 end face 48 abutting portion 50 bent portion 52 frame portion 54 contact spring portion 56 left side portion 58 Right side portion 60 Upper portion 62 Lower portion 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 portion 72 Front connection portion 74 Rear connection portion 76 First frame wall portion 78 Second frame wall portion 80 Welded portion 80a First welded portion 80b Second welded portion 82 Pressing portion 84 Slit 85 Abutting edge portion 86 Through hole 88 Locking claw 96 First contact spring portion 98 Second contact spring portion 100 First contact 102 Second contact 104 Protruding end portion 106 Curved surface 108 Bent portion 110 Recessed portions 112, 114 Slit 116 Engaging protrusion 118a First left side portion 118b Second left side portion 120 Engaging protrusion 122 Engaging recess 124 Clip spring (contact pressure spring) 126 Connecting plate portion 127 Slit 128 Clamping plate portion 130 Bent portion 132 Insertion opening 134 Engaged portion R Welded region LR Lower welded region UR Upper welded region

Claims

1. A female terminal comprising: a main body portion which is a press-formed product of a first metal plate, the main body portion having a connection portion which is conductively connected to another member and a hollow tubular conductor portion; and a contact-forming metal fitting which is a press-formed product of a second metal plate which is thinner than the first metal plate, the main body portion being conductively assembled to the tubular conductor portion, the tubular conductor portion having a male terminal insertion port which opens toward one end side, the contact-forming metal fitting having a frame portion which is assembled to the inner surface of a wall portion of the tubular conductor portion, and a contact spring portion which is held by the frame portion and protrudes toward the inside of the frame portion to be pressed against a male terminal inserted through the male terminal insertion port, and a welding portion provided on the outer surface of the frame portion of the contact-forming metal fitting is overlapped with a welded portion provided on the inner surface of the wall portion of the tubular conductor portion of the main body portion, and the two are welded to each other.

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

3. The female terminal according to claim 2, wherein the wall portion of the tubular conductor portion of the main body portion has a first body wall portion and a second body wall portion disposed opposite each other in a Z direction perpendicular to the X direction which is an axial direction of the tubular conductor portion, the welded portion includes a first welded portion and a second welded portion constituted by the inner surfaces of the first body wall portion and the second body wall portion on the male terminal insertion opening side, the frame portion of the contact-forming metal fitting has a first frame wall portion overlapping the first welded portion in the Z direction and a second frame wall portion overlapping the second welded portion in the Z direction, the welded portion includes a first welded portion provided on the first frame wall portion and welded to the first welded portion, and a second welded portion provided on the second frame wall portion and welded to the second welded portion, and at least one of the first frame wall portion and the second frame wall portion has the pressing portion formed by being bent outward in the Z direction and elastically deformable inward in the Z direction.

4. A female terminal as described in claim 3, wherein the connection portion of the main body is provided on the first main body wall portion side, and the pressing portion of the contact-forming metal fitting is provided on the second frame wall portion and not on the first frame wall portion.

5. A female terminal as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the contact-forming fitting is inserted from the male terminal insertion opening on one end side of the tubular conductor portion toward the other end side and is assembled to the tubular conductor portion, the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting has an abutment edge portion which is superimposed on the end face of the tubular conductor portion on the male terminal insertion opening side, and the insertion end of the contact-forming fitting into the tubular conductor portion is determined by the abutment of the abutment edge portion against the end face.

6. A female terminal as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tubular conductor portion has a rectangular tubular shape having a pair of side walls and an upper wall and a lower wall connected by the pair of side walls, the frame portion of the contact-forming metal fitting has a rectangular frame shape having a pair of side portions superimposed on each of the pair of side walls of the tubular conductor portion, and an upper portion and a lower portion superimposed on each of the upper wall and the lower wall of the tubular conductor portion, and the cantilever-shaped contact spring portion is formed by partially cutting out and raising at least one of the upper portion and the lower portion of the frame portion inward.

7. The female terminal as described in claim 6, wherein the contact-forming fitting is inserted from the male terminal insertion opening on one end side of the tubular conductor portion toward the other end side thereof and is assembled to the tubular conductor portion, wherein the pair of side walls of the tubular conductor portion and one of the pair of side parts of the frame body portion each have a locking hole, and the other of the pair of side walls of the tubular conductor portion and the pair of side parts of the frame body portion each have a locking claw which fits into the locking hole, and wherein the locking claw elastically deforms to allow insertion of the contact-forming fitting to the other end side and the locking claw elastically returns to its original state to fit into the locking hole, thereby maintaining the contact-forming fitting in an assembled state to the tubular conductor portion.

8. The female terminal according to claim 6, wherein the contact-forming fitting 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 parts of the frame portion have a pair of upper and lower first and second contact spring portions which are held by the frame portion at the one end side and protrude inward toward the other end side in a cantilever shape, and the female terminal further comprises a contact pressure applying spring which is arranged to sandwich the respective protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion and has a size which allows the rear opening to be inserted, and wherein as the male terminal is pressed between the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, the contact pressure applying spring urges the respective protruding ends in a direction approaching each other, so that the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are pressed against the male terminal.

9. A terminal unit comprising a female terminal and a male terminal connected to said female terminal, said female terminal being the female terminal defined in claim 1 or 2.

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