Female terminal

Abstract

The invention discloses a female terminal, which can restrain large size of the female terminal, stably guarantee following performance or contact pressure of a male terminal, restrain deformation of the female terminal and improve assembling performance even under the condition that large current needs to be handled. A female terminal (10) is provided with: a main body section (18) having a box-shaped conductor section (16); and a pair of contact forming members (22a, 22b) having a plate thickness smaller than that of the main body portion (18), the box-shaped conductor portion (16) having a rear opening window (30), the pair of contact forming members (22a, 22b) including a first spring piece (60) having a first contact (66) and a second spring piece (64) having a second contact (68), and being provided with a contact pressure applying spring (82), the contact pressure applying spring (82) is disposed on the protruding end portions (74) of the first spring piece (60) and the second spring piece (64), and can be inserted through the rear opening window (30), and the first contact (66) and the second contact (68) are crimped to the male terminal (12) by pressing the protruding end portions (74) in the direction in which the protruding end portions (74) approach each other by the contact pressure applying spring (82) as the male terminal (12) is pressed in.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a female terminal. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 proposes a female terminal formed by stamping a metal flat plate. A wire connection portion formed by overlapping a pair of flat plate portions is provided on the base end side of the female terminal, and a male terminal mounting barrel portion is provided on the top end side of the female terminal, and a flat joint-shaped male terminal is inserted into the male terminal mounting barrel portion. The male terminal mounting barrel portion has a pair of L-shaped support plate portions, and the pair of support plate portions protrude toward the top end side after protruding from each flat plate portion to the opposite side of the overlapping direction. It also has a pair of contact spring portions, which are connected to the protruding ends of the pair of support plate portions in a cantilever beam shape via a semicircular arc-shaped curved portion and protrude toward the base end side. The pair of contact spring portions are arranged opposite to each other across the male terminal insertion gap, and a separate contact pressure imparting spring is installed at the top end of the pair of contact spring portions. Through the contact pressure imparting spring, the contact pressure of the pair of contact spring portions to the male terminal is added, and the stable connection state of the male and female terminals can be maintained. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-83287 Summary of the invention Problems to be solved by the invention

[0004] However, since the female terminal of Patent Document 1 is formed by stamping a metal flat 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 thicker. As a result, in order to ensure the followability of the contact spring portion to the male terminal, it is necessary to respond by lengthening the contact spring portion, and there is a tendency for the female terminal to be enlarged. In addition, when the plate thickness of the contact spring portion becomes thicker, the reaction force of the contact spring portion when it shifts to follow the male terminal also becomes larger, so the possibility of affecting the contact pressure applied by the contact pressure applying spring, deformation of the supporting plate portion, etc. is also considered. In addition, the contact pressure applying spring needs to be installed relative to the top end of a pair of contact spring portions from the side of the contact spring portion, which makes it difficult to assemble.

[0005] Therefore, a female terminal is disclosed which can suppress enlargement of the female terminal even when it is necessary to cope with a large current, stably ensure followability or contact pressure with respect to the male terminal, suppress deformation of the female terminal, and improve assemblability. Solutions to Solve Problems

[0006] The female terminal of the present invention comprises: a main body, a connecting portion for conductive connection with other components is provided at one end side in the length direction, and a hollow box-shaped conductor portion is provided at the other end side in the length direction; and a pair of contact forming parts, which have a plate thickness smaller than that of the main body and can be conductively fixedly mounted and held on a pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion, the box-shaped conductor portion having a male terminal insertion port opening toward the other end side and a rear opening window opening toward the one end side, one side of the pair of contact forming parts comprises: a first fixing portion fixedly mounted on one side of the pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion; and a first spring piece, which is cantilever-shaped and held on the first fixing portion and protrudes from the male terminal insertion port toward the rear opening window, and the other side of the pair of contact forming parts comprises: a second fixing portion fixedly mounted on The other side of the pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor part; and a second spring piece, which is held in the second fixing part in a cantilever beam shape and protrudes from the male terminal insertion port toward the rear opening window, the first spring piece having a first contact on the surface opposite to the second spring piece, the second spring piece having a second contact on the surface opposite to the first spring piece, and a contact pressure imparting spring, the contact pressure imparting spring being arranged at the protruding end portions of each of the first spring piece and the second spring piece, and having a size capable of being inserted through the rear opening window, and as the male terminal is pressed between the opposing surfaces of the first spring piece and the second spring piece, the protruding end portions are urged in directions approaching each other by the contact pressure imparting spring, and the first contact and the second contact are crimped onto the male terminal. Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the connector of the present invention, it is possible to suppress an increase in size of the connector itself and an increase in manufacturing cost, and to suppress or prevent an external force applied to the electric wire from being transmitted to the terminal side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a state where the female terminal according to the first embodiment is fitted with the male terminal. Figure 2 Yes Figure 1 The main part of the female terminal is shown in an enlarged top view. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Section view III-III in FIG. Figure 4 Yes Figure 1 The female terminal shown is a perspective view in a state of being separated from the male terminal. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown is Figure 3 The corresponding figure. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 VI-VI section view in. Figure 7 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the female terminal is shown. Figure 8 Will constitute Figure 1 The main body of the female terminal shown is a perspective view in an expanded state before being bent. Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 IX-IX section view in. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] <Description of Embodiments of the Invention> First, embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of examples. The female terminal of the present invention, (1) It comprises: a main body, a connection portion for conductive connection with other components is provided at one end side in the longitudinal direction, and a hollow box-shaped conductor portion is provided at the other end side in the longitudinal direction; and a pair of contact forming parts, which have a plate thickness smaller than that of the main body and are conductively fixedly held on a pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion, the box-shaped conductor portion having a male terminal insertion port opening toward the other end side and a rear opening window opening toward the one end side, one side of the pair of contact forming parts comprises: a first fixing portion fixedly held on one side of the pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion; and a first spring piece, which is cantilever-shaped and held on the first fixing portion and protrudes from the male terminal insertion port toward the rear opening window, and the other side of the pair of contact forming parts comprises: a second fixing portion fixedly held on the box shaped conductor portion; and a second spring piece, which is held in the second fixing portion in a cantilever beam shape and protrudes from the male terminal insertion port toward the rear opening window, the first spring piece having a first contact on a surface opposite to the second spring piece, the second spring piece having a second contact on a surface opposite to the first spring piece, and provided with a contact pressure imparting spring, the contact pressure imparting spring being arranged at respective protruding ends of the first spring piece and the second spring piece, and having a size capable of being inserted through the rear opening window, and as the male terminal is pressed into between the opposing surfaces of the first spring piece and the second spring piece, the protruding ends are urged in directions approaching each other by the contact pressure imparting spring, and the first contact and the second contact are crimped against the male terminal.

[0010] According to the female terminal of the present invention, the main body has a connecting portion and a box-shaped conductor portion, and a pair of contact forming parts with a plate thickness smaller than that of the main body can be fixedly mounted and held on a pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion in a conductive manner. Thus, when a large current needs to flow, the on-resistance can be reduced by increasing the plate thickness of the main body, and the contact with the male terminal can be formed by the contact forming parts with a plate thickness thinner than that of the main body. As a result, the length of the first spring piece and the second spring piece will not be lengthened by the contact forming parts with a thin plate thickness, and the followability to the male terminal can be ensured, and the enlargement of the female terminal can be suppressed. Furthermore, because the plate thickness of the first spring piece and the second spring piece is smaller than that of the main body, the reaction force of the first spring piece and the second spring piece when following the displacement of the male terminal can be reduced, and the occurrence of an unfavorable situation in which the contact pressure imparting spring is deformed too much and cannot ensure the desired contact pressure can be advantageously suppressed or prevented. In addition, since the plate thickness of the main body is larger than that of the contact forming part, the rigidity can be advantageously ensured by utilizing the box shape of the box-shaped conductor portion. Therefore, by following the reaction force of the first spring piece and the second spring piece when the male terminal is displaced, the undesirable situation in which the entire female terminal including the box-shaped conductor portion is deformed can also be advantageously suppressed or prevented.

[0011] Furthermore, since the box-shaped conductor portion of the main body has a rear opening window and the contact pressure imparting spring has a size that can be inserted through the rear opening window, the contact pressure imparting spring can be inserted through the rear opening window from the front side of the protruding direction and arranged at the protruding ends of the first spring piece and the second spring piece. As a result, the assemblability of the female terminal is improved compared to the conventional structure that can only be assembled from the side side that is a direction perpendicular to the protruding direction of the first spring piece and the second spring piece.

[0012] (2) Preferably, the contact pressure imparting spring is formed by a clamp spring, the clamp spring having a rectangular flat plate-shaped connecting plate portion and a pair of rectangular flat plate-shaped clamping plate portions protruding from both side edges of the connecting plate portion in a direction approaching each other, and when the male terminal is inserted, the protruding end portion of the first spring piece and the protruding end portion of the second spring piece are clamped between the pair of clamping plate portions of the clamp spring. By adopting the clamp spring as the contact pressure imparting spring, it is possible to configure the protruding end portions of the first spring piece and the second spring piece, and the contact pressure imparting spring that can apply force to the protruding end portions of the first spring piece and the second spring piece in a direction approaching each other when the male terminal is inserted can be formed with a compact and simple structure.

[0013] (3) Preferably, the first fixing portion of one of the contact forming parts is fixed to one of the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor part by welding, and the second fixing portion of the other contact forming part is fixed to the other opposing inner surface of the box-shaped conductor part by welding. Since the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion of the pair of contact forming parts are fixed to the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor part by welding, respectively, the on-resistance of the female terminal can be advantageously reduced.

[0014] (4) In the above (3), preferably, one of the contact forming parts is fixed by riveting to one of the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor part, and the other contact forming part is fixed by riveting to the other opposing inner surface of the box-shaped conductor part. By fixing the contact forming part by riveting to the box-shaped conductor part, it is possible to further reduce the contact resistance or improve the retention of the contact forming part to the box-shaped conductor part.

[0015] (5) Preferably, the box-shaped conductor portion has a positioning protrusion protruding from the inner surface, and the insertion end position of the contact pressure imparting spring from the rear opening window to the inside of the box-shaped conductor portion is determined by abutting against the positioning protrusion protruding from the inner surface of the box-shaped conductor portion. The insertion end position of the contact pressure imparting spring from the rear opening window to the inside of the box-shaped conductor portion is determined by abutting against the positioning protrusion protruding from the inner surface of the box-shaped conductor portion, so that the operator can insert the contact pressure imparting spring from the rear opening window and easily and stably arrange the contact pressure imparting spring at a desired position. As a result, the assembly performance of the female terminal can be further improved.

[0016] (6) Preferably, a stopper is further provided, the stopper being assembled to the box-shaped conductor portion and covering the rear opening window. By assembling the stopper covering the rear opening window to the box-shaped conductor portion, it is possible to advantageously prevent the contact pressure imparting spring from being separated from the rear opening window, thereby stably maintaining the structure of the female terminal.

[0017] (7) In the above (6), it is preferred that the stopper has a displacement limiting portion, and the displacement limiting portion is arranged close to the contact pressure imparting spring, and by abutting against the contact pressure imparting spring, the displacement toward the rear opening window is limited. By further providing a displacement limiting portion on the stopper covering the rear opening window, the displacement of the contact pressure imparting spring toward the rear opening window side is limited, and the desired contact pressure of the contact pressure imparting spring can be stably maintained, and the structure of the female terminal can be stably maintained.

[0018] (8) Preferably, the main body is a stamped product composed of a single metal flat plate, and the connecting portion has the same plate thickness as the metal flat plate. By using a metal flat plate with a plate thickness corresponding to the required current capacity to form the entire main body, the desired value of on-resistance can be advantageously achieved. In addition, since the connecting portion has the same plate thickness as the metal flat plate, it does not become thicker due to folding or overlapping of multiple components, and there will be no problem of resin entering between overlapping surfaces, and the process of insert molding the connecting portion into the connector housing, etc. can be advantageously performed.

[0019] (9) In any one of the above (2) to (8), it is preferred that the clamp spring includes a plurality of first spring pieces and a plurality of second spring pieces respectively arranged at a plurality of locations separated from each other in the plate width direction of the male terminal, and the clamp spring includes a plurality of pairs of clamping plate portions respectively arranged at a plurality of locations separated from each other in the plate width direction, and when the male terminal is inserted, the protruding ends of the plurality of first spring pieces and the protruding ends of the plurality of second spring pieces are respectively clamped by the plurality of pairs of clamping plate portions. The male terminal can be clamped by the plurality of first spring pieces and the second spring pieces arranged at a plurality of locations separated from each other in the plate width direction. Moreover, when the male terminal is inserted, the pair of first spring pieces and second spring pieces are respectively clamped by a pair of clamping plate portions separately arranged in the plate width direction. Thus, stable followability of the female terminal to the rotational displacement of the male terminal can be advantageously achieved.

[0020] <Details of Embodiments of the Invention> Specific examples of the female terminal of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0021] <Implementation Method 1> Below, use Figures 1 to 9 The female terminal 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention is described. The female terminal 10 is a terminal connected between a power supply side member such as a battery and a load side member such as a motor. The female terminal 10 provided on one side of the power supply side and the load side and the male terminal 12 provided on the other side of the power supply side and the load side are in contact with each other to form a conductive state, thereby supplying power from a power supply such as a battery to a load such as a motor. In addition, the female terminal 10 can be arranged in any direction, but it is assumed below that the upper side is Figure 3 The top of the middle and the bottom of the middle Figure 3 Below, in front Figure 2 The left side of the middle, the back side is Figure 2 The right side of the Figure 2 The top of the middle and the right Figure 2In addition, regarding a plurality of identical components, sometimes only some of the components are denoted by reference numerals, and reference numerals are omitted for the other components.

[0022] <Female terminal 10> The female terminal 10 includes a main body 18, and the main body 18 is provided with a connection portion 14 for conductive connection with other members (for example, a power source side member such as a battery) at one end side (rear end side) in the longitudinal direction, and has a hollow box-shaped conductor portion 16 at the other end side (front end side) in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the female terminal 10 includes a pair of contact forming parts 22, 22 (first and second contact forming parts 22a, 22b described later), and the pair of contact forming parts 22, 22 have a smaller plate thickness than the main body 18, and are conductively fixedly held on a pair of opposing inner surfaces 20, 20 (inner surfaces 20a, 20b of the upper wall portion 32 and the lower wall portion 34 described later).

[0023] <Male terminal 12> The male terminal 12 is a connector terminal that is plate-shaped as a whole. The male terminal 12 has a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above, has a predetermined width dimension (left-right dimension) and thickness dimension (up-down dimension), and extends roughly straight in the front-to-back direction. In embodiment 1, the male terminal 12 is formed into a laterally longer shape in which the width dimension is larger than the thickness dimension. In addition, in the male terminal 12, the end (rear end portion) on the front side of the insertion direction of the female terminal 10 is a shape that becomes thinner at the end. The male terminal 12 is conductive, for example, and is formed of a metal with low electrical resistance such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, etc. At the base end portion (front end portion) of the male terminal 12, for example, a bolt insertion hole is provided and the male terminal 12 is fixed to other components (for example, load-side components such as motors) using bolts not shown, or the wires on the load side are fixed, crimped, etc.

[0024] <Connection 14> The connecting portion 14 is generally plate-shaped and extends in the front-to-back direction. When viewed from above, it is a generally rectangular shape with a front-to-back dimension larger than a left-to-right dimension. A bolt insertion hole 24 is formed at the rear end of the connecting portion 14 and penetrates in the plate thickness direction (up-down direction). For example, the female terminal 10 can be fixed to other components (for example, power supply side components such as batteries) by a bolt not shown inserted into the bolt insertion hole 24. In addition, in the case of a female connector including the female terminal 10, a terminal of an electric wire can be fixed to the connecting portion 14, and in the case of a terminal seat including the female terminal 10, a bus bar forming an internal circuit can be connected to the connecting portion 14. In addition, the connecting portion 14 has a relatively wide flat portion on the upper surface or the lower surface. As a result, it is easy to apply adhesives or the like to these flat portions. For example, when forming a female connector or a terminal seat including the female terminal 10, by applying adhesives or the like to the connecting portion 14 and setting the female terminal 10 in the forming cavity for forming, a female connector or a terminal seat having the female terminal 10 can be easily formed in one piece.

[0025] In addition, as described later, the main body 18 having the connection portion 14 and the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is a stamped product formed by stamping a single metal flat plate. That is, the connection portion 14 has the same plate thickness (vertical dimension) as the metal flat plate constituting the main body 18. In addition, the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is integrally connected to the front of the connection portion 14. Figure 6 As shown, a narrow width portion 26 is provided at the connection portion (the front end portion of the connection portion 14) between the connection portion 14 and the box-shaped conductor portion 16, and the width dimension (left-right dimension) of the narrow width portion 26 is smaller than that of the connection portion 14 and the box-shaped conductor portion 16. Thus, the metal plate can be easily punched.

[0026] <Box-shaped conductor portion 16> The box-shaped conductor part 16 is generally in a substantially rectangular box shape or substantially rectangular tube shape with openings on both sides in the front-back direction, and has a male terminal insertion port 28 opened toward the other end side (front end side) in the length direction of the main body part 18 and a rear opening window 30 opened toward one end side (rear end side) in the length direction. In the first embodiment, the box-shaped conductor part 16 is a shape that is long in the horizontal direction and has a width dimension (left-right dimension) larger than a width dimension (up-down dimension). In addition, the box-shaped conductor part 16 includes an upper wall part 32 constituting an upper wall part, a lower wall part 34 constituting a lower wall part, and a left wall part 36 and a right wall part 38 constituting the left and right wall parts. Thus, the upper wall part 32 and the lower wall part 34 are opposed to each other in the upper-down direction. In the first embodiment, a pair of opposed inner surfaces 20, 20 are formed by the inner surface 20a of the upper wall part 32 and the inner surface 20b of the lower wall part 34, and the pair of contact forming parts 22, 22 are fixedly mounted and held on the pair of opposed inner surfaces 20, 20.

[0027] In addition, as described above, the main body 18 having the connection portion 14 and the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is formed by performing a stamping process on a single metal flat plate, and in the first embodiment, the connection portion 14 and the lower wall portion 34 are connected to each other via the narrow width portion 26. In addition, a fitting convex portion 40 protruding toward the right wall portion 38 is provided at the middle portion in the front-back direction of the right end portion of the upper wall portion 32, and a fitting concave portion 42 opening toward the upper wall portion 32 is provided at the middle portion in the front-back direction of the upper end portion of the right wall portion 38. The length dimension (forward-back dimension) of the fitting convex portion 40 is substantially equal to or slightly larger than the length dimension (forward-back dimension) of the fitting concave portion 42. Thus, when the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is formed by performing a stamping process on the metal flat plate, the fitting convex portion 40 of the upper wall portion 32 is embedded in the fitting concave portion 42 of the right wall portion 38 in a substantially pressed state, thereby preventing the upper wall portion 32 and the right wall portion 38 from being accidentally separated when the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is formed.

[0028] In addition, the left wall portion 36 and the right wall portion 38 are opposed to each other in the left-right direction. Figure 6 As shown in the figure, positioning protrusions 48 protruding toward the inner side of the opposing direction (inner side of the left-right direction) are provided on the inner surface 44 of the left wall portion 36 and the inner surface 46 of the right wall portion 38 constituting the inner surface of the box-shaped conductor portion 16. Furthermore, locking protrusions 50 protruding toward the outer side of the opposing direction (outer side of the left-right direction) are provided on the left wall portion 36 and the right wall portion 38 in front of each positioning protrusion 48. The rear end surface of each positioning protrusion 48 and the front end surface of each locking protrusion 50 are respectively formed as vertical surfaces 52 extending in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

[0029] <Main body 18> Here, as described above, the main body 18 including the connection portion 14 and the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is a stamped product formed by stamping a single metal flat plate. Figure 8 , 9 In the figure, the main body 18 (metal flat plate) before the stamping process is performed is shown in an unfolded state. Figure 8 , 9 As shown, a pair of contact forming parts 22, 22 are fixedly mounted on the inner surfaces 20a, 20b of the upper wall portion 32 and the lower wall portion 34 of the main body 18 (metal flat plate) in a state before a stamping process or the like is performed. The method of fixing each contact forming part 22 to each inner surface 20a, 20b is not limited, but in embodiment 1, as described later, each contact forming part 22 is fixed to each inner surface 20a, 20b by welding and riveting. Therefore, a snap-fitting protrusion 54 is provided at the four corners of each inner surface 20a, 20b, and the snap-fitting protrusion 54 is used to rivet and fix each contact forming part 22. Each snap-fitting protrusion 54 is Figure 1In the state of the box-shaped conductor part 16 shown in the figure, it is arranged to protrude inward in the vertical direction. Figure 8 , 9 In the expanded state shown in the figure, the main body portion 18 is provided so as to protrude upward from the inner surfaces 20 a and 20 b of the upper wall portion 32 and the lower wall portion 34 .

[0030] In addition, if Figure 8 , 9 As shown in the figure, in the unfolded state of the main body 18, the upper wall 32, the left wall 36, the lower wall 34, and the right wall 38 constituting the box-shaped conductor part 16 are continuously arranged in the left-right direction, and the connecting part 14 extends from the lower wall 34 to the rear via the narrow width part 26. In addition, a bending part 56 is provided between the upper wall 32 and the left wall 36, the left wall 36 and the lower wall 34, and the lower wall 34 and the right wall 38. By bending each bending part 56 and fitting the fitting protrusion 40 and the fitting recess 42, the box-shaped conductor part 16 is formed in the front part of the main body 18. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the upper wall 32, the left wall 36, the lower wall 34, the right wall 38, and the connecting part 14 constituting the box-shaped conductor part 16 all have a substantially constant plate thickness dimension. The metal material constituting the main body 18 is not limited, but a metal having excellent electrical conductivity, such as pure copper, can be used.

[0031] <Contact forming part 22> As described above, the pair of contact forming parts 22, 22 are fixedly held on the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 and the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34, and are composed of a first contact forming part 22a as one of the pair of contact forming parts 22, 22 fixedly held on the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32, and a second contact forming part 22b as the other of the pair of contact forming parts 22, 22 fixedly held on the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34. In addition, for ease of understanding, Figure 1 , 4 In FIG. 7 , the first and second contact forming parts 22a and 22b disposed inside the box-shaped conductor portion 16 are shown by dotted lines, respectively. Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , the first contact forming component 22 a housed and arranged inside the box-shaped conductor portion 16 and a clamp spring 82 as a contact pressure applying spring described later are indicated by dotted lines.

[0032] Furthermore, the first contact forming part 22a includes: a first fixing portion 58 fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32; and a first spring piece 60 held in the first fixing portion 58 in a cantilever beam shape and protruding from the male terminal insertion port 28 toward the rear opening window 30, that is, from the front to the rear. In addition, the second contact forming part 22b includes: a second fixing portion 62 fixed to the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34; and a second spring piece 64 held in the second fixing portion 62 in a cantilever beam shape and protruding from the male terminal insertion port 28 toward the rear opening window 30, that is, from the front to the rear. The first spring piece 60 and the second spring piece 64 face each other in the up-down direction. The first spring piece 60 has a first contact 66 on a surface (lower surface) facing the second spring piece 64 , and the second spring piece 64 has a second contact 68 on a surface (upper surface) facing the first spring piece 60 .

[0033] In the first embodiment, in the first contact forming part 22a, the first spring pieces 60, 60 are respectively provided at a plurality of locations (two locations) separated from each other in the plate width direction (left-right direction) of the male terminal 12, and in the second contact forming part 22b, the second spring pieces 64, 64 are respectively provided at a plurality of locations (two locations) separated from each other in the plate width direction (left-right direction) of the male terminal 12.

[0034] Hereinafter, the specific shapes of the first contact forming part 22a and the second contact forming part 22b will be described. However, since the first contact forming part 22a and the second contact forming part 22b have the same shape, the first contact forming part 22a will be described, and the description of the second contact forming part 22b will be omitted. That is, the first fixing portion 58 and the second fixing portion 62 have shapes corresponding to each other, and each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 have shapes corresponding to each other. As the material of the first contact forming part 22a and the second contact forming part 22b, a metal having electrical conductivity and spring property can be used, for example, a copper alloy can be used.

[0035] The first contact forming part 22a is composed of a generally rectangular plate-like body as a whole, and has a plate thickness dimension smaller than that of the metal flat plate constituting the main body 18. In addition, by cutting and raising the central portion of the generally rectangular plate-like body in one direction in the plate thickness direction, a generally frame-shaped first fixing portion 58 is provided in the outer peripheral portion, and a pair of first spring pieces 60, 60 are formed by the cut and raised portion. That is, in the first contact forming part 22a, a gap 70 is formed in three directions (rear and left and right sides) around each first spring piece 60, and each first spring piece 60 is connected to the first fixing portion 58 of the outer peripheral portion of the first contact forming part 22a at the front end. In other words, each first spring piece 60 extends from the front end portion of the first fixing portion 58 toward the rear, and the protruding dimension toward one side in the plate thickness direction increases as it goes to the rear. As a result, in the first contact forming part 22a, each first spring piece 60 can be elastically deformed in the plate thickness direction.

[0036] In addition, a bent portion 72 is provided at the protruding top portion of each first spring piece 60, and the inclination angle of each first spring piece 60 relative to the first fixing portion 58 is reduced at the bent portion 72. Specifically, by providing the bent portion 72 at the protruding top portion of each first spring piece 60, the first spring piece 60 is in a natural state before the male terminal 12 is inserted. Figure 4 , 5 or Figure 8 As shown, the protruding end portion 74 (rear end portion) of each first spring piece 60 extends in the same direction as the first fixing portion 58 or the upper wall portion 32 , that is, in the horizontal direction (a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction).

[0037] Furthermore, a first contact 66 is provided at the formation position of the bent portion 72 of each first spring piece 60, and the first contact 66 protrudes toward the cutting direction of each first spring piece 60, that is, toward one side of the plate thickness direction of the first contact forming part 22a. Figure 3 In the longitudinal section shown, the first contacts 66 are arranged in a curved arc shape, have a predetermined left-right dimension in the left-right central portion of each first spring piece 60, and are arranged in each first spring piece 60 so as to span both sides via the bent portion 72. Each of the first contacts 66 is in an oval shape in which the dimension in the front-back direction, which is the insertion direction of the male terminal 12, is larger than the dimension in the left-right direction when viewed from above (in the projection in the up-down direction). Thus, even when the male terminal 12 inserted into the female terminal 10 is swung and displaced in the up-down direction, the contact area between each of the first and second contacts 66, 68 and the male terminal 12 can be stably ensured. In the first embodiment, each of the first contacts 66 is formed by stamping each of the first spring pieces 60, and a recess 76 is formed at a position corresponding to each of the first contacts 66 on the other side of each of the first spring pieces 60 in the plate thickness direction.

[0038] And, as described above, the first fixing portion 58 having a substantially rectangular frame shape overlaps with the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 and is fixed by welding and riveting. In Embodiment 1, the first fixing portion 58 is fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 at the front and rear end portions. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the first fixing portion 58 is fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 by laser welding at the left-right central portion of the front and rear end portions of the first fixing portion 58 over an area of ​​a predetermined left-right dimension. Thus, a welding portion 78 is formed at the left-right central portion of the front and rear end portions of the first fixing portion 58. Similarly, a welding portion 78 is formed at the left-right central portion of the front and rear end portions of the second fixing portion 62, and the second fixing portion 62 overlaps with the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34 and is fixed by laser welding.

[0039] In addition, Figure 2 , Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , at both ends of the first fixing portion 58 in the left and right directions, engaging holes 80 are formed by penetrating the first fixing portion 58 in the up-down direction, and the engaging holes 80 correspond to the engaging protrusions 54 provided at the four corners of the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32. The inner diameter of each engaging hole 80 is substantially equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of each engaging protrusion 54, and each engaging protrusion 54 can be inserted into each engaging hole 80. Fig. 9 As shown, after each engaging protrusion 54 is inserted into each engaging hole 80, the protruding top end of each engaging protrusion 54 protruding from each engaging hole 80 is flattened so that the outer diameter of the portion of each engaging protrusion 54 protruding from each engaging hole 80 is larger than the inner diameter of each engaging hole 80. Thus, in addition to the above-mentioned laser welding, the first fixing portion 58 (first contact forming part 22a) is fixedly fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 by riveting. Similarly, the engaging holes 80 are provided at both ends in the left and right directions of the front and rear end portions of the second fixing portion 62, and in addition to the laser welding, the second fixing portion 62 (second contact forming part 22b) is fixedly fixed to the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34 by riveting.

[0040] like Figure 8 , 9 As shown in FIG. 1 , the first and second contact forming parts 22a and 22b formed in the above-mentioned shape are fixed to the inner surfaces 20a and 20b of the upper wall portion 32 and the lower wall portion 34 of the main body portion 18 (metal flat plate) before bending. That is, in the first and second contact forming parts 22a and 22b, each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 are cut away from the upper wall portion 32 and the lower wall portion 34, respectively. And, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 , 5As shown in FIG. 1 , the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is formed by bending the main body portion 18, so that the upper wall portion 32 and the lower wall portion 34 are opposed to each other in the vertical direction, and each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 are cut and raised in the direction of approaching each other in the first and second contact forming parts 22a and 22b. Figure 5 As shown, the protruding ends 74 of the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64 are close to each other in the up-down direction. In the first embodiment, the first contacts 66 and the second contacts 68 protruding in the cutting direction in the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64 are in contact with each other.

[0041] <Contact pressure imparting spring (clamp spring 82)> The female terminal 1 includes a clamp spring 82 as a contact pressure applying spring disposed at the protruding end 74 of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64. Then, by inserting the male terminal 12 into the female terminal 10, the protruding end 74 of each first spring piece 60 and the protruding end 74 of each second spring piece 64 are urged toward each other by the clamp spring 82. The clamp spring 82 is formed to a size that can be inserted through the rear opening window 30 of the box-shaped conductor portion 16.

[0042] Specifically, Figure 7 As shown, the clamp spring 82 has a rectangular flat plate-shaped connecting plate portion 84 and a pair of rectangular flat plate-shaped clamping plate portions 86, 86 protruding from the two side edges (upper and lower side edges) of the connecting plate portion 84 in a direction approaching each other (inner side in the upper and lower directions). In Embodiment 1, a plurality of (two) clamping plate portions 86, 86 separated from each other in the left and right directions of the plate width direction of the male terminal 12 are respectively provided on both sides of the connecting plate portion 84, and a total of four clamping plate portions 86 are provided in the clamp spring 82. That is, a pair of clamping plate portions 86, 86 opposed in the upper and lower directions are further provided at positions separated in the left and right directions. Each of these clamping plate portions 86 can be elastically deformed in the upper and lower directions.

[0043] In addition, the left-right dimension of each clamping plate portion 86 is larger than the left-right dimension of each recessed portion 76 provided on the outer side of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 in the vertical direction. Figure 3 As shown, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 and the bent portion 88 of each clamping plate portion 86 abuts against the formation position of each recessed portion 76 of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64, both end portions in the left and right directions of each clamping plate portion 86 abut against the portion that is closer to the left and right sides of the recessed portions 76 in each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64.

[0044] A bent portion 88 is provided at the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of each clamping plate portion 86, and the protruding tip portion of each clamping plate portion 86 extends in a direction away from each other from the bent portion 88. Therefore, the opposing distance between the clamping plate portions 86 facing each other in the vertical direction is the smallest at the bent portion 88 provided at the middle portion in the longitudinal direction. The gap between these bent portions 88 is an insertion port 90 for inserting and assembling the protruding end portions 74 of the first and second spring pieces 60, 64.

[0045] Also like Figure 5 As shown, the opening size (vertical dimension) of each insertion port 90 before the elastic deformation of the clamp spring 82 is larger than the vertical dimension of the protruding top portion of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64. Such a clamp spring 82 is inserted into the interior of the box-shaped conductor portion 16 from the rear opening window 30 of the box-shaped conductor portion 16. Furthermore, the protruding top portion of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 does not abut against each bent portion 88 located at the innermost side in the vertical direction of each clamping plate portion 86, or, for example, each bent portion 88 on the upper side abuts (slides) against the protruding top portion of each first spring piece 60, and the protruding top portion of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 is inserted into each insertion port 90. Also as shown Figure 5 , 6 As shown, the insertion end position of the clamp spring 82 from the rear opening window 30 to the interior of the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is determined by the left and right end portions of the connecting plate portion 84 abutting against the vertical surfaces 52 of the rear ends of the positioning protrusions 48 provided on the inner surfaces 44 and 46 of the left wall portion 36 and the right wall portion 38.

[0046] In addition, if Figure 5 , 6 As shown, in the female terminal 10 before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the vertical dimension of each insertion port 90 is larger than the vertical dimension of the protruding tip portion of each inserted first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64. In addition, the distance between each positioning protrusion 48 (vertical surface 52) and a stopper 92 described later in the front-to-back direction is slightly larger than the thickness dimension (front-to-back dimension) of the connecting plate portion 84, and the distance between the opposing surfaces of each inner surface 44, 46 of the left wall portion 36 and the right wall portion 38 is slightly larger than the width dimension (left-right dimension) of the connecting plate portion 84. Therefore, in the female terminal 10 before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the clamp spring 82 is not fixed relative to the box-shaped conductor portion 16 in each of the vertical, front-to-back, and left-right directions, but is arranged in a free state.

[0047] <Stop body 92> The female terminal 10 further includes a stopper 92, which is assembled to the box-shaped conductor portion 1 and covers the rear opening window 30 to prevent the above-mentioned clamp spring 82 from falling off. Figure 7As shown, the stopper 92 is formed by bending a substantially strip-shaped member by press working, etc. The stopper 92 can be formed of, for example, metal or synthetic resin, preferably has sufficient strength (deformation rigidity) and heat resistance, and is formed of stainless steel in the first embodiment.

[0048] The stopper 92 is a member extending in the left-right direction as a whole, and a displacement limiting portion 94 is provided in the central portion in the longitudinal direction. The displacement limiting portion 94 is arranged close to the clamp spring 82 when the female terminal 10 is assembled, and the displacement of the clamp spring 82 toward the rear opening window 30 is limited by contacting the clamp spring 82. The displacement limiting portion 94 is roughly rectangular in the front view (viewed in the front-to-back direction), and is slightly smaller than the rear opening window 30. Therefore, when the stopper 92 is assembled to the box-shaped conductor portion 16, Figure 5 , 6 As shown, the displacement restricting portion 94 enters the interior of the box-shaped conductor portion 16 through the rear opening window 30 and covers substantially the entire rear opening window 30 .

[0049] In addition, both end portions of the stopper 92 in the left-right direction are bent so as to extend forward relative to the displacement restricting portion 94, and the portions extending forward at both end portions of the stopper 92 in the left-right direction constitute fixing portions 96 for fixing the stopper 92 to the box-shaped conductor portion 16. A substantially rectangular locking hole 98 penetrating in the thickness direction (left-right direction) is formed in the front portion of each fixing portion 96, and the stopper 92 is assembled to the box-shaped conductor portion 16 by bringing the stopper 9 close to the box-shaped conductor portion 16 from the rear and locking each locking protrusion 5 protruding outward in the left-right direction of the box-shaped conductor portion 16 in each locking hole 98.

[0050] <Assembly of Female Terminal 10> Hereinafter, a specific example of the method of assembling the female terminal 10 will be described. In addition, the method of assembling the female terminal 10 is not limited to the form described below.

[0051] First, a metal plate constituting the main body 18 is prepared, and the first contact forming part 22a and the second contact forming part 22b are fixed to the portions of the metal plate constituting the inner surfaces 20a and 20b of the upper wall 32 and the lower wall 34 by welding and riveting, respectively. That is, the engaging protrusions 54 protruding from the inner surfaces 20a and 20b are inserted into the engaging holes 80 of the first fixing part 58 and the second fixing part 62, so that the first contact forming part 22a and the second contact forming part 22b are aligned with the inner surfaces 20a and 20b. Then, in a state where the upper wall 32 and the lower wall 34 are overlapped with the first fixing part 58 and the second fixing part 62, the welding parts 78 of the first fixing part 58 and the second fixing part 62 are laser welded. Furthermore, by flattening the protruding tip portion of each engagement protrusion 54 protruding from each engagement hole 80, Figure 8 , 9 As shown in FIG. 1 , the first contact forming component 22 a and the second contact forming component 22 b are fixedly mounted on the metal flat plate constituting the main body portion 18 .

[0052] Next, from Figure 8 , 9 The bent portions 56 are bent in the state shown, and the engaging protrusion 40 provided on the upper wall portion 32 is engaged with the engaging recess 42 of the right wall portion 38. Thus, the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is formed in the front portion of the main body portion 18. In this state, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 , 5 As shown, the protruding ends 74 of the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64 are close to each other in the up-down direction, and the first contacts 66 of the first spring pieces 60 and the second contacts 68 of the second spring pieces 64 are in contact with each other.

[0053] Furthermore, in the box-shaped conductor part 16 as described above, the clamp spring 82 is inserted into the box-shaped conductor part 16 through the rear opening window 30. The clamp spring 82 is inserted until the connecting plate part 84 abuts against the vertical surface 52 of each positioning protrusion 48 protruding inward in the left-right direction of the box-shaped conductor part 16. Thus, each protruding end 74 of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 is inserted into each insertion port 90 of the clamp spring 82. In this state, the bent portion 88 of each clamping plate part 86 does not abut against each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64, or is not protruded from, for example, Figure 5 From the state shown, the clamp spring 82 is displaced downward by gravity, and the upper bent portion 88 abuts against each first spring piece 60 , and the lower bent portion 88 is separated from each second spring piece 64 .

[0054] Then, the stopper 92 is brought close to the box-shaped conductor part 16 from the rear, the displacement restricting part 94 is inserted into the box-shaped conductor part 16 through the rear opening window 30, and the locking protrusions 50 of the box-shaped conductor part 16 are locked in the locking holes 98 of the fixing parts 96. Thus, the stopper 92 is assembled to the box-shaped conductor part 16, and the female terminal 10 is completed.

[0055] The male terminal 12 is pressed into the female terminal 10 assembled in this way through the male terminal insertion opening 28 in front of the box-shaped conductor part 16. Figure 3As shown, the first contact 66 of each first spring piece 60 and the second contact 68 of each second spring piece 64 abut against the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, and each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 are pushed away from each other. In addition, the bent portions 72 of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 pushed away from the outside in the vertical direction abut against each bent portion 88 of the clamp spring 82 from the inside in the vertical direction, and each clamping plate portion 86 is elastically deformed from the outside in the vertical direction. Through the elastic restoring force of each clamping plate portion 86, the protruding end portion 74 of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 is clamped by each clamping plate portion 86, and the protruding end portion 74 of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 is forced in a direction of approaching each other. Thus, the first contacts 66 and the second contacts 68 are pressed against the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 pressed between the facing surfaces of the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64. As a result, the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10 are electrically connected.

[0056] That is, the vertical distance A (refer to Figure 3 ) is larger than the vertical dimension B of each insertion opening 90 of the clip spring 82 in the natural state (refer to Figure 5 ). As a result, along with the insertion of the male terminal 12, not only the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64, but also the clamping plate portions 86 of the clamp spring 82 are pushed outward in the upper and lower directions, and the first contacts 66 and the second contacts 68 are pressed against the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 by the elastic restoring force of these clamping plate portions 86. In particular, in the first embodiment, a pair of first spring pieces 60, 60 and a pair of second spring pieces 64, 64 separated from each other in the left-right direction are provided, and a pair of clamping plate portions 86, 86 separated from each other in the left-right direction are provided on the upper and lower sides of the clamp spring 82, respectively. As a result, the first spring piece 60 and the second spring piece 64 are clamped by the clamping plate portions 86, 86 on the upper and lower sides on both sides in the left-right direction, respectively, and the first contact 66 and the second contact 68 are pressed against the male terminal 12.

[0057] According to the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment, the first contact forming part 22a constituting each first contact 66 and the second contact forming part 22b constituting each second contact 68 are provided separately from the main body 18 having the box-shaped conductor part 16, and fixed to the opposing inner surfaces (the inner surfaces 20a, 20b of the upper wall part 32 and the lower wall part 34) of the box-shaped conductor part 16. As a result, compared with the case where the contacts are formed by bending a metal flat plate as in the conventional structure, the members constituting the contacts (the first contact forming part 22a and the second contact forming part 22b) can be formed thinner and shorter, and the miniaturization of the female terminal 10 can be achieved. In addition, as the main body 18 having the box-shaped conductor part 16, a metal flat plate of a predetermined thickness can be used, so that it can also cope with large currents, and it is possible to achieve both improvement of current capacity and avoidance of large-scale terminals. Furthermore, by providing the first and second contact forming parts 22a, 22b and the box-shaped conductor part 16 separately, different materials can be used. Therefore, the box-shaped conductor part 16 does not need to use a material having spring properties, and pure copper or the like having excellent conductivity can be used as the material of the box-shaped conductor part 16.

[0058] In addition, since each of the first contacts 66 and each of the second contacts 68 is formed by the first contact forming part 22a and the second contact forming part 22b having a relatively small plate thickness, even when the male terminal 12 is displaced relative to the female terminal 10, each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64 can be deformed relatively flexibly, and the followability with respect to the displacement of the male terminal 12 can be improved. Furthermore, by reducing the displacement amount of each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64, the influence of the clamp spring 82 that applies a force to each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64 can be reduced. As a result, the force applied inward in the opposing direction due to the elastic deformation of the clamp spring 82 can be stably applied to each of the first contacts 66 and each of the second contacts 68 as a contact pressure to the male terminal 12. Furthermore, in addition to reducing the displacement of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64, since the box-shaped conductor portion 16 has sufficient deformation rigidity, the whole female terminal 10 can be prevented from being deformed due to the displacement of the male terminal 12.

[0059] In addition, in contrast to the conventional structure in which the clamp spring is assembled from the side, in the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment, the clamp spring 82 is assembled from the rear through the rear opening window 30 of the box-shaped conductor portion 16. In particular, in contrast to the conventional structure in which the clamp spring is assembled in a state where the opening portion is enlarged, in the first embodiment, the vertical dimension of each protruding end portion 74 of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 is smaller than the opening dimension of the insertion port 90 of the clamp spring 82, and the assembly can be performed without the operation of enlarging the opening portion. Thus, the workability when assembling the clamp spring 82 can be improved.

[0060] As a contact pressure applying spring for applying contact pressure to each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 when the male terminal 12 is inserted, a clamp spring 82 is used. Thus, by inserting each protruding end portion 74 of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 into the insertion port 90 of the clamp spring 82, the clamp spring 82 can be assembled to each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64. In particular, before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the clamp spring 82 is arranged in a free state in each direction of up and down, front and back, and left and right on the box-shaped conductor portion 16. Thus, for example, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 at an angle, the clamp spring 82 can also be displaced in accordance with the inclination of the male terminal 12, and can stably apply contact pressure to each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64.

[0061] The first fixing portion 58 of the first contact forming part 22a is fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 by welding, and the second fixing portion 62 of the second contact forming part 22b is fixed to the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34 by welding. In particular, by adopting laser welding as a welding method, the area required for welding can be reduced, and the first and second contact forming parts 22a, 22b, and further the female terminal 10 can be miniaturized.

[0062] The first fixing portion 58 of the first contact forming part 22a is also fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 by riveting, and the second fixing portion 62 of the second contact forming part 22b is also fixed to the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34 by riveting. Thus, the first and second fixing portions 58 and 62 are physically (structurally) fixed to the inner surfaces 20a and 20b not only by welding but also by riveting, so that the first and second contact forming parts 22a and 22b can be more effectively prevented from being separated from the box-shaped conductor portion 16.

[0063] The inner surface of the box-shaped conductor part 16 (the inner surfaces 44 and 46 of the left wall part 36 and the right wall part 38) is provided with positioning protrusions 48, and the insertion end of the clamp spring 82 from the rear opening window 30 is defined by the contact between the positioning protrusions 48 and the clamp spring 82. Thus, the clamp spring 82 can be assembled to the box-shaped conductor part 16 without particularly troublesome operations, and the assembly performance can be further improved.

[0064] The box-shaped conductor part 16 is assembled with a stopper 92 covering the rear opening window 30. Thus, the clamp spring 82 can be prevented from being separated from the rear opening window 30. In particular, the stopper 92 has a displacement limiting portion 94 disposed close to the clamp spring 82, and the clamp spring 82 abuts against the displacement limiting portion 94, thereby limiting the displacement of the clamp spring 82 to the rear. As a result, the clamp spring 82 can be stably disposed at a predetermined position inside the box-shaped conductor part 16.

[0065] The main body 18 is a stamped product composed of a single metal flat plate, and the connecting portion 14 has the same plate thickness as the metal flat plate. Thus, for example, the metal flat plate is not folded or a plurality of components are overlapped, but the connecting portion 14 is formed as a single plate. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the resin material or adhesive from entering between the overlapping surfaces during insert molding, etc., and a female connector, a terminal seat, etc. having the female terminal 10 can be easily formed by integral molding.

[0066] In the first contact forming part 22a, a pair of first spring pieces 60, 60 are provided to be separated from each other in the left-right direction, and in the second contact forming part 22b, a pair of second spring pieces 64, 64 are provided to be separated from each other in the left-right direction. In addition, in the clamp spring 82, two clamping plate portions 86 are provided to be separated from each other in the left-right direction on the upper and lower sides of the connecting plate portion 84, respectively. Thus, contact pressure can be applied to the first spring piece 60 and the second spring piece 64 by the upper and lower clamping plate portions 86 on the left and right sides, respectively. As a result, after the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, for example, when the male terminal 12 is intended to be rotated and displaced around the central axis extending in the front-back direction, it is possible to avoid a problem such as insufficient application of contact pressure on either side.

[0067] <Modification> As a specific example of the present invention, the first embodiment is described in detail, but the present invention is not limited to this specific description. Variations and improvements within the scope of the present invention are included in the present invention. For example, the following variations of the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0068] (1) In the above embodiment, the first and second fixing portions 58 and 62 of the first and second contact forming parts 22a and 22b are fixed to the inner surfaces 20a and 20b of the upper wall portion 32 and the lower wall portion 34 by welding and riveting, but the present invention is not limited to this method. That is, each contact forming part may be fixed to each inner surface only by either welding or riveting. In addition, it is also possible to fix by a method other than welding and riveting, and each contact forming part may be fixed to each inner surface by, for example, bolting. In addition, even in the case of welding, it is not limited to laser welding as in the above embodiment, and conventionally known welding methods such as arc welding and resistance welding may be used.

[0069] (2) In the above embodiment, the first contact forming part 22a and the second contact forming part 22b are formed in the same shape, but these shapes may be different from each other. For example, the number of first spring pieces provided in the first contact forming part and the number of second spring pieces provided in the second contact forming part may be different from each other. Alternatively, the materials of the first contact forming part and the second contact forming part may be different from each other.

[0070] (3) In the above embodiment, a pair of first spring pieces 60, 60 are provided at the first contact forming part 22a, and a pair of second spring pieces 64, 64 are provided at the second contact forming part 22b, but the number of first spring pieces provided at the first contact forming part or the number of second spring pieces provided at the second contact forming part is not limited. The number of first spring pieces provided at the first contact forming part may be one or three or more. Similarly, the number of second spring pieces provided at the second contact forming part may be one or three or more.

[0071] (4) In the above-described embodiment, in the clamp spring 82, two clamping plate portions 86 are provided on the upper and lower sides corresponding to the number of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. That is, in the clamp spring, the number of clamping plate portions may be different on the upper side and the lower side. For example, one clamping plate portion may be provided on the upper side, and a plurality of clamping plate portions may be provided on the lower side separated from each other in the left-right direction. In addition, the number of these clamping plate portions and the number of the first and second spring pieces do not necessarily correspond. The number of the clamping plate portions on the upper side and the number of the first spring pieces may be different from each other, and the number of the clamping plate portions on the lower side and the number of the second spring pieces may be different from each other.

[0072] (5) In the above embodiment, the first contact forming part 22a and the second contact forming part 22b are provided on the inner surfaces 20a and 20b of the upper wall part 32 and the lower wall part 34 which are opposed to each other in the vertical direction in the box-shaped conductor part 16, but the first contact forming part and the second contact forming part may be provided on the inner surfaces of the left wall part and the right wall part which are opposed to each other in the horizontal direction in the box-shaped conductor part. In this case, the box-shaped conductor part may be formed into a longitudinal shape whose vertical dimension is larger than the horizontal dimension, and in this case, the male terminal may also be formed into a longitudinal shape whose vertical dimension is larger than the horizontal dimension.

[0073] (6) In the above embodiment, in the state before the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 ( Figure 4 , 5 In the state shown in FIG. 1 , each first contact 66 and each second contact 68 abut against each other in the vertical direction, but in the state before the male terminal is inserted, the first contact and the second contact may be slightly separated in the vertical direction.

[0074] (7) The shapes of the first contact and the second contact are not limited. In addition to being an oval shape with a larger front-to-back dimension than a left-to-right dimension when viewed from above as in the above embodiment, they may be, for example, hemispherical or have a larger left-to-right dimension than a front-to-back dimension.

[0075] (8) In addition, in the female terminal of the present invention, as long as the contact pressure imparting spring applies force to the protruding ends of the first spring piece and the second spring piece in a direction approaching each other at least with the insertion of the male terminal, the first contact and the second contact are crimped to the male terminal, and the method before the male terminal is inserted is not limited. That is, before the male terminal is inserted, the first spring piece and the second spring piece may not be applied force to the direction approaching each other as in the above embodiment, or the protruding ends of the first spring piece and the second spring piece may be applied force to the direction approaching each other by the clamping plate portions of the contact pressure imparting spring (clamp spring). Description of Reference Numerals

[0076] 10 Female terminal 12 Male terminal 14 Connection 16 Box-shaped conductor part 18 Main body 20 Opposing inner surfaces 20a Inner surface (upper wall) 20b Inner surface (of lower wall) 22 contact forming parts 22a 1st contact forming part 22b Second contact forming part 24 Bolt insertion hole 26 Narrow Width Section 28 Male terminal insertion port 30 Rear opening window 32 Upper wall 34 Lower wall 36 left wall 38 right wall 40 Fitting convex part 42 Fitting recess 44 Inner surface (of left wall) 46 Inner surface (right wall) 48 Positioning protrusion 50 Locking protrusion 52 vertical plane 54 engagement protrusion 56 Bending Department 581st fixed installation department 60 1st spring piece 62Second fixed part 64 2nd spring piece 66 1st contact 68 2nd contact 70 Gap 72 Bending part 74 protruding end 76 recess 78 Welding Department 80 snap-in hole 82 Clip spring (contact pressure imparting spring) 84 Connecting plate 86 Clamping plate 88 Bending part 90 Insertion port 92 stop body 94 Displacement limiting unit 96 Fixed part 98 locking hole

Claims

1. A female terminal, comprising: The main body has a connecting portion for conducting connection with other components at one end side in the length direction and a hollow box-shaped conductor portion at the other end side in the length direction; and A pair of contact forming parts, having a plate thickness smaller than that of the main body, are fixedly mounted and held on a pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor part so as to be conductively connected. The box-shaped conductor portion has a male terminal insertion opening opened toward the other end side and a rear opening window opened toward the one end side, One of the pair of contact forming parts includes: a first fixing portion fixed to one of the pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion; and a first spring piece, which is held in the first fixing portion in a cantilever beam shape and protrudes from the male terminal insertion port toward the rear opening window. The other of the pair of contact forming parts comprises: a second fixing portion fixed to the other of the pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion; and a second spring piece held in the second fixing portion in a cantilever beam shape and protruding from the male terminal insertion port toward the rear opening window, The first spring piece has a first contact point on a surface facing the second spring piece. The second spring piece has a second contact point on a surface facing the first spring piece. A contact pressure imparting spring is provided, the contact pressure imparting spring being arranged at the protruding end portions of the first spring piece and the second spring piece, and having a size capable of being inserted through the rear opening window, As the male terminal is pressed between the facing surfaces of the first spring piece and the second spring piece, the contact pressure applying spring urges the protruding ends toward each other, and the first contact and the second contact are pressed against the male terminal.

2. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein: The contact pressure imparting spring is composed of a clip spring having a rectangular flat plate-shaped connecting plate portion and a pair of rectangular flat plate-shaped clamping plate portions protruding from both side edges of the connecting plate portion in a direction approaching each other. When the male terminal is inserted, the protruding end portion of the first spring piece and the protruding end portion of the second spring piece are clamped between the pair of clamping plate portions of the clamp spring.

3. The female terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The first fixing portion of one of the contact forming components is fixed to one of the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion by welding, and the second fixing portion of the other contact forming component is fixed to the other of the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion by welding.

4. The female terminal according to claim 3, wherein: One of the contact forming parts is fixed by caulking to one of the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion, and the other of the contact forming parts is fixed by caulking to the other of the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion.

5. The female terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The box-shaped conductor portion has a positioning protrusion protruding from an inner surface, and the insertion end position of the contact pressure applying spring from the rear opening window into the box-shaped conductor portion is regulated by abutting against the positioning protrusion.

6. The female terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: A stopper is further provided, the stopper being assembled to the box-shaped conductor portion and covering the rear opening window.

7. The female terminal according to claim 6, wherein: The stopper has a displacement restricting portion, which is disposed close to the contact pressure applying spring and restricts displacement toward the rear opening window by abutting against the contact pressure applying spring.

8. The female terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The main body is a pressed product composed of a single metal flat plate, and the connecting portion has the same plate thickness as that of the metal flat plate.

9. The female terminal according to claim 2, wherein: The first spring piece and the second spring piece are respectively arranged at a plurality of locations separated from each other in the plate width direction of the male terminal. The clamp spring includes a plurality of the pair of clamping plate portions respectively arranged at a plurality of locations separated from each other in the plate width direction. When the male terminal is inserted, the protruding ends of the plurality of first spring pieces and the protruding ends of the plurality of second spring pieces are respectively clamped by the plurality of the pair of clamping plate portions.

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