Terminal and connector

Abstract

The present application provides a terminal and a connector capable of simplifying manufacturing processes. The terminal (12) includes: a cylindrical portion (20) into which an opposite terminal (T) is inserted; and a spring piece (31) that contacts the opposite terminal (T) on the inside of the cylindrical portion (20). The cylindrical portion (20) and the spring piece (31) are integrally formed with each other by press working from a single plate material. The cylindrical portion (20) has an opening portion (25) formed to pass through from an inner peripheral surface to an outer peripheral surface in the cylindrical portion (20). The spring piece (31) is formed to project from a rim portion of the opening portion (25).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to terminals and connectors. Background Technology

[0002] For example, the terminal described in Patent Document 1 has a hollow box-shaped conductor portion and a contact forming member that is conductively fixed to the box-shaped conductor portion. The contact forming member and the box-shaped conductor portion are separately stamped and formed, and then fixed to each other by welding or the like. The contact forming member includes a spring sheet extending from the inside of the box-shaped conductor portion. The spring sheet of the contact forming member elastically contacts a counterpart terminal inserted into the box-shaped conductor portion, thereby establishing an electrical connection between the terminal and the counterpart terminal.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-21632 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In terminals like those described above, a process is required to fix the box-shaped conductor part and the contact forming part by welding or the like, which complicates the manufacturing process.

[0008] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide terminals and connectors that enable simplification of the manufacturing process.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] The terminal disclosed herein comprises: a cylindrical portion for insertion of a counterpart terminal; and a spring sheet that contacts the counterpart terminal on the inner side of the cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion and the spring sheet are integrally formed from a single sheet metal by stamping. The cylindrical portion has an opening formed to extend from an inner circumferential surface to an outer circumferential surface, and the spring sheet is formed to extend from the edge of the opening.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] The terminals and connectors disclosed herein can simplify the terminal manufacturing process. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a connector according to one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the connector in this method.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the connector in this configuration.

[0016] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram used to illustrate the terminals in their unfolded state. Detailed Implementation

[0017] (Description of embodiments of this disclosure)

[0018] The embodiments of this disclosure are first described by listing them.

[0019] (1) The terminal disclosed herein comprises: a cylindrical portion for insertion of a counterpart terminal; and a spring sheet that is connected to the counterpart terminal on the inner side of the cylindrical portion, wherein the cylindrical portion and the spring sheet are integrally formed from a single sheet metal by stamping, the cylindrical portion having an opening formed to extend from an inner circumferential surface to an outer circumferential surface, and the spring sheet being formed to extend from the edge of the opening.

[0020] According to this structure, the cylindrical portion and the spring sheet are integrally formed from a single sheet metal through stamping. Therefore, processes such as welding separate spring sheets to the cylindrical portion are eliminated, resulting in a simplification of the terminal manufacturing process. Furthermore, the spring sheet that contacts the other terminal extends from the edge of an opening formed from the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion to the outer circumferential surface. This improves the yield rate compared to a structure where the spring sheet extending from the end of the cylindrical portion is folded back towards the inside of the cylindrical portion.

[0021] (2) Based on (1) above, the structure can also be as follows: the cylindrical part has: a pair of wall portions facing each other; a pair of opening portions formed on the pair of wall portions respectively; and a pair of spring pieces extending from the respective edges of the pair of opening portions and facing each other, with the opposite terminal inserted between the pair of spring pieces.

[0022] According to this structure, a pair of spring plates are connected to each other in a manner that clamps the other terminal, thereby enabling electrical connection between each spring plate and the other terminal.

[0023] (3) Based on (1) or (2) above, the thickness of the spring sheet can also be set to be thinner than the thickness of at least a portion of the cylindrical portion.

[0024] According to this structure, the elasticity of the spring sheet is increased by thinning it, thereby improving the spring sheet's following ability relative to the opposite terminal. Furthermore, by making at least a portion of the cylindrical section thicker than the spring sheet, it is possible to handle large currents.

[0025] (4) Based on (3) above, the cylindrical portion may also have: a thin plate portion, which is integrally formed throughout the circumference of the cylindrical portion; and a thick plate portion, which is thicker than the thin plate portion, and the spring sheet is integrally formed by the thin plate portion.

[0026] According to this structure, since the spring sheet is entirely contained within a thin plate portion that is integrally formed circumferentially throughout the cylindrical portion, the thickness of the spring sheet can be made thin, resulting in a structure in which the spring sheet is easy to bend.

[0027] (5) The connector disclosed herein includes: the terminal described in any one of (1) to (4) above; and a housing having a cavity for receiving the terminal.

[0028] According to this structure, since the cylindrical portion and the spring sheet are integrally formed from a single sheet metal through stamping, processes such as welding the spring sheet to the cylindrical portion are unnecessary, thus simplifying the terminal manufacturing process. Furthermore, the spring sheet that contacts the other terminal extends from the edge of an opening formed to extend from the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion to the outer circumferential surface. Therefore, compared to a structure where the spring sheet extending from the end of the cylindrical portion is folded back towards the inside of the cylindrical portion, the yield rate can be improved.

[0029] (Details of the embodiments disclosed herein)

[0030] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrates specific examples of the terminals and connectors of this disclosure. In the drawings, for ease of explanation, some parts of the structure are sometimes exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of the various parts sometimes differ in each drawing. The drawings show mutually orthogonal X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The front-back direction of the terminal is along the X-axis; in each drawing, the front (X1) and the rear (X2) directions opposite to it are shown along the X-axis. The width direction of the terminal is along the Y-axis. The height direction of the terminal is along the Z-axis; in each drawing, the upper direction (Z1) and the lower direction (Z2) directions opposite to it are shown as one of the height directions along the Z-axis. Additionally, the terminal is not necessarily used with the upper direction (Z1) facing upwards.

[0031] The term "orthogonal" in this specification includes not only strictly orthogonal but also approximately orthogonal within the scope of its function and effect in this embodiment. The term "cylindrical" as used in this specification includes not only shapes with a continuous circumferential wall, but also shapes formed by combining multiple components to form a cylinder, or shapes with a slit in a portion of the circumferential direction like a C-shape. The outer circumferential shape of a "cylindrical" includes, but is not limited to, circles, ellipses, and polygons with sharp or rounded corners. "Cylindrical" refers to a shape having a through hole when viewed from above, including shapes where the outer circumferential shape is the same as the inner circumferential shape of the through hole, and shapes where the outer circumferential shape is different from the inner circumferential shape of the through hole. "Cylindrical" includes shapes extending along an axial direction passing through the center axis of the through hole with a predetermined length, regardless of the magnitude of that length. Furthermore, the term "opposite" in this specification refers to surfaces or components being positioned facing each other, including not only completely facing each other but also partially facing each other. Furthermore, the term "opposite" in this specification includes both a case where a component different from the two parts is sandwiched between the two parts, and a case where no component is sandwiched between the two parts. Additionally, the terms "first," "second," etc., used in this specification are used only to distinguish the objects, not to order them. The invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0032] (Structure of connector 10)

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, connector 10 includes a housing 11 and terminals 12 housed within the housing 11. Connector 10 is, for example, a high-voltage connector capable of handling high voltage and high current. Connector 10 is mated with a counterpart connector (not shown). Terminals 12 of connector 10 are connected to counterpart terminals T of the counterpart connector. An opening 13 is provided on the front (X1) side end face of housing 11 for the counterpart terminal T to be inserted rearward (X2). The counterpart terminal T is inserted into the terminals 12 of connector 10 inside housing 11.

[0034] (Structure of shell 11)

[0035] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the housing 11 has a chamber 14 for receiving the terminal 12. The opposing terminal T is inserted into the chamber 14 through the aforementioned opening 13. The terminal 12 is assembled from the rear x2 end of the chamber 14 toward the front x1. The chamber 14 has a locking portion 15 protruding from the inside of the chamber 14. The locking portion 15 locks the terminal 12 in a manner that prevents the terminal 12 from falling off the chamber 14 rearward x2.

[0036] (Structure of terminal 12)

[0037] In this embodiment, the terminal 12 includes, for example, a terminal body 16 and a clamping member 17 that is separate from the terminal body 16.

[0038] (Structure of terminal body 16)

[0039] The terminal body 16 includes a cylindrical portion 20 for inserting a counter terminal T, a spring plate 31 that connects to the counter terminal T on the inner side of the cylindrical portion 20, and a connecting portion 41 that connects to a conductor such as a busbar (not shown). The terminal body 16, including the cylindrical portion 20, the spring plate 31, and the connecting portion 41, is integrally formed from a single sheet of metal, for example, by stamping (see reference). Figure 4 ).

[0040] The cylindrical portion 20 is formed, for example, into a square cylindrical shape when viewed from the X-axis direction. That is, the cylindrical portion 20 includes a pair of first wall portions 21 facing each other in the Z-axis direction and a pair of second wall portions 22 facing each other in the Y-axis direction.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the cylindrical portion 20 has a terminal insertion port 23 at its front end (the front X1 end). The terminal insertion port 23 is formed by the front ends of each of the first wall portions 21 and each of the second wall portions 22. The opposing terminal T is inserted into the terminal insertion port 23 with its rear X2 facing direction. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the cylindrical portion 20 has a rear end opening 24 at its rear end (the rear X2 end).

[0042] Each of the first wall portions 21 of the cylindrical portion 20 has an opening 25. The opening 25 is a hole that penetrates the first wall portion 21 along its thickness direction (the Z-axis direction in this embodiment). That is, the opening 25 is formed in such a way that it penetrates from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 20. The opening 25 opens in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the cylindrical portion 20 (a straight line along the X-axis) (the Z-axis direction in this embodiment).

[0043] (Structure of spring sheet 31)

[0044] The terminal body 16, for example, has two spring tabs 31. Specifically, the spring tabs 31 are formed on a pair of first wall portions 21. The spring tabs 31 extend from the front X1 side edge 25a of the opening 25 in the first wall portion 21 (see reference). Figure 2The spring plates 31 are formed in an extending manner. Each spring plate 31 is inclined and extends simultaneously as it approaches each other from the edge 25a on the front X1 side of the opening 25 toward the rear X2 side. Each opening 25 is positioned at the same position when viewed from the Z-axis direction. Each spring plate 31 is opposite to each other in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, the opposite terminal T is inserted between a pair of spring plates 31.

[0045] (Structure of connecting part 41)

[0046] The connecting portion 41 of the terminal body 16 extends rearward X2 from the rear end of the cylindrical portion 20. The connecting portion 41 extends, for example, from one of a pair of first wall portions 21 of the cylindrical portion 20. The conductor, such as the busbar, is connected at the connecting portion 41, for example, by bolt fastening. The connecting portion 41 has an insertion hole 42 for inserting a bolt (not shown) and a locking hole 43 for locking the locking portion 15 of the housing 11.

[0047] (Structure of thin plate section A1, first thick plate section B1 and second thick plate section B2)

[0048] like Figure 3 As shown, a portion of the terminal body 16 in the X-axis direction has a thin plate portion A1, and the area outside the thin plate portion A1 in the X-axis direction has a first thick plate portion B1 and a second thick plate portion B2.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first thick plate portion B1 and the second thick plate portion B2 are set to have the same plate thickness, and the thin plate portion A1 is set to have a plate thickness smaller than that of the first thick plate portion B1 and the second thick plate portion B2. The terminal body 16 is formed of an irregularly shaped material with inconsistent plate thickness.

[0050] The thin plate portion A1 is integrally formed throughout the circumference of the cylindrical portion 20. A portion of the opening 25 in the X-axis direction and the entire spring sheet 31 are included in the thin plate portion A1. That is, the entire spring sheet 31 is formed by the thin plate portion A1. The thickness of the thin plate portion A1 is consistent throughout the entire topography of the thin plate portion A1, including the spring sheet 31.

[0051] The first thick plate portion B1 is formed in the cylindrical portion 20 in a region X1 forward of the thin plate portion A1. The first thick plate portion B1 is integrally formed throughout the circumference of the cylindrical portion 20. The terminal insertion port 23 of the cylindrical portion 20 is included in the first thick plate portion B1.

[0052] The second thick plate portion B2 is formed in the terminal body 16 in a region located X2 rearward than the thin plate portion A1. A portion of the second thick plate portion B2 is integrally formed throughout the circumference of the cylindrical portion 20. The connecting portion 41 of the terminal body 16 is entirely contained within the second thick plate portion B2.

[0053] like Figure 4As shown, the cylindrical portion 20 of the terminal body 16 is formed by bending the strip portion Ba into a cylindrical shape after stamping. Furthermore, in the cylindrical portion 20 formed into a cylindrical shape, the portion where the two ends of the strip portion Ba face each other (i.e., the slit portion in the cylindrical portion 20) is included in one of a pair of second wall portions 22. At the center of the strip portion Ba in the width direction, a thin plate portion A1 is integrally formed along the long side direction of the strip portion Ba. Furthermore, a first thick plate portion B1 and a second thick plate portion B2 are formed on both sides of the thin plate portion A1 in the width direction. The thin plate portion A1 is formed, for example, by stamping to be thinner than the first thick plate portion B1 and the second thick plate portion B2. The thin plate portion A1 is, for example, set to be less than half the thickness of the first thick plate portion B1 and the second thick plate portion B2.

[0054] (Structure of clamping component 17)

[0055] like Figure 3 As shown, clamping member 17 is mounted on the top end of a pair of spring plates 31. Clamping member 17 is formed, for example, by stamping a metal sheet. Clamping member 17 is separate from the component used to form the cylindrical portion 20 including the spring plates 31. Furthermore, clamping member 17 does not require electrical connection in the terminal 12. Therefore, the material of clamping member 17 can be a non-conductive material or an insulator. The material of clamping member 17 is, for example, stainless steel.

[0056] The clamping member 17 has a pair of arms 51 that clamp a pair of spring plates 31. The pair of arms 51 tilt towards each other as they face forward X1. The pair of arms 51 exert a spring force in the direction of approaching each other. The pair of spring plates 31, which are opposite each other in the Z-axis direction, are forced towards each other by the elasticity of the clamping member 17. Therefore, even if there is a positional shift in the Z-axis direction between the terminal 12 and the counterpart terminal T due to manufacturing tolerances, the force (contact pressure) of the pair of spring plates 31 clamping the counterpart terminal T in the Z-axis direction can be kept as constant as possible.

[0057] (The function of this implementation method)

[0058] The function of this embodiment will be explained below.

[0059] The terminal body 16 includes: a thin plate portion A1, including spring sheets 31 that connect to the counterpart terminal T; and a first thick plate portion B1 and a second thick plate portion B2, the thickness of which is greater than that of the thin plate portion A1. Therefore, since each spring sheet 31 is formed thin, the elasticity of each spring sheet 31 is improved, resulting in improved following ability of each spring sheet 31 relative to the counterpart terminal T. Furthermore, by having the first thick plate portion B1 and the second thick plate portion B2, the terminal body 16 can handle large currents.

[0060] (Effects of this implementation method)

[0061] The effects of this embodiment will be explained below.

[0062] (1) The cylindrical portion 20 and the spring sheet 31 are integrally formed from a single sheet metal by stamping. Therefore, it is not necessary to weld the separate spring sheet to the cylindrical portion 20, which simplifies the manufacturing process of the terminal body 16. In addition, the spring sheet 31 that contacts the other terminal T extends from the edge 25a of the opening 25, which is formed to extend from the inner circumferential surface to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 20. As a result, the yield can be improved compared to the structure in which the spring sheet 31 extending from the end of the cylindrical portion 20 is folded back to the inside of the cylindrical portion 20.

[0063] (2) The cylindrical portion 20 has a pair of opposing first wall portions 21, a pair of openings 25 formed on the pair of first wall portions 21, and a pair of opposing spring plates 31 extending from the edges 25a of each of the pair of openings 25. The opposing terminal T is inserted between the pair of spring plates 31. According to this structure, since the pair of spring plates 31 are connected in a manner that clamps the opposing terminal T, the contact pressure relative to the opposing terminal T can be increased.

[0064] (3) The thickness of the spring sheet 31 is set to be thinner than the thickness of at least a portion of the cylindrical portion 20. According to this structure, the elasticity of the spring sheet 31 is improved by thinning the spring sheet 31, thereby improving the following ability of the spring sheet 31 relative to the counterpart terminal T. In addition, by directly utilizing the thickness of the base plate for at least a portion of the cylindrical portion 20, it is also possible to handle large currents.

[0065] (4) The cylindrical portion 20 has: a thin plate portion A1, which is integrally formed throughout the circumference of the cylindrical portion 20; and a first thick plate portion B1 and a second thick plate portion B2, the thickness of which is greater than that of the thin plate portion A1. Furthermore, the entire spring sheet 31 is formed by the thin plate portion A1. According to this structure, since the entire spring sheet 31 is contained in the thin plate portion A1 which is integrally formed throughout the circumference of the cylindrical portion 20, the thickness of the spring sheet 31 can be made thin, resulting in a structure in which the spring sheet 31 is easy to bend.

[0066] (5) The housing 11 has a cavity 14 for receiving the terminal 12. That is, the outer periphery of the terminal 12 is covered by the housing 11. Therefore, the housing 11 can protect each spring sheet 31.

[0067] (Other implementation methods)

[0068] The above-described embodiments can be implemented with the following modifications. The above-described embodiments and the following modifications can be combined with each other to implement them within the scope of technical inconsistency.

[0069] In the terminal body 16, only the spring sheet 31 may be formed thin, while the thickness of all parts other than the spring sheet 31 may be formed to be thicker than the spring sheet 31.

[0070] Alternatively, the plate thickness can be set to be uniform throughout the terminal body 16. That is, the terminal body 16 may not have a thin plate portion A1, a first thick plate portion B1, and a second thick plate portion B2.

[0071] In the terminal 12 of the above embodiment, the clamping member 17 may also be omitted.

[0072] In the terminal body 16, the opening 25 and the spring sheet 31 may be provided only on one of the pair of first wall portions 21.

[0073] In the terminal body 16, the number of spring pieces 31 extending from the edge 25a of an opening 25 is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be two or more.

[0074] The thin plate portion A1 in the terminal body 16 can also be formed to be thinner than the first thick plate portion B1 and the second thick plate portion B2 by cutting, for example.

[0075] The connection part 41 of terminal 12 can also be connected to conductors such as busbars by means of welding, for example.

[0076] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and the invention is not limited to these illustrative examples. That is, the scope of the invention is defined by the claims and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0077] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0078] 10…Connector; 11…Housing; 12…Terminal; 13…Opening; 14…Cavity; 15…Locking part; 16…Terminal body; 17…Clamping element; 20…Cylindrical part; 21…First wall part (wall part); 22…Second wall part; 23…Terminal insertion port; 24…Rear opening; 25…Opening part; 25a…Flange; 31…Spring sheet; 41…Connecting part; 42…Insertion hole; 43…Locking hole; 51…Arm part; A1…Thin plate part; B1…First thick plate part (thick plate part); B2…Second thick plate part (thick plate part); Ba…Strip part; T…Counterpart terminal.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising: The cylindrical portion allows the opposite terminal to be inserted; and The spring sheet is connected to the opposite terminal on the inner side of the cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion and the spring sheet are integrally formed from a single sheet metal by stamping. The cylindrical portion has an opening formed to extend from the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion to the outer circumferential surface. The spring sheet is formed to extend from the edge of the opening.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein, The cylindrical portion has: a pair of wall portions, facing each other; a pair of openings, each formed in the pair of wall portions; and a pair of spring sheets, extending from the edges of the respective pair of openings and facing each other. The opposite terminal is inserted between the pair of spring plates.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the spring sheet is set to be thinner than the thickness of at least a portion of the cylindrical portion.

4. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein, The cylindrical portion includes: a thin plate portion integrally formed throughout the circumference of the cylindrical portion; and a thick plate portion, the thickness of which is greater than that of the thin plate portion. The spring sheet is formed entirely from the thin plate portion.

5. A connector comprising: The terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4; and The housing has a cavity for receiving the terminals.

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