Terminal unit

Abstract

To provide a terminal unit with a small electric resistance and less heat generation even if a heavy-current is flown.SOLUTION: A terminal unit 10 comprises: a first terminal 11; a second terminal 21 that is connected to an electric wire terminal 42a so as to be assembled and connected to the first terminal 11; and a pressing member 31 that presses the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 against each other to bring them into contact with each other. The first terminal 11 includes one or more projection contact points 13 that are projected in a direction orthogonal to a first terminal side assembling surface 12 for assembling the second terminal 21. The second terminal 21 includes one or more penetration holes 24 through which the electric wire terminal 42a can be viewed from a second terminal side assembling surface 22 for assembling the first terminal 11. By assembling the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21, the projection contact point 13 of the first terminal 11 is in direct contact with the electric wire terminal 42a through the penetration hole 24 of the second terminal 21 in a state where it is pressed to be brought into contact by the pressing member 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, terminal units have been known that include a first terminal, a second terminal that is connected to an end of an electric wire and assembled and connected to the first terminal, and an elastic member as a pressing member that presses the first terminal and the second terminal against each other to bring them into contact. The following Patent Document 1 is a prior art document that discloses this type of terminal unit. As shown in FIG. 33, a conventional terminal unit (10) disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a first terminal (12), a second terminal (14), and an elastic member (16), and the first terminal (12) has a first side opposing surface (24) that faces the second terminal (14) in the left direction and is pressed against the second terminal (14), and the second terminal (14) has an electric wire connection portion (32) that connects with an electric wire (18) and an elastic member (16) that faces the first terminal (12) in the right direction. The first terminal (12) has a second side opposed surface (38) which is pressed towards the first terminal (12) by the second terminal (14), the second side opposed surface (38) has an engaging protrusion (40) which extends in the assembling direction of the first terminal (12) and the second terminal (14) and protrudes to the right, and the first side opposed surface (24) has a first contact surface (28) and a second contact surface (30) which extend in the assembling direction and come into contact with the engaging protrusion (40) on both sides in the front-rear direction perpendicular to both the assembling direction and the leftward direction. Note that the symbols relating to the explanations of the prior art documents are distinguished from the embodiments of the present invention by adding parentheses. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-150224 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2023-097644 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the terminal unit (10) of the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the overall electrical resistance, which is the sum of the contact resistance and the conductor resistance, is large in the electrical connection between the electric wire (18) and the first terminal (12), and therefore generates heat when a large current is passed through it, making it unsuitable for handling large currents.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal unit that has low electrical resistance and generates little heat even when a large current is passed through it when electrical conductivity is established between the first terminal and the wire terminal connected to the second terminal by directly contacting the first terminal and the wire terminal when the first terminal and the second terminal are assembled together. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The terminal unit of the present invention comprises a first terminal, a second terminal connected to an end of an electric wire and assembled and connected to the first terminal, and a pressing member for pressing the first terminal and the second terminal against each other to bring them into contact, wherein the first terminal has one or more protruding contacts protruding in a direction perpendicular to a first terminal side assembly surface on which the second terminal is assembled, and the second terminal has one or more through holes through which the end of the electric wire can be seen from the second terminal side assembly surface on which the first terminal is assembled, and when the first terminal and the second terminal are assembled and pressed into contact by the pressing member, the protruding contacts of the first terminal pass through the through holes of the second terminal and directly come into contact with the end of the electric wire.

[0007] That is, in the terminal unit according to the present invention, the protruding contact of the first terminal passes through the through hole of the second terminal and directly contacts the electric wire terminal, so the electric resistance of the terminal unit (electric resistance from the electric wire terminal to the first terminal) does not include the electric resistance of the second terminal. In contrast, in the terminal unit according to the conventional technology shown in FIG. 33, the second terminal is interposed between the first terminal and the electric wire terminal, so the electric resistance of the terminal unit includes the "contact resistance between the electric wire terminal and the second terminal," the "conductor resistance of the second terminal," and the "contact resistance between the second terminal and the first terminal" as the electric resistance of the second terminal, resulting in a large overall electric resistance. In other words, the terminal unit according to the present invention can realize a terminal unit that has a smaller overall electric resistance than the conventional technology and generates less heat even when a large current flows through it.

[0008] Another terminal unit according to the present invention is a terminal unit comprising a first terminal and a second terminal connected to an end of an electric wire and assembled and connected to the first terminal, wherein the first terminal is a cylindrical elastic socket and the second terminal is a round pin, the elastic socket constituting the first terminal has one or more protruding contacts that protrude toward the second terminal when the first terminal and the second terminal are assembled, and the round pin constituting the second terminal has one or more through holes through which the end of the electric wire can be visually observed, and when the first terminal and the second terminal are assembled and brought into contact with each other, the protruding contacts of the first terminal pass through the through holes of the second terminal and directly contact the end of the electric wire.

[0009] Furthermore, in the terminal unit according to the present invention, the wire end is a flexible twisted wire, and when the first terminal and the second terminal are assembled and brought into contact with each other, the protrusion contact of the first terminal can be configured to bite into the twisted wire.

[0010] In other words, in the terminal unit of the present invention, the protrusion contact of the first terminal bites into the twisted wire, making the contact between the first terminal and the wire end more reliable and absorbing the dimensional tolerance of the protrusion contact, thereby suppressing rattling when the first terminal and second terminal are assembled.

[0011] Furthermore, in the terminal unit of the present invention, the first terminal side assembly surface of the first terminal and the second terminal side assembly surface of the second terminal are both flat, the second terminal and the electric wire terminal are connected by welding, one or more of the protrusion contacts of the first terminal have a quadrilateral protruding shape, one or more of the through holes of the second terminal have a quadrilateral through shape corresponding to the quadrilateral of the protrusion contacts, and the one or more of the protrusion contacts of the first terminal can pass through the one or more through holes of the second terminal and directly contact the electric wire terminal.

[0012] Furthermore, in the terminal unit of the present invention, the first terminal side assembly surface of the first terminal and the second terminal side assembly surface of the second terminal are both flat, the second terminal and the electric wire terminal are connected by crimping, one or more of the protrusion contacts of the first terminal have a quadrilateral protruding shape, one or more of the through holes of the second terminal have a quadrilateral through shape corresponding to the quadrilateral of the protrusion contacts, and the one or more of the protrusion contacts of the first terminal can pass through the one or more through holes of the second terminal and directly contact the electric wire terminal.

[0013] Yet another terminal unit according to the present invention includes a first terminal, a second terminal connected to an end of an electric wire and assembled and connected to the first terminal, and a pressing member for pressing the first terminal and the second terminal into contact with each other, wherein the first terminal has a first terminal side assembly surface for assembling the second terminal, the first terminal side assembly surface being flat, and the second terminal has one or more spherical contacts that are rotatably held relative to the second terminal side assembly surface for assembling the first terminal, and when the first terminal and the second terminal are assembled and pressed into contact by the pressing member, the spherical contacts of the second terminal are in direct contact with the first terminal side assembly surface of the first terminal, which is flat, and are also in direct contact with the end of the electric wire connected to the second terminal.

[0014] In yet another terminal unit according to the present invention, the one or more spherical contacts of the second terminal are spherical balls, and the ball as the spherical contact can be rotatably held by a ball retaining hole formed in the second terminal, the wire end attached to the side opposite the second terminal side assembly surface so as to cover the ball retaining hole, and a ball retaining plate attached to the side of the second terminal side assembly surface with the ball housed in the ball retaining hole and retaining the ball in a state where a portion of its surface protrudes towards the first terminal. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, when the first terminal and the second terminal are assembled, the first terminal and the wire end connected to the second terminal come into direct contact with each other, thereby providing a terminal unit that has low electrical resistance and generates little heat even when a large current is passed through it when electrical conduction is established between the wire end and the first terminal. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view of a terminal unit according to a first embodiment, as viewed from the upper front left. [Diagram 2] 1 is an external perspective view of a terminal unit according to a first embodiment, as viewed from the lower right rear side. [Diagram 3] 2 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal unit according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 3 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal unit according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 2 is an external perspective view of a first terminal according to the first embodiment, as viewed from the upper right rear side. FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is an external perspective view of a second terminal according to the first embodiment, as viewed from the upper front left. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective front view illustrating a connection state between a first terminal and a second terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section along line AA in FIG. 7. [Figure 9]FIG. 11 is an external perspective view of a terminal unit according to a second embodiment, as viewed from the upper front left. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is an external perspective view of a terminal unit according to a second embodiment, as viewed from the lower rear right. [Figure 11] 10 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal unit according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 12] 11 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal unit according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 10. [Figure 13] 13 is an external perspective view of a first terminal according to a second embodiment, as viewed from the upper right rear side. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is an external perspective view of a second terminal according to a second embodiment, as viewed from the upper front left. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a perspective front view illustrating a connection state between a first terminal and a second terminal according to a second embodiment. [Figure 16] 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section along line BB in FIG. 15. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is an external perspective view of a terminal unit according to a third embodiment, as viewed from the upper front left. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is an external perspective view of a terminal unit according to a third embodiment, as viewed from the lower rear right. [Figure 19] 18 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal unit according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 17. [Figure 20] 19 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal unit according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 18. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating a connection state between a first terminal and a second terminal according to a third embodiment. [Figure 22] 22 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section along line CC in FIG. 21. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is an external perspective view of a terminal unit according to a fourth embodiment, as viewed from the upper front left. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is an external perspective view of a terminal unit according to a fourth embodiment, as viewed from the lower rear right. [Diagram 25] FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal unit according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 23. [Figure 26]FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal unit according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 24. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is an external perspective view of a first terminal according to a fourth embodiment, as viewed from the upper right rear side. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is an external perspective view of a second terminal according to a fourth embodiment, as viewed from the upper front left. [Figure 29] 13 is an external perspective view of a second terminal according to a fourth embodiment, as viewed from the lower rear right. FIG. [Diagram 30] 29 is an exploded perspective view of the second terminal according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 28. FIG. [Diagram 31] FIG. 13 is a perspective front view illustrating a connection state between a first terminal and a second terminal according to a fourth embodiment. [Diagram 32] 32 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section along line DD in FIG. 31. [Diagram 33] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a terminal unit of Patent Document 1. [Diagram 34] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a terminal unit of Patent Document 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present invention, a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction are defined, and in the drawings, for convenience of explanation, each direction is shown as an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction. In this specification, the first direction is a left-right direction. In the drawings, the left-right direction is shown as an X direction. In particular, the right side is the +X direction, and the left side is the -X direction. In addition, in this specification, the second direction is a top-bottom direction. In the drawings, the top-bottom direction is shown as a Y direction. In particular, the top is the +Y direction, and the bottom is the -Y direction. Furthermore, in this specification, the third direction is a front-back direction. In the drawings, the front-back direction is shown as a Z direction. In particular, the front is the +Z direction, and the rear is the -Z direction.

[0018] Furthermore, the following embodiments do not limit the inventions related to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in each embodiment are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0019] [First embodiment] A terminal unit 10 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a terminal unit 10 according to the first embodiment includes a first terminal 11, a second terminal 21, and a pressing member 31. The first terminal 11 is a first terminal.

[0021] The first terminal 11 is a member made of a conductive metal. As shown in Fig. 5, the first terminal 11 of the first embodiment has a first terminal side mounting surface 12 having a flat plate-like rear side. The first terminal 11 has six protruding contacts 13 protruding backward (-Z direction) which is a third direction perpendicular to the first terminal side mounting surface 12 (a plane parallel to the XY plane formed by the first direction and the second direction) to which the second terminal 21 described later is attached.

[0022] The second terminal 21 is a member made of conductive metal. As shown in FIG. 6, the second terminal 21 of the first embodiment has a flat second terminal side assembly surface 22 on the front side and a flat stranded wire attachment surface 23 on the rear side. The front and rear sides of the second terminal 21 on which the second terminal side assembly surface 22 and the stranded wire attachment surface 23 are formed are arranged so as to overlap when viewed in the Z direction, which is the front-rear direction. The second terminal side assembly surface 22 is a portion that is arranged opposite to the first terminal side assembly surface 12 of the first terminal 11 when the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are assembled. Furthermore, the second terminal 21 has six through holes 24 that penetrate in the Z direction, which is the front-rear direction, from the second terminal side assembly surface 22 on the front side where the first terminal 11 is assembled to the stranded wire attachment surface 23 on the rear side. These six through holes 24 are portions into which the six protruding contacts 13 of the first terminal 11 are inserted when the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are assembled.

[0023] On the other hand, an electric wire 41 capable of conducting electricity is connected to the stranded wire attachment surface 23. The electric wire 41 of the first embodiment is configured by arranging a stranded wire 42 formed by twisting a plurality of copper wires having electrical conductivity therein, and covering the outer periphery of the stranded wire 42 with an insulator 43 as a protective member. The insulator 43 is removed from the end of the electric wire 41 on the connection side with the stranded wire attachment surface 23, and the stranded wire 42 is exposed to form an electric wire terminal 42a.

[0024] In the first embodiment, the stranded wire attachment surface 23 of the second terminal 21 and the electric wire terminal 42a of the electric wire 41 are connected by welding. At this time, the electric wire terminal 42a is welded so as to cover the surface of the stranded wire attachment surface 23 (the rear surface of the second terminal 21), so that the six through holes 24 formed in the second terminal 21 are blocked by the electric wire terminal 42a. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, when the six through holes 24 formed in the second terminal 21 are viewed from the front side, the electric wire terminal 42a can be seen through the through holes 24.

[0025] Therefore, when the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are assembled, and the six protruding contacts 13 of the first terminal 11 are inserted into the six through holes 24, the six protruding contacts 13 come into direct contact with the electric wire terminal 42a, as shown in Fig. 8. At this time, the height dimension of the six protruding contacts 13 is configured to be greater than the depth dimension of the six through holes 24, so that the assembled first terminal 11 and second terminal 21 are in a state where only the six protruding contacts 13 come into direct contact with the electric wire terminal 42a. Therefore, electricity transmitted using the electric wire 41 can be transmitted by being conducted directly from the electric wire terminal 42a of the twisted wire 42 to the first terminal 11, so that a terminal unit 10 having low electrical resistance and generating little heat even when a large current flows can be realized.

[0026] Furthermore, because the electric wire terminal 42a with which the six protruding contacts 13 come into direct contact is the flexible twisted wire 42, when the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are assembled and in contact with each other, the protruding contacts 13 of the first terminal 11 will bite into the electric wire terminal 42a, which is the twisted wire 42. With this configuration, the difference in height of the six protruding contacts 13 and any errors during assembly can be absorbed, so that the contact resistance can be reduced by the multi-point contact, and the temperature rise when a large current is passed can be suppressed, making it possible to pass a larger current.

[0027] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the six protruding contacts 13 of the first terminal 11 have a quadrilateral protruding shape, while the six through holes 24 of the second terminal 21 have a quadrilateral through shape corresponding to the quadrilateral of the protruding contacts 13. Therefore, even if the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 move relative to each other due to vibration or the like when they are assembled, the projections and recesses of the quadrilateral protruding contacts 13 and the through holes 24 fit together, so that the fitting portion acts to two-dimensionally suppress the movement, and it is possible to suitably suppress wear at the points of direct contact.

[0028] Furthermore, in the second terminal 21 of the first embodiment, the front and back surfaces of the second terminal 21 on which the second terminal side assembly surface 22 and the stranded wire attachment surface 23 are formed are arranged to overlap when viewed in the Z direction, which is the front-rear direction, so that the second terminal 21 can be made more compact than in the conventional technology. Therefore, the terminal unit 10 according to the first embodiment can be made smaller than in the conventional technology.

[0029] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 described above can be held in a state in which the terminals are connected to each other by the pressing member 31. The pressing member 31 is a clip-shaped member, and two plate-shaped elastic parts 32 that can exert an elastic force as a pressing force on the front and rear surfaces of the pressing member 31 are formed. The pressing member 31 is assembled in a state in which the first terminal side assembly surface 12 of the first terminal 11 and the second terminal side assembly surface 22 of the second terminal 21 face each other, so that the two plate-shaped elastic parts 32 exert an elastic force to press the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 against each other, thereby enabling the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 to be connected and held to each other. The pressing member of the present invention may be made of any material as long as it can exert a pressing force, and for example, a pressing member using a fastening force such as a bolt can be adopted.

[0030] The configuration of the terminal unit 10 according to the first embodiment has been described above. Next, a procedure for assembling the first terminal 11, the second terminal 21, and the pressing member 31 to configure the terminal unit 10 will be described.

[0031] 3, the procedure for assembling the first terminal 11, the second terminal 21, and the pressing member 31 to configure the terminal unit 10 is described as follows: first, the first terminal-side mounting surface 12 of the first terminal 11 is moved backward (-Z direction) toward the second terminal-side mounting surface 22 of the second terminal 21, and the six protruding contacts 13 of the first terminal 11 are fitted into the six through holes 24 of the second terminal 21. From this state, the pressing member 31 is moved downward (-Y direction) to sandwich the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 between the two plate-like elastic portions 32, thereby realizing the state shown in FIG. In this state, the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are completely assembled with the first terminal side assembly surface 12 of the first terminal 11 and the second terminal side assembly surface 22 of the second terminal 21 facing each other by the pressing force formed by the elastic force of the two plate-shaped elastic parts 32 of the pressing member 31. As shown in Fig. 8, the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are in a state where the six protruding contacts 13 are in direct contact with the electric wire terminal 42a, so that the terminal unit 10 having an extremely short current path is realized. Therefore, according to the terminal unit 10 of the first embodiment, the electrical resistance can be reduced and heat generation can be reduced even when a large current flows.

[0032] Although the configuration and assembly procedure of the terminal unit 10 according to the first embodiment have been described above with reference to Figures 1 to 8, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiment.

[0033] For example, in the above-described first embodiment, a case has been exemplified in which the stranded wire attachment surface 23 of the second terminal 21 and the wire end 42a of the wire 41 are connected by welding. However, as for the welding as a connection means, in addition to a means of joining the stranded wire attachment surface 23 of the second terminal 21 and the wire end 42a of the wire 41 at a molecular level by heat, any connection means included in the definition of welding, such as soldering or welding, can be used.

[0034] In the second terminal 21 of the first embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 6, when the six through holes 24 formed in the second terminal 21 are viewed from the front side, the electric wire end 42a can be seen through the through holes 24, and the electric wire end 42a visible through the through holes 24 has the stranded wire 42 exposed. The wire end 42a made of the stranded wire 42 in this exposed state can be surface-treated with silver plating or the like to protect the visible surface of the stranded wire 42. Although the flexibility of the stranded wire 42 is slightly deteriorated by performing surface treatment such as silver plating, the oxidation of the copper wire surface can be suppressed, and therefore the effect of reducing the contact resistance can be obtained for a long period of time. A terminal unit to which such an improved configuration is added is also included in the present invention.

[0035] A preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, a second embodiment to which the present invention can be applied will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 16. In the following description, members that are the same as or similar to those described in the first embodiment above will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof may be omitted.

[0036] [Second embodiment] A terminal unit 10 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, a terminal unit 10 according to the second embodiment includes a first terminal 11, a second terminal 21, and a pressing member 31. The first terminal 11 is a first terminal.

[0038] The first terminal 11 is a member made of a conductive metal. As shown in Fig. 13, the first terminal 11 of the second embodiment has a first terminal side mounting surface 12 having a flat plate-like rear side. The first terminal 11 has six protruding contacts 13 protruding backward (-Z direction) which is a third direction perpendicular to the first terminal side mounting surface 12 (a plane parallel to the XY plane formed by the first direction and the second direction) to which the second terminal 21 described later is attached.

[0039] The second terminal 21 is a member made of conductive metal. As shown in FIG. 14, the second terminal 21 of the second embodiment has a flat second terminal side assembly surface 22 on the front side, and a flat stranded wire attachment surface 23 on the rear side of the second terminal side assembly surface 22. The front and rear sides of the second terminal 21 on which the second terminal side assembly surface 22 and the stranded wire attachment surface 23 are formed are arranged so as to overlap when viewed in the Z direction, which is the front-rear direction. In addition, the second terminal side assembly surface 22 is a portion that is arranged opposite the first terminal side assembly surface 12 of the first terminal 11 when the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are assembled. Furthermore, the second terminal 21 has six through holes 24 that penetrate in the Z direction, which is the front-rear direction, from the second terminal side assembly surface 22 on the front side where the first terminal 11 is assembled to the stranded wire attachment surface 23 on the rear side. These six through holes 24 are portions into which the six protruding contacts 13 of the first terminal 11 are inserted when the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are assembled.

[0040] On the other hand, an electric wire 41 capable of conducting electricity is connected to the stranded wire attachment surface 23. The electric wire 41 of the second embodiment is configured by arranging a stranded wire 42 formed by twisting a plurality of copper wires having electrical conductivity therein, and covering the outer periphery of the stranded wire 42 with an insulator 43 as a protective member. The insulator 43 is removed from the end of the electric wire 41 on the connection side with the stranded wire attachment surface 23, and the stranded wire 42 is exposed to form an electric wire terminal 42a.

[0041] In the second embodiment, the twisted wire attachment surface 23 of the second terminal 21 and the electric wire terminal 42a of the electric wire 41 are connected by crimping. More specifically, the second terminal 21 is formed with a crimped wall portion 25 extending upward and downward from the second terminal side assembly surface 22 on the front side and the twisted wire attachment surface 23 on the rear side, and the crimped wall portion 25 is crimped to wrap the electric wire terminal 42a, so that the electric wire terminal 42a is crimped to cover the surface of the twisted wire attachment surface 23 (the rear surface of the second terminal 21). Therefore, the six through holes 24 formed in the second terminal 21 are in a state of being blocked by the electric wire terminal 42a. In other words, as shown in FIG. 14, when the six through holes 24 formed in the second terminal 21 are viewed from the front side, the electric wire terminal 42a can be visually observed through the through holes 24.

[0042] Therefore, when the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are assembled, and the six protruding contacts 13 of the first terminal 11 are inserted into the six through holes 24, the six protruding contacts 13 come into direct contact with the electric wire terminal 42a, as shown in Fig. 16. At this time, the height dimension of the six protruding contacts 13 is configured to be greater than the depth dimension of the six through holes 24, so that the assembled first terminal 11 and second terminal 21 are in a state where only the six protruding contacts 13 come into direct contact with the electric wire terminal 42a. Therefore, electricity transmitted using the electric wire 41 can be transmitted by being conducted directly from the electric wire terminal 42a of the twisted wire 42 to the first terminal 11, so that a terminal unit 10 having low electrical resistance and generating little heat even when a large current flows can be realized.

[0043] Furthermore, because the electric wire terminal 42a with which the six protruding contacts 13 come into direct contact is the flexible twisted wire 42, when the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are assembled and in contact with each other, the protruding contacts 13 of the first terminal 11 will bite into the electric wire terminal 42a, which is the twisted wire 42. With this configuration, the difference in height of the six protruding contacts 13 and any errors during assembly can be absorbed, so that the contact resistance can be reduced by the multi-point contact, and the temperature rise when a large current is passed can be suppressed, making it possible to pass a larger current.

[0044] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the six protruding contacts 13 of the first terminal 11 have a quadrilateral protruding shape, while the six through holes 24 of the second terminal 21 have a quadrilateral through shape corresponding to the quadrilateral of the protruding contacts 13. Therefore, even if the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 move relative to each other due to vibration or the like when they are assembled, the projections and recesses of the quadrilateral protruding contacts 13 and the through holes 24 fit together, so that the fitting portion acts to suppress the movement two-dimensionally, thereby making it possible to suitably suppress wear at the points of direct contact.

[0045] Furthermore, in the second terminal 21 of the second embodiment, the front and back surfaces of the second terminal 21 on which the second terminal side assembly surface 22 and the stranded wire attachment surface 23 are formed are arranged to overlap when viewed in the Z direction, which is the front-rear direction, so that the second terminal 21 can be made more compact than in the conventional technology. Therefore, the terminal unit 10 according to the second embodiment can be made smaller than in the conventional technology.

[0046] As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 described above can be held in a state in which the terminals are connected to each other by a pressing member 31. The pressing member 31 is a clip-shaped member, and two plate-shaped elastic parts 32 that can exert an elastic force as a pressing force on the front and rear surfaces of the pressing member 31 are formed. The pressing member 31 is assembled in a state in which the first terminal side assembly surface 12 of the first terminal 11 and the second terminal side assembly surface 22 of the second terminal 21 face each other, so that the two plate-shaped elastic parts 32 exert an elastic force to press the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 against each other, thereby enabling the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 to be connected and held to each other. The pressing member of the present invention may be made of any material as long as it can exert a pressing force, and for example, a pressing member using a fastening force such as a bolt can be adopted.

[0047] The configuration of the terminal unit 10 according to the second embodiment has been described above. Next, a procedure for assembling the first terminal 11, the second terminal 21, and the pressing member 31 to configure the terminal unit 10 will be described.

[0048] 11, the procedure for assembling the first terminal 11, the second terminal 21, and the pressing member 31 to configure the terminal unit 10 is described as follows: first, the first terminal-side mounting surface 12 of the first terminal 11 is moved backward (-Z direction) toward the second terminal-side mounting surface 22 of the second terminal 21, and the six protruding contacts 13 of the first terminal 11 are fitted into the six through holes 24 of the second terminal 21. From this state, the pressing member 31 is moved downward (-Y direction) to sandwich the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 between the two plate-like elastic portions 32, thereby realizing the state shown in FIG. In this state, the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are completely assembled with the first terminal side assembly surface 12 of the first terminal 11 and the second terminal side assembly surface 22 of the second terminal 21 facing each other by the pressing force formed by the elastic force of the two plate-shaped elastic portions 32 of the pressing member 31. As shown in Fig. 16, the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 21 are in a state where the six protruding contacts 13 are in direct contact with the electric wire terminal 42a, so that the terminal unit 10 having an extremely short current path is realized. Therefore, according to the terminal unit 10 of the second embodiment, the electrical resistance can be reduced and heat generation can be reduced even when a large current flows.

[0049] Although the configuration and assembly procedure of the terminal unit 10 according to the second embodiment have been described above with reference to Figures 9 to 16, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiment.

[0050] For example, in the above-mentioned second embodiment, the case where the twisted wire mounting surface 23 of the second terminal 21 and the wire end 42a of the wire 41 are connected by crimping is exemplified. However, in addition to a connection means that utilizes plastic deformation of a metal material such as crimping, any connection means included in the definition of crimping, such as thermocompression or ultrasonic thermocompression, can be used for the crimping as a connection means.

[0051] In the second terminal 21 of the second embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 14, when the six through holes 24 formed in the second terminal 21 are viewed from the front side, the electric wire end 42a can be seen through the through holes 24, and the electric wire end 42a visible through the through holes 24 has the stranded wire 42 exposed. The wire end 42a made of the stranded wire 42 in this exposed state can be surface-treated with silver plating or the like to protect the visible surface of the stranded wire 42. Although the flexibility of the stranded wire 42 is slightly deteriorated by performing surface treatment such as silver plating, the oxidation of the copper wire surface can be suppressed, and therefore the effect of reducing the contact resistance can be obtained for a long period of time. A terminal unit to which such an improved configuration is added is also included in the present invention.

[0052] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Next, a third embodiment to which the present invention can be applied will be described with reference to Figs.

[0053] [Third embodiment] A terminal unit 110 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 17 to 20, a terminal unit 110 according to the third embodiment includes a first terminal 111 and a second terminal 121. The first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the terminal block 100. As shown in FIG.

[0055] The first terminal 111 is a member made of conductive metal and configured as a cylindrical elastic socket. The first terminal 111 of the third embodiment has six elastic force applying arms 112 extending toward the second terminal 121 as shown in Fig. 20, for example, and a protruding contact 113 that protrudes toward the second terminal 121 when the first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 are assembled is formed on the inner periphery of each of the six elastic force applying arms 112. That is, the first terminal 111 has a total of six protruding contacts 113.

[0056] The second terminal 121 is a member made of conductive metal and configured as a round pin. The second terminal 121 of the third embodiment has six through holes 124 on the outer circumferential surface of a portion to be assembled to the first terminal 111, as shown in Fig. 20 for example. These six through holes 124 are portions into which six protruding contacts 113 of the first terminal 111 are inserted when the first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 are assembled.

[0057] Further, at the end portion opposite to the portion assembled to the first terminal 111, which is the right side of the second terminal 121, an electric wire 141 capable of conducting electricity is provided.

[0058] The electric wire 141 of the third embodiment has a twisted wire 142 formed by twisting a plurality of conductive copper wires inside, and is configured by covering the outer periphery of the twisted wire 142 with an insulator 143 as a protective member. The insulator 143 is removed from the end of the electric wire 141 on the connection side with the second terminal 121, and the twisted wire 142 is exposed to form an electric wire terminal 142a.

[0059] In the third embodiment, the second terminal 121 and the electric wire end 142a of the electric wire 141 are connected by crimping. More specifically, by performing crimping processing in a state where the electric wire end 142a is inserted into the second terminal 121, the electric wire end 142a is crimped and fixed to the second terminal 121. At this time, the six through holes 124 formed in the second terminal 121 are in a state where the inner side is blocked by the electric wire end 142a. In other words, the second terminal 121 is configured such that the electric wire end 142a can be seen through the through holes 124 when the six through holes 124 formed in the second terminal 121 are viewed from the outer periphery side, as shown in FIG. 20, for example.

[0060] Therefore, when the first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 are assembled, and the six protruding contacts 113 of the first terminal 111 are inserted into the six through holes 124, the six protruding contacts 113 come into direct contact with the electric wire terminal 142a, as shown in Fig. 22. At this time, the six elastic force applying arms 112 exert inward elastic forces, so that the six protruding contacts 113 are pushed toward the electric wire terminal 142a, and the six protruding contacts 113 are securely fitted into the six through holes 124. Furthermore, the height dimension of the six protruding contacts 113 is configured to be greater than the depth dimension of the six through holes 124, so that the assembled first terminal 111 and second terminal 121 are in a state in which only the six protruding contacts 113 and the electric wire terminal 142a come into direct contact with each other. Therefore, electricity transmitted using electric wire 141 can be conducted directly from electric wire terminal 142a of twisted wire 142 to first terminal 111 for transmission, thereby realizing a terminal unit 110 with low electrical resistance and which generates little heat even when a large current is passed through it.

[0061] Furthermore, because wire end 142a with which six protruding contacts 113 come into direct contact is flexible twisted wire 142, when first terminal 111 and second terminal 121 are assembled and in contact with each other, protruding contacts 113 of first terminal 111 will bite into wire end 142a, which is twisted wire 142. With this configuration, differences in height of six protruding contacts 113 and errors during assembly can be absorbed, so that contact resistance can be reduced by multi-point contact, temperature rise when a large current flows can be suppressed, and a larger current can be passed.

[0062] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the six protruding contacts 113 of the first terminal 111 have a quadrilateral protruding shape, while the six through holes 124 of the second terminal 121 have a quadrilateral through shape corresponding to the quadrilateral of the protruding contacts 113. Therefore, even if the first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 move relative to each other due to vibration or the like when they are assembled, the fitting between the protruding and non-protruding parts of the quadrilateral protruding contacts 113 and the through holes 124 acts to suppress the movement, so that it is possible to suitably suppress wear at the points of direct contact.

[0063] The first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 according to the third embodiment described above do not require the pressing member 31 used in the first and second embodiments. Therefore, the terminal unit 110 according to the third embodiment has an advantage of reducing manufacturing costs and the like in that the number of parts is small.

[0064] The procedure for assembling the terminal unit 110 according to the third embodiment is to fit the six protruding contacts 113 into the six through holes 124 by fitting the first terminal 111 into the second terminal 121. As a result, the first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 are in a state in which the six protruding contacts 113 are in direct contact with the electric wire terminal 142a as shown in Fig. 22, thereby realizing the terminal unit 110 having an extremely short current path. Therefore, according to the terminal unit 110 according to the third embodiment, it is possible to reduce electrical resistance and reduce heat generation even when a large current flows.

[0065] Although the configuration and assembly procedure of the terminal unit 110 according to the third embodiment have been described above with reference to Figures 17 to 22, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiment.

[0066] For example, in the above-described third embodiment, a case has been illustrated in which the second terminal 121 and the wire terminal 142a of the wire 141 are connected by crimping, but any connection means can be used to connect the second terminal 121 and the wire terminal 142a.

[0067] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Next, a fourth embodiment to which the present invention can be applied will be described with reference to Figs.

[0068] [Fourth embodiment] A terminal unit 210 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0069] As shown in FIGS. 23 to 26, a terminal unit 210 according to the fourth embodiment includes a first terminal 211, a second terminal 221, and a pressing member 231. The terminal unit 210 includes a first terminal 211, a second terminal 221, and a pressing member 231.

[0070] The first terminal 211 is a member made of conductive metal and is configured as a single flat plate member. As shown in Fig. 27, the first terminal 211 of the fourth embodiment has a flat first-terminal-side mounting surface 212 on the rear side. This first-terminal-side mounting surface 212 is a portion that comes into contact with a ball 225, which serves as a spherical contact, described later, when the first terminal 211 and the second terminal 221 are assembled together.

[0071] The second terminal 221 is a member made of a conductive metal. As shown in Figs. 28 and 29, the second terminal 221 of the fourth embodiment has a flat second terminal side assembly surface 222 on the front side and a flat stranded wire attachment surface 223 on the back side. The front and back sides of the second terminal 221 on which the second terminal side assembly surface 222 and the stranded wire attachment surface 223 are formed are arranged to overlap when viewed in the Z direction, which is the front-rear direction. The second terminal side assembly surface 222 is a portion that is arranged to face the first terminal side assembly surface 212 of the first terminal 211 when the first terminal 211 and the second terminal 221 are assembled.

[0072] Furthermore, as is clear from a comparison of Figures 28 to 30, the second terminal 221 of the fourth embodiment is composed of a second terminal main body 224 that is flat and has six ball retaining holes 224a, six balls 225 as spherical contacts each stored in one of the six ball retaining holes 224a, an electric wire end 242a (described later) attached to the opposite side of the second terminal side assembly surface 222 so as to cover the six ball retaining holes 224a, and a ball pressing plate 226 that is attached to the side of the second terminal side assembly surface 222 with the ball 225 stored in the ball retaining hole 224a and holds the ball 225 in a state where a portion of its surface protrudes toward the first terminal 211. That is, in the second terminal 221 of the fourth embodiment, as shown in Fig. 32, each of the six balls 225 is sandwiched between the electric wire end 242a and the ball pressing plate 226 in a state in which the six balls 225 are housed in each of the six ball holding holes 224a of the second terminal main body 224, and is arranged in a rotatable state. The ball pressing plate 226 is formed with a circular opening hole 226a formed with a diameter dimension smaller than the diameter of the ball 225. The depth dimension of the ball holding hole 224a for housing the ball 225 is formed with a dimension smaller than the diameter of the ball 225. Therefore, a part of the surface of the six balls 225 on the side of the second terminal side assembly surface 222 protrudes forward (in the +Z direction) from the opening hole 226a of the ball pressing plate 226.

[0073] As described above, the electric wire 241 capable of conducting electricity is connected to the stranded wire attachment surface 223. As shown in Fig. 29 and the like, the electric wire 241 of the fourth embodiment is configured such that a stranded wire 242 formed by twisting a plurality of copper wires having electrical conductivity therein is arranged, and the outer periphery of the stranded wire 242 is covered with an insulator 243 as a protective member. The insulator 243 is removed from the end of the electric wire 241 on the connection side with the stranded wire attachment surface 223, and the stranded wire 242 is exposed to form an electric wire terminal 242a.

[0074] In the fourth embodiment, the stranded wire attachment surface 223 of the second terminal 221 and the electric wire terminal 242a of the electric wire 241 are connected by welding. At this time, the electric wire terminal 242a is welded so as to cover the rear surface of the stranded wire attachment surface 223, so that the six penetrating ball holding holes 224a formed in the second terminal main body 224 are in a state in which the rear side of the second terminal main body 224 is blocked by the electric wire terminal 242a. Therefore, in the second terminal 221, as shown in Fig. 32, the six balls 225 as spherical contacts are held in a rotatable state while being in direct contact with the electric wire terminal 242a.

[0075] The first terminal 211 and the second terminal 221 described above can be held in a connected state by the pressing member 231, as shown in Figs. 23 and 24. The pressing member 231 is a clip-shaped member, and is formed with two plate-shaped elastic parts 232 that can exert an elastic force as a pressing force on the front and rear surfaces of the pressing member 231. The pressing member 231 is assembled in a state in which the first terminal side assembly surface 212 of the first terminal 211 and the second terminal side assembly surface 222 of the second terminal 221 face each other, so that the pressing member 231 exerts an elastic force that presses the first terminal side assembly surface 212 of the first terminal 211 and the six balls 225 as spherical contacts against each other, as shown in Fig. 32, so that the first terminal 211 and the second terminal 221 can be held in a connected state. The pressing member of the present invention may be any member that can exert a pressing force, and for example, a pressing member using a fastening force such as a bolt can be adopted.

[0076] Furthermore, when the first terminal 211 and the second terminal 221 are assembled, the six balls 225 as spherical contacts held in a rotatable state receive a pressing force from the first terminal side assembly surface 212 of the first terminal 211 and bite into the electric wire terminal 242a. Here, a technology for connecting terminals using balls as spherical terminals is known from Patent Document 2 shown in FIG. 34. However, in the conventional technology shown in FIG. 34, the balls (16) sandwiched between the connector terminal (12) and the mating connector terminal (21) do not directly contact the electric wire terminal. Note that the symbols in the explanations of the prior art documents are distinguished from the embodiments of the present invention by adding parentheses.

[0077] In contrast, in the terminal unit 210 according to the fourth embodiment, as shown in Fig. 32, the ball 225 is in direct contact with the electric wire terminal 242a without passing through the second terminal 221, and thus the terminal unit 210 has an extremely short current path. Therefore, the terminal unit 210 according to the fourth embodiment can reduce electrical resistance and reduce heat generation even when a large current flows. Furthermore, the ball 225 directly connects the first terminal 211 and the electric wire terminal 242a without passing through the second terminal 221, and bites into the electric wire terminal 242a, thereby realizing a stable connection state of the contact portion.

[0078] Moreover, since electric wire end 242a with which six balls 225 as spherical contacts come into direct contact is flexible stranded wire 242, when first terminal 211 and second terminal 221 are assembled and in contact with each other, six balls 225 rotatably (while rotating under some conditions) bite into electric wire end 242a, which is stranded wire 242. With this configuration, errors in the installation positions of six balls 225, errors in the diameter dimensions of balls 225, manufacturing errors during assembly, etc. can be absorbed, so that contact resistance can be reduced by multi-point contact, temperature rise when a large current flows can be suppressed, and a larger current can be passed.

[0079] The configuration of the terminal unit 210 according to the fourth embodiment has been described above. Next, a procedure for assembling the first terminal 211, the second terminal 221, and the pressing member 231 to configure the terminal unit 210 will be described.

[0080] 25, the procedure for assembling the first terminal 211, the second terminal 221, and the pressing member 231 to configure the terminal unit 210 is described as follows: first, the first terminal side mounting surface 212 of the first terminal 211 is moved backward (-Z direction) toward the second terminal side mounting surface 222 of the second terminal 221 to bring the six balls 225 of the second terminal 221 into contact with the first terminal side mounting surface 212 of the first terminal 211. From this state, the pressing member 231 is moved downward (-Y direction) to sandwich the first terminal 211 and the second terminal 221 between the two plate-shaped elastic portions 232, thereby realizing the state shown in FIG. In the process of realizing such a state, the six balls 225 are rotatably (or, depending on the conditions, while rotating) bitten into the electric wire end 242a of the stranded wire 242 by the pressing force formed by the elastic force exerted by the two plate-shaped elastic parts 232 of the pressing member 231. Therefore, stable assembly of the first terminal 211 and the second terminal 221 is completed with the first terminal side assembly surface 212 of the first terminal 211 and the second terminal side assembly surface 222 of the second terminal 221 facing each other.

[0081] 32, the first terminal 211 and the second terminal 221 are in a state in which the first-terminal-side mounting surface 212 of the first terminal 211 is connected to the electric wire end 242a only via six balls 225 serving as spherical contacts, thereby realizing the terminal unit 210 having an extremely short current path. Therefore, according to the terminal unit 210 of the fourth embodiment, it is possible to reduce electrical resistance and reduce heat generation even when a large current flows.

[0082] Although the configuration and assembly procedure of the terminal unit 210 according to the fourth embodiment have been described above with reference to Figures 23 to 32, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiment.

[0083] For example, in the above-mentioned fourth embodiment, a case has been exemplified in which the stranded wire attachment surface 223 of the second terminal 221 and the wire terminal 242a of the electric wire 241 are connected by welding. However, as for the welding as a connection means, in addition to a means of joining the stranded wire attachment surface 223 of the second terminal 221 and the wire terminal 242a of the electric wire 241 at a molecular level by heat, any connection means included in the definition of welding, such as soldering or welding, can be used.

[0084] For example, in the terminal units 10, 110, 210 according to the first to fourth embodiments described above, a configuration example is shown in which six protrusion contacts 13, 113 or six balls 225 are arranged as contacts that directly contact the wire terminals 42a, 142a, 242a. However, the number of contacts (protrusion contacts or spherical contacts) applicable to the present invention can be selected from any number of one or more.

[0085] Furthermore, for example, in the terminal units 10, 110, 210 according to the first to fourth embodiments described above, the lengths of the illustrated electric wires 41, 141, 241 are drawn short in accordance with the drawing range, but the length of the electric wires applied to the terminal units of the present invention can be set to any length.

[0086] It will be apparent from the description of the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0087] The terminal unit according to the present invention can be used, for example, in a location in a vehicle that handles a large current. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10 (of the first and second embodiments) terminal unit 11 1st terminal 12 1st terminal side assembly surface 13 Projection contact 21 2nd terminal 22 2nd terminal side assembly surface 23 Stranded Wire Mounting Surface 24 Through holes 25 Caulking wall part 31 Pressing member 32 Plate-shaped elastic part 41 Electric wire 42 stranded wire 42a Wire End 43 Insulators 110 (third embodiment) terminal unit 111 1st terminal 112 Elastic force applying arm 113 Projection contact 121 2nd terminal 124 Through hole 141 Electric wire 142 stranded wire 142a Wire End 143 Insulators 210 (Fourth embodiment) terminal unit 211 1st terminal 212 1st terminal side assembly surface 221 2nd terminal 222 2nd terminal side assembly surface 223 Stranded Wire Mounting Surface 224 Second terminal body 224a Ball Retaining Hole 225 Ball (spherical contact) 226 Ball Retainer 226a Open hole 231 Pressing member 232 Plate-shaped elastic part 241 Electric wire 242 stranded wire 242a Wire End 243 Insulators

Claims

1. A terminal unit including a first terminal, a second terminal connected to an end of an electric wire and assembled to and connected to the first terminal, and a pressing member that presses the first terminal and the second terminal against each other to bring them into contact with each other, the first terminal has one or more protruding contacts protruding in a direction perpendicular to a first terminal side mounting surface to which the second terminal is mounted, the second terminal has one or more through holes through which the electric wire end can be seen from a second terminal side assembly surface to which the first terminal is assembled, a terminal unit characterized in that, when the first terminal and the second terminal are assembled and pressed into contact by the pressing member, the protrusion contact of the first terminal passes through the through hole of the second terminal and directly contacts the terminal of the electric wire.

2. A terminal unit including a first terminal and a second terminal connected to an end of an electric wire and assembled and connected to the first terminal, The first terminal is a cylindrical elastic socket, the second terminal is a round pin, the elastic socket constituting the first terminal has one or more protruding contacts that protrude toward the second terminal when the first terminal and the second terminal are assembled together, The round pin constituting the second terminal has one or more through holes through which the electric wire terminal can be visually observed, a terminal unit characterized in that, when the first terminal and the second terminal are assembled and in contact with each other, the protrusion contact of the first terminal passes through the through hole of the second terminal and directly contacts the terminal of the electric wire.

3. 3. The terminal unit according to claim 1, The electric wire terminal is a flexible stranded wire, A terminal unit, characterized in that, when the first terminal and the second terminal are assembled and in contact with each other, the protruding contact of the first terminal bites into the twisted wire.

4. 2. The terminal unit according to claim 1, the first terminal side mounting surface of the first terminal and the second terminal side mounting surface of the second terminal are both flat, the second terminal and the electric wire end are connected by welding, The one or more protruding contacts of the first terminal have a quadrilateral protruding shape, the at least one through hole of the second terminal has a quadrilateral through shape corresponding to a quadrilateral of the protruding contact; A terminal unit, characterized in that one or more of the protrusion contacts of the first terminal pass through one or more of the through holes of the second terminal and directly contact the electric wire terminal.

5. 2. The terminal unit according to claim 1, the first terminal side mounting surface of the first terminal and the second terminal side mounting surface of the second terminal are both flat, the second terminal and the electric wire end are connected by crimping, The one or more protruding contacts of the first terminal have a quadrilateral protruding shape, the at least one through hole of the second terminal has a quadrilateral through shape corresponding to a quadrilateral of the protruding contact; A terminal unit, characterized in that one or more of the protrusion contacts of the first terminal pass through one or more of the through holes of the second terminal and directly contact the electric wire terminal.

6. A terminal unit including a first terminal, a second terminal connected to an end of an electric wire and assembled to and connected to the first terminal, and a pressing member that presses the first terminal and the second terminal against each other to bring them into contact with each other, the first terminal has a first terminal side assembly surface to which the second terminal is attached, the first terminal side assembly surface being flat, the second terminal has one or more spherical contacts rotatably held with respect to a second terminal side mounting surface to which the first terminal is mounted, a first terminal that is electrically connected to the second terminal and a second terminal that is electrically connected to the first terminal; a first terminal that is electrically connected to the second terminal and a second terminal that is electrically connected to the first terminal;

7. 7. The terminal unit according to claim 6, the at least one spherical contact of the second terminal is a spherical ball; The ball as the spherical contact point is a ball retaining hole formed in the second terminal; the electric wire end is attached to the opposite side of the second terminal side assembly surface so as to close the ball holding hole; a ball retaining plate that is attached to the second terminal side assembly surface in a state where the ball is housed in the ball retaining hole and that retains the ball in a state where a portion of a surface of the ball protrudes toward the first terminal; A terminal unit characterized in that the terminal unit is rotatably held by a

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