Female terminal

Abstract

To provide a female terminal that can suppress a finger from being contacted to a contact band, and can suppress the size thereof from increasing.SOLUTION: A female terminal 1 comprises: a terminal main body 10 that contains a male terminal insertion part 11 into which a male terminal is inserted; a contact band 20 that is cylindrically formed along the inner wall of the male terminal insertion part 11 so that the male terminal can be inserted, and that is arranged so as to be contacted with the male terminal in the case where the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion part 11; and a resin cap 30 that is mounted to the end part of the male terminal insertion part 11, and includes an insertion hole 31 into which the male terminal is inserted. The resin cap 30 contains a coated part 35 that coats the tip end of the contact band 20, is connected to the outer wall of the coated part 35, includes a band engagement wall 37 that is contacted to the end surface of the contact band 20, and in which the tip end of the contact band 20 is arranged to between the inner wall of the male terminal insertion part 11 and the outer wall of the coated part 35.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, female terminals for large currents that can be used for connecting or charging various devices to batteries of electric vehicles are known. Patent Document 1 discloses a female terminal that houses a cylindrical contact band that elastically contacts the male terminal within a cylindrical terminal body into which a rod-shaped male terminal is inserted.

[0003] The female terminal described in Patent Document 1 has a synthetic resin cap that is integrally formed with an introduction port having approximately the same diameter as the male terminal and a stopper wall whose inner surface is continuous with the introduction port. The stopper wall of the cap is inserted into a large diameter portion that is larger than the maximum outer diameter of a contact band provided at the tip side of the terminal body, and the end face of the stopper wall is abutted against the contact band housed in the terminal body to hold the contact band within the terminal body. With this structure, the female terminal described in Patent Document 1 prevents the plating of the male terminal from peeling off, prevents damage to the contact band, and prevents the cap from falling off, and also makes assembly easy, short, and efficient. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-091013 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In order to prevent the user's fingers from touching the contact band housed in the terminal body in a conventional female terminal, it is possible to lengthen the synthetic resin cap in the male terminal insertion direction. However, in a conventional female terminal, if the synthetic resin cap is lengthened, there is a risk that the female terminal will become larger in size by the amount of the lengthened cap.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems inherent in the conventional technology, and an object of the present invention is to provide a female terminal that can prevent fingers from touching the contact band and prevent the terminal from becoming large. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A female terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a terminal body including a male terminal insertion portion into which a male terminal is inserted. The female terminal is formed in a cylindrical shape along the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion so that the male terminal can be inserted, and comprises a contact band arranged to come into contact with the male terminal when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion portion. The female terminal comprises a resin cap attached to the end of the male terminal insertion portion and having an insertion hole into which the male terminal is inserted. The resin cap includes a covering portion that covers the tip of the contact band, is connected to the outer wall of the covering portion, and has a band locking wall that abuts against the end face of the contact band. The tip of the contact band is arranged between the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion and the outer wall of the covering portion. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a female terminal that can prevent fingers from touching the contact band and prevent the terminal from becoming large. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a female terminal according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a female terminal according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing an example of a female terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the area enclosed by the frame line in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a female terminal according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the female terminal according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0011] The female terminal 1 according to this embodiment is a terminal for electrically connecting to a male terminal by inserting a rod-shaped male terminal (not shown). In this specification, the direction in which the male terminal is inserted is referred to as the male terminal insertion direction or length direction. The direction perpendicular to the length direction and in which the flat plate portion 12 spreads is referred to as the width direction. The direction perpendicular to the length direction and width direction and perpendicular to the surface in which the flat plate portion 12 spreads is referred to as the height direction. In the length direction, the direction in which the male terminal insertion opening 32 is provided with respect to the female terminal 1 is referred to as the male terminal insertion opening 32 side. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the female terminal 1 according to this embodiment includes a terminal body 10, a contact band 20, and a resin cap 30.

[0012] The terminal body 10 includes a male terminal insertion portion 11 and a flat portion 12. A male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion portion 11. The flat portion 12 is a portion that is connected to a mating terminal (not shown) that is different from the male terminal described above. The male terminal insertion portion 11 is disposed at the end of the terminal body 10 on the male terminal insertion port 32 side in the length direction, and the flat portion 12 is disposed at the end opposite the male terminal insertion portion 11 in the length direction. The male terminal insertion portion 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a male terminal accommodating chamber, which is an internal space into which the male terminal is inserted.

[0013] The flat plate portion 12 is a flat plate member that protrudes from the end of the male terminal insertion portion 11 opposite to the male terminal insertion opening 32 side and has a shape that spreads in a substantially rectangular shape in the length direction and width direction. The flat plate portion 12 is connected, for example, to a flat electric connection portion of a mating terminal (not shown), and is electrically connected to a conductor of an electric wire via the electric connection portion. The terminal body 10 is formed continuously and integrally, and is formed of a conductive metal such as aluminum. The terminal body 10 can be formed, for example, by rolling a flat metal plate into a cylindrical shape by pressing.

[0014] 3, male terminal insertion portion 11 includes band accommodating portion 13 and body side fitting portion 14. Band accommodating portion 13 is provided at the end of male terminal insertion portion 11 opposite male terminal insertion opening 32 in the longitudinal direction, and body side fitting portion 14 is provided at the end of male terminal insertion portion 11 on the male terminal insertion opening 32 side in the longitudinal direction. Body side fitting portion 14 protrudes from the male terminal insertion side of band accommodating portion 13, and the outer wall of band accommodating portion 13 and the outer wall of body side fitting portion 14 are continuous without any step.

[0015] The band accommodating portion 13 has a cylindrical shape, and a male terminal accommodating chamber exists inside the band accommodating portion 13. The inside dimension (inner diameter) of the band accommodating portion 13 is formed to be larger than the outside dimension (outer diameter) of the male terminal. A contact band 20 is accommodated in the internal space inside the band accommodating portion 13. In addition, the band accommodating portion 13 is provided with a band locking portion 15 and a housing abutment portion 16.

[0016] The band locking portion 15 is a plurality of convex portions protruding inward from the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11 when viewed from the length direction, and the plurality of convex portions are arranged in a line in the circumferential direction of the male terminal insertion portion 11. The band locking portion 15 abuts against the second connecting portion 23, which is the end of the contact band 20, and locks the end of the contact band 20. Therefore, the band locking portion 15 fixes one end of the contact band 20 and can prevent the contact band 20 from going beyond the band locking portion 15. The shape of the band locking portion 15 is not particularly limited as long as it can lock the end of the contact band 20. For example, the band locking portion 15 is a convex portion protruding inward from the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11 when viewed from the length direction, and may continuously protrude in the circumferential direction along the inner wall.

[0017] The housing abutment portion 16 is a plurality of convex portions protruding from the outer wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11 toward the outside of the male terminal insertion portion 11, and the plurality of convex portions are arranged in a line in the circumferential direction of the male terminal insertion portion 11. When the female terminal 1 is accommodated in the female terminal accommodating chamber of the connector housing (not shown), the housing abutment portion 16 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the female terminal accommodating chamber. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the female terminal 1 from tilting or rattling in the female terminal accommodating chamber. The shape of the housing abutment portion 16 is not particularly limited as long as it can abut against the inner peripheral surface of the female terminal accommodating chamber. The housing abutment portion 16 is, for example, a convex portion protruding outward from the outer wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11 when viewed in the length direction, and may be continuously protruding in the circumferential direction along the outer wall.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the body side fitting portion 14 is provided at the end of the male terminal insertion portion 11 on the male terminal insertion opening 32 side, and fits with the cap side fitting portion 34 of the resin cap 30. The body side fitting portion 14 is formed so that the inner dimension (inner diameter) is larger than the inner dimension (inner diameter) of the band accommodating portion 13. The terminal body 10 has a first locking wall 17 formed by a step between the inner wall of the band accommodating portion 13 and the inner wall of the body side fitting portion 14, and connecting the inner wall of the band accommodating portion 13 and the inner wall of the body side fitting portion 14. The terminal body 10 also has a second locking wall 18, which is the end face of the body side fitting portion 14 on the male terminal insertion opening 32 side, and connects the outer wall of the body side fitting portion 14 and the inner wall of the body side fitting portion 14. As described below, the first locking wall 17 and the second locking wall 18 lock the resin cap 30 and prevent the resin cap 30 from entering too deeply into the male terminal insertion portion 11.

[0019] 1, the contact band 20 includes a plurality of elastically deformable leaf spring pieces 21, a first connecting portion 22, and a second connecting portion 23. The leaf spring pieces 21 extend in the length direction and bulge in a substantially semi-elliptical shape toward the inside of the male terminal insertion portion 11 perpendicular to the length direction. The first connecting portion 22 connects the ends of the plurality of leaf spring pieces 21 on the male terminal insertion opening 32 side. The second connecting portion 23 connects the ends of the plurality of leaf spring pieces 21 opposite to the first connecting portion 22. The first connecting portion 22 and the second connecting portion 23 connect the ends of the plurality of leaf spring pieces 21.

[0020] The contact band 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape along the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11 so that the male terminal can be inserted therein, and is arranged so as to come into contact with the male terminal when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion portion 11. The first connecting portion 22 and the second connecting portion 23 are curved in the connecting direction of the leaf spring pieces 21, and the contact band 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 4, in the male terminal insertion portion 11, the first connecting portion 22 is locked from the male terminal insertion opening 32 side by a band locking wall 37 of the resin cap 30 described later. As shown in FIG. 3, in the male terminal insertion portion 11, the second connecting portion 23 is locked from the side opposite to the male terminal insertion opening 32 side by a plurality of band locking portions 15. Therefore, the contact band 20 is held in the male terminal insertion portion 11 by the band locking wall 37 and the band locking portion 15. The leaf spring piece 21 has a central portion in the longitudinal direction that bulges inward more than the first connecting portion 22 and the second connecting portion 23, and the male terminal is inserted inside the cylindrical contact band 20. Therefore, when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion portion 11, the male terminal comes into contact with the leaf spring piece 21, and the male terminal and the contact band 20 are electrically connected.

[0021] The resin cap 30 is attached to the end of the male terminal insertion portion 11 and has an insertion hole 31 into which the male terminal is inserted. By attaching the resin cap 30, the contact band 20 is held in the male terminal insertion portion 11 and the user's fingers can be prevented from touching the contact band 20. The dimension (inner diameter) of the insertion hole 31 in a direction perpendicular to the length direction is formed to be smaller than the inner dimension (inner diameter) of the male terminal insertion portion 11 when viewed from the length direction. A male terminal insertion opening 32 is provided at one end of the resin cap 30, and the male terminal is inserted into the insertion hole 31 from the male terminal insertion opening 32. In order to make it easy to insert the male terminal into the insertion hole 31, the male terminal insertion opening 32 has a tapered shape and is formed so that the dimension (diameter) of the insertion hole 31 decreases toward the direction in which the male terminal is inserted. The resin cap 30 may be continuously and integrally formed by a molding method such as injection molding, or may be formed from an insulating synthetic resin.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the resin cap 30 includes an inlet side tip 33, a cap side fitting portion 34, and a covering portion 35. The inlet side tip 33 is provided at the end of the resin cap 30 on the male terminal insertion port 32 side in the length direction, and the male terminal insertion port 32 is provided at the inlet side tip 33. The covering portion 35 is provided at the end of the resin cap 30 opposite the male terminal insertion port 32 in the length direction. The cap side fitting portion 34 is provided between the inlet side tip 33 and the covering portion 35 in the length direction. The inlet side tip 33, the cap side fitting portion 34, and the covering portion 35 are continuously arranged in this order in the length direction from the male terminal insertion port 32 side toward the direction in which the male terminal is inserted.

[0023] The inlet side tip 33 and the cap side fitting portion 34 are connected, and the cap side fitting portion 34 protrudes from the inner peripheral portion of the inlet side tip 33 when viewed in the length direction. The outer dimension (outer diameter) of the cap side fitting portion 34 is formed to be smaller than the outer dimension (outer diameter) of the inlet side tip 33 when viewed in the length direction. The resin cap 30 has a terminal locking wall 36 formed by a step between the outer wall of the inlet side tip 33 and the outer wall of the cap side fitting portion 34, and connecting the outer wall of the inlet side tip 33 and the outer wall of the cap side fitting portion 34.

[0024] The cap side fitting portion 34 and the covering portion 35 are connected, and the covering portion 35 protrudes from the inner peripheral portion of the cap side fitting portion 34 when viewed in the length direction. The outer dimension (outer diameter) of the covering portion 35 is formed to be smaller than the outer dimension (outer diameter) of the cap side fitting portion 34 when viewed in the length direction. The resin cap 30 has a band locking wall 37 formed by a step between the outer wall of the cap side fitting portion 34 and the outer wall of the covering portion 35, and connecting the outer wall of the cap side fitting portion 34 and the outer wall of the covering portion 35.

[0025] Moreover, the covering portion 35 is formed in a tapered shape. The outer dimensions (outer diameter) of the covering portion 35 are formed in a tapered shape so that, when viewed from the length direction (male terminal insertion direction), the outer diameter gradually decreases toward the direction in which the male terminal is inserted. Therefore, when the resin cap 30 is attached to the terminal body 10, the tip of the contact band 20 is easily accommodated in the space surrounded by the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11, the outer wall of the covering portion 35, and the band locking wall 37.

[0026] The inner dimension (inner diameter) of the inlet side tip 33 excluding the tapered portion, the inner dimension (inner diameter) of the cap side fitting portion 34, and the inner dimension (inner diameter) of the covering portion 35 are the same. The inner wall of the inlet side tip 33 excluding the tapered portion, the inner wall of the cap side fitting portion 34, and the inner wall of the covering portion 35 are connected in a continuous manner without any steps. The inner wall of the inlet side tip 33, the inner wall of the cap side fitting portion 34, and the inner wall of the covering portion 35 form the insertion hole 31, which is a cylindrical internal space. The dimension of the insertion hole 31 in the direction perpendicular to the length direction is substantially the same as the outer dimension of the male terminal, and the male terminal is smoothly inserted into the insertion hole 31 along the inlet side tip 33, the cap side fitting portion 34, and the inner wall of the covering portion 35.

[0027] The inlet side tip portion 33 is disposed closer to the male terminal insertion port 32 than the end portion of the terminal body 10 on the male terminal insertion port 32 side, and the outer wall of the resin cap 30 is disposed on the same plane as the outer wall of the terminal body 10 when viewed in the longitudinal direction. The cap side fitting portion 34 and the covering portion 35 are disposed in the male terminal accommodating chamber of the terminal body 10. The inner dimension (inner diameter) of the body side fitting portion 14 is substantially the same as the outer dimension of the cap side fitting portion 34, and the cap side fitting portion 34 is accommodated inside the body side fitting portion 14. Therefore, the cap side fitting portion 34 is sandwiched by the body side fitting portion 14 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the body side fitting portion 14 and the cap side fitting portion 34 are fitted together.

[0028] The terminal locking wall 36 of the resin cap 30 abuts against the first locking wall 17 of the terminal body 10. The band locking wall 37 of the resin cap 30 abuts against the second locking wall 18 of the terminal body 10. The resin cap 30 is locked by the abutment between the terminal locking wall 36 and the first locking wall 17 and the abutment between the band locking wall 37 and the second locking wall 18. This prevents the resin cap 30 from entering too deeply into the male terminal insertion portion 11. In addition, the band locking wall 37 abuts against the end face of the contact band 20 on the male terminal insertion opening 32 side, preventing the contact band 20 from moving beyond the band locking wall 37 toward the male terminal insertion opening 32 side.

[0029] 3 and 4, the covering portion 35 covers the tip of the contact band 20. Specifically, the tip of the contact band 20 is disposed between the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11 and the outer wall of the covering portion 35. With this configuration, the end of the contact band 20 is covered by the covering portion 35, and the contact band 20 is not disposed within the insertion hole 31 of the resin cap 30. Therefore, even if a user's finger or the like is inserted into the insertion hole 31 of the resin cap 30, the user's finger can be prevented from touching the end of the contact band 20, and therefore the user can be prevented from receiving an electric shock.

[0030] 5, when the female terminal 1 is viewed from the length direction, the leaf spring piece 21 of the contact band 20 protrudes inward beyond the insertion hole 31 of the resin cap 30. Therefore, when a male terminal is inserted into the female terminal 1, the male terminal and the leaf spring piece 21 of the contact band 20 come into contact with each other, and the male terminal and the terminal body 10 are electrically connected to each other.

[0031] The female terminal 1 according to this embodiment may be a female terminal for large currents, and can be used, for example, for connecting or charging the battery of an electric vehicle to various devices.

[0032] The female terminal 1 according to the present embodiment may satisfy the protection class IPXXB defined in the protection class (IP code) for electrical equipment enclosures in JIS C0920:2003 (IEC 60529:2001). When the female terminal 1 satisfies the protection class IPXXB, it is possible to more reliably prevent the user's fingers or the like from coming into contact with the contact band 20.

[0033] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which a columnar male terminal is inserted into a cylindrical male terminal insertion portion 11. However, male terminal insertion portion 11 is not limited to this form. For example, male terminal insertion portion 11 may be a male terminal insertion portion 11 in the shape of a rectangular tube, such as a square tube, and the male terminal may be a terminal in the shape of a square pole.

[0034] As described above, the female terminal 1 according to this embodiment includes a terminal body 10 including a male terminal insertion portion 11 into which a male terminal is inserted. The female terminal 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape along the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11 so that the male terminal can be inserted, and includes a contact band 20 arranged to contact the male terminal when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion portion 11. The female terminal 1 includes a resin cap 30 attached to the end of the male terminal insertion portion 11 and having an insertion hole 31 into which the male terminal is inserted. The resin cap 30 includes a covering portion 35 that covers the tip of the contact band 20, is connected to the outer wall of the covering portion 35, and has a band locking wall 37 that abuts against the end face of the contact band 20. The tip of the contact band 20 is arranged between the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11 and the outer wall of the covering portion 35.

[0035] According to the female terminal 1 of this embodiment, the resin cap 30 is connected to the outer wall of the covering portion 35 and has a band locking wall 37 that abuts against the end face of the contact band 20. Therefore, the female terminal 1 can be easily manufactured by accommodating the contact band 20 inside the male terminal insertion portion 11 and attaching the resin cap 30.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the female terminal 1 of this embodiment, the band locking wall 37 abuts against the end face of the contact band 20, and the tip of the contact band 20 is disposed between the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11 and the outer wall of the covering portion 35. With this configuration, the tip of the contact band 20 is protected by the resin cap 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the fingers of a user or the like from touching the contact band 20.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the female terminal 1 of this embodiment, the tip of the contact band 20 is disposed between the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11 and the outer wall of the covering portion 35. This configuration allows the resin cap 30 to be made longer by the length of the portion corresponding to the covering portion 35, and the distance until the user's finger touches the contact band 20 can be increased. Therefore, according to the female terminal 1 of this embodiment, the inlet side tip portion 33 of the resin cap 30 can be shortened by the length of the covering portion 35, and the female terminal 1 can be prevented from becoming larger.

[0038] As described above, the female terminal 1 according to this embodiment can prevent fingers from touching the contact band 20 and prevent the female terminal 1 from becoming large. Furthermore, by preventing the female terminal 1 from becoming large, the weight of the female terminal 1 can be reduced.

[0039] In addition, in the female terminal 1 according to this embodiment, the covering portion 35 may be formed in a tapered shape. The covering portion 35 may be formed so that the outer dimensions of the covering portion 35, as viewed from the male terminal insertion direction, gradually become smaller toward the direction in which the male terminal is inserted. With this configuration, when the resin cap 30 is attached to the terminal body 10, it is possible to prevent the resin cap 30 from hitting the tip of the contact band 20 and damaging the contact band 20. Therefore, when the resin cap 30 is attached to the terminal body 10, the tip of the contact band 20 is easily accommodated in the space surrounded by the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11, the outer wall of the covering portion 35, and the band locking wall 37. In addition, since the space surrounded by the inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion 11, the outer wall of the covering portion 35, and the band locking wall 37 becomes wider, the design freedom of the contact band 20 is increased.

[0040] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 female terminal 10 Terminal body 11 Male terminal insertion part 20 Contact Band 30 Resin Cap 31 Insertion hole 34 Cap side fitting part 35 Covering part

Claims

1. a terminal body including a male terminal insertion portion into which a male terminal is inserted; a contact band formed in a cylindrical shape along an inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion so that the male terminal can be inserted therein, the contact band being arranged to come into contact with the male terminal when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion portion; a resin cap attached to an end of the male terminal insertion portion and having an insertion hole into which the male terminal is inserted; Equipped with the resin cap includes a covering portion that covers the tip of the contact band, the resin cap has a band locking wall that is connected to an outer wall of the covering portion and abuts against an end face of the contact band, A female terminal, wherein a tip of the contact band is disposed between an inner wall of the male terminal insertion portion and an outer wall of the covering portion.

2. 2. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the covering portion is formed in a tapered shape, and the covering portion is formed such that an outer dimension of the covering portion, when viewed from the male terminal insertion direction, gradually becomes smaller toward the direction in which the male terminal is inserted.

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