Male terminal and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

To provide a male terminal capable of stabilizing the position or inclination of a resin cap relative to a terminal body by temporarily holding the resin cap on the terminal body before mounting.SOLUTION: A male terminal 10 includes a terminal body 20 and a resin cap 30 having an internal space 31, the cap mounting portion 22 includes a tip portion 25 including an engagement portion 26 having an outer peripheral wall parallel to the longitudinal direction X, the internal space 31 includes a holding portion 33 that holds the tip portion 25 in the mounted state and a temporary holding portion 34 for temporarily holding the tip portion 25 in a temporary holding state before the resin cap 30 is mounted to the cap mounting portion 22, and the temporary holding portion 34 is formed by an engagement portion restricting wall 34a that restricts radial movement of the engagement portion 26 in the temporary holding state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a male terminal and a method for manufacturing a male terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, high-voltage connectors are known as connectors for connecting to devices such as inverters for electric vehicles. Terminals of high-voltage connectors may be provided with insulating resin caps to prevent electric shock caused by fingers or the like touching live parts.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector unit including a first connector having a first terminal which is a rod-shaped male terminal, and a second connector having a second terminal which is a female terminal having a hollow portion into which the first terminal is inserted. A tip cover which is a resin cap is attached to the tip of the first terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-074333 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, the resin cap as described in Patent Document 1 is attached by pushing it onto the tip of the male terminal. However, when pushing the resin cap onto the tip of the male terminal, the resin cap may be tilted relative to the male terminal or may be misaligned vertically relative to the pushing direction of the male terminal, and the state of the resin cap when attached to the tip of the male terminal is unstable. Therefore, there is a risk that the workability will be reduced due to the time required to correct the position or tilt of the resin cap, or that male terminals that do not meet the required quality will be manufactured. In addition, it is difficult to automate the attachment of the resin 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 male terminal and a method for manufacturing a male terminal that are capable of stabilizing the position or inclination of a resin cap relative to the terminal body by temporarily holding the resin cap on the terminal body before attachment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A male terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a terminal body including a cap mounting portion, and a resin cap that is mounted on the cap mounting portion and has an internal space that accommodates the cap mounting portion. The cap mounting portion includes a tip portion that includes an engagement portion that extends in the longitudinal direction and has an outer peripheral wall parallel to the longitudinal direction. An inner wall portion of the resin cap that forms the internal space is provided with a locking protrusion that engages with the engagement portion in an attached state in which the resin cap is attached to the cap mounting portion. The internal space includes a holding portion that is disposed on the tip side of the resin cap relative to the locking protrusion in the longitudinal direction and that holds the tip portion in the attached state. The internal space includes a temporary holding portion that is disposed on the base end side of the resin cap relative to the locking protrusion in the longitudinal direction and that temporarily holds the tip portion in a temporary holding state before the resin cap is attached to the cap mounting portion. The temporary holding portion is formed by an engagement portion restricting wall that extends parallel to the longitudinal direction and restricts radial movement of the engagement portion in the temporary holding state.

[0008] A male terminal manufacturing method according to another aspect of the present invention is a male terminal manufacturing method including a step of temporarily holding a tip portion in a temporary holding portion and a step of pushing the tip portion from the temporary holding portion to a holding portion, the male terminal being manufactured. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a male terminal and a method for manufacturing a male terminal that are capable of stabilizing the position or inclination of a resin cap relative to the terminal body by temporarily holding the resin cap on the terminal body before attachment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view showing an example of a male connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing an example of a male connector according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a male terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a partially enlarged cross section of a male terminal according to the embodiment; FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state before a resin cap is attached to a terminal body. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a temporarily held state in which a tip portion of a terminal body is temporarily held by a temporarily holding portion of a resin cap. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, the male terminal and the manufacturing method of the male 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.

[0012] In this specification, the direction in which the resin cap is attached to the terminal body, that is, the longitudinal direction of the male connector or male terminal, is referred to as the longitudinal direction X. In addition, with respect to the longitudinal direction X, the end of the terminal body where the cap attachment part is provided is referred to as the tip side, and the end opposite to the cap attachment part is referred to as the base side. In addition, the short side direction of the male connector that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X is referred to as the width direction Y. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X and the width direction Y is referred to as the height direction Z. In addition, the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X and the width direction Y is referred to as the YZ plane. In addition, the direction parallel to the YZ plane is referred to as the radial direction. In addition, in this specification, parallel means substantially parallel, and may be inclined, for example, by about 0 degrees to 5 degrees with respect to the reference.

[0013] [Male terminal] First, a male terminal 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a male connector 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing an example of a male connector 1 according to the present embodiment. The male connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is fitted with a female connector (not shown) to form a connector unit. In the connector unit in which the male connector 1 and the female connector are fitted with each other, the male connector 1 and the female connector are electrically connected. The male connector 1 and the female connector may be, for example, high-voltage connectors that are connectors for connecting to devices such as an inverter of an electric vehicle.

[0014] 1 and 2, the male connector 1 includes a housing 2 and male terminals 10 accommodated in the housing 2. Although two male terminals 10 are accommodated in the housing 2, the number of male terminals 10 accommodated in the housing 2 is not particularly limited, and it is sufficient for the male connector 1 to include at least one male terminal 10. In other words, the male connector 1 may include a single male terminal 10, or may include multiple male terminals 10.

[0015] The housing 2 includes a first housing 4 and a second housing 6, and one end of the first housing 4 and one end of the second housing 6 are fitted together with a seal member 8 sandwiched therebetween. One end of the first housing 4 of the male terminals 10 is fitted together with one end of the housing of the female terminals, thereby connecting the male connector 1 and the female connector. The first housing 4 and the second housing 6 are formed from resin.

[0016] The first housing 4 includes a tubular portion 9 having a cylindrical shape extending in the longitudinal direction X, and a body portion 21 of a male terminal 10 is disposed inside the tubular portion 9. The tubular portion 9 of the first housing 4 surrounds the periphery of the body portion 21 of the terminal body 20 with a gap therebetween. The female terminal is inserted into the tubular portion 9, and the body portion 21 of the male terminal 10 is inserted into the female terminal, thereby electrically connecting the male terminal 10 and the female terminal. The second housing 6 accommodates a connecting portion 23 of the terminal body 20.

[0017] The male terminal 10 is a terminal for insertion into a female terminal of a female connector. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing an example of the male terminal 10 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 4 is a view showing an example of a partially enlarged cross section of the male terminal 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the male terminal 10 includes a terminal body 20 and a resin cap 30.

[0018] The terminal body 20 includes a trunk portion 21, a cap mounting portion 22, and a connecting portion 23. The cap mounting portion 22 is provided at a tip end portion, which is one end of the terminal body 20. The connecting portion 23 is provided at a base end portion, which is an end of the terminal body 20 opposite to the tip end portion. The trunk portion 21 is disposed between the cap mounting portion 22 and the connecting portion 23. The terminal body 20 is integrally molded, and the trunk portion 21, the cap mounting portion 22, and the connecting portion 23 are continuously and integrally formed. The terminal body 20 is also formed of metal.

[0019] The body portion 21 is configured to come into contact with a female terminal. The body portion 21 is inserted into the female terminal and comes into contact with the female terminal, thereby electrically connecting the male terminal to the female terminal. The body portion 21 has a rod shape. Specifically, the body portion 21 has a cylindrical shape and extends along the longitudinal direction X. On the other hand, the female terminal extends along the longitudinal direction X and includes a tube portion having a hollow cylindrical shape, and the female terminal and the male terminal are electrically connected by inserting the male terminal 10 into the tube portion.

[0020] The connecting portion 23 is configured to be connectable to a connecting fitting 50 formed of a conductive metal material. When the connecting portion 23 is connected to the connecting fitting 50, the male terminal 10 is connected to a circuit such as a power source via the connecting fitting 50. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 23 has a rectangular flat plate shape. However, the shape of the connecting portion 23 is not particularly limited, and may be a shape corresponding to the shape of the mating fitting to be connected. The connecting portion 23 may be configured to include, for example, a cylindrical portion having a cylindrical internal space, and a rod-shaped mating fitting is inserted into the internal space for connection.

[0021] The cap mounting portion 22 protrudes from the tip of the body portion 21. The cap mounting portion 22 is provided at the tip end of the terminal body 20 in the longitudinal direction X. The cap mounting portion 22 includes an axis portion 24 and a tip portion 25. The axis portion 24 is connected to the body portion 21 and is formed thinner than the body portion 21. The axis portion 24 has a cylindrical shape extending in the longitudinal direction X. In the longitudinal direction X, a tip end which is one end of the axis portion 24 is connected to the tip portion 25. In the longitudinal direction X, a base end which is an end opposite to the tip end of the axis portion 24 is connected to the body portion 21. The tip portion 25 is connected to the axis portion 24 and provided at an end of the terminal body 20. The tip portion 25 includes an engagement portion 26 and a tapered portion 27.

[0022] The engaging portion 26 has a cylindrical shape elongated in the longitudinal direction X, and has an outer circumferential wall parallel to the longitudinal direction X. The engaging portion 26 is formed thicker than the shaft portion 24, and engages with a locking projection 32 of the resin cap 30. A tip end of the engaging portion 26 in the longitudinal direction X is connected to the tapered portion 27, and a base end, which is an end opposite to the tip end of the engaging portion 26, is connected to the shaft portion 24.

[0023] The tapered portion 27 protrudes from the tip end of the engagement portion 26 toward the longitudinal direction X, and is formed in a tapered shape so as to become thinner from the engagement portion 26 toward the tip side in the longitudinal direction X. Since the terminal body 20 includes the tapered portion 27, the force required to attach the resin cap 30 to the cap attachment portion 22 can be reduced, and therefore the cap attachment portion 22 can be easily attached to the resin cap 30. The inclined surface of the tapered portion 27 is preferably inclined at 30 degrees or more with respect to the longitudinal direction X, and more preferably inclined at 30 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less. The tapered portion 27 has a truncated cone shape, and a flat portion parallel to the YZ plane is provided at one end of the tapered portion 27 opposite to the engagement portion 26. However, the tapered portion 27 is not particularly limited as long as it has a tapered shape, and the tapered portion 27 may have a conical shape.

[0024] The tip portion 25 includes a barb that prevents the resin cap 30 from coming off. Specifically, the tip portion 25 has a terminal body side locking wall 28 that is formed by a step between the outer wall of the shaft portion 24 and the outer wall of the engagement portion 26 and connects the outer wall of the shaft portion 24 to the outer wall of the tip portion 25. The terminal body side locking wall 28 extends from the shaft portion 24 so as to spread in the YZ plane, and can prevent the tip portion 25 from coming off the resin cap 30 by abutting against the base end direction restricting wall 32c.

[0025] The resin cap 30 is formed from an elastically deformable resin, and is attached to the cap attachment portion 22. The resin cap 30 has an internal space 31 that houses the cap attachment portion 22. With this configuration, the tip of the terminal body 20 is covered. Therefore, the resin cap 30 can prevent electric shock caused by a finger or the like touching a live part of the terminal body 20.

[0026] In this embodiment, the internal space 31 is a cylindrical through hole penetrating in the longitudinal direction X. However, the shape of the internal space 31 is not particularly limited as long as it can cover the cap attachment portion 22 of the terminal body 20, and the internal space 31 may be a space in which the tip side of the resin cap 30 in the longitudinal direction X is closed. Note that, in the longitudinal direction X, the length of the internal space 31 is preferably longer than the length of the cap attachment portion 22. In this way, even if manufacturing errors occur in the length of the internal space 31 and the length of the cap attachment portion 22, the manufacturing errors can be absorbed by the difference between these lengths.

[0027] An inner wall portion 31a of the resin cap 30 that forms the internal space 31 of the resin cap 30 is provided with a locking protrusion 32 that engages with the engagement portion 26 in an attached state in which the resin cap 30 is attached to the cap attachment portion 22. The internal space 31 of the resin cap 30 also includes a holding portion 33 and a temporary holding portion 34. As shown in FIG. 4, the holding portion 33 is disposed on the tip side of the resin cap 30 relative to the locking protrusion 32 in the longitudinal direction X, and holds the tip portion 25 in the attached state. As shown in FIG. 6, the temporary holding portion 34 is disposed on the base end side of the resin cap 30 relative to the locking protrusion 32 in the longitudinal direction X, and temporarily holds the tip portion 25 in a temporarily held state before the resin cap 30 is attached to the cap attachment portion 22.

[0028] The locking projection 32 is an annular projection that protrudes from the inner wall portion 31a toward the central axis O, which is the center of the internal space 31, and is formed continuously in the circumferential direction along the inner wall portion 31a. The locking projection 32 is provided between the holding portion 33 and the temporary holding portion 34. As shown in FIG. 4, the locking projection 32 restricts the movement of the tip portion 25 from the holding portion 33 to the temporary holding portion 34 when the resin cap 30 is attached. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the locking projection 32 restricts the movement of the tip portion 25 from the temporary holding portion 34 to the holding portion 33 when the resin cap 30 is temporarily held, and temporarily holds the tip portion 25 at the temporary holding portion 34. The locking projection 32 has an axial portion restricting wall 32a, a temporary holding wall 32b, and a base end direction restricting wall 32c.

[0029] The shaft portion restricting wall 32a is a cylindrical wall portion that connects the base end direction restricting wall 32c and the temporary holding wall 32b and extends parallel to the longitudinal direction X. When the resin cap 30 is attached, the shaft portion restricting wall 32a is disposed parallel to the outer wall of the shaft portion 24 and restricts radial movement of the shaft portion 24.

[0030] The temporary holding wall 32b is a wall portion that connects the shaft portion restricting wall 32a and the engagement portion restricting wall 34a. The temporary holding wall 32b is a wall portion that forms a part of the temporary holding portion 34. The temporary holding wall 32b is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction X, and restricts the movement of the tapered portion 27 in the longitudinal direction X in the temporarily held state. The temporary holding wall 32b abuts against the inclined surface of the tapered portion 27 in the temporarily held state of the resin cap 30, thereby enabling the tip portion 25 to be more securely held by the temporary holding portion 34.

[0031] The base end direction restricting wall 32c is a wall portion that connects the shaft portion restricting wall 32a and the mounting restricting wall 33a. The base end direction restricting wall 32c is a wall portion that forms a part of the holding portion 33, and extends radially from the inner wall portion 31a toward the central axis O. The base end direction restricting wall 32c abuts against the terminal body side locking wall 28 after the resin cap 30 is mounted, thereby locking the engagement portion 26 to the locking protrusion 32, and preventing the tip portion 25 from slipping out of the holding portion 33 beyond the locking protrusion 32.

[0032] 4, the holding portion 33 holds the tip portion 25 in an attached state in which the resin cap 30 is attached to the cap attachment portion 22. By holding the tip portion 25 with the holding portion 33, it is possible to prevent the resin cap 30 from tilting or shifting in position with respect to the terminal body 20 in the male terminal 10 after the resin cap 30 is attached. The holding portion 33 is a space surrounded by the base end direction restricting wall 32c and the attached restricting wall 33a.

[0033] The mounted restricting wall 33a is disposed on the tip side of the resin cap 30, and restricts radial movement of the engaging portion 26 when the resin cap 30 is mounted. The mounted restricting wall 33a is disposed parallel to the outer wall of the engaging portion 26 when the resin cap 30 is mounted, and suppresses radial movement of the engaging portion 26. The distal end portion 25 can be held by restricting movement of the distal end portion 25 by the base end direction restricting wall 32c and the mounted restricting wall 33a.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 6, the temporary holding portion 34 is for temporarily holding the tip portion 25 in a temporary holding state before the resin cap 30 is attached to the cap attachment portion 22. The temporary holding portion 34 has a shape that fits the tip portion 25, and temporarily holds the tip portion 25 when the resin cap 30 is attached to the tip portion 25. Therefore, when the resin cap 30 is attached to the terminal body 20, it is possible to suppress the resin cap 30 from tilting or shifting in position relative to the terminal body 20. The temporary holding portion 34 is a space surrounded by the temporary holding wall 32b and the engagement portion regulating wall 34a connected to the temporary holding wall 32b. The temporary holding portion 34 includes a tapered portion temporary holding portion and an engagement portion temporary holding portion.

[0035] The tapered portion temporary holding portion is a space surrounded by the temporary holding wall 32b. The tapered portion temporary holding portion is a truncated cone-shaped space included in the internal space 31, and has a shape that fits the tapered portion 27. The tapered portion temporary holding portion is formed in a tapered shape that becomes thinner from the base end side to the tip end side in the longitudinal direction X.

[0036] The engagement portion temporary holding portion is a space surrounded by the engagement portion restricting wall 34a. The engagement portion temporary holding portion is a cylindrical space contained in the internal space 31, and has a shape that fits the engagement portion 26. The engagement portion temporary holding portion has a cylindrical shape that extends from the base end side to the tip end side in the longitudinal direction X.

[0037] The engagement portion restricting wall 34a extends parallel to the longitudinal direction X and restricts radial movement of the engagement portion 26 in the temporarily held state. The engagement portion restricting wall 34a is disposed parallel to the outer wall of the engagement portion 26 in the temporarily held state of the resin cap 30 and suppresses radial movement of the engagement portion 26. By restricting movement of the tip portion 25 by the temporary holding wall 32b and the engagement portion restricting wall 34a, the tip portion 25 can be temporarily held.

[0038] The outer peripheral wall of the engagement portion 26 and the engagement portion restricting wall 34a are parallel to each other. When the resin cap 30 is in a temporarily held state, the gap between the outer peripheral wall of the engagement portion 26 and the engagement portion restricting wall 34a forming the temporarily held portion 34 is preferably 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm. This makes it possible to prevent the position or angle of the resin cap 30 with respect to the terminal body 20 from shifting when the resin cap 30 is in a temporarily held state.

[0039] 5, the length L1 of the engagement portion restricting wall 34a in the longitudinal direction X may be longer than the length L2 of the outer peripheral wall of the engagement portion 26 in the longitudinal direction X. With this configuration, the entire engagement portion 26 can be restricted by the engagement portion restricting wall 34a. Therefore, the temporary holding state can be made more stable.

[0040] [Male terminal manufacturing method] Next, a method for manufacturing a male terminal will be described with reference to Figs. 5, 6 and 4. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state before the resin cap 30 is attached to the terminal body 20. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a temporarily held state in which the tip portion 25 of the terminal body 20 is temporarily held by the temporary holding portion 34 of the resin cap 30. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an attached state after the resin cap 30 is attached to the terminal body 20. As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the method for manufacturing a male terminal 10 includes a preparation step, a temporary holding step and a pressing step. The resin cap 30 can be attached to the male terminal 10 by plugging.

[0041] 5, in the preparation step, there are prepared the terminal body 20 and the resin cap 30. The terminal body 20 and the resin cap 30 have been described above, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0042] 6, the temporary holding step is a step of temporarily holding the tip portion 25 in the temporary holding portion 34. Since the tip portion 25 is temporarily held in the temporary holding portion 34 by the temporary holding step, when the resin cap 30 is attached to the cap attachment portion 22, it is possible to prevent the resin cap 30 from tilting or becoming misaligned with respect to the terminal body 20.

[0043] The pressing process is a process in which the tip portion 25 is pressed from the temporary holding portion 34 to the holding portion 33. The tip portion 25 of the terminal body 20 includes an engaging portion 26, and a locking protrusion 32 is provided in an internal space 31 of the resin cap 30. When the resin cap 30 is pressed into the terminal body 20 and the engaging portion 26 overcomes the locking protrusion 32, the tip portion 25 can move from the temporary holding portion 34 to the holding portion 33. This allows the male terminal 10 as shown in FIG. 4 to be manufactured.

[0044] As described above, the male terminal 10 according to the present embodiment includes the terminal body 20 including the cap mounting portion 22, and the resin cap 30 that is mounted on the cap mounting portion 22 and has an internal space 31 that accommodates the cap mounting portion 22. The cap mounting portion 22 includes a tip portion 25 that extends in the longitudinal direction X and includes an engagement portion 26 having an outer peripheral wall parallel to the longitudinal direction X. The inner wall portion 31a of the resin cap 30 that forms the internal space 31 is provided with a locking protrusion 32 that engages with the engagement portion 26 in an attached state in which the resin cap 30 is attached to the cap mounting portion 22. The internal space 31 includes a holding portion 33 that is disposed on the tip side of the resin cap 30 relative to the locking protrusion 32 in the longitudinal direction X and that holds the tip portion 25 in the attached state. The internal space 31 includes a temporary holding portion 34 that is disposed on the base end side of the resin cap 30 relative to the locking protrusion 32 in the longitudinal direction X and that temporarily holds the tip portion 25 in a temporarily held state before the resin cap 30 is attached to the cap mounting portion 22. The temporary holding portion 34 extends parallel to the longitudinal direction X and is formed by an engagement portion restricting wall 34a that restricts radial movement of the engagement portion 26 in the temporary holding state.

[0045] In this manner, the male terminal 10 according to the present embodiment includes the temporary holding portion 34, which extends parallel to the longitudinal direction X and is formed by an engagement portion restricting wall 34a that restricts radial movement of the engagement portion 26 in a temporarily held state. Therefore, when the resin cap 30 is attached to the terminal body 20, the distal end portion 25 is temporarily held by the temporary holding portion 34, thereby suppressing radial movement of the distal end portion 25. Therefore, according to the male terminal 10 according to the present embodiment, the position or inclination of the resin cap 30 relative to the terminal body 20 can be stabilized by temporarily holding the resin cap 30 relative to the terminal body 20 before attachment.

[0046] Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of misalignment of the preset position and reduce the work required for correcting the misalignment. Therefore, it is possible to improve the workability of attaching the resin cap 30 and improve the productivity and quality of the male terminal 10. In addition, it is possible to improve the stability of the work in the pressing process and improve the quality.

[0047] In addition, the position or inclination of the resin cap 30 relative to the terminal body 20 can be stabilized at a preset position. Therefore, even if the resin cap 30 is pressed with a strong force using a pressing device such as a hand press so that the engagement portion 26 overcomes the locking projection 32, the resin cap 30 can be easily attached to the terminal body 20.

[0048] Furthermore, since the position or inclination of the resin cap 30 relative to the terminal body 20 can be stabilized, the tip portion 25 can be guided to the position of the temporary holding portion 34 by an automated machine and temporarily held therein, and the resin cap 30 can be transported in a temporarily held state to a pressing device. In other words, the automation of the process from presetting the resin cap 30 to pressing can be promoted. Therefore, the productivity of the male terminal 10 can be improved.

[0049] The tip portion 25 may include a tapered portion 27 connected to the engagement portion 26 and tapered so as to become thinner from the engagement portion 26 toward the tip side in the longitudinal direction X. The temporary holding portion 34 may be formed by an engagement portion restricting wall 34a and a temporary holding wall 32b connected to the engagement portion restricting wall 34a, inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction X, and restricting the movement of the tapered portion 27 in the longitudinal direction X in the temporarily held state. The tapered portion 27 can reduce the force for attaching the resin cap 30 to the cap mounting portion 22, making it easier to attach the cap mounting portion 22 to the resin cap 30. In addition, by temporarily holding the tip portion 25 with the engagement portion restricting wall 34a and the temporary holding wall 32b, the position or inclination of the resin cap 30 with respect to the terminal body 20 can be further stabilized in the temporarily held state.

[0050] The length L1 of the engagement portion restricting wall 34a in the longitudinal direction X may be longer than the length L2 of the outer peripheral wall of the engagement portion 26 in the longitudinal direction X. With this configuration, the entire engagement portion 26 can be restricted by the engagement portion restricting wall 34a. Therefore, the temporary holding state can be made more stable.

[0051] The male terminal manufacturing method may include a step of temporarily holding the tip portion 25 in the temporary holding portion 34, and a step of pushing the tip portion 25 from the temporary holding portion 34 to the holding portion 33. The male terminal 10 can be manufactured by such a method. Also, the male terminal 10 can be easily manufactured by an automated method such as a press.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the case has been described in which the body 21 of the male terminal 10 has a columnar shape, and the female terminal has a hollow cylindrical shape. However, the shapes of the male terminal 10 and the female terminal are not particularly limited, and may be, for example, polygonal prism-like. In this case, the female terminal may have a hollow polygonal tube-like shape instead of a hollow cylindrical shape.

[0053] 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]

[0054] 10 male terminal 20 Terminal body 22 Cap attachment part 25 Tip 26 Engagement part 27 Tapered section 30 Resin Cap 31 Interior Space 31a Inner wall 32 Locking protrusion 32b Temporary retaining wall 33 Holding part 34 Temporary holding section 34a Engagement portion control wall X Longitudinal direction

Claims

1. A terminal body including a cap mounting portion; a resin cap that is attached to the cap attachment portion and has an internal space that accommodates the cap attachment portion; Equipped with the cap attachment portion includes a tip portion including an engagement portion extending in a longitudinal direction and having an outer peripheral wall parallel to the longitudinal direction; an inner wall portion of the resin cap that defines the internal space is provided with a locking protrusion that is engaged with the engaging portion when the resin cap is attached to the cap attachment portion; the internal space includes a holding portion that is disposed on a tip end side of the resin cap relative to the locking protrusion in the longitudinal direction and that holds the tip end portion in the attached state, and a temporary holding portion that is disposed on a base end side of the resin cap relative to the locking protrusion and that temporarily holds the tip end portion in a temporary holding state before the resin cap is attached to the cap attachment portion, The temporary holding portion is formed by an engagement portion restricting wall extending parallel to the longitudinal direction and restricting radial movement of the engagement portion in the temporary holding state.

2. the tip portion includes a tapered portion connected to the engagement portion and tapered from the engagement portion toward the tip side in the longitudinal direction, 2. The male terminal according to claim 1, wherein the temporary holding portion is formed by the engagement portion regulating wall and a temporary holding wall connected to the engagement portion regulating wall, inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction, and regulating the longitudinal movement of the tapered portion in the temporarily held state.

3. 3. The male terminal according to claim 1, wherein a length of said engagement portion restricting wall in said longitudinal direction is longer than a length of an outer peripheral wall of said engagement portion in said longitudinal direction.

4. a step of temporarily holding the tip portion on the temporary holding portion; pushing the tip portion from the temporary holding portion to the holding portion; A method for producing the male terminal according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

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