Terminal

Abstract

To provide a terminal which has low electrical resistance and can be easily manufactured.SOLUTION: A first terminal 31 comprises: a terminal body 33 having a cylindrical part 33a; and a spring member 34 which is disposed along an inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical part 33a. A mating-side first terminal is inserted along a first axis and is connected to the first terminal. The spring member 34 has: a plurality of elastic pieces 35 each of which has elasticity in a radial direction around the first axis, and which are aligned in a circumferential direction; a first connection part 36 which connects first ends of the plurality of elastic pieces 35; and a second connection part which connects second ends of the plurality of elastic pieces 35. The first connection part 36 and the second connection part circumferentially have a plurality of grooves 39 on an outer surface 38 facing the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical part 33a. Because the outer surface 38 connecting the grooves 39 is an arc surface having a curvature smaller than that of the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical part 33a, the outer surface is brought into contact with the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical part 33a at an edge part 38a adjacent to the grooves 39.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, a terminal that is installed in a connector or the like and into which a mating terminal is inserted includes a terminal body having a cylindrical portion and a spring member arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This spring member has multiple elastic pieces that are elastic in the radial direction of the mating terminal and arranged in parallel in the circumferential direction, a first connecting portion connecting first ends of the multiple elastic pieces, and a second connecting portion connecting second ends of the multiple elastic pieces. The elastic pieces are curved so as to protrude radially inward at intermediate positions between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, allowing for pressure contact with the mating terminal at intermediate positions between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion. Furthermore, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion have multiple hemispherical protrusions on their outer surfaces facing the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the terminal body, so that the spring member contacts the terminal body at multiple points. Therefore, for example, electrical resistance at the connection between the spring member and the terminal body can be kept low without requiring high circularity of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-204607 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the terminal described above, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion of the spring member have a plurality of hemispherical protrusions, making manufacturing difficult. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a terminal that has low electrical resistance and is easy to manufacture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The terminal of the present disclosure comprises a terminal body having a cylindrical portion, and a spring member arranged along the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, and is connected to a mating terminal while being inserted along a first axis, wherein the spring member has a plurality of elastic pieces that are radially elastic about the first axis and arranged side by side in the circumferential direction, a first connecting portion that connects first ends of the plurality of elastic pieces, and a second connecting portion that connects second ends of the plurality of elastic pieces, and at least one of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion has a plurality of grooves in the circumferential direction on its outer surface facing the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, and the outer surface connecting the grooves is an arcuate surface with a curvature smaller than that of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, or a flat surface, so that the outer surface adjacent to the grooves comes into contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The terminal of the present disclosure has low electrical resistance and is easy to manufacture. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a connector and a mating connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a connector and a mating connector according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a connector and a mating connector according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a first terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a side view of a spring member according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of a spring member according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional front view of a first terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the first terminal taken along line 8-8 in FIG. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a first terminal and a mating first terminal in one embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the first terminal taken along line 10-10 in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a first terminal and a mating first terminal in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The terminal of the present disclosure comprises: [1] A terminal comprising a terminal body having a cylindrical portion and a spring member arranged along the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, to which a mating terminal is connected while being inserted along a first axis, wherein the spring member has a plurality of elastic pieces that are radially elastic about the first axis and arranged side by side in the circumferential direction, a first connecting portion that connects first ends of the plurality of elastic pieces, and a second connecting portion that connects second ends of the plurality of elastic pieces, at least one of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion has a plurality of grooves in the circumferential direction on its outer surface facing the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, and the outer surface connecting the grooves is an arcuate surface with a curvature smaller than that of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, or a flat surface, so that the outer surface adjacent to the grooves is in contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion.

[0009] According to this configuration, the outer surface connecting the grooves is an arcuate surface with a curvature smaller than that of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion, or a flat surface. This allows the spring member to be in stable contact with the terminal body at many points. This reduces electrical resistance at the connection between the spring member and the terminal body. Furthermore, this configuration is easier to manufacture than, for example, forming multiple hemispherical protrusions circumferentially on the outer surface of at least one of the first and second connecting portions.

[0010] [2] In the above [1], each of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion may have a plurality of grooves in the circumferential direction on an outer surface facing the inner surface of the tubular portion, and the outer surface connecting the grooves may be an arcuate surface having a curvature smaller than that of the inner surface of the tubular portion, or a flat surface, so that the edge adjacent to the grooves comes into contact with the inner surface of the tubular portion.

[0011] According to this configuration, the plurality of grooves are provided in each of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion. Therefore, compared to a case where the plurality of grooves are provided in only one of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, the spring member can be in stable contact with the terminal body at more locations. Therefore, the electrical resistance at the connection portion between the spring member and the terminal body can be reduced.

[0012] [3] In the above [2], the spring member may be formed in a plane-symmetrical shape with a plane orthogonal to the first axis as a plane of symmetry. According to this configuration, the spring member is formed in a plane-symmetrical shape with the plane perpendicular to the first axis as the plane of symmetry, so there is no concern about incorrect assembly when assembling it to the cylindrical portion of the terminal body, for example.

[0013] [4] In any one of the above items [1] to [3], the groove may be provided for each of the elastic pieces. With this configuration, since a groove is provided for each elastic piece, the spring member can contact the terminal body at many points, thereby further reducing the electrical resistance at the connection between the spring member and the terminal body.

[0014] [5] In any one of [1] to [4] above, the groove may be provided at the center position of the width of the elastic piece and may extend continuously from the first connecting portion or the second connecting portion to the elastic piece along the first axis.

[0015] According to this configuration, the groove is located at the center of the width of the elastic piece and extends continuously from the first connecting portion or the second connecting portion to the elastic piece along the first axis, allowing the groove to be located over a long range along the first axis while maintaining balance of the elastic piece. This allows the elastic piece to be pressed into contact with the mating terminal more effectively than, for example, when the groove is located at a position offset from the center of the width of the elastic piece. Also, for example, the spring member can be brought into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion over a long range along the first axis.

[0016] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for the convenience of explanation, some components may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of each part may differ from one drawing to another. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0017] (Configuration of Connector 10) As shown in FIG. 1, a connector 10 is configured to be matable with a mating connector 20. The connector 10 is installed in a vehicle (not shown), such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle. The connector 10 is electrically connected to a battery installed in the vehicle. The mating connector 20 is electrically connected to a power supply device (not shown). The figure also shows a first axis X, a second axis Y perpendicular to the first axis X, and a third axis Z perpendicular to the first axis X and the second axis Y.

[0018] The connector 10 includes a connector housing 30, first terminals 31 as terminals held inside the connector housing 30, and second terminals 32 also held inside the connector housing 30. The connector 10 of this embodiment includes two first terminals 31 and eight second terminals 32.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the mating connector 20 includes a mating housing 21, mating first terminals 22 held within the mating housing 21, and mating second terminals 23 also held within the mating housing 21. The mating connector 20 includes the same number of mating first terminals 22 as the first terminals 31, and the same number of mating second terminals 23 as the second terminals 32. The mating housing 21 also includes an outer housing 21a and an inner housing 21b held within the outer housing 21a. The mating first terminals 22 are rod-shaped male terminals compatible with large currents. A resin cap 24 is fixed to the tip of the mating first terminal 22. The mating second terminals 23 are rod-shaped male terminals compatible with small current signals. Note that FIGS. 2 and 3 omit illustration of signal wires that are connected to the mating second terminals 23 and are also connected to a power supply device.

[0020] The first terminal 31 is a female terminal into which the mating first terminal 22 is connected while being inserted along the first axis X. The first terminal 31 is also a power supply terminal that can handle a large current for charging a battery.

[0021] The second terminal 32 is a female terminal into which the mating second terminal 23 is connected while being inserted along the first axis X. The second terminal 32 is also a signal terminal that enables the exchange of signals with the power supply device.

[0022] (Configuration of first terminal 31) As shown in FIG. 4 , the first terminal 31 includes a terminal body 33 and a spring member 34. The terminal body 33 has a cylindrical portion 33a at its tip. The inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a is formed in a perfect circular shape when viewed in the direction along the first axis X. The spring member 34 is arranged along the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a. More specifically, the spring member 34 is formed in a C-shape when viewed in the direction along the first axis X. Before being accommodated in the cylindrical portion 33a, the spring member 34 is formed in a C-shape with a larger diameter than the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a. The spring member 34 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 33a while being elastically deformed to have a smaller diameter, and is arranged along the inner circumferential surface 33b while being pressed into contact with the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a in the inserted state.

[0023] The spring member 34 has a plurality of elastic pieces 35 that are radially elastic about the first axis X and arranged side by side in the circumferential direction, a first connecting portion 36 that connects the first ends of the plurality of elastic pieces 35 together, and a second connecting portion 37 that connects the second ends of the plurality of elastic pieces 35 together.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 5, each of the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37 has a plurality of grooves 39 in the circumferential direction on an outer surface 38 facing the inner circumferential surface 33b (see FIG. 7) of the cylindrical portion 33a. As shown in FIG. 7, the grooves 39 in this embodiment are formed in a V-shape that is deeper toward the center in the width direction when viewed in the direction along the first axis X. The outer surfaces 38 connecting the adjacent grooves 39 are formed as arc surfaces with a curvature smaller than that of the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a when viewed in the direction along the first axis X, thereby contacting the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a at edge portions 38a adjacent to the grooves 39. In other words, the outer surfaces 38 connecting the adjacent grooves 39 are formed as arc surfaces with a curvature radius larger than that of the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a, thereby contacting the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a at edge portions 38a adjacent to the grooves 39.

[0025] 6, the groove 39 in this embodiment is provided for each elastic piece 35. In other words, the number of grooves 39 is the same as the number of elastic pieces 35, and one groove 39 is provided for each elastic piece 35.

[0026] 5, the groove 39 in this embodiment is provided at the center position of the width of the elastic piece 35 and extends continuously along the first axis X from the first connecting portion 36 or the second connecting portion 37 to the elastic piece 35. More specifically, the groove 39 is provided along the first axis X over the entire first connecting portion 36 and extends continuously to a portion of the elastic piece 35. The groove 39 is also provided along the first axis X over the entire second connecting portion 37 and extends continuously to a portion of the elastic piece 35.

[0027] The spring member 34 is formed in a plane-symmetrical shape with a plane orthogonal to the first axis X as the plane of symmetry. More specifically, the spring member 34 is formed in a plane-symmetrical shape with a plane orthogonal to the first axis X at the center position of the length along the first axis X as the plane of symmetry. That is, the spring member 34 is formed so that the shape from the first connecting portion 36 to the second connecting portion 37 and the shape from the second connecting portion 37 to the first connecting portion 36 are the same.

[0028] The plurality of elastic pieces 35 also include a leading contact piece 40 and an intermediate contact piece 41. The leading contact piece 40 is capable of making pressure contact with the mating first terminal 22 at a leading position closer to the first connecting portion 36 when the second terminal 32 is not in contact with the mating second terminal 23 (see FIG. 2). The intermediate contact piece 41 is capable of making pressure contact with the mating first terminal 22 at an intermediate position between the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37 when the second terminal 32 is in contact with the mating second terminal 23 (see FIG. 3).

[0029] More specifically, the power supply device to which the mating connector 20 is connected is configured to supply power to the first terminal 31 via the mating first terminal 22, for example, based on the fact that the mating second terminal 23 is connected to the second terminal 32. In other words, the power supply device is configured not to supply power to the first terminal 31 via the mating first terminal 22, for example, when the mating second terminal 23 is not connected to the second terminal 32.

[0030] As shown in Figure 8, the leading contact piece 40 extends radially inward of the spring member 34 from the first connecting portion 36 to a position close to the first connecting portion 36, and then extends straight along the first axis X from there, extending radially outward from a position close to the second connecting portion 37 to the second connecting portion 37.

[0031] As a result, as shown in Figure 9, the leading contact piece 40 is capable of making pressure contact with the mating first terminal 22 at a leading position closer to the first connecting portion 36 when the mating second terminal 23 is not in contact with the second terminal 32 (see Figure 2).

[0032] Also, as shown in Figure 10, the intermediate contact piece 41 extends radially inward of the spring member 34 from the first connecting portion 36 to an intermediate position between the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37, and then extends radially outward from there to the second connecting portion 37.

[0033] As a result, as shown in Figure 11, the intermediate contact piece 41 is capable of making pressure contact with the mating first terminal 22 at an intermediate position between the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37 when the mating second terminal 23 is in contact with the second terminal 32 (see Figure 3).

[0034] In other words, when the mating connector 20 is mated, the connector 10 is configured so that the mating first terminal 22 first contacts the leading contact piece 40, then the mating second terminal 23 contacts the second terminal 32, and then the mating first terminal 22 contacts the intermediate contact piece 41.

[0035] Furthermore, the connector 10 is configured so that when the mating connector 20 is pulled out, the mating first terminal 22 first separates from the intermediate contact piece 41, then the mating second terminal 23 separates from the second terminal 32, and then the mating first terminal 22 separates from the leading contact piece 40.

[0036] 6, among the multiple elastic pieces 35 provided on the spring member 34, the number of leading contact pieces 40 is smaller than the number of intermediate contact pieces 41. In this embodiment, the number of leading contact pieces 40 is three. In addition, the number of intermediate contact pieces 41 is eighteen. As shown in FIG. 6, the three leading contact pieces 40 are arranged at positions where the angle between adjacent leading contact pieces 40 in the circumferential direction is less than 180° when viewed in the direction along the first axis X. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the maximum radially inward protrusion amount of the leading contact pieces 40 is smaller than the maximum radially inward protrusion amount of the intermediate contact pieces 41.

[0037] (Operation of the embodiment) For example, when charging a vehicle battery, the mating connector 20 is mated with the connector 10. At this time, the mating first terminal 22 first contacts the leading contact piece 40 of the first terminal 31, and then the mating second terminal 23 contacts the second terminal 32. Therefore, even if power supply from a power supply device to the first terminal 31 via the mating first terminal 22 begins based on the mating second terminal 23 being connected to the second terminal 32, an arc is prevented from occurring because the mating first terminal 22 is already connected to the first terminal 31. When the mating connector 20 is fully mated with the connector 10, the mating first terminal 22 also contacts the intermediate contact piece 41 of the first terminal 31, ultimately minimizing electrical resistance at the connection between the spring member 34 and the mating first terminal 22. Furthermore, the spring member 34 has an outer surface 38 connecting the grooves 39 in contact with the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a at the edge 38a adjacent to the groove 39, so that the spring member 34 makes stable contact with the terminal body 33 at many points. This makes it possible to keep the electrical resistance at the connection points between the spring member 34 and the terminal body 33 low. As a result, the battery can be charged while suppressing abnormal heat generation.

[0038] Furthermore, for example, when charging of the vehicle battery is completed, the mating connector 20 is pulled out from the connector 10. At this time, the mating first terminal 22 first separates from the intermediate contact piece 41 of the first terminal 31, and then the mating second terminal 23 separates from the second terminal 32. At this time, the mating second terminal 23 separates from the second terminal 32, thereby cutting off the power supply from the power supply device to the first terminal 31 via the mating first terminal 22. At this moment, the mating first terminal 22 is still in contact with the leading contact piece 40 of the first terminal 31, so the mating first terminal 22 is prevented from separating from the first terminal 31 while the power supply is still in the state. This prevents the generation of an arc when the mating connector 20 is pulled out from the connector 10.

[0039] (Effects of the embodiment) Next, the effects of the above embodiment will be described below. (1) The first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37 have multiple grooves 39 formed in the circumferential direction on their outer surfaces 38, which face the inner circumferential surface 33b of the tubular portion 33a of the terminal body 33. The outer surfaces 38 connecting the grooves 39 are formed as arcs with a curvature smaller than that of the inner circumferential surface 33b of the tubular portion 33a, so that the edges 38a adjacent to the grooves 39 are in contact with the inner circumferential surface 33b of the tubular portion 33a. This allows the spring member 34 to be in stable contact with the terminal body 33 at multiple locations. This reduces electrical resistance at the connection points between the spring member 34 and the terminal body 33. Furthermore, this configuration is easier to manufacture than, for example, a configuration in which multiple hemispherical protrusions are formed in the circumferential direction on the outer surfaces 38 of the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37.

[0040] (2) The plurality of grooves 39 are provided in each of the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37. Therefore, compared to a case where the plurality of grooves 39 are provided in only one of the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37, the spring member 34 can be brought into stable contact with the terminal body 33 at more locations. Therefore, the electrical resistance at the connection portion between the spring member 34 and the terminal body 33 can be kept small.

[0041] (3) The spring member 34 is formed in a plane-symmetrical shape with the plane perpendicular to the first axis X as the plane of symmetry. Therefore, there is no concern about incorrect assembly when assembling the spring member 34 to the cylindrical portion 33a of the terminal body 33, for example.

[0042] (4) Since the groove 39 is provided for each elastic piece 35, the spring member 34 can be brought into contact with the terminal body 33 at many points. Therefore, the electrical resistance at the connection portion between the spring member 34 and the terminal body 33 can be reduced.

[0043] (5) The groove 39 is provided at the center position of the width of the elastic piece 35 and extends continuously from the first connecting portion 36 or the second connecting portion 37 to the elastic piece 35 along the first axis X. Therefore, the groove 39 can be provided over a long range along the first axis X while maintaining the balance of the elastic piece 35. This allows the elastic piece 35 to be pressed into contact with the first mating terminal 22 more effectively than, for example, when the groove 39 is provided at a position shifted from the center position of the width of the elastic piece 35. Furthermore, for example, the spring member 34 can be brought into contact with the inner circumferential surface 33b of the tubular portion 33a over a long range along the first axis X.

[0044] (6) The multiple elastic pieces 35 of the spring member 34 in the first terminal 31 include leading contact pieces 40 that can come into pressure contact with the mating first terminal 22 at leading positions closer to the first connecting portion 36 when the mating second terminal 23 is not in contact with the second terminal 32. This allows the mating first terminal 22 to be electrically connected to the first terminal 31 first. In other words, the standard that requires the mating first terminal 22 to be electrically connected to the first terminal 31 before the mating second terminal 23 is electrically connected to the second terminal 32 can be met. By meeting this standard, in this embodiment, for example, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an arc.

[0045] The multiple elastic pieces 35 of the spring member 34 include an intermediate contact piece 41 that can make pressure contact with the mating first terminal 22 at a position intermediate between the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37 when the mating second terminal 23 is in contact with the second terminal 32. This allows for reduced electrical resistance at the final connection site. That is, the leading contact piece 40 and the intermediate contact piece 41 are ultimately electrically connected to the mating first terminal 22, thereby reducing electrical resistance at the connection site between the spring member 34 and the mating first terminal 22. Furthermore, because the leading contact piece 40 is a part of the elastic piece 35, the insertion pressure of the mating first terminal 22 can be reduced while still satisfying the above-mentioned standards. Specifically, the leading contact piece 40, which is in contact with the mating first terminal 22 closer to the first connecting portion 36, is more likely to require a greater deflection force than the intermediate contact piece 41, which is in contact with the mating first terminal 22 at a position intermediate between the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37. In other words, the leading contact piece 40 needs to bend significantly near the first connecting portion 36, so the force required to bend it is greater than that required to bend it compared to the intermediate contact piece 41. Therefore, for example, if all of the resilient pieces 35 were leading contact pieces 40, the insertion pressure of the mating first terminal 22 would increase. In contrast, the resilient piece 35 includes a leading contact piece 40 that satisfies the above-mentioned standards and an intermediate contact piece 41 that requires less force to bend it than the leading contact piece 40. Therefore, it is possible to keep the insertion pressure of the mating first terminal 22 low while still satisfying the above-mentioned standards. As a result, for example, wear of the silver plating applied to the first terminal 31 and the mating first terminal 22 can be reduced.

[0046] (Example of change) The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the outer surfaces 38 connecting the grooves 39 are formed as arcuate surfaces with a curvature smaller than that of the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a, so that the edges 38a adjacent to the grooves 39 come into contact with the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the outer surfaces 38 connecting the grooves 39 may be formed as flat surfaces, so that the edges 38a adjacent to the grooves 39 come into contact with the inner circumferential surface 33b of the cylindrical portion 33a.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the spring member 34 is formed in a plane-symmetrical shape with a plane perpendicular to the first axis X as the plane of symmetry, but this is not limited thereto and the spring member 34 may have a shape other than plane-symmetrical. For example, in the above embodiment, the plurality of grooves 39 are provided in each of the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37, but this is not limited thereto and the spring member 34 may be formed in only one of the first connecting portion 36 and the second connecting portion 37.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the groove 39 is provided for each elastic piece 35, but this is not limiting, and for example, one groove 39 may be provided for two elastic pieces 35. Also, for example, two grooves 39 may be provided for one elastic piece 35.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the groove 39 is provided at the center position of the width of the elastic piece 35 and extends continuously from the first connecting portion 36 or the second connecting portion 37 to the elastic piece 35 along the first axis X, but this is not limiting. For example, the groove 39 may be provided at a position shifted from the center position of the width of the elastic piece 35. Also, for example, the groove 39 may not extend all the way to the elastic piece 35.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the multiple elastic pieces 35 of the spring member 34 include a leading contact piece 40 and an intermediate contact piece 41, but this is not limited to this. For example, all of the elastic pieces 35 may be intermediate contact pieces 41.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the first terminal 31 is a power supply terminal and the second terminal 32 is a signal terminal, but this is not limited thereto and each may be a terminal used for other purposes. That is, while the connector 10 in the above embodiment is a charging connector provided in a vehicle (not shown), such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, this is not limited thereto and the connector may be used for other purposes.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the number of leading contact pieces 40 is three, which is fewer than the number of intermediate contact pieces 41. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the number of leading contact pieces 40 may be greater than or equal to the number of intermediate contact pieces 41. The number of leading contact pieces 40 may also be, for example, four or five. Of course, the number of intermediate contact pieces 41 may also be changed.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the connector 10 includes two first terminals 31 and eight second terminals 32, but this is not limiting. For example, the connector 10 may include three first terminals 31 or four first terminals 31. Furthermore, for example, the connector 10 may include two second terminals 32 or four second terminals 32. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] X 1st axis Y 2nd axis Z 3rd axis 10 Connectors 20 Mating connector 21 Mating housing 21a outer housing 21b inner housing 22 Counterpart terminal 1 (counterpart terminal) 23 Mating terminal No. 2 24 Resin cap 30 Connector housing 31 1st terminal (terminal) 32 2nd terminal 33 Terminal body 33a Cylindrical part 33b Inner surface 34 Spring member 35 Elastic piece 36 1st connection part 37 2nd connection part 38 Exterior 38a Edge 39 Groove 40 Leading contact piece 41 Intermediate contact piece

Claims

1. a terminal body having a cylindrical portion; a spring member disposed along an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion; A terminal to which a mating terminal is connected while being inserted along a first axis, The spring member is a plurality of elastic pieces that are elastic in the radial direction about the first axis and are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction, a first connecting portion that connects first ends of the plurality of elastic pieces together, and a second connecting portion that connects second ends of the plurality of elastic pieces together, At least one of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion has a plurality of grooves in the circumferential direction on an outer surface facing the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion, and the outer surface connecting the grooves is an arcuate surface having a curvature smaller than that of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion, or a flat surface, so that the outer surface is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion at an edge portion adjacent to the groove. Terminal.

2. Each of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion has a plurality of grooves in the circumferential direction on an outer surface facing the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion, and the outer surface connecting the grooves is an arcuate surface having a curvature smaller than that of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion, or a flat surface, so that the outer surface is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion at an edge portion adjacent to the groove. The terminal according to claim 1 .

3. The spring member is formed in a plane-symmetric shape with a plane orthogonal to the first axis as a plane of symmetry. The terminal according to claim 2 .

4. The groove is provided for each of the elastic pieces. The terminal according to claim 1 .

5. The groove is provided at a center position of the width of the elastic piece, and extends continuously from the first connecting portion or the second connecting portion to the elastic piece along the first axis. The terminal according to claim 1 .

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