Female terminal

Abstract

To increase a contact area with a male terminal part, without causing enlargement in size.SOLUTION: A female terminal has a terminal connection part 10 into which a male terminal part 500 in a circular-column shape or a cylindrical shape is inserted and fitted. The terminal connection part 10 has a plurality of elastic contact pieces 20, aligned around the axis of the male terminal part 500 thus inserted and fitted, each of which is cantilevered and flexible, and which bring an inner wall surface 21a into contact with an outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal part 500. The inner wall surface 21a of each of the elastic contact pieces 20 has a recessed part 23 which allows entry of the outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal part 500, and which brings the outer peripheral surface 501 into contact at two points in the circumferential direction of the male terminal part 500.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, so-called slotted terminals have been known as female terminals, which are arranged in multiple positions around the axis of a cylindrical or cylindrical male terminal portion that is inserted and fitted, have a cantilever shape that is flexible, and have an elastic contact piece that brings the inner wall surface at the free end into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male terminal portion (see Patent Document 1 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-004839 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional female terminals (slotted terminals), the male terminal portion makes point contact with the resilient contact piece at one location. Therefore, in order to increase the contact area with the male terminal portion, the conventional female terminal must be enlarged along with the male terminal portion.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a female terminal that can increase the contact area with the male terminal portion without increasing the size of the female terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is characterized in that it has a terminal connection portion into which a cylindrical or cylindrical male terminal portion is inserted and fitted, the terminal connection portion being arranged in multiple parts around the axis of the inserted and fitted male terminal portion, the terminal connection portion being cantilever-shaped and flexible, and having resilient contact pieces whose inner wall surfaces contact the outer peripheral surface of the male terminal portion, and the inner wall surface of the resilient contact piece being provided with recesses that allow the outer peripheral surface of the male terminal portion to enter and bring the outer peripheral surface into contact with the male terminal portion at two circumferential points. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The female terminal according to the present invention has two contact points for each resilient contact piece by forming recesses on the inner wall surface of the resilient contact piece, thereby increasing the contact area with the male terminal part without increasing the size of the female terminal itself or the male terminal part. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a female terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the female terminal of the embodiment as seen from the opening. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the recessed portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the recessed portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the female terminal according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0010] [Embodiment] One embodiment of a female terminal according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0011] 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a female terminal of this embodiment. This female terminal 1 is not only applicable to the female terminal portion of a terminal fitting, but may also be applied to the female terminal portion of a conductive member such as a bus bar.

[0012] The female terminal 1 has a terminal connection portion 10 into which a columnar or cylindrical male terminal portion 500 is inserted and fitted (FIGS. 1 to 4). This female terminal 1 is called a slot terminal, and the terminal connection portion 10 is formed as follows to form this slot terminal.

[0013] The terminal connection part 10 includes a plurality of flexible cantilever-shaped resilient contact pieces 20 arranged around the axis of the inserted and fitted male terminal part 500 (FIGS. 1 to 4). In this terminal connection part 10, the male terminal part 500 is inserted and fitted along the axis through an opening surrounded by the free ends 21 of the plurality of resilient contact pieces 20. The opening has a quasi-circular shape. The terminal connection part 10 is physically and electrically connected to the male terminal part 500 by bringing the inner wall surface of each resilient contact piece 20 into contact with the outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal part 500. The resilient contact pieces 20 are formed to be able to flex and deform radially with respect to the axis of the male terminal part 500, and the reaction force accompanying this flexural deformation is used to bring the inner wall surface into contact with the outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal part 500.

[0014] The female terminal 1 of this example has an annular base 31, from which the resilient contact pieces 20 protrude with the base 31 side serving as a fixed end 22 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The female terminal 1 of this example also has a rectangular flat plate portion 32 connected to the base 31 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0015] In the terminal connection portion 10, the contact resistance with the male terminal portion 500 is reduced by increasing the contact area between the inner wall surface of each resilient contact piece 20 and the outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal portion 500. Therefore, recesses 23 are provided on the inner wall surface of the resilient contact piece 20, allowing the outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal portion 500 to enter and bring the outer peripheral surface 501 into contact with the male terminal portion 500 at two locations in the circumferential direction (FIGS. 1 to 4). Parts of two boundary portions 23a between the recesses 23 and the inner wall surfaces of the resilient contact pieces 20 in the circumferential direction serve as contact portions 23b with the outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal portion 500 (FIG. 3).

[0016] The recess 23 has its boundary portion 23a extending in the axial direction of the male terminal portion 500 to accommodate misalignment of the contact portion 23b at this boundary portion 23a. For example, in the terminal connection portion 10, flexural deformation of each resilient contact piece 20 accompanying insertion and fitting of the male terminal portion 500 may cause misalignment of the position of the contact portion 23b at the boundary portion 23a in the axial direction of the male terminal portion 500. Therefore, in this terminal connection portion 10, the boundary portion 23a of the recess 23 in each resilient contact piece 20 is extended in the axial direction of the male terminal portion 500 to ensure contact between the contact portion 23b at the boundary portion 23a and the outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal portion 500. Here, a rectangular recess 23 is formed with sides that extend along the axial direction of the male terminal portion 500, so that the boundary portion 23a at the sides extends in the axial direction of the male terminal portion 500 (FIG. 3).

[0017] The resilient contact pieces 20 shown here have the inner wall surfaces 21a of their free ends 21 in contact with the outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal portion 500 (FIGS. 2 and 4). Therefore, the resilient contact pieces 20 are inclined from the fixed end 22 side toward the axis of the male terminal portion 500 (FIGS. 1 and 2). In the terminal connection portion 10, the diameter of the opening surrounded by the free ends 21 of the resilient contact pieces 20 is smaller than the diameter of the outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal portion 500. The recesses 23 are provided on the inner wall surfaces 21a of the free ends 21 of the resilient contact pieces 20 (FIGS. 1 to 4).

[0018] In this terminal connection part 10, the male terminal part 500 inserted through the opening pushes the free ends 21 of the resilient contact pieces 20 outward in the radial direction, causing each resilient contact piece 20 to bend and deform radially outward. As a result, in this terminal connection part 10, the resilient contact pieces 20 apply a reaction force associated with the bending deformation to the outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal part 500 from the two contact parts 23b of the free ends 21. Therefore, this terminal connection part 10 is physically and electrically connected to the male terminal part 500.

[0019] In this terminal connection portion 10, each resilient contact piece 20 is inclined from the fixed end 22 toward the axis of the male terminal portion 500, and the diameter of the opening formed by the free end 21 of each resilient contact piece 20 is smaller than the diameter of the outer circumferential surface 501 of the male terminal portion 500. Therefore, in this terminal connection portion 10, in order to prevent shoving between the free end 21 of each resilient contact piece 20 and the male terminal portion 500, the resilient contact pieces 20 are formed as follows. The resilient contact pieces 20 shown here have their free ends 21 bent in the direction opposite to their own inclination ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ). The bent surface 21 b on the inner wall surface 21 a of the free end 21 is formed as an arc-shaped surface ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ). Therefore, the bent shape of the free end 21 of each resilient contact piece 20 in the terminal connection portion 10 can prevent shoving when the male terminal portion 500 is inserted and fitted. Furthermore, the bent shape of the free end 21 of each elastic contact piece 20 allows the terminal connection portion 10 to have the function of picking up the male terminal portion 500 inserted through the opening.

[0020] In such a resilient contact piece 20, the recess 23 is provided on the bent surface 21b of the inner wall surface 21a of the free end 21 (FIGS. 1 to 4). Therefore, the contact portion 23b is located at the boundary portion 23a with the bent surface 21b, which may cause misalignment due to tolerance variations. However, as described above, the recess 23 has two boundary portions 23a extending in the axial direction of the male terminal portion 500. Therefore, in the terminal connection portion 10, contact between the contact portion 23b and the outer peripheral surface 501 of the male terminal portion 500 at the boundary portion 23a can be ensured.

[0021] As described above, the female terminal 1 of this embodiment has two contact points (contact points 23b) for the male terminal portion 500 for each resilient contact piece 20 by forming recesses 23 on the inner wall surface 21a of the resilient contact piece 20. Therefore, this female terminal 1 can increase the contact area with the male terminal portion 500 without increasing the size of the female terminal 1 itself or the male terminal portion 500. Furthermore, this female terminal 1 can reduce the contact resistance with the male terminal portion 500, thereby suppressing temperature rise during current flow and preventing high temperatures. Therefore, the female terminal 1 of this embodiment can accommodate the passage of a larger current than conventional terminals. [Explanation of symbols]

[0022] 1 female terminal 10 Terminal connection 20 Elastic contact piece 21 Free end 21a Inner wall 21b Bent surface 22 Fixed end 23 Recess 23a Boundary part 23b Contact part 500 Male terminal section 501 Outer surface

Claims

1. A terminal connection portion into which a columnar or cylindrical male terminal portion is inserted and fitted, the terminal connection portion is provided with a plurality of resilient contact pieces arranged around the axis of the inserted and fitted male terminal portion, the resilient contact pieces having a cantilever shape and flexibility, and the inner wall surface of the resilient contact piece being brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male terminal portion; A female terminal characterized in that the inner wall surface of the resilient contact piece has a recess that allows the outer peripheral surface of the male terminal portion to enter and contact the outer peripheral surface of the male terminal portion at two circumferential points.

2. The female terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the recess has a portion of two boundary portions with the inner wall surface of the resilient contact piece in the circumferential direction as contact portions with the outer peripheral surface of the male terminal portion, and the boundary portions extend in the axial direction of the male terminal portion.

3. The elastic contact piece is inclined from the fixed end side toward the axis of the male terminal portion, 3. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the recess is provided on the inner wall surface of the free end of the resilient contact piece.

4. The elastic contact piece is inclined from a fixed end side toward the axis of the male terminal portion, and the free end is bent in a direction opposite to the inclination direction, 3. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the recess is provided on a curved surface of the inner wall surface of the free end of the resilient contact piece.

Images