Terminal

Abstract

To provide a terminal capable of achieving a reduction in overall size.SOLUTION: A terminal 1 includes a terminal connection portion 20 that is annularly formed around a central axis X1 and electrically connected to a mating terminal T inserted into the interior. The terminal connection portion 20 includes a base portion 21 that is annularly formed around the central axis X1, and a plurality of elastic contact pieces 22 that is formed to protrude from the base portion 21 along the central axis X1, arranged with spacing around the central axis X1, and configured to contact the mating terminal T. Additionally, in the terminal 1, the plurality of elastic contact pieces 22 is twisted around the central axis X1 such that, when viewed in the axial direction X along the central axis X1, the position of a base-end side 22a connected to the base portion 21 and the position of a tip-end side 22b are offset.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal (slotted terminal) having a base portion and a terminal connection portion made up of a plurality of radially elastic contact pieces, one end of which is arranged in a circular ring shape on the base portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-4839 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, the terminal described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is electrically connected to a mating terminal (male terminal) by holding the mating terminal with multiple contact pieces, but there is a demand for a configuration that can achieve a smaller size while ensuring appropriate conductivity at the joint between the terminals.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal that can be made smaller in size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the terminal of the present invention comprises a terminal connection portion formed in a ring shape around a central axis and electrically connected to a mating terminal inserted inside, the terminal connection portion including a base portion formed in a ring shape around the central axis, and a plurality of resilient contact pieces formed to protrude from the base along the central axis and arranged in a row at intervals around the central axis, which contact the mating terminal, and the plurality of resilient contact pieces are arranged twisted around the central axis so that, when viewed from the axial direction along the central axis, the position of the base end side connected to the base is offset from the position of the tip end side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The terminal according to the present invention has an effect of being able to reduce the size thereof. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a terminal according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the terminal according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a view taken along the arrow A in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a view taken along the arrow B in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a general configuration of a terminal according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] The terminal 1 shown in FIG. 1 is applied to, for example, a wire harness used in a vehicle, and electrically connects devices together by being electrically connected to a mating member such as a mating terminal T.

[0011] The terminal 1 includes a terminal connecting portion 20 that is electrically connected to a mating terminal T inserted therein. The terminal connecting portion 20 is formed to protrude along the central axis X1 from a base portion 21 that is formed in an annular shape around the central axis X1, and includes a plurality of resilient contact pieces 22 that are arranged side by side at intervals around the central axis X1 and come into contact with the mating terminal T inserted therein. In the terminal 1 of this embodiment, the plurality of resilient contact pieces 22 are arranged twisted around the central axis X1 from the base end side 22a to the tip end side 22b, thereby realizing a configuration that can ensure appropriate electrical conduction at the joint portion with the mating terminal T while achieving a compact size. Each component of the terminal 1 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0012] Terminal 1 is a female terminal known as a slotted terminal. The mating terminal T electrically connected to terminal 1 is a male terminal formed in a cylindrical or columnar shape (see FIG. 1).

[0013] 1. The center axis X1 corresponds to the center axis X1 of the terminal connection portion 20. The circumference of the center axis X1 corresponds to the circumference of the axis of the mating terminal T inserted into the inside of the terminal connection portion 20.

[0014] In the following description, of the first, second, and third directions that intersect with one another, the first direction will be referred to as the "axial direction X," the second direction will be referred to as the "width direction Y," and the third direction will be referred to as the "height direction Z." Here, the axial direction X, width direction Y, and height direction Z are perpendicular to one another. The axial direction X typically corresponds to the direction along the central axis X1 of the terminal connection portion 20, the insertion direction of the mating terminal T into the terminal 1, etc.

[0015] FIG. 5 shows the terminal 1 in a state where it has been punched out from the metal plate, and shows the terminal connection portion 20 of the terminal 1 in an expanded state.

[0016] The terminal 1 is formed by shaping a single sheet metal made of a conductive metal through various processes such as punching, pressing, bending, etc., so that each part is integrally formed three-dimensionally. As shown in Fig. 1, the terminal 1 of this embodiment is configured to include an electrical connection part 10 and a terminal connection part 20 formed continuously with the electrical connection part 10.

[0017] The electrical connection part 10 is a part that is electrically connected to a conductive connection member (not shown). As shown in Fig. 1, the electrical connection part 10 of this embodiment is formed in a flat plate shape, and its planar shape when viewed from the plate thickness direction is formed to be approximately rectangular.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical connection portion 10 has an insertion hole 10h formed therein. The insertion hole 10h is a through-hole formed in the thickness direction of the electrical connection portion 10. The insertion hole 10h is formed in a substantially circular shape and is sized to allow a connecting member to be inserted therein. The connecting member referred to here is, for example, a fastening member such as a bolt used to attach the terminal 1 to each device. Therefore, the terminal 1 of this embodiment is fixed to the device by inserting the connecting member into the insertion hole 10h and using a fastening member such as a nut.

[0019] The terminal connection portion 20 is a portion that is electrically connected to the mating terminal T. As shown in FIG. 1 , the terminal connection portion 20 of this embodiment has a base portion 21 that is formed continuously with the electrical connection portion 10, and a plurality of elastic contact pieces 22 that are formed to protrude from the base portion 21.

[0020] The base 21 is a portion that connects the resilient contact pieces 22 together. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the base 21 of this embodiment is formed in an annular shape around the central axis X1. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the base 21 is formed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction θ1 of the central axis X1, and is disposed so as to surround the mating terminal T inserted into the terminal connection portion 20 when viewed from the axial direction X along the central axis X1. Furthermore, since the base 21 is formed by bending a single sheet metal into a C shape, as shown in FIG. 3, a slit 21s is formed in the base 21, and the slit 21s is provided at a position facing the electrical connection portion 10 in the height direction Z.

[0021] The multiple resilient contact pieces 22 are portions that come into contact with the mating terminal T. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the resilient contact pieces 22 of this embodiment are formed linearly and inclined with respect to the axial direction X. Furthermore, the resilient contact pieces 22 are formed in a cantilever shape with a base end 22a connected to the base 21 as a fixed end and a tip end 22b as a free end, making them easily flexible and configured as flexible members. Furthermore, eleven resilient contact pieces 22 are formed (see FIGS. 3 and 4, etc.), and each is formed to protrude from the base 21 along the central axis X1 (see FIG. 2).

[0022] 3, the base 21 of the multiple resilient contact pieces 22 is formed in an annular shape around the central axis X1, and thus the multiple resilient contact pieces 22 are arranged side by side at intervals around the central axis X1. As shown in FIG. 4, the multiple resilient contact pieces 22 have their free ends (ends of the tip side 22b) arranged side by side at intervals around the central axis X1, and thus an opening 23 having a quasi-circular shape is formed. Furthermore, the multiple resilient contact pieces 22 are arranged side by side at intervals along the circumferential direction θ1 of the central axis X1 from the base side 22a to the tip side 22b, and thus are arranged around the mating terminal T inserted into the terminal connection part 20 when viewed from the axial direction X along the central axis X1.

[0023] 3 and 4, the multiple resilient contact pieces 22 are arranged twisted around the central axis X1 so that the position of the base end side 22a in the circumferential direction θ1 relative to the central axis X1 is offset from the position of the tip end side 22b in the circumferential direction θ1 relative to the central axis X1 when viewed from the axial direction X along the central axis X1. Furthermore, the multiple resilient contact pieces 22 are each formed linearly and inclined with respect to the axial direction X, thereby making it possible to shorten the length in the axial direction X (length L2 of the resilient contact pieces 22 in the axial direction X shown in FIG. 2) compared to the actual length (the length of the resilient contact pieces 22 when the terminal connection portion 20 is unfolded, which is length L1 of the resilient contact pieces 22 shown in FIG. 5). Therefore, the terminal 1 of this embodiment can have a shorter terminal length (length L3 of the terminal connection portion 20 in the axial direction X shown in FIG. 2), thereby reducing the physical size.

[0024] 1 to 4, the multiple resilient contact pieces 22 are formed in a shape that tapers from the base end side 22a toward the tip end side 22b. More specifically, the multiple resilient contact pieces 22 are configured so that the diameter of the opening 23 at the tip end side 22b is smaller than the outer diameter of the mating terminal T to be inserted into the terminal connecting portion 20, and the opening at the base end side 22a (i.e., the inner diameter of the annular base portion 21) is larger than the outer diameter of the mating terminal T to be inserted into the terminal connecting portion 20. Therefore, in the terminal 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, when the mating terminal T is fitted into the terminal connecting portion 20 through the opening 23 along the axial direction X, the multiple resilient contact pieces 20 are each elastically deformed radially outward of the terminal connecting portion 20, thereby allowing the mating terminal T to be inserted into the terminal connecting portion 20. The multiple elastic contact pieces 22 utilize the reaction force associated with elastic deformation to abut against the outer surface of the mating terminal T inserted inside the terminal connection portion 20, thereby clamping the mating terminal T, and thereby the terminal 1 is physically and electrically connected to the mating terminal T.

[0025] Each of the multiple resilient contact pieces 22 is provided with a contact point 22c that comes into contact with the mating terminal T inserted into the terminal connection portion 20. As shown in Fig. 4, the contact point 22c in this embodiment is formed on the tip side 22b of the resilient contact piece 22, and is formed at the apex of the resilient contact piece 22 that is folded back toward the outside in the radial direction of the terminal connection portion 20 (the radial direction relative to the central axis X1). Therefore, the resilient contact piece 22 in this embodiment can have the contact point 22c protrude toward the inside of the terminal connection portion 20 (the side of the mating terminal T inserted into the terminal connection portion 20), which makes it easier for the contact point 22c to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the mating terminal T.

[0026] The terminal 1 described above includes a terminal connection portion 20 formed in an annular shape around the central axis X1 and electrically connected to a mating terminal T inserted therein, and the terminal connection portion 20 includes a base portion 21 formed in an annular shape around the central axis X1, and a plurality of resilient contact pieces 22 formed to protrude from the base portion 21 along the central axis X1, arranged side by side at intervals around the central axis X1, and made to come into contact with the mating terminal T. Furthermore, the terminal 1 is arranged such that the plurality of resilient contact pieces 22 are twisted around the central axis X1 such that the position of a base end side 22a connected to the base portion 21 is misaligned from the position of a tip end side 22b when viewed from the axial direction X along the central axis X1.

[0027] With this configuration, the length of the resilient contact pieces 22 was previously directly related to the terminal length (the length of the terminal connection portion 20 in the axial direction X, i.e., the size of the terminal connection portion 20). However, by arranging the resilient contact pieces 22 so that they are twisted around the central axis X1 from the base end side 22a to the tip end side 22b, it is now possible to shorten the terminal length while keeping the length of the resilient contact pieces 22 the same. Therefore, the terminal 1 of this embodiment can be made smaller in size while ensuring appropriate conductivity at the joint with the mating terminal T.

[0028] Furthermore, in the terminal 1 described above, the multiple resilient contact pieces 22 are each formed linearly and inclined with respect to the axial direction X. With this configuration, the resilient contact pieces 22 of the terminal 1 protrude obliquely from the base 21, thereby more reliably reducing the terminal length compared to when the resilient contact pieces 22 protrude perpendicularly from the base 21. Therefore, the terminal 1 of this embodiment can achieve a reduction in the size of the terminal connection portion 20 while ensuring appropriate electrical conductivity at the joint portion with the mating terminal T.

[0029] The terminal 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0030] For example, although terminal 1 has been described as being fixed to a device, terminal 1 may be applied to the female terminal portion of a terminal fitting, or may be applied to the female terminal portion of a conductive member such as a bus bar.

[0031] Furthermore, the expanded shape of the terminal connection portion 20 is not particularly limited to the form shown in FIG.

[0032] The angle of inclination of the resilient contact piece 22 relative to the base 21 is not particularly limited.

[0033] The number of the elastic contact pieces 22 is not particularly limited.

[0034] Furthermore, the shape of the resilient contact piece 22 after bending is not particularly limited to the form shown in Figures 1 to 4. For example, the resilient contact piece 22 may be bent spirally with respect to the axial direction X by setting a steep inclination angle with respect to the base portion 21.

[0035] Furthermore, the terminal 1 according to this embodiment may be configured by appropriately combining the components of the embodiments described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 terminal 10 Electrical Connections 20 Terminal connection 21 Base 22 Elastic contact piece 22a Base end side of elastic contact piece 22b Tip side of elastic contact piece T Mating terminal X1 center axis X-axis direction Y width direction Z height direction

Claims

1. a terminal connection portion formed in an annular shape around a central axis and electrically connected to a mating terminal inserted inside, the terminal connection portion includes a base portion formed in an annular shape around the central axis, and a plurality of resilient contact pieces formed to protrude from the base portion along the central axis and arranged side by side at intervals around the central axis, the resilient contact pieces coming into contact with the mating terminal, the plurality of elastic contact pieces are arranged twisted around the central axis so that a position of a base end side connected to the base portion is misaligned with a position of a tip end side when viewed from an axial direction along the central axis. Terminal.

2. The plurality of resilient contact pieces are each formed linearly and inclined with respect to the axial direction. The terminal according to claim 1 .

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