Terminal connection structure

Abstract

To provide a terminal connection structure that suppresses contact sliding between female and male terminals while reducing the amount of heat generated at each contact point.SOLUTION: A terminal connection structure 1 includes a male terminal structure 3 including a cylindrical female terminal 2 having a first inner wall portion 20b on which a first protrusion 27 is formed, a pin-shaped male terminal 30 to be inserted into the female terminal 2, and a cylindrical accommodating portion 31 having a second inner wall portion 31b on which a second protrusion 36 is formed and accommodating the female terminal 2, a first leaf spring portion 4 held by the first inner wall portion 20b and pressing the male terminal 30 inserted into the female terminal 2 against the first protrusion 27, and a second leaf spring portion 5 held by the second inner wall portion 31b and pressing the female terminal 2 accommodated in the accommodating portion 31 against the second protrusion 36.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there are many types of terminal connection structures that allow a female terminal and a male terminal to be freely connected. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology relating to an electrical connector that ensures reliable electrical contact between the male terminal and the female terminal by clamping the male terminal with both leaf spring portions provided on the female terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-76341 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the electrical connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the female terminal and the male terminal are connected, the electrical circuit is established only through the contact points between the female terminal and the male terminal. Therefore, when the electrical connector is connected to an electric wire carrying a relatively high current, there is a concern that heat generated when electricity is passed through the contact points between the female terminal and the male terminal may be concentrated at the contact points, which may result in the connector being inappropriate for connection to the electric wire.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems inherent in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal connection structure that suppresses contact sliding between the female terminal and the male terminal while suppressing the amount of heat generated at each contact point. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A terminal connection structure according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a male terminal structure including a cylindrical female terminal having a first inner wall portion on which a first protrusion is formed, a pin-shaped male terminal inserted into the female terminal, and a cylindrical accommodating portion having a second inner wall portion on which a second protrusion is formed and accommodating the female terminal; a first leaf spring portion held in the first inner wall portion and pressing the male terminal inserted into the female terminal against the first protrusion portion; and a second leaf spring portion held in the second inner wall portion and pressing the female terminal accommodated in the accommodating portion against the second protrusion portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a terminal connection structure that suppresses contact sliding between a female terminal and a male terminal while suppressing the amount of heat generated at each contact portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a terminal connection structure according to one embodiment before connection; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a terminal connection structure according to one embodiment after connection; [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal connection structure taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the female terminal and the first plate spring portion extracted from FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the male terminal structure and the second leaf spring portion extracted from FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the male terminal structure taken along the same cutting plane as in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of the terminal connection structure according to the embodiment after connection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A terminal connection structure according to one embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of convenience and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0010] 1 and 2 are perspective views of a terminal connection structure 1 according to one embodiment. Fig. 1 shows the terminal connection structure 1 before a female terminal 2 and a male terminal structure 3 are connected. Fig. 2 shows the terminal connection structure 1 after the female terminal 2 and the male terminal structure 3 are connected.

[0011] The terminal connection structure 1 is a structure for connecting a female terminal 2 and a male terminal structure 3 including a male terminal 30. The terminal connection structure 1 is employed, for example, as an in-vehicle connector compatible with high current, for electrically connecting between a power source and a device or between devices. The female terminal 2 is electrically connected to one device, etc., and the male terminal structure 3 is electrically connected to the other device, etc. The terminal connection structure 1 also includes a first leaf spring portion 4 held by the female terminal 2 and a second leaf spring portion 5 held by the male terminal structure 3.

[0012] Hereinafter, the direction in which the male terminal structure 3 is connected to the female terminal 2 is defined as the Z direction. The Z direction is also the direction along the axial direction of each of the female terminal 2 and the male terminal structure 3. Hereinafter, the Z direction may be referred to as "front" or "rear" for each female terminal 2 or male terminal structure 3. The X direction and the Y direction are each perpendicular to the Z direction and perpendicular to each other, and are directions along the width direction of each of the female terminal 2 and the male terminal structure 3. Hereinafter, the X direction may be referred to as "left" or "right," and the Y direction may be referred to as "up" or "down."

[0013] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal connection structure 1 taken along line III-III in Fig. 2. For convenience, Fig. 3 assumes that the first central axis AX1, which is the central axis of the female terminal 2, and the second central axis AX2, which is the central axis of the male terminal structure 3, are coaxial. In this case, according to the above-mentioned directional definition, the cross section of the male terminal 30 in Fig. 3 is a virtual YZ plane including the first central axis AX1 and the second central axis AX2.

[0014] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the female terminal 2 and the first leaf spring portion 4 extracted from the terminal connection structure 1 shown in Fig. 3. The female terminal 2 shown in Fig. 4 is in a state before being connected to the male terminal structure 3.

[0015] Hereinafter, in the female terminal 2, a first imaginary plane is assumed to be an XZ plane including the first central axis AX1, and a second imaginary plane is assumed to be a YZ plane including the first central axis AX1 and perpendicular to the first imaginary plane. The first and second imaginary planes in the female terminal 2 correspond to the first imaginary plane P1 and second imaginary plane P2 in the male terminal structure 3 (see FIG. 6).

[0016] The female terminal 2 is a conductive metal member formed into a cylindrical shape. In this embodiment, the female terminal 2 is a cylindrical body formed with a first outer wall portion 20a and a first inner wall portion 20b based on a first center axis AX1. However, the female terminal 2 does not need to be a complete cylindrical body, and may have a first separation groove 21 that separates the first outer wall portion 20a and the first inner wall portion 20b at a portion in the circumferential direction.

[0017] The female terminal 2 has a first open end 22 and a second open end 23 that face each other in the Z direction along the first central axis AX1. The first open end 22 is an open end through which the male terminal 30 is inserted into the internal space of the female terminal 2. The first open end 22 has a first locking groove 24 that locks a portion of the first leaf spring portion 4 from the outside toward the inside of the female terminal 2 along the Z direction. The second open end 23 is an open end to which an electric wire or device (not shown) is connected. The second open end 23 has a notch 25 that exposes a portion of the first leaf spring portion 4 in a partial direction radially from the first central axis AX1. The female terminal 2 also has a first locking hole 26 through which a portion of the first leaf spring portion 4 enters.

[0018] The first inner wall portion 20b has, on one side facing the first imaginary plane, a plurality of first protrusions 27 that serve as contact points with the male terminal 30 inserted into the female terminal 2. Referring to FIG. 4 , the side of the first inner wall portion 20b facing the first imaginary plane corresponds to a semi-cylindrical inner wall portion located above the first center axis AX1 in the Y direction. In this embodiment, there are four first protrusions 27. If the first opening end 22 is the front side and the second opening end 23 is the rear side along the Z direction, two of the first protrusions 27 are first front protrusions 27a, and the remaining two are first rear protrusions 27b. In other words, the first front protrusions 27a and the first rear protrusions 27b are spaced apart from each other along the first center axis AX1. The two first front protrusions 27a are symmetrical with respect to the second imaginary plane. Similarly, the two first rear protrusions 27b have symmetrical shapes with respect to the second imaginary plane. When a male terminal 30 is inserted into the female terminal 2, the base side of the male terminal 30 contacts the first front protrusion 27a, and the tip side of the male terminal 30 contacts the first rear protrusion 27b. For example, the contact area of ​​the first rear protrusion 27b with the male terminal 30 may be set larger than the contact area of ​​the first front protrusion 27a with the male terminal 30 so as to be able to withstand tilt displacement of the male terminal 30 with respect to the first center axis AX1. Furthermore, to improve ease of insertion of the male terminal 30, the first protrusion 27 may have an inclined surface aligned with at least the Z direction along the insertion direction of the male terminal 30.

[0019] When there are a plurality of first protrusions 27 other than four, at least two first protrusions 27 selected from the plurality of first protrusions 27 may be spaced apart from each other along the first central axis AX1. Also, there may be only one first protrusion 27. Furthermore, when there are a plurality of first protrusions 27 other than four, at least two first protrusions selected from the plurality of first protrusions 27 may have shapes symmetrical with respect to the second imaginary plane.

[0020] The first leaf spring portion 4 is a metal member that is held by the first inner wall portion 20b and presses the male terminal 30 inserted into the female terminal 2 against the first protrusion portion 27. In the example of this embodiment, four first protrusion portions 27 are provided on one side of the first inner wall portion 20b that faces the first imaginary plane and corresponds to the upper side of the first central axis AX1 in the Y direction. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4 , the first leaf spring portion 4 is held on the other side of the first inner wall portion 20b that faces the first imaginary plane and corresponds to the lower side of the first central axis AX1 in the Y direction.

[0021] For example, the first leaf spring portion 4 includes a plurality of first leaf springs 40, a first front support frame 41, and a first rear support frame 42. In this embodiment, there are five first leaf springs 40. When the first leaf spring portion 4 is held by the female terminal 2, each first leaf spring 40 extends along the first center axis AX1 and deforms convexly from the first inner wall portion 20b toward the first center axis AX1. At the same time, the first leaf springs 40 are maintained in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction along the wall surface of the first inner wall portion 20b. The first front support frame 41 is a semi-annular frame portion curved to fit along the wall surface of the first inner wall portion 20b and supports the front ends of all of the first leaf springs 40. The first rear support frame 42 has a shape similar to that of the first front support frame 41 and supports the rear ends of all of the first leaf springs 40. When the male terminal 30 is inserted into the female terminal 2, the convexly curved side portions of all the first leaf springs 40 come into contact with and press against the male terminal 30, causing the male terminal 30 to be pressed against each of the first protrusions 27.

[0022] The first leaf spring portion 4 has a first engagement portion 43 and a second engagement portion 45, each of which is supported by the first front support frame 41. The first engagement portion 43 and the second engagement portion 45 are each supported by the first front support frame 41 on the side opposite to the side on which the multiple first leaf springs 40 are supported. The tip of the first engagement portion 43 is bent outward, and when the first leaf spring portion 4 is held by the female terminal 2, it faces the first locking groove 24 formed in the female terminal 2 in the Z direction. In this embodiment, there are two combinations of the first engagement portion 43 and the first locking groove 24 with which the first engagement portion 43 is locked. The tip of the second engagement portion 45 is bent outward, and when the first leaf spring portion 4 is held by the female terminal 2, a portion of the second engagement portion 45 enters the first locking hole 26 formed in the female terminal 2. That is, when the first leaf spring portion 4 is held by the female terminal 2, movement of the first leaf spring portion 4 toward the first opening end 22 is restricted by the engagement of the second engagement portion 45 with the first locking hole portion 26, and movement of the first leaf spring portion 4 toward the second opening end 23 is restricted by the engagement of the first engagement portion 43 with the first locking groove 24. This prevents the first leaf spring portion 4 from falling off the female terminal 2. Furthermore, the first leaf spring portion 4 may have a protrusion 44 supported by the first rear support frame 42. The protrusion 44 is exposed to the outside through the cutout portion 25 of the female terminal 2 so that it can be touched by an operator when the first leaf spring portion 4 is held by the female terminal 2.

[0023] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the male terminal structure 3 and the second leaf spring portion 5 extracted from the terminal connection structure 1 shown in Fig. 3. The male terminal structure 3 shown in Fig. 5 is in a state prior to being connected to the female terminal 2. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the male terminal structure 3 cut along the same cut plane as Fig. 5.

[0024] Hereinafter, in the male terminal structure 3, as shown in Figure 6, we will consider a first imaginary plane P1 as an XZ plane including the second center axis AX2, and a second imaginary plane P2 as a YZ plane including the second center axis AX2 and perpendicular to the first imaginary plane P1.

[0025] The male terminal structure 3 is a conductive metal member including a male terminal 30, a housing portion 31, and a support portion 32. The male terminal structure 3 may be integrally molded to include the male terminal 30, the housing portion 31, and the support portion 32 in advance, or may be integrally formed by manufacturing some of them separately and finally joining them together.

[0026] The male terminal 30 is a pin-shaped terminal that is inserted into the female terminal 2. In this embodiment, the male terminal 30 is a cylindrical body with the second central axis AX2 as its central axis. The tip portion 30a of the male terminal 30 is the end that is inserted into the female terminal 2 and has a tapered surface to make it easier to insert. On the other hand, the base end of the male terminal 30 is integrally supported by the support portion 32.

[0027] The accommodating portion 31 is a cylindrical portion that accommodates the female terminal 2 into which the male terminal 30 is inserted. In this embodiment, the accommodating portion 31 is a cylindrical body formed with a second outer wall portion 31a and a second inner wall portion 31b based on a second center axis AX2. In other words, the male terminal 30 and the accommodating portion 31 are arranged coaxially, and the female terminal 2 is accommodated in the cylindrical internal space sandwiched between the male terminal 30 and the accommodating portion 31. Note that, like the female terminal 2, the accommodating portion 31 does not need to be a complete cylinder, and may have a second separation groove 33 that separates the second outer wall portion 31a and the second inner wall portion 31b in a portion of the circumferential direction.

[0028] The accommodating portion 31 also has an opening end 34 that faces the support portion 32 in the Z direction along the second center axis AX2 and into which the female terminal 2 enters. The opening end 34 has a second locking groove 35 that locks a portion of the second leaf spring portion 5 from the outside toward the inside of the accommodating portion 31 along the Z direction. Meanwhile, the base end of the accommodating portion 31 is supported integrally with the support portion 32. The accommodating portion 31 also has a second locking hole portion 37 into which a portion of the second leaf spring portion 5 enters.

[0029] The second inner wall portion 31b has, on one side facing the first imaginary plane P1, a plurality of second protrusions 36 that serve as contact points with the female terminal 2 accommodated in the accommodation portion 31. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 , the side of the second inner wall portion 31b facing the first imaginary plane P1 corresponds to a semi-cylindrical inner wall portion located below the second center axis AX2 in the Y direction. In this embodiment, there are four second protrusions 36. If the open end 34 is defined as the front side along the Z direction and the base side supported by the support portion 32 is defined as the rear side, two of the second protrusions 36 are second front protrusions 36a, and the remaining two second protrusions 36 are second rear protrusions 36b. In other words, the second front protrusions 36a and the second rear protrusions 36b are spaced apart from each other along the second center axis AX2. The two second front protrusions 36a have symmetrical shapes with respect to the second imaginary plane P2. Similarly, the two second rear protrusions 36b have symmetrical shapes with respect to the second imaginary plane P2. When the female terminal 2 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 31, the base side of the first outer wall portion 20a of the female terminal 2 contacts the second front protrusion 36a, and the tip side of the first outer wall portion 20a of the female terminal 2 contacts the second rear protrusion 36b. For example, the contact area of ​​the second rear protrusion 36b with the female terminal 2 may be set larger than the contact area of ​​the second front protrusion 36a with the female terminal 2 so as to withstand tilt displacement of the female terminal 2 with respect to the second center axis AX2. Furthermore, to improve ease of insertion of the female terminal 2, the second protrusion 36 may have an inclined surface aligned with at least the Z direction along the accommodation direction of the female terminal 2.

[0030] When there are a plurality of second protrusions 36 other than four, at least two second protrusions 36 selected from the plurality of second protrusions 36 may be spaced apart from each other along the second central axis AX2. There may also be one second protrusion 36. Furthermore, when there are a plurality of second protrusions 36 other than four, at least two second protrusions selected from the plurality of second protrusions 36 may have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to the second imaginary plane P2.

[0031] The support portion 32 supports the male terminals 30 and the accommodating portion 31. In this embodiment, the support portion 32 is a rectangular parallelepiped block body that integrally supports the base ends of the male terminals 30 and the accommodating portion 31 on a support surface 32a. However, the shape of the support portion 32 is not particularly limited as long as it is a shape that can electrically connect the male terminals 30 and the accommodating portion 31.

[0032] The second leaf spring portion 5 is held by the second inner wall portion 31b and presses the female terminal 2 housed in the housing portion 31 against the second protrusion portion 36. The second leaf spring portion 5 is a metal member. In the example of this embodiment, four second protrusion portions 36 are provided on one side of the second inner wall portion 31b that faces the first imaginary plane P1 and corresponds to a side below the second center axis AX2 in the Y direction. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the second leaf spring portion 5 is held on the other side of the second inner wall portion 31b that faces the first imaginary plane P1 and corresponds to a side above the second center axis AX2 in the Y direction.

[0033] For example, the second leaf spring portion 5 includes a plurality of second leaf springs 50, a second front support frame 51, and a second rear support frame 52. In this embodiment, there are three second leaf springs 50. When the second leaf spring portion 5 is held in the housing portion 31, each second leaf spring 50 extends along the second central axis AX2 and deforms convexly from the second inner wall portion 31b toward the second central axis AX2. At the same time, the second leaf springs 50 are maintained in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction along the wall surface of the second inner wall portion 31b. The second front support frame 51 is a semi-annular frame portion curved along the wall surface of the second inner wall portion 31b and supports the front ends of all the second leaf springs 50. The second rear support frame 52 has a shape similar to that of the second front support frame 51 and supports the rear ends of all the second leaf springs 50. When the female terminal 2 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 31, the convexly curved side portions of all the second leaf springs 50 contact and press against the first outer wall portion 20a of the female terminal 2, thereby pressing the female terminal 2 against each of the second protrusions 36.

[0034] The second leaf spring portion 5 has a first engagement portion 53 and a second engagement portion 55, each of which is supported by the second front support frame 51. The first engagement portion 53 and the second engagement portion 55 are each supported by the second front support frame 51 on the side opposite to the side on which the multiple second leaf springs 50 are supported. The tip of the first engagement portion 53 is bent outward, and when the second leaf spring portion 5 is held in the accommodating portion 31, it faces the second locking groove 35 formed in the accommodating portion 31 in the Z direction. Note that in this embodiment, there are two combinations of the first engagement portion 53 and the second locking groove 35 with which the first engagement portion 53 is locked. The tip of the second engagement portion 55 is bent outward, and when the second leaf spring portion 5 is held in the accommodating portion 31, a portion of the second engagement portion 55 enters the second locking hole 37 formed in the accommodating portion 31. That is, while the second leaf spring portion 5 is held in the accommodation portion 31, its movement toward the opening end 34 is restricted by the engagement of the second engagement portion 55 with the second locking hole portion 37, and its movement toward the support portion 32 is restricted by the engagement of the first engagement portion 53 with the second locking groove 35. Therefore, the second leaf spring portion 5 is prevented from falling off from the accommodation portion 31.

[0035] Next, the operation and effects of the terminal connection structure 1 will be described.

[0036] The terminal connection structure 1 includes a cylindrical female terminal 2 having a first inner wall portion 20b on which a first protrusion 27 is formed. The terminal connection structure 1 includes a male terminal structure 3 including a pin-shaped male terminal 30 to be inserted into the female terminal 2, and a cylindrical accommodating portion 31 having a second inner wall portion 31b on which a second protrusion 36 is formed and accommodating the female terminal 2. The terminal connection structure 1 includes a first leaf spring portion 4 that is held by the first inner wall portion 20b and presses the male terminal 30 inserted into the female terminal 2 against the first protrusion 27. The terminal connection structure 1 also includes a second leaf spring portion 5 that is held by the second inner wall portion 31b and presses the female terminal 2 accommodated in the accommodating portion 31 against the second protrusion 36.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of the terminal connection structure 1 for explaining the operation and effect of the terminal connection structure 1. FIG. 7 shows the terminal connection structure 1 after the female terminal 2 and the male terminal structure 3 are connected. FIG. 7 also shows a state in which the first protrusion 27 of the female terminal 2 contacts the male terminal 30 and the second protrusion 36 of the accommodating portion 31 contacts the first outer wall portion 20a of the female terminal 2 in a single cross-sectional view. Here, the first protrusion 27 is illustrated as one first front protrusion 27a and one first rear protrusion 27b. The second protrusion 36 is illustrated as one second front protrusion 36a and one second rear protrusion 36b. Thus, for convenience, the cross sections of the female terminal 2 and the male terminal structure 3 are illustrated in a state different from the actual state shown in FIG. 3 in FIG. 7 , and the first leaf spring 4 and the second leaf spring 5 are not illustrated.

[0038] First, let us consider a state in which the female terminal 2 and the male terminal structure 3 are connected to each other in the terminal connection structure 1. We will focus on the portion where the male terminal 30 is inserted into the female terminal 2, i.e., the connection portion inside the female terminal 2. When the male terminal 30 is inserted into the female terminal 2, it is pressed against the first protrusion 27 formed on the first inner wall portion 20b of the female terminal 2 by the pressure from the first leaf spring portion 4, and ultimately engages with the female terminal 2. Therefore, even if an external force due to vibration is applied to the first protrusion 27 serving as a contact portion, the reaction force against the first leaf spring portion 4 and the frictional force against the male terminal 30 can suppress contact sliding in any direction of vibration, thereby maintaining the engaged state of the male terminal 30. Furthermore, the male terminal 30 is pressed against the first protrusion 27 by the pressure from the first leaf spring portion 4, and thus maintains electrical contact between the male terminal 30 and the female terminal 2, as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 7 . In the above example, there are four first protrusions 27 in total: two first front protrusions 27a and two first rear protrusions 27b.

[0039] Next, let us consider a state in which the female terminal 2 and the male terminal structure 3 are connected to each other in the terminal connection structure 1. We will focus on the portion where the female terminal 2 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 31, i.e., the connection portion outside the female terminal 2. When the female terminal 2 is inserted into the accommodation portion 31, it is pressed against the second protrusion 36 formed on the second inner wall portion 31b of the accommodation portion 31 by the pressure of the second leaf spring portion 5, and ultimately fits into the accommodation portion 31. Therefore, even if an external force due to vibration is applied to the second protrusion 36 serving as a contact portion, the reaction force against the second leaf spring portion 5 and the frictional force against the first outer wall portion 20a of the female terminal 2 can suppress contact sliding in any direction of vibration, thereby maintaining the mated state of the female terminal 2. Furthermore, the pressure from the second leaf spring portion 5 presses the female terminal 2 against the second protrusion 36, maintaining contact, thereby maintaining electrical continuity between the accommodation portion 31 and the female terminal 2, as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 7 . In the above example, there are four second protrusions 36 in total: two second front protrusions 36a and two second rear protrusions 36b.

[0040] Here, as a comparative example, it is assumed that a female terminal equivalent to the above-exemplified female terminal 2 exists, and also that a male terminal consisting only of the above-exemplified male terminal 30 exists. In this case, the female terminal and the male terminal contact each other only at the contact portion corresponding to the above-exemplified first protrusion 27. Therefore, in a terminal connection structure having such a female terminal and a male terminal, if a larger current is used, there is a concern that heat generated when current is passed through the few contact portions will be concentrated, resulting in excessive heat generation, and as a result, it may be impossible to use the structure in an actual vehicle.

[0041] In contrast, in the terminal connection structure 1 according to the present embodiment, a male terminal structure 3 including a male terminal 30 and a housing 31 is connected to a female terminal 2. In other words, in the terminal connection structure 1, a first conductive circuit including the male terminal 30 that is electrically connected to the female terminal 2 via the first protrusion 27 and a second conductive circuit including the housing 31 that is electrically connected to the female terminal 2 via the second protrusion 36 exist in parallel. Therefore, with the terminal connection structure 1, the number of conductive circuits is increased by the amount of the second conductive circuit compared to the configuration of the comparative example equivalent to the first conductive circuit. This reduces the current value per contact, and as a result, reduces the amount of heat generated per contact. For example, because the amount of heat generated is proportional to the square of the current value, the amount of heat generated in one of the first protrusion 27 or the second protrusion 36 in the terminal connection structure 1 can theoretically be reduced to one-fourth of that in a case where only the first conductive circuit is present. In the above example, there are four first protrusions 27 that form the first conductive circuit, and four second protrusions 36 that form the second conductive circuit, so there are a total of eight contact points in the entire terminal connection structure 1. In other words, according to this example, a second conductive circuit including four contact points has been added to the comparative example, which can be considered to have only the first conductive circuit.

[0042] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a terminal connection structure 1 that suppresses contact sliding between the female terminal 2 and the male terminal 30 while suppressing the amount of heat generated at each contact point.

[0043] In the terminal connection structure 1, a first imaginary plane P1 is assumed to include the second center axis AX2 of the male terminal 30. In this case, the second protrusion 36 may be located on one side of the second inner wall portion 31b that faces the first imaginary plane P1. The second leaf spring portion 5 may be located on the other side of the second inner wall portion 31b that faces the first imaginary plane P1.

[0044] According to this terminal connection structure 1, in the male terminal structure 3, the direction in which the second plate spring portion 5 applies a pressing force to the female terminal 2 and the reaction force against the female terminal 2 at the second protrusion portion 36 are more likely to be balanced, thereby further suppressing contact sliding at the second protrusion portion 36.

[0045] Furthermore, the terminal connection structure 1 may have a plurality of second protrusions 36. In this case, at least two second protrusions 36 selected from the plurality of second protrusions 36 may be spaced apart from each other along the second center axis AX2 of the male terminal 30.

[0046] Here, at least two second protrusions 36 selected from the plurality of second protrusions 36 correspond to the second front protrusion 36a and the second rear protrusion 36b in the above example.

[0047] According to this terminal connection structure 1, the accommodating portion 31 can hold the female terminal 2 more stably in the direction along the second central axis AX2 than when there is only one second protruding portion .

[0048] Furthermore, the terminal connection structure 1 may have a plurality of second protrusions 36. Here, a second imaginary plane P2 is assumed to include the second center axis AX2 of the male terminal 30 and to be perpendicular to the first imaginary plane P1. In this case, at least two second protrusions selected from the plurality of second protrusions 36 may have shapes symmetrical with respect to the second imaginary plane P2.

[0049] Here, at least two second protrusions 36 selected from the multiple second protrusions 36 correspond to the two second front protrusions 36a or the two second rear protrusions 36b in the above example.

[0050] According to this terminal connection structure 1, the accommodating portion 31 can hold the female terminal 2 more stably in the circumferential direction about the second center axis AX2 than when there is only one second protruding portion .

[0051] Although one embodiment has been described above, the embodiment is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1-terminal connection structure 2 female terminals 3 Male terminal structure 4 First leaf spring part 5 Second leaf spring part 20b 1st inner wall part 27 1st protrusion 30 male terminal 31 Storage unit 31b 2nd inner wall part 36 Second protrusion 36a Second front protrusion 36b Second rear protrusion AX2 2nd center axis P1 First virtual surface P2 Second virtual surface

Claims

1. a cylindrical female terminal having a first inner wall portion on which a first protrusion is formed; a male terminal structure including a pin-shaped male terminal to be inserted into the female terminal, and a cylindrical accommodating portion having a second inner wall portion on which a second protrusion is formed and accommodating the female terminal; a first leaf spring portion that is held by the first inner wall portion and presses the male terminal inserted into the female terminal against the first protrusion; a second leaf spring portion that is held by the second inner wall portion and presses the female terminal accommodated in the accommodation portion against the second protrusion portion; A terminal connection structure comprising:

2. Assuming a first imaginary plane including the central axis of the male terminal, the second protruding portion is located on one side of the second inner wall portion that faces the first imaginary plane, The terminal connection structure according to claim 1 , wherein the second leaf spring portion is disposed on the other side of the second inner wall portion that faces the first imaginary plane.

3. The second protrusions are plural in number, The terminal connection structure according to claim 2 , wherein at least two of the second protrusions selected from the plurality of second protrusions are spaced apart from each other along the central axis of the male terminal.

4. The second protrusions are plural in number, Assuming a second imaginary plane that includes the central axis of the male terminal and is perpendicular to the first imaginary plane, The terminal connection structure according to claim 2 , wherein at least two of the second protrusions selected from the plurality of second protrusions have shapes symmetrical with respect to the second imaginary plane.

Images