Female terminal

Abstract

To disclose a female terminal capable of easily performing assembly work of a clip spring to a pair of contact spring parts.SOLUTION: The clip spring (80) includes a coupling plate portion (76) and a pair of clamping plate portions (78) protruding from the coupling plate portion (76), and the clip spring (80) can be inserted through the clip spring insertion opening (24), and the male terminal-mounting portion (16) includes a male-terminal insertion opening (18) provided on one end side, a pair of contact-point spring portions (22a, 22b) disposed so as to face each other across a male-terminal insertion gap (20), and the clip-spring insertion opening (24) provided on the other end side. The clip spring 80 is attached to the contact-point spring portions 22a and 22b in a state in which the free end portions 46 of the contact-point spring portions 22a and 22b are disposed between the clamping plate portions 78, and when the male terminals 12 are inserted into the male-terminal insertion gaps 20, the clip spring 80 biases the free end portions 46 in a direction in which the free end portions 46 approach each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a female terminal to which a flat tab-shaped male terminal is connected. The female terminal has a male terminal mounting portion into which the male terminal is inserted for electrical connection, and the female terminal and male terminal are used as a terminal unit. The male terminal mounting portion has a pair of support plate portions arranged opposite each other across a gap, and a pair of contact spring portions connected in a cantilevered manner to one end of the pair of support plate portions that define the male terminal insertion opening and protruding toward the other end. The pair of contact spring portions are arranged opposite each other across the male terminal insertion gap, and a separate clip spring is attached to each free end of the pair of contact spring portions to bias the free ends toward each other. The clip spring applies contact pressure to the pair of contact spring portions against the male terminal when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion portion, maintaining a stable connection between the male and female terminals. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-83287 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the female terminal of Patent Document 1, the clip springs to be attached to the free ends of the pair of contact spring portions must be inserted into the female terminal through a side opening of the female terminal that opens in a direction perpendicular to the protruding direction of the pair of contact spring portions, and then moved in the opposite direction to the protruding direction of the pair of contact spring portions to attach them to the free ends. This makes the clip spring assembly workless, and some kind of solution was needed.

[0005] Therefore, a female terminal is disclosed that allows the clip spring to be easily attached to a pair of contact spring portions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The female terminal of the present disclosure includes a male terminal mounting portion into which a male terminal is inserted for electrical connection, the male terminal mounting portion being a press-molded product of a single metal flat plate and having a male terminal insertion opening provided on one end side, a pair of contact spring portions each connected to the one end side in a cantilevered manner and protruding toward the other end side and arranged opposite each other across a male terminal insertion gap, and a clip spring insertion opening provided on the other end side and arranged opposite the male terminal insertion opening, and further comprising a clip spring including a connecting plate portion and a pair of clamping plate portions protruding in directions approaching each other from both side edge portions of the connecting plate portion and capable of passing through the clip spring insertion opening, the clip spring being attached to the pair of contact spring portions with the free ends of the pair of contact spring portions positioned between the pair of clamping plate portions, and when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, the clip spring urges the free ends in the directions approaching each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a female terminal that allows the clip spring to be easily assembled to a pair of contact spring portions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a female terminal according to a first embodiment in a connected state with a male terminal. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the female terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the female terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the female terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the female terminal shown in FIG. 1 in a state where it is not connected to the male terminal. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view of the female terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown in FIG. 7, and corresponds to FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is an exploded perspective view of the female terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the clip spring is being attached to a pair of contact spring portions in the female terminal shown in FIG. 4, and corresponds to the cross section taken along line XI-XI in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the clip spring constituting the female terminal shown in FIG. 7 in a separate state before being assembled to the contact spring portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The female terminal of the present disclosure comprises: (1) A male terminal mounting portion into which a male terminal is inserted for electrical connection, the male terminal mounting portion being a press-molded product of a single metal flat plate, having a male terminal insertion opening provided at one end, a pair of contact spring portions connected to the one end in a cantilevered manner and protruding toward the other end, and arranged opposite each other across a male terminal insertion gap, and a clip spring insertion opening provided at the other end and arranged opposite the male terminal insertion opening, and further comprising a clip spring including a connecting plate portion and a pair of clamping plate portions protruding in directions approaching each other from both side edges of the connecting plate portion and capable of passing through the clip spring insertion opening, the clip spring being attached to the pair of contact spring portions with the free ends of the pair of contact spring portions positioned between the pair of clamping plate portions, and when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, the clip spring urges the free ends in directions approaching each other.

[0010] According to the female terminal of this aspect, the male terminal mounting portion is a press-molded product made of a single flat metal plate, and a pair of contact spring portions are provided at one end, cantilever-shaped, and connected to the male terminal insertion opening. The pair of contact spring portions protrude toward the other end, and are positioned opposite each other across a male terminal insertion gap. The other end of the male terminal mounting portion is provided with a clip spring insertion opening that faces the male terminal insertion opening. Therefore, by inserting a clip spring that can be inserted through the clip spring insertion opening in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of the pair of contact spring portions, the clip spring can be easily attached to the free end portions of the contact spring portions with the free end portions positioned between the clamping plate portions of the clip spring. This improves the ease of assembly of the clip spring to the pair of contact spring portions compared to conventional structures in which the clip spring must be inserted into the female terminal through a side opening of the female terminal that opens perpendicular to the protruding direction of the pair of contact spring portions, and then moved in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of the pair of contact spring portions to assemble it to each free end portion. Therefore, it is possible to provide a female terminal that allows for easy assembly of the clip spring to the pair of contact spring portions.

[0011] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable that the male terminal mounting portion has a cylindrical portion on the other end side, the clip spring insertion port is defined by the cylindrical portion, and the one circumferential end and the other circumferential end of the cylindrical portion are connected by crimping with a first crimping piece that protrudes from the one circumferential end toward the other circumferential end and a second crimping piece that protrudes from the other circumferential end toward the one circumferential end.

[0012] The other end of the male terminal mounting portion is provided with a cylindrical portion that defines the clip spring insertion port, thereby stably maintaining the rigidity of the male terminal mounting portion. In particular, because the male terminal mounting portion is a press-molded product of a single flat metal plate, external forces from the male terminal applied to the pair of contact spring portions are easily transmitted to the cylindrical portion at the other end of the male terminal mounting portion. However, the cylindrical portion is connected and fixed by the first and second crimping pieces that protrude in opposite directions from one and the other circumferential ends of the cylindrical portion, so the shapes of the cylindrical portion and the entire female terminal can be stably maintained over the long term. As a result, the electrical conductivity of the female terminal to the male terminal can be maintained over the long term.

[0013] (3) In the above (2), it is preferable that the clip springs attached to the pair of contact spring portions are disposed at the center of the cylindrical portion when viewed from a plane in the opposing direction between the male terminal insertion opening and the clip spring insertion opening. Since the clip springs are disposed at the center of the cylindrical portion when viewed from a plane in the opposing direction between the male terminal insertion opening and the clip spring insertion opening, the cylindrical portion can be used as a guide for positioning the clip springs when inserting them through the clip spring insertion openings defined by the cylindrical portion. This further improves the ease of assembling the clip springs to the pair of contact spring portions.

[0014] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that each of the contact spring portions extends in the protruding direction by penetrating its respective central widthwise portion in the plate thickness direction and is divided into a first tongue piece and a second tongue piece that can be displaced independently of each other by a spring portion-side slit that opens on the protruding end surface, and each of the clamping plate portions of the clip spring extends in the protruding direction by penetrating its respective central widthwise portion in the plate thickness direction and is divided into a first clamping piece and a second clamping piece that can be displaced independently of each other by a clip-side slit that opens on the protruding end surface, and that a pair of the first tongue pieces that are arranged opposite each other between a pair of the oppositely arranged first clamping pieces are clamped by the pair of first clamping pieces with the male terminal therebetween, and that a pair of the second tongue pieces that are arranged opposite each other between a pair of the oppositely arranged second clamping pieces are clamped by the pair of second clamping pieces with the male terminal therebetween.

[0015] Each contact spring portion is divided by a spring portion-side slit into first and second tongue pieces that can move independently of each other, and each clamping plate portion is divided by a clip-side slit into first and second clamping pieces that can move independently of each other. A pair of opposing first tongue pieces sandwiching a male terminal therebetween can be clamped by a pair of first clamping pieces, and a pair of opposing second tongue pieces sandwiching a male terminal therebetween can be clamped by a pair of second clamping pieces. This improves the ability of the contact spring portion and the clamping plate portion to follow the displacement of the male terminal, effectively maintaining the first and second tongue pieces in a pressure-contact state in response to the rotational displacement of the male terminal, and ensures stable connection between the male and female terminals.

[0016] (5) In (4) above, it is preferable that at least one of the pair of first tongues and the pair of second tongues has an integrally formed engaging portion, the clip spring has an integrally formed engaged portion that abuts against the engaging portion when attached to the free end, one of the engaging portion and the engaged portion includes an attachment guide portion that abuts against the other of the engaging portion and the engaged portion to deform the clamping plate portion of the clip spring in the plate width direction and allow the clip spring to move forward in the attachment direction, and a stopper portion that engages with the engaging portion or the engaged portion that has detached from the attachment guide portion to prevent the clip spring from displacing in the direction of detachment from the contact spring portion, and the base end of the clip spring that is opposite to the opening side of the clip side slit is located on the connecting plate portion.

[0017] An engaging portion is integrally formed on at least one of the first tongue and the pair of second tongues that constitute the contact spring portion, and an engaged portion that abuts against the engaging portion when the clip spring is attached to the free end of the contact spring portion is integrally formed on the clip spring. One of the engaging portion and the engaged portion includes an attachment guide portion that abuts against the other of the engaging portion and engaged portion to deform the clamping plate portion of the clip spring in the plate width direction, allowing the clip spring to move forward in the attachment direction, and a stopper portion that engages with the engaging portion or engaged portion that has disengaged from the attachment guide portion to prevent the clip spring from disengaging from the contact spring portion. This eliminates the need for other components such as a retainer to prevent the clip spring from disengaging, making it possible to provide a female terminal that reduces the risk of the clip spring disengaging from the contact spring portion without increasing the number of parts.

[0018] In particular, the clip-side slit of the clip spring has a base end opposite the opening that extends to the connecting plate portion of the clip spring. This allows the clamping plate portion of the clip spring to easily deform in the plate width direction as the engaging portion and the engaged portion abut when the clip spring is attached to the free end, and advantageously reduces the risk of buckling of the contact spring portion when the clip spring is attached to the contact spring portion. Therefore, with this female terminal, the risk of the clip spring coming off the contact spring portion and the risk of buckling of the contact spring portion can be reduced without increasing the number of parts.

[0019] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Specific examples of the female terminal of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0020] <Embodiment 1> A female terminal 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure and a terminal unit 14 including the female terminal 10 and a male terminal 12 connected to the female terminal 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. The female terminal 10 is a terminal that connects a power source, such as a battery, to a load, such as a motor. The female terminal 10, which is provided on one side of the power source or the load, and the male terminal 12, which is provided on the other side of the power source or the load, are in contact with each other to establish electrical continuity, thereby supplying power from a power source, such as a battery, to a load, such as a motor. While the female terminal 10 can be oriented in any direction, in the following description, the upper side will be referred to as the upper side in FIG. 3, the lower side as the lower side in FIG. 3, the front side as the left side in FIG. 2, the rear side as the right side in FIG. 2, the left side as the upper side in FIG. 2, and the right side as the lower side in FIG. 2. In addition, when multiple identical components are shown, only some of the components will be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals for the other components will be omitted.

[0021] <Female terminal 10> The female terminal 10 includes a male terminal mounting portion 16 into which the male terminal 12 is inserted for electrical connection. This male terminal mounting portion 16 is a press-formed product made of a single flat metal plate. This male terminal mounting portion 16 extends in the front-to-rear direction, and a clip spring 80 (described below) is attached to the front portion of the male terminal mounting portion 16. The single flat metal plate that constitutes the male terminal mounting portion 16 can be made of a metal that is both conductive and springy, such as a copper alloy.

[0022] <Male terminal 12> The male terminal 12 is a tab terminal having an overall plate shape. The male terminal 12 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, a predetermined width dimension (left-right dimension) and thickness dimension (up-down dimension), and extends substantially straight in the front-rear direction. In the first embodiment, the male terminal 12 has a horizontally elongated shape in which the width dimension is greater than the thickness dimension. The front end portion (rear end portion) of the male terminal 12 in the insertion direction into the female terminal 10 is tapered. The male terminal 12 is conductive and is formed from a metal with low electrical resistance, such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. A bolt insertion hole, for example, is formed in the base end portion (front end portion) of the male terminal 12, and the male terminal 12 is fixed to another member (e.g., a load-side member such as a motor) with a bolt (not shown). Alternatively, if no bolt insertion hole is formed, a load-side electric wire or the like is fixed to the base end portion of the male terminal 12 by crimping, welding, or the like.

[0023] <Male terminal mounting part 16> The male terminal mounting portion 16 has a male terminal insertion opening 18 provided at one end (front end) and a pair of contact spring portions 22, 22 (first contact spring portion 22a and second contact spring portion 22b) connected to the one end in a cantilevered manner, protruding toward the other end (rear end), and arranged opposite each other across a male terminal insertion gap 20. The male terminal mounting portion 16 also has a clip spring insertion opening 24 provided at the other end (rear end) and arranged opposite the male terminal insertion opening 18 in the front-to-rear direction. In the first embodiment, the male terminal mounting portion 16 has a pair of support plate portions 28, 28 (upper support plate portion 28a and lower support plate portion 28b) arranged opposite each other across a gap 26, and the support plate portions 28a, 28b are arranged opposite each other in the up-down direction across the gap 26. Furthermore, each of the support plate portions 28a, 28b extends in the front-to-rear direction, and one end (front end) of each of the support plate portions 28a, 28b defines the male terminal insertion opening 18. In other words, the male terminal insertion opening 18 and the male terminal insertion gap 20 are formed in the front portion of the gap 26 between each of the support plate portions 28a, 28b. The contact spring portions 22a, 22b are disposed opposite each other in the vertical direction across the male terminal insertion gap 20, with the upper side being the first contact spring portion 22a and the lower side being the second contact spring portion 22b.

[0024] <Cylindrical portion 30> The upper and lower support plates 28a, 28b are connected to a cylindrical portion 30 provided at the rear end of the male terminal mounting portion 16. The cylindrical portion 30 has a cylindrical shape that extends substantially straight in the front-rear direction and includes a peripheral wall portion 34 having a front opening 32 and a rear opening. The cylindrical portion 30 defines the clip spring insertion opening 24, and in particular, the rear opening of the cylindrical portion 30 defines the clip spring insertion opening 24. In the first embodiment, the cylindrical portion 30 (peripheral wall portion 34) has a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape when viewed in the front-rear direction. As a result, the upper and lower support plates 28a, 28b each extend forward from the upper and lower walls that constitute the peripheral wall portion 34 at the periphery of the front opening 32, and the inner hole of the cylindrical portion 30 communicates with the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plates 28a, 28b in the front-rear direction. In other words, the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b passes through the inner hole of the cylindrical portion 30 and opens at the clip spring insertion opening 24, which is the rear opening.

[0025] In particular, in the first embodiment, the opening areas of the front opening 32 and the rear opening (clip spring insertion port 24) when viewed in the front-rear direction are larger than the maximum area of ​​a clip spring 80 (described later) when projected in the front-rear direction, allowing the clip spring 80 to be inserted through the front opening 32 and the rear opening (clip spring insertion port 24). This allows the clip spring 80 to be inserted from the clip spring insertion port 24 in the cylindrical portion 30 through the inner hole of the cylindrical portion 30 into the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b.

[0026] Furthermore, a crimping portion 36 is provided on a portion of the circumference of the tubular portion 30, and is configured to maintain the male terminal mounting portion 16, which is formed by pressing a single flat metal plate, in a desired shape. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the upper wall and right wall that constitute the peripheral wall portion 34 are abutted against each other by pressing a single flat metal plate, and the crimping portion 36 is provided at the upper right corner of the tubular portion 30. By crimping and fixing at this crimping portion 36, the male terminal mounting portion 16, including the tubular portion 30, is maintained in a predetermined shape.

[0027] In particular, in the first embodiment, a plurality of crimping pieces 38 are provided in the front-rear direction in the crimping portion 36, and a first crimping piece 38a is provided in the front-rear center of the right end of the upper wall, which is one circumferential end of the tubular portion 30 (peripheral wall portion 34), protruding toward the right wall. Furthermore, a pair of second crimping pieces 38b, 38b protruding toward the upper wall are provided at both front-rear ends of the upper end of the right wall, which is the other circumferential end of the tubular portion 30 (peripheral wall portion 34). The first crimping pieces 38a and the second crimping pieces 38b are crimped to connect the upper wall (one circumferential end) and the right wall (the other circumferential end), thereby crimping the tubular portion 30 in two directions that are opposite to each other, and the shape of the male terminal mounting portion 16, including the tubular portion 30, can be more stably maintained.

[0028] At the periphery of the rear opening (clip spring insertion opening 24) in the cylindrical portion 30, a rearward extending portion 40 is provided on the wall below the peripheral wall portion 34. The rearward extending portion 40 is generally rectangular and flat, and a circular bolt insertion hole 42 is formed in the center of the rearward extending portion 40, penetrating in the thickness direction (vertical direction). A bolt (not shown) is inserted through the bolt insertion hole 42 to fix the male terminal attachment portion 16 including the cylindrical portion 30, i.e., the female terminal 10, to a member on the power source side, such as a battery, and the female terminal 10 is electrically connected to the member on the power source side via the rearward extending portion 40 around the bolt insertion hole 42.

[0029] <Contact spring portion 22 (first contact spring portion 22a and second contact spring portion 22b)> A curved portion 44 is provided at the front end of each of the support plates 28a, 28b. That is, the first contact spring portion 22a is connected to the front end of the upper support plate 28a via the curved portion 44 in a cantilevered manner and protrudes toward the rear end, and the second contact spring portion 22b is connected to the front end of the lower support plate 28b via the curved portion 44 in a cantilevered manner and protrudes toward the rear end. Therefore, the rear ends of the first contact spring portion 22a and the second contact spring portion 22b are each defined as a free end portion 46.

[0030] The space between the first contact spring portion 22a and the second contact spring portion 22b in the vertical direction is the male terminal insertion gap 20 into which the male terminal 12 is inserted, and the male terminal 12 is inserted from the front into the male terminal insertion gap 20. In other words, the male terminal insertion opening 18 is defined by including the front end sides of each of the support plate portions 28a, 28b.

[0031] <Spring portion side slit 50, first tongue piece 52, and second tongue piece 54> In the first embodiment, each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b penetrates a central portion in the width direction (left-right direction) in the plate thickness direction (approximately the up-down direction) and extends in a protruding direction (direction from front to rear), and is divided into a first tongue piece 52 and a second tongue piece 54 that can be displaced independently of each other by a spring portion-side slit 50 that opens in the protruding end face (rear end face) 48. In particular, in the first embodiment, the left portions of each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b are first tongue pieces 52, 52, and the right portions of each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b are second tongue pieces 54, 54. As a result, the first tongue pieces 52, 52 of each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b face each other in the up-down direction, and the second tongue pieces 54, 54 of each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b face each other in the up-down direction. In addition, the spring portion side slit 50 is provided over the entire length (front-to-back direction) of each contact spring portion 22a, 22b, and extends slightly beyond the curved portion 44 provided at the front end of each contact spring portion 22a, 22b to the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b.

[0032] Furthermore, first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 of each contact spring portion 22a, 22b are provided on their inner surfaces in the opposing direction (vertical direction) with first contacts 56 and second contacts 58 that come into contact with the male terminal 12 when the male terminal 12 is inserted. That is, first contacts 56, 56 are provided on the surfaces (lower surfaces) of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 of the first contact spring portion 22a that face the second contact spring portion 22b, and second contacts 58, 58 are provided on the surfaces (upper surfaces) of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 of the second contact spring portion 22b that face the first contact spring portion 22a.

[0033] In embodiment 1, each of the first tongue pieces 52 and each of the second tongue pieces 54 in the first and second contact spring portions 22a, 22b has a bent portion 60 provided in the middle portion in the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction), and each of the bent portions 60 forms each of the first contacts 56 and each of the second contacts 58.

[0034] 8 and 9, in the state before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the bent portions 60 of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b extend in the front-rear direction from the respective bent portions 60 to the respective free ends 46, which are the protruding tips, so that the bent portions 60 of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b extend parallel to each other from the respective bent portions 60 to the respective free ends 46. In particular, as described above, the first contacts 56 and the second contacts 58 are formed by the respective bent portions 60 of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b. Therefore, in the contact spring portions 22a, 22b, the separation distance A (see FIGS. 8 and 9) between the rear ends of the first contacts 56 and the second contacts 58 and the respective free ends 46 is substantially constant.

[0035] Before the male terminal 12 is inserted, each free end 46 extends in the front-to-rear direction, causing each protruding end face 48 of each of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 to expand in a direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. As will be described later, each of these protruding end faces 48 is disposed opposite a connecting plate portion 76 of the clip spring 80 that expands in the same direction, and in the first embodiment, substantially the entire surface of each protruding end face 48 abuts against the connecting plate portion 76.

[0036] That is, in embodiment 1, the separation distance between the inner surfaces of the opposing male terminal insertion gap 20 formed between each contact spring portion 22a, 22b is largest at the front end, the male terminal insertion port 18, and gradually becomes smaller as it moves rearward from the male terminal insertion port 18.

[0037] In particular, in the first embodiment, the thickness dimension (vertical dimension) B of the male terminal 12 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) is larger than the separation distance A at the rear portion of the first contacts 56 and the second contacts 58 (the bent portions 60). As a result, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 20 through the male terminal insertion opening 18, the first contacts 56 and the second contacts 58 abut against the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, while the first and second tongues 52, 54 are pushed outward in the vertical direction, and the male terminal 12 is press-fitted between the first contacts 56 and the second contacts 58 in the male terminal insertion gap 20. When the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 20, the male terminal 12 comes into contact only with the first contacts 56 and the second contacts 58, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 6, etc.

[0038] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the first and second tongues 52, 54 of each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b have a smaller width dimension at the other end (rear end) which is the protruding side compared to one end (front end) which is cantilevered to the curved portion 44. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 11 which will be described later, in each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b, the inner surfaces 64 of the first tongue 52 and the second tongue 54 in the opposing direction (left-right direction) are positioned substantially entirely outward in the opposing direction compared to when the first and second tongues 52, 54 extend with a substantially constant width dimension in the front-rear direction (shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 11). Furthermore, the outer surfaces 66 of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 in the opposing direction (left-right direction) are positioned substantially entirely inward in the opposing direction, compared to when the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 extend with a substantially constant widthwise dimension in the front-rear direction. In particular, in the first embodiment, the widthwise dimension of each of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 gradually decreases from the curved portion 44 at the front end to the bent portion 60 provided in the middle portion in the front-rear direction, and the widthwise dimension is substantially constant on the protruding tip side (rear end side) of the bent portion 60. As a result, the widthwise dimension of each of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 is smaller at the rear end side than at the front end side.

[0039] <Engagement portion 68> At least one of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (each of the first tongues 52 and each of the second tongues 54) has an integrally formed engaging portion 68. In the first embodiment, the engaging portions 68 are provided on the outer edge portions of each of the first tongues 52 and each of the second tongues 54, and a total of four engaging portions 68 are provided in the female terminal 10. Each engaging portion 68 protrudes outward in the up-down direction by a predetermined protrusion dimension from both side edges of each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b, i.e., outward in the left-right direction at the rear end portions of each of the first tongues 52 and each of the second tongues 54, toward each of the clamping plate portions 78 of the clip spring 80, which will be described later. Each of these engaging portions 68 is substantially rectangular in side view (left-right view).

[0040] In particular, in the first embodiment, each of the engaging portions 68 is provided a predetermined distance forward of the rear end (free end 46) of each of the first tongues 52 and the second tongues 54 (the case where the engaging portion is provided from the rear end of each tongue is shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 11 ). This allows the front-rear dimension of each engaging portion 68 to be kept small, and also allows the widthwise dimension of the rear end (free end 46) of each of the first and second tongues 52, 54 to be kept small. Furthermore, each of the first tongues 52 and the second tongues 54 is provided with an outward protruding portion 70 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction at a position a predetermined distance forward of the rear end (free end 46), and each of the engaging portions 68 is provided at the protruding end (outer end in the left-right direction) of each outward protruding portion 70. As a result, the engaging portions 68 provided on both the left and right sides of each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b face each other at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction.

[0041] <Support Plate 28 (Upper Support Plate 28a and Lower Support Plate 28b)> The upper support plate portion 28a and the lower support plate portion 28b are each a flat plate that is approximately rectangular in plan view and is larger in the front-to-back direction than in the left-to-right direction. As described above, the front end portion of each support plate portion 28a, 28b is folded back at each curved portion 44 and connected to each contact spring portion 22a, 22b (each of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54), and the rear end portion of each support plate portion 28a, 28b is connected to the cylindrical portion 30. The end faces of the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b facing outward in the opposing direction (outward in the up-down direction) are continuous with the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 30 without any steps, and each form a flat surface 72 without any irregularities.

[0042] <Clip spring 80> Furthermore, the male terminal mounting portion 16 is equipped with a clip spring 80 having a connecting plate portion 76 and a pair of clamping plates 78, 78 that protrude in directions approaching each other from both side edges of the connecting plate portion 76. This clip spring 80 is attached with the free end portions 46 (i.e., rear end portions) of each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b disposed between the pair of clamping plates 78, 78, and as shown in Figures 1 to 6, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 20, the clip spring 80 urges the free end portions 46, 46 in directions approaching each other.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 12 , the connecting plate 76 and the clamping plate portions 78 are each shaped like a substantially rectangular flat plate. The clip spring 80 having such a shape can also be formed, for example, by pressing a single metal flat plate. When the clip spring 80 is attached to the contact spring portions 22 a, 22 b, the clamping plate portions 78 protrude forward from both vertical ends of the connecting plate 76 and are inclined in a direction toward each other (inward in the vertical direction). In the first embodiment, the connecting plate 76 has a substantially rectangular shape in which the left-right dimension is greater than the up-down dimension when viewed in the front-rear direction (projected in the front-rear direction), and the longitudinal direction of the connecting plate 76 is the left-right direction.

[0044] <Clip-side slit 84, first clamping piece 86, and second clamping piece 88> In the first embodiment, each clamping plate 78 penetrates the widthwise (left-right) central portion in the plate thickness direction (approximately the up-down direction) and extends in the protruding direction (direction from rear to front). The clamping plate 78 is divided into a first clamping piece 86 and a second clamping piece 88 that can be displaced independently of each other by a clip-side slit 84 that opens in the protruding end surface (front end surface) 82. In particular, in the first embodiment, the left portion of each clamping plate 78 is defined as a first clamping piece 86, 86, and the right portion of each clamping plate 78 is defined as a second clamping piece 88, 88. As a result, the first clamping pieces 86, 86 of each clamping plate 78 face each other in the up-down direction, and the second clamping pieces 88, 88 of each clamping plate 78 face each other in the up-down direction. The first and second clamping pieces 86, 88 are elastically deformable in the up-down direction, with the connection point with the connecting plate 76 as the base point.

[0045] The clip-side slits 84 are formed over the entire length of each clamping piece 86, 88 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), and a base end 90, which is opposite the opening side (front side) of the clip-side slit 84, is positioned beyond each clamping piece 86, 88 and on the connecting plate 76. In other words, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 , the base end 90 of the clip-side slit 84 provided on the upper clamping plate 78 is located in the center of the connecting plate 76 in the width direction (left-right direction) of each clamping plate 78, and extends downward from the upper end of the connecting plate 76. The base end 90 of the clip-side slit 84 provided on the lower clamping plate 78 is located in the center of the connecting plate 76 in the left-right direction and extends upward from the lower end of the connecting plate 76. As a result, the base end portion 90 of one (upper) clip-side slit 84 and the base end portion 90 of the other (lower) clip-side slit 84 are disposed in the center portion in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the connecting plate portion 76. The base end portions 90 are disposed opposite each other in a direction (up-down direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0046] The left-right dimension of each of the first clamping pieces 86 and each of the second clamping pieces 88 is larger than the left-right dimension of each of the recesses 62 in each of the first tongues 52 and each of the second tongues 54, and in the first embodiment, is larger than the left-right dimension of the rear portions of each of the first tongues 52 and each of the second tongues 54. Furthermore, each of the first clamping pieces 86 and each of the second clamping pieces 88 has a bent portion 92 formed in a longitudinally intermediate portion thereof. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 , when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 and the bent portions 92 in each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88 abut against the positions where the recesses 62 are formed in each of the first and second tongues 52, 54, both left-right end portions of each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88 abut at portions outward in the left-right direction from the recesses 62 in each of the first and second tongues 52, 54.

[0047] Furthermore, since a bent portion 92 is provided in the longitudinal intermediate portion of each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88, the protruding tip portions including the protruding end faces 82 of each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88 extend outward in the vertical direction from the bent portion 92. Therefore, the opposing distance between the first clamping pieces 86, 86 and the second clamping pieces 88, 88 that face each other in the vertical direction is smallest at the bent portions 92 provided in the longitudinal intermediate portions. The gap between these vertically opposing bent portions 92 is an insertion opening 94 for inserting and assembling the free ends 46 of the first and second contact spring portions 22a, 22b (each of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54). That is, when the clip spring 80 is attached, the connecting plate portion 76 of the clip spring 80 is disposed opposite the protruding end surfaces 48 of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b, and in the first embodiment, the connecting plate portion 76 and the protruding end surfaces 48 abut against each other. When the clip spring 80 is attached, the clamping plate portions 78 of the clip spring 80 protrude from the connecting plate portion 76 in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b. The direction opposite to the protruding direction of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (from rear to front) is the attachment direction of the clip spring 80, and the direction opposite to this attachment direction (from front to rear) is the detachment direction of the clip spring 80 from the contact spring portions 22a, 22b.

[0048] <Engaged portion 96> Here, the clip spring 80 integrally has engaged portions 96 that come into contact with the engaging portions 68 as the clip spring 80 is attached to the free ends 46 of the first and second contact spring portions 22a, 22b (the first and second tongues 52, 54). Each engaged portion 96 includes an attachment guide portion 98 that comes into contact with the engaging portions 68 to deform the first clamping pieces 86 and the second clamping pieces 88 of the clip spring 80 in the plate width direction (left-right direction), thereby allowing movement of the clip spring 80 forward in the attachment direction (from rear to front). Each engaged portion 96 also includes a stopper portion 100 that engages with the engaging portions 68 that have disengaged from the attachment guide portions 98, preventing displacement of the clip spring 80 in the direction of disengagement from the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (from front to rear).

[0049] Specifically, the mounting guide portions 98 are provided on both side edges of each clamping plate portion 78 of the clip spring 80, i.e., on the outer left-right edges of each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88, in the middle portion in the front-rear direction (more specifically, the portion rearward of each bent portion 92). Thus, four mounting guide portions 98 are provided in the clip spring 80. Each of these mounting guide portions 98 is shaped to gradually protrude outward in the width direction (left-right direction) from the front side to the rear side in the mounting direction of the clip spring 80 (the direction from left to right in FIG. 11).

[0050] The clip spring 80 has recessed portions 104 that are connected to the rear end portions 102 of each mounting guide portion 98, are recessed inward in the width direction (left-right direction) from the rear end portions 102, and accommodate each engaging portion 68. That is, four recessed portions 104 are provided in the clip spring 80. In the first embodiment, each recessed portion 104 is open to the rear in the clip spring 80 and is provided integrally with each mounting guide portion 98. In particular, in the first embodiment, the stopper portion 100 described above is constituted by a first step surface 106 between the rear end portions 102 of each mounting guide portion 98 and each recessed portion 104, and a bottom surface 108 of each recessed portion 104.

[0051] In a standalone state before the clip spring 80 is attached, the maximum area of ​​the clip spring 80 as projected in the front-to-rear direction is larger than the opening area of ​​the tubular portion 30 as viewed in the front-to-rear direction (the opening area of ​​the front opening 32 and the rear opening (clip spring insertion port 24)). This allows the clip spring 80 to be inserted from the rear through the inner hole of the tubular portion 30 from the rear opening (clip spring insertion port 24) into the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b, as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 10 . By inserting the clip spring 80 from the rear into the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b, the clip spring 80 is positioned rearward of the free ends 46 of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (the first tongues 52 and the second tongues 54), as shown in FIG.

[0052] Such clip springs 80 are assembled to the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (each of the first tongues 52 and each of the second tongues 54) by being moved forward from a state in which they are positioned behind the free ends 46 of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (each of the first tongues 52 and each of the second tongues 54). In the first embodiment, in a plan view from the cylindrical portion 30 in the opposing direction (front-rear direction) between the male terminal insertion opening 18 and the clip spring insertion opening 24, i.e., in a rear view shown in FIG. 4, the clip springs 80 attached to the contact spring portions 22a, 22b are arranged in the center of the cylindrical portion 30. The state in which the clip springs 80 are assembled by moving them forward to the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (each of the first tongues 52 and each of the second tongues 54) will be described with reference to FIG. 11.

[0053] That is, by moving the clip spring 80 forward from the state shown in Fig. 11 (white arrow R1 in Fig. 11), the free end portions 46 of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (the first tongues 52 and the second tongues 54) are inserted into the insertion openings 94 of the clip spring 80. At the same time, the attachment guide portions 98 provided on the clamping plate portions 78 (the first clamping pieces 86 and the second clamping pieces 88) of the clip spring 80 come into contact with the engaging portions 68 provided on the protruding ends (free end portions 46) of the first and second tongues 52, 54. Since the outward protrusion dimension of each mounting guide portion 98 gradually increases from the front to the rear, each engagement portion 68 is elastically deformed outward in the left-right direction along the inclined surface of each mounting guide portion 98 (white arrow R2 in Figure 11), and each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88 including each mounting guide portion 98 is elastically deformed inward in the left-right direction (white arrow R3 in Figure 11).

[0054] In particular, since the clip-side slits 84 are provided between the first clamping pieces 86 and the second clamping pieces 88 in each clamping plate portion 78, it is possible to easily cause elastic deformation inward in the left-right direction in each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88. Furthermore, since the spring-side slits 50 are provided in the widthwise central portions of the first and second contact spring portions 22a, 22b and separate the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 on the left and right, elastic deformation inward in the left-right direction of each engaging portion 68 does not necessarily occur only in each engaging portion 68, but the rear end sides (free end portions 46 sides) of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 including each engaging portion 68 may elastically deform outward in the left-right direction. In particular, as mentioned above, the widthwise dimension of each of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 is smaller at the rear end side than at the front end side, making it easier for elastic deformation to occur outward in the left-right direction at the rear end side (free end 46 side) of each of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 as described above.

[0055] The above-described elastic deformation of each engaging portion 68 outward in the left-right direction and the elastic deformation of each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88 inward in the left-right direction permit further forward movement of the clip spring 80. In addition, when each engaging portion 68 climbs over the rear end portions 102 of each mounting guide portion 98 and disengages from each mounting guide portion 98, the rear end portions of each of the first tongue pieces 52 and second tongue pieces 54, including each engaging portion 68, and each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88 elastically deform to their original state (elastic return). 2 and other figures, each engaging portion 68 engages with each stopper portion 100 formed by each first step surface 106 and the bottom surface 108 of each recessed portion 104, and the clip spring 80 is attached in a state in which each free end portion 46 of each first and second contact spring portion 22a, 22b (each first and second tongue piece 52, 54) is disposed between each clamping plate portion 78 (each first clamping piece 86 and each second clamping piece 88). As a result, each engaging portion 68 engages with each stopper portion 100, thereby preventing displacement of the clip spring 80 in a direction (from front to rear) away from each contact spring portion 22a, 22b.

[0056] In particular, in embodiment 1, when each engagement portion 68 is engaged with each stopper portion 100, each engagement portion 68 protrudes outward in the vertical direction beyond each clamping plate portion 78 (each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88) of the clip spring 80.

[0057] Further, forward movement of the clip spring 80 relative to each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (each of the first and second tongues 52, 54) is restricted by the rear end portions (each of the free end portions 46) of each of the first and second tongues 52, 54 abutting against the connecting plate portion 76 of the clip spring 80. Here, the opening dimension (vertical dimension) of each insertion port 94 of the clip spring 80 in a standalone state (before elastic deformation) is set equal to the vertical distance between the outer surfaces (vertical outer surfaces) of the free end portions 46 of each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (each of the first tongues 52 and each of the second tongues 54). As a result, when the clip spring 80 is attached to the contact spring portions 22a, 22b and the inner surfaces of the bent portions 92 are placed on the outer surfaces of the first and second tongues 52, 54, the inner surfaces of the bent portions 92 and the first and second tongues 52, 54 come into zero-touch contact, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. As a result, when the clip spring 80 is attached to the contact spring portions 22a, 22b, the front ends of the clamping plate portions 78 do not spread in the spreading direction (outward in the vertical direction), and therefore no urging force is generated inward in the vertical direction by the clamping plate portions 78. Therefore, even when the clip spring 80 is attached, the contact spring portions 22a, 22b do not elastically deform inward in the opposing direction.

[0058] 10 , before the clip spring 80 is attached, the rear end portions of the first and second tongues 52, 54 extend in the front-rear direction and are generally parallel to each other. As a result, even when the clip spring 80 is attached to the rear end portions of the first and second tongues 52, 54, the first and second tongues 52, 54 do not elastically deform inward in the opposing directions, and the rear end portions of the first and second tongues 52, 54 extend generally straight in the front-rear direction. As a result, before the clip spring 80 is attached, the free ends 46 extend in the front-rear direction, and the protruding end faces 48 of the first and second tongues 52, 54 widen in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. Therefore, when each protruding end face 48 abuts against the connecting plate portion 76 to restrict the forward movement of the clip spring 80, each protruding end face 48 abuts against the connecting plate portion 76 over almost the entire surface, thereby more reliably restricting the forward movement of the clip spring 80.

[0059] Furthermore, since the inner surface of each bent portion 92 abuts against each of the first and second tongues 52, 54 without touching, even after the clip spring 80 is attached, each contact spring portion 22a, 22b does not elastically deform inward in the opposing direction, and the rear portions of each of the first and second tongues 52, 54 extend in the front-to-rear direction.

[0060] The method of restricting the forward movement of the clip spring 80 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and for example, the inner surface (inner surface in the vertical direction) of each bent portion 92 of the clip spring 80 may be abutted against the outer surface (outer surface in the vertical direction) of each contact spring portion 22a, 22b (each of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54), thereby restricting the forward movement of the clip spring 80.

[0061] Furthermore, when the clip spring 80 is attached, the inner surface (inner surface in the vertical direction) of each bent portion 92 of the clip spring 80 may be spaced a small distance from the outer surface (outer surface in the vertical direction) of each contact spring portion 22a, 22b (each of the first and second tongues 52, 54). Alternatively, the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (each of the first and second tongues 52, 54) may be inserted into each insertion opening 94 of the clip spring 80 so as to push and spread the clamping plate portions 78 (each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88) outward in the vertical direction, in which case the elastic restoring force of the clamping plate portions 78 (each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88) urges the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (each of the first and second tongues 52, 54) in directions that bring them closer to each other (inward in the vertical direction).

[0062] In particular, as described above, when the engaging portions 68 are engaged with the stopper portions 100 and the clip spring 80 is attached, the inner surface of each bent portion 92 does not have to abut against the outer surface of each contact spring portion 22a, 22b (each first and second tongue portion 52, 54), and in this case, the clip spring 80 is attached to each contact spring portion 22a, 22b (each first and second tongue portion 52, 54) with a certain degree of play, that is, in a somewhat free state. This allows the clip spring 80 to displace in response to the male terminal 12 when the male terminal 12 is inserted, improving its ability to follow the male terminal 12.

[0063] <Assembly of female terminal 10> The following describes a specific example of a method for assembling the female terminal 10. However, the method for assembling the female terminal 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0064] First, a single metal plate is bent into the aforementioned shape to form the male terminal mounting portion 16. At this time, the tubular portion 30 is stably formed by crimping each crimping piece 38 (first crimping piece 38a and each second crimping piece 38b), and the male terminal mounting portion 16 is maintained in a predetermined shape. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10, a clip spring 80 is placed behind the male terminal mounting portion 16 and inserted into the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b through the rear opening (clip spring insertion opening 24) and the inner hole of the tubular portion 30. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the clip spring 80 is positioned behind the free ends 46 of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (each of the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54) in the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b.

[0065] 11, the clip spring 80 is moved forward to insert the free ends 46 of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (the first and second tongues 52, 54) into the insertion openings 94. This causes the engagement portions 68 to come into contact with the mounting guide portions 98, which in turn press against the engagement portions 68, causing the engagement portions 68 (or the rear portions of the first and second tongues 52, 54) to elastically deform outward in the left-right direction, and the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88 to elastically deform inward in the left-right direction. In particular, because the plate width dimension of the rear portions of the first and second tongues 52, 54 is reduced and the clip-side slits 84 are formed to extend to the connecting plate portion 76, the elastic deformation can be stably generated. As a result, clip spring 80 is permitted to move further forward, and each engaging portion 68 (or the rear portions of each of first and second tongues 52, 54) and each of first and second clamping pieces 86, 88 elastically restores its original shape, and each engaging portion 68 engages with each stopper portion 100. In this way, clip spring 80 is assembled to male terminal mounting portion 16, and the female terminal 10 of embodiment 1 is completed.

[0066] The clip spring 80 can be attached to each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b as described above by manually or mechanically by an operator, for example, by holding the clip spring 80 with a jig (not shown). Since the clip spring 80 is inserted through the tubular portion 30 and is positioned at the center of the tubular portion 30 as described above, the attachment can be performed using the tubular portion 30, which is generally rectangular in rear view, as a guide or landmark. In particular, the base ends 90 of the clip-side slits 84 of the clip spring 80 are located on the connecting plate portion 76, and the attachment can be performed by holding each base end 90 located on the connecting plate portion 76 with the jig.

[0067] <Assembly of terminal unit 14> A specific example of a method for assembling a terminal unit 14 in a state in which the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are connected by inserting the male terminal 12 into the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment will be described below.

[0068] First, the female terminal 10 and male terminal 12 assembled as described above are opposed to each other in the front-to-rear direction as shown in Figures 7 to 9. Then, the tip portion of the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 20 through the male terminal insertion opening 18 and press-fitted between the opposing surfaces of the first contacts 56 and the second contacts 58 provided on the first and second tongues 52, 54 of each contact spring portion 22a, 22b. As a result, as shown in Figures 3, 5, 6, etc., the first and second contacts 56, 58 come into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, and the contact spring portions 22a, 22b (the first tongues 52, 52 and the second tongues 54, 54) are pushed apart in directions separating them from each other.

[0069] Then, the bent portions 60 of the first and second tongues 52, 54 that have been spread outward in the vertical direction abut against the bent portions 92 of the clip spring 80 from the inside in the vertical direction, causing the clamping plates 78 (the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88) to elastically deform outward in the vertical direction. The elastic restoring force of the clamping plates 78 (the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88) clamps the free end portions 46 of the first and second tongues 52, 54, and urges the free end portions 46 of the first and second tongues 52, 54 in directions toward each other. As a result, the first contacts 56 and the second contacts 58 are pressed into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 that is press-fitted between the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring portion 22a and the second contact spring portion 22b. As a result, the male terminals 12 and the female terminals 10 are electrically connected to each other, completing the terminal unit 14 in which the female terminals 10 and the male terminals 12 are connected to each other.

[0070] In other words, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, not only the first contact spring portion 22a and the second contact spring portion 22b but also each clamping plate portion 78 of the clip spring 80 are pushed outward in the vertical direction, and each first contact 56 and each second contact 58 is pressed against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 not only by the elastic restoring force of the first contact spring portion 22a and the second contact spring portion 22b but also by the elastic restoring force of each clamping plate portion 78.

[0071] In particular, in the first embodiment, the first and second contact spring portions 22a, 22b are each divided in the left-right direction into first tongues 52 and second tongues 54, and each clamping plate portion 78 is each divided in the left-right direction into first clamping pieces 86 and second clamping pieces 88. Therefore, between a pair of first clamping pieces 86, 86 arranged opposite to each other in the vertical direction, the pair of opposed first tongues 52, 52 are clamped by each of the first clamping pieces 86 with the male terminal 12 sandwiched therebetween, and between a pair of second clamping pieces 88, 88 arranged opposite to each other in the vertical direction, the pair of opposed second tongues 54, 54 are clamped by each of the second clamping pieces 88 with the male terminal 12 sandwiched therebetween.

[0072] According to the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment, the contact spring portions 22a, 22b of the male terminal attachment portion 16 are provided with engaging portions 68, and the clip spring 80 is provided with stopper portions 100 that constitute the engaged portions 96, and the engagement between the engaging portions 68 and the stopper portions 100 prevents the clip spring 80 from falling off. This makes it possible to prevent the clip spring 80 from falling off without providing a separate member for preventing the clip spring from falling off, avoiding an increase in the number of parts.

[0073] In particular, the male terminal mounting portion 16 is a press-formed product made of a single metal plate, and has a pair of contact spring portions 22a, 22b at one end (front end) of the male terminal mounting portion 16, and a clip spring insertion opening 24 through which a clip spring 80 can be inserted at the other end (rear end). This allows the clip spring 80 to be inserted into the male terminal mounting portion 16 from the rear through the clip spring insertion opening 24 and attached to the free ends 46 of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b. In other words, while conventional structures require the clip spring to be inserted into the male terminal mounting portion from the side and pushed forward, the female terminal 10 of the present disclosure allows the clip spring 80 to be attached to the contact spring portions 22a, 22b by pushing the clip spring 80 forward through the clip spring insertion opening 24 at the rear. This improves the ease of assembling the clip spring 80 to the contact spring portions 22a, 22b, and ultimately the manufacturing efficiency of the female terminal 10.

[0074] In the first embodiment, a cylindrical portion 30 that forms the clip spring insertion opening 24 is provided at the rear end of the male terminal mounting portion 16, and the clip spring insertion opening 24 is formed by a rear opening of the cylindrical portion 30. The male terminal mounting portion 16, including the cylindrical portion 30, is configured to maintain its shape by crimping the first crimping piece 38a and the second crimping pieces 38b, connecting one circumferential end and the other circumferential end of the cylindrical portion 30. In particular, the first crimping piece 38a and the second crimping pieces 38b extend in opposite directions and are shaped to fit together, so that the shape of the male terminal mounting portion 16, including the contact spring portions 22a, 22b, is stably maintained, thereby improving the stability of conduction between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10.

[0075] The clip spring 80 is attached to each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b manually or by machine, and the clip spring 80 attached in this manner is disposed in the center of the tubular portion 30, as shown in Fig. 4. In particular, the base ends 90 of the clip-side slits 84 of the clip spring 80 each extend to the connecting plate portion 76, and the connecting plate portion 76 can be gripped between the base ends 90 with a jig (not shown). In the attachment of the clip spring 80 described above, the tubular portion 30 can be used as a positioning guide or mark.

[0076] Each contact spring portion 22a, 22b is divided by a spring portion-side slit 50 into a first tongue piece 52 and a second tongue piece 54 on both left and right sides, and each clamping plate portion 78 is divided by a clip-side slit 84 into a first clamping piece 86 and a second clamping piece 88 on both left and right sides. As a result, a biasing force is exerted by each first clamping piece 86 on the upper and lower first tongue pieces 52, and a biasing force is exerted by each second clamping piece 88 on the upper and lower second tongue pieces 54. As a result, the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 can apply pressure to the male terminal 12 separately on the left and right sides, and even when the male terminal 12 is rotationally displaced about a central axis extending in the front-to-rear direction, the first and second tongue pieces 52, 54 can stably follow the male terminal 12, thereby stably maintaining electrical continuity between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10.

[0077] Furthermore, when assembling the clip spring 80 to the contact spring portions 22a, 22b, as described above, by displacing the clip spring 80 forward while the engaging portions 68 and the mounting guide portions 98 are in contact with each other in the front-to-rear direction, the rear portions of the first and second tongues 52, 54 are elastically deformed outward in the opposing directions (left-to-right directions), and the first clamping pieces 86 and the second clamping pieces 88 are elastically deformed inward in the opposing directions (left-to-right directions). Here, clip-side slits 84 are provided between the first clamping pieces 86 and the second clamping pieces 88 in the opposing directions, and these clip-side slits 84 extend beyond the clamping plate portions 78 to reach the connecting plate portion 76. As a result, the first clamping pieces 86 and the second clamping pieces 88 can be easily elastically deformed inward in the opposing direction, making it easier to disengage the engaging portions 68 from the mounting guide portions 98 and to engage the engaging portions 68 with the stopper portions 100. Therefore, as disclosed herein, by positioning the base end portions 90 of the clip-side slits 84 on the connecting plate portion 76, the ease of assembling the clip spring 80 to the contact spring portions 22a, 22b can be improved. Furthermore, because the first clamping pieces 86 and the second clamping pieces 88 can be easily elastically deformed inward in the opposing direction, when assembling the clip spring 80 to the contact spring portions 22a, 22b, for example, the clip spring 80 does not need to be pushed forward with a relatively strong force, and buckling deformation of the first and second tongues 52, 54 can be prevented.

[0078] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the rear portion of each of the first and second tongues 52, 54 has a smaller width dimension than the front portion. This allows the weight of each of the first and second tongues 52, 54 to be reduced, and when the clip spring 80 is attached to each of the first and second tongues 52, 54, the rear portions of each of the first and second tongues 52, 54 can be easily elastically deformed outward in the opposing direction (left-right direction). This also improves the ease of attaching the clip spring 80 to each of the contact spring portions 22a, 22b, and prevents buckling deformation of each of the first and second tongues 52, 54.

[0079] <Modification> Although the first embodiment has been described above as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc., within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure, are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0080] (1) In the above embodiment, the engaging portion 68 was provided on each of the first and second tongues 52, 54 of each contact spring portion 22a, 22b. However, for example, the engaging portion may be provided on only one of the upper and lower contact spring portions, or on only one of the left and right tongues. Similarly, in the above embodiment, the engaged portion 96 was provided on each of the first and second clamping pieces 86, 88 of each clamping plate portion 78. However, for example, the engaged portion may be provided at a position corresponding to the engaging portion on one of the four clamping pieces of the clip spring. Note that the engaging portion and the engaged portion are not essential to the female terminal according to the present disclosure. If the engaging portion and the engaged portion are not employed, for example, a separate member fixed to the male terminal mounting portion may be used to prevent the clip spring attached to each contact spring portion from falling off.

[0081] (2) In the above embodiment, the rear of the recessed portion 104 in the clip spring 80 is open, but this is not limited to this. The rear of the recessed portion may be closed, and the recessed portion may be substantially rectangular when viewed in the thickness direction of the clamping plate portion. This makes it possible to adjust the front-to-rear dimension of the connecting plate portion from the position of the recessed portion, for example, and to change the shape of the clip spring depending on the insertion depth of the male terminal.

[0082] (3) In the above embodiment, the spring portion-side slit 50 is provided in the widthwise center of each contact spring portion 22 a, 22 b, dividing it into two tongues, each first tongue 52 and each second tongue 54, and the clip portion-side slit 84 is provided in the widthwise center of each clamping plate portion 78, 78, dividing it into two clamping pieces, each first clamping piece 86 and each second clamping piece 88. However, this is not limited to this. That is, each contact spring portion may be provided with multiple spring portion-side slits, dividing it into three or more tongues, or each clamping plate may be provided with multiple clip-side slits, dividing it into three or more clamping pieces. Note that the number of tongues in the upper contact spring portion and the number of tongues in the lower contact spring portion may be different from each other, and the number of clamping pieces in the upper clamping plate portion and the number of clamping pieces in the lower clamping plate portion may be different from each other, but it is preferable that the numbers of tongues and clamping pieces on the upper and lower sides are the same.

[0083] (4) In the above embodiment, the male terminal 12 is a flat tab terminal, but is not limited to this. For example, the male terminal may be a cylindrical pin terminal. In this case, each contact spring portion constituting the male terminal insertion gap may be cylindrical as a whole.

[0084] (5) In the above embodiment, the widthwise dimension of each of the first and second tongues 52, 54 was smaller at the rear end than at the front end, but each tongue may extend with a substantially constant widthwise dimension, for example, a structure as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 11. Note that the tongue having a widthwise dimension smaller at the rear end than at the front end as in the above embodiment is preferably a tongue provided with an engaging portion, and may be any one of the four tongues of each of the first and second tongues.

[0085] (6) In the above embodiment, the engaging portions 68 are provided on each of the first tongues 52 and the second tongues 54, and the first clamping pieces 86 and the second clamping pieces 88 are provided with the engaged portions 96 corresponding to the engaging portions 68. However, an engaging portion consisting of an attachment guide portion and a stopper portion may be provided on the tongue side, and an engaged portion may be provided on the clamping piece side. In such a case, when assembling the clip spring to each contact spring portion, the tongues on which the engaging portions are provided are elastically deformed inward in the left-right direction, and the clamping pieces on which the engaged portions are provided are elastically deformed outward in the left-right direction. However, by setting the width dimension of the tongues to be small, contact between the tongues can be avoided.

[0086] (7) In the above embodiment, the base end 90 of each clip side slit 84 provided in the clip spring 80 was located beyond each clamping plate portion 78 and on the connecting plate portion 76, but this is not limited to this form, and the base end of the clip side slit may be located in the middle part of the clamping plate portion in the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction). [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 10 Female terminal 12 male terminal 14 Terminal Unit 16 Male terminal mounting part 18 Male terminal insertion port 20 Male terminal insertion gap 22 Contact spring part 22a First contact spring part 22b Second contact spring part 24 Clip spring insertion port (rear opening) 26 Gap 28 Support plate part 28a Upper support plate part 28b Lower support plate part 30 Cylindrical part 32 Front opening 34 Peripheral wall section 36 Crimping part 38 Crimping piece 38a First crimping piece 38b Second crimping piece 40 Rear extension 42 Bolt insertion hole 44 Curved section 46 Free end 48 (Protruding end face of contact spring) 50 Spring side slit 52 First tongue piece 54 Second tongue piece 56 First Contact 58 Second Contact 60 Bend 64 (opposing direction of first tongue and second tongue) inner surface 66 (facing direction of first tongue and second tongue) Outer surface 68 Engagement part 70 Outward protrusion 72 Flat surface 76 Connecting plate part 78 Holding plate part 80 Clip spring 82 (Clip plate part) protruding end surface 84 Clip side slit 86 1st clamping piece 88 Second clamping piece 90 Proximal end 92 Bent part 94 Receptacle 96 Engaged part 98 Mounting guide 100 Stopper part 102 Rear end 104 Recessed part 106 1st step surface 108 bottom

Claims

1. a male terminal mounting portion into which a male terminal is inserted for electrical connection; the male terminal mounting portion is a press-molded product made of a single flat metal plate, A male terminal insertion port provided on one end side; a pair of contact spring portions connected to the one end side in a cantilevered manner, protruding toward the other end side, and disposed opposite each other across a male terminal insertion gap; a clip spring insertion opening provided on the other end side and arranged opposite to the male terminal insertion opening, a clip spring including a connecting plate portion and a pair of clamping plate portions protruding in directions approaching each other from both side edges of the connecting plate portion, the clip spring being insertable through the clip spring insertion opening; The clip spring is attached to the pair of contact spring portions with the free ends of the pair of contact spring portions disposed between the pair of clamping plate portions, and when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, the clip spring urges the free ends toward each other. Female terminal.

2. the male terminal attachment portion has a cylindrical portion on the other end side, and the clip spring insertion opening is defined by the cylindrical portion, 2. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein one circumferential end and the other circumferential end of the tubular portion are connected by crimping using a first crimping piece that protrudes from the one circumferential end toward the other circumferential end and a second crimping piece that protrudes from the other circumferential end toward the one circumferential end.

3. 3. The female terminal according to claim 2, wherein, when viewed in a plane from the cylindrical portion side in the opposing direction of the male terminal insertion port and the clip spring insertion port, the clip spring attached to the pair of contact spring portions is positioned in the center of the cylindrical portion.

4. Each of the contact spring portions extends in a protruding direction by penetrating a central portion in a plate thickness direction in the width direction of the contact spring portion, and is divided into a first tongue piece and a second tongue piece that can be displaced independently of each other by a spring portion-side slit that opens in the protruding end surface, Each of the clamping plate portions of the clip spring extends in a protruding direction by penetrating a central portion in a plate thickness direction in the width direction, and is divided into a first clamping piece and a second clamping piece that can be displaced independently of each other by a clip-side slit that opens on the protruding end surface, 3. A female terminal as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a pair of first tongue pieces arranged opposite each other between a pair of oppositely arranged first clamping pieces are clamped by the pair of first clamping pieces with the male terminal therebetween, and a pair of second tongue pieces arranged opposite each other between a pair of oppositely arranged second clamping pieces are clamped by the pair of second clamping pieces with the male terminal therebetween.

5. At least one of the pair of first tongue pieces and the pair of second tongue pieces has an engaging portion integrally formed therewith, the clip spring integrally includes an engaged portion that comes into contact with the engaging portion when attached to the free end portion; One of the engaging portion and the engaged portion includes an attachment guide portion that abuts against the other of the engaging portion and the engaged portion to deform the clamping plate portion of the clip spring in the plate width direction, thereby allowing the clip spring to move forward in the attachment direction, and a stopper portion that engages with the engaging portion or the engaged portion that has been released from the attachment guide portion, to prevent the clip spring from displacing in the direction of release from the contact spring portion, 5. The female terminal according to claim 4, wherein a base end of said clip spring opposite to an opening side of said clip-side slit is located on said connecting plate portion.

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