Female terminal

Abstract

To disclose a female terminal capable of securing a gap between a pair of contact spring parts in a non-insertion state of a male terminal while facilitating assembling work of a clip spring to the contact spring parts.SOLUTION: A female terminal 10 includes a male terminal insertion port 20, contact spring parts 24 disposed opposite to each other, and a clip spring 34 having a connecting plate part 30 and a clamping plate part 32, wherein the clip spring 34 does not apply an energizing force in an approaching direction to the contact spring part 24 in a state where the male terminal 12 is not inserted, and the contact spring part 24 has facing surfaces 50 a, 50 b facing each other, respectively. The facing surfaces 56a, 56b include the contacts 6668 projecting toward the male-terminal insertion gap 22 and the tip extending portions 74 extending from the contacts 6668 toward the projecting ends, and the male-terminal insertion gap 22 is smaller than the plate thickness of the male terminals 12 between the contacts 6668 and the facing gap A of the tip extending portions 74 is larger than the facing gap B of the contacts 6668.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

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.

[0003] Furthermore, in the female terminal of Patent Document 1, the engaging protrusions provided on each free end of the pair of contact spring portions are disposed in through holes formed in the connecting plate portion of the clip spring, and even if the free ends of the pair of contact spring portions are urged toward each other by the urging force of the clip spring, the engaging protrusions interfere with the through holes, thereby restricting the displacement of the pair of contact spring portions in the urging direction. This maintains a gap between the pair of contact spring portions when the male terminal is not inserted, thereby reducing the insertion resistance of the male terminal between the pair of contact spring portions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-83287 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the female terminal of Patent Document 1, when attaching a clip spring to each free end of a pair of contact spring portions, the engaging protrusions of each contact spring portion must be inserted into the through holes of the clip spring, making the assembly process difficult and leaving room for improvement.

[0006] Therefore, a female terminal is disclosed that can easily assemble the clip spring to the contact spring portion while ensuring a gap between the pair of contact spring portions when the male terminal is not inserted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The female terminal of the present disclosure includes a male terminal mounting portion into which a male terminal is inserted for conductive connection, the male terminal mounting portion having a male terminal insertion opening provided on one end side, a pair of contact spring portions 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, 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 pair of contact spring portions being disposed and attached between the pair of clamping plate portions, and a clip spring that urges the contact spring portions in directions approaching each other when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap. However, when the male terminal is not inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, the clip spring does not apply a spring force in the approaching direction to the contact spring portion, and the pair of contact spring portions each have opposing surfaces facing each other across the male terminal insertion gap, and the opposing surfaces include a contact portion that protrudes toward the male terminal insertion gap and a tip extension portion that extends from the contact portion toward the protruding end, and in the opposing direction of the contact spring portions, the male terminal insertion gap between the contact portions is smaller than the plate thickness dimension of the male terminal, and the opposing gap of the tip extension portions is larger than the opposing gap of the contact portions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a female terminal that facilitates the assembly of a clip spring to a contact spring portion while ensuring a gap between a pair of contact spring portions when a male terminal is not inserted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [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. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a main portion of a female terminal according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and corresponds to FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] <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 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, 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 pair of contact spring portions being disposed and attached between the pair of clamping plate portions, and a clip spring that urges the contact spring portions in directions approaching each other when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, When the male terminal is not inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, the clip spring does not apply a spring force in the approaching direction to the contact spring portion, and the pair of contact spring portions each have opposing surfaces facing each other across the male terminal insertion gap, and the opposing surfaces include a contact portion that protrudes toward the male terminal insertion gap and a tip extension portion that extends from the contact portion toward the protruding end, and in the opposing direction of the contact spring portions, the male terminal insertion gap between the contact portions is smaller than the plate thickness dimension of the male terminal, and the opposing gap of the tip extension portions is larger than the opposing gap of the contact portions.

[0011] According to the female terminal of this aspect, the clip springs assembled to the pair of contact spring portions do not apply a biasing force in the approaching direction to the contact spring portions when a male terminal is not inserted into the male terminal insertion gap. Therefore, the gap between the pair of contact spring portions when a male terminal is not inserted can be maintained without adopting a structure that restricts the displacement of the pair of contact spring portions in the approaching direction, which was required in conventional structures. As a result, when attaching the clip springs to the pair of contact spring portions, it is not necessary to insert the engaging protrusions of each contact spring portion into the through holes of the clip spring, which makes it easier to assemble the clip springs to the contact spring portions.

[0012] Furthermore, the opposing surfaces of the pair of contact spring portions, facing each other across the male terminal insertion gap, are provided with contact portions protruding toward the male terminal insertion gap and tip extension portions extending from the contact portions toward the protruding ends. Here, in the opposing direction of the contact spring portions, the male terminal insertion gap between the contact portions is smaller than the plate thickness of the male terminal, and between the tip extension portions is larger than the opposing gap of the contact portions. Because the clip spring does not apply a biasing force to the contact spring portions in the approaching direction when the male terminal is not inserted, the male terminal insertion gap between the contact spring portions is advantageously secured even when the clip spring is assembled. This makes it possible to provide a female terminal that can secure a gap between the pair of contact spring portions when the male terminal is not inserted. In particular, because the male terminal insertion gap between the contact portions is smaller than the plate thickness of the male terminal, and the opposing gap of the tip extension portions is larger than the opposing gap of the contact portions, contact with the male terminal at locations other than the contact portions is suppressed, advantageously clarifying the contact points and reducing insertion resistance.

[0013] (2) In the above (1), when the male terminal is not inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, it is preferable that the tip extension portions of the pair of contact spring portions extend parallel to each other across the male terminal insertion gap, and the protruding end faces of the contact spring portions contact the connecting plate portion of the clip spring. Since the tip extension portions of the pair of contact spring portions extend parallel to each other across the male terminal insertion gap, it is easy to manage the initial gap between the contact portions. Moreover, the protruding end faces of the contact spring portions can be in surface contact with the connecting plate portion of the clip spring, making it possible to stably determine the insertion end position of the clip spring relative to the pair of contact spring portions.

[0014] (3) In the above (1) or (2), it is preferable that at least one of the pair of contact spring portions has an integrally formed engaging portion, and the clip spring has an integral mounting guide portion that presses the engaging portion as it is mounted to the contact spring portion, allowing the clip spring to move forward in the mounting direction, and an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion that has detached from the mounting guide portion, and that the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion prevents the clip spring from displacing in the direction of detachment from the contact spring portion.

[0015] At least one of the pair of contact springs has an engaging portion integrally formed therewith, and the clip spring has an attachment guide portion that presses the engaging portion to allow the clip spring to move forward in the attachment direction, and an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion that has disengaged from the attachment guide portion. The engaging portion engages with the engaged portion, preventing the clip spring from disengaging from the contact spring portion. This eliminates the need for a retainer or other additional component to prevent the clip spring from disengaging, and provides a female terminal that reduces the risk of the clip spring disengaging from the contact spring portion without increasing the number of parts.

[0016] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the male terminal mounting portion has a clip spring insertion opening provided on the other end thereof and arranged opposite the male terminal insertion opening, and the clip spring is sized to be able to pass through the clip spring insertion opening. The other end of the male terminal mounting portion has a clip spring insertion opening arranged opposite the male terminal insertion opening and sized to allow the clip spring to pass through. Therefore, by inserting a clip spring that can pass through the clip spring insertion opening 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 with the contact spring portions positioned between the clamping plate portions of the clip spring. This further simplifies the assembly work of the clip spring to the pair of contact spring portions.

[0017] (5) In any one of (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that, when the male terminal is not inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, the clip spring assembled to the pair of contact spring portions is displaceable in the opposing direction of the pair of contact spring portions. The clip spring assembled to the pair of contact spring portions is displaceable in the opposing direction of the pair of contact spring portions. As a result, in the initial stage of mating when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, only the contact pressure of the pair of contact spring portions is applied to the male terminal, thereby suppressing contact wear. Then, in the later stage of mating when the male terminal has been inserted further or in the completed mating state, contact pressure by the clip spring is applied, ensuring stable conduction between the male and female terminals. Therefore, by adopting the female terminal of this aspect in products in which male terminals are inserted and removed frequently, contact wear can be advantageously suppressed and product durability can be improved. Furthermore, because the clip spring can be displaced in response to the male terminal during insertion, the tracking ability of the pair of clamping plate portions and the pair of contact spring portions with respect to the male terminal can be improved.

[0018] <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.

[0019] <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.

[0020] <Female terminal 10> The female terminal 10 includes a male terminal attachment portion 16 into which the male terminal 12 is inserted for electrical connection. In particular, the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment has a clip spring 34 attached to a female terminal body 18 formed by bending a single metal flat plate as will be described later, and the male terminal attachment portion 16 is formed by including a part (particularly the front portion) of the female terminal body 18 and the clip spring 34.

[0021] <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) by 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.

[0022] <Male terminal mounting part 16> The male terminal mounting portion 16 has a male terminal insertion opening 20 provided at one end (front end), and a pair of contact spring portions 24, 24 (first contact spring portion 24a and second contact spring portion 24b) 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 22. 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-rear direction, and the male terminal insertion opening 20 is defined by including one end side (front end side) of each of the support plate portions 28a, 28b. In other words, the male terminal insertion opening 20 and the male terminal insertion gap 22 are formed in the front portion of the gap 26 between the support plate portions 28a, 28b. The contact spring portions 24a, 24b are arranged facing each other in the vertical direction across the male terminal insertion gap 22, with the upper side being the first contact spring portion 24a and the lower side being the second contact spring portion 24b. A rear opening 42 (described later) serving as a clip spring insertion opening is provided at the other end (rear end) of the female terminal body 18 that constitutes the male terminal mounting portion 16, and the male terminal insertion opening 20 and the rear opening 42 are arranged facing each other in the front-to-rear direction.

[0023] Furthermore, the male terminal mounting portion 16 is equipped with a clip spring 34 having a connecting plate portion 30 and a pair of clamping plate portions 32, 32 that protrude in directions approaching each other from both side edges of the connecting plate portion 30. This clip spring 34 is attached with the free end portions 36 (i.e., rear end portions) of each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b disposed between the pair of clamping plate portions 32, 32, and as shown in Figures 1 to 6, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 22, the contact spring portions 24a, 24b are biased in directions approaching each other.

[0024] <Female terminal body 18> The female terminal body 18 is formed by pressing a single metal plate and includes the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b, which are arranged opposite each other across a gap 26 having a predetermined vertical dimension. The single metal plate constituting the female terminal body 18 may be made of a metal that is conductive and springy, such as a copper alloy. The upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b are connected to a rear cylindrical portion 38 provided at the rear end of the female terminal body 18. The rear cylindrical portion 38 has a cylindrical shape that extends substantially straight in the front-rear direction and includes a peripheral wall portion 44 having a front opening 40 and a rear opening 42 serving as a clip spring insertion port. In the first embodiment, the rear cylindrical portion 38 (peripheral wall portion 44) has a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape when viewed in the front-rear direction. As a result, the upper and lower support plates 28a, 28b extend forward from the upper and lower walls that form the peripheral wall 44 at the periphery of the front opening 40, respectively, and the inner hole of the rear cylindrical portion 38 communicates in the front-to-rear direction with the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plates 28a, 28b. In other words, the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plates 28a, 28b opens at the rear opening 42 through the inner hole of the rear cylindrical portion 38.

[0025] In particular, in the first embodiment, the opening areas of the front opening 40 and the rear opening 42 as viewed in the front-rear direction are larger than the maximum area of ​​the clip spring 34 as projected in the front-rear direction, allowing the clip spring 34 to be inserted through the front opening 40 and the rear opening 42. This allows the clip spring 34 to be inserted from the rear opening 42 in the rear cylindrical portion 38 through an inner hole in the rear cylindrical portion 38 into the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b. That is, in the first embodiment, the rear opening 42 forms a clip spring insertion port for inserting the clip spring 34 into the female terminal body 18.

[0026] Additionally, a crimping portion 46 is provided on a portion of the circumference of rear tubular portion 38, so as to maintain female terminal body 18, which is formed by pressing a single flat metal plate, in a desired shape. Specifically, in embodiment 1, the upper wall and right wall that constitute peripheral wall portion 44 are butted against each other by pressing a single flat metal plate, and crimping portion 46 is provided on the upper right corner of rear tubular portion 38. By crimping and fixing at crimping portion 46, female terminal body 18, including rear tubular portion 38, is maintained in a predetermined shape.

[0027] In particular, in the first embodiment, a plurality of crimping pieces 48 are provided in the front-rear direction in the crimping portion 46, and a central crimping piece 48a that protrudes toward the right wall is provided in the front-rear center portion of the upper wall that constitutes the peripheral wall 44. In addition, a pair of end crimping pieces 48b, 48b that protrude toward the upper wall are provided at both front-rear end portions of the right wall that constitutes the peripheral wall 44. By crimping these crimping pieces 48a, 48b, crimping in two directions that face opposite each other is achieved, and the shape of the female terminal body 18, including the rear tubular portion 38, can be more stably maintained.

[0028] At the periphery of the rear opening 42 in the rear cylindrical portion 38, a rearward extending portion 50 is provided on the wall below the peripheral wall portion 44. The rear extending portion 50 is generally rectangular and flat, and a circular bolt insertion hole 52 is formed in the center of the rear extending portion 50, penetrating in the plate thickness direction (vertical direction). A bolt (not shown) is inserted through the bolt insertion hole 52 to fix the female terminal body 18 including the rear cylindrical portion 38, 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 rear extending portion 50 around the bolt insertion hole 52.

[0029] <Contact spring portion 24 (first contact spring portion 24a and second contact spring portion 24b)> A curved portion 54 is provided at the front end of each of the support plates 28a, 28b. That is, the first contact spring portion 24a is cantilevered and protrudes toward the rear end via the curved portion 54 to the front end of the upper support plate 28a, and the second contact spring portion 24b is cantilevered and protrudes toward the rear end via the curved portion 54 to the front end of the lower support plate 28b. Therefore, the rear ends of the first contact spring portion 24a and the second contact spring portion 24b each serve as the above-mentioned free end portion 36. Furthermore, since the first contact spring portion 24a and the second contact spring portion 24b face each other in the vertical direction, the lower surface of the first contact spring portion 24a and the upper surface of the second contact spring portion 24b form the respective facing surfaces 56, 56. In particular, the lower surface of the first contact spring portion 24a is the first opposing surface 56a, which is the upper opposing surface 56, and the upper surface of the second contact spring portion 24b is the second opposing surface 56b, which is the lower opposing surface 56.

[0030] The space between the first contact spring portion 24a and the second contact spring portion 24b in the vertical direction (between the first and second opposing surfaces 56a, 56b) is the male terminal insertion gap 22 into which the male terminal 12 is inserted. In other words, the contact spring portions 24a, 24b have opposing surfaces 56a, 56b that face each other across the male terminal insertion gap 22. The male terminal 12 is inserted into this male terminal insertion gap 22 from the front. In other words, the male terminal insertion opening 20 is defined by including the front end sides of the support plate portions 28a, 28b.

[0031] <Spring portion side slit 60, first tongue piece 62, and second tongue piece 64> In the first embodiment, each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b 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 62 and a second tongue 64 that can be displaced independently of each other by a spring portion-side slit 60 that opens in a protruding end face (rear end face) 58. In particular, in the first embodiment, the left portions of each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b are respectively first tongues 62, 62, and the right portions of each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b are respectively second tongues 64, 64. As a result, the first tongues 62, 62 of each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b face each other in the up-down direction, and the second tongues 64, 64 of each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b face each other in the up-down direction. In addition, the spring portion side slit 60 is provided over the entire length (front-to-back direction) of each contact spring portion 24a, 24b, and extends slightly beyond the curved portion 54 provided at the front end of each contact spring portion 24a, 24b to the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b.

[0032] Furthermore, in each of the first and second tongue pieces 62, 64 of each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b, a first contact portion 66 and a second contact portion 68 are provided on inner surfaces (first and second opposing surfaces 56a, 56b) in the opposing direction (up and down direction) as contact portions that come into contact with the male terminal 12 when the male terminal 12 is inserted. That is, in each of the first and second tongue pieces 62, 64 of the first contact spring portion 24a, the first contact portions 66, 66 are provided on the surface (first opposing surface 56a) that faces the second contact spring portion 24b, which is the lower surface, and in each of the first and second tongue pieces 62, 64 of the second contact spring portion 24b, the second contact portions 68, 68 are provided on the surface (second opposing surface 56b) that faces the first contact spring portion 24a, which is the upper surface. In short, the first and second contact portions 66, 68 protrude from the first and second opposing surfaces 56a, 56b, respectively, toward the male terminal insertion gap 22, which is inward in the opposing direction.

[0033] In the first embodiment, a bent portion 70 is provided in the middle of each of the first tongues 62 and second tongues 64 of the first and second contact spring portions 24a, 24b in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), and the first contact portions 66 and second contact portions 68 are provided at the positions where the bent portions 70 are formed. Each of the first and second contact portions 66, 68 is formed in a curved arc shape in the longitudinal cross section shown in Figures 5 and 9, has a predetermined left-right dimension in the left-right central portion of each of the first tongues 62 and second tongues 64, and is provided so as to straddle both sides of the bent portion 70 in the front-rear direction of each of the first tongues 62 and second tongues 64.

[0034] The first and second contact portions 66, 68 have an oval shape in a plan view (up-down projection) that is larger in the front-to-rear direction, which is the insertion direction of the male terminal 12, than in the left-to-right direction. This ensures a stable contact area between the first and second contact portions 66, 68 and the male terminal 12, even when the male terminal 12 inserted into the female terminal 10 swings and displaces in the up-and-down direction. In the first embodiment, the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b and the first and second contact spring portions 24a, 24b (i.e., the female terminal body 18) are formed by pressing a single metal flat plate as described above, and recesses 72 are formed on the outer side of the opposing direction (outer side in the up-and-down direction) of each of the first and second tongue pieces 62, 64 at positions corresponding to the first and second contact portions 66, 68.

[0035] Furthermore, each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 has a tip extension portion 74 that extends from the first and second contact portions 66, 68 toward the free end portions 36, which are the protruding tips. That is, the tip extension portions 74 of the first and second contact spring portions 24a, 24b face each other in the up-down direction, and the lower surface of each tip extension portion 74 of the first contact spring portion 24a also forms the first opposing surface 56a. Similarly, the upper surface of each tip extension portion 74 of the second contact spring portion 24b also forms the second opposing surface 56b. In other words, each opposing surface 56a, 56b includes the first and second contact portions 66, 68 that project toward the male terminal insertion gap 22 and the tip extension portions 74 that extend from the first and second contact portions 66, 68 toward the free end portions 36.

[0036] 8 and 9, in the state before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the tip extension portions 74 of the first and second tongue pieces 62, 64 extend in the front-rear direction, so that the tip extension portions 74 extend parallel to each other across the male terminal insertion gap 22. In particular, as described above, the first contact portion 66 and the second contact portion 68 that protrude inward in the opposing direction (up-down direction) are provided on each bent portion 70 of each contact spring portion 24a, 24b. Therefore, in each tip extension portion 74, specifically from the rear end portion of each first contact portion 66 and each second contact portion 68 to each free end portion 36, the separation distance A (see FIGS. 8 and 9) between the inner surfaces in the opposing direction is approximately constant.

[0037] In each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b, the first contact portion 66 and the second contact portion 68 protrude inward in the opposing direction, so that a separation distance B (see FIGS. 8 and 9) between the inner surfaces of the first contact portion 66 and the second contact portion 68 in the opposing direction is smaller than the separation distance A. In particular, before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the free ends 36 extend in the front-rear direction, causing the protruding end faces 58 of the first and second tongues 62, 64 to expand in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. These protruding end faces 58 are disposed opposite the connecting plate portion 30 of the clip spring 34, which expands in the same direction as described below, and in the first embodiment, substantially the entire surface of each protruding end face 58 abuts against the connecting plate portion 30.

[0038] As a result, in embodiment 1, the separation distance between the inner surfaces of the opposing direction in male terminal insertion gap 22 formed between each contact spring portion 24a, 24b is greatest at the male terminal insertion opening 20, which is the front end, and gradually decreases toward the rear from the male terminal insertion opening 20. The separation distance between the inner surfaces of each contact spring portion 24a, 24b in the opposing direction in male terminal insertion gap 22 is set to minimum separation distance B at the positions where each first contact portion 66 and each second contact portion 68 are formed, and has a substantially constant separation distance A greater than separation distance B from the rear end of each first contact portion 66 and each second contact portion 68 to each free end 36 (each tip extension portion 74).

[0039] In particular, in the first embodiment, the thickness dimension (vertical dimension) C (see FIGS. 8 and 9) of the male terminal 12 is larger than the minimum separation distance B in the male terminal insertion gap 22, and is substantially equal to the separation distance A at the rear portion (each tip extension portion 74) of the first contact portions 66 and the second contact portions 68. As a result, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 22 through the male terminal insertion opening 20, the first contact portions 66 and the second contact portions 68 abut against the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, while the first and second tongues 62, 64 are pushed outward in the vertical direction, and the male terminal 12 is press-fitted between the first contact portions 66 and the second contact portions 68 in the male terminal insertion gap 22.

[0040] Furthermore, by making the separation distance A at the portion (each tip extension portion 74) rearward of the first contact portions 66 and the second contact portions 68 approximately equal to the thickness dimension C of the male terminal 12, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 22, the inner surfaces of the portions (each tip extension portion 74) rearward of the first contact portions 66 and the second contact portions 68 in the facing direction of the male terminal insertion gap 22 are prevented from contacting the male terminal 12. Therefore, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 22, as shown in Figures 3, 5, 6, etc., the male terminal 12 is configured to contact only the first contact portions 66 and the second contact portions 68. Note that by making the separation distance A at each tip extension portion 74 larger than the thickness dimension C of the male terminal 12, contact between the inner surfaces of the tip extension portions 74 in the facing direction of the male terminal 12 can be more reliably avoided.

[0041] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the first and second tongues 62, 64 of each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b 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 54. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 11 which will be described later, in each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b, the inner surfaces 76 of the first tongue 62 and the second tongue 64 in the opposing direction (left-right direction) are positioned substantially entirely outward in the opposing direction compared to when the first and second tongues 62, 64 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 78 of the first and second tongues 62 and 64 in the opposing direction (left-right direction) are positioned substantially entirely inward in the opposing direction, compared to when the first and second tongues 62, 64 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 tongues 62, 64 gradually decreases from the curved portion 54 at the front end to the bent portion 70 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 70. As a result, the widthwise dimension of each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 is smaller at the rear end side than at the front end side.

[0042] <Engagement portion 80> At least one of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (each of the first tongues 62 and each of the second tongues 64) has an integrally formed engaging portion 80. In the first embodiment, the engaging portions 80 are provided on the outer edge portions of each of the first tongues 62 and each of the second tongues 64, and a total of four engaging portions 80 are provided in the female terminal 10. Each engaging portion 80 protrudes outward in the up-down direction by a predetermined protrusion dimension from both side edges of each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b, i.e., outward in the left-right direction at the rear end portions of each of the first tongues 62 and each of the second tongues 64, toward the corresponding clamping plate portion 32 of the clip spring 34. Each of these engaging portions 80 is substantially rectangular in side view (left-right view).

[0043] In particular, in the first embodiment, each of the engaging portions 80 is provided a predetermined distance forward of the rear end (free end 36) of each of the first tongues 62 and the second tongues 64 (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 80 to be kept small, and also allows the widthwise dimension of the rear end (free end 36) of each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 to be kept small. Furthermore, each of the first tongues 62 and the second tongues 64 is provided with an outward protruding portion 82 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction at a position a predetermined distance forward of the rear end (free end 36), and each of the engaging portions 80 is provided at the protruding end (outer end in the left-right direction) of each outward protruding portion 82. As a result, the engaging portions 80 provided on both the left and right sides of each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b face each other at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction.

[0044] <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-rear 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 54 and connected to each contact spring portion 24a, 24b (each of the first and second tongue pieces 62, 64), and the rear end portion of each support plate portion 28a, 28b is connected to the rear cylindrical portion 38. 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 without steps with the outer peripheral surface of the rear cylindrical portion 38, and each form a flat surface 84 without any irregularities.

[0045] <Clip spring 34> As described above, the clip spring 34 includes a connecting plate 30 and a pair of clamping plates 32, 32 that protrude toward each other from both side edges of the connecting plate 30. As shown in FIG. 12 , the connecting plate 30 and each clamping plate 32 are each formed into a substantially rectangular flat plate. The clip spring 34 having such a shape can also be formed, for example, by pressing a single metal flat plate. When the clip spring 34 is attached to the contact spring portions 24a, 24b, the clamping plates 32 protrude forward from both vertical ends of the connecting plate 30 and are inclined toward each other (inward in the vertical direction). In the first embodiment, the connecting plate 30 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 30 is the left-right direction.

[0046] <Clip-side slit 90, first clamping piece 92, and second clamping piece 94> In the first embodiment, each clamping plate 32 penetrates the central portion in the width direction (left-right direction) in the plate thickness direction (approximately the up-down direction) and extends in the protruding direction (direction from rear to front). The clip-side slit 90, which opens in the protruding end surface (front end surface) 88, divides each clamping plate 32 into a first clamping piece 92 and a second clamping piece 94, which can be displaced independently of each other. In particular, in the first embodiment, the left portion of each clamping plate 32 is the first clamping piece 92, and the right portion of each clamping plate 32 is the second clamping piece 94. As a result, the first clamping pieces 92 of each clamping plate 32 face each other in the up-down direction, and the second clamping pieces 94 of each clamping plate 32 face each other in the up-down direction. The first and second clamping pieces 92, 94 are elastically deformable in the up-down direction, with the connection point with the connecting plate 30 as the base point.

[0047] The clip-side slit 90 is formed over the entire length of each clamping piece 92, 94 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), and a base end 96, which is opposite the opening side (front side) of the clip-side slit 90, is positioned beyond each clamping piece 92, 94 and on the connecting plate 30. In other words, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, the base end 96 of the clip-side slit 90 provided on the upper clamping plate 32 is located in the center of each clamping plate 32 in the width direction (left-right direction) of the connecting plate 30, and extends downward from the upper end of the connecting plate 30. The base end 96 of the clip-side slit 90 provided on the lower clamping plate 32 is located in the center of the connecting plate 30 in the left-right direction, and extends upward from the lower end of the connecting plate 30. As a result, the base end portion 96 of one (upper) clip-side slit 90 and the base end portion 96 of the other (lower) clip-side slit 90 are disposed in the center portion in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the connecting plate portion 30. The base ends 96 are disposed opposite each other in a direction (up-down direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0048] The left-right dimension of each of the first clamping pieces 92 and the second clamping pieces 94 is larger than the left-right dimension of each of the recesses 72 in each of the first tongues 62 and the second tongues 64, and in the first embodiment, is larger than the left-right dimension of a rear portion of each of the first tongues 62 and the second tongues 64. Furthermore, each of the first clamping pieces 92 and the second clamping pieces 94 has a bent portion 98 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 98 in each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94 abut against the positions where the recesses 72 are formed in each of the first and second tongues 62, 64, both left-right end portions of each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94 abut at portions outward in the left-right direction from the recesses 72 in each of the first and second tongues 62, 64.

[0049] Furthermore, since a bent portion 98 is provided in the longitudinally intermediate portion of each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94, the protruding tip portions, including the protruding end faces 88, of each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94 extend outward in the vertical direction from the bent portion 98. Therefore, the opposing distance between the first clamping pieces 92, 92 and the second clamping pieces 94, 94, which face each other in the vertical direction, is smallest at the bent portions 98 provided in the longitudinally intermediate portions. The gap between these vertically opposing bent portions 98 is an insertion opening 100 for inserting and assembling the free ends 36 of the first and second contact spring portions 24a, 24b (each of the first and second tongue pieces 62, 64). That is, when the clip spring 34 is attached, the connecting plate portion 30 of the clip spring 34 is disposed opposite the protruding end surfaces 58 of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b, and in the first embodiment, the connecting plate portion 30 and the protruding end surfaces 58 abut against each other. When the clip spring 34 is attached, the clamping plate portions 32 of the clip spring 34 protrude from the connecting plate portion 30 in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b. The direction opposite to the protruding direction of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (from rear to front) is the attachment direction of the clip spring 34, and the direction opposite to this attachment direction (from front to rear) is the detachment direction of the clip spring 34 from the contact spring portions 24a, 24b.

[0050] <Attachment guide portion 102 and engaged portion 104> Here, the clip spring 34 has an attachment guide portion 102 that presses on each of the engaging portions 80 as the clip spring 34 is attached to each of the first and second contact spring portions 24a, 24b (each of the first and second tongues 62, 64), thereby elastically deforming each of the engaging portions 80 and allowing movement forward in the attachment direction (from rear to front) of the clip spring 34. The clip spring 34 also has engaged portions 104 that engage with each of the engaging portions 80 that have disengaged from the attachment guide portion 102. The attachment guide portion 102 and engaged portions 104 are provided integrally with the clip spring 34.

[0051] Specifically, the attachment guide portions 102 are provided on both side edges of each clamping plate portion 32 of the clip spring 34, i.e., on the outer left-right sides of each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94, in the middle portion in the front-rear direction (more specifically, the portion rearward of each bent portion 98). Thus, four attachment guide portions 102 are provided in the clip spring 34. Each of these attachment guide portions 102 is shaped to gradually protrude outward in the width direction (left-right direction) from the front side to the rear side in the attachment direction of the clip spring 34 (the direction from left to right in FIG. 11).

[0052] The clip spring 34 has recessed portions 108 that are connected to the rear end portions 106 of each mounting guide portion 102, recessed inward in the width direction (left-right direction) from the rear end portions 106, and accommodate each engaging portion 80. That is, four recessed portions 108 are provided in the clip spring 34, and in embodiment 1, each recessed portion 108 is provided so as to be open toward the rear of the clip spring 34. In particular, in embodiment 1, the engaged portions 104 are configured by first step surfaces 110 between the rear end portions 106 of each mounting guide portion 102 and each recessed portion 108, and bottom surfaces 112 of each recessed portion 108.

[0053] In a standalone state before the clip spring 34 is attached, the maximum area of ​​the clip spring 34 as projected in the front-to-rear direction is larger than the opening area of ​​the rear cylindrical portion 38 as viewed in the front-to-rear direction (the opening areas of the front opening 40 and the rear opening 42). This allows the clip spring 34 to be inserted from the rear through the rear opening 42, which serves as a clip spring insertion port, and 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 34 from the rear into the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b, the clip spring 34 is positioned behind the free ends 36 of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (the first tongues 62 and the second tongues 64), as shown in Fig. 11.

[0054] Such clip spring 34 is assembled to each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (each of the first tongues 62 and each of the second tongues 64) by being moved forward from a state in which it is positioned behind each free end portion 36 of each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (each of the first tongues 62 and each of the second tongues 64). The state in which the clip spring 34 is moved forward and assembled to each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (each of the first tongues 62 and each of the second tongues 64) will be described with reference to FIG.

[0055] 11 (white arrow R1 in FIG. 11), the free ends 36 of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (the first tongues 62 and the second tongues 64) are inserted into the insertion openings 100 of the clip spring 34. At the same time, the attachment guide portions 102 provided on the clamping plate portions 32 (the first clamping pieces 92 and the second clamping pieces 94) of the clip spring 34 come into contact with the engaging portions 80 provided on the protruding ends (free ends 36) of the first and second tongues 62, 64. Since the outward protrusion dimension of each mounting guide portion 102 gradually increases from the front to the rear, each engagement portion 80 is elastically deformed outward in the left-right direction along the inclined surface of each mounting guide portion 102 (white arrow R2 in Figure 11), and each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94 including each mounting guide portion 102 is elastically deformed inward in the left-right direction (white arrow R3 in Figure 11).

[0056] In particular, since the clip-side slits 90 are provided between the first clamping pieces 92 and the second clamping pieces 94 in each clamping plate portion 32, it is possible to easily cause elastic deformation inward in the left-right direction in each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94. Furthermore, since the spring-side slits 60 are provided in the widthwise central portions of the first and second contact spring portions 24a, 24b and divide them into the left and right first and second tongue pieces 62, 64, elastic deformation outward in the left-right direction of each engaging portion 80 does not necessarily involve elastic deformation of only each engaging portion 80, but rather each rear end side (free end portion 36 side) of each of the first and second tongue pieces 62, 64 including each engaging portion 80 may elastically deform outward in the left-right direction. In particular, as mentioned above, the widthwise dimension of each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 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 36 side) of each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 as described above.

[0057] The above-described elastic deformation of each engaging portion 80 outward in the left-right direction and the elastic deformation of each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94 inward in the left-right direction permit further forward movement of the clip spring 34. In addition, when each engaging portion 80 climbs over the rear end portions 106 of each mounting guide portion 102 and disengages from each mounting guide portion 102, the rear end portions of each of the first tongue pieces 62 and second tongue pieces 64, including each engaging portion 80, and each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94 elastically deform to their original state (elastic return). 2 and other figures, each engaging portion 80 engages with each engaged portion 104 formed by each first step surface 110 and the bottom surface 112 of each recessed portion 108, and the clip spring 34 is attached in a state in which each of the first and second contact spring portions 24a, 24b (each of the first and second tongue pieces 62, 64) is disposed between each clamping plate portion 32 (each of the first clamping piece 92 and each of the second clamping piece 94). As a result, each engaging portion 80 is engaged with each engaged portion 104, thereby preventing displacement of the clip spring 34 in a direction away from each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (from front to rear).

[0058] In particular, in embodiment 1, when each engaging portion 80 is engaged with each engaged portion 104, each engaging portion 80 protrudes outward in the vertical direction beyond each clamping plate portion 32 (each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94) of the clip spring 34.

[0059] Further, forward movement of the clip spring 34 relative to each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (each of the first and second tongues 62, 64) is restricted by the rear end portions (each of the free end portions 36) of each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 abutting against the connecting plate portion 30 of the clip spring 34. Here, the opening dimension (vertical dimension) of each insertion port 100 of the clip spring 34 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 36 of each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (each of the first tongues 62 and each of the second tongues 64). As a result, when the clip spring 34 is attached to the contact spring portions 24a, 24b and the inner surfaces of the bent portions 98 are placed on the outer surfaces of the first and second tongues 62, 64, the inner surfaces of the bent portions 98 come into zero-touch contact with the first and second tongues 62, 64, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. As a result, when the clip spring 34 is attached to the contact spring portions 24a, 24b, the front ends of the clamping plates 32 do not spread in the expansion direction (outward in the vertical direction), and therefore no urging force is generated inward in the vertical direction by the clamping plates 32. Therefore, even when the clip spring 34 is attached, the contact spring portions 24a, 24b do not elastically deform inward in the opposing direction.

[0060] 10 , before the clip spring 34 is attached, the rear end portions of the first and second tongues 62, 64 extend in the front-rear direction and are generally parallel to each other. Therefore, even when the clip spring 34 is attached to the rear end portions of the first and second tongues 62, 64, the first and second tongues 62, 64 do not elastically deform inward in the opposing directions, and the rear end portions of the first and second tongues 62, 64 extend generally straight in the front-rear direction. As a result, before the clip spring 34 is attached, the free ends 36 extend in the front-rear direction, and the protruding end faces 58 of the first and second tongues 62, 64 widen in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. Therefore, when each protruding end face 58 abuts against the connecting plate portion 30 to restrict the forward movement of the clip spring 34, each protruding end face 58 abuts against the connecting plate portion 30 over almost the entire surface, thereby more reliably restricting the forward movement of the clip spring 34.

[0061] Furthermore, because the inner surfaces of the bent portions 98 abut against the first and second tongues 62, 64 in a zero-touch manner, even after the clip spring 34 is attached, when a male terminal 12 is not inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 22, the clamping plate portions 32 of the clip spring 34 are not pushed outward in the opposing direction and are not elastically deformed. Therefore, the elastic restoring force associated with this elastic deformation is not applied to the contact spring portions 24a, 24b as a biasing force in a direction toward each other. Therefore, after the clip spring 34 is attached and before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the contact spring portions 24a, 24b are not elastically deformed inward in the opposing direction, and the rear portions of the first and second tongues 62, 64 extend in the front-to-rear direction.

[0062] The method for restricting the forward movement of the clip spring 34 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and for example, protrusions may be provided on each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 that protrude outward in the vertical direction, or on each of the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b that protrude inward in the vertical direction, so that the front end portion (e.g., each protruding end face 88) of the clip spring 34 that moves forward abuts against the protrusions, thereby restricting the forward movement of the clip spring 34.

[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 female terminal body 18. At this time, the rear tubular portion 38 is stably formed by crimping each crimping piece 48 (the central crimping piece 48a and each end crimping piece 48b), and the female terminal body 18 is maintained in a predetermined shape. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10, the clip spring 34 is disposed behind the female terminal body 18, and inserted into the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b through the rear opening 42 (clip spring insertion opening) and the inner hole of the rear tubular portion 38. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the clip spring 34 is positioned behind the free ends 36 of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (each of the first and second tongues 62, 64) in the gap 26 between the upper and lower support plate portions 28a, 28b.

[0065] 11, the clip spring 34 is moved forward, and the free ends 36 of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (the first and second tongues 62, 64) are inserted into the insertion openings 100. As a result, the engaging portions 80 come into contact with the mounting guide portions 102, and the mounting guide portions 102 press against the engaging portions 80, causing the engaging portions 80 (or the rear portions of the first and second tongues 62, 64) to elastically deform outward in the left-right direction, and the first and second clamping portions 92, 94 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 62, 64 is reduced and the clip-side slits 90 are formed to extend to the connecting plate portion 30, the elastic deformation can be stably generated. As a result, clip spring 34 is permitted to move further forward, and each engaging portion 80 (or the rear portions of each of first and second tongue pieces 62, 64) and each of first and second clamping pieces 92, 94 elastically restores its original shape, and each engaging portion 80 engages with each engaged portion 104. In this way, clip spring 34 is assembled to female terminal body 18, and the female terminal 10 of embodiment 1 is completed.

[0066] The clip spring 34 can be attached to the contact spring portions 24a, 24b as described above by manually or mechanically by holding the clip spring 34 with a jig (not shown), for example. Since the clip spring 34 is inserted through the rear cylindrical portion 38, the attachment can be performed using the rear cylindrical portion 38, which is generally rectangular in rear view, as a guide or mark. In particular, the base ends 96 of the clip-side slits 90 of the clip spring 34 are located on the connecting plate portion 30, and the attachment can be performed by holding the base ends 96 located on the connecting plate portion 30 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 22 through the male terminal insertion opening 20 and press-fitted between the opposing surfaces of the first contact portions 66 and second contact portions 68 provided on the first and second tongues 62, 64 of each contact spring portion 24a, 24b. As a result, as also shown in Figures 3, 5, 6, etc., the first and second contact portions 66, 68 come into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, and the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (the first tongues 62, 62 and the second tongues 64, 64) are pushed apart in directions separating them from each other.

[0069] Then, the bent portions 70 of the first and second tongues 62, 64 that have been spread outward in the vertical direction abut against the bent portions 98 of the clip spring 34 from the inside in the vertical direction, causing the clamping plates 32 (the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94) to elastically deform outward in the vertical direction. The elastic restoring force of the clamping plates 32 (the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94) clamps the free ends 36 of the first and second tongues 62, 64 by the clamping plates 32 (the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94), and urges the first and second tongues 62, 64 in directions toward each other. As a result, the first contact portions 66 and the second contact portions 68 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 24a and the second contact spring portion 24b. 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 24a and the second contact spring portion 24b but also each clamping plate portion 32 of the clip spring 34 is pushed outward in the vertical direction, and each first contact portion 66 and each second contact portion 68 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 24a and the second contact spring portion 24b but also by the elastic restoring force of each clamping plate portion 32.

[0071] In particular, in the first embodiment, the first and second contact spring portions 24a, 24b are each divided in the left-right direction into first tongues 62 and second tongues 64, and each clamping plate portion 32 is each divided in the left-right direction into first clamping pieces 92 and second clamping pieces 94. Therefore, between a pair of first clamping pieces 92, 92 arranged opposite to each other in the vertical direction, the pair of opposed first tongues 62, 62 are clamped by each of the first clamping pieces 92 with the male terminal 12 sandwiched therebetween, and between a pair of second clamping pieces 94, 94 arranged opposite to each other in the vertical direction, the pair of opposed second tongues 64, 64 are clamped by each of the second clamping pieces 94 with the male terminal 12 sandwiched therebetween.

[0072] According to the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment, the contact spring portions 24a, 24b of the female terminal body 18 are provided with engaging portions 80, and the clip spring 34 is provided with engaged portions 104, and the engaging portions 80 engage with the engaged portions 104 to prevent the clip spring 34 from falling off. This makes it possible to prevent the clip spring 34 from falling off without providing a separate member for preventing the clip spring from falling off, and avoids an increase in the number of parts.

[0073] Furthermore, before the clip spring 34 is attached, the male terminal insertion gap 22 provided between the opposing contact spring portions 24a, 24b has a predetermined size, with the opposing gap between the contact portions 66, 68 being B, while the opposing gap between the tip extension portions 74 behind the contact portions 66, 68 being A, which is larger than B. The inner surfaces of the bent portions 98 of the clip spring 34 are adapted to abut against the outer surfaces of the first and second tongues 62, 64 in a zero-touch manner. As a result, even after the clip spring 34 is attached to the contact spring portions 24a, 24b, the aforementioned opposing gap B between the contact portions 66, 68 and the opposing gap A between the tip extension portions 74 are maintained. Therefore, with the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment, the clip spring 34 can be easily attached to the female terminal body 18, and the male terminal insertion gap 22 can be maintained at a predetermined size even after the clip spring 34 is attached, thereby reducing the insertion resistance of the male terminal 12. In particular, the size of the opposing gap B between the contact portions 66, 68 is made smaller than the plate thickness dimension C of the male terminal 12, and when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 22, the opposing gap between the contact portions 66, 68 is expanded to the size of C, and the opposing gap between the tip extension portions 74 becomes larger than C. As a result, the male terminal 12 can abut only at the contact portions 66, 68, making it easy to manage and adjust the contact pressure.

[0074] The tip extensions 74 of the first and second tongues 62, 64 extend parallel to each other, and the protruding end faces 58 of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b are in contact with the connecting plate portion 30 of the clip spring 34 over substantially the entire surface. As a result, for example, when attaching the clip spring 34 to the first and second tongues 62, 64, the protruding end faces 58 come into contact with the connecting plate portion 30, thereby restricting forward displacement of the clip spring 34. In particular, because the protruding end faces 58 and the connecting plate portion 30 can be in surface contact with each other, forward displacement of the clip spring 34 can be more reliably restricted.

[0075] Each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (each of the first and second tongue portions 62, 64) has an engaging portion 80, and each of the clamping plate portions 32 (each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94) of the clip spring 34 has each of the mounting guide portions 102 and each of the engaged portions 104 corresponding to each of the engaging portions 80. As a result, as described above, each of the first and second tongue portions 62, 64 and each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94 elastically deforms in the plate width direction, causing each of the engaging portions 80 to climb over each of the mounting guide portions 102, and each of the engaging portions 80 that have disengaged from each of the mounting guide portions 102 engages with each of the engaged portions 104, thereby assembling each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b and the clip spring 34.

[0076] In particular, clip-side slits 90 are provided between the first clamping pieces 92 and the second clamping pieces 94 in the opposing direction, and these clip-side slits 90 extend beyond the clamping plate portions 32 to the connecting plate portion 30. As a result, the first clamping pieces 92 and the second clamping pieces 94 are easily elastically deformed inward in the opposing direction, making it easier to disengage the engaging portions 80 from the mounting guide portions 102 and to engage the engaging portions 80 with the engaged portions 104. Therefore, as disclosed herein, by positioning the base end portions 96 of the clip-side slits 90 on the connecting plate portion 30, it is possible to improve the ease of assembling the clip spring 34 to the contact spring portions 24a, 24b. Furthermore, since each first clamping piece 92 and each second clamping piece 94 can be easily elastically deformed inward in the opposing direction, when assembling the clip spring 34 to each contact spring portion 24a, 24b, for example, the clip spring 34 does not need to be pushed forward with a relatively strong force, and buckling deformation of each of the first and second tongue pieces 62, 64 can be prevented.

[0077] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the base end 96 of each clip-side slit 90 extends to the connecting plate portion 30, and therefore the clip spring 34 can be held between the base ends 96 by a jig (not shown). That is, by positioning the base end 96 of each clip-side slit 90 on the connecting plate portion 30 as in the present disclosure, the central portion of the connecting plate portion 30 in the left-right direction can be held, and compared to when work is performed by holding both left and right ends of the connecting plate portion with a jig, for example, the jig can be prevented from coming into contact with the female terminal 10 (particularly the rear tubular portion 38), and thus the rear tubular portion 38 can also be made smaller.

[0078] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the rear portion of each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 has a smaller width dimension than the front portion. This allows the weight of each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 to be reduced, and when assembling the clip spring 34 to each of the first and second tongues 62, 64, the rear portions of each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 can be easily elastically deformed outward in the opposing direction (left-right direction). This also improves the ease of assembling the clip spring 34 to each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b, and prevents buckling deformation of each of the first and second tongues 62, 64.

[0079] The female terminal body 18 constituting the male terminal mounting portion 16 has a rear opening 42 at the other end (rear end) thereof as a clip spring insertion port, and the clip spring 34 can be inserted into the female terminal body 18 through this rear opening 42 to attach the clip spring 34 to each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b. That is, in the conventional structure, the clip spring must be inserted into the female terminal body from the side and pushed forward, but according to the female terminal 10 of the present disclosure, the clip spring 34 can be attached to each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b by pushing the clip spring 34 forward through the rear clip spring insertion port (rear opening 42). As a result, the ease of assembling the clip spring 34 to each of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b and therefore the manufacturing efficiency of the female terminal 10 can be improved.

[0080] <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.

[0081] (1) In the above embodiment, when the clip spring 34 is attached and before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the inner surfaces (vertical inner surfaces) of the bent portions 98 of the clip spring 34 abut against the outer surfaces (vertical outer surfaces) of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (first and second tongues 62, 64) in a zero-touch manner, but this is not limited to this. For example, as in the female terminal 120 shown in Fig. 13, when the clip spring 122 is attached and before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the inner surfaces of the bent portions 98 of the clip spring 122 may have a slight gap 124 with respect to the outer surfaces of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (first and second tongues 62, 64). That is, when no male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 22, the clip spring 122 attached to each contact spring portion 24a, 24b may be displaceable in the opposing direction (up and down direction) of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b. In this case, the clip spring 122 is attached to each contact spring portion 24a, 24b (each of the first and second tongues 62, 64) with a certain amount of play, allowing it to move freely to a certain extent. This allows the clip spring 122 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. In addition, providing the gap 124 further reduces insertion resistance, thereby suppressing contact wear and improving the stability of electrical connection between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 120.

[0082] (2) In the above embodiment, the engaging portion 80 was provided on each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 of each contact spring portion 24a, 24b. 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 104 was provided on each of the first and second clamping pieces 92, 94 of each clamping plate portion 32. 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.

[0083] (3) In the above embodiment, the rear of the recessed portion 108 in the clip spring 34 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, and to change the shape of the clip spring depending on the insertion depth of the male terminal.

[0084] (4) In the above embodiment, the female terminal body 18 is formed by bending a single metal plate and is fixed by crimping at the crimping portion 46, but this is not limited to this. For example, the upper and lower support plate portions may be arranged opposite each other with a gap between them and fixed by welding or bolts. Alternatively, a contact spring portion formed separately from the support plate portion may be fixed to the front end of the support plate portion. In this case, the member to which the contact spring portion is fixed does not need to be plate-shaped and may be, for example, cylindrical.

[0085] (5) In the above embodiment, the spring portion-side slit 60 is provided in the widthwise center of each contact spring portion 24a, 24b, dividing it into two tongues, each of the first tongues 62 and the second tongues 64, and the clip portion-side slit 90 is provided in the widthwise center of each clamping plate portion 32, 32, dividing it into two clamping pieces, each of the first clamping pieces 92 and the second clamping pieces 94. 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.

[0086] (6) 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.

[0087] (7) In the above embodiment, the widthwise dimension of each of the first and second tongues 62, 64 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.

[0088] (8) In the above embodiment, the engaging portions 80 are provided on each of the first tongues 62 and the second tongues 64, and the first clamping pieces 92 and the second clamping pieces 94 are provided with the engaged portions 104 corresponding to the engaging portions 80. However, an attachment guide portion and an engaged portion may be provided on the tongue side, and an engaging 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 attachment guide portion and the engaged portion are provided are elastically deformed inward in the left-right direction, and the clamping pieces on which the engaging 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.

[0089] (9) In the above embodiment, the base end 96 of each clip-side slit 90 provided in the clip spring 34 was located on the connecting plate 30 beyond each clamping plate 32, but this is not limited to this, and the base end of the clip-side slit may be located in the middle of the clamping plate in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction). Also, in the above embodiment, the clip spring 34 was inserted into the female terminal body 18 from the rear through the rear opening 42, which is the clip spring insertion port, but as in Patent Document 1, the clip spring 34 may be inserted from the side of the female terminal body and then displaced forward to be attached to each contact spring portion.

[0090] (10) In the above embodiment, the tip extensions 74 of the contact spring portions 24a, 24b (first and second tongues 62, 64) extend in the front-rear direction and are parallel to each other, but this is not limited to this. In the female terminal according to the present disclosure, it is sufficient that the opposing gap in the vertical direction of the tip extensions in the male terminal insertion gap is larger than the opposing gap in the vertical direction of the contact portions. That is, for example, the tip extensions may be gradually curved or bent outward in the vertical direction toward the protruding tip (free end), or each tip extension may be gradually widened toward the protruding tip. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 10 Female terminal (embodiment 1) 12 male terminal 14 Terminal Unit 16 Male terminal mounting part 18 Female terminal body 20 Male terminal insertion port 22 Male terminal insertion gap 24 Contact spring part 24a First contact spring part 24b Second contact spring part 26 Gap 28 Support plate part 28a Upper support plate part 28b Lower support plate part 30 Connecting plate part 32 Holding plate part 34 Clip spring 36 Free end 38 Rear cylindrical part 40 Front opening 42 Rear opening (clip spring insertion port) 44 Peripheral wall section 46 Crimping part 48 Crimping piece 48a Central crimping piece 48b End crimping piece 50 Rear extension 52 Bolt insertion hole 54 Curved section 56 Opposite surface 56a 1st facing surface 56b Second opposing surface 58 (Protruding end face of contact spring part) 60 Spring side slit 62 First tongue piece 64 Second tongue piece 66 First contact part 68 Second contact part 70 Bend 72 recess 74 Tip extension 76 (opposing direction of first tongue and second tongue) inner surface 78 (facing direction of first tongue and second tongue) Outer surface 80 Engagement part 82 Outward protrusion 84 Flat surface 88 (Clip plate) protruding end surface 90 Clip side slit 92 1st clamping piece 94 Second clamping piece 96 Proximal end 98 Bent part 100 socket 102 Mounting guide 104 Engaged part 106 Rear end 108 Recess 110 1st step surface 112 bottom 120 Female terminal (Fig. 13) 122 Clip spring 124 Gap

Claims

1. a male terminal mounting portion into which a male terminal is inserted for electrical connection; The male terminal mounting portion is 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 having 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, the pair of contact spring portions being disposed and attached between the pair of clamping plate portions, and urging the contact spring portions in directions approaching each other when the male terminal is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap; the clip spring does not apply a biasing force in the approaching direction to the contact spring portion when the male terminal is not inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, the pair of contact spring portions each have opposing surfaces that face each other across the male terminal insertion gap, and the opposing surfaces include a contact portion that protrudes toward the male terminal insertion gap and a tip extension portion that extends from the contact portion toward a protruding end, In the opposing direction of the contact spring portions, the male terminal insertion gap is smaller than the plate thickness dimension of the male terminal between the contact portions, and the opposing gap of the tip extension portions is larger than the opposing gap of the contact portions.

2. 2. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein when the male terminal is not inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, the tip extension portions of the pair of contact spring portions extend parallel to each other across the male terminal insertion gap, and the protruding end faces of the contact spring portions contact the connecting plate portion of the clip spring.

3. At least one of the pair of contact spring portions has an engaging portion integrally formed therewith, 3. A female terminal as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the clip spring integrally has an attachment guide portion that presses the engaging portion as the clip spring is attached to the contact spring portion, allowing the clip spring to move forward in the attachment direction, and an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion that has detached from the attachment guide portion, and the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion prevents the clip spring from displacing in the direction of detachment from the contact spring portion.

4. the male terminal mounting portion has a clip spring insertion opening provided on the other end side and arranged opposite the male terminal insertion opening, 3. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the clip spring has a size that allows it to be inserted through the clip spring insertion opening.

5. 3. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein when the male terminal is not inserted into the male terminal insertion gap, the clip spring assembled to the pair of contact spring portions is displaceable in the opposing direction of the pair of contact spring portions.

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