Female contact

Abstract

We disclose a female contact that can improve the contact pressure of the contact spring portion to the male contact with a simple structure while suppressing an increase in size. [Solution] The female contact 10 comprises a cylindrical body portion 12, opposing peripheral walls 22 separated by an insertion gap 20, and a contact spring portion 26 that is pressed against the male contact 16. The contact spring portion 26 has a first leaf spring portion 68 that contacts the male contact 16 while extending from one end 14 to the other end 27 of the cylindrical body portion 12, and a second leaf spring portion 74 that is connected to the first leaf spring portion 68 via a U-turn bent portion 72 and protrudes from the other end 27 to the one end 14. The tip portion 78 of the second leaf spring portion 74 is supported by the inner surface 24 of the opposing peripheral wall 22. The opposing peripheral wall 22 is provided with a displacement allowance space 52 that allows the free end side of the contact spring portion 26, including the U-turn bent portion 72 pressed against the male contact 16, to be displaced further away from the insertion gap 20 than the inner surface 24.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to female contacts. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a female contact to which a flat male contact is connected. The female contact includes a cylindrical main body portion having an insertion port at one end into which the male contact is inserted, and a contact spring portion that protrudes inward from the cylindrical main body portion and presses against the male contact inserted inward from the insertion port. In the female contact of Patent Document 1, the contact spring portion includes a first leaf spring portion held in a cantilever shape by the cylindrical main body portion, and a second leaf spring portion connected via a close contact folding portion folded back in a close contact state at the tip of the first leaf spring portion. When the first leaf spring portion is pressed against the male contact inserted from the insertion port, the tip portion of the second leaf spring portion slides on the bottom plate of the cylindrical main body portion. At this time, the second leaf spring portion assists the spring force of the first leaf spring portion, and the total spring force of the first leaf spring portion and the second leaf spring portion contributes to the contact pressure against the male contact. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-34330 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] Incidentally, in the female contact described in Patent Document 1, the connection between the first leaf spring portion and the second leaf spring portion is made into a tightly folded portion to reduce the size of the female contact. However, this requires a process to tightly bring the U-shaped folded portions together, which inherently presents challenges such as an increase in manufacturing processes and increased manufacturing costs. Furthermore, in order to favorably generate the spring force of the second leaf spring portion when the second leaf spring portion is pressed against the first leaf spring portion, it is necessary to ensure rigidity by doubling the bottom plate on which the tip of the second leaf spring portion slides. Therefore, there were limitations to reducing the size of the female contact.

[0005] Therefore, we disclose a female contact that can improve the contact pressure of the contact spring portion to the male contact with a simple structure while suppressing an increase in size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The female contact of this disclosure comprises a cylindrical body portion having an insertion opening at one end into which a male contact is inserted; a pair of opposing peripheral walls constituting the cylindrical body portion and arranged opposite to each other with respect to the insertion gap into which the male contact is inserted; and a contact spring portion held in a cantilevered manner on the inner surface of at least one of the opposing peripheral walls and pressed against the male contact inserted into the insertion gap, wherein the base end of the contact spring portion is fixed to the inner surface on the one end side of the opposing peripheral wall and protrudes in a cantilevered manner toward the other end side of the cylindrical body portion toward the insertion gap The device comprises a first leaf spring portion that contacts the male contact, and a second leaf spring portion connected to the tip of the first leaf spring portion via a U-shaped bend, and protruding from the other end toward the one end, wherein the tip of the second leaf spring portion is supported on the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall to which the base end of the first leaf spring portion is fixed, and the opposing peripheral wall is provided with a displacement-allowing space that allows the free end side of the contact spring portion, including the U-shaped bend, which is pressed against the male contact, to be displaced toward the side further away from the insertion gap than the inner surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The female contact of this disclosure makes it possible to improve the contact pressure of the contact spring portion to the male contact with a simple structure while suppressing an increase in size. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the female contact according to Embodiment 1 in the state of insertion of the male contact. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view of the female contact shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the III-III section in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the IV-IV section in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the female contact shown in Figure 1, taken from the back side, before insertion of the male contact. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female contact shown in Figure 5, and corresponds to Figure 3. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the VII-VII section in Figure 6. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] <Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure> First, embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. The female contact in this disclosure is (1) A cylindrical body portion having an insertion opening at one end into which a male contact is inserted; a pair of opposing peripheral walls constituting the cylindrical body portion and arranged opposite to each other with respect to the insertion gap into which the male contact is inserted; and a contact spring portion held in a cantilever shape on the inner surface of at least one of the opposing peripheral walls and pressed against the male contact inserted into the insertion gap, wherein the base end of the contact spring portion is fixed to the inner surface on the one end side of the opposing peripheral wall and protrudes in a cantilever shape toward the other end side of the cylindrical body portion toward the insertion gap and presses against the male contact The device comprises a first leaf spring portion that contacts the tact, and a second leaf spring portion connected to the tip of the first leaf spring portion via a U-shaped bend, and protruding from the other end toward the one end, wherein the tip of the second leaf spring portion is supported on the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall to which the base end of the first leaf spring portion is fixed, and the opposing peripheral wall is provided with a displacement-allowing space that allows the free end side of the contact spring portion, including the U-shaped bend, which is pressed against the male contact, to be displaced toward the side further away from the insertion gap than the inner surface.

[0010] In the female contact of this disclosure, a contact spring portion is provided, cantilevered on the inner surface of at least one of a pair of opposing peripheral walls constituting the cylindrical main body. A displacement-allowing space provided in the opposing peripheral wall allows the free end side of the contact spring portion, including the U-turned bend, which is pressed against the male contact, to be displaced toward the side further away from the insertion gap than the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall. That is, with the tip of the second spring portion supported on the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall to which the base end of the first spring portion is fixed, the displacement-allowing space allows the free end side, including the U-turned bend, to be displaced beyond the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall and further away from the insertion gap. As a result, large elastic deformation of the free end side, including the U-turned bend, can be released into the displacement-allowing space without being prevented, and a large spring force can be generated in the contact spring portion. This eliminates the need to double the base plate to improve the spring force of the contact spring, as in conventional structures, thus improving the contact pressure of the contact spring to the male contact while suppressing an increase in size. Moreover, since the need to double the base plate as in conventional structures is eliminated, it is not necessary to employ a process of bringing the U-shaped folded parts into close contact with each other in order to achieve miniaturization, as in conventional structures. This allows for a simple structure that simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces manufacturing costs, while improving the contact pressure of the contact spring to the male contact while suppressing an increase in size. The tip of the second leaf spring may be slidably supported on the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall.

[0011] (2) In (1) above, it is preferable that the central part of the second leaf spring portion in the longitudinal direction constitutes a convex curved portion that protrudes toward the insertion gap side. Since the central part of the second leaf spring portion in the longitudinal direction is provided with a convex curved portion that protrudes toward the insertion gap side, when the first leaf spring portion comes into contact with the male contact and is pushed down, it is possible to exert a large assisting force that pushes the first leaf spring portion toward the male contact side, thereby improving the contact pressure of the contact spring portion toward the male contact. Furthermore, even when the tip of the second leaf spring portion is slidably supported on the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall, the presence of the convex curved portion prevents the tip of the second leaf spring portion from detaching from the opposing peripheral wall and falling into the displacement-allowable space. Therefore, even when the male contact is repeatedly inserted into and removed from the female contact, a stable contact pressure of the female contact toward the male contact can be maintained.

[0012] (3) In (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the contact spring portion is held in a cantilevered manner on the inner surfaces of both of the pair of opposing peripheral walls, and that the pair of contact spring portions is pressed against the male contact inserted into the insertion gap from both sides of the pair of opposing peripheral walls, and that the displacement-allowing space is provided on both of the pair of opposing peripheral walls, and that the free end side of the contact spring portion, including the U-turn bent portion that is pressed against the male contact, is allowed to be displaced toward the side further away from the insertion gap than the inner surface. Since a pair of contact spring portions is provided on the inner surfaces of the pair of opposing peripheral walls that are arranged opposite each other with an insertion gap in between into which the male contact is inserted, the number of contacts to the male contact can be easily increased, and the contact resistance of the female contact can be reduced. Moreover, since the displacement of the free end side of the pair of contact spring portions held on each of the pair of opposing peripheral walls is allowed by the displacement-allowing space, it is possible to improve the contact pressure of the contact spring portion to the male contact while suppressing an increase in size compared to conventional structures.

[0013] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the displacement-allowable space is formed by a through hole that penetrates the opposing peripheral wall in the plate thickness direction. Since the displacement-allowable space can be formed by a through hole that penetrates the opposing peripheral wall in the plate thickness direction, the cylindrical body portion including the displacement-allowable space can be manufactured with better workability and dimensional accuracy compared to the case in which a concave portion opening to the inner surface is formed in the opposing peripheral wall to form the displacement-allowable space.

[0014] (5) In any one of (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that a displacement-restricting projection is provided on the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall to interfere with the male contact inserted into the insertion gap and restrict excessive displacement of the male contact. Since the displacement-restricting projection provided on the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall interferes with the male contact and restricts excessive displacement of the male contact, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as damage to the contact spring portion due to excessive displacement of the male contact, and the durability of the female contact can be improved.

[0015] (6) In any one of (1) to (5) above, it is preferable that an interference prevention projection is provided on the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall, protruding toward the insertion gap side from the fixing portion of the base end of the first leaf spring portion to the inner surface, thereby preventing interference between the male contact inserted into the insertion gap and the fixing portion. The interference prevention projection provided on the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall prevents the male contact from interfering with the fixing portion (crimping fixing portion, etc.) to the inner surface of the first leaf spring portion, thereby preventing mutual interference when inserting the male contact into the female contact and preventing the occurrence of problems such as damage to the contact spring portion, and improving the durability of the female contact.

[0016] (7) In any one of the above (1) to (6), the contact spring portion is divided into a plurality of independently displaceable divided spring pieces by a plurality of slits penetrating the first leaf spring portion, the U-turn-shaped bent portion, and the second leaf spring portion, and each of the divided spring pieces has a divided first leaf spring portion into which the first leaf spring portion is divided, a divided bent portion into which the U-turn-shaped bent portion is divided, and a divided second leaf spring portion into which the second leaf spring portion is divided. This is preferable. The contact spring portion is divided into a plurality of divided spring pieces, and each divided spring piece has a divided first leaf spring portion, a divided bent portion, and a divided second leaf spring portion. Thereby, even when the male contact rotates and displaces, the first leaf spring portion of each divided spring piece that is independently displaceable can follow the displacement of the male contact and maintain the contact state. Moreover, since the displacement of each divided spring piece to the side away from the insertion gap on the free end side is allowed by the displacement allowance space, a large contact pressure is ensured, ensuring a reliable contact pressure for multiple contacts and improving the followability to the male contact. In addition, since a plurality of divided spring pieces are provided, even if the tip of the second leaf spring portion of some of the divided spring pieces falls off from the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall into the displacement allowance space, the contact pressure to the male terminal can be advantageously maintained by the other plurality of divided spring pieces.

[0017] <Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> Specific examples of the female contact of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, and is intended to be shown by the claims and to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0018] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, the female contact 10 of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. This female contact 10 includes a cylindrical main body portion 12, and an insertion port 18 into which the male contact 16 is inserted is provided at one end portion 14 of the cylindrical main body portion 12. When the male contact 16 is inserted into the insertion port 18 in the cylindrical main body portion 12, the female contact 10 and the male contact 16 are electrically contacted. In the vehicle, the female contact 10 can be arranged in any orientation. Hereinafter, the upper direction refers to the upper side in FIG. 3, the lower direction refers to the lower side in FIG. 3, the left direction refers to the upper side in FIG. 2, the right direction refers to the lower side in FIG. 2, the front direction refers to the left side in FIG. 2, and the rear direction refers to the right side in FIG. 2. For a plurality of identical members, only some of the members may be labeled with reference numerals, and the reference numerals may be omitted for other members.

[0019] <Female contact 10> The female contact 10 of Embodiment 1 includes a cylindrical main body portion 12 provided with an insertion port 18 into which the male contact 16 is inserted at one end portion 14, and a pair of opposing peripheral walls 22, 22 that constitute the cylindrical main body portion 12 and are arranged to face each other with an insertion gap 20 into which the male contact 16 is inserted therebetween. Further, the female contact 10 includes a contact spring portion 26 that is held in a cantilever shape on the inner surface 24 of at least one of the opposing peripheral walls 22 and is pressed against the male contact 16 inserted into the insertion gap 20. As will be described later, this contact spring portion 26 includes a first leaf spring portion 68, a U-turn-shaped bent portion 72, and a second leaf spring portion 74. On the inner surface 24 of the opposing peripheral wall 22, the first leaf spring portion 68 is provided so as to project from the one end portion 14 side toward the other end portion 27 side in the cylindrical main body portion 12, and the second leaf spring portion 74 is provided so as to project from the other end portion 27 side toward the one end portion 14 side.

[0020] <Cylindrical main body portion 12> The cylindrical body portion 12 is cylindrical in shape with an internal hole (insertion gap 20) that penetrates in the front-to-back direction as a whole, and is made of a metal with excellent conductivity such as copper (including copper alloys) or aluminum (including aluminum alloys). In Embodiment 1, the cylindrical body portion 12 is formed by press-forming a single metal plate into a predetermined shape. As shown in Figure 4, the cross-sectional shape of the insertion gap 20 is substantially rectangular, and the cylindrical body portion 12 comprises a pair of opposing peripheral walls 22, 22 that are separated from each other in the vertical direction across the insertion gap 20, and a right-side wall portion 28 that covers the right side of the insertion gap 20. In addition, a crimping fixing piece 30 is provided on the left side of the insertion gap 20 to hold the metal plate in a pressed state. The crimping fixing piece 30 is provided with a rearward projection portion 31 that protrudes to the rear.

[0021] Specifically, one opposing peripheral wall 22 (upper opposing peripheral wall 22a) is formed by one end in the longitudinal direction of a single metal plate, and the other opposing peripheral wall 22 (lower opposing peripheral wall 22b) is formed by the other end in the longitudinal direction of a single metal plate that has been folded back via the folded portion 32. Furthermore, the crimping fixing piece 30 extends from the lower opposing peripheral wall 22b, and this crimping fixing piece 30 suppresses the displacement of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a and the lower opposing peripheral wall 22b in the opening direction. The opening on the side of one end 14 (rear end) of the cylindrical body portion 12 (insertion gap 20) thus formed a cylindrical shape, and this opening constitutes the insertion port 18 for the male contact 16. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, a wire connection portion 34 is provided continuously with respect to the cylindrical body portion 12. The core wire, which has had its insulation coating stripped off at the end of a wire (not shown) to expose it, is fixed to the wire connection portion 34 by means of, for example, welding or adhesive.

[0022] More specifically, the right side wall portion 28 extends from the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a and connects to the upper wire connection portion 34a which constitutes the wire connection portion 34, and the lower wire connection portion 34b extends from the lower opposing peripheral wall 22b, and these upper wire connection portion 34a and lower wire connection portion 34b are connected at their respective rear ends by a folded portion 32. The upper wire connection portion 34a and lower wire connection portion 34b, folded back by the folded portion 32, are joined by overlapping each other in the vertical direction, thereby forming the wire connection portion 34. The method of joining these upper wire connection portion 34a and lower wire connection portion 34b is not limited, but in Embodiment 1, a through hole 36 that penetrates in the thickness direction (vertical direction) is formed in the upper wire connection portion 34a, and a fitting projection 38 that protrudes upward is formed in the lower wire connection portion 34b. Then, when the fitting projection 38 is inserted into the through hole 36 and fitted together, the upper wire connection portion 34a and the lower wire connection portion 34b are fixed to each other in an overlapping state.

[0023] <Male contact lens 16> The male contact 16 in Embodiment 1 is tab-shaped and has an overall rectangular flat plate shape. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the male contact 16 is composed of a male contact body 40 and an insulating member 42 attached to the male contact body 40. The male contact body 40 has an overall rectangular flat plate shape extending in the front-rear direction and is made of a metal with excellent conductivity. The front end portion of the male contact body 40 is provided with a tip projection 44 that protrudes forward. On the other hand, the insulating member 42 is a frame shape that covers the front and both sides of the male contact body 40 and is made of synthetic resin. The front portion 46 of the insulating member 42 has a smaller thickness dimension (vertical dimension) than the left and right side portions 48, 48, and the thickness dimension of the front portion 46 is approximately equal to the thickness dimension of the male contact body 40. That is, each of the left and right side portions 48 of the insulating member 42 protrudes vertically in both directions more than the male contact body 40 and the front portion 46.

[0024] Furthermore, the front portion 46 of the insulating member 42 has a receiving recess 50 that opens towards the rear, into which the tip protrusion 44 is accommodated. By inserting the tip protrusion 44 into the receiving recess 50, the insulating member 42 is attached to the male contact body 40. As a result, the front and both sides of the male contact body 40 are covered by the insulating member 42, while the upper and lower surfaces of the male contact body 40 are exposed and not covered by the insulating member 42.

[0025] <Opposing peripheral wall 22 (upper opposing peripheral wall 22a and lower opposing peripheral wall 22b)> Since the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a and the lower opposing peripheral wall 22b have similar shapes, the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a will be described below, and the lower opposing peripheral wall 22b will be given the same reference numeral as the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, thus omitting its description.

[0026] The upper opposing peripheral wall 22a is generally rectangular in shape, and a displacement-allowing space 52 extending in the left-right direction is formed in the middle portion of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a in the front-rear direction. This displacement-allowing space 52 opens into the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, and in Embodiment 1, it is composed of a through hole that penetrates the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a in the plate thickness direction. The displacement-allowing space 52 has a predetermined left-right dimension and is formed in the middle portion of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a in the left-right direction, not reaching either end in the left-right direction. In addition, a left-side projection 53 is formed at the left end of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, which protrudes to the left and abuts and engages with the aforementioned rear projection 31 when a single metal plate is bent to form the cylindrical main body portion 12.

[0027] Furthermore, displacement restricting protrusions 54 are provided protruding from the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, which interfere with the male contact 16 inserted into the insertion gap 20 and restrict excessive displacement of the male contact 16. In Embodiment 1, multiple displacement restricting protrusions 54 are provided on the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, and as shown in Figures 5 and 7, each displacement restricting protrusion 54 is substantially rectangular in plan view (projection in the vertical direction). In particular, in Embodiment 1, three displacement restricting protrusions 54 are provided in front of the displacement-allowable space 52 on the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and two displacement restricting protrusions 54 are provided at the rear end of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Each displacement restricting protrusion 54 is formed by press working, and recesses 58 are formed on the outer surface 56 (upper surface) of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a at positions corresponding to each displacement restricting protrusion 54. Furthermore, at the rear end of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, a rearward opening recess 60 is formed between each displacement restricting projection 54 in the left-right direction, opening to the rear and penetrating in the vertical direction.

[0028] Furthermore, an interference prevention projection 62 is provided protruding from the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a to prevent interference between the male contact 16 inserted into the insertion gap 20 and the fixing part 64, which will be described later, for fixing the aforementioned contact spring part 26 to the inner surface 24. This interference prevention projection 62 protrudes further toward the insertion gap 20 side (downward) than the fixing part 64. As a result, when the male contact 16 is inserted into the insertion gap 20, the male contact 16 abuts against the interference prevention projection 62, suppressing further outward displacement of the male contact 16 in the vertical direction, and preventing the male contact 16 from abutting against the fixing part 64. Consequently, when the male contact 16 is inserted into the insertion gap 20, the contact spring part 26 is prevented from detaching from the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a due to contact between the male contact 16 and the fixing part 64. In Embodiment 1, each displacement-restricting projection 54 provided at the rear end of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a also serves the function of an interference prevention projection 62. Each interference prevention projection 62 is formed by press working, and recesses 63 are formed on the outer surface 56 (upper surface) of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a at positions corresponding to each interference prevention projection 62. These recesses 63 also serve the function of recesses 58.

[0029] Furthermore, on the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, a fixing portion 64 is provided between the displacement-allowable space 52 and each interference-preventing projection 62 (each displacement-restricting projection 54) in the front-rear direction for fixing the contact spring portion 26 to the inner surface 24. The method for fixing the contact spring portion 26 to the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a is not limited and may be, for example, by bonding or welding, but in Embodiment 1, it is fixed by crimping. Specifically, the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a is provided with a projection that protrudes downward and is inserted into the contact spring portion 26, and crimping is achieved by striking and crushing the projection that is inserted into the contact spring portion 26. That is, in Embodiment 1, the fixing portion 64 is composed of a projection that protrudes downward from the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, and the projection height of the fixing portion 64 from the inner surface 24 refers to the projection height after the fixing portion 64 has been crushed. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, a plurality of fixing portions 64 are provided on the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the protrusions constituting the fixing portions 64 are formed by press working, and recesses 66 are formed on the outer surface 56 (upper surface) of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a at positions corresponding to each protrusion (fixing portion 64).

[0030] <Contact spring part 26> In Embodiment 1, the contact spring portion 26 is cantilevered and held on both inner surfaces 24 of a pair of opposing peripheral walls 22, 22 (upper opposing peripheral wall 22a and lower opposing peripheral wall 22b). That is, the female contact 10 of Embodiment 1 includes an upper contact spring portion 26a held on the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a and a lower contact spring portion 26b held on the lower opposing peripheral wall 22b. Since the upper contact spring portion 26a and the lower contact spring portion 26b have similar shapes, the upper contact spring portion 26a will be described below, and the lower contact spring portion 26b will be given the same reference numeral as the upper contact spring portion 26a, and its description will be omitted.

[0031] The upper contact spring portion 26a has a first leaf spring portion 68 and a second leaf spring portion 74 which is connected to the tip portion 70 of the first leaf spring portion 68 via a U-turn-shaped bend portion 72 and protrudes from the other end 27 (front end) side of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a toward the one end 14 (rear end) side. The base end portion 76 of the first leaf spring portion 68 in this upper contact spring portion 26a is fixed to the inner surface 24 on the one end 14 side of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a and protrudes in a cantilever-like manner toward the other end 27 side toward the insertion gap 20 (downward) and contacts the male contact 16. The base end portion of the second leaf spring portion 74 is connected to the U-turn-shaped bend portion 72 as described above, and the tip portion 78 of the second leaf spring portion 74 is supported by the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a to which the base end portion 76 of the first leaf spring portion 68 is fixed.

[0032] In Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 7 and other figures, the upper contact spring portion 26a is divided into multiple independently displaceable segmented spring pieces 82 by a plurality of slits 80 that penetrate the first leaf spring portion 68, the U-turned bent portion 72, and the second leaf spring portion 74 in the thickness direction. That is, each segmented spring piece 82 comprises a segmented first leaf spring portion 84 obtained by dividing the first leaf spring portion 68 by each slit 80, a segmented bent portion 86 obtained by dividing the U-turned bent portion 72 by each slit 80, and a segmented second leaf spring portion 88 obtained by dividing the second leaf spring portion 74 by each slit 80. In each segmented spring piece 82, each segmented first leaf spring portion 84, each segmented bent portion 86, and each segmented second leaf spring portion 88 are substantially the same shape and have the same function as the first leaf spring portion 68, U-turned bent portion 72, and second leaf spring portion 74 before division.

[0033] <First leaf spring section 68 (divided first leaf spring section 84)> In the first leaf spring portion 68 of the upper contact spring portion 26a, the base end portion 76 is fixed to each fixing portion 64 provided on the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a as described above. Each insertion hole 90 through which each protrusion constituting each fixing portion 64 is inserted is formed to penetrate the base end portion 76 in the thickness direction. The first leaf spring portion 68 protrudes forward from each of the fixing portions 64 toward the other end portion 27 side of the cylindrical main body portion 12, and gradually inclines inward (downward) in the opposing direction of each contact spring portion 26a, 26b as it goes toward the tip side (front end side). A bending portion is provided in the middle portion in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the first leaf spring portion 68, and the first leaf spring portion 68 protrudes most downward at the bending portion. A contact portion 92 that contacts the male contact body 40 when the male contact 16 is inserted is formed by this bending portion. Before the male contact 16 is inserted, the vertical opposing distance of each contact portion 92 in each contact spring portion 26a, 26b is made smaller than the vertical dimensions of the front portion 46 in the insulating member 42 and the male contact body 40. Thereby, as the male contact 16 is inserted, each contact portion 92 abuts against the front portion 46 and the male contact body 40, and each contact spring portion 26a, 26b is pressed outward in the vertical direction.

[0034] Before the male contact 16 is inserted, as also shown in FIG. 7, the portion of the first leaf spring portion 68 in front of the bending portion (contact portion 92) extends in the front-rear direction or slightly inclines in a direction gradually upward toward the front. As described above, a U-turn-shaped bending portion 72 is connected to the tip end portion 70 of the first leaf spring portion 68. In the first leaf spring portion 68, each slit 80 does not reach each fixing portion 64 of the base end portion 76, and is connected together at a portion behind each divided first leaf spring portion 84, and each of the insertion holes 90 is formed in the portion connected together.

[0035] <U-turn-shaped bending portion 72 (divided bending portion 86)> Before insertion of the male contact 16, in the longitudinal section shown in Figure 7, the U-shaped bend 72 is approximately semi-circular in shape with a predetermined radius of curvature. That is, the U-shaped bend 72 in the upper contact spring portion 26a extends upward from the tip portion 70 of the first leaf spring portion 68. Before insertion of the male contact 16, a part of the U-shaped bend 72, specifically the end of the U-shaped bend 72 opposite to the end connected to the first leaf spring portion 68 (the end connected to the second leaf spring portion 74), is inserted into a displacement-allowable space 52 provided in the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a to which the upper contact spring portion 26a is fixed. The base end of the second leaf spring portion 74 is connected to the end of the U-shaped bend 72 that is inserted into the displacement-allowable space 52.

[0036] <Second leaf spring section 74 (divided second leaf spring section 88)> The second leaf spring portion 74 extends from its end portion, which is inside the displacement-allowable space 52, toward the rearward side toward one end 14 of the cylindrical main body portion 12. The second leaf spring portion 74 in the upper contact spring portion 26a gradually inclins inward (downward) in the opposing direction of each contact spring portion 26a, 26b as it moves toward the rearward as a whole, and as described above, the tip portion 78 of the second leaf spring portion 74 is supported on the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a. In Embodiment 1, before insertion of the male contact 16, the tip portion 78 of the second leaf spring portion 74 in the upper contact spring portion 26a is placed on and supported at the rear end of the inward (downward) opening of the displacement-allowable space 52. In particular, in Embodiment 1, a convex curved portion 94 is provided in the central longitudinal (front-rear direction) portion of the second leaf spring portion 74 in the upper contact spring portion 26a, projecting toward the insertion gap 20 side (downward). That is, in this convex curved portion 94, the center of curvature is located on the opposite side of the insertion gap 20, across the second leaf spring portion 74, i.e., above the second leaf spring portion 74. The tip portion 78 of the second leaf spring portion 74 is not fixed to the rear end of the inner opening in the displacement allowable space 52, and is a free end.

[0037] <Assembly of female contact 10> When assembling the female contact 10, first, a single metal plate constituting the cylindrical main body portion 12 is press-formed to create the through holes 36, fitting protrusions 38, displacement-allowing spaces 52, displacement-restricting projections 54, interference-preventing projections 62, and protrusions constituting the fixing portions 64. Then, the contact spring portions 26a and 26b, formed in the above-described shape, are fixed to the surfaces corresponding to the inner surfaces 24 of the opposing peripheral walls 22a and 22b. In Embodiment 1, the contact spring portions 26a and 26b are fixed to the inner surfaces 24 of the opposing peripheral walls 22a and 22b by inserting the protrusions constituting the fixing portions 64 into the insertion holes 90 of the contact spring portions 26a and 26b and crimping them in place. Then, by bending a single metal plate to which each contact spring portion 26a and 26b is fixed into the shape described above, the wire connection portion 34 and the cylindrical body portion 12 are formed, and the female contact 10 of Embodiment 1 is completed.

[0038] <Insertion of male contact 16 into female contact 10> When inserting the male contact 16 into the female contact 10 formed as described above, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the male contact 16 is positioned opposite one end 14 (rear end) of the female contact 10, and the male contact 16 is inserted into the insertion gap 20 through the insertion opening 18 provided on the end 14 side. As a result, each contact portion 92 of each contact spring portion 26a and 26b comes into contact with the front portion 46 of the male contact 16 and the male contact body 40. When the insertion of the male contact 16 is complete, each contact portion 92 of each contact spring portion 26a and 26b comes into contact with both the upper and lower surfaces of the male contact body 40, and the male contact 16 and the female contact 10 are electrically connected.

[0039] Furthermore, as each contact portion 92 comes into contact with the front portion 46 and the male contact body 40, each contact spring portion 26a, 26b elastically deforms outward in the vertical direction. In particular, regarding the upper contact spring portion 26a, as the upper contact spring portion 26a is pressed upward at the contact portion 92, the portion on the tip side (front end side) of the contact portion 92 is also pressed upward. However, since the tip portion 78 of the second leaf spring portion 74 is supported at the rear end of the lower opening of the displacement-allowable space 52, the portion on the tip side of the contact portion 92 is displaced in a direction that rotates around the tip portion 78 of the second leaf spring portion 74. Alternatively, for example, if, before insertion of the male contact 16, the tip 78 of the second leaf spring portion 74 is located behind the rear end of the lower opening of the displacement-allowable space 52, then when the male contact 16 is inserted, the tip 78 of the second leaf spring portion 74 may slide forward along the inner surface 24 of the upper opposing peripheral wall 22a, causing the portion closer to the tip than the contact portion 92 to be displaced into the displacement-allowable space 52. The lower contact spring portion 26b also undergoes deformation similar to that of the upper contact spring portion 26a.

[0040] Specifically, in the longitudinal section shown in Figure 3, the portion of the upper contact spring portion 26a closer to the tip of the contact portion 92 is displaced clockwise around the tip portion 78 of the second leaf spring portion 74. As a result, compared to before the insertion of the male contact 16, a relatively large portion of the portion closer to the tip of the contact portion 92 is housed within the displacement-allowable space 52, and substantially the entire U-shaped bend portion 72 and the second leaf spring portion 74 are located within the displacement-allowable space 52. In other words, the opposing peripheral wall 22 is provided with a displacement-allowable space 52 that allows the free end side of the contact spring portion 26, including the U-shaped bend portion 72 pressed against the male contact 16, to be displaced toward the side further away from the insertion gap 20 than the inner surface 24. In Embodiment 1, contact spring portions 26a and 26b are provided on both sides of a pair of opposing peripheral walls 22a and 22b, and the contact spring portions 26a and 26b are pressed against the male contact 16 inserted into the insertion gap 20 from both sides of the opposing peripheral walls 22a and 22b. Displacement allowance spaces 52 are provided on both sides of the pair of opposing peripheral walls 22a and 22b, and the free end side of each contact spring portion 26a and 26b, including the U-turn bent portion 72 pressed against the male contact 16, is allowed to be displaced toward the side further away from the insertion gap 20 (outward in the vertical direction) than the inner surface 24.

[0041] Here, the male contact 16 (male contact body 40) is subjected to an elastic restoring force due to the deformation of each first leaf spring portion 68, as well as an elastic restoring force due to the deformation of each U-shaped bent portion 72 and each second leaf spring portion 74. As a result, each contact portion 92 can be brought into contact with the male contact 16 with a relatively large pressing force.

[0042] In Embodiment 1, the U-shaped bent portions 72 and second leaf spring portions 74 that are displaced outward in the vertical direction when the male contact 16 is inserted are designed not to protrude outward (outward in the vertical direction) beyond the displacement allowance space 52, that is, beyond the outer surface 56 of the opposing peripheral walls 22a and 22b. This prevents the contact spring portions 26a and 26b (especially the U-shaped bent portions 72 and second leaf spring portions 74) that protrude outward through the displacement allowance space 52 to the opposing peripheral walls 22a and 22b when the male contact 16 is inserted from interfering with other members arranged around the female contact 10.

[0043] Furthermore, each opposing peripheral wall 22a, 22b is provided with displacement-restricting protrusions 54 and interference-preventing protrusions 62 that protrude into the insertion gap 20, and these are provided in the left-right intermediate portion of each opposing peripheral wall 22a, 22b. On the other hand, the thickness dimension (vertical dimension) of the left-right intermediate portion of the male contact 16 is kept smaller than that of the left-right side portions (each lateral portion 48 on both sides). As a result, even when each displacement-restricting protrusion 54 and interference-preventing protrusion 62 protrudes into the insertion gap 20, these protrusions do not catch on the male contact 16, and the male contact 16 can be inserted with the cylindrical body portion 12 aligned in the left-right direction.

[0044] In the female contact 10 of Embodiment 1, which has the structure described above, each contact spring portion 26a, 26b is folded back at each U-shaped bend portion 72, and when inserting the male contact 16, the pressing force that presses each contact portion 92 against the male contact body 40 is configured to utilize the elastic restoring force of each first leaf spring portion 68 and the elastic restoring force of each second leaf spring portion 74. Furthermore, each opposing peripheral wall 22a, 22b is provided with a displacement allowance space 52, which is configured to accommodate each U-shaped bend portion 72 and each second leaf spring portion 74 in each contact spring portion 26a, 26b. In other words, by forming each displacement-allowable space 52 to a size that can accommodate each U-shaped bent portion 72 and each second leaf spring portion 74, it is not necessary to bring the U-shaped folded portions of the contact spring portion into close contact with each other as in the conventional technology, thus avoiding the complexity of the process and work involved in forming each contact spring portion 26a, 26b, and thereby improving the manufacturing efficiency of each contact spring portion 26a, 26b and, consequently, the female contact 10. In particular, by supporting the tip portion 78 of each second leaf spring portion 74 on the inner surface 24 of each opposing peripheral wall 22a, 22b, an elastic restoring force can be obtained in each second leaf spring portion 74, and since there is no need to double the bottom plate as in the conventional technology, the female contact 10 can also be miniaturized.

[0045] Each second leaf spring portion 74 is provided with a convex curved portion 94 that protrudes toward the insertion gap 20 (inward in the vertical direction) at its longitudinal center. This allows the end of each U-shaped bend 72 on the second leaf spring portion 74 side to fit into each displacement allowable space 52 before insertion of the male contact 16, while also allowing the tip portion 78 of the second leaf spring portion 74 to be supported on the inner surface 24 of each opposing peripheral wall 22a, 22b. In other words, compared to a configuration without the convex curved portion 94, for example, each U-shaped bend 72, and consequently each contact spring portion 26a, 26b, can be made larger, and a greater pressing force can be secured on the male contact 16 at each contact portion 92 based on the elastic restoring force of each contact spring portion 26a, 26b.

[0046] In Embodiment 1, contact spring portions 26a and 26b are provided on the inner surfaces 24 of each opposing peripheral wall 22a and 22b, and displacement-allowing spaces 52 are provided on each opposing peripheral wall 22a and 22b. This allows the contact spring portions 26a and 26b to contact the male contact 16 from both sides (upper and lower sides) of each opposing peripheral wall 22a and 22b. As a result, the male contact 16 can be sandwiched between the contact spring portions 26a and 26b from both the upper and lower sides, ensuring contact pressure at each contact spring portion 26a and 26b, and enabling it to handle larger currents.

[0047] Each displacement-allowable space 52 is formed by a through-hole that penetrates each opposing peripheral wall 22a, 22b in the plate thickness direction (vertical direction). This allows a larger U-turn-shaped bend 72 and second leaf spring portion 74 to be accommodated within the displacement-allowable space 52 when the male contact 16 is inserted, meaning that each contact spring portion 26a, 26b can be made larger. As a result, the contact pressure at the contact portion 92 of each contact spring portion 26a, 26b can be increased, improving conductivity.

[0048] Each opposing peripheral wall 22a, 22b is provided with displacement-restricting projections 54 that interfere with the male contact 16 inserted into the insertion gap 20, thereby restricting excessive displacement of the male contact 16. Each displacement-restricting projection 54 is provided to avoid the left and right ends of the male contact 16, where the thickness dimension is increased, thus avoiding any impact on the insertion of the male contact 16. Furthermore, by the contact between each displacement-restricting projection 54 and the male contact 16, not only is vertical displacement suppressed, but oscillating displacement of the male contact 16 (rotational displacement around an axis extending in the left-right direction) can also be suppressed.

[0049] Each opposing peripheral wall 22a, 22b is provided with interference prevention protrusions 62 to prevent interference between the male contact 16 inserted into the insertion gap 20 and each fixing part 64. Specifically, the protrusion height of each interference prevention protrusion 62 from each inner surface 24 is also large for each fixing part 64, and by inserting the male contact 16 between the vertically opposed interference prevention protrusions 62, contact between the male contact 16 and each fixing part 64 is avoided when the male contact 16 is inserted. This prevents problems such as the male contact 16 hitting each fixing part 64 and the contact spring parts 26a, 26b falling off when the male contact 16 is inserted.

[0050] Each contact spring portion 26a, 26b is divided into multiple segmented spring pieces 82 that can be independently displaced by multiple slits 80. As a result, even if the male contact 16 inserted into the insertion gap 20 rotates around a central axis extending in the front-rear direction, each segmented spring piece 82 deforms independently, thereby stably maintaining the contact state between each contact spring portion 26a, 26b and the male contact 16.

[0051] <Variation> Although Embodiment 1 has been described in detail above as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited by this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that they can achieve the purpose of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0052] (1) In the above embodiment, each contact spring portion 26a, 26b was provided on each opposing peripheral wall 22a, 22b, but the contact spring portion may be provided on only one of the pair of opposing peripheral walls. In this case, the displacement tolerance space that allows the displacement of the U-turn bend portion and the second leaf spring portion in the contact spring portion may be provided on the opposing peripheral wall on the side where the contact spring portion is provided.

[0053] (2) In the above embodiment, each displacement-allowing space 52 was formed by a through hole penetrating each opposing peripheral wall 22a, 22b in the plate thickness direction (vertical direction), but the displacement-allowing space may be a bottomed recess opening to the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall. Also, in the above embodiment, each contact spring portion 26a, 26b that deforms when the male contact 16 is inserted does not protrude beyond each displacement-allowing space 52, but it may protrude.

[0054] (3) In the above embodiment, a plurality of displacement restricting protrusions 54 were provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, but a single displacement restricting protrusion having a predetermined length in the left-right direction may be provided. Similarly, in the above embodiment, a plurality of interference prevention protrusions 62 were provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, but a single interference prevention protrusion having a predetermined length in the left-right direction may be provided. Note that these displacement restricting protrusions and interference prevention protrusions are not essential in the female contact according to this disclosure.

[0055] (4) In the above embodiment, each contact spring portion 26a, 26b was divided into a plurality of segmented spring pieces 82 by each slit 80, but the embodiment is not limited to this, and each contact spring portion does not have to be divided by a slit.

[0056] (5) The shape of the male contact is not limited, and for example, an insulating member may not be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10 Female contact 12. Cylindrical main body 14 One end 16 Male contact 18 Insertion opening 20 Insertion gap 22 Opposing perimeter wall 22a Upper facing wall 22b Lower facing wall 24 Inner self 26 Contact spring section 26a Upper contact spring section 26b Lower contact spring section 27 Other end 28 Right side wall 30 crimping fixing pieces 31 Rear protrusion 32 Turning section 34 Wire connection section 34a Upper wire connection section 34b Lower wire connection section 36 Through holes 38 Fitting projection 40 Male contact body 42 Insulating material 44 Tip protrusion 46 Front part 48 Lateral part 50 Receiving recess 52 Displacement-permissible space (through hole) 53 Left protrusion 54 Displacement-restricting projection 56 Exterior 58 recess 60 Rear opening recess 62 Anti-interference protrusions 63 recess 64 Fixed part 66 recessed area 68 First leaf spring section 70 (Tip of the first leaf spring) 72 U-shaped bend 74 Second leaf spring section 76 Base end (of the first leaf spring section) 78 (Tip of the second leaf spring section) 80 slits 82-part spring 84-part first leaf spring section 86 divided bending sections 88-part second leaf spring section 90 Through hole 92 Contact point 94 Convex curved portion

Claims

1. A cylindrical body portion having an insertion opening at one end into which a male contact is inserted, The cylindrical body portion comprises a pair of opposing peripheral walls arranged opposite each other with an insertion gap in which the male contact is inserted, It comprises a contact spring portion that is cantilevered on the inner surface of at least one of the opposing peripheral walls and presses against the male contact inserted into the insertion gap, The contact spring portion includes a first leaf spring portion whose base end is fixed to the inner surface on one end side of the opposing peripheral wall and which protrudes in a cantilevered manner toward the insertion gap toward the other end side of the cylindrical main body and contacts the male contact, and a second leaf spring portion which is connected to the tip of the first leaf spring portion via a U-turned bend and which protrudes toward the one end side from the other end side, The tip of the second leaf spring portion is supported on the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall to which the base end of the first leaf spring portion is fixed. The opposing peripheral wall is provided with a displacement-allowing space that allows the free end side of the contact spring portion, including the U-shaped bent portion that is pressed against the male contact, to be displaced toward the side further away from the insertion gap than the inner surface. Female contact lens.

2. The female contact according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal central portion of the second leaf spring portion constitutes a convex curved portion that protrudes toward the insertion gap side.

3. The contact spring portion is held in a cantilevered manner on the inner surfaces of both of the pair of opposing peripheral walls, and the pair of contact spring portions are pressed against the male contact inserted into the insertion gap from both sides of the pair of opposing peripheral walls. The female contact according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the displacement-allowing space is provided in both of the pair of opposing peripheral walls, and the free end side of the contact spring portion pressed against the male contact, including the U-turn bent portion, is permitted to be displaced away from the insertion gap from the inner surface.

4. The female contact according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the displacement-allowable space is formed by a through hole penetrating the opposing peripheral wall in the plate thickness direction.

5. The female contact according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a displacement-restricting projection is provided on the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall, which interferes with the male contact inserted into the insertion gap and restricts excessive displacement of the male contact.

6. The female contact according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner surface of the opposing peripheral wall is provided with an interference prevention projection that protrudes toward the insertion gap side from the fixing portion of the base end of the first leaf spring portion toward the inner surface, thereby preventing interference between the male contact inserted into the insertion gap and the fixing portion.

7. The female contact according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact spring portion is divided into a plurality of independently displaceable segmented spring pieces by a plurality of slits that penetrate the first leaf spring portion, the U-turned bent portion, and the second leaf spring portion, and each segmented spring piece has a segmented first leaf spring portion obtained by dividing the first leaf spring portion, a segmented bent portion obtained by dividing the U-turned bent portion, and a segmented second leaf spring portion obtained by dividing the second leaf spring portion.

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