Female terminal

Abstract

A female terminal is disclosed that can achieve both an increased contact area with the male terminal and the ability to follow the displacement of the male terminal. [Solution] The female terminal 10 has a male terminal mounting portion 14 at one end which is electrically connected to a male terminal 12, and a connecting portion 16 at the other end which is electrically connected to another member, and comprises a terminal body 18 formed from a first metal plate and a contact member 20 formed from a second metal plate which is thinner than the first metal plate and assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 14, and the contact member 20 has a holding plate portion 34 which is held by the male terminal mounting portion 14 and a strip-shaped contact spring piece 42 whose base end portion 36 is cantilevered relative to the holding plate portion 34 and which has a contact 40 at its tip portion 38 which is pressed against the male terminal 12, and the width dimension W1 of the tip portion 38 of the contact spring piece 42 is larger than the width dimension W2 of the base end portion 36.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to female terminals.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a female terminal configured by combining a terminal body formed of a thick conductive material and a contact member formed of a thin conductive material. By forming the terminal body and the contact member of conductive materials with different thicknesses, while increasing the thickness of the terminal body to meet the current capacity required by large current flow, reducing the thickness of the contact member can ensure the followability of the contact member to the male terminal, and it is possible to respond to large current flow while suppressing the increase in the overall size of the female terminal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the contact member has a strip-shaped contact spring piece held in a cantilever beam shape, and a contact that protrudes in an arc shape toward the male terminal and is press-fitted to the male terminal is formed on the tip side, which is the free end side of the contact spring piece. For the arc-shaped contact of the contact spring piece, the larger the radius R, the larger the contact area with the male terminal, and the contact electrical resistance can be kept low. Therefore, in order to cope with the large current flow in recent vehicles, it is preferable to increase the radius R of the contact. However, if the width dimension of the contact spring piece is increased to increase the radius R of the contact, the rigidity of the contact spring piece becomes high, resulting in the problem that the followability to the displacement of the male terminal decreases. Therefore, it has been difficult to achieve both an increase in the contact area with the male terminal and followability to the displacement of the male terminal.

[0005] ]Therefore, we disclose a female terminal that can achieve both an increased contact area with the male terminal and the ability to follow the displacement of the male terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The female terminal of this disclosure has a male terminal mounting portion at one end that is electrically connected to a male terminal, and a connecting portion at the other end that is electrically connected to another member, and comprises a terminal body formed from a first metal plate and a contact member formed from a second metal plate having a thinner plate thickness than the first metal plate and assembled to the male terminal mounting portion, wherein the contact member has a retaining plate portion that is held by the male terminal mounting portion and a strip-shaped contact spring piece whose base end is cantilevered relative to the retaining plate portion and which has a contact at its tip that is pressed against the male terminal, and the width dimension of the tip portion of the contact spring piece is larger than the width dimension of the base end portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The female terminal of this disclosure makes it possible to achieve both an increased contact area with the male terminal and the ability to follow the displacement of the male terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the female terminal according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a front view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the VV section in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the contact members constituting the female terminal shown in Figure 1, viewed from the rear side. [Figure 8]Figure 8 is a perspective view of the contact pressure spring that constitutes the female terminal shown in Figure 1, viewed from the rear side. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the female terminal according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the female terminal according to Embodiment 3. [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 terminal in this disclosure is (1) A terminal body formed from a first metal plate, having a male terminal mounting portion at one end that is electrically connected to a male terminal and a connecting portion at the other end that is electrically connected to another member, and a contact member formed from a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate and assembled to the male terminal mounting portion, wherein the contact member has a retaining plate portion that is held by the male terminal mounting portion, and a strip-shaped contact spring piece whose base end is cantilevered relative to the retaining plate portion and which has a contact at its tip that is pressed against the male terminal, wherein the width dimension of the tip of the contact spring piece is larger than the width dimension of the base end.

[0010] According to the female terminal of this disclosure, by combining a terminal body with a thick plate thickness with a contact member with a thin plate thickness, a female terminal is provided that can accommodate the current capacity required by, for example, high currents while ensuring the contact member's ability to follow the male terminal. The tip of the contact spring piece, which is cantilevered and held in the retaining plate portion of the contact member, has a larger width dimension than the base end portion held in the retaining plate portion. This allows the radius R in the width direction of the contact to be set larger by utilizing the larger width dimension of the tip of the contact spring piece. As a result, a larger contact area of ​​the contact to the male terminal can be secured, and the contact electrical resistance can be kept low. In addition, since the width dimension of the base end of the contact spring piece, which is cantilevered and held in the retaining plate portion, is smaller than the width dimension of the tip, the increase in rigidity of the contact spring piece can be suppressed and flexibility can be maintained compared to the case where the overall width dimension of the contact spring piece is larger. In other words, by cleverly utilizing the base end portion with a smaller width dimension, the ability of the contact spring piece to follow the displacement of the male terminal can be ensured. Therefore, it is possible to provide a female terminal that can achieve both an increased contact area with the male terminal and the ability to follow the displacement of the male terminal.

[0011] (2) In (1) above, it is preferable that a pair of contact spring pieces are arranged in parallel in the width direction of the contact spring pieces, and the base end of each contact spring piece is notched on the side edge that separates it from the adjacent contact spring piece, so that the width dimension of the base end of each contact spring piece is smaller than the width dimension of the tip of each contact spring piece. When a pair of contact spring pieces are arranged in parallel in the width direction, the width dimension of the base end is reduced by notching the side edge of the base end that is on the outside (the side that separates it from the adjacent contact spring piece) in the parallel direction. As a result, the inner side in the parallel direction of the pair of parallel-arranged contact spring pieces is held in a cantilevered shape, making it easier for the outer portion in the width direction to rotate, and improving the ability to follow the twisting displacement of the flat male terminal to which the pair of contact spring pieces are connected.

[0012] (3) In the above (1) or (2), it is preferable that in the contact spring piece, the length dimension of the tip portion is equal to or greater than the length dimension of the base end portion. By setting the length dimension of the tip portion of the contact spring piece to be equal to or greater than the length dimension of the base end portion, while ensuring the followability to the male terminal with the flexibility of the base end portion, a large length dimension of the tip portion can be utilized to set a large radius R in the length direction of the contact. As a result, a large contact area of the contact to the male terminal can be ensured, and the contact electrical resistance can be further suppressed to a lower level.

[0013] (4) In any one of the above (1) to (3), the male terminal mounting portion has a rectangular cylindrical shape, and the contact member has the contact spring piece disposed on the upper wall portion side of the male terminal mounting portion and the contact spring piece disposed on the lower wall portion side of the male terminal mounting portion. A male terminal insertion gap is formed between the contact spring piece on the upper wall portion side and the contact spring piece on the lower wall portion side, and it has a contact pressure applying spring that sandwiches the tip portions of the contact spring piece on the upper wall portion side and the contact spring piece on the lower wall portion side in the opposing direction. It is preferable that, as the male terminal is press-fitted into the male terminal insertion gap, the tip portions are urged in a direction approaching each other by the contact pressure applying spring. In a structure where a flat male terminal is inserted into a male terminal insertion gap formed between contact spring pieces arranged opposite to each other vertically, it further includes a contact pressure applying spring that urges the tip portions of the contact spring pieces arranged opposite to each other vertically in a direction approaching each other. Thereby, the contacts of the contact spring pieces can be further pressed by the contact pressure applied by the contact pressure applying spring from both the upper and lower sides of the male terminal, the contact electrical resistance can be further suppressed to a lower level, and a female terminal with good conductivity can be provided.

[0014] <Details of Embodiments 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, and is intended to be indicated by the claims and to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0015] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. This female terminal 10 is provided, for example, in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. When a male terminal 12 (illustrated by a two-dot chain line in FIGS. 3 and 4), which is a mating terminal for the female terminal 10, is inserted and contacts the female terminal 10, the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are conductively connected. The location where the female terminal 10 is arranged is not limited. For example, it is provided on a member on the motor side, and the male terminal 12 is provided on a member on the battery side. When the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are conductively connected, the battery and the motor are electrically connected. Although the female terminal 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 front direction refers to the left side in FIG. 2, the rear direction refers to the right side in FIG. 2, the left direction refers to the upper side in FIG. 2, and the right direction refers to the lower side in FIG. 2 for explanation. Also, for a plurality of identical members, only some members may be labeled with reference numerals, and reference numerals may be omitted for other members.

[0016] <Female terminal 10> The female terminal 10 has a male terminal mounting portion 14 that is conductively connected to the male terminal 12 on one end side (front end side), and a connection portion 16 that is conductively connected to another member (for example, a bus bar or the like, which is a member on the motor side) on the other end portion (rear end portion). The female terminal 10 includes a terminal body 18 formed using a first metal plate. The female terminal 10 also includes a contact member 20 formed using a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate and is assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 14. In FIG. 1, for clarity, the contact member 20 inside the male terminal mounting portion 14 is shown by a broken line, and similarly, the illustration of a clip spring 68, which will be described later and is provided inside the male terminal mounting portion 14, is omitted.

[0017] <Male terminal 12> The male terminal 12 in Embodiment 1 is a flat tab and has a rectangular cross-section that extends in a direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, for example. This male terminal 12 extends in the front-to-back direction with the above rectangular cross-section, and the base portion (front portion) of the male terminal 12 is fixed to a component on the battery side, such as a busbar, by a bolt (not shown). Since the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal mounting portion 14 from front to rear, the direction from front to rear is the insertion direction of the male terminal 12.

[0018] <Terminal body 18> As described above, the terminal body 18 has a male terminal mounting portion 14 at its front end and a connecting portion 16 at its rear end. The terminal body 18 is formed by press-forming a single metal plate (first metal plate) having a predetermined thickness. That is, the male terminal mounting portion 14 and the connecting portion 16 are integrally formed in the terminal body 18. The material of the first metal plate constituting the terminal body 18 is preferably a metal with excellent conductivity, for example, pure copper is used. The male terminal mounting portion 14 provided at the front end of the terminal body 18 is configured as a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction so that the male terminal 12 can be inserted, and is a rectangular cylindrical shape to match the shape of the male terminal 12. That is, the male terminal mounting portion 14 has a front opening 22 and a rear opening 24 that open on both sides in the front-rear direction. The male terminal mounting portion 14 also has an upper wall portion 26, a lower wall portion 28, and left wall portion 30 and right wall portion 32 on both the left and right sides. Furthermore, the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 are arranged opposite each other in the thickness direction of the male terminal 12, and the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32 are arranged opposite each other in the width direction of the male terminal 12.

[0019] In Embodiment 1, as will be described later, the inner surface 26a of the upper wall portion 26 and the inner surface 28a of the lower wall portion 28 of the front opening 22 form the joint portion to which each joint portion 52 of the contact member 20 is welded.

[0020] Furthermore, the lower wall portion 28 that constitutes the male terminal mounting portion 14 extends further rearward than the male terminal mounting portion 14, and the rear end of this lower wall portion 28 constitutes the connection portion 16 provided at the rear end of the terminal body 18. For example, a busbar, which is a component on the motor side, is fixed to the connection portion 16. The method of fixing the busbar, etc. to the connection portion 16 is not limited, and known fixing methods such as welding or bolt fixing can be used.

[0021] <Contact Member 20> As shown in Figure 7 and other figures, the contact member 20 has a retaining plate portion 34 held by the male terminal mounting portion 14, and a strip-shaped contact spring piece 42 whose base end portion 36 is cantilevered relative to the retaining plate portion 34 and whose tip portion 38 is provided with a contact 40 that is pressed against the male terminal 12. This contact spring piece 42 protrudes with an inclination in the vertical direction toward the insertion direction of the male terminal 12 into the male terminal mounting portion 14 (from front to rear). In Embodiment 1, the contact member 20 is formed by press-forming a single metal plate (second metal plate) having a smaller thickness dimension than the first metal plate. That is, the retaining plate portion 34 and the contact spring piece 42 are integrally formed in the contact member 20. The material of the second metal plate constituting the contact member 20 is preferably a metal that has excellent conductivity and is elastically deformable, for example, a copper alloy is used.

[0022] Specifically, the contact member 20 has a left wall portion 44 and a right wall portion 46 that face each other in the left-right direction and extend in the front-rear direction, respectively. The upper ends of the left wall portion 44 and the right wall portion 46 are connected by an upper wall portion 48, and the lower ends of the left wall portion 44 and the right wall portion 46 are connected by a lower wall portion 50. The left wall portion 44 and the right wall portion 46 are formed along the entire length of the contact member 20 in the front-rear direction, while the upper wall portion 48 and the lower wall portion 50 are formed at the front end portion of the contact member 20.

[0023] <Holding plate part 34> The front end portion of the contact member 20 is formed by four walls 44, 46, 48, and 50, and is a substantially rectangular cylindrical retaining plate portion 34 that is fitted into and held in the front opening 22 of the male terminal mounting portion 14. Specifically, the upper wall portion 48 and the lower wall portion 50 of the retaining plate portion 34 overlap the front portions of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 of the male terminal mounting portion 14, respectively. Also, the left wall portion 44 and the right wall portion 46 of the retaining plate portion 34 overlap the front portions of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32 of the male terminal mounting portion 14, respectively.

[0024] In Embodiment 1, the contact member 20 fitted into the male terminal mounting portion 14 is fixed by welding. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the inner surface 26a of the upper wall portion 26 and the upper side wall portion 48, which overlap each other, are fixed by welding, and the inner surface 28a of the lower wall portion 28 and the lower side wall portion 50, which overlap each other, are fixed by welding. In short, the upper side wall portion 48 and the lower side wall portion 50 of the contact member 20 have joint portions 52 (shown by dashed lines in Figures 1 and 2, etc.) that are welded to the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28, respectively. Known welding methods can be used for welding each of these joint portions 52, but in Embodiment 1, welding is performed by laser welding. Note that the width dimension (front-to-back dimension) and length dimension (left-to-right dimension) of each joint portion 52 are not limited to the illustrated form.

[0025] The upper wall portion 48, the left wall portion 44, and the right wall portion 46 are connected at a predetermined distance rearward from the front end. Notches 54 are formed at the two upper corners of the four corners of the substantially rectangular cylindrical retaining plate portion 34, opening forward and penetrating the retaining plate portion 34 in the thickness direction. As a result, the upper wall portion 48 is displaceable to some extent vertically relative to the left wall portion 44 and the right wall portion 46, and when welding the male terminal mounting portion 14 of the contact member 20, the upper wall portion 48 can be brought into close contact with the front end portion of the inner surface 26a of the upper wall portion 26 with virtually no gap.

[0026] <Contact spring piece 42> In Embodiment 1, contact spring pieces 42 are provided on both the upper and lower sides of the contact member 20, and each contact spring piece 42 protrudes in a cantilevered manner toward the rear from the rear end surface of the upper wall portion 48 and the lower wall portion 50 of the retaining plate portion 34. That is, the contact member 20 includes contact spring pieces 42 arranged on the upper wall portion 26 side of the male terminal mounting portion 14 and contact spring pieces 42 arranged on the lower wall portion 28 side. In particular, in Embodiment 1, a spring portion side slit 56 extending in the front-rear direction is provided in the center of each contact spring piece 42 in the left-right direction, and each contact spring piece 42 on both the upper and lower sides is divided into left and right sides by each spring portion side slit 56. In short, a pair of contact spring pieces 42, 42 are arranged in parallel in the width direction (left-right direction) of the contact spring piece 42 with the spring portion side slit 56 in between, and each of these contact spring pieces 42 arranged in parallel in the left-right direction is provided on both the upper and lower sides. As a result, the contact member 20 of Embodiment 1 is provided with a total of four contact spring pieces 42. Each spring-side slit 56 extends along the entire length (front-rear direction) of each contact spring piece 42 and is formed spanning from the protruding end (rear end) of each contact spring piece 42 across the upper wall portion 48 and the lower wall portion 50. Each contact spring piece 42 is the same shape as the others, and each contact spring piece 42 gradually inclines inward in the vertical direction as it moves towards the rear.

[0027] Furthermore, a bent portion 58 is provided in the middle of each of these contact spring pieces 42 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), and the inclination angle with respect to the front-rear direction is different at the base end 36, which is on the protruding base end side (front end side) of the bent portion 58, and at the tip end 38, which is on the protruding tip end side (rear end side) of the bent portion 58. In Embodiment 1, in the standalone state of the contact member 20 before the contact pressure spring (clip spring 68) described later is assembled, the base end 36 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the front-rear direction and extends rearward, while the tip end 38 extends substantially parallel to the front-rear direction.

[0028] Here, in each contact spring piece 42, the width dimension (left-right dimension) W1 (see Figure 5) of the tip portion 38 is larger than the width dimension (left-right dimension) W2 (see Figure 5) of the base portion 36. In other words, in each contact spring piece 42, the portion with a larger width dimension W1 is the tip portion 38, and the portion with a smaller width dimension W2 is the base portion 36. In Embodiment 1, the base portion 36 of each contact spring piece 42 has a cutout on the side edge (outward side in the left-right direction) that separates it from adjacent contact spring pieces 42, 42 in the left-right direction, so that the width dimension W2 is smaller than the width dimension W1 of the tip portion 38. In short, the width dimension of the tip portion 38 is made larger so as to spread outward in the left-right direction compared to the narrow base portion 36. While the specific dimensions of the width W1 of the tip portion 38 and the width W2 of the base portion 36 are not limited, in Embodiment 1, the width W2 of the base portion 36 is approximately half or greater than half the width W1 of the tip portion 38. This ensures a certain degree of rigidity even in the narrow base portion 36.

[0029] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the length dimension L1 (see Figure 4) of the tip portion 38 of each contact spring piece 42 is greater than or equal to the length dimension L2 (see Figure 4) of the base portion 36. The specific sizes of the length dimension L1 of the tip portion 38 and the length dimension L2 of the base portion 36 are not limited. As a result, in Embodiment 1, the rear end side of each contact spring piece 42 is provided with a tip portion 38 that is larger in width and length than the base portion 36, and each tip portion 38 is formed over a relatively wide area.

[0030] Furthermore, each tip portion 38, formed over a relatively wide area, has an embossed portion 60 that protrudes inward in the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, each embossed portion 60 is formed in the central part of each tip portion 38 in a plan view (projection in the vertical direction) and has a relatively large length dimension (front-to-back direction dimension) and width dimension (left-to-right direction dimension). In Embodiment 1, as shown in the vertical cross-section (projection in the left-to-right direction) in Figure 4, the embossed portion 60 has a substantially constant curvature, and in the vertical cross-section, the embossed portion 60 is formed in the shape of an arc of a circle with a radius of curvature r1 centered at the curvature center C1. Also in Embodiment 1, as shown in the front view (projection in the front-to-back direction) in Figure 3, the embossed portion 60 has a substantially constant curvature, and in the cross-section, the embossed portion 60 is formed in the shape of an arc of a circle with a radius of curvature r2 centered at the curvature center C2. Furthermore, the radius of curvature r1 in the longitudinal section and the radius of curvature r2 in the cross section may be equal, and the embossed portion 60 may be formed in a spherical shape.

[0031] As described above, the embossed portion 60 is formed on each tip portion 38, so that the vertical inner surface of each embossed portion 60 is located vertically inward from the vertical inner surface of each tip portion 38, and the vertically inward protruding end face of each embossed portion 60 constitutes the aforementioned contact 40 that contacts the male terminal 12 when the male terminal 12 is inserted. The contacts 40 on both the upper and lower sides (i.e., the contact spring piece 42 on the upper wall portion 26 side and the contact spring piece 42 on the lower wall portion 28 side) face each other with a predetermined gap in the vertical direction, and the vertical gaps in these contacts 40 form the male terminal insertion gap 62. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, as described above, the contact member 20 is formed by press-forming a single metal plate (second metal plate), and recesses 64 are formed on the vertical outer surface of each contact spring piece 42 at positions corresponding to each embossed portion 60.

[0032] Before insertion of the male terminal 12, the opposing distance A (see Figure 4) between each contact 40 on both the upper and lower sides is smaller than the thickness dimension (vertical dimension) B (see Figure 4) of the male terminal 12. As a result, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 62 in the female terminal 10, both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 come into contact with each contact 40 on both the upper and lower sides, pushing each contact 40 (each contact spring piece 42) outward in the vertical direction. As a result, the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 in a press-fit state. In Embodiment 1, along with each contact 40, each clamping plate portion 72 (especially each bent portion 76) of the clip spring 68, which will be described later and is located outward in the vertical direction of each tip portion 38, is pushed outward in the vertical direction. As a result, the elastic restoring force of each clamping plate portion 72 biases each contact spring piece 42 toward each other, and each contact 40 on each contact spring piece 42 is pressed against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12.

[0033] Furthermore, at the protruding ends (rear ends) of each tip portion 38, locking projections 66 are formed at the ends that protrude outward in the vertical direction. Each locking projection 66 has a predetermined protruding dimension and is formed to be relatively small in the front-to-back direction.

[0034] <Contact pressure spring (clip spring 68)> A clip spring 68, which acts as a contact pressure spring, is assembled to the protruding end (tip portion 38) of each contact spring piece 42. As shown in Figure 8, the clip spring 68 comprises a connecting plate portion 70 and a pair of clamping plate portions 72, 72 that protrude from both side edges of the connecting plate portion 70 in a direction toward each other. The clip spring 68 is mounted so that the respective tip portions 38 of each contact spring piece 42 are positioned between the pair of clamping plate portions 72, 72, and as described above, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, the clip spring 68 biases the upper and lower tip portions 38, 38 toward each other.

[0035] These connecting plate portions 70 and each clamping plate portion 72 are each in the shape of a substantially rectangular flat plate. The clip spring 68 in Embodiment 1 can also be formed, for example, by press-forming a single metal plate. In Embodiment 1, each clamping plate portion 72 on both the upper and lower sides is divided into left and right sides by a clip-side slit 74 that penetrates the central part in the width direction (left-right direction) in the thickness direction and extends in the length direction (front-back direction). As a result, a total of four clamping plate portions 72 are formed in the clip spring 68 of Embodiment 1. In particular, in Embodiment 1, each clip-side slit 74 on both the upper and lower sides extends rearward from the protruding end (front end) of each clamping plate portion 72 and is formed along the entire length of each clamping plate portion 72, reaching the connecting plate portion 70.

[0036] Furthermore, the left-right dimension of each clamping plate portion 72 is made larger than the left-right dimension of each recess 64 provided on the vertical outer surface of each contact spring piece 42. In addition, a bent portion 76 is provided in the middle of the length of each clamping plate portion 72. As a result, as shown in Figure 4, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 and the bent portion 76 of each clamping plate portion 72 contacts the formation position of each recess 64 in each contact spring piece 42, the left-right ends of each clamping plate portion 72 contact the respective recess 64 in each contact spring piece 42 at a point further outward in the left-right direction.

[0037] Furthermore, since a bent portion 76 is provided in the middle of the length of each clamping plate portion 72, the front end portion of each clamping plate portion 72, including each protruding end, extends outward in the vertical direction from the bent portion 76. Therefore, the distance between opposing clamping plate portions 72 in the vertical direction is minimized at the bent portion 76 provided in the middle of the length. The gap between these opposing bent portions 76 in the vertical direction is the insertion opening 78 for inserting and assembling the tip portion 38 of each contact spring piece 42. That is, when the clip spring 68 is attached to the tip portion 38 of each contact spring piece 42, the connecting plate portion 70 of the clip spring 68 is positioned opposite to each tip portion 38 of each contact spring piece 42 in the front-rear direction, and each clamping plate portion 72 of the clip spring 68 protrudes from the connecting plate portion 70 in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of each contact spring piece 42. The direction opposite to the protruding direction of each contact spring piece 42 (from rear to front) is the mounting direction for the clip spring 68.

[0038] In Embodiment 1, in the clip spring 68 in its individual state before assembly, the vertical dimension of the insertion opening 78 is made larger than the distance between the vertical outer surfaces of the tip portions 38 of the contact spring pieces 42 on both the upper and lower sides. As a result, when the clip spring 68 is attached to the tip portions 38 of each contact spring piece 42, there is no vertical deformation of each tip portion 38 or each clamping plate portion 72, and the initial distance A between each contact 40 is maintained even when the clip spring 68 is attached to each tip portion 38.

[0039] Furthermore, each clamping plate portion 72 has a crossover projection 80 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction on the base end (rear) side of each bent portion 76, and a positioning projection 82 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction is formed at the rear end of each clamping plate portion 72. As a result, at the left-right outward end of each clamping plate portion 72, a locking recess 84 is formed that opens outward in the left-right direction, being recessed relative to each crossover projection 80 and each positioning projection 82. Each of these locking recesses 84 is formed with a predetermined front-rear dimension.

[0040] When assembling the clip spring 68, which has been shaped in this manner, to the tip portion 38 of each contact spring piece 42, the tip portion 38 and the clip spring 68 are positioned facing each other in the front-rear direction. Then, by bringing the clip spring 68 closer to each tip portion 38, each locking projection 66 and each overhang projection 80 come into contact. Further displacing the clip spring 68 forward causes each contact spring piece 42 to elastically deform outward in the left-right direction, and / or each clamping plate portion 72 to elastically deform in the left-right direction, causing each locking projection 66 to overcome each overhang projection 80, and each contact spring piece 42 and / or each clamping plate portion 72 to elastically return to their original shape. As a result, each locking projection 66 enters into and locks into each locking recess 84 located behind each overhang projection 80. The forward displacement of the clip spring 68 is limited by the contact of each locking projection 66 with each positioning projection located behind each locking recess 84. As a result, the clip spring 68 is assembled to the tip portion 38 of each contact spring piece 42.

[0041] Each locking recess 84 has a larger front-to-back dimension than each locking projection 66, and before insertion of the male terminal 12, as shown in Figure 2, each locking projection 66 is located in the middle of each locking recess 84 in the front-to-back direction. The clip spring 68 is displaceable in the front-to-back direction relative to each tip 38 by the amount by which each locking projection 66 can be displaced within each locking recess 84.

[0042] <Assembly method for female terminal 10> The following describes a specific example of how to assemble the female terminal 10. However, the assembly method for the female terminal 10 is not limited to the description below.

[0043] First, the first metal plate is press-formed to create the terminal body 18 with the aforementioned shape. Similarly, the second metal plate is press-formed to create the contact member 20 with the aforementioned shape. Furthermore, the metal sheet is press-formed to create the clip spring 68. This prepares the terminal body 18, the contact member 20, and the clip spring 68. Then, as shown in Figure 6, the contact member 20 and the clip spring 68 are positioned facing each other in the front-rear direction, and the clip spring 68 is brought forward relative to the contact member 20. As a result, the locking projections 66 provided on the tip portions 38 of each contact spring piece 42 of the contact member 20 come into contact with the overlapping projections 80 of the clip spring 68, causing each contact spring piece 42 to elastically deform outward in the left-right direction, and each clamping plate portion 72 to elastically deform inward in the left-right direction. As a result, further forward displacement of the clip spring 68 is permitted, and each locking projection 66 overcomes each overhang projection 80, causing each contact spring piece 42 and each clamping plate portion 72 to elastically return to their original shape, and each locking projection 66 to engage with each locking recess 84. In this way, the assembly of the contact member 20 and the clip spring 68 is formed.

[0044] Next, the assembly of the contact member 20 and the clip spring 68 is inserted through the front opening 22 of the male terminal mounting section 14, and the retaining plate portion 34 of the contact member 20 is fitted into the front opening 22 of the male terminal mounting section 14. When inserting the contact member 20 into the male terminal mounting section 14 from the front, the insertion end of the contact member 20 can be defined by, for example, placing another member (not shown) in the rear opening 24 of the male terminal mounting section 14. Then, with the retaining plate portion 34 of the contact member 20 fitted into the front opening 22 of the male terminal mounting section 14, the upper wall portion 48 of the retaining plate portion 34 is laser-welded to the inner surface 26a of the upper wall portion 26. Similarly, the lower wall portion 50 of the retaining plate portion 34 is laser-welded to the inner surface 28a of the lower wall portion 28. As a result, the assembly of the contact member 20 and the clip spring 68 is fixed to the male terminal mounting section 14 (terminal body 18), and the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1 is completed.

[0045] <Connection between female terminal 10 and male terminal 12> As shown by the dashed line in Figure 4, the male terminal 12 is inserted from the front into the female terminal 10 manufactured as described above. Each contact 40 provided on each contact spring piece 42 of the contact member 20 abuts against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, causing each contact spring piece 42 and each clamping plate portion 72 of the clip spring 68 to be elastically deformed so as to be pushed outward in the vertical direction. Due to the elastic restoring deformation accompanying these elastic deformations, each contact 40 is pressed against and makes contact with both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12. As a result, the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are electrically connected. Note that when the male terminal 12 is inserted from the state shown in Figure 4, each clamping plate portion 72 (especially each bent portion 76) may be elastically deformed so as to be pushed outward, and consequently the clip spring 68 may be displaced backward relative to each tip portion 38 of each contact spring piece 42. The rearward displacement of the clip spring 68 can be limited by the contact between each locking projection 66 and each overhang projection 80.

[0046] With the female terminal 10 having the structure described above, each contact spring piece 42 has a tip portion 38 that is wider than the base portion 36. Embossed portions 60 that constitute each contact 40 are formed on these tip portions 38, and the width of the embossed portions 60 can be made larger than, for example, when the width of each contact spring piece is constant in the front-rear direction. As a result, even when the male terminal 12 is inserted, and the male terminal 12 rotates (twists) around a central axis extending in the front-rear direction from the state shown in Figure 3, each contact 40 can be stably brought into contact with both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12. In addition, because the width of each base portion 36 is reduced, each base portion 36 can be deformed relatively flexibly, and even when the male terminal 12 rotates as described above, each base portion 36 of each contact spring piece 42 can deform to follow, and the contact state between the male terminal 12 and each contact 40 can be stably maintained. In particular, this deformation of each base end 36 is also effective when assembling the clip spring 68 to the tip 38 of each contact spring piece 42, and it stably generates elastic deformation outward in the left-right direction in each contact spring piece 42, allowing the clip spring 68 to be efficiently assembled to the tip 38 of each contact spring piece 42.

[0047] Each contact spring piece 42 is positioned opposite to another at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction, and each base end 36 is formed by cutting out the separated side edge (outward side in the left-right direction) of each contact spring piece 42. As a result, each tip 38 does not extend inward in the left-right direction beyond each base end 36, and even when the male terminal 12 rotates and each contact spring piece 42 deforms accordingly, contact between the tip 38s that are opposite each other in the left-right direction is avoided.

[0048] In each contact spring piece 42, the length of the tip portion 38 is greater than or equal to the length of the base portion 36. This allows each tip portion 38 to be made large not only in width but also in length (front-to-back dimension), enabling the formation of embossed portions 60 that are relatively large in the front-to-back direction as well. As a result, even when the base end of the male terminal 12 is oscillating in the vertical direction while the male terminal 12 is inserted, as shown in Figure 4, the contact state between each contact 40 and the male terminal 12 can be stably maintained.

[0049] The female terminal 10 is equipped with a clip spring 68 as a contact pressure spring, and the clip spring 68 is attached to the tip portion 38 of each contact spring piece 42. When the male terminal 12 is inserted, each contact 40 and the male terminal 12 come into contact, causing each contact spring piece 42 and each clamping plate portion 72 to be elastically deformed outward in the vertical direction, and the elastic restoring force of these causes each contact 40 to press against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12. As a result, the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 can be made to make stable contact, improving conductivity. In particular, before inserting the male terminal 12, by preventing the pressing force from the clip spring 86 from being applied to each contact spring piece 42, the gap between each contact 40 can be stably maintained, and the insertion resistance of the male terminal 12 can be reduced.

[0050] <Embodiment 2> Hereinafter, the female terminal 90 of Embodiment 2 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 9. The female terminal 90 of Embodiment 2 has a different shape for the terminal body 92 than that of Embodiment 1, and employs a contact member 20 and clip spring 68 that have the same shape as those of Embodiment 1. Therefore, the basic structure of the female terminal 90 of Embodiment 2 is the same as that of Embodiment 1, and parts that are substantially the same as those of Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals in the figure, and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0051] Specifically, in Embodiment 1, the male terminal mounting portion 14 of the terminal body 18 was substantially rectangular in shape, but in Embodiment 2, the male terminal mounting portion 94 of the terminal body 92 does not have a left wall portion 30 and a right wall portion 32, and only has an upper wall portion 26 and a lower wall portion 28. In particular, in Embodiment 2, the terminal body 92 is formed by folding back a single strip-shaped metal plate (first metal plate) that extends in the front-rear direction, with the upper wall portion 26 being formed by one end of the strip-shaped first metal plate and the lower wall portion 28 being formed by the other end. That is, a folded portion 96 is formed at the rear end of the terminal body 92 by folding back the first metal plate. The front-rear distance between the upper wall portion 26 and the folded portion 96 and the front-rear distance between the lower wall portion 28 and the folded portion 96 are overlapped in the vertical direction and fixed by welding or the like as needed, thereby forming a connection portion 98 behind the male terminal mounting portion 94. A vertical wall portion 100 is provided in a stepped manner between the connecting portion 98 and the upper wall portion 26, extending in a direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction. As a result, when the assembly of the contact member 20 and the clip spring 68 is inserted from the front of the male terminal mounting portion 94 and assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 94, the vertical wall portion 100 covers the assembly of the contact member 20 and the clip spring 68 from the rear.

[0052] Although the contact member 20 has the same shape as in Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 9, positioning protrusions 102 may protrude outward in the vertical direction from the front ends of the upper wall portion 48 and the lower wall portion 50 that constitute the retaining plate portion 34. By providing such positioning protrusions 102, when the assembly of the contact member 20 and the clip spring 68 is inserted into the male terminal mounting portion 94 from the front, each positioning protrusion 102 can be brought into contact with the front ends of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28, thereby defining the insertion end of the assembly into the male terminal mounting portion 94.

[0053] In the female terminal 90 of Embodiment 2, which has the structure described above, for example, joints 52 are provided on the upper wall portion 48 and the lower wall portion 50, and the contact member 20 and clip spring 68 can be fixed to the male terminal mounting portion 94 by welding them to the inner surfaces 26a and 26b of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28, respectively. In this way, in Embodiment 1, the current path from the upper joint portion 52 to the connection portion 16 was configured to wrap around through the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32, whereas in Embodiment 2, the current path from the upper joint portion 52 to the connection portion 98 is configured as a path that extends in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the current path from the upper joint portion 52 to the connection portion 98 can be shortened, and conductivity performance can be improved. In particular, in Embodiment 2, since the connection portion 98 is formed by folding and overlapping a single metal plate (first metal plate), a larger cross-sectional area can be secured at the connection portion 98 than in Embodiment 1. Therefore, it is possible to provide a female terminal 90 that can handle a larger current value than that of Embodiment 1, and can accommodate high currents.

[0054] <Embodiment 3> Hereinafter, the female terminal 110 of Embodiment 3 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 10. In Embodiment 2, the terminal body 92 was formed by folding a single strip-shaped metal plate (first metal plate), but in Embodiment 3, the terminal body 112 is formed by overlapping two strip-shaped metal plates (each a first metal plate) and fixing them in a fixing portion 114. The method of fixing the two upper and lower metal plates in this fixing portion 114 is not limited, but they can be fixed by a crimping structure using protrusions and indentations or by welding (for example, laser welding).

[0055] Since the female terminal 110, which has the shape of Embodiment 3, is simply formed from two metal plates instead of one metal plate for the terminal body 92 of Embodiment 2, it can achieve the same effects as Embodiment 2.

[0056] <Variation> While Embodiments 1 to 3 have been described in detail above as specific examples of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited by these specific descriptions. Modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that they can achieve the objectives of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0057] (1) In Embodiment 1, the base end 36 of each contact spring piece 42 was made narrower than the tip 38 by cutting out the edges on the left-right outward side of the base end 36 compared to the tip 38, but the embodiment is not limited to this. In each contact spring piece, the base end which is narrower than the tip may be connected to the left-right outward side of the tip, or to the left-right central side of the tip. Note that each contact spring piece does not need to be the same shape as the others, and at least two of the following configurations may be adopted: one in which the base end is connected to the left-right inward side of the tip, one in which it is connected to the left-right outward side, and one in which it is connected to the left-right central side. The same applies to Embodiments 2 and 3.

[0058] (2) In Embodiment 1, the male terminal 12 was in the shape of a flat tab, but the invention is not limited to this form, and for example the male terminal may be in the shape of a pin. In that case the male terminal mounting portion may be in the shape of a cylinder, corresponding to the shape of the male terminal. The same applies to Embodiments 2 and 3.

[0059] (3) In Embodiment 1, the opening dimensions of the insertion opening 78 in the clip spring 68 before assembly (the vertical distance between each bent portion 76, 76) were made larger than the vertical distance between the outer surfaces of the protruding ends (tip portions 38) of each contact spring piece 42, so that when the clip spring 68 is assembled to the tip portions 38 of each contact spring piece 42, each locking projection 66 is locked into each locking recess 84. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, when the contact pressure spring is assembled to the tip of each contact spring portion, each tip portion may be biased to move toward each other, or a mechanism to prevent the contact pressure spring from falling out may be provided separately, such as by providing a separate member at the rear opening of the male terminal mounting portion. This mechanism to prevent the contact pressure spring from falling out may be, for example, a vertical wall portion 100 provided integrally with the terminal body 92, 112 and covering the rear opening 24 of the male terminal mounting portion 94, as described in Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 3.

[0060] (4) In Embodiment 1, the female terminal 10 was constructed by inserting an assembly of the contact member 20 and the clip spring 68 from the front opening 22 of the male terminal mounting portion 14, but the invention is not limited to this embodiment. The assembly of the contact member and the clip spring may be inserted from the rear opening of the male terminal mounting portion, or the contact member may be inserted from the front opening of the male terminal mounting portion and the clip spring may be inserted from the rear opening of the male terminal mounting portion, and the contact member and the clip spring may be assembled inside the male terminal mounting portion. The method of fixing the contact member and the male terminal mounting portion is not limited to welding, and known fixing methods such as bolt fixing or locking by protrusions and recesses may be used. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the method of inserting the contact member and the clip spring into the male terminal mounting portion, but for example, in Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 3, the terminal body may be constructed by bending the first metal plate so as to cover the assembly of the contact member and the clip spring, or the terminal body may be constructed by overlapping and fixing the upper and lower first metal plates so as to cover the assembly of the contact member and the clip spring. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 10 Female terminal (Embodiment 1) 12 female terminal 14 Male terminal mounting section 16 Connection part 18 Terminal body 20 Contact Member 22 Front opening 24 Rear opening 26 Upper wall 26a Inner surface 28 Lower wall part 28a Inner surface 30 Left wall section 32 Right wall section 34 Holding plate part 36 Proximal end 38 Tip 40 contacts 42 Contact spring piece 44 Left side wall 46 Right side wall 48 Upper wall 50 Lower wall 52 Joint 54 Notch 56 Spring-side slit 58. Bending section 60 Embossed section 62 Male terminal insertion gap 64 recess 66 Locking projection 68. Clip spring (contact pressure spring) 70 Connecting plate part 72 Holding plate part 74 Clip-side slit 76 Bent part 78 sockets 80 Overpass 82 Positioning projection 84 Locking recess 90 Female terminal (Embodiment 2) 92 Terminal body 94 Male terminal mounting section 96 Turning section 98 Connection section 100 Vertical wall section 102 Positioning projection 110 Female terminal (Embodiment 3) 112 Terminal body 114 Fixed part A. Distance between contacts on both the upper and lower sides before insertion of the male terminal. B Male terminal thickness dimensions C1,C2 Center of curvature r1,r2 radius of curvature L1 Length dimension of the tip L2 Base length dimension W1 Width dimension of the tip W2 Width dimension of the base end

Claims

1. A terminal body formed from a first metal plate has a male terminal mounting portion at one end that is electrically connected to a male terminal, and a connecting portion at the other end that is electrically connected to another member, The device comprises a contact member formed from a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate and assembled to the male terminal mounting portion, The contact member comprises a retaining plate portion held by the male terminal mounting portion, and a strip-shaped contact spring piece whose base end is cantilevered relative to the retaining plate portion and whose tip is provided with a contact that presses against the male terminal. A female terminal in which the width dimension of the tip portion of the contact spring piece is larger than the width dimension of the base portion.

2. A pair of the aforementioned contact spring pieces are arranged in parallel in the width direction of the contact spring pieces, The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the base end of each contact spring piece is notched on the side edge that is separated from the adjacent contact spring piece, so that the width dimension of the base end of each contact spring piece is smaller than the width dimension of the tip of each contact spring piece.

3. The female terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the length dimension of the tip portion of the contact spring piece is equal to or greater than the length dimension of the base portion.

4. The male terminal mounting portion has a rectangular cylindrical shape, The contact member comprises a contact spring piece positioned on the upper wall side of the male terminal mounting portion and a contact spring piece positioned on the lower wall side of the male terminal mounting portion. A gap for inserting a male terminal is formed between the contact spring piece on the upper wall side and the contact spring piece on the lower wall side. The device has a contact pressure spring that clamps the tip of the contact spring piece on the upper wall side and the tip of the contact spring piece on the lower wall side in opposing directions. The female terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the contact pressure spring biases the tips of the male terminals toward each other when the male terminal is pressed into the male terminal insertion gap.

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