Female terminal

Abstract

A female terminal is disclosed that can suppress or prevent the detachment of the contact pressure spring from the contact spring portion with a small number of parts and assembly steps. [Solution] The female terminal 10 comprises a main body portion 14, a contact forming fitting 16, and a contact pressure spring 24 having a connecting plate portion 18, a clamping plate portion 20, and an engaging portion 22. The contact forming fitting 16 has a contact spring portion 50 that is cantilevered and held by the front opposing walls 44 and 46, respectively, and the contact pressure spring 24 is assembled to the protruding end of the contact spring portion 50. The contact forming fitting 16 further includes an elastic locking piece 52 having an engaged portion 54 that engages with the engaging portion 22. The elastic locking piece 52 allows the contact pressure spring 24 to be assembled to the contact spring portion 50 by elastically deforming when the engaging portion 22 of the contact pressure spring 24 comes into contact with it, and when the contact pressure spring 24 is assembled to the contact spring portion 50 and elastically returns to its original position, the engaging portion 22 engages with the engaged portion 54, preventing the contact pressure spring 24 from detaching from the contact spring portion 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to female terminals.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a female terminal including a main body portion having a connection portion formed of a first metal plate and conductively connected to other members and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion, a contact forming fitting formed of a second metal plate thinner than the first metal plate and assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion so as to be conductive, and a contact pressure applying spring assembled to a contact spring portion of the contact forming fitting to apply contact pressure. Since the main body portion and the contact forming fitting are configured as separate parts, it is possible to secure a capacitance in the main body portion having a large plate thickness dimension while ensuring followability to a male terminal by the contact spring portion of the contact forming fitting thinner than the main body portion, and it is possible to cope with a large current while suppressing an increase in the size of the female terminal. Moreover, since a contact pressure applying spring such as a clip spring for applying a contact pressure of the contact spring portion to the male terminal is assembled to the contact spring portion, a sufficiently large contact pressure can be secured even if the contact spring portion is formed of a thin second metal plate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, in the female terminal of Patent Document 1, a separate retainer is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body in order to prevent the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion. The contact pressure spring comes into contact with the retainer, thereby preventing the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion. However, in the female terminal of Patent Document 1, in addition to the main body, contact forming fittings and contact pressure spring, it is necessary to prepare and assemble a separate retainer, which inevitably leads to an increase in the number of parts and assembly steps.

[0005] Therefore, we disclose a female terminal that can suppress or prevent the detachment of the contact pressure spring from the contact spring portion with a small number of parts and assembly man-hours. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The female terminal of this disclosure comprises a main body made of a first metal plate, a contact forming fitting made of a second metal plate having a thinner thickness than the first metal plate and electrically assembled to the main body, a contact pressure spring having a flat connecting plate portion, a pair of flat clamping plate portions projecting toward each other from both side edges of the connecting plate portion, and an engaging portion provided on the connecting plate portion, the main body portion is made up of a pair of opposing wall portions and has a male terminal insertion opening at one end, the contact forming fitting has a pair of front opposing walls each assembled to the inner surface of the pair of opposing wall portions on the male terminal insertion opening side, and a pair of contact spring portions each held in a cantilever shape by the pair of front opposing walls and projecting toward the other end of the main body portion and arranged opposite each other with a male terminal insertion gap between them, a pair The contact pressure spring is assembled to the protruding end of the contact spring portion of the contact pressure spring in such a state that the protruding end of the pair of contact spring portions is sandwiched between the pair of clamping plates of the contact pressure spring in order to bias the pair of contact spring portions toward each other. The contact forming fitting further includes an elastic locking piece provided at a different location from the contact spring portion, the elastic locking piece having an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion, the elastic locking piece allowing the assembly of the contact pressure spring to the contact spring portion by elastically deforming when the engaging portion of the contact pressure spring comes into contact with the elastic locking piece, and when the contact pressure spring is assembled to the contact spring portion and elastically returns to its original position, the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion, preventing the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring 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 cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the contact members constituting the female terminal shown in Figure 1, viewed from the rear side. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the contact pressure spring that constitutes the female terminal shown in Figure 1, viewed from the rear side. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a male terminal is inserted into the female terminal shown in Figure 1, and the male terminal is displaced vertically from its normal position, and corresponds to Figure 3. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the female terminal according to Embodiment 2 from the rear side. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a male terminal is inserted into the female terminal shown in Figure 8, and the male terminal is displaced vertically from its normal position, and corresponds to Figure 7. [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 contact pressure spring comprising a main body made of a first metal plate, a contact forming fitting made of a second metal plate thinner than the first metal plate and electrically assembled to the main body, a flat connecting plate portion, a pair of flat clamping plate portions projecting toward each other from both side edges of the connecting plate portion, and an engaging portion provided on the connecting plate portion, wherein the main body is made up of a pair of opposing wall portions and has a male terminal insertion opening at one end, the contact forming fitting comprises a pair of front opposing walls each assembled to the inner surface of the pair of opposing wall portions on the male terminal insertion opening side, and a pair of contact spring portions each held in a cantilever-like manner by the pair of front opposing walls and projecting toward the other end of the main body, and arranged opposite each other with a male terminal insertion gap between them, and a pair of the The protruding ends of the contact spring portions are assembled such that the protruding ends of the pair of contact spring portions are sandwiched between the pair of clamping plates of the contact pressure spring in order to bias the pair of contact spring portions toward each other. The contact forming fitting further includes an elastic locking piece provided at a location different from the contact spring portions, the elastic locking piece having an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion, the elastic locking piece allowing the assembly of the contact pressure spring to the contact spring portions by elastically deforming when the engaging portion of the contact pressure spring comes into contact with the elastic locking piece, and when the contact pressure spring is assembled to the contact spring portions and elastically returns to its original position, the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion, preventing the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portions.

[0010] According to this disclosure, a female terminal comprising a thick-walled main body and a thin-walled contact-forming fitting, wherein a contact pressure spring is assembled to a pair of contact spring portions of the contact-forming fitting, further comprising an elastic locking piece provided at a location different from the contact spring. When assembling the contact pressure spring to the contact spring portion, an engaging portion provided on the connecting plate portion of the contact pressure spring abuts against the elastic locking piece, causing the elastic locking piece to elastically deform, thereby allowing the contact pressure spring to be assembled to the contact spring portion. Furthermore, when the assembly of the contact pressure spring to the contact spring portion is completed, the elastic locking piece elastically returns to its original position, causing the engaging portion of the contact pressure spring to engage with the engaged portion of the contact pressure spring, thereby preventing the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion. As a result, a structure can be provided in which the engagement of the engaged portion of the elastic locking piece provided on the contact-forming fitting and the engaging portion provided on the contact pressure spring prevents the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion. Therefore, compared to conventional structures in which a separate retainer was assembled to the main body, it is possible to provide a female terminal that can suppress or prevent the detachment of the contact pressure spring from the contact spring portion with fewer parts and assembly steps.

[0011] In particular, the elastic locking piece is provided in a location different from the contact spring portion, and the engaging portion that contacts the elastic locking piece and undergoes elastic deformation is provided on the connecting plate portion of the pressure-applying spring. As a result, it is not necessary to deform the pair of clamping plates of the pressure-applying spring that sandwich the contact spring portion in order to engage the engaging portion and the engaged portion. Therefore, the engagement structure between the engaging portion of the pressure-applying spring and the engaged portion of the elastic locking piece can be constructed without being affected by the magnitude of the contact pressure applied by the contact spring portion or the pressure-applying spring. As a result, for example, it becomes possible to increase the plate thickness of the pressure-applying spring to ensure a large amount of contact pressure applied to the contact spring portion by clamping between the pair of clamping plates, while also making it easier to assemble the engaging portion and the engaged portion.

[0012] Furthermore, as long as the detachment of the contact pressure spring from the contact spring portion can be prevented, the position and number of elastic locking pieces, as well as the specific shapes of the engaging portion and the engaged portion, can be arbitrarily set.

[0013] (2) In the above (1), the contact forming fitting comprises a pair of front side walls that connect both ends of a pair of front opposing walls, and a pair of flat elastic locking pieces that are cantilevered by the pair of front side walls and protrude toward the other end of the main body, with a pair of contact spring portions sandwiched between them and facing each other, wherein each elastic locking piece has a through hole that penetrates in the thickness direction and constitutes the engaged portion, and a convex engaging portion that can be inserted through the through hole is provided on the end face of the connecting plate portion of the contact pressure spring that faces each of the through holes, and it is preferable that the engaging portion is positioned in the through hole by penetrating the through hole when the contact pressure spring is assembled to the contact spring portion.

[0014] In the contact-forming fitting, by cleverly utilizing a pair of front side walls that connect the front opposing walls that hold a pair of contact spring portions in a cantilevered manner, a pair of elastic locking pieces, also held in a cantilevered manner, can be positioned opposite each other on both sides of the pair of contact spring portions. Furthermore, by making convex engaging portions protrude from both end faces of the connecting plate portion of the contact pressure-applying spring that faces each elastic locking piece, and by forming through holes in the opposing parts of each elastic locking piece, the engaged portion into which the engaging portion engages can be provided in a space-efficient manner. Moreover, since a retaining structure consisting of an engaging portion and an engaged portion can be constructed on both sides of the pair of contact spring portions and on both end faces of the connecting plate portion of the contact pressure-applying spring, the detachment of the contact pressure-applying spring from the contact spring portion can be prevented even more reliably.

[0015] (3) In (2) above, it is preferable that each of the through holes is elongated in the direction opposite to the pair of front opposing walls, and that movement of the engaging portion in the longitudinal direction of the through hole is permitted. Since the pair of through holes provided in the pair of elastic locking pieces are elongated in the direction opposite to the front opposing walls, and that movement of each engaging portion is permitted in the longitudinal direction of the through holes, when a male terminal inserted and clamped between a pair of contact spring portions is displaced in the longitudinal direction, the contact spring portion can follow the displacement of the male terminal while maintaining the state in which it is clamped between a pair of clamping plates of the contact pressure spring. This improves the conductivity stability of the female terminal.

[0016] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the main body portion includes an opening prevention portion that abuts against the elastic locking piece of the contact forming fitting and prevents the elastic deformation of the contact forming fitting. The elastic locking piece of the contact forming fitting may be elastically deformed when assembled to the contact spring portion of the contact pressure applying spring. After the assembly of the contact pressure applying spring to the contact spring portion is completed and it is assembled to the main body portion, in the actual use stage of the female terminal, it is necessary to maintain an elastically restored state, that is, a state in which the engaging portion and the engaged portion are engaged. Therefore, by providing an opening prevention portion in the main body portion to prevent the elastic deformation of the contact forming fitting, unnecessary elastic deformation of the elastic locking piece can be prevented with a compact structure and a small number of parts, and the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion can be stabilized, and the detachment from the contact spring portion of the contact pressure applying spring can be stably prevented.

[0017] <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 defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0018] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. This female terminal 10 is provided, for example, in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and the male terminal 12 (shown as a dashed line in Figure 3 and see Figure 7), which is the mating terminal, is inserted into the female terminal 10 and makes contact with it, thereby creating an electrical connection between the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12. The location of the female terminal 10 is not limited, but for example, it is provided on the motor side component, and the male terminal 12 is provided on the battery side component, and the battery and motor are electrically connected by the electrical connection between the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12. The female terminal 10 can be positioned in any orientation, but in the following description, "up" refers to the upper part in Figure 3, "down" refers to the lower part in Figure 3, "front" refers to the left in Figure 2, "rear" refers to the right in Figure 2, "left" refers to the upper part in Figure 2, and "right" refers to the lower part in Figure 2. In addition, for multiple identical components, reference numerals may be assigned to only some of the components, while the reference numerals for other components may be omitted.

[0019] <Female terminal 10> The female terminal 10 comprises a main body portion 14 made of a first metal plate and a contact forming fitting 16 made of a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate and is assembled to the main body portion 14 so as to be electrically conductive. The female terminal 10 also comprises a clip spring 24 as a contact pressure applying spring, which has a flat connecting plate portion 18, a pair of flat clamping plate portions 20, 20 that protrude from both side edges of the connecting plate portion 18 in a direction approaching each other, and an engaging portion 22 provided on the connecting plate portion 18. In Figure 1, for clarity, the internal structure of the contact forming fitting 16 is shown with a dashed line, but the clip spring 24 provided inside the contact forming fitting 16 is not shown.

[0020] <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 insertion gap 48 in the contact forming fitting 16 (described later) from front to rear, the direction from front to rear is the insertion direction of the male terminal 12.

[0021] <Main body 14> The main body 14 is composed of an upper wall portion 26 and a lower wall portion 28 as a pair of opposing wall portions, and has a male terminal insertion opening 30 that opens at one end (front end). The other end (rear end) is provided with a connecting portion 32 for connection to other members. The main body 14 is formed by press-forming a single metal plate (first metal plate) having a predetermined thickness, and in Embodiment 1, the first metal plate is a strip-shaped member having a substantially constant width dimension (left-right dimension). Thus, the upper wall portion 26 is formed by one end of the strip-shaped first metal plate, and the lower wall portion 28 is formed by the other end. The upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 are each substantially rectangular in plan view, extend in the front-rear direction, and face each other at a predetermined distance in the vertical direction. The rear ends of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 are connected by a connecting portion 32 which is formed from the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped first metal plate. In other words, in Embodiment 1, the male terminal insertion opening 30 at the front end is formed by including the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28.

[0022] Furthermore, the connecting portion 32 extends in the vertical direction, and a central through-hole 34 is formed in the central part of the connecting portion 32, penetrating in the front-to-back direction. A nut 36 is fixed to this central through-hole 34, and the inner hole 38 of the nut 36 communicates with the central through-hole 34 and penetrates the connecting portion 32 in the front-to-back direction. By fastening a bolt (not shown) to this nut 36, a component such as a busbar on the motor side is bolted to the connecting portion 32 from the rear. In Embodiment 1, the connecting portion 32 extends outward in the vertical direction beyond the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28, and both the upper and lower ends of the connecting portion 32 are connected to the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 via inclined portions 40, 40, respectively. Each of these inclined portions 40 gradually inclines inward in the vertical direction as it moves forward. By providing such inclined portions 40, the vertical dimension of the connecting portion 32 can be made relatively large, and the nut 36 can be stably attached to the connecting portion 32.

[0023] Furthermore, at the rear ends of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 (the connection portions with each inclined portion 40), anti-opening portions 42 are provided at both the left and right ends, projecting inward in the vertical direction. Each of these anti-opening portions 42 has a predetermined projection dimension inward in the vertical direction. Each anti-opening portion 42 then abuts against each elastic locking piece 52 of the contact forming fitting 16, as will be described later, to prevent elastic deformation of the contact forming fitting 16.

[0024] The material of the first metal plate constituting the main body 14, which has this shape, is preferably a metal with excellent conductivity, for example, pure copper is used.

[0025] In Embodiment 1, as will be described later, the inner surfaces 26a and 28a of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 that constitute the male terminal insertion opening 30 form a joint to which each joint portion 64 of the contact forming fitting 16, which will be described later, is welded.

[0026] <Contact forming fitting 16> As shown in Figure 5 and other figures, the contact forming fitting 16 has an upper wall portion 44 and a lower wall portion 46 as a pair of forward opposing walls that are assembled to the inner surfaces 26a and 28a of the upper wall portion 26 and lower wall portion 28 of the main body portion 14, respectively. The contact forming fitting 16 also has a pair of contact spring portions 50, 50 that are cantilevered and held by the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46, respectively, and protrude toward the other end (rear end) of the main body portion 14, and are arranged opposite each other with a male terminal insertion gap 48 in between. The contact forming fitting 16 further includes an elastic locking piece 52 provided in a different location from each contact spring portion 50, and this elastic locking piece 52 has an engaged portion 54 that engages with the engaging portion 22 provided on the aforementioned clip spring 24.

[0027] More specifically, the contact-forming fitting 16 has a left side wall portion 56 and a right side wall portion 58, which serve as a pair of front side walls connecting the ends of the upper side wall portion 44 and the lower side wall portion 46, respectively. The elastic locking pieces 52 are held in a cantilevered manner from these left side wall portions 56 and right side wall portions 58 and protrude toward the other end (rear end) of the main body portion 14, and are arranged facing each other in the left-right direction with the contact spring portions 50 in between. In other words, the contact-forming fitting 16 is provided with a pair of elastic locking pieces 52, 52, each formed in a substantially flat plate shape. The tip portion (rear end) of each elastic locking piece 52 is provided with a through hole 60 that penetrates in the plate thickness direction (left-right direction) and constitutes the engaged portion 54.

[0028] In Embodiment 1, a crank-shaped bent portion 61 is formed in the middle of each elastic locking piece 52 in the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction). The distance between each elastic locking piece 52, 52 in the left-to-right direction is smaller in the portion behind the bent portion 61 than in the distance between each elastic locking piece 52, 52 in the left-to-right direction in the portion in front of the bent portion 61. These bent portions 61 extend along the entire length of each elastic locking piece 52 in the vertical direction, and the elastic deformation of each elastic locking piece 52 in the left-to-right direction is facilitated at the bends provided in each bent portion 61. As a result, the portion of each elastic locking piece 52 behind each bent portion 61 is designated as a deformable portion 62 that is relatively easy to deform. The above-mentioned through holes 60 are formed in each deformable portion 62 on the tip side of each elastic locking piece 52 beyond each bent portion 61.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3 and other figures, each of these through-holes 60 is substantially rectangular in a left-right view, and in Embodiment 1, each through-hole 60 is elongated in the vertical direction, which is the direction opposite to the pair of front opposing walls (upper wall portion 44 and lower wall portion 46). In short, each through-hole 60 has predetermined front-rear and vertical dimensions, but the vertical dimension is larger than the front-rear dimension. As will be described later, each engaging portion 22 of the aforementioned clip spring 24 engages within each of these through-holes 60, and each engaging portion 22 is allowed to move in the front-rear and vertical directions within each through-hole 60.

[0030] In short, the front end portion of the contact-forming fitting 16 has a retaining plate portion 63 which is roughly rectangular in shape, surrounded by an upper wall portion 44, a lower wall portion 46, a left wall portion 56, and a right wall portion 58. From the left wall portion 56 and the right wall portion 58, which are roughly rectangular in shape and form the left and right walls of the retaining plate portion 63, each elastic locking piece 52 which is roughly flat in shape, protrudes toward the rear. Each of these elastic locking pieces 52 extends to the rear end portion of the contact-forming fitting 16. In other words, the contact-forming fitting 16 has a pair of wall portions which face each other at a predetermined distance apart in the left-right direction, and the retaining plate portion 63 which is roughly rectangular in shape is formed by the front end portions of this pair of wall portions, and each elastic locking piece 52 is formed by the rear portions of the pair of wall portions.

[0031] The retaining plate portion 63 of the contact forming fitting 16 is superimposed on and fixed to the male terminal insertion opening 30 of the main body portion 14. That is, the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46 of the retaining plate portion 63 are superimposed on the front portions of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 of the main body portion 14, respectively. In Embodiment 1, the contact forming fitting 16 and the main body portion 14 are fixed by welding. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the inner surface 26a of the upper wall portion 26 and the upper wall portion 44, which are superimposed on each other, are fixed by welding, and the inner surface 28a of the lower wall portion 28 and the lower wall portion 46, which are superimposed on each other, are fixed by welding. Therefore, the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46 of the contact forming fitting 16 have a joint portion 64 (shown by a dashed line in Figures 1, 2, etc.) to which they are welded to the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28, respectively. While known welding methods can be used for each of these joints 64, 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 64 are not limited to the illustrated configuration.

[0032] Furthermore, the front ends of the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46 are each provided with positioning protrusions 66 that project outward in the vertical direction. By providing such positioning protrusions 66, when the assembly of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 is inserted into the main body portion 14 from the front, as will be described later, each positioning protrusion 66 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 main body portion 14.

[0033] Furthermore, slits 68 extending in the front-rear direction are provided in the front portions of the left wall portion 56 and the right wall portion 58. In Embodiment 1, multiple slits 68 extending in the front-rear direction may be provided in the lower portions of the left wall portion 56 and the right wall portion 58. This allows the lower wall portion 46 to be displaced to some extent in the vertical direction relative to the left wall portion 56 and the right wall portion 58, and when welding the contact forming fitting 16 to the main body portion 14, the lower wall portion 46 can be brought into close contact with the front end portion of the inner surface 28a of the lower wall portion 28 with virtually no gap.

[0034] <Contact spring part 50> As described above, the contact spring portion 50 is provided on both the upper and lower sides of the contact forming fitting 16, and each contact spring portion 50 protrudes in a cantilevered manner toward the rear from the rear end surface of the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46 of the retaining plate portion 63. That is, the contact forming fitting 16 includes a contact spring portion 50 located on the upper wall portion 26 side of the main body portion 14 and a contact spring portion 50 located on the lower wall portion 28 side. In particular, in Embodiment 1, a spring portion side slit 70 extending in the front-rear direction is provided in the center of each contact spring portion 50 in the left-right direction, and each contact spring portion 50 on both the upper and lower sides is divided into left and right sides by each spring portion side slit 70. In short, a pair of contact spring portions 50, 50 are arranged in parallel in the width direction (left-right direction) of the contact spring portion 50 with the spring portion side slit 70 in between, and each of these contact spring portions 50 arranged in parallel in the left-right direction is provided on both the upper and lower sides. As a result, the contact forming fitting 16 of Embodiment 1 is provided with a total of four contact spring portions 50. Each spring portion side slit 70 extends along the entire length (front-rear direction) of each contact spring portion 50 and is formed spanning from the protruding end (rear end) of each contact spring portion 50 to the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46. Each contact spring portion 50 is the same shape as the others, and each contact spring portion 50 gradually inclines in the vertical direction as it moves towards the rear.

[0035] Furthermore, a bent portion 72 is provided in the middle of each of these contact spring portions 50 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), and the inclination angle with respect to the front-rear direction is different at the base end portion 74, which is on the base end side (front end side) protruding from the bent portion 72, and at the tip portion 76, which is on the tip side (rear end side) protruding from the bent portion 72. In Embodiment 1, in the standalone state of the contact forming fitting 16 before the clip spring 24 is assembled, the base end portion 74 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the front-rear direction and extends rearward, while the tip portion 76 extends substantially parallel to the front-rear direction.

[0036] Here, in each contact spring portion 50, the width dimension of the tip portion 76 is made larger than the width dimension of the base portion 74. In Embodiment 1, the base portion 74 of each contact spring portion 50 is made smaller in width than the tip portion 76 by cutting off the side edge (outward side in the left-right direction) that is separated from adjacent contact spring portions 50, 50 in the left-right direction. In short, the width dimension of the tip portion 76 is made larger so as to spread outward in the left-right direction compared to the narrow base portion 74. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the length of the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50 is greater than or equal to the length of the base portion 74. As a result, in Embodiment 1, each contact spring portion 50 is provided with a tip portion 76 at its rear end, which has larger width and length dimensions compared to the base portion 74, and each tip portion 76 is formed over a relatively wide area.

[0037] Furthermore, each tip portion 76 formed over a relatively wide area has an embossed portion 78 that protrudes inward in the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, each embossed portion 78 is formed in the central part of each tip portion 76 in a plan view (projection in the vertical direction) and has a relatively large length dimension (front-to-back dimension) and width dimension (left-to-right dimension).

[0038] As described above, an embossed portion 78 is formed at each tip portion 76, so that the vertical inner surface of each embossed portion 78 is located vertically inward from the vertical inner surface of each tip portion 76, and the vertically inward protruding end face of each embossed portion 78 forms a contact 80 that contacts the male terminal 12 when the male terminal 12 is inserted. The contacts 80 on both the upper and lower sides (i.e., the contact spring portion 50 on the upper wall portion 26 side and the contact spring portion 50 on the lower wall portion 28 side) face each other with a predetermined gap in the vertical direction, and the vertical gap at each of these contacts 80 forms the aforementioned male terminal insertion gap 48. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, as described above, the contact forming fitting 16 is formed by press-forming a single metal plate (second metal plate), and recesses 82 are formed on the vertical outer surface of each contact spring portion 50 at positions corresponding to each embossed portion 78.

[0039] Before insertion of the male terminal 12, the opposing distance A (see Figure 3) between each contact 80 on both the upper and lower sides is smaller than the thickness dimension (vertical dimension) B (see Figure 3) of the male terminal 12. As a result, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 48 in the female terminal 10, both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 come into contact with each contact 80 on both the upper and lower sides, pushing each contact 80 (each contact spring portion 50) 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, as will be described later, along with each contact 80, each clamping plate portion 20 (especially each bent portion 88) of the clip spring 24 located outward in the vertical direction of each tip portion 76 is pushed outward in the vertical direction. As a result, the elastic restoring force of each clamping plate portion 20 biases each contact spring portion 50 toward each other, and each contact 80 on each contact spring portion 50 is pressed against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12.

[0040] Furthermore, at the protruding ends (rear ends) of each tip portion 76, an engaging projection 84 is formed at the end that protrudes outward in the vertical direction in the left-right direction. Each engaging projection 84 has a predetermined protruding dimension and is formed to be relatively small in the front-rear direction. When the clip spring 24 is attached to the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50, each of these engaging projections 84 abuts against each clamping plate portion 20 of the clip spring 24 from the left-right outward direction, thereby suppressing the left-right displacement of the clip spring 24 relative to each contact spring portion 50.

[0041] The material of the second metal plate constituting the contact-forming fitting 16, which has this shape, is preferably a metal with excellent conductivity, such as a copper alloy.

[0042] <Contact pressure spring (clip spring 24)> The aforementioned clip springs 24 are assembled to the protruding ends (tip portions 76) of each contact spring portion 50 in order to bias each contact spring portion 50 toward each other in the vertical direction when the male terminal 12 is inserted. The clip springs 24 are mounted so as to position each tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50 between a pair of clamping plate portions 20, 20, and when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 as described above, the clip springs 24 bias the tip portions 76, 76 on both the upper and lower sides toward each other.

[0043] The connecting plate portion 18 and each clamping plate portion 20 that constitute the clip spring 24 are each in the shape of a substantially rectangular flat plate. The clip spring 24 in Embodiment 1 can also be formed, for example, by press-forming a single metal plate. In Embodiment 1, each clamping plate portion 20 on both the upper and lower sides is divided into left and right sides by a clip-side slit 86 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 20 are formed in the clip spring 24 of Embodiment 1. In particular, in Embodiment 1, each clip-side slit 86 on both the upper and lower sides extends rearward from the protruding end (front end) of each clamping plate portion 20 and is formed along the entire length of each clamping plate portion 20, reaching the connecting plate portion 18.

[0044] Furthermore, the left-right dimension of each clamping plate portion 20 is larger than the left-right dimension of each recess 82 provided on the vertical outer surface of each contact spring portion 50. In addition, a bent portion 88 is provided in the middle of the length of each clamping plate portion 20. As a result, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the clip spring 24 is attached to the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50 and the bent portion 88 of each clamping plate portion 20 contacts the formation position of each recess 82 in each contact spring portion 50, the left-right ends of each clamping plate portion 20 contact the respective recess 82 in each contact spring portion 50 at a point further outward in the left-right direction.

[0045] Furthermore, since a bent portion 88 is provided in the middle of the length of each clamping plate portion 20, the front end portion of each clamping plate portion 20, including each protruding end, extends outward in the vertical direction from the bent portion 88. Therefore, the distance between the opposing clamping plate portions 20 in the vertical direction is minimized at the bent portion 88 provided in the middle of the length. The gap between these opposing bent portions 88 in the vertical direction is the insertion opening 90 for inserting and assembling the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50. That is, when the clip spring 24 is attached to the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50, the connecting plate portion 18 of the clip spring 24 is positioned opposite to each tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50 in the front-rear direction, and each clamping plate portion 20 of the clip spring 24 protrudes from the connecting plate portion 18 in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of each contact spring portion 50. The direction in which the clip spring 24 is attached is the direction opposite to the protruding direction of each of the above-mentioned contact spring portions 50 (from rear to front).

[0046] In Embodiment 1, in the clip spring 24 in its individual state before assembly, the vertical dimension of the insertion opening 90 is equal to or slightly larger than the distance between the vertical outer surfaces of the tip portions 76 of the contact spring portions 50 on both the upper and lower sides. As a result, when the clip spring 24 is attached to the tip portions 76 of each contact spring portion 50, the bent portions 88 of each clamping plate portion 20 are in zero contact with the vertical outer surface of each tip portion 76 or separated by a small gap. Consequently, when the clip spring 24 is attached, there is no vertical deformation of each tip portion 76 or each clamping plate portion 20, and the opposing distance A between each contact 80 in the initial state is maintained even when the clip spring 24 is attached to each tip portion 76.

[0047] Furthermore, each clamping plate portion 20 has a positioning projection 92 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction at its rear end. These positioning projections 92 contact the engaging projections 84 provided on the tip portions 76 of each contact spring portion 50 (described later) when assembling the clip spring 24 to them, thereby limiting the further forward displacement of the clip spring 24.

[0048] Furthermore, as described above, the connecting plate portion 18 is provided with engaging portions 22, and in Embodiment 1, a pair of engaging portions 22, 22 protruding outward in the left-right direction are provided at both the left and right ends of the central portion in the vertical direction of the connecting plate portion 18. The front-rear and vertical dimensions of each engaging portion 22 are smaller than the front-rear and vertical dimensions of each through hole 60 described above. That is, when the clip spring 24 is assembled to the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50, the left and right end faces of the connecting plate portion 18 face each through hole 60 constituting each engaged portion 54 in the left-right direction, and convex engaging portions 22 that can be inserted through each through hole 60 are provided protruding from the left and right end faces of these connecting plate portions 18.

[0049] Here, the widthwise (left-right) dimension of the clip spring 24 is approximately constant in the front-rear direction, but it is slightly larger at the positions where each positioning projection 92 is formed than at other parts, and even larger at the positions where each engaging portion 22 is formed. In the clip spring 24, the left-right dimension W1 (see Figure 2) at the position where each positioning projection 92 is formed is smaller than the left-right opposing dimension W2 (see Figure 2) at the rear end of each elastic locking piece 52 (the position where each through hole 60 is formed). Also, in the clip spring 24, the left-right dimension W3 (see Figure 2) at the position where each engaging portion 22 is formed is larger than the left-right opposing dimension W2 at the rear end of each elastic locking piece 52.

[0050] When assembling the clip spring 24, which has been shaped in this manner, to the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50, the tip portion 76 and the clip spring 24 are positioned facing each other in the front-rear direction. Then, by moving the clip spring 24 forward relative to each tip portion 76, the left-right opposing dimension W2 of the rear end of each elastic locking piece 52 is greater than the left-right dimension W1 of the formation position of each positioning projection 92 on the clip spring 24, and smaller than the left-right dimension W3 of the formation position of each engaging portion 22. As a result, the clip spring 24 is displaced forward until each engaging portion 22 contacts the rear end surface of each elastic locking piece 52. By further displacing the clip spring 24 forward from this state in which each engaging portion 22 and the rear end surface of each elastic locking piece 52 are in contact, each elastic locking piece 52 is pushed outward in the left-right direction by each engaging portion 22, allowing further forward displacement of the clip spring 24. Then, by further displacing the clip spring 24 forward, each engaging portion 22 overcomes the rear wall of each through hole 60, causing each elastic locking piece 52 to elastically return to its original shape and deform, so that each engaging portion 22 enters and engages within each through hole 60 (each engaging portion 22 penetrates each through hole 60 and is positioned within each through hole 60). This prevents the clip spring 24 from detaching from each tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50.

[0051] In this state, with the clip springs 24 assembled to each end portion 76, as described above, the bent portions 88 of each clamping plate portion 20 are either zero-touch or slightly separated from the vertical outer surface of each end portion 76, and the upper and lower end portions 76 extend almost straight toward the rear with a separation distance of A between each contact point 80. The forward displacement of the clip springs 24 is limited by the positioning projections 92 contacting each engaging projection 84 provided on each end portion 76, or by each engaging portion 22 contacting the front wall of each through hole 60. Furthermore, as described above, each engaging portion 22 is formed to be smaller than each through hole 60, and displacement in the front-rear direction and / or vertical direction of each engaging portion 22 within each through hole 60 is possible with the elastic deformation of each contact spring portion 50.

[0052] <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.

[0053] First, the first metal plate is press-formed to create the main body portion 14 in the shape described above. A nut 36 is fixed to the connecting portion 32 at any time. Similarly, the second metal plate is press-formed to create the contact-forming fitting 16 in the shape described above. Furthermore, the metal sheet is press-formed to create the clip spring 24 described above. This prepares the main body portion 14, the contact-forming fitting 16, and the clip spring 24, respectively. Then, as shown in Figure 4, the contact-forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 are positioned facing each other in the front-rear direction, and the clip spring 24 is brought forward relative to the contact-forming fitting 16. As a result, each engaging portion 22 of the clip spring 24 comes into contact with the rear end of each elastic locking piece 52 of the contact-forming fitting 16, causing the rear end portions of each elastic locking piece 52 to elastically deform outward in the left-right direction. As a result, further forward displacement of the clip spring 24 is permitted, and each engaging portion 22 overcomes the rear wall of each through hole 60, causing each elastic locking piece 52 to elastically return to its original shape and engage with each engaging portion 22 inside each through hole 60. Furthermore, by bringing the clip spring 24 closer to the contact forming fitting 16 in this way, each tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50 is inserted into each insertion opening 90 of the clip spring 24, and each tip portion 76 is positioned to be sandwiched between each bent portion 88 of each clamping plate portion 20. In this manner, the assembly of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 is formed.

[0054] Next, the assembly of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 is inserted through the male terminal insertion opening 30 of the main body 14, and the retaining plate portion 63 of the contact forming fitting 16 is fitted into the male terminal insertion opening 30 of the main body 14. Note that insertion of the contact forming fitting 16 into the main body 14 from the front is restricted because the positioning protrusions 66 that project outward in the vertical direction from the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46 abut against the front ends of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28. With the retaining plate portion 63 of the contact forming fitting 16 fitted into the male terminal insertion opening 30 of the main body 14, the upper wall portion 44 of the retaining plate portion 63 is laser-welded to the inner surface 26a of the upper wall portion 26. Similarly, the lower wall portion 46 of the retaining plate portion 63 is laser-welded to the inner surface 28a of the lower wall portion 28. This fixes the assembly of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 to the main body 14, completing the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1.

[0055] In the completed state of the female terminal 10, the anti-opening portions 42 provided at the rear ends of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 of the main body portion 14 cover both the vertically deformable portions 62, which are the rear ends of each elastic locking piece 52, from the left and right outwards. As a result, the anti-opening portions 42 prevent each deformable portion 62 from deforming outwards in the left and right directions, and the engagement between each engaging portion 22 and each through hole 60 in each deformable portion 62 is prevented from being released.

[0056] <Connection between female terminal 10 and male terminal 12> As shown by the dashed line in Figure 3, the male terminal 12 is inserted from the front into the female terminal 10 manufactured as described above. Each contact 80 provided on each contact spring portion 50 of the contact forming fitting 16 abuts against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, causing each contact spring portion 50 and each clamping plate portion 20 of the clip spring 24 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 80 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 20 (especially each bent portion 88) may be elastically deformed so as to be pushed outward, and consequently the clip spring 24 may be displaced backward relative to each tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50. The rearward displacement of the clip spring 24 can be limited by the contact between each engaging portion 22, which is inserted into each through-hole 60, and the rear wall of each through-hole 60.

[0057] Furthermore, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, as shown in Figure 8, even if the male terminal 12 is displaced downward from its normal position (for example, the vertical center of the female terminal 10), each engaging portion 22 of the clip spring 24 can be displaced within each through hole 60. As a result, each contact spring portion 50 deforms along with the displacement of the male terminal 12, and the clip spring 24 can also be displaced. Even in this state, each bent portion 88 of each clamping plate portion 20 biases each tip portion 76 inward in the vertical direction, pressing each contact 80 against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, thereby stably maintaining the electrical connection between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10. In other words, since each engaging portion 22 of the clip spring 24 can only be displaced within each through hole 60, once each engaging portion 22 contacts the inner circumferential surface of each through hole 60, further displacement is impossible. This can be considered a displacement suppression mechanism for the male terminal 12 that suppresses excessive displacement of the male terminal 12.

[0058] With the female terminal 10 having the structure described above, the contact forming fitting 16 and clip spring 24, which are assembled together, are provided with each engaged portion 54 (each through hole 60) and each engaging portion 22, so that the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 are assembled by their engagement. This prevents the clip spring 24 from falling off the contact forming fitting 16, and avoids the need to use a separate component to prevent the clip spring 24 from falling off. In particular, the mutually engaging through holes 60 and engaging portions 22 are located away from the tip portions 76 and bent portions 88 that apply contact pressure to the male terminal 12. For example, even if the contact spring portion 50 and clamping plate portion 20 are made thicker to handle high current or to obtain greater contact pressure, the engaging portions 22 can be engaged with the through holes 60 without any problems, and the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 can be assembled stably. In short, it is possible to provide a female terminal 10 that can handle high currents by further improving conductivity.

[0059] Each of the engagement portions 54 (each through hole 60) described above is provided on both the left and right sides of the contact forming fitting 16, and each engagement portion 22 also protrudes from the connecting plate portion 18 on both the left and right sides. Thus, engagement between each through hole 60 and each engagement portion 22 can be achieved on both the left and right sides of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24. As a result, the clip spring 24 can be assembled to the contact forming fitting 16 without tilting, and the effect of preventing the clip spring 24 from falling off can be more reliably achieved.

[0060] Each through-hole 60 is approximately rectangular in shape, with its vertical dimension being larger than its front-to-back dimension when viewed from the left or right, and each engaging portion 22 is movable within each through-hole 60. As a result, even if the male terminal 12 is displaced vertically after insertion, each contact spring portion 50 deforms in accordance with the male terminal 12, and the clip spring 24 can also displace in accordance, thereby stably maintaining the electrical connection between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10.

[0061] The main body 14 is equipped with opening prevention parts 42 that abut against the elastic locking pieces 52 (especially the easily deformable parts 62) of the contact forming fitting 16, thereby preventing the elastic deformation of each easily deformable part 62. Each opening prevention part 42 covers the left-right outward side of each easily deformable part 62, and by suppressing the left-right outward deformation of each easily deformable part 62 that would cause each engaging part 22 to disengage from each through hole 60, the detachment of the clip spring 24 can be more reliably prevented.

[0062] <Embodiment 2> Hereinafter, the female terminal 100 of Embodiment 2 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. The female terminal 100 of Embodiment 2 has a different shape for the main body portion 102 than that of Embodiment 1, and employs contact forming fittings 16 and clip springs 24 that have the same shape as those of Embodiment 1. Therefore, the basic structure of the female terminal 100 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 figures, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0063] Specifically, in Embodiment 1, the first metal plate was a strip-shaped member, and the male terminal insertion opening 30 was composed of an upper wall portion 26 and a lower wall portion 28. In Embodiment 2, however, the male terminal insertion opening 30 is substantially rectangular in shape, and in addition to the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28, it includes a left wall portion 104 and a right wall portion 106. That is, in Embodiment 2, a substantially rectangular cylindrical portion is formed in the front part of the main body portion 102. In the portion behind these left wall portion 104 and right wall portion 106, an opening prevention portion 42 is provided that protrudes inward in the vertical direction from both the left and right sides of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28. In Embodiment 2, the lower wall portion 28 extends further back than the upper wall portion 26, the left wall portion 104 and the right wall portion 106, and the rear portion of the lower wall portion 28 constitutes a connection portion 108 to which a busbar, for example, which is a motor-side component, is connected.

[0064] Even with the main body portion 102 having this shape, the female terminal 100 of Embodiment 2 is constructed by inserting the assembly of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 into the roughly rectangular cylindrical portion at the front through the male terminal insertion opening 30 and fixing it, for example, by laser welding.

[0065] Since the female terminal 100 of Embodiment 2 differs from that of Embodiment 1 only in the shape of the main body portion 102, it can achieve the same effects as Embodiment 1. That is, as shown in Figure 9, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 100, even when the male terminal 12 is displaced downward, each contact spring portion 50 elastically deforms in accordance with the male terminal 12, and the clip spring 24 can also be displaced, thereby stably maintaining the electrical connection between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10.

[0066] <Variation> While Embodiments 1 and 2 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.

[0067] (1) Each elastic locking piece may be provided with a guide contact portion on its protruding end face (the rear end face of each easily deformable portion) that guides elastic deformation in a direction separating each elastic locking piece when the engaging portion of a contact pressure spring (for example, a clip spring 24) comes into contact with it. Such a guide contact portion may be formed, for example, by a C-shaped or R-shaped chamfered portion provided on the left-right inward side of the protruding end face of each elastic locking piece.

[0068] (2) In the above embodiment, each through hole 60 constituting each engaged portion 54 was made larger than each engaged portion 22 so that each engaged portion 22 could be displaced within each through hole 60, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, each through hole constituting each engaged portion may be approximately the same size as each engaged portion, and when each engaged portion and each engaged portion engage and a contact pressure spring (for example, a clip spring 24) is assembled to the contact forming member, the contact pressure spring may be made substantially immobile.

[0069] (3) In the above embodiment, the opening dimension of the insertion opening 90 (the vertical opposing distance between each bent portion 88) of the clip spring 24 before assembly was made to be the same as or slightly larger than the vertical separation distance between the vertical outer surfaces of the tip portions 76 of the upper and lower contact spring portions 50, so that when the clip spring 24 is assembled to the contact forming fitting 16, the tip portions 76 of each contact spring portion 50 are not subjected to a biasing force by each clamping plate portion 20. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. That is, when the clip spring is attached to the tip portion of each contact spring portion, the clamping plate portion of the clip spring may be deformed so as to be pushed outward in the vertical direction by each tip portion, and the elastic restoring force accompanying this elastic deformation may bias each tip portion toward each other.

[0070] (4) In the above embodiment, the contact forming fitting 16 was fixed to the main body 14, 102 by welding, but the invention is not limited to this embodiment, and known fixing methods such as bolt fixing or locking by grooves and protrusions may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10 Female terminal (Embodiment 1) 12 male terminal 14 Main body 16 Contact forming fittings 18 Connecting plate part 20 Holding plate part 22 Engaging part 24. Clip spring (contact pressure spring) 26 Upper wall section (opposing wall section) 26a (Inner surface of the upper wall) 28 Lower wall section (opposing wall section) 28a (Inner surface of the lower wall) 30 Male terminal insertion slot 32 Connection part 34 Center through hole 36 nuts 38 Inner bore 40 Slope 42. Anti-opening mechanism 44 Upper wall section (front opposing wall) 46 Lower wall section (front opposing wall) 48 Male terminal insertion gap 50 Contact spring part 52 Elastic locking piece 54 Engaged portion 56 Left side wall (front side wall) 58 Right side wall (front side wall) 60 through holes 61 Bend part 62 Easily deformable parts 63 Holding plate part 64 Joint 66 Positioning projection 68 slits 70 Spring side slit 72. Bending section 74 Proximal end 76 Tip 78 Embossed part 80 contacts 82 recess 84 Engagement protrusion 86 Clip-side slit 88 Bent part 90 sockets 92 Positioning projection 100 Female terminal (Embodiment 2) 102 Main body 104 Left wall section 106 Right wall section 108 Connection part

Claims

1. The main body is made of a first metal plate, A contact forming fitting, which is made of a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate and is electrically connected to the main body, A contact pressure spring comprising a flat connecting plate portion, a pair of flat clamping plate portions projecting toward each other from both side edges of the connecting plate portion, and an engaging portion provided on the connecting plate portion, The main body is composed of a pair of opposing wall portions and has a male terminal insertion opening at one end. The contact forming fitting comprises a pair of front opposing walls, each assembled to the inner surface of the pair of opposing wall portions on the male terminal insertion side, and a pair of contact spring portions, each held in a cantilevered manner by the pair of front opposing walls and protruding toward the other end of the main body, and arranged opposite each other with a gap for inserting the male terminal. The protruding ends of the pair of contact spring portions are assembled to the contact pressure spring in such a state that the protruding ends of the pair of contact spring portions are sandwiched between the pair of clamping plates of the contact pressure spring in order to bias the pair of contact spring portions toward each other. The contact forming fitting further includes an elastic locking piece provided in a location different from the contact spring portion, and the elastic locking piece has an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion. Female terminal, wherein the elastic locking piece allows the contact pressure spring to be assembled to the contact spring portion by elastically deforming when the engaging portion of the contact pressure spring comes into contact with it, and when the contact pressure spring is assembled to the contact spring portion and elastically returns to its original position, the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion, preventing the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion.

2. The contact forming fitting comprises a pair of front side walls that connect the ends of the pair of front opposing walls, and a pair of flat elastic locking pieces that are cantilevered by the pair of front side walls, protruding toward the other end of the main body, and arranged opposite each other with a pair of contact spring portions in between. Each elastic locking piece has a through hole at its tip that penetrates in the thickness direction and constitutes the engaged portion, and a convex engaging portion is provided on the end face of the connecting plate portion of the contact pressure spring that faces each of the through holes, allowing the through hole to be inserted. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact pressure spring is assembled to the contact spring portion, and the engaging portion is positioned in the through-hole, passing through the through-hole.

3. The female terminal according to claim 2, wherein each of the through holes is elongated in the opposing direction of the pair of front opposing walls, and movement of the engaging portion in the longitudinal direction of the through hole is permitted.

4. The female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the main body portion is provided with an opening prevention portion that abuts against the elastic locking piece of the contact forming fitting to prevent the elastic deformation of the contact forming fitting.

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