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 18 having a cylindrical conductor portion 16 and a contact forming fitting 20 assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 16. The contact forming fitting 20 has a front assembly portion 36, a rear assembly portion 38, and a pair of contact spring portions 42 held by the front assembly portion 36. Each contact spring portion 42 is fitted with a contact pressure spring 102 that biases each contact spring portion 42 toward each other. A detachment prevention piece 44 is provided protruding from the rear assembly portion 38 of the contact forming fitting 20 to prevent the detachment of the contact pressure spring 102. The detachment prevention piece 44 allows the contact pressure spring 102 to be assembled to the contact spring portion 42 in the contact forming fitting 20 before assembly, and in the assembled state of the contact forming fitting 20, the detachment prevention piece 44 is positioned at a detachment prevention position S where it overlaps with the contact pressure spring 102 in the axial projection of the cylindrical conductor portion 16.

Description

Technical Field

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[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 another member 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 ensure the followability to the male terminal by the contact spring portion of the contact forming fitting thinner than the main body portion while ensuring the capacitance in the main body portion having a large plate thickness dimension, and it is possible to cope with a large current while suppressing the increase in size of the female terminal. Moreover, since a contact pressure applying spring such as a clip spring for applying the contact pressure of the contact spring portion to the male terminal is assembled to the contact spring portion, it is possible to ensure a sufficiently large contact pressure even when the contact spring portion is formed of a thin second metal plate. <000​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​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 having a connecting portion that is electrically connected to another member and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion, and a contact forming fitting made of a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate and is electrically assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion, the cylindrical conductor portion having a male terminal insertion opening at one end and a rear opening at the other end, the contact forming fitting having a front assembly portion assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion on the male terminal insertion opening side, a rear assembly portion assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion on the rear opening side, and the front assembly portion being cantilevered and protruding toward the rear opening, facing each other across the male terminal insertion gap The contact forming fitting has a pair of contact spring portions arranged thereon, and a contact pressure spring is assembled to the protruding ends of the pair of contact spring portions to bias the pair of contact spring portions toward each other, and a detachment prevention piece is integrally provided protruding from the rear assembly portion of the contact forming fitting to abut against the contact pressure spring and prevent the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion, and the detachment prevention piece allows the assembly of the contact pressure spring to the contact spring portion in the contact forming fitting before assembly to the cylindrical conductor portion, and in the assembled state of the contact forming fitting to the cylindrical conductor portion, the detachment prevention piece is positioned in a detachment prevention position that overlaps with the contact pressure spring in the axial projection of the cylindrical conductor portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, a female terminal can be provided 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. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the female terminal according to Embodiment 1 in a mated state with the male terminal. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view showing an enlarged view of the main parts 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 a front perspective view showing the female terminal shown in Figure 1 before mating with the male terminal. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a rear perspective view showing the female terminal shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown in Figure 4, and corresponds to Figure 3. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a rear perspective view showing the female terminal shown in Figure 4 in a disassembled state. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a perspective view from the rear, showing the process of assembling the contact forming fitting and contact pressure applying spring to the main body, starting from the disassembled state of the female terminal shown in Figure 7. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a plan view of the assembly process shown in Figure 8. [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 main body having a connecting portion made of a first metal plate and electrically connected to another member, and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion, and a contact forming fitting made of a second metal plate thinner than the first metal plate and electrically assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion, wherein the cylindrical conductor portion has a male terminal insertion opening at one end and a rear opening at the other end, and the contact forming fitting has a front assembly portion assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion on the male terminal insertion opening side, a rear assembly portion assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion on the rear opening side, and a cantilevered member held by the front assembly portion and protruding toward the rear opening, and arranged opposite each other across the male terminal insertion gap The contact forming fitting has a pair of contact spring portions, and a contact pressure spring is assembled to the protruding ends of the pair of contact spring portions to bias the pair of contact spring portions toward each other, and a detachment prevention piece is integrally provided protruding from the rear assembly portion of the contact forming fitting to abut against the contact pressure spring and prevent the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion, and the detachment prevention piece allows the assembly of the contact pressure spring to the contact spring portion in the contact forming fitting before assembly to the cylindrical conductor portion, and in the assembled state of the contact forming fitting to the cylindrical conductor portion, the detachment prevention piece is positioned in a detachment prevention position that overlaps with the contact pressure spring in the axial projection of the cylindrical conductor portion.

[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, is provided integrally on the rear assembly portion of the contact-forming fitting, which abuts against the contact pressure spring and prevents the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion. The detachment prevention piece allows the contact pressure spring to be assembled to the contact spring portion of the contact-forming fitting before assembly to the cylindrical conductor portion, but when the contact-forming fitting is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion, the detachment prevention piece is positioned to overlap the contact pressure spring in the axial projection of the cylindrical conductor portion. This allows for a structure that prevents the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion by using a detachment prevention piece integrally provided on the rear assembly portion of the contact forming fitting. Compared to the conventional structure in which a separate retainer was assembled to the cylindrical main body, this provides 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] The detachment prevention piece provided at the rear assembly portion of the contact forming fitting may be positioned at the detachment prevention position after the contact pressure springs are assembled to the pair of contact springs of the contact forming fitting and before the contact forming fitting is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion, or it may be positioned at the detachment prevention position simultaneously with the assembly operation of the contact forming fitting to the cylindrical conductor portion.

[0012] (2) In (1) above, it is preferable that the pair of opposing wall portions of the rear assembly portion have a pair of notches that open to the axial end faces, a pair of detachment-preventing pieces are integrally provided protruding from the bottom of each of the pair of notches, each detachment-preventing piece has a bent tip portion at its tip side that bends inward toward the rear assembly portion relative to its base end side, and each detachment-preventing piece positioned at the detachment-preventing position has its bent tip portion spreading in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction so that it faces the contact pressure spring in the axial direction. Since the detachment-preventing pieces are integrally provided protruding from the bottom of the notches provided on the pair of opposing wall portions of the rear assembly portion of the contact-forming fitting, the rigidity of the rear assembly portion can be ensured, and the pair of detachment-preventing pieces can be easily displaced from a position that allows the attachment of the contact pressure spring (hereinafter referred to as the timely attachment allowable position) to the detachment-preventing position. Furthermore, since the bent tip of each detachment-preventing piece spreads out in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and faces the contact pressure-applying spring in the axial direction, it is possible to improve the rigidity of the detachment-preventing piece while reliably ensuring its detachment-preventing performance.

[0013] (3) In (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the rear opening of the cylindrical conductor portion is provided with a guide portion that slides against the detachment-preventing piece when the contact forming fitting is assembled, thereby guiding the displacement of the detachment-preventing piece to the detachment-preventing position. The guide portion provided at the rear opening of the cylindrical conductor portion can guide the displacement of the detachment-preventing piece, which slides against the guide portion when the contact forming fitting is assembled, to the detachment-preventing position. This makes it possible to position the detachment-preventing piece in the detachment-preventing position at the same time as the assembly operation of the contact forming fitting to the cylindrical conductor portion, thereby further improving the workability of the assembly.

[0014] (4) In any one of the above (1) to (3), the contact pressure applying spring has a rectangular flat plate-shaped connecting plate portion and a pair of rectangular flat plate-shaped clamping plate portions that project from both side edges of the connecting plate portion in a direction approaching each other. A bending portion is provided at the middle portion in the length direction of each clamping plate portion, and the protruding tip portions of each clamping plate portion extend in a direction separating from each other from the bending portion. A pair of bending portions are provided at the protruding tip portions of the pair of contact spring portions. Contacts with the male terminals are formed by the convex arc inner surfaces of each bending portion, and the bending portions of the contact pressure applying spring are fitted to the concave arc outer surfaces of each bending portion. This is preferable.

[0015] Due to the bending portions provided at the protruding tip portions of each contact spring portion, contacts with the male terminals are formed by the convex arc inner surfaces on the inner surface side of the bending portions (contact spring portions), and the bending portions of each clamping plate portion of the contact pressure applying spring are fitted to the concave arc outer surfaces on the outer surface side of the bending portions (contact spring portions). Thus, the biasing force of the contact pressure applying spring can be surely exerted on the contacts of the contact spring portions, and ensuring conduction stability due to an improvement in contact pressure can be realized. Further, by fitting the bending portions of the clamping plate portions to the concave arc outer surfaces of the contact spring portions, the detachment of the contact pressure applying spring from the contact spring portions can be advantageously suppressed by the mutual centering effect.

[0016] (5) In the above (4), each of the pair of contact spring portions is provided with a tapered portion that bends in a direction approaching each other on its protruding end face. By the protruding tip portions of each clamping plate portion of the contact pressure applying spring abutting against the tapered portion, the bending portions of each contact pressure applying spring are guided to the concave arc outer surfaces of the bending portions. This is preferable. Due to the tapered portions provided on the protruding end faces of the pair of contact spring portions, the bending portions of each contact pressure applying spring can be guided to the concave arc outer surfaces of the bending portions of each contact spring portion. Therefore, the assembly workability of the contact pressure applying spring with respect to the contact spring portion can be advantageously improved.

[0017] <Details of the Embodiment of the Present Disclosure> A specific example of the female terminal of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0018] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. This female terminal 10 is provided, for example, in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. When a male terminal 12, which is a mating terminal for the female terminal 10, is inserted and brought into contact with the female terminal 10, the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are conductively connected. The location where the female terminal 10 is disposed 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, and when the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are conductively connected, the battery and the motor are electrically connected. Note that the female terminal 10 can be disposed in any orientation. Hereinafter, the upper direction refers to the upper direction in FIG. 3, the lower direction refers to the lower direction in FIG. 3, the front direction refers to the left direction in FIG. 2, the rear direction refers to the right direction in FIG. 2, the left direction refers to the upper direction in FIG. 2, and the right direction refers to the lower direction in FIG. 2. Also, for a plurality of identical members, only some of the members may be labeled with reference numerals, and the reference numerals may be omitted for other members.

[0019] <Female terminal 10> The female terminal 10 includes a main body portion 18 formed of a first metal plate and having a connection portion 14 that is conductively connected to other members (for example, a bus bar or the like that is a member on the motor side) and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion 16. The female terminal 10 also includes a contact forming fitting 20 formed of a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate and is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 16 so as to be conductive. In FIGS. 1, 4, etc., for the sake of clarity, the contact forming fitting 20 inside the cylindrical conductor portion 16 is shown by a broken line. Similarly, the illustration of a clip spring 102, which is a contact pressure applying spring described later and is provided inside the cylindrical conductor portion 16, is omitted.

[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 cylindrical conductor portion 16 from front to rear, the direction from front to rear is the insertion direction of the male terminal 12.

[0021] <Main body 18> The main body 18 has a cylindrical conductor portion 16 at its front end and a connecting portion 14 at its rear end. The main body 18 is formed by press-forming a single metal plate (first metal plate) having a predetermined thickness. That is, the cylindrical conductor portion 16 and the connecting portion 14 are integrally formed in the main body 18. The material of the first metal plate constituting the main body 18 is preferably a metal with excellent conductivity, for example, pure copper is used. The cylindrical conductor portion 16 provided at the front end of the main body 18 is configured as a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction so that a male terminal 12 can be inserted, and is rectangular in shape to match the shape of the male terminal 12. That is, the cylindrical conductor portion 16 has openings on both sides in the front-rear direction, and has a front opening 22 at one end (front end) which serves as a male terminal insertion port into which the male terminal 12 is inserted, and a rear opening 24 at the other end (rear end). Therefore, the axial direction of the cylindrical conductor portion 16 is the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the cylindrical conductor portion 16 includes an upper wall portion 26, a lower wall portion 28, and a pair of side walls, the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32. 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, while 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.

[0022] In Embodiment 1, as will be described later, when assembling the cylindrical conductor portion 16 to the main body portion 18, the front assembly portion 36 of the contact forming fitting 20 is superimposed on the inner circumferential surface of the front portion of the cylindrical conductor portion 16, and these superimposed portions are welded together. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the inner surface 26a of the upper wall portion 26 and the inner surface 28a of the lower wall portion 28 of the inner circumferential surface of the front opening 22 constitute the joint portion to which each joint portion 80 of the contact forming fitting 20 is welded.

[0023] Furthermore, the lower wall portion 28 that constitutes the cylindrical conductor portion 16 extends further rearward than the cylindrical conductor portion 16, and the rear end of this lower wall portion 28 constitutes the connecting portion 14 provided at the rear end of the main body portion 18. A bolt insertion hole 34 is formed in the connecting portion 14. The female terminal 10 is fixed to, for example, a busbar or the like, which is a motor-side component, by a bolt (not shown) inserted through this bolt insertion hole 34.

[0024] Furthermore, the rear opening 24 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16 is provided with a guide portion 35 that slides against the detachment prevention piece 44 (described later) when the contact forming fitting 20 is assembled, thereby guiding the displacement of the detachment prevention piece 44 to the detachment prevention position S. Specifically, chamfered portions are provided on the inner surfaces of the rear ends of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32 that constitute the rear opening 24 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16, and these chamfered portions constitute the guide portion 35. Each guide portion 35 is formed in the upper and lower intermediate portion of the inner surface at the rear end of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32 with a predetermined vertical dimension.

[0025] <Contact forming fitting 20> As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the contact forming fitting 20 has a front assembly part 36 that is assembled to the inner surface of the wall on the male terminal insertion opening (front opening 22) side of the cylindrical conductor part 16, a rear assembly part 38 that is assembled to the inner surface of the wall on the rear opening 24 side of the cylindrical conductor part 16, and a pair of contact spring parts 42, 42 that are cantilevered by the front assembly part 36 and protrude toward the rear opening 24 side, and are arranged opposite each other across the male terminal insertion gap 40. Furthermore, as will be described later, a contact spring (clip spring 102) is assembled to each contact spring part 42, and a detachment prevention piece 44 is integrally provided on the rear assembly part 38 of the contact forming fitting 20, which abuts against the clip spring 102 to prevent the clip spring 102 from detaching from each contact spring part 42.

[0026] In Embodiment 1, the contact-forming fitting 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, in the contact-forming fitting 20, the front assembly portion 36, the rear assembly portion 38, each contact spring portion 42, and the detachment prevention piece 44 are integrally formed. The material of the second metal plate constituting the contact-forming fitting 20 is preferably a metal that has excellent conductivity and is elastically deformable, for example, a copper alloy is used.

[0027] Specifically, the contact forming fitting 20 has a roughly rectangular cylindrical shape that extends in the front-to-back direction as a whole, and includes a cylindrical peripheral wall 46 that extends in the front-to-back direction, and a front opening 48 and a rear opening 50 that open the inner hole of the peripheral wall 46 on both sides in the front-to-back direction. In a front-to-back view (projection in the front-to-back direction), the left-to-right and up-to-down dimensions of the rear opening 50 are larger than the left-to-right and up-to-down dimensions of the clip spring 102 described later, so that the clip spring 102 can be inserted into the interior of the contact forming fitting 20 through the rear opening 50.

[0028] Furthermore, the peripheral wall 46 is composed of an upper wall portion 52, a lower wall portion 54, and left and right wall portions 56 and 58, respectively. An upper opening window 60 is formed in the middle of the upper wall portion 52 in the front-rear direction, penetrating the upper wall portion 52 vertically, and this upper opening window 60 extends over the entire width (left-right direction) of the upper wall portion 52. Therefore, the upper wall portion 52 is divided on both sides in the front-rear direction by this upper opening window 60. Similarly, a lower opening window 62 is formed in the middle of the lower wall portion 54 in the front-rear direction, and the lower wall portion 54 is divided on both sides in the front-rear direction by this lower opening window 62.

[0029] In short, the contact forming fitting 20 has substantially rectangular cylindrical portions on both the front and rear sides, and these cylindrical portions on both the front and rear sides are connected by a left wall portion 56 and a right wall portion 58. The front cylindrical portion of the contact forming fitting 20 constitutes a front assembly portion 36 that is assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the front opening 22 of the aforementioned cylindrical conductor portion 16, and the rear cylindrical portion constitutes a rear assembly portion 38 that is assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the rear opening 24 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16. The front opening 48 is provided at the front end of the front assembly portion 36, and the rear opening 50 is provided at the rear end of the rear assembly portion 38.

[0030] Both the front assembly section 36 and the rear assembly section 38 are configured as rectangular cylindrical shapes. Specifically, the front assembly section 36 comprises an upper front plate section 64 (the front portion divided by the upper opening window 60 in the upper side wall section 52), a lower front plate section 66 (the front portion divided by the lower opening window 62 in the lower side wall section 54), and left front plate sections 68 and right front plate sections 70 on both the left and right sides (the front portions of the left side wall section 56 and the right side wall section 58, respectively). Similarly, the rear assembly section 38 comprises an upper rear plate section 72 (the rear portion divided by the upper opening window 60 in the upper side wall section 52), a lower rear plate section 74 (the rear portion divided by the lower opening window 62 in the lower side wall section 54), and left rear plate sections 76 and right rear plate sections 78 on both the left and right sides (the rear portions of the left side wall section 56 and the right side wall section 58, respectively).

[0031] As described above, since the front assembly portion 36 is fitted into the front opening 22 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16, the upper front plate portion 64 and the lower front plate portion 66 of the front assembly portion 36 overlap with the front portions of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16, respectively. Also, the left front plate portion 68 and the right front plate portion 70 of the front assembly portion 36 overlap with the front portions of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16, respectively. Similarly, since the rear assembly portion 38 is fitted into the rear opening 24 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16, the upper rear plate portion 72 and the lower rear plate portion 74 of the rear assembly portion 38 overlap with the rear portions of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16, respectively. Furthermore, the left rear plate portion 76 and the right rear plate portion 78 of the rear assembly portion 38 are superimposed on the rear portions of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16, respectively.

[0032] In Embodiment 1, the cylindrical conductor portion 16 and the contact forming fitting 20 are fixed to each other by welding the upper wall portion 26 and the upper front plate portion 64, and the lower wall portion 28 and the lower front plate portion 66, which overlap each other. That is, the upper front plate portion 64 and the lower front plate portion 66 each have a joint portion 80 (shown by a dashed line in Figure 4, etc.) that is overlapped and welded to the inner surface 26a of the upper wall portion 26 and the inner surface 28a of the lower wall portion 28 over a predetermined area. Known welding methods can be used for welding these joint portions 80, 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 80 are not limited to the illustrated form.

[0033] <Detachment prevention piece 44> As described above, the rear assembly portion 38 of the contact forming fitting 20 is integrally provided with a detachment prevention piece 44. In Embodiment 1, the detachment prevention piece 44 is provided on each of the left rear plate portion 76 and the right rear plate portion 78, which are a pair of opposing wall portions that face each other in the rear assembly portion 38. Specifically, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the left rear plate portion 76 and the right rear plate portion 78 have notches 82 that open on the axial (front-rear direction) end face (rear end face) of the cylindrical conductor portion 16. Each notch 82 is substantially rectangular in shape, opens to the rear, and is formed to penetrate the left rear plate portion 76 and the right rear plate portion 78 in the plate thickness direction (left-right direction).

[0034] Furthermore, each detachment-preventing piece 44 protrudes rearward from the bottom of each notch 82 (the portion adjacent to the front of each notch 82 in the left rear plate portion 76 and the right rear plate portion 78). Note that the vertical dimension of each detachment-preventing piece 44 is smaller than the vertical dimension of each notch 82, and gaps are provided on both the top and bottom sides of each detachment-preventing piece 44. As a result, each detachment-preventing piece 44 can be deformed in the left-right direction independently of the left rear plate portion 76 and the right rear plate portion 78. Each of these detachment-preventing pieces 44 is equipped with a bent portion 84 in the middle of its length (front-back direction), and in each detachment-preventing piece 44, the tip side (rear end side) of the detachment-preventing piece 44 is a tip bent portion 86 that bends inward (inward in the left-right direction) toward the rear assembly portion 38 relative to the base end side (front end side).

[0035] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, before the contact forming fitting 20 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 16, each release-preventing piece 44 protrudes outward from the bottom of each notch 82 in the left-right direction. As a result, the bent portion 84 of each release-preventing piece 44 is located outward in the left-right direction compared to the left rear plate portion 76 and the right rear plate portion 78 of the contact forming fitting 20. In addition, each release-preventing piece 44 bends inward in the left-right direction at each bent portion 84 in the middle of its length, so that the protruding tip (rear end) of each release-preventing piece 44 is located inward in the left-right direction compared to each bent portion 84. Before the contact forming fitting 20 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 16, the left-right opposing distance C (see Figure 9) at the protruding tips of each release-preventing piece 44 is greater than the width dimension (left-right dimension) W (see Figure 9) of the clip spring 102, which will be described later. This allows the clip spring 102 to be inserted into the contact forming fitting 20 through the left-right space between each detachment prevention piece 44 and through the rear opening 50, and in the state shown in Figures 7 to 9, each detachment prevention piece 44 is in the mounting allowable position A.

[0036] Each detachment-preventing piece 44, shaped as described above, comes into contact with the guide portions 35 provided on the inner surfaces of both the left and right sides of the rear opening 24 when the contact-forming fitting 20 is inserted forward through the rear opening 24 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16. Then, by further displacing the contact-forming fitting 20 forward, each detachment-preventing piece 44 is pressed by the inner surfaces of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32, deforming to move closer to each other in the opposing direction inward (inward in the left-right direction). When the entire contact-forming fitting 20 is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion 16, as shown in Figures 4 to 6, each detachment-preventing piece 44 extends straight backward from the bottom of the notches 82 of the left rear plate portion 76 and the right rear plate portion 78, and each bent tip portion 86 spreads out in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. In this state, the lateral opposing distance D (see Figure 2) at the protruding tip of each release-preventing piece 44 is smaller than the widthwise dimension W of the clip spring 102, and each tip bend 86 covers the clip spring 102 from the rear, facing each other in the front-rear direction at a predetermined distance. In other words, when the contact-forming fitting 20 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 16, each release-preventing piece 44 overlaps the clip spring 102 in the axial projection (front-rear projection) of the cylindrical conductor portion 16, and in this state, each release-preventing piece 44 is positioned in the release-preventing position S.

[0037] <Contact spring part 42> In Embodiment 1, contact spring portions 42 are provided on both the upper and lower sides of the contact forming fitting 20, and each contact spring portion 42 protrudes in a cantilevered manner toward the rear from the rear end surfaces of the upper front plate portion 64 and the lower front plate portion 66 of the front assembly portion 36. In particular, in Embodiment 1, a spring portion side slit 88 extending in the front-rear direction is provided at the center in the left-right direction of each contact spring portion 42, and each contact spring portion 42 on both the upper and lower sides is divided into left and right sides by each spring portion side slit 88. As a result, the contact forming fitting 20 of Embodiment 1 is provided with a total of four contact spring portions 42. Each spring portion side slit 88 extends along the entire length (front-rear direction) of each contact spring portion 42 and is formed spanning from the protruding tip portion (rear end portion) of each contact spring portion 42 to the upper front plate portion 64 and the lower front plate portion 66. Each contact spring portion 42 has the same shape as the others, and each contact spring portion 42 is gradually inclined inward in the vertical direction as it moves towards the rear. The protruding tip portion of each of these contact spring portions 42 is provided with a bent portion 90 that is bent so as to be convex inward in the vertical direction. As will be described later, the convex arc inner surface 92 of each of these bent portions 90 forms a contact that comes into contact with the male terminal 12 when the male terminal 12 is inserted.

[0038] In particular, in Embodiment 1, an embossed portion 94 is formed in each bent portion 90, projecting inward in the vertical direction, and the convex arc inner surface 92 is formed including the vertical inner surface of each embossed portion 94. Each embossed portion 94 has a predetermined left-right dimension at the protruding tip portion (rear end portion) of each contact spring portion 42, and is provided so as to span both sides in the front-rear direction, sandwiching each bent portion 90. As shown in Figure 2, each such embossed portion 94 has a roughly oval shape in plan view (projection in the vertical direction), with the front-rear dimension being larger than the left-right dimension. As a result, even when the male terminal 12 inserted into the female terminal 10 is oscillating in the vertical direction, the contact area between the contact formed by each convex arc inner surface 92 and the male terminal 12 can be stably secured. In Embodiment 1, as described above, the contact-forming fitting 20 is formed by press-forming a single metal plate (second metal plate), and recesses 98 are formed on the concave arc outer surface 96 of each bent portion 90 at positions corresponding to each embossed portion 94.

[0039] Before insertion of the male terminal 12, the vertical distance E (see Figure 6) between each contact point (each convex arc inner surface 92) on both the upper and lower sides is smaller than the thickness dimension (vertical dimension) F (see Figure 3) of the male terminal 12. As a result, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 come into contact with each contact point (each convex arc inner surface 92) on both the upper and lower sides, pushing each contact point outward in the vertical direction. Consequently, the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 in a press-fit state.

[0040] As described above, each contact spring portion 42 is provided with a bent portion 90 at its protruding tip. The rear ends of each bent portion 90 gradually incline outward in the vertical direction so that they move further apart from each other towards the rear. However, each contact spring portion 42 is provided with a tapered portion 100 that bends toward each other towards the protruding end face (rear end face). As a result, the vertical outer surface of each tapered portion 100 forms a guide surface that gradually inclines inward in the vertical direction as it moves toward the rear. These guide surfaces guide each bent portion 112 of the clip spring 102 to the concave arc outer surface 96 of each bent portion 90 when assembling the clip spring 102 (described later) to the protruding tip of each contact spring portion 42.

[0041] <Clip spring 102> A clip spring 102, which acts as a contact pressure spring, is assembled to the protruding end (rear end) of each contact spring portion 42 described above. As shown in Figure 7 and other figures, the clip spring 102 comprises a connecting plate portion 104 and a pair of clamping plate portions 106, 106 that protrude from both side edges of the connecting plate portion 104 in a direction toward each other. The clip spring 102 is mounted so as to sandwich the respective protruding end of each contact spring portion 42 between the pair of clamping plate portions 106, 106, and as shown in Figure 3, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, the clip spring 102 biases the upper and lower protruding ends toward each other.

[0042] These connecting plate portions 104 and each clamping plate portion 106 are each in the shape of a substantially rectangular flat plate. The clip spring 102 in Embodiment 1 can also be formed, for example, by press-forming a single metal plate. In particular, in Embodiment 1, forward extension portions 108 are provided extending forward from both the upper and lower ends of the connecting plate portion 104, and each clamping plate portion 106 is connected to the connecting plate portion 104 via each forward extension portion 108. As a result, in the clip spring 102 of Embodiment 1, when the bent portions 112, which will be described later, expand and deform to separate from each other, not only the connection portion between the connecting plate portion 104 and each forward extension portion 108, but also the connection portion between each forward extension portion 108 and each clamping plate portion 106 can deform. As a result, the clip spring 102 can be made relatively small while ensuring a relatively large displacement allowance for the bent portion 112.

[0043] In Embodiment 1, each clamping plate portion 106 on both the upper and lower sides is divided into left and right sides by a clip-side slit 110 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 106 are formed in the clip spring 102 of Embodiment 1. In particular, in Embodiment 1, each clip-side slit 110 on both the upper and lower sides extends rearward from the protruding tip portion (front end portion) of each clamping plate portion 106 and is formed along the entire length of each clamping plate portion 106, reaching the connecting plate portion 104.

[0044] Furthermore, the left-right dimension of each clamping plate portion 106 is larger than the left-right dimension of each recess 98 provided on the vertically outward side of each contact spring portion 42. In addition, a bent portion 112 is provided in the middle of the length of each clamping plate portion 106. As a result, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 and the bent portion 112 of each clamping plate portion 106 contacts the concave arc outer surface 96 of each bent portion 90 of each contact spring portion 42, the left-right ends of each clamping plate portion 106 contact the recess 98 of each contact spring portion 42 at a point further outward in the left-right direction.

[0045] Furthermore, since a bent portion 112 is provided in the middle of the length of each clamping plate portion 106, the front end portion of each clamping plate portion 106, including each protruding tip, extends outward in the vertical direction from the bent portion 112. Therefore, the distance between opposing clamping plate portions 106 in the vertical direction is minimized at the bent portion 112 provided in the middle of the length. The gap between these vertically opposing bent portions 112 is the insertion opening 114 for inserting and assembling the protruding ends of each contact spring portion 42. That is, when the clip spring 102 is attached to the protruding end of each contact spring portion 42, the connecting plate portion 104 of the clip spring 102 is positioned opposite each protruding end of each contact spring portion 42 in the front-rear direction, and each clamping plate portion 106 of the clip spring 102 protrudes from the connecting plate portion 104 via each forward extension portion 108 in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of each contact spring portion 42. The direction opposite to the protruding direction of each of the above-mentioned contact spring portions 42 (from rear to front) is the mounting direction for the clip spring 102.

[0046] In Embodiment 1, in the clip spring 102 in its individual state before assembly, the vertical dimension of the insertion opening 114 is smaller than the maximum vertical dimension of the protruding ends (rear ends) of the contact spring portions 42 on both the upper and lower sides. As a result, when the clip spring 102 is attached to the protruding ends of each contact spring portion 42, the vertical dimension between each bent portion 112, 112 in each insertion opening 114 is increased, and the contact spring portions 42 on both the upper and lower sides are displaced in a direction that brings them closer to each other, thereby reducing the maximum vertical dimension of the protruding end of each contact spring portion 42. As a result, insertion of the protruding ends of each contact spring portion 42 into the insertion opening 114 is permitted, and each bent portion 112 overcomes the part that is located furthest outward in the vertical direction at each protruding end, and abuts against the concave arc outer surface 96 of the bent portion 90 of each contact spring portion 42 from the outward direction in the vertical direction and fits. Therefore, in Embodiment 1, simply by attaching the clip spring 102 to the protruding end of each contact spring portion 42, the clip spring 102 is prevented from falling off each contact spring portion 42. Furthermore, when attaching such a clip spring 102, each clamping plate portion 106 is elastically deformed outward in the vertical direction, and the elastic restoring force of these elastic deformations biases each clamping plate portion 106 toward the protruding ends of each contact spring portion 42 toward each other (inward in the vertical direction).

[0047] <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.

[0048] First, the first metal plate is press-formed to create the main body portion 18 in the shape described above. Similarly, the second metal plate is press-formed to create the contact forming fitting 20 in the shape described above. Furthermore, the metal blank is press-formed to create the clip spring 102 described above. This prepares the main body portion 18, the contact forming fitting 20, and the clip spring 102, respectively. Then, the clip spring 102 is inserted into the contact forming fitting 20 through the space between the opposing protruding tips of each detachment prevention piece 44, which is designated as the mounting allowable position A in the contact forming fitting 20, and through the rear opening 50, and the protruding ends of each contact spring portion 42 are inserted into the insertion opening 114 of the clip spring 102. As a result, each clamping plate portion 106 of the clip spring 102 elastically deforms outward in the vertical direction, and each contact spring portion 42 elastically deforms inward in the vertical direction, so that the clip spring 102 is attached to the protruding ends of each contact spring portion 42. During this assembly, a tapered portion 100 (guiding surface) is formed at the protruding end of each contact spring portion 42. As a result, each bent portion 112 comes into contact with each tapered portion 100, stably achieving elastic deformation of each clamping plate portion 106 outward in the vertical direction and elastic deformation of each contact spring portion 42 inward in the vertical direction. This results in the assembly of the contact forming fitting 20 and the clip spring 102.

[0049] Next, the assembly of the contact-forming fittings 20 and the clip spring 102 is inserted through the rear opening 24 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16. As a result, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the detachment-preventing pieces 44 that protrude outward in the left and right directions from the left rear plate portion 76 and the right rear plate portion 78 of the contact-forming fitting 20 come into contact with the guide portions 35 provided at the rear ends of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32. Then, as the contact-forming fitting 20 is inserted further forward, the detachment-preventing pieces 44 are pressed against the inner surfaces of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32, respectively, and are displaced from the mounting-permitted position A to the detachment-preventing position S. With the entire contact-forming fitting 20 inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion 16 and the detachment-preventing pieces 44 positioned at the detachment-preventing position S, the upper front plate portion 64 and the lower front plate portion 66 of the front assembly portion 36 are welded to the inner surfaces 26a and 28a of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28, respectively, by laser welding. The forward insertion end of the contact forming fitting 20 may be defined, for example, by positioning a separate member (not shown) in relation to the front opening 22 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16. This fixes the assembly of the contact forming fitting 20 and the clip spring 102 to the cylindrical conductor portion 16 (main body portion 18), completing the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1.

[0050] <Connection between female terminal 10 and male terminal 12> As shown in Figure 3, the male terminal 12 is inserted from the front into the female terminal 10 manufactured as described above. Each contact (each convex arc inner surface 92) provided on each contact spring portion 42 of the contact forming fitting 20 comes into contact with both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, causing each contact spring portion 42 and each clamping plate portion 106 of the clip spring 102 to be elastically deformed so as to be pushed outward in the vertical direction. Due to the elastic restoration deformation accompanying these elastic deformations, each contact is pressed against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 and comes into contact. As a result, the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are electrically connected.

[0051] With the female terminal 10 having the structure described above, in the initial state of the contact forming fitting 20 before it is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 16, each detachment prevention piece 44 is positioned at an allowable mounting position A, into which the clip spring 102 can be inserted from the rear opening 50 of the contact forming fitting 20. From this state, after assembling the clip spring 102 to the contact forming fitting 20, inserting the assembly into the rear opening 24 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16 causes each detachment prevention piece 44 to be pressed by the inner surfaces of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32, and each detachment prevention piece 44 is displaced to a detachment prevention position S that prevents the clip spring 102 from detaching. This prevents the clip spring 102 from detaching from the contact forming fitting 20. In particular, by inserting the assembly of the contact forming fitting 20 and the clip spring 102 through the rear opening 24 of the cylindrical conductor portion 16, each detachment prevention piece 44 is automatically displaced from the mounting allowable position A to the detachment prevention position S. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a separate member to prevent the clip spring 102 from detaching, or to employ a separate process for preventing detachment, thus avoiding an increase in the number of parts and work processes.

[0052] Each detachment prevention piece 44 has a bent portion 84 in the middle of its length (front-to-back direction), with the tip side (rear end side) bent inward in the left-to-right direction compared to the base side (front end side). As a result, in the initial state of the contact forming fitting 20 (when each detachment prevention piece 44 is in the allowable mounting position A), the bent portion 84 that is located furthest outward in the left-to-right direction of each detachment prevention piece 44 can be made to protrude further outward in the left-to-right direction than the left wall portion 56 and the right wall portion 58 of the contact forming fitting 20. Consequently, when inserting the detachment prevention piece 44 into the cylindrical conductor portion 16 of the contact forming fitting 20, each detachment prevention piece 44 can be made to contact the inner surfaces of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32 more reliably, and each detachment prevention piece 44 can be stably displaced from the allowable mounting position A to the detachment prevention position S.

[0053] The rear ends of the inner surfaces of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32 are provided with chamfered guide portions 35. This prevents the release-preventing pieces 44 from getting caught on the rear ends of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32 when they come into contact with the rear ends of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32 and begin to deform, allowing the release-preventing pieces 44 to be stably guided to the inner surfaces of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 32. As a result, the release-preventing pieces 44 can be more stably displaced from the allowable mounting position A to the release-preventing position S.

[0054] In Embodiment 1, each contact spring portion 42 is provided with a bent portion 90 at its protruding tip, and when the clip spring 102 is attached to each contact spring portion 42, the bent portion 112 of each clamping plate portion 106 of the clip spring 102 fits into the concave arc outer surface 96 of each bent portion 90. As a result, the clip spring 102 can be prevented from falling off each contact spring portion 42 simply by assembling the clip spring 102 to each contact spring portion 42, without the need to provide a separate mechanism to prevent it from falling off. In short, the clip spring 102 can be temporarily fixed to the contact forming fitting 20 by attaching the clip spring 102 to each contact spring portion 42 and fitting the bent portion 90 and the bent portion 112 together. Then, by assembling the assembly of these contact forming fittings 20 and clip springs 102 onto the cylindrical conductor portion 16, each detachment prevention piece 44 can be displaced to the detachment prevention position S, thereby permanently fixing the clip springs 102. In other words, since the clip springs 102 are permanently fixed by displacing each detachment prevention piece 44 to the detachment prevention position S, temporary fixing is sufficient when the clip springs 102 are attached to each contact spring portion 42. This eliminates the need to adopt shapes for permanent fixing in each contact spring portion 42 and clip spring 102, allowing for simpler shapes for each contact spring portion 42 and clip spring 102.

[0055] Each contact spring portion 42 has tapered portions 100 formed at its protruding tip, which are directed toward each other in the vertical direction. Since the vertical outer surfaces of these tapered portions 100 form a guide surface, when attaching the clip spring 102 to the protruding tip of each contact spring portion 42, the protruding end of each contact spring portion 42 and the clamping plate portions 106 of the clip spring 102 do not come into contact in the front-rear direction. As a result, when attaching the clip spring 102 to the protruding tip of each contact spring portion 42, each contact spring portion 42 is stably deformed inward in the vertical direction, and each clamping plate portion 106 is stably deformed outward in the vertical direction, allowing the clip spring 102 to be smoothly attached to the protruding tip of each contact spring portion 42.

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

[0057] (1) At the connection portion of each detachment-preventing piece to the rear assembly portion, a groove opening is formed on the inner surface of each detachment-preventing piece, so that when each detachment-preventing piece is displaced from the mounting-permitted position to the detachment-preventing position, the connection portion is bent in a direction that reduces the opening area of ​​the groove. By providing such a groove, each detachment-preventing piece can be bent and stably displaced from the mounting-permitted position to the detachment-preventing position.

[0058] (2) In the above embodiment, after assembling the contact pressure spring (clip spring 102) to the contact forming fitting 20, the assembly was inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion 16 from the rear to displace each detachment prevention piece 44 from the mounting allowable position A to the detachment prevention position S. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the detachment prevention piece may be displaced from the mounting allowable position to the detachment prevention position at the stage when the contact pressure spring is assembled to the contact forming fitting, and the assembly of the contact forming fitting and the contact pressure spring in this state may be inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion from the front or rear.

[0059] (3) In the above embodiment, the contact forming fitting 20 and the cylindrical conductor portion 16 were fixed 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]

[0060] 10 female terminal 12 male terminal 14 Connection part 16. Cylindrical conductor section 18 Main body 20 Contact forming fittings 22 Front opening (male terminal insertion port) 24 Rear opening 26 Upper wall 26a (Inner surface of the upper wall) 28 Lower wall part 28a (Inner surface of the lower wall) 30 Left wall section 32 Right wall section 34 Bolt insertion holes 35 Guidance part 36 Front assembly section 38 Rear assembly section 40 Male terminal insertion gap 42 Contact spring section 44 Detachment prevention piece 46 Peripheral wall 48 Front opening 50 Rear opening 52 Upper wall 54 Lower wall 56 Left side wall 58 Right side wall 60 Upper opening window 62 Lower opening window 64 Upper front plate part 66 Lower front plate part 68 Left front plate 70 Right front panel 72 Upper and rear plate section 74 Lower rear panel 76. Left rear panel (opposing wall) 78 Right rear panel (opposing wall) 80 Joint 82 Notch 84. Flexed section 86 Tip bending part 88 Spring side slit 90 Bending section 92 Convex arc inner surface 94 Embossed part 96 Concave arc outer surface 98 recess 100 Tapered section 102 Clip spring (contact pressure spring) 104 Connecting plate part 106 Holding plate part 108 Front extension 110 Clip-side slit 112 Bent part 114 Insertion slot A Permitted mounting position S Separation prevention position C. Distance between the protruding tips of the detachment prevention piece at the permitted mounting position D Distance between opposing ends of the protruding tip of the release-preventing piece at the release-preventing position E. Distance between contacts before insertion of male terminal F Male terminal thickness dimension W clip spring width dimension

Claims

1. A main body having a connecting portion made of a first metal plate and electrically connected to other members, and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion, The device comprises a contact forming fitting made of a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate, and which is electrically connected to the cylindrical conductor portion, The cylindrical conductor portion has a male terminal insertion opening at one end and a rear opening at the other end. The contact forming fitting comprises a front assembly portion that is assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion on the male terminal insertion side of the cylindrical conductor portion, a rear assembly portion that is assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion on the rear opening side of the cylindrical conductor portion, and a pair of contact spring portions that are cantilevered and held by the front assembly portion, protruding toward the rear opening, and arranged opposite each other across the male terminal insertion gap. A contact pressure spring is assembled to the protruding ends of the pair of contact spring portions, biasing the pair of contact spring portions toward each other. The rear assembly portion of the contact forming fitting is integrally provided with a detachment prevention piece that abuts against the contact pressure spring and prevents the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion. The aforementioned detachment-preventing piece is a female terminal that, in the contact forming fitting before assembly to the cylindrical conductor portion, allows the assembly of the contact pressure-applying spring to the contact spring portion, and in the assembled state of the contact forming fitting to the cylindrical conductor portion, the detachment-preventing piece is positioned in a detachment-preventing position that overlaps with the contact pressure-applying spring in the axial projection of the cylindrical conductor portion.

2. The pair of opposing walls of the rear assembly portion have a pair of notches that open to the axial end faces, and a pair of detachment-preventing pieces are integrally provided protruding from the bottom of each of the pair of notches, and each of the detachment-preventing pieces has a bent tip portion at its tip side that bends inward toward the rear assembly portion relative to its base end side. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein each of the detachment-preventing pieces positioned at the detachment-preventing position has a bent tip that spreads out in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and faces the contact pressure-applying spring in the axial direction.

3. The female terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear opening of the cylindrical conductor portion is provided with a guide portion that slides against the detachment prevention piece when the contact forming fitting is assembled, thereby guiding the displacement of the detachment prevention piece to the detachment prevention position.

4. The contact pressure spring has a rectangular flat connecting plate portion and a pair of rectangular flat clamping plate portions that protrude from both side edges of the connecting plate portion in a direction approaching each other. A bent portion is provided in the middle of the length of each clamping plate portion, and the protruding tip portions of each clamping plate portion extend in a direction away from each other from the bent portion. The female terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a pair of bent portions are provided at the protruding tip portions of the pair of contact spring portions, a contact to the male terminal is formed by the convex arc inner surface of each bent portion, and the bent portion of the contact pressure spring is fitted to the concave arc outer surface of each bent portion.

5. The pair of contact spring portions are provided with tapered portions that bend in a direction toward each other at their respective protruding end faces. The female terminal according to claim 4, wherein the protruding tip portion of each clamping plate portion of the contact pressure spring abuts against the tapered portion, so that the bent portion of each contact pressure spring is guided to the concave arc outer surface of the bent portion.

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