Female terminal and terminal unit

Abstract

We disclose a female terminal that, even when it is necessary to handle high currents, can suppress the enlargement of the female terminal while also suppressing the risk of deformation of the contact spring during manufacturing. [Solution] The female terminal 10 comprises a main body 22 which is a pressed product of a first metal plate 16 and has a connecting portion 18 that is electrically connected to another member and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion 20, and a contact forming fitting 26 which is a pressed product of a second metal plate 24 that is thinner than the first metal plate 16 and is electrically assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 20. The cylindrical conductor portion 20 has a male terminal insertion opening 32 that opens toward one end, and the contact forming fitting 26 has a frame portion 62 which is assembled to the inner surface of the wall portions 36a, 36b, 38, 40 of the cylindrical conductor portion 20, and a contact spring portion 64 which is held by the frame portion 62 and protrudes toward the inside of the frame portion 62 and presses against the male terminal 12 inserted from the male terminal insertion opening 32.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a female terminal and a terminal unit.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a female terminal formed by pressing a metal flat plate. An electric wire connection portion formed by overlapping a pair of flat plate portions is provided on the base end side of the female terminal, and a male terminal mounting cylinder portion into which a flat tab-shaped male terminal is inserted is provided on the tip end side of the female terminal, and it is provided as a terminal unit composed of the female terminal and the male terminal. The male terminal mounting cylinder portion has a pair of support plate portions having an L shape that protrude from each flat plate portion in the opposite direction to the overlapping direction and then protrude toward the tip end side. Further, the male terminal mounting cylinder portion also has a pair of contact spring portions that are connected in a cantilever shape via semi-arc-shaped curved portions to the protruding end portions of the pair of support plate portions and protrude toward the base end side. The pair of contact spring portions are arranged to face each other with a male terminal insertion gap therebetween, and a separate contact pressure applying spring is attached to the tip end portions of the pair of contact spring portions. By this contact pressure applying spring, contact pressure to the male terminal of the pair of contact spring portions is added, and a stable connection state of the male and female terminals can be maintained.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, since the female terminal in Patent Document 1 is formed by press-forming a metal plate, the contact spring portion also needs to have a thickness corresponding to the current capacity. Therefore, when it is necessary to carry a large current, the plate thickness of the contact spring portion also increases. As a result, in order to ensure that the contact spring portion follows the male terminal, it is necessary to make the contact spring portion longer, which tends to make the female terminal larger. In addition, since the contact spring portion is open to the side, it is prone to coming into contact with other components or tools during the manufacturing process of the female terminal, and there is a risk of deformation.

[0005] Therefore, we disclose a female terminal and terminal unit that can suppress the enlargement of the female terminal while also suppressing the risk of deformation of the contact spring portion during manufacturing, even when it is necessary to handle high currents. [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, having a thinner plate thickness than the first metal plate, which is electrically assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion, wherein the cylindrical conductor portion has a male terminal insertion opening that opens toward one end, the contact forming fitting has a frame portion assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion, and a contact spring portion held by the frame portion and protruding toward the inside of the frame portion and pressing against the male terminal inserted through the male terminal insertion opening, a rear opening window is provided on the other end of the cylindrical conductor portion, the contact spring portion has a first contact spring portion that protrudes inward toward the rear opening window from the male terminal insertion opening side of the frame portion and extends in a cantilevered manner, and a rear opening window from the male terminal insertion opening side of the frame portion The device includes a second contact spring portion that protrudes inward and extends in a cantilevered shape, and further comprises a contact pressure spring that is positioned to sandwich the protruding tip portion of the first contact spring portion and the protruding end portion of the second contact spring portion, which are arranged opposite each other, in an opposing direction, and has a size that allows it to pass through the rear opening window, wherein as the male terminal is pressed into the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, the contact pressure spring biases the protruding end portion of the first contact spring portion and the protruding end portion of the second contact spring portion toward each other, so that the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are pressed against the male terminal, and the device includes a retainer that is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion and covers the rear opening window, wherein the retainer has a displacement restricting portion that contacts the contact pressure spring to restrict the displacement of the contact pressure spring toward the rear opening window.

[0007] The terminal unit of this disclosure is a terminal unit comprising a female terminal and a male terminal connected to the female terminal, wherein the female terminal is the female terminal described in this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, even when it is necessary to handle high currents, it is possible to provide female terminals and terminal units that can suppress the enlargement of the female terminals while also suppressing the risk of deformation of the contact spring portion during manufacturing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the female terminal according to Embodiment 1 in a connected state with the male terminal. [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 a perspective view showing the female terminal shown in Figure 1 in a state where it is not connected to the male terminal. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown in Figure 4, and corresponds to Figure 3. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the contact forming hardware that constitutes the female terminal shown in Figure 1. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a plan view showing the first metal plate, which constitutes the main body of the female terminal shown in Figure 1, in its state before press processing. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a plan view showing the second metal plate, which constitutes the contact forming fitting shown in Figure 8, in its state before press working. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <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 pressed metal plate comprising: a main body having a connecting portion that is electrically connected to another member and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion; and a pressed metal fitting having a thinner plate thickness than the first metal plate, which is electrically assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion, wherein the cylindrical conductor portion has a male terminal insertion opening that opens toward one end, and the contact forming fitting has a frame portion that is assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion, and a contact spring portion that is held by the frame portion and protrudes toward the inside of the frame portion and presses against a male terminal inserted through the male terminal insertion opening.

[0011] According to the female terminal of this disclosure, the main body, which has a connection portion for other members and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion, and the contact forming fitting, which is electrically assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body, are configured as separate parts. Furthermore, the contact forming fitting is formed using a second metal plate having a thinner plate thickness than the first metal plate that forms the main body. As a result, when it is necessary to handle high currents, the current carrying capacity can be secured in the main body, which has a large plate thickness, while the contact spring portion can be provided with a thinner plate thickness than the main body. Therefore, even when it is necessary to handle high currents, the need to increase the length of the contact spring portion in order to obtain the ability of the contact spring portion to follow the male terminal can be reduced compared to conventional structures, and it is possible to handle high currents while suppressing the enlargement of the female terminal.

[0012] In addition, the contact forming fitting has a frame that is assembled to the inner surface of the wall of the cylindrical conductor and a contact spring that is pressed against the male terminal, with the contact spring being held by the frame and protruding inward from the frame. This makes assembly easier, as the frame can be held while assembling the contact forming fitting to the cylindrical conductor of the main body. Furthermore, the frame reduces the risk of other components or tools interfering with the contact spring during assembly, thus suppressing the risk of deformation of the contact spring during manufacturing compared to conventional structures.

[0013] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable that the contact forming fitting has a welded portion, and the welded portion is welded to the welded portion of the cylindrical conductor portion. By welding the welded portion of the contact forming fitting to the welded portion of the cylindrical conductor portion, the electrical resistance between the contact forming fitting and the cylindrical conductor portion can be reduced, and a more stable conduction state between the contact forming fitting and the main body portion can be ensured.

[0014] (3) In the above (2), the contact forming fitting is inserted from the male terminal insertion port on the one end side of the cylindrical conductor portion toward the other end side and assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion. The frame portion of the contact forming fitting has a contact edge portion that is overlapped with the end surface on the male terminal insertion port side of the cylindrical conductor portion. By contacting the contact edge portion with the end surface, the insertion end of the contact forming fitting into the cylindrical conductor portion is defined. While the contact edge portion is welded to the end surface, the welded portion is constituted by the contact edge portion, and the welded portion is constituted by the end surface, which is preferable.

[0015] Since the contact forming fitting is inserted from the male terminal insertion port of the cylindrical conductor portion toward the other end side and assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion, the assembling workability is good. Moreover, by overlapping and contacting the contact edge portion of the contact forming fitting with the end surface on the male terminal insertion port side of the cylindrical conductor portion, the insertion end of the contact forming fitting into the cylindrical conductor portion is defined, so that the assembling work can be performed more easily.

[0016] Moreover, since the contact edge portion is welded to the end surface and the welded portion and the welded portion are constituted, for example, by orienting the male terminal insertion port of the cylindrical conductor portion upward and overlapping the contact edge portion (welded portion) from above with the end surface (welded portion), and welding in a state where the welded portion is closely contacted with the welded portion by the self-weight of the contact forming fitting. This makes it possible to stably perform the welding operation of the contact forming fitting to the cylindrical conductor portion, and advantageously ensure a more stable conduction state between the contact forming fitting and the main body portion.

[0017] (4) In any one of the above (1) to (3), the cylindrical conductor part has a rectangular cylindrical shape having a pair of side walls and an upper wall and a lower wall connected by the pair of side walls. The frame part of the contact forming fitting has a rectangular frame shape having a pair of side parts overlapped with each of the pair of side walls of the cylindrical conductor part, and an upper part and a lower part overlapped with each of the upper wall and the lower wall of the cylindrical conductor part. It is preferable that the cantilever-shaped contact spring part is formed by partially raising at least one of the upper part and the lower part of the frame part inward.

[0018] Since the cylindrical conductor part is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape and the contact forming fitting is formed in a rectangular frame shape, their rigidity can be advantageously ensured. Moreover, since the cantilever-shaped contact spring part is formed by partially raising at least one of the upper part and the lower part of the frame part of the contact forming fitting inward, the contact spring part can be easily manufactured with good yield. Further, by adjusting the length of the upward raising inside the upper part and the lower part, the spring rigidity and the deflection amount of the contact spring part can be easily set to desired values, and it is excellent in manufacturability.

[0019] More preferably, both the upper part and the lower part are partially raised inward, and a pair of upper and lower contact spring parts are formed to face each other. Thereby, the pair of upper and lower contact spring parts can be brought into contact with both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal, and the connection stability between the male and female terminals can be improved.

[0020] (5) In the above (4), the contact forming fitting is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion from the male terminal insertion opening on one end toward the other end and assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion, and one of the pair of side walls of the cylindrical conductor portion and one of the pair of side parts of the frame portion each has a locking hole, and the other of the pair of side walls of the cylindrical conductor portion and the other of the pair of side parts of the frame portion each has a locking claw that fits into the locking hole, and the locking claw elastically deforms to allow insertion of the contact forming fitting toward the other end, and the locking claw elastically returns to its original position and fits into the locking hole, thereby holding the contact forming fitting in the assembled state to the cylindrical conductor portion.

[0021] By cleverly utilizing a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of side sections, a locking hole and a locking claw can be provided to hold the contact forming fitting in an assembled state to the cylindrical conductor section. This ensures assembly stability between the contact forming fitting and the cylindrical conductor section without increasing the size of the female terminal. The locking hole and locking claw may be fitted to prevent the contact forming fitting from moving into the male terminal insertion opening, or to define the insertion end on the other end of the contact forming fitting, or multiple locking holes and claws may be formed to include both.

[0022] (6) In (4) or (5) above, a rear opening window is provided at the other end of the cylindrical conductor portion, the contact spring portion includes a first contact spring portion and a second contact spring portion, the upper and lower parts of the frame portion have a pair of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion extending inward toward the other end in a cantilevered shape while being held by the frame portion at one end, and a contact pressure spring is further provided which is arranged to sandwich the respective protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion and which is sized to allow insertion through the rear opening window, and it is preferable that the respective protruding ends are biased toward each other by the contact pressure spring when the male terminal is pressed into the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, so that the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are pressed against the male terminal.

[0023] The contact pressure spring biases the protruding ends of the first and second contact springs toward each other, and the first and second contact springs press against the male terminal that is press-fitted between them with a high contact force. This allows for advantageous miniaturization of the female terminal while ensuring flexibility and conformability of the contact springs and advantageously securing contact pressure between the male and female terminals. Furthermore, since the contact pressure spring is large enough to pass through the rear opening window, the contact pressure spring can be positioned from the front side in the protruding direction relative to the protruding ends of the first and second contact springs by passing it through the rear opening window. This improves the ease of assembly of the female terminal compared to conventional structures where assembly was only possible from the side, which is perpendicular to the protruding direction of the first and second contact springs.

[0024] (7) In (6) above, it is preferable that the contact pressure spring is made of a clip spring having 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, and that when the male terminal is inserted, the protruding end of the first contact spring portion and the protruding end of the second contact spring portion are clamped between the pair of clamping plate portions of the clip spring. By using a clip spring as the contact pressure spring, it is possible to make a contact pressure spring that can bias the protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion toward each other when the male terminal is inserted, while allowing them to be positioned toward the protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, with a compact and simple structure.

[0025] (8) In the above (7), it is preferable that the contact spring portion includes a plurality of first contact spring portions and a plurality of second contact spring portions, each arranged at a plurality of locations spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the male terminal, and the clip spring has a plurality of pairs of clamping plate portions, each arranged at a plurality of locations spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the terminal, corresponding to the contact spring portion, and when the male terminal is inserted, the protruding ends of each of the plurality of first contact spring portions and the protruding ends of each of the plurality of second contact spring portions are each clamped separately by each of the plurality of pairs of clamping plate portions. The male terminal can be clamped by a plurality of first contact spring portions and second contact spring portions arranged at a plurality of locations spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the male terminal. This allows for advantageous and stable tracking of the female terminal by the rotational displacement of the male terminal.

[0026] The terminal unit disclosed herein is (9) A terminal unit comprising a female terminal and a male terminal connected to the female terminal, wherein the female terminal is the female terminal described in any one of (1) to (8) above. In the terminal unit of the present disclosure, since the female terminal is configured in the manner described in any one of (1) to (8) above, it is possible to provide a terminal unit that can achieve the same effects as those obtained in any one of (1) to (8) above.

[0027] <Details of the embodiments of this disclosure> Specific examples of the female terminals and terminal units of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to these examples, and all modifications are intended to be included in the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims as indicated by the claims.

[0028] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, a terminal unit 14 comprising a female terminal 10 and a male terminal 12 connected to the female terminal 10, according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. The female terminal 10 is a terminal that connects a power source side component, such as a battery, to a load side component, such as a motor. The female terminal 10, provided on one of the power source side and the load side, and the male terminal 12, provided on the other of the power source side and the load side, are in contact with each other and become electrically conductive, thereby supplying power from the power source such as a battery to the load such as a motor. 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, only some components may be given reference numerals, and the reference numerals for other components may be omitted.

[0029] <Female terminal 10> The female terminal 10 comprises a main body 22 having a connecting portion 18 that is electrically connected to another component (for example, a power supply component such as a battery) and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion 20. The main body 22 is a pressed product of the first metal plate 16 (see Figure 9). The female terminal 10 also comprises a contact forming fitting 26 that is electrically connected to the cylindrical conductor portion 20. The contact forming fitting 26 is a pressed product of the second metal plate 24 (see Figure 10), which is thinner than the first metal plate 16.

[0030] <Male terminal 12> The male terminal 12 is a tab terminal that is plate-shaped overall. In plan view, the male terminal 12 has a roughly rectangular shape, has predetermined width dimensions (left-right dimension) and thickness dimensions (up-down dimension), and extends roughly straight in the front-back direction. In Embodiment 1, the male terminal 12 has a horizontally elongated shape in which the width dimension is larger than the thickness dimension. The front end portion (rear end portion) of the male terminal 12 in the insertion direction into the female terminal 10 is tapered. The male terminal 12 is conductive and is made of a metal with low electrical resistance, such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. A bolt insertion hole is provided at the base end portion (front end portion) of the male terminal 12, for example, and the male terminal 12 is fixed to another member (for example, a load-side member such as a motor) by a bolt (not shown). Alternatively, if a bolt insertion hole is not provided, the load-side wire or the like is fixed to the base end portion of the male terminal 12 by crimping or the like.

[0031] <Connection part 18> The connector 18 is generally plate-shaped, and when the female terminals 10 are arranged as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connector 18 extends in the front-to-back direction, and in a side view (left-to-right view), it has a roughly rectangular shape in which the front-to-back dimension is greater than the vertical dimension. A bolt insertion hole 28 is formed at the rear end of the connector 18, penetrating in the plate thickness direction (left-to-right direction), and the female terminals 10 can be fixed to other members (for example, a power supply member such as a battery) by a bolt (not shown) inserted through the bolt insertion hole 28. For example, the connector 18 can be connected to other members such as the ends of electric wires or busbars (not shown).

[0032] As described above, the main body 22, which has a connecting portion 18 and a cylindrical conductor portion 20, is a pressed product of a single metal plate, the first metal plate 16, and the connecting portion 18 has the same plate thickness as the cylindrical conductor portion 20. The cylindrical conductor portion 20 is integrally connected to the front of the connecting portion 18. In other words, the connecting portion 18 extends rearward from the cylindrical conductor portion 20, and in Embodiment 1, it extends rearward from the left side wall (left side wall 36a) of the pair of side walls 36, 36 that constitute the cylindrical conductor portion 20, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 9, a narrow portion 30 is provided at the connection point between the connecting portion 18 and the cylindrical conductor portion 20 (left side wall 36a) (the front end portion of the connecting portion 18), with a width dimension (vertical dimension) smaller than that of the connecting portion 18 and the left side wall 36a. This makes it possible to easily press-form the first metal plate 16.

[0033] <Cylindrical conductor section 20> The cylindrical conductor section 20 is generally cylindrical with openings on both the front and rear sides, and has a male terminal insertion opening 32 that opens toward one end (front end) in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical conductor section 20, and a rear opening window 34 that opens toward the other end (rear end) in the longitudinal direction. In Embodiment 1, the cylindrical conductor section 20 is a roughly horizontally elongated rectangular cylinder, and has a pair of side walls 36, 36 (left side wall 36a and right side wall 36b), and an upper wall 38 and a lower wall 40 connected by these left and right side walls 36a and 36b. The left-right dimensions of the upper wall 38 and lower wall 40 are made larger than the vertical dimensions of the left and right side walls 36a and 36b, so that the cylindrical conductor section 20 is a roughly horizontally elongated rectangular cylinder. Each wall section constituting the cylindrical conductor section 20 (left and right side walls 36a and 36b, upper wall 38 and lower wall 40) is roughly rectangular plate-shaped. In Embodiment 1, the front end faces 41 of the upper wall 38 and lower wall 40, which are the end faces on the male terminal insertion opening 32 side, are configured as welded portions, and the welded portions formed by the contact edge portions 88 of the contact forming fitting 26, which will be described later, are welded to them.

[0034] In Embodiment 1, a fitting projection 42 protruding toward the right side wall 36b is provided at the midpoint of the front-rear direction at the right end of the upper wall 38, and a fitting recess 44 opening toward the upper wall 38 is provided at the midpoint of the front-rear direction at the upper end of the right side wall 36b. The length dimension (front-rear dimension) of the fitting projection 42 is approximately equal to the length dimension of the fitting recess 44. As a result, when forming the cylindrical conductor portion 20 by press-forming or the like on the first metal plate 16, for example, the fitting projection 42 on the upper wall 38 can be fitted into the fitting recess 44 on the right side wall 36b in a substantially press-fit state, thereby preventing the upper wall 38 and the right side wall 36b from unintentionally separating during the formation of the cylindrical conductor portion 20.

[0035] In the state where the first metal plate 16 is bent to form a cylindrical conductor portion 20, the left and right side walls 36a and 36b face each other in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 6, positioning protrusions 46 are provided at the rear end portions of the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 36a and 36b that constitute the inner surface of the cylindrical conductor portion 20, projecting inward in the opposing direction (inward in the left-right direction). Furthermore, recesses 48 that open outward are formed on the outer surfaces of the left and right side walls 36a and 36b at positions corresponding to each positioning protrusion 46. In addition, locking holes 50 are formed in front of each positioning protrusion 46 (each recess 48) in the left and right side walls 36a and 36b, penetrating them in the thickness direction (left-right direction). Each locking hole 50 is substantially rectangular in side view (left-right view) and has predetermined dimensions in the front-to-back direction and the up-to-down direction. Furthermore, the front ends of the left and right side walls 36a and 36b are provided with forward-projecting contact portions 52, so that when connecting the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12, each contact portion 52 contacts a housing (not shown) that holds the male terminal 12.

[0036] Similarly, in the state in which the cylindrical conductor portion 20 is formed, the upper wall 38 and the lower wall 40 face each other in the vertical direction. The rear end portions of the outer surfaces of the upper wall 38 and the lower wall 40 are provided with locking projections 54 that protrude outward in the opposing direction (outward in the vertical direction). The rear end surface of each positioning projection 46 and the front end surface of each locking projection 54 are vertical surfaces 56 that extend in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. Furthermore, recesses 58 that open inward are formed on the inner surfaces of the upper wall 38 and the lower wall 40 that constitute the inner surface of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 at positions corresponding to each locking projection 54.

[0037] <Main body 22> Figure 9 shows the first metal plate 16 before press working. Recesses 48 are formed on the left and right side walls 36a and 36b of the first metal plate 16 on the back side of the paper in Figure 9, which is the outer surface side of the cylindrical conductor portion 20, so that positioning protrusions 46 are formed protruding from the front side of the paper in Figure 9, which is the inner surface side of the cylindrical conductor portion 20. In addition, recesses 58 are formed on the front side of the paper in Figure 9, which is the inner surface side of the cylindrical conductor portion 20, relative to the upper wall 38 and lower wall 40 of the first metal plate 16, so that locking protrusions 54 are formed protruding from the back side of the paper in Figure 9, which is the outer surface side of the cylindrical conductor portion 20.

[0038] As shown in Figure 9, in the state before press-forming the first metal plate 16, the upper wall 38, left wall 36a, lower wall 40, and right wall 36b constituting the cylindrical conductor portion 20 are continuously provided in the vertical direction in Figure 9, and a connecting portion 18 extends from the left wall 36a to the right in Figure 9 via a narrow portion 30. As shown by the dashed lines in Figure 9, bent portions 60 are provided between the upper wall 38 and the left wall 36a, the left wall 36a and the lower wall 40, and the lower wall 40 and the right wall 36b. By bending each bent portion 60 and fitting the fitting projection 42 and fitting recess 44, the cylindrical conductor portion 20 is formed in the front part of the main body portion 22. The material of the metal of the first metal plate 16 constituting the main body portion 22 is not limited, but a metal with excellent conductivity can be used, for example, pure copper can be used.

[0039] <Contact forming fitting 26> The contact forming fitting 26 has a frame portion 62 that is assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion (left and right side walls 36a, 36b, upper wall 38, and lower wall 40) of the cylindrical conductor portion 20. The contact forming fitting 26 also has a contact spring portion 64 that is held by the frame portion 62 and protrudes inward from the frame portion 62 to press against the male terminal 12 inserted through the male terminal insertion opening 32. In Embodiment 1, the contact spring portion 64 includes a first contact spring portion 66 that protrudes inward from the upper portion of the frame portion 62 and a second contact spring portion 68 that protrudes inward from the lower portion of the frame portion 62. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the contact forming fitting 26 has a substantially vertically symmetrical shape and can be assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 20 without distinguishing between the vertical and horizontal orientations.

[0040] <Frame part 62> As shown in Figure 8, the frame portion 62 of the contact forming fitting 26 is rectangular in shape as a whole. Specifically, the frame portion 62 has a pair of side portions 70, 70 (left portion 70a and right portion 70b) that are assembled to each side wall 36 (left side wall 36a and right side wall 36b) of the cylindrical conductor portion 20, an upper portion 72 that overlaps with the upper wall 38, and a lower portion 74 that overlaps with the lower wall 40. The left portion 70a and the right portion 70b are connected by the upper portion 72 and the lower portion 74, respectively. As a result, the frame portion 62 has openings on both the front and rear sides, with a front opening 75a and a rear opening 75b.

[0041] In the intermediate front-to-rear portions of the upper 72 and lower 74, there are roughly rectangular through-windows 76 that penetrate in the thickness direction (vertical direction), and each through-window 76 extends along the entire length of the upper 72 and lower 74 in the left-to-right direction. As a result, the upper 72 and lower 74 are divided on both the front and rear sides by the through-windows 76, and the upper 72 and lower 74 are each composed of a front connecting portion 78 that connects each side portion 70 (left side portion 70a and right side portion 70b) in the front portion, and a rear connecting portion 80 that connects them in the rear portion. In other words, the left side portion 70a and the right side portion 70b are connected in the front portion by the respective front connecting portions 78 in the upper 72 and lower 74, and are connected in the rear portion by the respective rear connecting portions 80 in the upper 72 and lower 74.

[0042] Figure 10 shows the state of the second metal plate 24 before press working. As also shown in Figure 8, in Embodiment 1, the portion that abuts against each other when the second metal plate 24 is bent to form the contact forming fitting 26 is provided on the left side portion 70a. Specifically, the left ends of the front connecting portion 78 and the rear connecting portion 80 in the upper portion 72 are provided with a first left side portion 82a extending downward, and the right ends of the front connecting portion 78 and the rear connecting portion 80 in the lower portion 74 are provided with a second left side portion 82b extending upward. The left side portion 70a is formed by the abutting of these first left side portion 82a and second left side portion 82b in the vertical direction. In particular, in Embodiment 1, an engagement recess 84 opening downward is provided at the lower end of the first left side portion 82a, and an engagement projection 86 protruding upward is provided at the upper end of the second left side portion 82b. As a result, when forming the contact-forming fitting 26, the left side portion 70a can be formed by, for example, tapping the engaging projection 86 from the outside and fitting it into the engaging recess 84, thereby preventing the first left side portion 82a and the second left side portion 82b from unintentionally separating.

[0043] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the contact forming fitting 26 has a contact edge portion 88 that overlaps with the end face (each front end face 41) on the male terminal insertion opening 32 side of the cylindrical conductor portion 20. This contact edge portion 88 is provided on each front connection portion 78 of the upper part 72 and lower part 74 of the contact forming fitting 26, and is configured to extend outward in the vertical direction from each front connection portion 78. When welding the cylindrical conductor portion 20 and the contact forming fitting 26 as will be described later, each front end face 41 and each contact edge portion 88 that overlap each other are welded together, with each contact edge portion 88 forming the welded portion and each front end face 41 forming the welded portion. The welding method between each front end face 41 and each contact edge portion 88 is not limited, but in Embodiment 1, it is welded by laser welding.

[0044] Furthermore, at the rear ends of the left and right side portions 70a and 70b of the contact-forming fitting 26, a notch 90 is provided in the central part in the vertical direction, which opens to the rear and penetrates each side portion 70a and 70b in the thickness direction (left-right direction). In addition, a substantially rectangular through hole 92 is formed in the front portion of these left and right side portions 70a and 70b, which penetrates each side portion 70a and 70b in the thickness direction, and a locking claw 94 that protrudes forward is provided in the rear portion of the inner circumferential surface of each through hole 92. Spaces (gaps) are provided on three sides (both sides in the vertical direction and the front) around each locking claw 94, allowing each locking claw 94 to be elastically deformable in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 8, etc., in the assembled state of the contact-forming fitting 26, each locking claw 94 protrudes in a direction that gradually inclins outward in the left-right direction as it moves forward. As described above, since the left side portion 70a is composed of the upper and lower first left side portion 82a and the second left side portion 82b, the left side through hole 92 and locking claw 94 are also separated before the second metal plate 24 constituting the contact forming fitting 26 is bent. In other words, the left side through hole 92 and locking claw 94 are formed by butting the first left side portion 82a and the second left side portion 82b together to form the left side portion 70a.

[0045] <Contact spring portion 64 (first contact spring portion 66 and second contact spring portion 68)> In the upper section 72 and the lower section 74, the first contact spring section 66 and the second contact spring section 68 extend backward in a cantilevered manner from the rear end of each front connecting section 78 inside each through-window section 76. That is, the first contact spring section 66 and the second contact spring section 68 are held at one end, the front side, by each front connecting section 78 in the frame section 62, and protrude inward toward the other end, the rear side, extending in a cantilevered manner. As a result, spaces (gaps) are provided on three sides (both left and right sides and the rear) around the first contact spring section 66 and the second contact spring section 68, and the first contact spring section 66 and the second contact spring section 68 are elastically deformable in the vertical direction, with the connection points with each front connecting section 78 at their front ends as the starting points.

[0046] As shown in Figure 8, etc., in the assembled state of the contact forming fitting 26, the first contact spring portion 66 and the second contact spring portion 68 are inclined in a direction that brings them closer to each other as they move towards the rear (inward in the vertical direction). As a result, the first contact spring portion 66 and the second contact spring portion 68 face each other in the vertical direction. The first contact spring portion 66 has a first contact 96 for the male terminal 12 on the surface (lower surface) facing the second contact spring portion 68, and the second contact spring portion 68 has a second contact 98 for the male terminal 12 on the surface (upper surface) facing the first contact spring portion 66. In particular, as also shown in Figure 5, in the state before the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, the protruding ends 99 of the first and second contact spring portions 66 and 68 are relatively close together, and the first contact 96 and the second contact 98 are either in contact with each other or slightly separated and facing each other in the vertical direction.

[0047] In Embodiment 1, a bent portion 100 is provided at the protruding tip of each of the first contact spring portion 66 and the second contact spring portion 68, and the first contact 96 and the second contact 98 are provided at the formation position of each bent portion 100. These first contact 96 and second contact 98 are formed in a curved arc shape in the vertical cross-section shown in Figures 3 and 5, and have a predetermined left-right dimension at the left-right central portion of the first and second contact spring portions 66 and 68, and are provided so as to span both the front-rear and rear-facing sides of the bent portion 100. In a plan view (projection in the vertical direction), these first and second contacts 96 and 98 have an oval shape in which the front-rear dimension, which is the insertion direction of the male terminal 12, is larger than the left-right dimension. This ensures that even when the male terminal 12 inserted into the female terminal 10 is subjected to vertical oscillation, the contact area between the first and second contacts 96, 98 and the male terminal 12 can be stably maintained. In Embodiment 1, the first and second contacts 96, 98 are formed by press-forming the first and second contact spring portions 66, 68, respectively, and recesses 102 are formed in the opposing outward direction (outward in the vertical direction) of the first and second contact spring portions 66, 68 at positions corresponding to the first and second contacts 96, 98.

[0048] In Embodiment 1, in the front connection portion 78 of the upper part 72, first contact spring portions 66, 66 are provided at each of several locations (2 locations) that are spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction (left-right direction) of the male terminal 12, and in the front connection portion 78 of the lower part 74, second contact spring portions 68, 68 are provided at each of several locations (2 locations) that are spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction of the male terminal 12. That is, a slit 104 is provided in the left-right center of the substantially rectangular portion that extends rearward from each front connection portion 78 and constitutes the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, extending over substantially the entire length in the front-rear direction, so that a pair of first contact spring portions 66, 66 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and a pair of second contact spring portions 68, 68 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0049] In Figure 10, the bent portion of the second metal plate 24 is indicated by a dashed line. As shown in Figure 10, in the state before press working of the second metal plate 24, the second left portion 82b, the lower portion 74, the right portion 70b, the upper portion 72, and the first left portion 82a that constitute the contact forming fitting 26 are continuously provided in the vertical direction in Figure 10 via the bent portion. The material of the metal of the second metal plate 24 that constitutes the contact forming fitting 26 is not limited, but a metal that is conductive and springy can be used, for example, a copper alloy can be used.

[0050] In Embodiment 1, each of the first contact spring portion 66 and each of the second contact spring portion 68 is constructed by partially cutting and bending the wall portion that constitutes the upper portion 72 and the lower portion 74. That is, each of the first contact spring portion 66 and each of the second contact spring portion 68 is cut and bent from, for example, the upper portion 72 and the lower portion 74 toward the front side of the paper in Figure 10, and when the contact forming fitting 26 is formed, it protrudes inward from the frame portion 62. Similarly, each locking claw 94 is constructed by partially cutting and bending the wall portion that constitutes the left portion 70a (first left portion 82a and second left portion 82b) and the right portion 70b. That is, each locking claw 94 is cut and bent from, for example, the left portion 70a and the right portion 70b toward the back side of the paper in Figure 10, and when the contact forming fitting 26 is formed, it protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the contact forming fitting 26. Furthermore, each first contact spring portion 66, each second contact spring portion 68, and each locking claw 94 may be bent after the contact forming fitting 26 is formed into a roughly cylindrical shape so that it protrudes inward or outward in the left-right direction from the frame portion 62.

[0051] <Contact pressure spring (clip spring 106)> The female terminal 10 is equipped with clip springs 106, which act as contact pressure springs, positioned at the respective protruding ends 99 of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68. When the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, the clip springs 106 bias the protruding ends 99 of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 toward each other. The clip springs 106 are formed to a size that allows them to pass through the rear opening window 34 of the cylindrical conductor portion 20. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the clip springs 106 are formed to a size that allows them to pass through the rear opening 75b of the contact forming fitting 26, which is located inside the cylindrical conductor portion 20.

[0052] Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the clip spring 106 has a rectangular flat connecting plate portion 108 and a pair of rectangular flat clamping plate portions 110, 110 that protrude from both side edges (upper and lower side edges) of the connecting plate portion 108 in a direction approaching each other (inward in the vertical direction). In Embodiment 1, on each side of the connecting plate portion 108, there are multiple (two) clamping plate portions 110, 110 that are separated from each other in the left-right direction, which is the width direction of the male terminal 12, so that there are a total of four clamping plate portions 110 in the clip spring 106. That is, there is another pair of clamping plate portions 110, 110 that are opposite each other in the vertical direction and separated in the left-right direction. Each of these clamping plate portions 110 is elastically deformable in the vertical direction with the connection portion with the connecting plate portion 108 as the base point.

[0053] Furthermore, the left-right dimension of each clamping plate portion 110 is made larger than the left-right dimension of each recess 102 provided on the vertically outward side of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68. In addition, a bent portion 112 is provided in the longitudinal middle portion of each clamping plate portion 110. 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 110 contacts the formation position of each recess 102 in each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68, the left-right ends of each clamping plate portion 110 contact the recess 102 in each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 at a point further outward in the left-right direction.

[0054] Furthermore, since a bent portion 112 is provided in the middle of the length of each clamping plate portion 110, the protruding tip portions of each clamping plate portion 110 extend in a direction away from each other from the bent portion 112. Therefore, the distance between opposing clamping plate portions 110 in the vertical direction is smallest at the bent portion 112 provided in the middle of the length. The gap between these bent portions 112 is the insertion opening 114 for inserting and assembling the protruding ends 99 of the first and second contact spring portions 66 and 68.

[0055] The opening dimensions (vertical dimensions) of each insertion opening 114 of each clamping plate portion 110 in the clip spring 106 before elastic deformation may be equal to, or slightly larger than, the vertical dimensions of the protruding tip portions of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68. Such a clip spring 106 is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 through the rear opening window 34 of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 (in particular, the rear opening 75b of the contact forming fitting 26). Furthermore, the protruding tips of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 are inserted into each insertion opening 114 without contacting each bent portion 112 located furthest inward in the vertical direction in each clamping plate portion 110, or while the protruding tips of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 push each bent portion 112 outward in the vertical direction, the protruding tips of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 are inserted into each insertion opening 114. The inward insertion end position of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 from the rear opening window 34 in this clip spring 106 is defined, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, by the left and right ends of the connecting plate portion 108 contacting the vertical surfaces 56 at the rear ends of the positioning protrusions 46 provided on the inner surfaces of the left wall 36a and right wall 36b, respectively.

[0056] As described above, in the female terminal 10 before the insertion of the male terminal 12, the vertical dimension of each insertion opening 114 may be larger than the vertical dimension of the protruding tip portions of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 that are inserted. Also, the front-to-back distance between each positioning projection 46 (vertical surface 56) and the retainer 116, which will be described later, may be larger than the thickness dimension (front-to-back dimension) of the connecting plate portion 108, and the distance between opposing inner surfaces of the left wall 36a and the right wall 36b may be larger than the width dimension (left-to-right dimension) of the connecting plate portion 108. As a result, in the female terminal 10 before the insertion of the male terminal 12, the clip spring 106 may be positioned freely with respect to the cylindrical conductor portion 20 without being fixed in the up-down, front-to-back, left-to-right directions.

[0057] <Retainer 116> The female terminal 10 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 20 and covers the rear opening window 34, further comprising a retainer 116 that prevents the clip spring 106 from falling off. As shown in Figure 7, the retainer 116 is constructed by bending a roughly strip-shaped member by press working or the like. The retainer 116 can be made of, for example, metal or synthetic resin, and preferably has sufficient strength (deformation rigidity) and heat resistance. In Embodiment 1, it is made of stainless steel.

[0058] When assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 20, the retainer 116 extends vertically as a whole, and a displacement restricting portion 118 is provided in the central part in the longitudinal direction, which is positioned close to the clip spring 106 and contacts the clip spring 106 during the assembly of the female terminal 10, thereby restricting the displacement of the clip spring 106 toward the rear opening window 34. The displacement restricting portion 118 is substantially rectangular in shape when viewed from the front (front-to-back direction) and is smaller in size than the rear opening window 34. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the displacement restricting portion 118 is slightly smaller in size than the rear opening 75b of the contact forming fitting 26 which is arranged inside the cylindrical conductor portion 20. As a result, when the retainer 116 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 20, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the displacement restricting portion 118 enters the interior of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 through the rear opening window 34 and covers substantially the entire rear opening 75b of the contact forming fitting 26.

[0059] Furthermore, the upper and lower ends of the retainer 116 are bent to extend forward relative to the displacement restricting portion 118, and these forward-extending portions at the upper and lower ends of the retainer 116 constitute a fixing portion 120 for fixing the retainer 116 to the cylindrical conductor portion 20. A substantially rectangular locking hole 122 that penetrates in the thickness direction (up and down direction) is formed in the front portion of each fixing portion 120, and the retainer 116 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 20 by bringing the retainer 116 close to the cylindrical conductor portion 20 from the rear and engaging each locking projection 54 that protrudes outward in the vertical direction on the cylindrical conductor portion 20 with each locking hole 122.

[0060] <Assembly of female terminal 10> The following describes a specific example of how to assemble the female terminal 10. Note that the method of assembling the female terminal 10 is not limited to the configuration described below.

[0061] First, the first metal plate 16 constituting the main body portion 22 is prepared, and each bent portion 60 is bent, and the fitting projection 42 of the upper wall 38 is fitted into the fitting recess 44 of the right side wall 36b. This forms the main body portion 22 having a cylindrical conductor portion 20 and a connecting portion 18. Next, the second metal plate 24 constituting the contact forming fitting 26 is prepared, and each bent portion is bent, and the engaging projection 86 of the second left side portion 82b is fitted into the engaging recess 84 of the first left side portion 82a. This forms the contact forming fitting 26 having a frame portion 62 and contact spring portions 64 (each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68).

[0062] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 7, the contact forming fitting 26 and the main body 22 are positioned facing each other in the front-to-back direction, and the contact forming fitting 26 is inserted and assembled from one end (front end) of the cylindrical conductor portion 20, the male terminal insertion opening 32, toward the other end (rear end). When the contact forming fitting 26 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 20, each contact edge 88 of the contact forming fitting 26 is superimposed on each front end surface 41 of the cylindrical conductor portion 20, which is the end surface on the male terminal insertion opening 32 side. In short, the insertion end of the contact forming fitting 26 into the cylindrical conductor portion 20 is defined by the contact of each contact edge 88 with each front end surface 41. Note that the insertion of the contact forming fitting 26 into the cylindrical conductor portion 20 may also be done, for example, by inserting the contact forming fitting 26 from above with the male terminal insertion opening 32 of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 facing upward. As a result, the contact forming fitting 26 inside the cylindrical conductor portion 20 is naturally displaced downward by gravity, allowing each contact edge portion 88 to be easily and almost gaplessly superimposed on each front end surface 41.

[0063] When the contact forming fitting 26 is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion 20, the positioning protrusions 46 that protrude inward on the cylindrical conductor portion 20 fit into the notches 90 provided at the rear end of the contact forming fitting 26, thereby avoiding interference between the positioning protrusions 46 and the left and right sides 70a and 70b of the contact forming fitting 26. In addition, the locking claws 94 that protrude outward in the left and right direction on the contact forming fitting 26 come into contact with the left and right side walls 36a and 36b as it is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion 20, and elastically deform inward in the left and right direction, thereby allowing further insertion of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 to the rear. Then, each locking claw 94 elastically returns to its original shape (elastic recovery) when it reaches the locking holes 50 on the left and right side walls 36a and 36b, and each locking claw 94 fits into the locking holes 50. As a result, each locking claw 94 contacts the front portion of the inner circumferential surface of each locking hole 50, preventing the contact forming fitting 26 from falling forward from the cylindrical conductor portion 20, and holding the contact forming fitting 26 in the assembled state on the cylindrical conductor portion 20.

[0064] As described above, with each locking claw 94 fitted into each locking hole 50 and the contact forming fitting 26 assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 20, the overlapping contact edges 88 and each front end surface 41 are welded together. In Embodiment 1, this welding is performed by laser welding. In particular, when assembling the contact forming fitting 26 from above with the male terminal insertion opening 32 of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 facing upward, the welding (laser welding in Embodiment 1) following the insertion of the contact forming fitting 26 can also be performed from above on the overlapping portion between each contact edge 88 and each front end surface 41, thus enabling efficient assembly of the contact forming fitting 26 and the cylindrical conductor portion 20.

[0065] Subsequently, the clip spring 106 is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion 20 through the rear opening window 34 of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 (particularly the rear opening 75b of the contact forming fitting 26), and the protruding ends of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 are inserted into each insertion opening 114 of the clip spring 106. As a result, the clip spring 106 is positioned at the respective protruding ends 99 of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68. Note that insertion of the clip spring 106 into the cylindrical conductor portion 20 through the rear opening window 34 is restricted, for example, by the connecting plate portion 108 of the clip spring 106 contacting each positioning projection 46 that protrudes into the interior of the cylindrical conductor portion 20.

[0066] Then, the retainer 116 is positioned behind the clip spring 106, bringing the retainer 116 closer to the cylindrical conductor portion 20. As a result, the displacement restricting portion 118 of the retainer 116 enters the rear opening 75b of the contact forming fitting 26, and the locking protrusions 54 of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 enter the locking holes 122 in the fixing portions 120 on both the upper and lower sides of the retainer 116 and are locked in place. As a result, the retainer 116 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 20, and the assembly of the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1 is completed.

[0067] <Assembly of terminal unit 14> The following describes a specific example of how to assemble a terminal unit 14 in which the female terminal 10 and male terminal 12 are connected by inserting the male terminal 12 into the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1.

[0068] First, the female terminal 10 and male terminal 12 assembled as described above are positioned facing each other in the front-to-back direction, as shown in Figures 4 to 6. Then, the male terminal 12 is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion 20 through the male terminal insertion opening 32 and press-fitted between the opposing surfaces of the first contacts 96 and second contacts 98 in the upper and lower first contact spring portions 66 and second contact spring portions 68. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, the first contacts 96 in the first contact spring portions 66 and the second contacts 98 in the second contact spring portions 68 come into contact with both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, and the first contact spring portions 66 and second contact spring portions 68 are pushed apart from each other.

[0069] Then, the bent portions 100 of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68, which are pushed outward in the vertical direction, come into contact with each bent portion 112 of the clip spring 106 from the inside in the vertical direction, causing each clamping plate portion 110 to be elastically deformed outward in the vertical direction. Due to the elastic restoring force of these clamping plate portions 110, the protruding ends 99 of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 are clamped by each clamping plate portion 110, and the protruding ends 99 of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 are biased in a direction toward each other. As a result, each first contact 96 and each second contact 98 are pressed against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 which is press-fitted between the opposing surfaces of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68. As a result, the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10 are electrically connected, completing the terminal unit 14 with the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 connected.

[0070] In other words, the vertical distance A (see Figure 3) at each bent portion 100 of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 that press against the male terminal 12 from both the upper and lower sides after insertion of the male terminal 12 is made larger than the vertical dimension B (see Figure 5) of each insertion opening 114 of the clip spring 106 before insertion of the male terminal 12. As a result, when the male terminal 12 is inserted, not only the first contact spring portions 66 and each second contact spring portion 68, but also the clamping plate portions 110 of the clip spring 106 are pushed outward in the vertical direction, and the first contacts 96 and each second contact 98 are pressed against both the upper and lower sides of the male terminal 12 not only by the elastic restoring force of the first contact spring portions 66 and each second contact spring portion 68, but also by the elastic restoring force of the clamping plate portions 110.

[0071] In particular, in Embodiment 1, a pair of first contact spring portions 66, 66 and a pair of second contact spring portions 68, 68 are provided, which are separated from each other in the left-right direction, and a pair of clamping plate portions 110, 110 are provided on both the upper and lower sides of the clip spring 106, which are separated from each other in the left-right direction. As a result, the upper and lower clamping plate portions 110, 110 separately on both the left-right side and the right-right side clamp the first contact spring portion 66 and the second contact spring portion 68, pressing the first contact 96 and the second contact 98 into contact with the male terminal 12.

[0072] In the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1, the contact forming fitting 26, which has each first contact 96 and each second contact 98, is provided separately from the main body 22 having the cylindrical conductor portion 20, and the contact forming fitting 26 is assembled inside the cylindrical conductor portion 20. As a result, compared to the conventional structure in which a metal plate is bent to form the contacts, the contact forming member (contact forming fitting 26) can be formed from a second metal plate 24 with a relatively small plate thickness, thereby reducing the size of the female terminal 10. Furthermore, since the main body 22 having the cylindrical conductor portion 20 is formed by bending a first metal plate 16 with a relatively large plate thickness, it can handle high currents, and it is possible to achieve both improved current carrying capacity and avoidance of increasing the size of the terminal.

[0073] In particular, the contact forming fitting 26 comprises a frame portion 62 and contact spring portions 64 (each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68), with each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 protruding inward from the frame portion 62. This reduces the risk of unintentional contact with each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 when gripping the contact forming fitting 26 when assembling it to the cylindrical conductor portion 20, thereby avoiding the problem of deformation of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 when assembling the contact forming fitting 26 to the cylindrical conductor portion 20.

[0074] The contact-forming fitting 26 has a welded portion, which is welded to the welded portion of the cylindrical conductor portion 20. In Embodiment 1, the welded portion of the contact-forming fitting 26 is composed of contact edges 88 extending outward in the vertical direction from the front connecting portions 78 at the upper 72 and lower 74, while the welded portion of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 is composed of the front end surfaces 41 at the upper wall 38 and lower wall 40. When inserting the contact-forming fitting 26 into the cylindrical conductor portion 20, the insertion end is defined by each contact edge 88 contacting each front end surface 41, and the contact-forming fitting 26 and the cylindrical conductor portion 20 can be firmly fixed by cleverly utilizing the overlapping contact edges 88 and front end surfaces 41 to weld them together. In particular, since the cylindrical conductor portion 20 and the contact forming fitting 26 are formed by a series of press working processes, and then the welding work is performed between each contact edge portion 88 and each front end surface 41, manufacturing efficiency is improved compared to, for example, when welding is performed in the middle of the press working process.

[0075] The cylindrical conductor portion 20 is rectangular in shape, having left and right side walls 36a, 36b and an upper wall 38 and a lower wall 40, while the frame portion 62 of the contact forming fitting 26 is rectangular in shape, having left and right side portions 70a, 70b and an upper portion 72 and a lower portion 74. Since both the cylindrical conductor portion 20 and the contact forming fitting 26 have a rectangular outer shape, displacement (rattling, etc.) of the contact forming fitting 26 within the cylindrical conductor portion 20 can be suppressed. In particular, since the contact forming fitting 26 has a substantially vertically symmetrical shape, it can be assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 20 without specifying the top or bottom of the contact forming fitting 26, thereby improving assembly efficiency. Furthermore, since each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 in the contact forming fitting 26 are formed by partially cutting and bending the upper portion 72 and lower portion 74, respectively, no other separate members are used when forming the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, and the contact forming fitting 26 can be formed with a good yield.

[0076] The left and right side walls 36a and 36b of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 each have locking holes 50, and the left and right side portions 70a and 70b of the contact forming fitting 26 each have locking claws 94. When the contact forming fitting 26 is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion 20, each locking claw 94 is fitted into each locking hole 50. That is, the contact between each contact edge 88 and each front end surface 41 restricts the displacement of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 in the insertion direction of the contact forming fitting 26, and the displacement of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 in the opposite direction to the insertion direction of the contact forming fitting 26 is restricted by the fitting of each locking claw 94 and each locking hole 50. As a result, the contact forming fitting 26 and the cylindrical conductor portion 20 can be positioned in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, since the contact-forming fitting 26 and the cylindrical conductor portion 20 are positioned in the front-rear direction and the contact edges 88 and the front end surfaces 41 are welded together, these contact edges 88 and the front end surfaces 41 can be welded together without any significant gaps forming between them.

[0077] The female terminal 10 has clip springs 106 as contact pressure springs, which are positioned at the protruding ends 99 of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 and are sized to pass through the rear opening window 34 of the cylindrical conductor portion 20. That is, in the conventional structure, the clip springs were assembled from the side, whereas in the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1, the clip springs 106 are assembled from the rear through the rear opening window 34 of the cylindrical conductor portion 20. In particular, in the conventional structure, the clip springs were assembled with their openings widened, whereas in Embodiment 1, the vertical dimensions of the protruding ends 99 of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 are approximately equal to the opening dimensions of the insertion opening 114 of the clip spring 106, so assembly can be performed without having to widen the openings. This improves the workability when assembling the clip springs 106.

[0078] A clip spring 106 is used as a contact pressure spring to apply contact pressure to each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 when the male terminal 12 is inserted. This allows the clip spring 106 to be assembled to each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 by inserting the protruding ends 99 of each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68 into the insertion opening 114 of the clip spring 106. In particular, before the insertion of the male terminal 12, the clip spring 106 can be positioned freely in the up and down, front and back, and left and right directions relative to the cylindrical conductor portion 20. This allows the clip spring 106 to displace in accordance with the inclination of the male terminal 12, even when the male terminal 12 is inserted at an angle relative to the female terminal 10, thereby stably applying contact pressure to each first contact spring portion 66 and each second contact spring portion 68.

[0079] In the contact forming fitting 26, a pair of first contact spring portions 66, 66 are provided at the upper part 72, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and a pair of second contact spring portions 68, 68 are provided at the lower part 74, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. In addition, in the clip spring 106, two clamping plate portions 110 are provided at the upper and lower sides of the connecting plate portion 108, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. As a result, contact pressure can be applied to the first contact spring portion 66 and the second contact spring portion 68 separately on each of the left and right sides by the upper and lower clamping plate portions 110. As a result, even if the male terminal 12 is rotated around a central axis extending in the front-rear direction after insertion of the male terminal 12 into the female terminal 10, problems such as insufficient contact pressure on either the left or right side can be avoided.

[0080] <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.

[0081] (1) In the above embodiment, the male terminal 12 is a flat tab-shaped terminal, and the cylindrical conductor portion 20 and the contact forming fitting 26 are each a roughly horizontally elongated rectangle, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, if the male terminal is a cylindrical pin terminal, the cylindrical conductor portion and the contact forming fitting may each be cylindrical in shape. Similarly, if the male terminal is a vertically elongated terminal, the cylindrical conductor portion and the contact forming fitting may each be a roughly vertically elongated rectangle, in which case the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion constituting the contact spring portion may be provided on each of the pair of sides of the contact forming fitting.

[0082] (2) In the above embodiment, the cylindrical conductor portion 20 and the contact forming fitting 26 were fixed by welding between each contact edge portion 88 (welded portion) and each front end surface 41 (welded portion), as well as by fitting each lock hole 50 and each lock claw 94. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. The cylindrical conductor portion and the contact forming fitting may be fixed by welding alone, or by fitting only by interlocking fittings such as fitting lock holes and lock claws. Alternatively, fixing methods other than welding or interlocking fittings (for example, fixing with bolts or rivets) may be used.

[0083] (3) In the above embodiment, the contact edges 88 as welded parts extended outward in the vertical direction from the front ends of the front connecting parts 78 at the upper 72 and lower 74 of the contact forming fitting 26, but the invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, depending on the shape of the housing that holds the male terminal, the contact edges as welded parts may extend outward in the left-right direction from a pair of sides of the contact forming fitting, instead of or in addition to the front ends of the upper and lower parts. Also, in the above embodiment, the contact forming fitting 26 was inserted into the cylindrical conductor part 20 through the male terminal insertion opening 32 at the front end, but the contact forming fitting may also be inserted into the cylindrical conductor part through the rear opening window at the rear end, in which case the contact edges as welded parts may be provided at the pair of sides of the contact forming fitting, at least one rear end of the upper and lower parts. As stated above, the cylindrical conductor part and the contact forming fitting may be fixed by methods other than welding, and the welded parts and welded parts are not essential in the female terminal according to the present disclosure.

[0084] (4) In the above embodiment, each first contact spring portion 66 was formed by partially cutting and bending the upper part 72 of the contact forming fitting 26, and each second contact spring portion 68 was formed by partially cutting and bending the lower part 74 of the contact forming fitting 26, but the embodiment is not limited to this. That is, the first contact spring portion and / or the second contact spring portion may be formed separately from the frame portion of the contact forming fitting and later fixed to the metal plate constituting the frame portion by welding or the like. The contact forming fitting may then be constructed by press working on this metal plate.

[0085] (5) In the above embodiment, each lock hole 50 was provided in the cylindrical conductor portion 20 and each lock claw 94 was provided in the contact forming fitting 26, but the embodiment is not limited to this. That is, instead of or in addition to the above embodiment, lock claws may be provided in the cylindrical conductor portion and lock holes may be provided in the contact forming fitting. Also, in the above embodiment, each lock claw 94 protruded in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the contact forming fitting 26 into the cylindrical conductor portion 20 (from rear to front), and displacement of the contact forming fitting 26 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the cylindrical conductor portion 20 was prevented, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the lock claws may protrude in the same direction as the insertion direction of the contact forming fitting into the cylindrical conductor portion, and displacement of the contact forming fitting in the insertion direction of the cylindrical conductor portion may be prevented. In this case, for example, by inserting the contact forming fitting into the cylindrical conductor portion with the lock claws pushed inward, it is possible to prevent the lock claws from getting caught on the wall of the cylindrical conductor portion when inserting the contact forming fitting.

[0086] (6) In the above embodiment, the female terminal 10 was equipped with a clip spring 106 as a contact pressure spring, but a contact pressure spring is not essential in the female terminal according to the present disclosure. That is, when the male terminal is inserted, the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are pushed outward in the vertical direction, and the elastic restoring force of these first and second contact spring portions causes the first and second contacts of the first and second contact spring portions to press against the male terminal. Furthermore, even when a contact pressure spring is used, it does not have to be a clip spring, and a contact pressure spring of any structure, such as a coil spring or an annular elastic body, can be used.

[0087] (7) In the above embodiment, a pair of first contact springs 66, 66 were provided on the upper part 72 of the contact forming fitting 26, and a pair of second contact springs 68, 68 were provided on the lower part 74. However, the number of these first and second contact springs is not limited. That is, one or more first contact springs may be provided on the upper part of the contact forming fitting, and one or more second contact springs may be provided on the lower part of the contact forming fitting. Similarly, the number of upper and lower clamping plates in the clip spring is not limited, and one or more may be provided for each. The number of first contact springs and the number of upper clamping plates may be different from each other, and the number of second contact springs and the number of lower clamping plates may be different from each other.

[0088] (8) In the above embodiment, the connecting portion 18 that is electrically connected to other members extends rearward from the left side wall 36a of the cylindrical conductor portion 20, but it may also extend rearward from, for example, the upper wall or lower wall of the cylindrical conductor portion. In that case, the retainer attached to the rear end of the cylindrical conductor portion may be attached in a state that extends in the left-right direction. Note that the retainer is not essential in the female terminal according to this disclosure.

[0089] (9) In the above embodiment, the portion that abuts against each other when the second metal plate 24 is press-formed to form the contact forming fitting 26 is provided on the left side portion 70a of the contact forming fitting 26. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the portion that abuts against each other during press-formed can be set at any position on the contact forming fitting. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 10 Female terminal 12 male terminal 14 Terminal Unit 16 1st metal plate 18 Connection part 20 Cylindrical conductor section 22 Main body 24 Second metal plate 26 Contact forming fittings 28 bolt insertion holes 30 Narrow section 32 Male terminal insertion slot 34 Rear opening window 36 Side wall (wall section) 36a Left side wall (wall) 36b Right side wall (wall part) 38 Upper wall (wall section) 40 Lower wall (wall section) 41 Front end face (end face, part to be welded) 42 Fitting protrusion 44 Fitting recess 46 Positioning projection 48 recess 50 lock holes 52 Contact part 54 Locking projection 56 Vertical plane 58 recess 60 Bend section 62 Frame body part 64 Contact spring section 66 First contact spring section 68 Second contact spring section 70 Side section (frame section) 70a Left side (frame body) 70b Right side (frame body part) 72 Upper part (frame section) 74 Lower part (frame section) 75a Front opening 75b Rear opening 76 Through-window section 78 Front connection section 80 Rear connection section 82a 1st left side 82b 2nd left side 84 Engagement recess 86 Engagement protrusion 88. Welded edge 90 Notch 92 Through hole 94 Locking claws 96 First contact point 98 Second contact point 99 Protruding end 100 Bending section 102 recess 104 Slits 106 Clip spring (contact pressure spring) 108 Connecting plate part 110 Holding plate part 112 Bent part 114 Insertion slot 116 Retainer 118 Displacement Control Section 120 Fixed part 122 Locking hole

Claims

1. A first metal plate press-formed product comprising a main body having a connecting portion that is electrically connected to another member and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion, A press-formed product of a second metal plate having a thinner plate thickness than the first metal plate, comprising a contact-forming fitting that is electrically connected to the cylindrical conductor portion, The cylindrical conductor portion has a male terminal insertion opening that opens toward one end, The contact forming fitting has a frame portion that is assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion, and a contact spring portion that is held by the frame portion and protrudes inward from the frame portion and presses against the male terminal inserted through the male terminal insertion opening. A rear opening window is provided at the other end of the cylindrical conductor portion. The contact spring portion includes a first contact spring portion that protrudes inward from the male terminal insertion opening side of the frame body toward the rear opening window in a cantilevered shape, and a second contact spring portion that protrudes inward from the male terminal insertion opening side of the frame body toward the rear opening window in a cantilevered shape. The system further includes a contact pressure spring that is positioned to sandwich the protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the protruding end of the second contact spring portion, which are arranged opposite each other, in an opposing direction, and has a size that allows it to pass through the rear opening window. As the male terminal is pressed into the space between the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, the contact pressure spring biases the protruding end of the first contact spring portion and the protruding end of the second contact spring portion toward each other, causing the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion to press against the male terminal. The cylindrical conductor portion includes a retainer that is assembled to cover the rear opening window, and the retainer has a displacement restricting portion that contacts the contact pressure spring to restrict the displacement of the contact pressure spring toward the rear opening window. Female terminal.

2. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact forming fitting has a welded portion, and the welded portion is welded to the welded portion of the cylindrical conductor portion.

3. The contact forming fitting is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion from the male terminal insertion opening at one end toward the other end and assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion. The frame portion of the contact forming fitting has a contact edge portion that overlaps with the end face of the cylindrical conductor portion on the male terminal insertion side, The insertion end of the contact forming fitting into the cylindrical conductor portion is defined by the contact of the contact edge portion against the end face. The female terminal according to claim 2, wherein the contact edge is welded to the end face, the contact edge constitutes the welded portion, and the end face constitutes the welded portion.

4. The cylindrical conductor portion has a rectangular cylindrical shape with a pair of side walls and an upper wall and a lower wall connected by the pair of side walls. The frame portion of the contact forming fitting has a rectangular frame shape having a pair of side portions that overlap each of the pair of side walls of the cylindrical conductor portion, and an upper portion and a lower portion that overlap each of the upper and lower walls of the cylindrical conductor portion. The female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cantilevered contact spring portion is formed by partially cutting and bending inward at least one of the upper and lower parts of the frame portion.

5. The contact forming fitting is inserted into the cylindrical conductor portion from the male terminal insertion opening at one end toward the other end and assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion. The pair of side walls of the cylindrical conductor portion and one of the pair of side portions of the frame portion each have a locking hole. The other of the pair of side walls of the cylindrical conductor portion and the other of the pair of side parts of the frame portion each has a locking claw that fits into the locking hole. The female terminal according to claim 4, wherein the locking claw elastically deforms, allowing insertion of the contact forming fitting into the other end, and the locking claw elastically returns to its original position and fits into the locking hole, thereby holding the contact forming fitting in the assembled state to the cylindrical conductor portion.

6. The female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the contact pressure spring is composed of a clip spring having 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, and when the male terminal is inserted, the protruding end of the first contact spring portion and the protruding end of the second contact spring portion are clamped between the pair of clamping plate portions of the clip spring.

7. The contact spring portion includes a plurality of first contact spring portions and a plurality of second contact spring portions, each arranged at a plurality of locations separated from each other in the width direction of the male terminal. The clip spring has a plurality of pairs of clamping plate portions, each of which is arranged at a plurality of locations that are spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction, corresponding to the contact spring portion. The female terminal according to claim 6, wherein, when the male terminal is inserted, the protruding ends of each of the plurality of first contact spring portions and the protruding ends of each of the plurality of second contact spring portions are each separately clamped in pairs by each of the plurality of pairs of clamping plate portions.

8. A terminal unit comprising a female terminal and a male terminal connected to the female terminal, A terminal unit wherein the female terminal is the female terminal described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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