Female terminals, connectors, electric wires with terminals, electric wires with connectors, and wire harnesses

Abstract

To provide a female terminal, a connector, an electric wire with a terminal, an electric wire with a connector, and a wire harness capable of welding between side walls of a base part and an extension plate of a spring member with certainty and securing excellent conductivity.SOLUTION: A female terminal 10 has a terminal main body consisting of a base part 20 connected with an electric wire 3 and a spring member 30 attached to the base part 20. The base part 20 has a pair of side walls 21 arranged at a predetermined interval into which a male terminal 5 can be inserted. The spring member 30 has: an extension plate (inner plate 31) provided at least along the one-side side wall 21; and an arm spring 35 extending toward the other-side side wall 21. The extension plate (inner plate 31) is provided with a thinned part 36 having a predetermined shape and provided with a welding part 37 with the side walls 21 along the thinned part 36.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a female terminal for an electric circuit through which a large current flows, a connector, an electric wire with a terminal, an electric wire with a connector, and a wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electrical devices have been configured to configure an electrical circuit by connecting an electric device and a power supply device via a wire harness. The wire harness and the electric device, as well as the wire harness and the power supply device, are connected to each other via connectors attached to each of them.

[0003] For example, the connector shown in Patent Document 1 has a female terminal accommodated in a connector housing. The female terminal has a terminal body formed of a base and a spring member, and a plate for the spring member is provided along a pair of side walls that form the base. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-245701 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the electric circuits of the drive system of an automobile, a large current flows, so it is considered to weld the side walls and the base plate to ensure good conductivity. However, if the spring member is formed from a thick plate material to ensure even better conductivity, the welding heat is easily dissipated, which makes the penetration shallow and the welding may become unreliable. In other words, there is a risk of the conductivity becoming unstable.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a female terminal, a connector, an electric wire with a terminal, an electric wire with a connector, and a wire harness in which the side wall of the base portion and the contact plate of the spring member are reliably welded to ensure good electrical conductivity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In this invention, a terminal body is provided by a base portion connected to an electric wire and a spring member attached to the base portion, the base portion has a pair of side walls arranged at a predetermined interval into which a male terminal can be inserted, the spring member has an extension plate provided along at least one of the side walls and an arm spring extending toward the other side wall, the extension plate is provided with a hollowed-out portion of a predetermined shape, and a welded portion to the side wall is provided along the hollowed-out portion. The arm springs are arranged in parallel, the welded portion is disposed between the hollowed portion and the edge of the installation plate, the hollowed portion is formed such that the parallel direction in which the arm springs are arranged is longer than the perpendicular direction perpendicular to the parallel direction so that the installation plate remains as an outer frame, the gap between the hollowed portion where the welded portion is provided and the edge of the installation plate corresponds to a heat affected area by the welded portion, the margin from the edge of the hollowed portion to the outer edge of the heat affected area is about 0 to 5 mm, and the margin d between the edge of the installation plate and the outer edge of the heat affected area is about 0 to 5 mm. It is a female terminal.

[0008] In the present invention, the concept of the hollowed-out portion includes notch shapes as well as hole shapes. In addition, "along the hollowed-out portion" does not necessarily mean that the welded portion is always provided at a fixed distance from the hollowed-out portion. Furthermore, it is preferable that the hollowed-out portion is located so that the outer edge of the heat-affected region (a portion where the base metal structure is changed by the welding heat) formed around the welded portion overlaps with the hollowed-out portion, or that a slight excess width is generated, but this is not limiting.

[0009] In addition, the distance between the hollowed-out portion and the edge of the installation plate in the present invention is not limited to the center of the hollowed-out portion and the edge of the installation plate. Also, the welded portion is not limited to always being provided at a fixed distance from the hollowed-out portion or the edge of the installation plate. Furthermore, it is preferable that the hollowed-out portion and the edge of the installation plate have a positional relationship such that the outer edge of the heat-affected region (a portion where the base metal structure is changed by the welding heat) formed around the welded portion overlap with each other, or that there is a slight excess width, but this is not limited to the present invention.

[0010] The present invention also includes a connector having the aforementioned female terminal and a connector housing that accommodates the female terminal, as well as an electric wire with a terminal having the aforementioned female terminal and the electric wire connected to the base portion of the female terminal.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention includes an electric wire with a connector including the above-mentioned electric wire with terminal and a connector housing that accommodates the electric wire with terminal, as well as a wire harness including at least one of the above-mentioned electric wire with terminal and the above-mentioned electric wire with a connector.

[0012] According to this invention, the side wall of the base portion and the contact plate of the spring member can be reliably welded together, and therefore good electrical conductivity can be ensured. In more detail, in the female terminal etc. according to the present invention, a hollowed-out portion of a predetermined shape is provided on the installation plate, and a welded portion to the side wall is provided along the hollowed-out portion. Therefore, when the side wall and the installation plate are welded together, the welding heat is not dissipated along the installation plate at least toward the hollowed-out portion, so that the welding heat is efficiently transmitted from the installation plate to the side wall, resulting in deep penetration. Therefore, the side wall of the base part and the installation plate of the spring member can be reliably welded, and good electrical conductivity can be ensured.

[0013] In addition, when the side wall and the longitudinal plate are welded together, the welding heat does not dissipate along the longitudinal plate toward at least the hollowed-out portion, so a high-temperature region is formed along the hollowed-out portion. Since the weld is formed in this high-temperature region, the time required for heating is shortened, and the welding speed (feed speed) can be increased. Therefore, the productivity can be improved.

[0014] The welded portion is disposed between the hollowed portion and the edge of the installation plate. attitude Therefore, When the side wall and the longitudinal plate are welded together, the welding heat is not dissipated along the longitudinal plate to the hollowed-out portion and the edge of the longitudinal plate, so that the welding heat is more efficiently transmitted from the longitudinal plate to the side wall, resulting in deeper penetration. This allows the side wall of the base to be reliably welded to the longitudinal plate of the spring member, thereby ensuring good electrical conductivity.

[0015] In addition, when the side wall and the installation plate are welded, the welding heat does not dissipate along the installation plate to the side of the hollowed-out portion and the edge side of the installation plate, so a high-temperature region is formed between the hollowed-out portion and the edge of the installation plate. Then, the weld is formed in this high-temperature region, so the time required for heating is shortened, and it becomes possible to increase the welding speed (feed speed). Therefore, productivity can be improved.

[0016] In addition, since a weld is provided between the hollowed-out portion and the edge of the installation plate, even if thermal strain occurs at the weld in the installation plate or its vicinity, the thermal strain can be absorbed by the hollowed-out portion and the edge of the installation plate, so that the flatness of the installation plate can be kept relatively good and the variation in the mounting position and mounting angle of the spring member can be suppressed.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of the hollow portions are provided, and the hollow portions and different The welded portion may be provided between the hollowed-out portion. In the present invention, the space between the cutouts is not limited to the center between the cutouts. In addition, the weld zone is not limited to always being provided at a fixed distance from one cutout or the other. Furthermore, it is preferable that the outer edge of the heat-affected zone (a portion where the base metal structure is changed by the welding heat) formed around the weld zone overlaps with the edge of both cutouts, or that there is a slight excess width, but this is not limited to the present invention.

[0018] According to this invention, when the side wall and the longitudinal plate are welded together, the welding heat is not dissipated along the longitudinal plate to one side of the hollowed-out portion and the other side of the hollowed-out portion, so that the welding heat is more efficiently transmitted from the longitudinal plate to the side wall, resulting in deeper penetration. Therefore, the side wall of the base part and the longitudinal plate of the spring member can be reliably welded together, and good electrical conductivity can be ensured.

[0019] In addition, when the side wall and the longitudinal plate are welded, the welding heat does not dissipate along the longitudinal plate to one of the hollowed-out portions and the other of the hollowed-out portions, so that a high-temperature region is formed between the hollowed-out portions. Since the weld is formed in this high-temperature region, the time required for heating is shortened, and the welding speed (feed speed) can be increased. Therefore, the productivity can be improved.

[0020] In addition, since the welds are provided between the cutouts, even if thermal strain occurs at the welds and their vicinity in the installation plate, the thermal strain can be absorbed by the cutouts on one side and the cutouts on the other side, so that the flatness of the installation plate can be kept relatively good and the variation in the installation position and angle of the spring member can be suppressed.

[0021] As a further aspect of the present invention, the welded portion may be formed on a side of the hollowed portion opposite to a side on which the arm spring is disposed. In addition, in the present invention, the side opposite to the side on which the arm spring is disposed with respect to the lightening portion means a position from the arm spring through the lightening portion.

[0022] This invention makes it possible to prevent the welding heat from reaching the arm spring through the longitudinal plate when welding the side wall and the longitudinal plate, thereby preventing the arm spring from softening and reducing the pressing force against the male terminal, which would otherwise cause the contact with the male terminal to become unstable.

[0023] In another aspect of the present invention, the welded portion may be a first welded portion, a second welded portion may be formed on the side of the hollowed-out portion where the arm spring is arranged, and the second welded portion may have a shorter overall length than the first welded portion. In the present invention, the side on which the arm spring is disposed with respect to the lightening portion means the position from the arm spring to the lightening portion.

[0024] According to this invention, since the welding is performed at two points on the side plate, the welding can be performed more reliably, and therefore good electrical conductivity can be ensured. In addition, since the total length of the second welded portion is shorter than that of the first welded portion, that is, the amount of heat generated at the second welded portion is smaller, it is possible to prevent the arm spring from becoming too hot. This prevents the arm spring from softening, reducing the pressing force against the male terminal, and thus preventing unstable contact with the male terminal.

[0025] As another aspect of the present invention, ,So The distance from the base point of each of the arm springs to the second welded portion may be equal.

[0026] According to the present invention, the second welded portion close to each arm spring becomes the main path for the current to flow. At this time, the current flows from each arm spring through the second welded portion close to the arm spring, forming a local parallel circuit. Therefore, the electrical resistance of these arm springs can be kept low and the conductivity can be improved. This structure is particularly suitable for electrical circuits through which large currents flow. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] Front view of the female terminal. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a male terminal inserted inside a female terminal. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a female terminal according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a male terminal inserted inside a female terminal. [Figure 12] 13A and 13B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a female terminal according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a male terminal inserted inside a female terminal. [Figure 14] 13A and 13B are a perspective view and a front view of a female terminal according to another embodiment. [Figure 15] 13A and 13B are a perspective view and a front view of a female terminal according to another embodiment. [Figure 16] 13A and 13B are a perspective view and a front view of a female terminal according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a connector 1. In Fig. 1, a connector housing 4 that accommodates female terminals 10 is indicated by dashed lines.

[0029] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of female terminal 10. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of female terminal 10. Fig. 4 is a front view of female terminal 10, Fig. 5 is a plan view of female terminal 10, and Fig. 6 is a side view of female terminal 10. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 5, and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a male terminal 5 inserted inside female terminal 10.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 1, the connector 1 is attached to the tip portion of electric wires 3 that constitute a wire harness 2. The connector 1 has two female terminals 10 accommodated in parallel in a connector housing 4.

[0031] The wire harness 2 is formed by bundling a plurality of electric wires 3. The electric wires 3 each have a core wire 3a, which is an electric conductor, covered with an insulating coating 3b, and the core wire 3a exposed at the tip portion is connected to a base portion 20 of a female terminal 10.

[0032] The connector housing 4 has an electric wire insertion portion 41 through which the electric wire 3 is inserted, and a terminal accommodating portion 42 that accommodates the female terminal 10. The accommodating space 4S that accommodates the female terminal 10 has a substantially rectangular opening, and a protruding portion of the connector housing that accommodates the male terminal 5 (see FIG. 9) is fitted into this opening. At that time, the male terminal 5 is inserted inside the female terminal 10, and the terminals are electrically connected to each other.

[0033] 2 to 9, the female terminal 10 is composed of an electric wire connecting portion 11 and a terminal connecting portion 12. The electric wire connecting portion 11 and the terminal connecting portion 12 are provided in series on an extension line of the electric wire 3. In the present application, this direction will be described as a longitudinal direction L. Also, the direction along the side surface of the male terminal 5 (see FIG. 9) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L will be described as a height direction H, and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L and the height direction H will be described as a width direction W.

[0034] The electric wire connection portion 11 is provided with a connection plate 111 that is perpendicular to the width direction W. The connection plate 111 is a portion to which the core wire 3a exposed at the tip portion of the electric wire 3 is connected. The connection of the core wire 3a is performed by so-called ultrasonic bonding technology, but is not limited to this.

[0035] The terminal connection portion 12 is provided with a terminal body 13 that is electrically connected to the male terminal 5. In the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the terminal body 13 is composed of a base portion 20 that is integrally formed with the electric wire connection portion 11, and a spring member 30 that is attached to the base portion 20. The base portion 20 and the spring member 30 will be described in detail below.

[0036] The base portion 20 has a pair of side walls 21 arranged at a predetermined interval so that the male terminal 5 can be inserted therein. More specifically, the base portion 20 has a pair of side walls 21 arranged at a predetermined interval and perpendicular to the width direction W. The base portion 20 also has a bottom wall 22 connecting lower ends of the side walls 21. Therefore, the base portion 20 is substantially U-shaped when viewed from the longitudinal direction L (see FIG. 6).

[0037] Moreover, one side wall 21 of the base part 20 is formed by extending the connecting plate 111 in the longitudinal direction L. The other side wall 21 is formed by bending a plate material (the base material of the base part 20) so as to be spaced a predetermined distance from the one side wall 21 and parallel to the one side side wall 21. Note that since the other side wall 21 has a shorter length in the longitudinal direction L than the one side side wall 21, a hollowed-out portion 36 and a welded portion 37, which will be described later, are exposed when viewed from the width direction W (see FIG. 4).

[0038] In this way, the base portion 20 is formed by cutting out and bending a conductive plate material (base material of the base portion 20) such as a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy. The surface of the base portion 20 is not plated, but this is not limited thereto. Therefore, the surface may be plated with silver plating or tin plating to improve conductivity. Alternatively, the surface may be partially plated. A partially plated surface may be one in which one surface of the electric wire connection portion 11 or the terminal connection portion 12 is plated. Alternatively, only the electric wire connection portion 11 or only the terminal connection portion 12 may be plated.

[0039] The spring member 30 has an inner plate 31 that is disposed at a predetermined position along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. The inner plate 31 extends in the height direction H along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21, and six arm springs 35 extend from the inner plate 31 toward the opposing side wall 21 (see FIG. 7). These arm springs 35 all have the same shape, and specifically, they extend obliquely so as to approach the opposing side wall 21 when viewed from the height direction H, and have a shape in which a part including the tip is folded back (see FIG. 8).

[0040] Each arm spring 35 extends from the leading edge of the inner plate 31, and the boundary with the inner plate 31 is the base point portion 35b of the arm spring 35 (see Figs. 8 and 9). In the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the base point portion 35b is always in contact with the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. However, the base point portion 35b may be slightly spaced from the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 and may be in contact with the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 when the male terminal 5 is inserted into the female terminal 10. In either case, the reaction force from the side wall 21 acts on the arm spring 35 via the base point portion 35b, so that the contact portion 35c of the arm spring 35 can be brought into close contact with the side surface of the male terminal 5 (see Fig. 9).

[0041] Further, the inner plate 31 of the spring member 30 is provided with a substantially rectangular hollow portion 36 so as to leave the inner plate 31 as an outer frame. The hollow portion 36 is located slightly closer to the base end side than the central portion of the inner plate 31 in the longitudinal direction L, and opens from a position corresponding to the upper end edge of the uppermost arm spring 35 to a position corresponding to the lower end edge of the lowermost arm spring 35. Therefore, an inner plate piece 31p extending along the height direction H is formed between the hollow portion 36 and the base end side edge 31e of the inner plate 31. Then, the inner plate piece 31p is welded along the height direction H to provide a linear welded portion 37. In other words, the welded portion 37 is provided between the hollow portion 36 and the edge 31e of the inner plate 31.

[0042] The welded portion 37 can be provided not only between the hollowed portion 36 and the edge 31e of the inner plate 31, but also between the hollowed portion 36 and the upper edge or the lower edge. A protruding portion protruding toward the side wall 21 side along the hollowed portion 36 may be provided on the inner plate 31, and the welded portion 37 may be formed through this protruding portion. The welded portion 37 refers to a solidified portion where a part of the side wall 21 or the inner plate 31 melts and cools and solidifies again. A heat-affected region (a portion where the base material structure is changed by welding heat) is formed around the welded portion 37. In the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the margin d from the edge 36e on the base end side of the hollowed portion 36 to the outer edge 37e of the heat-affected region is designed to be about 0 to 5 mm (see FIG. 9). The margin d from the edge 31e on the base end side of the inner plate 31 to the outer edge 37e of the heat-affected region is also designed to be about 0 to 5 mm (see FIG. 9).

[0043] This configuration can prevent the welding heat from dissipating through the inner plate 31 to the hollowed-out portion 36 side and the edge 31e side of the inner plate 31. That is, since the hollowed-out portion 36 is provided and the inner plate 31, which is a heat transfer medium, is removed on the hollowed-out portion 36 side, the welding heat is not transferred, and the welding heat can be prevented from dissipating. Furthermore, since the inner plate 31, which is a heat transfer medium, does not exist on the edge 31e side of the inner plate 31, the welding heat is not transferred, and the welding heat can be prevented from dissipating. In this way, the welding heat is retained (stored) in the inner plate 31 (inner plate piece 31p) where the welded portion 37 is provided, and the welding heat can be efficiently transferred from the inner plate 31 to the side wall 21 (see arrow T in FIG. 9).

[0044] Furthermore, in the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the welded portion 37 is provided on the side opposite to the side where the arm spring 35 is disposed with respect to the lightening portion 36. In other words, the welded portion 37 is provided at a position from the arm spring 35 through the lightening portion 36. This provides the effect of preventing welding heat from reaching the arm spring 35 through the inner plate 31.

[0045] Next, a female terminal 10 according to a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the female terminal 10 according to the second embodiment, and this cross-sectional view corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 5. Fig. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the state in which a male terminal 5 is inserted inside the female terminal 10.

[0046] In the female terminal 10 according to the present embodiment, two hollow portions 361, 362 are provided. One hollow portion (first hollow portion) 361 and the other hollow portion (second hollow portion) 362 are provided in parallel at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction L, and both open from a position corresponding to the upper end edge of the uppermost arm spring 35 to a position corresponding to the lower end edge of the lowermost arm spring 35. Therefore, an inner plate piece 31p extending along the height direction H is formed between the first hollow portion 361 and the second hollow portion 362. Then, this inner plate piece 31p is welded along the height direction H to provide a linear welded portion 37. In other words, the welded portion 37 is provided between the first hollow portion 361 and the second hollow portion 362.

[0047] The welded portion 37 can be provided not only between the first cutout portion 361 and the second cutout portion 362, but also between each cutout portion 361, 362 and an edge (for example, edge 31e) of the inner plate 31. A protruding portion protruding toward the side wall 21 along each cutout portion 361, 362 may be provided on the inner plate 31, and the welded portion 37 may be formed through this protruding portion. As described above, the welded portion 37 refers to a solidified portion. A heat-affected region (a portion where the base material structure is changed by welding heat) is formed around the welded portion 37. In the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the margin d from the edge 361e on the tip side of the first cutout portion 361 to the outer edge 37e of the heat-affected region is designed to be about 0 to 5 mm (see FIG. 11). Further, the margin d from the edge 362e on the base end side of the second hollowed-out portion 362 to the outer edge 37e of the heat-affected area is also designed to be about 0 to 5 mm (see FIG. 11).

[0048] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the welding heat from dissipating through the inner plate 31 to the first cutout portion 361 side and the second cutout portion 362 side. That is, since the first cutout portion 361 is provided and the inner plate 31, which is a heat transfer medium, is removed on the first cutout portion 361 side, the welding heat is not transferred, and thus the welding heat can be prevented from dissipating. Also, since the second cutout portion 362 is provided and the inner plate 31, which is a heat transfer medium, is removed, the welding heat is not transferred, and thus the welding heat can be prevented from dissipating. In this way, the welding heat is retained (stored) in the inner plate 31 (inner plate piece 31p) where the welded portion 37 is provided, and the welding heat can be efficiently transferred from the inner plate 31 to the side wall 21 (see arrow T in FIG. 11).

[0049] Furthermore, in the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the welded portion 37 is provided on the side opposite to the side where the arm spring 35 is disposed with respect to the second hollowed-out portion 362. In other words, the welded portion 37 is provided at a position from the arm spring 35 through the second hollowed-out portion 362. This provides the effect of preventing welding heat from traveling through the inner plate 31 to the arm spring 35.

[0050] Next, a female terminal 10 according to a third embodiment will be described. Fig. 12 is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the female terminal 10 according to the third embodiment, and this cross-sectional view corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 5. Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the state in which a male terminal 5 is inserted inside the female terminal 10.

[0051] In the female terminal 10 according to the present embodiment, two welded portions 371, 372 are provided. One welded portion (first welded portion) 371 and the other welded portion (second welded portion) 372 are provided on both sides of the hollowed portion 36 along the height direction H, and the first welded portion 371 provided on the side opposite to the side where the arm spring 35 is arranged with respect to the hollowed portion 36 forms a straight continuous line (solid line), and the second welded portion 372 provided on the side where the arm spring 35 is arranged with respect to the hollowed portion 36 forms a straight intermittent line (broken line). Then, the line segment 37s constituting the second welded portion 372 is disposed at a position corresponding to each arm spring 35. In other words, the line segment 37s constituting the second welded portion 372 is disposed so as to straddle the center line C of each arm spring 35.

[0052] It is possible to apply the technical idea that each of the welds 371, 372 is provided not only along the hollowed-out portion 36 but also between the edge (e.g., edge 31e) of the inner plate 31. Also, a protruding portion protruding toward the side wall 21 side along the hollowed-out portion 36 may be provided on the inner plate 31, and each of the welds 371, 372 may be formed through this protruding portion. The welded portion 37 refers to a solidified portion as described above. A heat-affected region (a region where the base material structure is changed by welding heat) is formed around the welded portion 37. In the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the margin d from the edge 36e on the base end side of the hollowed-out portion 36 to the outer edge 37e of the heat-affected region is designed to be about 0 to 5 mm (see FIG. 13). Also, the margin d from the edge 36e on the tip end side of the hollowed-out portion 362 to the outer edge 37e of the heat-affected region is designed to be about 0 to 5 mm (see FIG. 13).

[0053] This configuration can prevent the welding heat from dissipating at least to the cutout portion 36 side through the inner plate 31. In other words, the cutout portion 36 is provided to remove the inner plate 31, which is a heat transfer medium, so that the welding heat is not transferred and, in turn, the welding heat can be prevented from dissipating. In this way, the welding heat is retained (stored) in the inner plate 31 provided with the welded portion 37, and the welding heat can be efficiently transferred from the inner plate 31 to the side wall 21 (see arrow T in FIG. 13). In this regard, it is considered that the welding heat can be more efficiently transferred from the inner plate 31 to the side wall 21 by providing a welded portion 371 between the cutout portion 36 and the edge 31e of the inner plate 31, or by providing two cutout portions and providing a welded portion 371 between the cutout portions.

[0054] Furthermore, in the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the welding manner of the first welded portion 371 and the second welded portion 372 may both be solid lines or may both be broken lines. However, regardless of the welding manner, the second welded portion 372 is characterized in that the total length (total length in the case of an intermittent line) is shorter than that of the first welded portion 371. Therefore, since welding is performed at two points on the inner plate 31, welding can be performed more reliably, and since the amount of heat generated at the second welded portion 372 is small, it is possible to suppress the welding heat from reaching the arm spring 35.

[0055] In addition, the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment is characterized in that the distances from the base point 35b of the arm spring 35 to the second welded portion 372 are equal. That is, the distances from the base point 35b of the arm spring 35 to the corresponding line segment 37s are equal. Therefore, a current flows from each arm spring 35 through the line segment 37s close to the respective arm spring 35, forming a local parallel circuit. Therefore, the electrical resistance in these arm springs 35 can be kept low.

[0056] As described above, the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment includes the base portion 20 connected to the electric wire 3 and the spring member 30 attached to the base portion 20, which constitutes the terminal body 13. The base portion 20 has a pair of side walls 21 arranged at a predetermined interval so that the male terminal 5 can be inserted thereinto, and the spring member 30 has an inner plate 31 provided along at least one of the side walls 21 and an arm spring 35 extending toward the other side wall 21. The inner plate 31 is provided with a hollowed-out portion 36 of a predetermined shape, and a welded portion 37 to the side wall 21 is provided along the hollowed-out portion 36.

[0057] According to such a female terminal 10, the side wall 21 of the base portion 20 and the inner plate 31 of the spring member 30 can be reliably welded together, thereby ensuring good electrical conductivity. More specifically, in the female terminal 10 according to the present invention, the inner plate 31 is provided with a predetermined shape of hollowed-out portion 36, and a welded portion 37 with the side wall 21 is provided along the hollowed-out portion 36. Therefore, when the side wall 21 and the inner plate 31 are welded together, the welding heat is not dissipated at least toward the hollowed-out portion 36 side through the inner plate 31, and the welding heat is efficiently transmitted from the inner plate 31 to the side wall 21, resulting in deep penetration. Therefore, the side wall 21 of the base portion 20 and the inner plate 31 of the spring member 30 can be reliably welded together, and good electrical conductivity can be ensured.

[0058] In addition, when the side wall 21 and the inner plate 31 are welded together, the welding heat does not dissipate along the inner plate 31 toward at least the cutout portion 36, so that a high-temperature region is formed along the cutout portion 36. Then, the welded portion 37 is formed in this high-temperature region, so the time required for heating is shortened, and it becomes possible to increase the welding speed (feed speed). Therefore, the productivity can be improved.

[0059] In the female terminal 10 according to the first embodiment, a welded portion 37 is provided between the lightening portion 36 and the edge 31e of the inner plate 31.

[0060] According to such a female terminal 10, when the side wall 21 and the inner plate 31 are welded together, the welding heat does not dissipate along the inner plate 31 toward the hollowed-out portion 36 and the edge 31e of the inner plate 31, so that the welding heat is more efficiently transmitted from the inner plate 31 to the side wall 21, resulting in deeper penetration. Therefore, the side wall 21 of the base portion 20 and the inner plate 31 of the spring member 30 can be reliably welded together, and good electrical conductivity can be ensured.

[0061] In addition, when the side wall 21 and the inner plate 31 are welded together, the welding heat does not dissipate along the inner plate 31 toward the lightening portion 36 and the edge 31e of the inner plate 31, so a high-temperature region is formed between the lightening portion 36 and the edge 31e of the inner plate 31. Then, the welded portion 37 is formed in this high-temperature region, so the time required for heating is further shortened, and it becomes possible to further increase the welding speed (feed speed). Therefore, productivity can be improved.

[0062] In addition, since the welded portion 37 is provided between the hollowed portion 36 and the edge 31e of the inner plate 31, even if thermal strain occurs at the welded portion 37 of the inner plate 31 and its vicinity, such thermal strain can be absorbed by the hollowed portion 36 and the edge 31e of the inner plate 31. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the flatness of the inner plate 31 relatively well and suppress variations in the mounting position and mounting angle of the spring member 30.

[0063] Moreover, in the female terminal 10 according to the second embodiment, two lightening holes 361, 362 are provided, and a welding portion 37 is provided between the first lightening hole 361 and the second lightening hole 362.

[0064] According to such a female terminal 10, when the side wall 21 and the inner plate 31 are welded together, the welding heat does not dissipate along the inner plate 31 to the first cutout portion 361 side and the second cutout portion 362 side, so that the welding heat is more efficiently transmitted from the inner plate 31 to the side wall 21, resulting in deeper penetration. Therefore, the side wall 21 of the base portion 20 and the inner plate 31 of the spring member 30 can be reliably welded together, and good electrical conductivity can be ensured.

[0065] In addition, when the side wall 21 and the inner plate 31 are welded together, the welding heat does not dissipate along the inner plate 31 to the first cutout portion 361 side and the second cutout portion 362 side, so that a high-temperature region is formed between the first cutout portion 361 and the second cutout portion 362. Then, the welded portion 37 is formed in this high-temperature region, so that the time required for heating is further shortened, and it becomes possible to further increase the welding speed (feed speed). Therefore, the productivity can be improved.

[0066] In addition, since the welded portion 37 is provided between the first cutout portion 361 and the second cutout portion 362, even if thermal strain occurs at the welded portion 37 and its vicinity in the inner plate 31, such thermal strain can be absorbed by the first cutout portion 361 and the second cutout portion 362. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the flatness of the inner plate 31 relatively well and suppress variations in the mounting position and mounting angle of the spring member 30.

[0067] In the female terminal 10 according to the first and second embodiments, a welded portion 37 is formed on the side of the lightening portion 36 (second lightening portion 362) opposite to the side on which the arm spring 35 is disposed.

[0068] Such a female terminal 10 can prevent welding heat from reaching the arm spring 35 through the inner plate 31 when welding the side wall 21 and the inner plate 31. This can prevent the arm spring 35 from softening, reducing the pressing force against the male terminal 5, and making the contact with the male terminal 5 unstable.

[0069] In addition, in the female terminal 10 of the third embodiment, a second welding portion 372 is formed on the side where the arm spring 35 is arranged relative to the hollowed-out portion 36, and the second welding portion 372 has a shorter overall length than the first welding portion 371.

[0070] According to such a female terminal 10, welding is performed at two points on the inner plate 31, so that welding can be performed more reliably, and therefore good electrical conductivity can be ensured. In addition, since the overall length of the second welded portion 372 is shorter than that of the first welded portion 371, that is, the amount of heat generated at the second welded portion 372 is small, it is possible to prevent the arm spring 35 from becoming too hot. This prevents the arm spring 35 from softening, reducing the pressing force against the male terminal 5, and thus preventing unstable contact with the male terminal 5.

[0071] Moreover, in the female terminal 10 according to the third embodiment, a plurality of arm springs 35 are provided in parallel, and the distance from the base point portion 35b of each arm spring 35 to the second welded portion 372 is equal.

[0072] According to such a female terminal 10, the second welded portion 372 (more specifically, the line segment 37s) close to each arm spring 35 becomes the main path when a current flows. At this time, a parallel circuit is formed locally because a current flows from each arm spring 35 through the second welded portion 372 close to the respective arm spring 35. Therefore, the electrical resistance of these arm springs 35 can be kept low and the conductivity can be improved. Such a structure can be said to be particularly suitable for an electric circuit through which a large current flows.

[0073] In the female terminal 10 according to each embodiment, the side wall 21 and the inner plate 31 are welded together using a fiber laser welding machine, but welding may be performed using an arc welding machine or the like. Also, welding may be performed using a welding machine capable of ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, friction welding, or other types of welding.

[0074] In the configuration of the present invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, the connector of the present invention corresponds to the connector 1, Similarly, The wire harness corresponds to Wire Harness 2. The wire corresponds to wire 3, The connector housing is compatible with connector housing 4. The male terminal corresponds to the male terminal 5, The female terminal corresponds to the female terminal 10, The terminal body corresponds to terminal body 13, The base portion corresponds to the base portion 20, The side wall corresponds to the side wall 21; The spring member corresponds to the spring member 30; The splice plate corresponds to the inner plate 31. The edge of the installation plate corresponds to edge 31e. The arm spring is compatible with the arm spring 35. The base point of the arm spring corresponds to base point 35b, The cutout portion corresponds to the cutout portion 36, the first cutout portion 361, and the second cutout portion 362. The welded portion corresponds to the welded portion 37, the first welded portion 371, and the second welded portion 372. The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0075] For example, in the female terminal 10 according to each of the above-described embodiments, the spring member 30 is attached to one side wall 21. However, as shown in Fig. 14, the spring member 30 may also be attached to the other side wall 21. The spring member 30 has an outer plate 32 provided along the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21, and six arm springs 35 extend from a portion that wraps around to the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 toward the opposing side wall 21.

[0076] Further, a substantially rectangular cutout portion 36 is provided in the outer plate 32 of the spring member 30 so as to leave the outer plate 32 as an outer frame, and an inner plate piece 32p extending along the height direction H is formed between the cutout portion 36 and an edge 32e on the base end side of the outer plate 32. Then, this inner plate piece 32p is welded along the height direction H to provide a linear welded portion 37. In other words, the welded portion 37 is provided between the cutout portion 36 and the edge 32e of the outer plate 32.

[0077] According to the female terminal 10 having such a configuration, the spring member 30 attached to the side wall 21 on the other side has the same effect as the female terminal 10 according to each of the above-mentioned embodiments. That is, the side wall 21 of the base portion 20 and the outer plate 32 of the spring member 30 can be reliably welded together, and good electrical conductivity can be ensured. In addition, the welding speed (feed speed) can be increased, so that productivity can be improved. In addition, similar effects can be obtained depending on the embodiment of the female terminal 10.

[0078] 15, a configuration may be used in which an edge 36e on the base end side is aligned along the height direction H, and a triangular cutout portion 36 is provided with both end points connected to a point on the tip end side. In such a configuration, a welded portion 37 can be provided along the edge 36e of the cutout portion 36. Note that it is possible to apply the technical idea of ​​providing the welded portion 37 not only along the edge 36e of the cutout portion 36, but also between the cutout portion 36 and the edge 31e of the inner plate 31.

[0079] According to the female terminal 10 having such a configuration, the opening area of ​​the lightening portion 36 can be made small, and the rigidity of the inner plate 31 can be ensured, while still obtaining the effect of providing the lightening portion 36. In other words, the welding heat is efficiently transferred from the inner plate 31 to the side wall 21, and the penetration becomes deeper.

[0080] 16, a trapezoidal cutout 36 may be provided in which a long edge 36e on the base end side and a short edge 36e on the tip end side are aligned in the height direction H, and both ends of the long edge 36e are connected to each other. In such a configuration, linear welds 371, 372 can be provided along the long edge 36e and the short edge 36e. Note that the welds 371 can be provided not only along the edge 36e of the cutout 36, but also between the cutout 36 and the edge 31e of the inner plate 31.

[0081] According to the female terminal 10 having such a configuration, the opening area of ​​the lightening portion 36 can be reduced, and the rigidity of the inner plate 31 can be ensured, while still obtaining the effect of providing the lightening portion 36. In other words, the welding heat is efficiently transferred from the inner plate 31 to the side wall 21, and the penetration becomes deeper. In addition, since the welding is performed at two points on the inner plate 31, the welding can be performed more reliably, and since the amount of heat generated at the second welded portion 372 is small, the welding heat can be prevented from reaching the arm spring 35.

[0082] For example, the cutout portion 36 may be circular, and the welded portion 37 may be provided along the cutout portion 36. Alternatively, the cutout portion 36 may be elliptical, and the welded portion 37 may be provided along the cutout portion 36. Alternatively, the cutout portion 36 may be polygonal, and the welded portion 37 may be provided along the cutout portion 36. In other words, regardless of the shape of the cutout portion 36, as long as the welded portion 37 is provided along the cutout portion 36, it falls within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0083] Finally, the present invention includes a connector 1 (see FIG. 1) having the aforementioned female terminal 10 and a connector housing 4 that accommodates the female terminal 10, as well as a terminal-attached electric wire 6 (see FIG. 1) having the aforementioned female terminal 10 and an electric wire 3 connected to a base portion 20 of the female terminal 10.

[0084] Furthermore, the present invention includes an electric wire with connector 7 (see FIG. 1) including the electric wire with terminal 6 and a connector housing 4 that accommodates the electric wire with terminal 6, as well as a wire harness 2 (see FIG. 1) including at least one of the electric wire with terminal 6 and the electric wire with connector 7.

[0085] These also provide the same effects as the female terminal 10 according to the present invention. That is, the side wall 21 of the base portion 20 and the outer plate 32 of the spring member 30 can be reliably welded together, and good electrical conductivity can be ensured. In addition, similar effects can be obtained depending on the embodiment of the female terminal 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1…Connector 2. Wire harness 3...Electric wire 4…Connector housing 5...Male terminal 6…Terminal attached wire 7…Wire with connector 10...Female terminal 13...Terminal body 20…Base 21…Side wall 30...Spring member 31…Inner plate 31e...Edge 35…Arm spring 35b...Base point 36…Meat cutout 361…First cutout section 362…Second hollow section 37…Welded section 371…First weld 372…Second weld

Claims

1. A base portion to be connected to the electric wire; A terminal body is provided by the spring member attached to the base portion, The base portion has a pair of side walls arranged at a predetermined interval into which the male terminal can be inserted, The spring member has a plate provided along at least one of the side walls and an arm spring extending toward the other side wall, The side plate is provided with a hollowed-out portion having a predetermined shape, and a welded portion to the side wall is provided along the hollowed-out portion, A plurality of the arm springs are provided in parallel, The weld portion is disposed between the hollow portion and an edge of the installation plate, The hollow portion is formed such that a direction in which the arm springs are arranged in parallel is longer than a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the arm springs are arranged in parallel, so that the installation plate remains as an outer frame, The area between the hollowed-out portion where the welded portion is provided and the edge of the installation plate corresponds to the heat-affected area by the welded portion, and the margin from the edge of the hollowed-out portion to the outer edge of the heat-affected area is about 0 to 5 mm, and the margin d from the edge of the installation plate to the outer edge of the heat-affected area is about 0 to 5 mm. Female terminal.

2. A plurality of the hollowed-out portions are provided, The welded portion is provided between the hollowed portion and another hollowed portion. The female terminal according to claim 1 .

3. The welded portion is formed on the side opposite to the side on which the arm spring is disposed with respect to the lightening portion. The female terminal according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The welded portion is a first welded portion, a second welded portion is formed on a side of the hollowed portion where the arm spring is disposed, The second welded portion has a shorter overall length than the first welded portion. The female terminal according to claim 3 .

5. The distances from the base points of the arm springs to the second welded portions are equal. The female terminal according to claim 4.

6. A female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and a connector housing for accommodating the female terminal. connector.

7. A female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The electric wire is connected to the base portion of the female terminal. Wire with terminal.

8. An electric wire with a terminal according to claim 7; and a connector housing for accommodating the electric wire with terminal. Wire with connector.

9. The electric wire with terminal according to claim 7 or the electric wire with connector according to claim 8 is provided. Wire harness.

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