Terminals, wire connectors and wire-to-board connectors

Abstract

To reliably prevent pull-out of a terminal, reliably prevent breakage of the terminal and a housing, to reliably fix the terminal to the housing, to attain a low profile and be compact, to reduce component number in a simple structure, to facilitate manufacturing, and to achieve high reliability at low cost.SOLUTION: A terminal connected to terminal of an electric wire includes: a body portion connected to a core wire of the electric wire; and a u-shaped contact portion connected to a front end of the body portion and in contact with a mating terminal. The contact portion includes: an upper plate part connected to the body portion, a lower plate portion parallel to the upper plate portion; a side plate connecting either left or right edge of the upper plate and the lower plate; a tip-fitting recess whose three sides are defined by the upper, lower, and side plates; an inclined convex piece extending obliquely downward from a rear end of the lower plate portion; and a middle plate portion extending in a width direction of the contact portion between the inclined convex piece and the upper plate portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to terminals, wire connectors, and wire-to-board connectors. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, wire-to-board connectors have been used to connect electric wires such as cables to boards such as printed circuit boards (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such wire-to-board connectors, the wire connector connected to the end of the electric wire fits into the board connector mounted on the surface of the board.

[0003] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a conventional wire connector and a board connector are mated.

[0004] In the figure, reference numeral 801 denotes a wire connector, which is fitted with a board connector 901 mounted on the surface of a board (not shown).

[0005] The wire connector 801 includes a wire housing 811 and a plurality of wire terminals 861 attached to the wire housing 811 .

[0006] The wire housing 811 includes a main body 812, a fitting protrusion 814 protruding from the main body 812 in the fitting direction (to the right in the figure), and a plurality of terminal insertion holes 813. The terminal insertion holes 813 are cavities formed to extend in the fitting direction passing through the main body 812 and the fitting protrusion 814, and each electric wire terminal 861 is inserted and accommodated inside each of them. A plurality of lances 815 are formed on the lower surface side of the wire housing 811 to lock the electric wire terminals 861 accommodated in the terminal insertion holes 813 to prevent them from falling out.

[0007] Each of the electric wire terminals 861 is a member made of a metal plate connected to the tip of the corresponding electric wire 891, and is provided at its tip in the fitting direction with a generally box-shaped contact portion 864. The contact portion 864 includes an upper surface portion 864a located on the upper side and a lower surface portion 864b located on the lower side, and a locking piece 869 that is locked to the tip of the lance 815 is formed at the rear end of the lower surface portion 864b.

[0008] On the other hand, the board connector 901 has a board housing 911 and a plurality of board terminals 961 attached to the board housing 911 .

[0009] The board housing 911 includes an insertion space 913 that opens to a mating surface (the left side surface in the figure). The insertion space 913 is a cavity formed to extend in the mating direction, and a plurality of board terminals 961 are attached therein.

[0010] Each of the board terminals 961 is a member formed by punching a metal plate, and includes a tail portion 962, a support portion 963, and a contact arm portion 964. The tail portion 962 has a lower end connected by soldering to a connection pad formed on the surface of a board (not shown). The support portion 963 is fixed to the board housing 911 and extends along the lower surface of the insertion space 913. The contact arm portion 964 is a member that extends close to the upper surface of the insertion space 913 and is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction.

[0011] As shown in the figure, when the wire connector 801 is mated with the board connector 901, a portion of the mating protrusion 814 of the wire housing 811 near the tip is inserted into the insertion space 913 of the board housing 911 and locked by a locking mechanism (not shown). This reliably maintains the mated state between the wire connector 801 and the board connector 901. In addition, the contact portion 864 of the wire terminal 861 enters between the support portion 963 and the contact arm portion 964 of the corresponding board terminal 961, and the upper surface portion 864a and the lower surface portion 864b of the contact portion 864 come into contact with the contact arm portion 964 and the support portion 963 to establish electrical continuity. Thus, the wire 891 is connected to the board on which the board connector 901 is mounted. Furthermore, since the locking piece 869 of the wire terminal 861 is locked to the tip of the lance 815, even if a tensile force acts on the wire 891, the wire terminal 861 can be reliably prevented from coming out of the terminal insertion hole 813 of the wire housing 811. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-185875 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] However, in the conventional wire-to-board connector, when the wire 891 is pulled with a strong force while the wire connector 801 and the board connector 901 are engaged, a large force acts on the lance 815, causing the lance 815 to deform and disengage its tip from the locking piece 869 of the wire terminal 861, and the tip may enter the space between the upper surface 864a and the lower surface 864b of the contact portion 864 of the wire terminal 861. If the wire 891 is pulled with a strong force while the tip of the lance 815 has entered the space at the contact portion 864 of the wire terminal 861, the lance 815 may be damaged, the contact portion 864 of the wire terminal 861 may be damaged, or the lance 815 may be coupled to the wire terminal 861 with the tip of the lance 815 remaining in the space at the contact portion 864 of the wire terminal 861.

[0014] In order to prevent such a situation from occurring, it is conceivable to enlarge the lance 815 to make it less likely to deform, to enlarge the locking piece 869 of the electric wire terminal 861 to make it more difficult to release the lock with the tip of the lance 815, or to thicken the contact portion 864 of the electric wire terminal 861 to make it less likely to break. However, in recent years, the electric wire connector 801 has been miniaturized along with the miniaturization of electronic components and electronic devices, and each part of the lance 815 and the electric wire terminal 861 has had to become extremely fine, so that it is extremely difficult to prevent deformation of each part of the lance 815 and the electric wire terminal 861, which occurs when the electric wire 891 is pulled with a strong force, and to prevent release of the lock between the lance 815 and the electric wire terminal 861.

[0015] The object of this invention is to provide a terminal, wire connector, and wire-to-board connector which solves the problems of the conventional wire-to-board connectors, and by optimizing the shape and structure of the terminals and housing, can prevent the lances of the terminals and housing from disengaging even when the terminals and housing are made small, can reliably prevent the terminals from coming loose, can reliably prevent damage to the terminals and housing, can reliably fix the terminals to the housing, can reduce the height and size, has a simple configuration, has a small number of parts, is easy to manufacture, is low cost, and is highly reliable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] To this end, the terminal is formed integrally from a conductive metal plate and is connected to the end of an electric wire, and has a main body portion connected to a core wire of the electric wire, and a contact portion connected to a front end of the main body portion and having a U-shaped cross section for contacting a mating terminal, the contact portion including an upper plate portion connected to the main body portion, a lower plate portion parallel to the upper plate portion, a side plate portion connecting one of the left and right side edges of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion, a front fitting recess portion defined on three sides by the upper plate portion, the lower plate portion and the side plate portion, an inclined convex piece extending obliquely downward from a rear end of the lower plate portion, and a middle plate portion extending in the width direction of the contact portion between the inclined convex piece and the upper plate portion. The upper plate portion is connected to the main body portion via a base portion having a U-shaped cross section connected to the tip of the main body portion, and the middle plate portion extends from a lower end of one of the left and right side walls of the base portion toward the side plate portion, and the lower surface of the middle plate portion abuts against or is close to the upper surface of the rear end of the lower plate portion. do.

[0017] In the other terminal, further, the upper surface of the upper plate portion and the lower surface of the lower plate portion come into contact with the mating contact portion of the mating terminal.

[0018] In still another terminal, the width of the inclined convex piece is the same as the width of the lower plate portion.

[0020] In the case of wire connectors, A terminal that is integrally formed from a conductive metal plate and is connected to an end of an electric wire, the terminal having a main body that is connected to a core wire of the electric wire, and a contact portion that is connected to a front end of the main body and has a U-shaped cross section that contacts a mating terminal, the contact portion including an upper plate portion connected to the main body portion, a lower plate portion parallel to the upper plate portion, a side plate portion connecting one of the left and right side edges of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion, a front fitting recess defined on three sides by the upper plate portion, the lower plate portion and the side plate portion, an inclined convex piece that extends obliquely downward from a rear end of the lower plate portion, and a middle plate portion that extends in the width direction of the contact portion between the inclined convex piece and the upper plate portion. An electric wire connector comprising a terminal and a housing made of an insulating material in which the terminal is attached, the housing having a main body portion, an engagement protrusion extending from the main body portion, a terminal accommodating hole extending through the main body portion and the engagement protrusion and into which the terminal is inserted, and a housing lance extending from the main body portion, the engagement protrusion including a recess entry portion that is accommodated in a tip engagement recess of a contact portion of a terminal inserted into the terminal accommodating hole, and the housing lance including a base end connected to the main body portion, an inclined arm portion extending diagonally upward from the base end, and an abutment portion at the tip of the inclined arm portion that is capable of abutting with the rear end of the inclined convex piece of a terminal inserted into the terminal accommodating hole.

[0021] In another electric wire connector, further, the width of the abutting portion of the housing lance is substantially the same as the width of the inclined convex piece of the terminal.

[0022] In wire-to-board connectors, a terminal formed integrally from a conductive metal plate and connected to an end of an electric wire, the terminal having a main body connected to a core wire of the electric wire, and a contact portion connected to a front end of the main body and having a U-shaped cross section for contacting a mating terminal, the contact portion including an upper plate portion connected to the main body portion, a lower plate portion parallel to the upper plate portion, a side plate portion connecting one of the left and right side edges of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion, a front fitting recess portion defined on three sides by the upper plate portion, the lower plate portion and the side plate portion, an inclined convex piece extending obliquely downward from a rear end of the lower plate portion, and a middle plate portion extending in the width direction of the contact portion between the inclined convex piece and the upper plate portion; and a housing to which a terminal is attached, the housing having a main body, a mating protrusion extending from the main body, a terminal accommodating hole extending through the main body and the mating protrusion and into which the terminal is inserted, and a housing lance extending from the main body, the mating protrusion including a recess entry portion accommodated in a tip mating recess of a contact portion of a terminal inserted into the terminal accommodating hole, the housing lance including a base end connected to the main body, an inclined arm extending obliquely upward from the base end, and an abutment portion at the tip of the inclined arm that is capable of abutting against a rear end of an inclined protrusion of a terminal inserted into the terminal accommodating hole. A wire-to-board connector comprising a board connector mounted on a surface of a board, the board connector comprising: a wire connector; a mating housing made of an insulating material; and a mating terminal integrally formed from a conductive metal plate and in contact with a terminal of the wire connector, the mating terminal being attached to the mating housing, the mating terminal being mounted on the surface of a board, the board connector mating with the wire connector, the mating housing having a mating recess into which a mating convex portion of the housing of the wire connector is inserted, the mating terminal having a fixed portion fixed to the mating housing and a mating contact portion extending from the fixed portion and in contact with a contact portion of the terminal of the wire connector, the mating contact portion including a contact upper arm portion in contact with an upper surface of an upper plate portion of the contact portion and a contact lower arm portion in contact with a lower surface of a lower plate portion of the contact portion, and clamping the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the present disclosure, even if the terminals and housings are miniaturized, it is possible to prevent the lances of the terminals and housings from disengaging, to reliably prevent the terminals from coming loose, to reliably prevent damage to the terminals and housings, to reliably fix the terminals to the housings, to achieve a low profile and small size, a simple configuration, a small number of parts, easy manufacturing, reduced costs, and improved reliability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a state before a first connector and a second connector in the embodiment are fitted together. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B are exploded views of a first connector and a second connector in the present embodiment as viewed from the first connector side, where FIG. 1A is a view as viewed obliquely from above, and FIG. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are exploded views of a first connector and a second connector according to the present embodiment, as viewed from the second connector side, where (a) is a view viewed obliquely from above, and (b) is a view viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a first connector according to the present embodiment, viewed obliquely from below, where (a) is a view viewed obliquely from behind, and (b) is a view viewed obliquely from the front. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a first housing in the present embodiment as viewed obliquely from the rear, where (a) is a view as viewed obliquely from above, and (b) is a view as viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a first housing according to the present embodiment, viewed from diagonally below, with (a) being a view viewed from diagonally behind and (b) being a view viewed from diagonally ahead. [Figure 7] 1A is a perspective view of a first terminal according to the present embodiment, seen from diagonally rear, seen from diagonally front, and seen from a side. FIG. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a second connector in the present embodiment, as viewed obliquely from the front, where FIG. 1A is a view viewed obliquely from above, and FIG. 1B is a view viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 9] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a first connector and a second connector are mated in the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the first connector and the second connector in the mated state in the present embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are perspective views showing a side cross-sectional view of the first connector and the second connector in a mated state in the present embodiment, and are perspective views showing a cross-section taken along the line AA in FIG. 9, with (a) and (b) being viewed from different angles. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a first connector in a comparative example. [Figure 13] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a conventional electric wire connector and a board connector are mated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0026] FIG. 1 is an oblique view showing the state before the first connector and the second connector in this embodiment are mated, FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first connector and the second connector in this embodiment viewed from the first connector side, FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the first connector and the second connector in this embodiment viewed from the second connector side, FIG. 4 is an oblique view of the first connector in this embodiment viewed from diagonally below, FIG. 5 is an oblique view of the first housing in this embodiment viewed from diagonally behind, FIG. 6 is an oblique view of the first housing in this embodiment viewed from diagonally below, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the first terminal in this embodiment, and FIG. 8 is an oblique view of the second connector in this embodiment viewed from diagonally front. In Figures 2 and 3, (a) is a view from diagonally above and (b) is a view from diagonally below; in Figure 4, (a) is a view from diagonally behind and (b) is a view from diagonally ahead; in Figure 5, (a) is a view from diagonally above and (b) is a view from diagonally below; in Figure 6, (a) is a view from diagonally behind and (b) is a view from diagonally ahead; in Figure 7, (a) is a perspective view from diagonally behind, (b) is a perspective view from diagonally ahead and (c) is a side view; and in Figure 8, (a) is a view from diagonally above and (b) is a view from diagonally below.

[0027] In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a first connector serving as an electric wire connector, which is one of the electric wire-to-board connectors in this embodiment, and is a connector connected to an end of a cable having a plurality of electric wires 91. The first connector 1 is fitted into a second connector 101 serving as a mating connector, which is the other of the electric wire-to-board connectors in this embodiment. The second connector 101 is a surface-mount type board connector mounted on the surface of a board 191.

[0028] The wire-to-board connector in this embodiment includes the first connector 1 and the second connector 101, and electrically connects the electric wire 91 and the board 191. In this embodiment, the electric wire 91 is a signal line, and an end of the electric wire 91 opposite to the first connector 1 is connected to an electronic device or the like (not shown), and the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are described as connectors for connecting the signal line of the board 191, but the electric wire 91 may include a power line and a ground line, and the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 can also be used as connectors for connecting the power line and the ground line.

[0029] The substrate 191 is, for example, a printed circuit board used in electronic devices, but may be any type of substrate, such as a silicon substrate or a silicon carbide substrate on which electronic elements are directly disposed on the surface. The electronic device may be, for example, a personal computer, a smartphone, a digital television, a vehicle navigation device, a game console, or any type of electronic device.

[0030] In the example shown in the figure, the second connector 101 is a so-called right-angle type board connector, and is mounted on the surface of the board 191 with a mating recess 113 into which the mating protrusion 14 of the first connector 1 is inserted and mated when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated, opening in a direction parallel to the surface of the board 191. However, the second connector 101 is not limited to the right-angle type, and may be a so-called straight type connector mounted on the surface of the board 191 with the mating recess 113 opening upward (Z-axis negative direction), or may be a connector in which the mating recess 113 opens in an oblique direction intersecting with the surface of the board 191, or may be a connector in which the mating recess 113 opens in any direction. Here, for convenience of explanation, the second connector 101 will be described as a so-called right-angle type.

[0031] In this embodiment, the directional expressions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back used to explain the configuration and operation of each part of the wire-to-board connector are relative rather than absolute and are appropriate when each part of the wire-to-board connector is in the position shown in the figure, but if the position changes, they should be interpreted differently depending on the change in position.

[0032] The first connector 1 has a first housing 11 as a housing integrally formed of resin such as synthetic resin, which is an insulating material, and has an overall shape of a generally flat rectangular parallelepiped, and a first terminal 61 as a metal terminal attached to the first housing 11. The number of the first terminals 61 corresponds to the number of the electric wires 91, and each is connected to an end of the corresponding electric wire 91. In the example shown in the figure, the number of the electric wires 91 is 10, but the number of the electric wires 91 can be changed arbitrarily, for example, 9 or less, or 11 or more. Furthermore, in the example shown in the figure, the multiple electric wires 91 are arranged in a row in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the first connector 1, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and for example, they may be arranged in a staggered pattern, or they may form two or more rows.

[0033] The first terminal 61 in this embodiment is a member integrally formed by bending and punching a conductive metal plate, and as shown in FIG. 7, includes a conductor connection portion 63 as a main body portion, a first fixing portion 62 as an electric wire connection portion connected to the rear end of the conductor connection portion 63, and a first contact tip portion 65 as a contact portion connected to the front end of the conductor connection portion 63. The conductor connection portion 63 is a portion electrically connected to a core wire 92 as a conductor provided in the electric wire 91, and includes a core wire crimping portion 63a that crimps and fixes the core wire 92. Note that the core wire 92 and the core wire crimping portion 63a can be connected and fixed more firmly by applying solder as necessary. The first fixing portion 62 also includes a wire crimping portion 62a that crimps and fixes the electric wire 91 from around an insulating coating 91a that covers the periphery of the core wire 92. By crimping the electric wire 91 with the electric wire crimping portion 62a, the first terminal 61 is securely connected to the end of the electric wire 91.

[0034] The first contact tip portion 65 is a portion that comes into contact with a second terminal 161 that serves as a mating terminal of the second connector 101 . The first contact tip portion 65 is roughly an elongated rectangular tube-shaped portion having a U-shaped cross section extending forward (in the positive direction of the X-axis) from the tip (end in the positive direction of the X-axis) of the first fixed portion 62, and has a flat upper plate portion 65a connected to the tip (end in the positive direction of the X-axis) of the first fixed portion 62 and extending in the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction), a flat lower plate portion 65b parallel to the upper plate portion 65a and extending in the front-to-rear direction, a flat side plate portion 65c connecting either the left or right side edge of the upper plate portion 65a and the lower plate portion 65b (in the example shown in the figure, the Y-axis negative direction side) and extending in the front-to-rear direction similar to the upper plate portion 65a and the lower plate portion 65b, and a tip fitting recess 65d defined on three sides by the upper plate portion 65a, the lower plate portion 65b, and the side plate portion 65c.

[0035] More specifically, the first contact tip portion 65 includes a U-shaped cross-sectional gutter portion 65g as a base connected to the tip of the first fixed portion 62, and the upper plate portion 65a is connected to the tip of the bottom wall of the gutter portion 65g, so it can be said that the upper plate portion 65a is connected to the first fixed portion 62 via the gutter portion 65g.

[0036] Furthermore, the first contact tip portion 65 has a terminal lance 65e as an inclined convex piece extending obliquely downward from the rear end (the end in the negative direction of the X-axis) of the lower plate portion 65b, and a middle plate portion 65f extending in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the first contact tip portion 65 between the terminal lance 65e and the upper plate portion 65a. The middle plate portion 65f is connected to a lower end of one of the left and right side walls of the groove portion 65g (the side wall opposite to the side plate portion 65c) by bending it by approximately 90 degrees, and is a member extending approximately parallel to the upper plate portion 65a and the lower plate portion 65b toward the side plate portion 65c. The area from the tip of the first contact tip portion 65 to the middle plate portion 65f in the cavity defined on three sides by the upper plate portion 65a, the lower plate portion 65b and the side plate portion 65c forms a tip fitting recess 65d into which the contact tip entry portion 14e, which serves as the recess entry portion of the first housing 11, enters from the relatively front and fits.

[0037] Since the rear end of the side plate 65c is connected to the other of the left and right side walls of the gutter 65g and the tip fitting recess 65d has a U-shaped cross section, the first contact tip 65 has a large cross-sectional quadratic coefficient, high rigidity, and is less likely to deform. Moreover, the lower surface of the middle plate 65f abuts or is close to the upper surface near the rear end of the lower plate 65b to support the lower plate 65b from above, so that the lower plate 65b is reinforced and is less likely to deform upward.

[0038] The first housing 11 has a main body 12 extending in the width direction of the first connector 1 and a mating protrusion 14 extending forward from the main body 12. The first housing 11 has a plurality of terminal accommodating holes 13 that open on the rear surface 11r and extend in the front-rear direction from the rear surface 11r to the tip of the mating protrusion 14 through the main body 12 and the mating protrusion 14. The terminal accommodating holes 13 are spaces that accommodate the first terminal 61 connected to the end of one electric wire 91 and the portion of the electric wire 91 near the first terminal 61, and are formed in the same arrangement as the electric wire 91 and the same number as the electric wire 91. Therefore, in the example shown in the figure, ten terminal accommodating holes 13 are formed in a row in the width direction of the first connector 1. In addition, a dummy opening 13d is formed on the rear surface 11r of the first housing 11 outside the row of the terminal accommodating holes 13.

[0039] The fitting protrusion 14 includes one flat horizontal partition plate 14c extending in the width direction of the first connector 1, and multiple pairs of vertical partition plates 14d extending upward and downward from multiple locations on both the upper and lower surfaces of the horizontal partition plate 14c. The vicinity of the tip of the fitting protrusion 14 in each terminal accommodating hole 13 is divided into an upper part 13a and a lower part 13b by the horizontal partition plate 14c. The left and right sides of each terminal accommodating hole 13 are defined by the vertical partition plates 14d.

[0040] Furthermore, a fitting top plate portion 14a is connected to the upper end of the vertical partition plate 14d extending upward. The fitting top plate portion 14a extends forward from the main body portion 12 on the upper surface 11a side of the first housing 11, and exists over almost the entire range of the fitting protrusion 14 in the front-rear direction, and is a member that defines the upper surface of the upper portion 13a of the terminal accommodating hole 13. Upper slits 16a extending in the front-rear direction are formed at positions corresponding to each upper portion 13a, and the fitting top plate portion 14a is divided into a plurality of portions in the width direction of the first connector 1 by the upper slits 16a. Each divided fitting top plate portion 14a has a rectangular shape extending from the vicinity of the base end of the fitting protrusion 14 to the tip end. When the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated, the contact upper arm portion 164 of the second terminal 161 of the second connector 101 passes through the upper slit 16a and enters the upper portion 13a of the terminal receiving hole 13.

[0041] A bottom plate portion 14b is connected to the lower end of the vertical partition plate 14d extending downward. The bottom plate portion 14b extends rearward from the tip of the fitting protrusion 14 by a predetermined length and is a member that defines the lower surface of the lower portion 13b of the terminal accommodating hole 13. Lower slits 16b extending in the front-rear direction are formed at positions corresponding to the lower portions 13b, and the first connector 1 is divided into a plurality of portions by the lower slits 16b in the width direction of the first connector 1. When the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated, the contact lower arm portion 163 of the second terminal 161 of the second connector 101 enters the lower portion 13b of the terminal accommodating hole 13 through the lower slits 16b.

[0042] Furthermore, in a range that reaches a predetermined length rearward from the tip of the horizontal partition plate 14c, a thick contact tip entry portion 14e extends in the front-rear direction. Also, an intermediate slit 14s extending in the front-rear direction is formed along the vertical partition plate 14d at one of the left and right side ends of the horizontal partition plate 14c (the Y-axis negative side in the example shown in the figure). The intermediate slit 14s extends from the base end of the horizontal partition plate 14c to near the tip so that the side plate portion 65c of the first contact tip portion 65 of the first terminal 61 can enter.

[0043] Furthermore, the first housing 11 has housing lances 15 as protruding pieces extending forward from the main body 12 on the lower surface 11b side. The housing lances 15 are arranged in a row in the width direction of the first connector 1, and each is located below the terminal receiving hole 13 in the fitting protrusion 14. Each housing lance 15 has a rectangular shape extending from the main body 12, and is separated from each other by a lance slit 15d extending in the front-rear direction formed between adjacent housing lances. Each housing lance 15 is a cantilever-shaped member, and includes a base end 15a connected to the main body 12, an inclined arm 15b extending obliquely upward from the base end 15a, and an abutment portion 15c that is a free end (tip) of the inclined arm 15b and can abut against the rear end of the terminal lance 65e. The width of the abutment portion 15c is approximately the same as the width of the terminal lance 65e.

[0044] The first terminals 61 connected to the ends of the electric wires 91 are inserted into the corresponding terminal accommodating holes 13 from the rear surface 11r side of the first housing 11 and attached. As shown in Fig. 4, when the attachment of the first terminals 61 is completed, the tip of the first contact tip portion 65 reaches the vicinity of the tip of the fitting protrusion portion 14, the side plate portion 65c of the first contact tip portion 65 enters the intermediate slit 14s formed in the horizontal partition plate 14c, the upper plate portion 65a of the first contact tip portion 65 is located below the fitting top plate portion 14a in the upper portion 13a of the terminal accommodating hole 13, the lower plate portion 65b of the first contact tip portion 65 is located above the fitting bottom plate portion 14b in the lower portion 13b of the terminal accommodating hole 13, and the contact tip entry portion 14e enters and is accommodated in the tip fitting recess 65d of the first contact tip portion 65. This reinforces the first contact tip 65, and in particular, even if a force is applied from above and below, deformation such as a decrease in the distance between the upper plate 65a and the lower plate 65b does not occur. The terminal lance 65e of the first contact tip 65 has the same width as the lower plate 65b and is located forward of the abutment portion 15c of the housing lance 15, and the rear end of the terminal lance 65e faces the abutment portion 15c of the housing lance 15 and is in close proximity to or in abutment with the abutment portion 15c. Therefore, when the attachment of the first terminal 61 is completed, the terminal lance 65e is locked by the housing lance 15, so that even if a tensile force acts on the electric wire 91, the first terminal 61 cannot move backward and is reliably prevented from being pulled out backward from the terminal receiving hole 13.

[0045] The second connector 101 is integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and has a second housing 111 as a mating housing having an overall shape of a generally flat rectangular parallelepiped, second terminals 161 as metallic mating terminals attached to the second housing 111, and auxiliary fittings 181 as metallic PCB female housing mounting auxiliary fittings attached to the second housing 111. The number and arrangement of the second terminals 161 can be set arbitrarily, but for convenience of explanation, it is assumed here that the number and arrangement are the same as those of the first terminals 61.

[0046] Second terminal 161 in this embodiment is a member integrally formed by punching a metal plate, and has a U-shaped side shape as a whole. Second terminal 161 has fixed portion 165 as a main body portion, tail portion 162 as a board connecting portion extending downward from the lower end of fixed portion 165, and contact upper arm portion 164 and contact lower arm portion 163 as mating contact portions extending forward from fixed portion 165. The fixing portion 165 is formed with a locking protrusion 165a that bites into and locks into the second terminal holding portion 116a of the second housing 111, and an upper contact protrusion 164a that contacts the upper plate portion 65a of the first contact tip portion 65 of the first terminal 61 is formed near the free end (tip) of the contact upper arm portion 164, and a lower contact protrusion 163a that contacts the lower plate portion 65b of the first contact tip portion 65 of the first terminal 61 is formed near the free end (tip) of the contact lower arm portion 163.

[0047] Further, the auxiliary metal fitting 181 is a member integrally formed by subjecting a metal plate to bending and punching, and includes a flat main body portion 183, a tail portion 182 as a board connection portion that is bent at approximately 90 degrees and connected to the lower end of the main body portion 183 and extends toward the outside in the width direction of the second connector 101, a fixing portion 184 that extends rearward (X-axis positive direction) from the rear end of the main body portion 183, and a shoulder pressing portion 185 that is bent at approximately 90 degrees and connected to the upper end of the main body portion 183 and extends toward the inside in the width direction of the second connector 101. The auxiliary metal fitting 181 is an auxiliary member for stably fixing the second connector 101 to the board 191, and is fixed to the second housing 111, and the tail portion 182 is connected to the surface of a connection pad 192 formed on the surface of the board 191 by a connecting means such as soldering.

[0048] The second housing 111 has a main body 112 extending in the width direction of the second connector 101, and a forward protruding portion 114 extending forward (X-axis negative direction) from the main body 112. The second housing 111 has a mating recess 113 that opens at its front surface 111f and extends in the front-rear direction through the forward protruding portion 114 and the main body 112 to a rear surface 111r of the second housing 111. When the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated with each other, the mating protruding portion 14 of the first housing 11 is inserted into the mating recess 113 and mated with the second connector 101. The rear surface 111r of the second housing 111 has a plurality of terminal insertion openings 116 that communicate with the mating recess 113. The terminal insertion openings 116 are openings into which one second terminal 161 is inserted, and are formed in the same number as the second terminals 161 in the same arrangement as the second terminals 161. Therefore, in the example shown in the figure, ten terminal insertion openings 116 are formed in a row in the width direction of second connector 101. Each terminal insertion opening 116 is provided with a second terminal holding portion 116a.

[0049] Furthermore, a plurality of upper terminal accommodating grooves 115a extending in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) are formed on a top surface of the fitting recess 113, i.e., the inner surface on the side of the upper surface 111a of the second housing 111, and a plurality of lower terminal accommodating grooves 115b extending in the front-rear direction are formed on a floor surface of the fitting recess 113, i.e., the inner surface on the side of the lower surface 111b of the second housing 111. Note that guide protrusions 115c protruding downward (Z-axis negative direction) are formed in the top surface of the fitting recess 113 near the front surface 111f of the second housing 111 at locations corresponding to the upper terminal accommodating grooves 115a.

[0050] Furthermore, the main body 112 protrudes outward in the width direction of the second connector 101 beyond the forward protrusion 114, and a reinforcing fitting fixing hole 112d extending in the front-rear direction is formed in the protrusion 112f. Also, an outer bulge 114c is formed at the outer end of the forward protrusion 114 in the width direction of the second connector 101, and the upper end of the outer bulge 114c forms a shoulder 114a.

[0051] Each second terminal 161 is attached by being inserted into the corresponding terminal insertion opening 116 from the rear surface 111r side of the second housing 111. As shown in Fig. 8, when the attachment of the second terminal 161 is completed, the contact lower arm portion 163 is accommodated in the corresponding lower terminal accommodating groove 115b, but the contact upper arm portion 164 is not in the corresponding upper terminal accommodating groove 115a but is located slightly below the upper terminal accommodating groove 115a. In addition, the locking protrusion 165a of the fixing portion 165 bites into and locks into the second terminal holding portion 116a in the terminal insertion opening 116, so that the second terminal 161 is fixed to the second housing 111.

[0052] In addition, each auxiliary fitting 181 is attached to the second housing 111 by engaging the shoulder pressing portion 185 with the shoulder portion 114a at the outer bulge portion 114c of the second housing 111 and by inserting and fixing the fixing portion 184 into the auxiliary fitting fixing hole 112d of the second housing 111.

[0053] In this manner, the second connector 101 in which the second terminals 161 and the auxiliary metal fittings 181 are attached to the second housing 111 is mounted on the surface of the substrate 191 as shown in Fig. 1. Specifically, the tail portions 162 of the second terminals 161 are electrically and mechanically connected to the respective connector electrodes (not shown) formed on the surface of the substrate 191 by connecting means such as soldering. Each of the connector electrodes is connected to a conductive trace (not shown) provided on the substrate 191 and functions as a signal line. Also, the tail portions 182 of the auxiliary metal fittings 181 are mechanically connected to the surfaces of connection pads 192 formed on the surface of the substrate 191 by connecting means such as soldering.

[0054] Next, the operation of mating first connector 1 and second connector 101 configured as above will be described.

[0055] Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the mated state of the first connector and the second connector in this embodiment, Fig. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the mated state of the first connector and the second connector in this embodiment, taken along the line AA in Fig. 9, Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the side cross-sectional view of the mated state of the first connector and the second connector in this embodiment, taken along the line AA in Fig. 9, and Fig. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of the first connector in a comparative example. Note that in Fig. 11, (a) and (b) are views viewed from different angles.

[0056] Here, it is assumed that the first connector 1 is connected to an end of a cable including an electric wire 91 by connecting the first terminal 61 to an end of the electric wire 91. Also, it is assumed that the second connector 101 is mounted on the surface of the substrate 191 by connecting the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 to a connector electrode formed on the surface of the substrate 191 by soldering or the like, and connecting the tail portion 182 of the auxiliary metal fitting 181 to a connection pad 192 formed on the surface of the substrate 191 by soldering or the like.

[0057] First, the operator places the mating convex portion 14 of the first connector 1 and the mating concave portion 113 of the second connector 101 in a state facing each other as shown in Fig. 1. Next, the operator moves the first connector 1 and / or the second connector 101 so as to approach the mating side, and inserts the mating convex portion 14 of the first connector 1 into the mating concave portion 113 of the second connector 101, thereby mating the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 with each other as shown in Fig. 9.

[0058] At this time, the contact upper arm portion 164 of the corresponding second terminal 161 of the second connector 101 enters each of the upper slits 16a formed in the mating top plate portion 14a of the mating convex portion 14, and the contact lower arm portion 163 of the corresponding second terminal 161 of the second connector 101 enters each of the lower slits 16b formed in the mating bottom plate portion 14b of the mating convex portion 14.

[0059] 10 and 11, the upper contact protrusion 164a of the contact upper arm portion 164 of the second terminal 161 contacts and conducts with the upper surface of the upper plate portion 65a of the first contact tip portion 65 of the first terminal 61 located below the upper slit 16a, and the lower contact protrusion 163a of the contact lower arm portion 163 of the second terminal 161 contacts and conducts with the lower surface of the lower plate portion 65b of the first contact tip portion 65 of the first terminal 61 located above the lower slit 16b. In this manner, since the first contact tip portion 65 of the first terminal 61 is inserted between the upper contact protrusion 164a of the contact upper arm portion 164 of the second terminal 161 and the lower contact protrusion 163a of the contact lower arm portion 163, the cantilever-shaped contact upper arm portion 164 is mainly elastically displaced upward, and the interval between the upper contact protrusion 164a and the lower contact protrusion 163a is elastically pushed wide. The upper plate portion 65a and the lower plate portion 65b of the first contact tip portion 65 are sandwiched from above and below by the upper contact protrusion 164a and the lower contact protrusion 163a. ​​When the mating of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is completed, the tip of the mating protrusion 14 inserted into the mating recess 113 abuts against the second terminal holding portion 116a as shown in Figures 10 and 11, so that the mating protrusion 14 is prevented from moving any further toward the back side (X-axis positive direction) of the mating recess 113.

[0060] In this way, the upper contact protrusion 164a of the contact upper arm portion 164 and the lower contact protrusion 163a of the contact lower arm portion 163 of the second terminal 161 contact and become conductive with the upper plate portion 65a and the lower plate portion 65b of the first contact tip portion 65 of the first terminal 61, so that the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161 are in a conductive state, and as a result, the electric wire 91 to which the first terminal 61 is connected is conductive with the conductive trace connected to the connector electrode of the substrate 191 to which the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 is connected.

[0061] 10 and 11, the contact tip entry portion 14e is entered and accommodated in the tip fitting recess 65d of the first contact tip 65 of the first terminal 61. As a result, the tip fitting recess 65d is not a closed space with a square cross section defined on all four sides, but is a space with a square cross section defined on three sides by the upper plate portion 65a, the lower plate portion 65b, and the side plate portion 65c, and is a space with a square cross section defined on one side, but is not deformed even when subjected to an external force, because the contact tip entry portion 14e, which is a part of the fitting protrusion 14 of the first housing 11, is accommodated therein. Therefore, even if the upper plate portion 65a and the lower plate portion 65b are sandwiched from above and below by the upper contact protrusion 164a and the lower contact protrusion 163a of the second terminal 161, the first contact tip 65 including the tip fitting recess 65d is not deformed.

[0062] Furthermore, near the rear end within the tip fitting recess 65d, there is a middle plate portion 65f which extends approximately parallel to the upper plate portion 65a and the lower plate portion 65b, and the lower surface of the middle plate portion 65f abuts or is close to the upper surface near the rear end of the lower plate portion 65b, supporting the lower plate portion 65b from above, making the lower plate portion 65b less likely to deform upwardly.

[0063] Furthermore, the terminal lance 65e of the first contact tip portion 65 is located forward of the abutment portion 15c of the housing lance 15, and the rear end of the terminal lance 65e faces the abutment portion 15c of the housing lance 15 and abuts against the contact portion 15c to be locked. Therefore, even if the electric wire 91 is pulled or tilted, and a pulling force acts on the first terminal 61 backward (X-axis negative direction), the first terminal 61 attached to the first housing 11 will not come off backward.

[0064] Furthermore, the rear end of the terminal lance 65e, which is formed by cutting and raising the rear end portion of the lower plate portion 65b and extends diagonally downward and rearward from the rear end of the lower plate portion 65b, abuts against the rear end of the terminal lance 65e, which is formed by cutting and raising the rear end portion of the lower plate portion 65b, and the abutment portion 15c, which is the tip of the inclined arm portion 15b of the housing lance 15 extending diagonally upward and forward from the main body portion 12 of the first housing 11, so that the inclined arm portion 15b of the housing lance 15 abuts against and engages with the terminal lance 65e in a nearly straight line, and since the width of the abutment portion 15c is approximately the same as the width of the terminal lance 65e, the engagement of the terminal lance 65e by the housing lance 15 is difficult to release.

[0065] Furthermore, the terminal lance 65e is a portion formed by cutting and raising the rear end portion of the lower plate portion 65b, and has the same width as the lower plate portion 65b and is integrated with the lower plate portion 65b, so that the strength is high. Moreover, since the rear end of the lower plate portion 65b is supported from above by the middle plate portion 65f, the terminal lance 65e is not easily deformed upward, like the rear end of the lower plate portion 65b. Therefore, the abutment portion 15c of the housing lance 15 is not displaced relatively downward as the terminal lance 65e is displaced upward, and does not move relatively toward the tip side of the first contact tip portion 65 along the lower surface of the terminal lance 65e.

[0066] Furthermore, since the middle plate portion 65f exists above the terminal lance 65e, the abutment portion 15c of the housing lance 15 is not displaced relatively upward and does not enter the tip fitting recess 65d along the upper surface of the terminal lance 65e. For example, as in the comparative example shown in FIG. 12, when the middle plate portion 65f is omitted, when a force is applied to pull the electric wire 91 diagonally downward and backward, the first contact tip portion 65 is inclined relative to the first housing 11, so that the abutment portion 15c of the housing lance 15 is displaced relatively upward and may enter the tip fitting recess 65d along the upper surface of the terminal lance 65e. However, in this embodiment, the middle plate portion 65f above the terminal lance 65e reliably prevents the abutment portion 15c of the housing lance 15 from entering the tip fitting recess 65d.

[0067] In this way, the locking of the terminal lance 65e by the housing lance 15 is reliably maintained, so that even if a force pulling the first terminal 61 backward acts on it, the first terminal 61 is reliably prevented from slipping out backward from within the terminal accommodating hole 13. Furthermore, since the abutment portion 15c of the housing lance 15 does not move relatively toward the tip side of the first contact tip portion 65 along the upper or lower surface of the terminal lance 65e, no load is applied to the housing lance 15, and the housing lance 15 is not damaged or broken.

[0068] Thus, in the present embodiment, the first terminal 61 is integrally formed from a conductive metal plate, and is connected to the end of the electric wire 91. The first terminal 61 has a conductor connection portion 63 connected to the core wire 92 of the electric wire 91, and a first contact tip portion 65 connected to the front end of the conductor connection portion 63 and having a U-shaped cross section which contacts the second terminal 161. The first contact tip portion 65 includes an upper plate portion 65a connected to the conductor connection portion 63, a lower plate portion 65b parallel to the upper plate portion 65a, a side plate portion 65c connecting either the left or right side edge of the upper plate portion 65a and the lower plate portion 65b, a tip fitting recess 65d defined on three sides by the upper plate portion 65a, the lower plate portion 65b and the side plate portion 65c, a terminal lance 65e extending diagonally downward from the rear end of the lower plate portion 65b, and a middle plate portion 65f extending in the width direction of the first contact tip portion 65 between the terminal lance 65e and the upper plate portion 65a.

[0069] The first connector 1 also includes a first terminal 61 and a first housing 11 made of an insulating material, in which the first terminal 61 is attached. The first housing 11 has a main body portion 12, an engagement protrusion 14 extending from the main body portion 12, a terminal accommodating hole 13 extending through the main body portion 12 and the engagement protrusion 14 and into which the first terminal 61 is inserted, and a housing lance 15 extending from the main body portion 12, the engagement protrusion 14 including a contact tip entry portion 14e that is accommodated in a tip engagement recess 65d of the first contact tip portion 65 of the first terminal 61 inserted into the terminal accommodating hole 13, and the housing lance 15 includes a base end portion 15a connected to the main body portion 12, an inclined arm portion 15b that extends diagonally upward from the base end portion 15a, and an abutment portion 15c at the tip of the inclined arm portion 15b that is capable of abutting the rear end of the terminal lance 65e of the first terminal 61 inserted into the terminal accommodating hole 13.

[0070] Furthermore, the wire-to-board connector comprises a first connector 1, a second housing 111 made of an insulating material, and a second terminal 161 integrally formed from a conductive metal plate and in contact with a first terminal 61 of the first connector 1, the second terminal 161 being attached to the second housing 111, and a second connector 101 mounted on the surface of a substrate 191, the second connector 101 mating with the first connector 1. The second housing 111 has a mating recess 113 into which the mating protrusion 14 of the first housing 11 of the first connector 1 is inserted, and the second terminal 161 has a fixed portion 165 fixed to the second housing 111 and a mating contact portion extending from the fixed portion 165 and contacting the first contact tip portion 65 of the first terminal 61 of the first connector 1, and the mating contact portion includes a contact upper arm portion 164 that contacts the upper surface of the upper plate portion 65a of the first contact tip portion 65 and a contact lower arm portion 163 that contacts the lower surface of the lower plate portion 65b of the first contact tip portion 65, and clamps the upper plate portion 65a and the lower plate portion 65b.

[0071] As a result, even if the first terminal 61 and the first housing 11 are made smaller, the terminal lance 65e of the first terminal 61 and the housing lance 15 of the first housing 11 can be prevented from disengaging, the first terminal 61 can be reliably prevented from coming loose, damage to the first terminal 61 and the first housing 11 can be reliably prevented, the first terminal 61 can be reliably fixed to the first housing 11, the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 can be made lower-profile and smaller, and a first terminal 61, first connector 1, and wire-to-board connector can be provided that have a simple configuration, a small number of parts, are easy to manufacture, are low cost, and are highly reliable.

[0072] It should be noted that the disclosure of this specification describes the features of the preferred and exemplary embodiments, and that various other embodiments, modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will occur to those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure of this specification. [Industrial Applicability]

[0073] The present disclosure is applicable to terminals, wire connectors and wire-to-board connectors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 First Connector 11 First Housing 11a, 111a top surface 11b, 111b bottom surface 11r, 111r rear 12, 112, 183, 812 Main unit 13 Terminal receiving hole 13a Upper part 13b Lower part 13d Dummy opening 14, 814 Fitting protrusion 14a Mating top plate part 14b Mating bottom plate part 14c horizontal partition board 14d Vertical partition 14e Contact tip entry section 14s Middle slit 15 Housing Lance 15a Proximal end 15b Inclined arm 15c Contact part 15d Lance Slit 16a Top slit 16b Bottom slit 61 1st terminal 62 1st fixed part 62a Wire crimping part 63 Conductor connection part 63a Wire crimping part 65 1st contact tip 65a Upper plate 65b Lower plate part 65c Side plate part 65d Tip fitting recess 65e Terminal Lance 65f Middle plate 65g Hibe 91, 891 Electric wire 91a Insulating coating 92 core wire 101 Second Connector 111 Second Housing 111f front 112d Auxiliary bracket fixing hole 112f Projection 113 Fitting recess 114 Forward protrusion 114a Shoulder 114c Outer bulge 115a Upper terminal receiving groove 115b Lower terminal receiving groove 115c Guide protrusion 116 Terminal insertion port 116a 2nd terminal holding part 161 2nd terminal 162, 182, 962 Tail section 163 Contact lower arm 163a Lower contact protrusion 164 Contact Upper Arm 164a Upper contact projection 165, 184 Fixed part 165a Locking protrusion 181 Auxiliary fittings 185 Shoulder presser 191 Substrate 192 Connection Pad 801 Wire Connector 811 Wire Housing 813 Terminal insertion hole 815 Reims 861 Wire terminal 864 Contact part 864a Top part 864b Bottom part 869 Locking piece 901 PCB Connector 911 PCB Housing 913 Insertion Space 961 PCB terminal 963 Support part 964 Contact arm

Claims

1. (a) A terminal that is integrally formed from a conductive metal plate and is connected to an end of an electric wire, (b) a main body portion connected to a core wire of the electric wire, and a contact portion connected to a front end of the main body portion and having a U-shaped cross section for contacting a mating terminal, (c) the contact portion includes an upper plate portion connected to the main body portion, a lower plate portion parallel to the upper plate portion, a side plate portion connecting one of the left and right side edges of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion, a tip fitting recess defined on three sides by the upper plate portion, the lower plate portion and the side plate portion, an inclined convex piece extending diagonally downward from the rear end of the lower plate portion, and a middle plate portion extending in the width direction of the contact portion between the inclined convex piece and the upper plate portion, (d) A terminal characterized in that the upper plate portion is connected to the main body portion via a base portion having a U-shaped cross section connected to the tip of the main body portion, the middle plate portion extends from the lower end of one of the left and right side walls of the base toward the side plate portion, and the lower surface of the middle plate portion abuts or is close to the upper surface of the rear end of the lower plate portion.

2. The terminal according to claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the upper plate portion and a lower surface of the lower plate portion come into contact with a mating contact portion of the mating terminal.

3. 3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein a width of the inclined convex piece is the same as a width of the lower plate portion.

4. (a) A terminal integrally formed from a conductive metal plate and connected to an end of an electric wire, (b) a main body portion connected to a core wire of the electric wire, and a contact portion connected to a front end of the main body portion and having a U-shaped cross section for contacting a mating terminal, (c) the contact portion is a terminal including an upper plate portion connected to the main body portion, a lower plate portion parallel to the upper plate portion, a side plate portion connecting either the left or right side edge of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion, a tip fitting recess defined on three sides by the upper plate portion, the lower plate portion and the side plate portion, an inclined convex piece extending diagonally downward from the rear end of the lower plate portion, and a middle plate portion extending in the width direction of the contact portion between the inclined convex piece and the upper plate portion; (d) a housing made of an insulating material and in which the terminal is mounted, (e) the housing has a main body portion, a fitting protrusion portion extending from the main body portion, a terminal accommodating hole extending through the main body portion and the fitting protrusion portion and into which the terminal is inserted, and a housing lance extending from the main body portion, (f) An electric wire connector characterized in that the mating convex portion includes a recess entry portion that is accommodated in a tip mating recess of the contact portion of the terminal inserted into the terminal accommodating hole, and the housing lance includes a base end portion connected to the main body portion, an inclined arm portion extending diagonally upward from the base end portion, and an abutment portion at the tip of the inclined arm portion that is capable of abutting against the rear end of the inclined convex piece of the terminal inserted into the terminal accommodating hole.

5. 5. The electric wire connector according to claim 4, wherein a width of the abutting portion of the housing lance is substantially the same as a width of the inclined convex piece of the terminal.

6. (a) A terminal integrally formed from a conductive metal plate and connected to an end of an electric wire, (b) a main body portion connected to a core wire of the electric wire, and a contact portion connected to a front end of the main body portion and having a U-shaped cross section for contacting a mating terminal, (c) the contact portion is a terminal including an upper plate portion connected to the main body portion, a lower plate portion parallel to the upper plate portion, a side plate portion connecting either the left or right side edge of the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion, a tip fitting recess defined on three sides by the upper plate portion, the lower plate portion and the side plate portion, an inclined convex piece extending diagonally downward from the rear end of the lower plate portion, and a middle plate portion extending in the width direction of the contact portion between the inclined convex piece and the upper plate portion; (d) a housing made of an insulating material and in which the terminal is mounted, (e) the housing has a main body portion, a fitting protrusion portion extending from the main body portion, a terminal accommodating hole extending through the main body portion and the fitting protrusion portion and into which the terminal is inserted, and a housing lance extending from the main body portion, (f) an electric wire connector, wherein the fitting convex portion includes a recessed portion entering portion that is received in a tip fitting recess of a contact portion of a terminal inserted into the terminal accommodating hole, and the housing lance includes a base end portion connected to the main body portion, an inclined arm portion extending obliquely upward from the base end portion, and an abutment portion at the tip of the inclined arm portion that is capable of abutting against a rear end of an inclined convex piece of the terminal inserted into the terminal accommodating hole; (g) A wire-to-board connector comprising a mating housing made of an insulating material, and a mating terminal integrally formed from a conductive metal plate and contacting a terminal of the wire connector, the mating terminal being attached to the mating housing, the board connector being mounted on a surface of a board, and mating with the wire connector, (h) the mating housing has a mating recess into which a mating protrusion of the housing of the wire connector is inserted, (i) the mating terminal has a fixing portion fixed to the mating housing and a mating contact portion extending from the fixing portion and contacting a contact portion of a terminal of the wire connector, (j) A wire-to-board connector, characterized in that the mating contact portion includes an upper contact arm portion that contacts an upper surface of an upper plate portion of the contact portion, and a lower contact arm portion that contacts a lower surface of a lower plate portion of the contact portion, and clamps the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion.

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