Female terminal

Abstract

To disclose a female terminal which can stably secure the followability and the contact pressure to a male terminal to suppress deformation of the female terminal while suppressing an increase in size of the female terminal even if a correspondence to a large current is required, and is improved in assembly.SOLUTION: A female terminal 10 comprises: a main body part 18 having a box-like conductive part 16; and a pair of contact formation metal tools 22a and 22b each having a plate thickness smaller than that of the main body part 18. The box-like conductive part 16 has a rear open window 30. The pair of contact formation metal tools 22a and 22b each includes a first spring piece 60 and a second spring piece 64. The first spring piece 60 has a first contact point 66, and the second spring piece 64 has a second contact point 68. The female terminal comprises a contact pressure application spring 82 that is arranged at each projection end part 74 of the first spring piece 60 and the second spring piece 64 and can be inserted into a rear open window 30. The projection end parts 74 are energized in a direction in which they come closer to each other by the contact pressure application spring 82 accompanying a press-in of a male terminal 12. The first contact point 66 and the second contact point 68 are brought into contact with the male terminal 12 with pressure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a female terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a female terminal formed by pressing a flat metal plate. The base end of the female terminal has a wire connection portion formed by overlapping a pair of flat plate portions, and the tip end of the female terminal has a male terminal mounting tubular portion into which a flat tab-shaped male terminal is inserted. The male terminal mounting tubular portion has a pair of L-shaped support plate portions that protrude from each flat plate portion on opposite sides of the overlapping direction and then protrude toward the tip end. The pair of support plate portions also has a pair of contact spring portions that are cantilevered and connected to the protruding ends of the pair of support plate portions via semicircular arc-shaped curved portions and protrude toward the base end. The pair of contact spring portions are arranged opposite each other across a male terminal insertion gap, and separate contact pressure springs are attached to the tip ends of the pair of contact spring portions. The contact pressure springs apply contact pressure to the pair of contact spring portions against the male terminals, maintaining a stable connection between the male and female terminals. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-83287 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, because the female terminal in Patent Document 1 is formed by pressing a metal plate, the contact spring portion also needs to have a thickness corresponding to the current capacity. Therefore, when a large current needs to flow, the plate thickness of the contact spring portion also increases. As a result, in order to ensure the contact spring portion's ability to follow the male terminal, the contact spring portion must be lengthened, which tends to increase the size of the female terminal. Furthermore, when the plate thickness of the contact spring portion increases, the reaction force of the contact spring portion when it follows and displaces with the male terminal also increases, which may affect the contact pressure applied by the contact pressure applying spring and cause deformation of the support plate. In addition, the contact pressure applying spring must be attached to the tip ends of the pair of contact spring portions from the side of the contact spring portion, making assembly difficult.

[0005] Therefore, we disclose a female terminal that has improved assembly properties, which can suppress deformation of the female terminal by stably ensuring compliance and contact pressure with the male terminal while preventing the female terminal from becoming larger, even when it is necessary to accommodate larger currents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The female end terminal of the present disclosure comprises a main body portion having a connection portion at one end in the length direction, the connection portion being conductively connected to another member, and a hollow box-shaped conductor portion at the other end in the length direction; and a pair of contact-forming fittings having a thickness smaller than that of the main body portion and being conductively fixed and held to a pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion, the box-shaped conductor portion having a male terminal insertion opening that opens toward the other end side and a rear opening window that opens toward the one end side, one of the pair of contact-forming fittings including a first fixing portion fixed to one of the pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion, and a first spring piece that is held in a cantilevered manner by the first fixing portion and protrudes from the male terminal insertion opening toward the rear opening window, and the other of the pair of contact-forming fittings is and a second fixing portion fixed to the other of the pair of opposing inner surfaces, and a second spring piece held in a cantilevered manner by the second fixing portion and protruding from the male terminal insertion port toward the rear opening window, wherein the first spring piece has a first contact point on the surface facing the second spring piece, and the second spring piece has a second contact point on the surface facing the first spring piece, and is provided with pressure-applying springs that are arranged at the protruding ends of the first spring piece and the second spring piece and are sized to be able to pass through the rear opening window, and as a male terminal is pressed between the opposing surfaces of the first spring piece and the second spring piece, the pressure-applying springs urge the protruding ends in a direction approaching each other, and the first contact point and the second contact point are pressed against the male terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] Honkai Show According to Even when it is necessary to accommodate a large current, we provide a female terminal with improved assembly properties that can prevent deformation of the female terminal by stably ensuring the ability to follow the male terminal and contact pressure while preventing the female terminal from becoming larger. It is possible. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a female terminal according to a first embodiment in a mated state with a male terminal. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a main part of the female terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the female terminal shown in FIG. 1 in a state where it is separated from the male terminal. [Figure 5] 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown in FIG. 4, and corresponds to FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is an exploded perspective view of the female terminal shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a main body portion constituting the female terminal shown in FIG. 1 in an unfolded state before being bent. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The female terminal of the present disclosure comprises: (1) A main body portion having a connection portion at one end in the length direction, the connection portion being electrically connected to another member, and a hollow box-shaped conductor portion at the other end in the length direction; and a pair of contact-forming metal fittings having a thickness smaller than that of the main body portion and electrically fixed and held to a pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion, wherein the box-shaped conductor portion has a male terminal insertion opening that opens toward the other end side and a rear opening window that opens toward the one end side, one of the pair of contact-forming metal fittings includes a first fixing portion fixed to one of the pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion, and a first spring piece that is held in a cantilevered manner by the first fixing portion and protrudes from the male terminal insertion opening toward the rear opening window, and the other of the pair of contact-forming metal fittings is electrically fixed to one of the pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion. and a second fixing portion fixed to the other of the opposing inner surfaces of the male terminal insertion port, and a second spring piece held in a cantilevered manner by the second fixing portion and protruding from the male terminal insertion port toward the rear opening window, wherein the first spring piece has a first contact point on the surface facing the second spring piece, and the second spring piece has a second contact point on the surface facing the first spring piece, and is provided with pressure-applying springs arranged at the protruding ends of the first spring piece and the second spring piece and having a size that allows them to pass through the rear opening window, and as the male terminal is pressed between the opposing surfaces of the first spring piece and the second spring piece, the pressure-applying springs urge the protruding ends in a direction approaching each other, and the first contact point and the second contact point are pressed against the male terminal.

[0010] According to the female terminal of the present disclosure, the main body has a connecting portion and a box-shaped conductor portion, and a pair of contact-forming fittings, each thinner than the main body, are electrically connected and held to a pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor. This allows for the main body to be thicker to reduce electrical resistance when a large current is required, while the contact-forming fittings, thinner than the main body, form contacts with the male terminal. As a result, the thin contact-forming fittings ensure conformability to the male terminal without increasing the length of the first and second spring pieces, thereby preventing the female terminal from becoming larger. Furthermore, because the thickness of the first and second spring pieces is thinner than the main body, the reaction force of the first and second spring pieces when they displace to conform to the male terminal can be reduced, advantageously preventing or preventing problems such as excessive deformation of the contact pressure-applying spring, which makes it impossible to ensure the desired contact pressure. In addition, the main body portion has a greater plate thickness than the contact-forming fitting, and the box shape of the box-shaped conductor portion advantageously ensures rigidity, which advantageously suppresses or prevents the problem of the entire female terminal, including the box-shaped conductor portion, being deformed by the reaction force of the first spring piece and the second spring piece when they displace in response to the male terminal.

[0011] Furthermore, the box-shaped conductor portion of the main body has a rear opening window that is large enough for the pressure spring to pass through, so the pressure spring can be inserted through the rear opening window and positioned from the front in the protruding direction relative to the protruding ends of the first and second spring pieces. This improves the ease of assembly of the female terminal compared to conventional structures in which assembly was only possible from the side, which is perpendicular to the protruding direction of the first and second spring pieces.

[0012] (2) It is preferable that the contact pressure applying spring is composed of a clip spring having a rectangular flat connecting plate portion and a pair of rectangular flat clamping plate portions protruding in directions approaching each other from both side edges of the connecting plate portion, and that the protruding end portion of the first spring piece and the protruding end portion of the second spring piece are clamped between the pair of clamping plate portions of the clip spring when the male terminal is inserted. By using a clip spring as the contact pressure applying spring, it is possible to configure a contact pressure applying spring with a compact and simple structure that can urge the protruding ends of the first spring piece and the second spring piece in directions approaching each other when the male terminal is inserted, while allowing the clip spring to be arranged on the protruding ends of the first spring piece and the second spring piece.

[0013] (3) It is preferable that the first fixing portion of one of the contact-forming fittings is fixed to one of the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor by welding, and the second fixing portion of the other of the contact-forming fittings is fixed to the other opposing inner surface of the box-shaped conductor by welding. Since the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion of the pair of contact-forming fittings are fixed to the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor by welding, the electrical resistance of the female terminal can be advantageously reduced.

[0014] (4) In the above (3), it is preferable that one of the contact-forming fittings is crimped and fixed to one of the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor, and the other of the contact-forming fittings is crimped and fixed to the other opposing inner surface of the box-shaped conductor. By crimping the contact-forming fitting to the box-shaped conductor, it is possible to further reduce contact resistance and improve the retention of the contact-forming fitting to the box-shaped conductor.

[0015] (5) It is preferable that the box-shaped conductor portion has a positioning protrusion protruding from its inner surface, and the position of the insertion end of the pressure applying spring from the rear opening window into the box-shaped conductor portion is determined by abutting against the positioning protrusion. Since the position of the insertion end of the pressure applying spring from the rear opening window into the box-shaped conductor portion is determined by abutting against the positioning protrusion protruding from the inner surface of the box-shaped conductor portion, an operator can simply and stably position the pressure applying spring in the desired position by inserting it through the rear opening window. This further improves the ease of assembly of the female terminal.

[0016] (6) It is preferable that the female terminal further comprises a retainer assembled to the box-shaped conductor portion and covering the rear opening window. By assembling the retainer covering the rear opening window to the box-shaped conductor portion, it is possible to advantageously prevent the contact pressure applying spring from coming off the rear opening window, and it is possible to maintain a stable configuration of the female terminal.

[0017] (7) In the above (6), it is preferable that the retainer has a displacement restriction portion that is disposed adjacent to the contact pressure applying spring and abuts against the contact pressure applying spring to restrict displacement of the retainer toward the rear opening window. By providing a displacement restriction portion on the retainer that covers the rear opening window, displacement of the contact pressure applying spring toward the rear opening window can be restricted, and the desired contact pressure applied by the contact pressure applying spring can be stably maintained, thereby maintaining the configuration of the female terminal stably.

[0018] (8) It is preferable that the main body is a pressed product made from a single metal plate, and that the connection portion has the same thickness as the metal plate. By constructing the entire main body using a metal plate with a thickness corresponding to the required current capacity, the desired value of conduction resistance can be advantageously achieved. Moreover, because the connection portion has the same thickness as the metal plate and is not thickened by folding or stacking multiple components, the process of insert-molding the connection portion into a connector housing or the like can be advantageously performed without problems such as resin seeping between the overlapping surfaces.

[0019] (9) In any one of (2) to (8) above, it is preferable that the female terminal includes a plurality of the first spring pieces and a plurality of the second spring pieces arranged at a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction of the male terminal, the clip spring has a plurality of pairs of clamping plates arranged at a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction, and when the male terminal is inserted, the protruding ends of the plurality of first spring pieces and the protruding ends of the plurality of second spring pieces are clamped separately by the plurality of pairs of clamping plates. The male terminal can be clamped by the plurality of first spring pieces and second spring pieces arranged at a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction of the male terminal. Moreover, when the male terminal is inserted, the pairs of first and second spring pieces are clamped by separate pairs of clamping plates arranged at a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction. This advantageously achieves stable compliance of the female terminal with the rotational displacement of the male terminal.

[0020] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Specific examples of the female terminal of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0021] <Embodiment 1> A female terminal 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. The female terminal 10 is a terminal that connects a power source, such as a battery, to a load, such as a motor. The female terminal 10, which is provided on one side of the power source or the load, and the male terminal 12, which is provided on the other side of the power source or the load, are in contact with each other to establish electrical continuity, thereby supplying power from a power source, such as a battery, to a load, such as a motor. While the female terminal 10 can be oriented in any direction, in the following description, the upper side will be referred to as the upper side in FIG. 3, the lower side as the lower side in FIG. 3, the front side as the left side in FIG. 2, the rear side as the right side in FIG. 2, the left side as the upper side in FIG. 2, and the right side as the lower side in FIG. 2. In addition, when multiple identical components are shown, only some of the components will be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals may be omitted for the other components.

[0022] <Female terminal 10> The female terminal 10 has a connection portion 14 at one end (rear end) in the longitudinal direction, which is conductively connected to another member (for example, a member on the power source side such as a battery), and a main body 18 at the other end (front end) in the longitudinal direction, which has a hollow box-shaped conductor portion 16. The female terminal 10 also has a pair of contact-forming fittings 22, 22 (first and second contact-forming fittings 22a, 22b, described later) that have a thickness smaller than that of the main body 18 and are conductively fixed and held to a pair of opposing inner surfaces 20, 20 of the box-shaped conductor portion 16 (inner surfaces 20a, 20b of an upper wall portion 32 and a lower wall portion 34, described later).

[0023] <Male terminal 12> The male terminal 12 is a tab terminal having an overall plate shape. The male terminal 12 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, a predetermined width dimension (left-right dimension) and thickness dimension (up-down dimension), and extends substantially straight in the front-rear direction. In the first embodiment, the male terminal 12 has a horizontally elongated shape in which the width dimension is greater than the thickness dimension. The front end portion (rear end portion) of the male terminal 12 in the insertion direction into the female terminal 10 is tapered. The male terminal 12 is conductive and is formed from a metal with low electrical resistance, such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. A bolt insertion hole, for example, is provided at the base end portion (front end portion) of the male terminal 12, so that the male terminal 12 can be fixed to another member (e.g., a load-side member such as a motor) with a bolt (not shown), or a load-side electric wire can be fixed or crimped thereto.

[0024] <Connection 14> The connecting portion 14 is generally plate-shaped and extends in the front-to-rear direction. In plan view, the connecting portion 14 has a generally rectangular shape with a front-to-rear dimension greater than a left-to-right dimension. A bolt insertion hole 24 is formed at the rear end of the connecting portion 14, penetrating the plate in the thickness direction (vertical direction). For example, the female terminal 10 can be fixed to another component (e.g., a power source component such as a battery) by a bolt (not shown) inserted through the bolt insertion hole 24. When a female connector is configured including the female terminal 10, an end of an electric wire may be fixed to the connecting portion 14. When a terminal block is configured including the female terminal 10, a bus bar or the like constituting an internal circuit may be connected to the connecting portion 14. The connecting portion 14 also has relatively large flat portions on its upper and lower surfaces. This facilitates the application of adhesives or the like to these flat portions. For example, when molding a female connector or terminal block including the female terminal 10, the female connector or terminal block having the female terminal 10 can be easily molded integrally by applying adhesive or the like to the connecting portion 14 and then setting the female terminal 10 in a molding cavity.

[0025] As will be described later, the main body 18 having the connection portion 14 and the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is a pressed product formed by applying a press process or the like to a single metal flat plate. That is, the connection portion 14 has the same plate thickness (vertical dimension) as the metal flat plate constituting the main body 18. The box-shaped conductor portion 16 is integrally connected to the front of the connection portion 14. As shown in FIG. 6 , a narrow portion 26 whose width dimension (horizontal dimension) is smaller than those of the connection portion 14 and the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is provided at the connecting portion between the connection portion 14 and the box-shaped conductor portion 16 (the front end portion of the connection portion 14). This makes it easy to press the metal flat plate.

[0026] <Box-shaped conductor part 16> The box-shaped conductor portion 16 has a generally rectangular box or cylindrical shape that opens on both front and rear sides. The box-shaped conductor portion 16 has a male terminal insertion opening 28 that opens toward the other longitudinal end (front end) of the main body 18, and a rear opening window 30 that opens toward one longitudinal end (rear end). In the first embodiment, the box-shaped conductor portion 16 has a horizontally elongated shape in which the width dimension (left-right dimension) is greater than the height dimension (up-down dimension). The box-shaped conductor portion 16 includes an upper wall portion 32 that constitutes the upper wall portion, a lower wall portion 34 that constitutes the lower wall portion, and a left wall portion 36 and a right wall portion 38 that constitute the left and right wall portions. The upper wall portion 32 and the lower wall portion 34 are thus opposed to each other in the vertical direction. In the first embodiment, the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 and the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34 form a pair of opposing inner surfaces 20, 20 to which the pair of contact-forming fittings 22, 22 are fixed and held.

[0027] As described above, the main body 18 having the connection portion 14 and the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is formed by pressing a single metal plate or the like, and in the first embodiment, the connection portion 14 and the lower wall portion 34 are connected to each other via the narrow width portion 26. A fitting protrusion 40 that protrudes toward the right wall portion 38 is provided in a central portion in the front-to-rear direction at the right end of the upper wall portion 32, and a fitting recess 42 that opens toward the upper wall portion 32 is provided in a central portion in the front-to-rear direction at the upper end of the right wall portion 38. The length dimension (front-to-rear dimension) of the fitting protrusion 40 is approximately equal to or slightly larger than the length dimension (front-to-rear dimension) of the fitting recess 42. As a result, when forming the box-shaped conductor portion 16 by pressing a metal plate or the like, the mating convex portion 40 on the upper wall portion 32 is fitted into the mating concave portion 42 on the right wall portion 38 in an approximately press-fit state, thereby preventing the upper wall portion 32 and the right wall portion 38 from unintentionally separating when forming the box-shaped conductor portion 16.

[0028] The left wall 36 and the right wall 38 face each other in the left-right direction. As shown in Fig. 6, positioning protrusions 48 that protrude inward in the opposing direction (inward in the left-right direction) are provided on the inner surface 44 of the left wall 36 and the inner surface 46 of the right wall 38 that constitute the inner surface of the box-shaped conductor 16. Furthermore, locking protrusions 50 that protrude outward in the opposing direction (outward in the left-right direction) are provided on the left wall 36 and the right wall 38 forward of each positioning protrusion 48. The rear end surface of each positioning protrusion 48 and the front end surface of each locking protrusion 50 each form a vertical surface 52 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction.

[0029] <Main body 18> As described above, the main body 18 having the connection portion 14 and the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is a pressed product formed by pressing a single metal plate, and FIGS. 8 and 9 show the main body 18 (metal plate) in an expanded state before pressing. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a pair of contact-forming fittings 22 are fixed to the inner surfaces 20a, 20b of the upper wall 32 and the lower wall 34 of the main body 18 (metal plate) before pressing. While the method for fixing the contact-forming fittings 22 to the inner surfaces 20a, 20b is not limited, in the first embodiment, the contact-forming fittings 22 are fixed to the inner surfaces 20a, 20b by welding and crimping, as described below. Therefore, engaging protrusions 54 are provided at the four corners of the inner surfaces 20a, 20b for crimping the contact-forming fittings 22. Each engaging protrusion 54 is provided to protrude inward in the vertical direction when the box-shaped conductor portion 16 is formed as shown in Figure 1, etc., and when the main body portion 18 is unfolded as shown in Figures 8 and 9, it is provided to protrude upward from each inner surface 20a, 20b of the upper wall portion 32 and the lower wall portion 34.

[0030] 8 and 9 , when the main body 18 is unfolded, the upper wall 32, left wall 36, lower wall 34, and right wall 38 that constitute the box-shaped conductor 16 are provided continuously in the left-right direction, and the connection portion 14 extends rearward from the lower wall 34 via the narrow width portion 26. Bent portions 56 are provided between the upper wall 32 and the left wall 36, between the left wall 36 and the lower wall 34, and between the lower wall 34 and the right wall 38, respectively. The box-shaped conductor 16 is formed in the front portion of the main body 18 by bending each bent portion 56 and engaging the mating protrusion 40 with the mating recess 42. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the upper wall 32, left wall 36, lower wall 34, and right wall 38 that constitute the box-shaped conductor 16, and the connection portion 14 all have a substantially uniform thickness. The metal material that constitutes the main body 18 is not limited, but any metal with excellent conductivity can be used, such as pure copper.

[0031] <Contact forming metal fitting 22> As described above, the pair of contact-forming fittings 22, 22 are fixed to and held on the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 and the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34, and are composed of the first contact-forming fitting 22a, which is fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 as one of the pair of contact-forming fittings 22, 22, and the second contact-forming fitting 22b, which is fixed to the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34 as the other of the pair of contact-forming fittings 22, 22. For ease of understanding, the first and second contact-forming fittings 22a, 22b housed and disposed inside the box-shaped conductor 16 are each shown by dashed lines in Figures 1, 4, and 7. Furthermore, in Figure 2, the first contact-forming fitting 22a housed and disposed inside the box-shaped conductor 16 and a clip spring 82, which serves as a contact pressure spring, as described later, are each shown by dashed lines.

[0032] The first contact-forming fitting 22a includes a first fixing portion 58 fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32, and a first spring piece 60 held in a cantilevered manner by the first fixing portion 58 and protruding from the male terminal insertion opening 28 toward the rear opening window 30, i.e., from the front to the rear. The second contact-forming fitting 22b includes a second fixing portion 62 fixed to the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34, and a second spring piece 64 held in a cantilevered manner by the second fixing portion 62 and protruding from the male terminal insertion opening 28 toward the rear opening window 30, i.e., from the front to the rear. The first spring piece 60 and the second spring piece 64 face each other in the vertical direction, and the first spring piece 60 has a first contact point 66 on the surface facing the second spring piece 64 (lower surface), while the second spring piece 64 has a second contact point 68 on the surface facing the first spring piece 60 (upper surface).

[0033] In embodiment 1, the first contact-forming fitting 22a has first spring pieces 60, 60 provided at each of multiple locations (two locations) spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction (left-right direction) of the male terminal 12, and the second contact-forming fitting 22b has second spring pieces 64, 64 provided at each of multiple locations (two locations) spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction (left-right direction) of the male terminal 12.

[0034] The specific shapes of the first contact-forming fitting 22a and the second contact-forming fitting 22b will be described below, but because the first contact-forming fitting 22a and the second contact-forming fitting 22b have the same shape, only the first contact-forming fitting 22a will be described and a description of the second contact-forming fitting 22b will be omitted. That is, the first fixing portion 58 and the second fixing portion 62 have corresponding shapes, and the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64 also have corresponding shapes. The first contact-forming fitting 22a and the second contact-forming fitting 22b can be made of a metal that is both conductive and springy, such as a copper alloy.

[0035] The first contact-forming fitting 22a is composed of a generally rectangular plate-like body overall, with a thickness smaller than that of the metal flat plate constituting the main body 18. The central portion of the generally rectangular plate-like body is cut and raised in one direction in the thickness direction, forming a generally frame-shaped first fixing portion 58 at the outer periphery, and the cut and raised portions form a pair of first spring pieces 60, 60. In other words, in the first contact-forming fitting 22a, gaps 70 are formed on three sides (the rear and both left and right sides) around each first spring piece 60, and each first spring piece 60 is connected at its front end to the first fixing portion 58 at the outer periphery of the first contact-forming fitting 22a. In other words, each first spring piece 60 extends rearward from the front end portion of the first fixing portion 58, with the protrusion dimension in one direction increasing toward the rear. This allows each first spring piece 60 in the first contact-forming fitting 22a to be elastically deformable in the thickness direction.

[0036] Furthermore, a bent portion 72 is provided at the protruding tip portion of each first spring piece 60, and the inclination angle of each first spring piece 60 with respect to the first fixing portion 58 is made smaller at the bent portion 72. Specifically, by providing the bent portion 72 at the protruding tip portion of each first spring piece 60, in the natural state of each first spring piece 60 before the insertion of the male terminal 12, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 8, the protruding end portion 74 (rear end portion) of each first spring piece 60 spreads in the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the up-down direction), which is the same direction as the first fixing portion 58 and the upper wall portion 32.

[0037] Each first spring piece 60 is provided with a first contact 66 at a position where the bent portion 72 is formed, the first contact 66 being convex toward one side in the thickness direction of the first contact-forming fitting 22a, which is the cutting and raising direction of each first spring piece 60. This first contact 66 is provided in a curved arc shape in the vertical cross section shown in FIG. 3, has a predetermined left-right dimension at the left-right central portion of each first spring piece 60, and is provided so as to straddle both sides of each first spring piece 60, sandwiching the bent portion 72 therebetween. Each first contact 66 has an elliptical shape in plan view (up-down projection) such that the dimension in the front-to-rear direction, which is the insertion direction of the male terminal 12, is larger than the dimension in the left-to-right direction. This ensures a stable contact area between each of the first and second contacts 66, 68 and the male terminal 12, even when the male terminal 12 inserted into the female terminal 10 swings and displaces in the up-and-down direction. In embodiment 1, each first contact point 66 is formed by pressing each first spring piece 60, and a recess 76 is formed on the other side of each first spring piece 60 in the thickness direction at a position corresponding to each first contact point 66.

[0038] As described above, the first fixing portion 58, which has a substantially rectangular frame shape, is overlapped on the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 and fixed thereto by welding and crimping. In the first embodiment, both front and rear end portions of the first fixing portion 58 are fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32. In particular, in the first embodiment, in left-right central portions of both front and rear end portions of the first fixing portion 58, an area spanning a predetermined left-right dimension is fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 by laser welding. As a result, a welded portion 78 is formed in the left-right central portions of both front and rear end portions of the first fixing portion 58. Similarly, a welded portion 78 is formed in the left-right central portions of both front and rear end portions of the second fixing portion 62, and the second fixing portion 62 is overlapped on the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34 and fixed thereto by laser welding.

[0039] 2, 9, and other figures, engagement holes 80 corresponding to the engagement protrusions 54 provided at the four corners of the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 are formed at both left and right ends of the front and rear ends of the first fixing portion 58, penetrating the first fixing portion 58 in the up-down direction. The inner diameter of each engagement hole 80 is approximately equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of each engagement protrusion 54, allowing each engagement protrusion 54 to be inserted into its corresponding engagement hole 80. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, after each engagement protrusion 54 is inserted into each engagement hole 80, the protruding tip of each engagement protrusion 54 protruding from each engagement hole 80 is struck and crushed, so that the outer diameter of the portion of each engagement protrusion 54 protruding from each engagement hole 80 is made larger than the inner diameter of each engagement hole 80. As a result, the first fixing portion 58 (first contact-forming fitting 22a) is fixed and held by crimping in addition to the laser welding to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32. Similarly, engagement holes 80 are provided at both left and right ends of the front and rear end portions of the second fixing portion 62, and the second fixing portion 62 (second contact-forming fitting 22b) is fixed and held by crimping in addition to the laser welding to the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34.

[0040] 8 and 9, the first and second contact-forming fittings 22a, 22b shaped as described above are fixed to the inner surfaces 20a, 20b of the upper wall 32 and lower wall 34 of the main body 18 (flat metal plate) before bending. That is, in the first and second contact-forming fittings 22a, 22b, the first spring pieces 60 and second spring pieces 64 are cut and raised in directions away from the upper wall 32 and lower wall 34, respectively. Then, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, by bending the main body 18 to form the box-shaped conductor 16, the upper wall 32 and the lower wall 34 face each other in the vertical direction, and the first spring pieces 60 and second spring pieces 64 in the first and second contact-forming fittings 22a, 22b are cut and raised in directions approaching each other. As a result, as shown in Figure 5, the protruding ends 74 of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 are close to each other in the vertical direction, and in embodiment 1, the first contacts 66 and second contacts 68 that protrude in the cutting-up direction on each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 are in contact with each other.

[0041] <Contact pressure spring (clip spring 82)> The female terminal 10 is provided with clip springs 82 as contact pressure springs that are arranged on the protruding ends 74 of each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64. When the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, the clip springs 82 urge the protruding ends 74 of each of the first spring pieces 60 and the protruding ends 74 of each of the second spring pieces 64 in directions that bring them closer to each other. The clip springs 82 are formed with a size that allows them to be inserted through the rear opening window 30 in the box-shaped conductor portion 16.

[0042] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7, the clip spring 82 has a rectangular flat connecting plate 84 and a pair of rectangular flat clamping plates 86, 86 that protrude toward each other (inward in the up-down direction) from both side edges (upper and lower side edges) of the connecting plate 84. In the first embodiment, a plurality of (two) clamping plates 86, 86 that are spaced apart in the left-right direction, which is the plate width direction of the male terminal 12, are provided on each side of the connecting plate 84, for a total of four clamping plates 86 in the clip spring 82. That is, in addition to a pair of clamping plates 86, 86 that face each other in the up-down direction, another pair is provided at a position spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each of these clamping plates 86 is elastically deformable in the up-down direction.

[0043] The left-right dimension of each clamping plate 86 is larger than the left-right dimension of each recess 76 provided outward in the up-down direction of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64. As a result, as shown in Fig. 3, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 and the bent portions 88 of each clamping plate 86 abut against the positions where the recesses 76 are formed in each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64, both left-right end portions of each clamping plate 86 abut at portions outward in the left-right direction from the recesses 76 in each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64.

[0044] A bent portion 88 is provided in the longitudinal intermediate portion of each clamping plate portion 86, and the protruding tip portions of each clamping plate portion 86 extend away from the bent portion 88. Therefore, the opposing distance between opposing clamping plates 86 in the up-down direction is smallest at the bent portion 88 provided in the longitudinal intermediate portion. The gap between these bent portions 88 is an insertion opening 90 for inserting and assembling the protruding end portions 74 of the first and second spring pieces 60, 64.

[0045] 5 , the opening dimension (vertical dimension) of each insertion opening 90 of the clip spring 82 before elastic deformation is larger than the vertical dimension of the protruding tip portions of each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64. Such a clip spring 82 is inserted into the box-shaped conductor portion 16 through the rear opening window 30 of the box-shaped conductor portion 16. The protruding tip portions of each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64 are inserted into each insertion opening 90 without abutting against the bent portion 88 located most inward in the vertical direction of each clamping plate portion 86, or with, for example, each upper bent portion 88 abutting (sliding) against the protruding tip portion of each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64. The position of the inward insertion end of the box-shaped conductor portion 16 from the rear opening window 30 of this clip spring 82 is determined by the left and right ends of the connecting plate portion 84 abutting against the vertical surfaces 52 at the rear ends of each positioning protrusion 48 provided on the inner surfaces 44, 46 of the left wall portion 36 and the right wall portion 38, as also shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0046] 5 and 6, in the female terminal 10 before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the vertical dimension of each insertion opening 90 is larger than the vertical dimension of the protruding tip portions of the first spring pieces 60 and second spring pieces 64 to be inserted. Furthermore, the front-to-rear distance between each positioning protrusion 48 (vertical surface 52) and a retainer 92 (described later) is slightly larger than the thickness dimension (front-to-rear dimension) of the connecting plate portion 84, and the distance between the opposing inner surfaces 44, 46 of the left wall portion 36 and the right wall portion 38 is slightly larger than the width dimension (left-to-right dimension) of the connecting plate portion 84. As a result, in the female terminal 10 before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the clip spring 82 is arranged freely relative to the box-shaped conductor portion 16 without being fixed in any of the vertical, front-to-rear, or left-to-right directions.

[0047] <Retainer 92> The female terminal 10 further includes a retainer 92 that is assembled to the box-shaped conductor portion 16 to cover the rear opening window 30 and prevent the clip spring 82 from falling off. As shown in Fig. 7, the retainer 92 is formed by bending a generally strip-shaped member by press working or the like. The retainer 92 may be formed of, for example, metal or synthetic resin, and preferably has sufficient strength (deformation rigidity) and heat resistance, and in the first embodiment is formed of stainless steel.

[0048] The retainer 92 is a member that extends in the left-right direction as a whole, and is provided in the center portion in the longitudinal direction with a displacement restriction portion 94 that is disposed adjacent to the clip spring 82 and abuts against the clip spring 82 to restrict displacement of the clip spring 82 toward the rear opening window 30 when assembling the female terminal 10. The displacement restriction portion 94 is generally rectangular in front view (viewed in the front-rear direction) and is slightly smaller in size than the rear opening window 30. As a result, when the retainer 92 is assembled to the box-shaped conductor portion 16, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the displacement restriction portion 94 enters the inside of the box-shaped conductor portion 16 through the rear opening window 30 and covers substantially the entire rear opening window 30.

[0049] Furthermore, both left and right end portions of the retainer 92 are bent so as to extend forward relative to the displacement restricting portions 94, and these forward-extending portions at both left and right end portions of the retainer 92 form fixing portions 96 for fixing the retainer 92 to the box-shaped conductor portion 16. A substantially rectangular locking hole 98 penetrating in the thickness direction (left and right direction) is formed in the front portion of each fixing portion 96, and the retainer 92 can be assembled to the box-shaped conductor portion 16 by bringing the retainer 92 close to the box-shaped conductor portion 16 from behind and locking the locking protrusions 50 protruding outward in the left and right direction on the box-shaped conductor portion 16 into the locking holes 98.

[0050] <Assembly of female terminal 10> The following describes a specific example of a method for assembling the female terminal 10. However, the method for assembling the female terminal 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0051] First, a metal plate constituting the main body 18 is prepared, and the first and second contact-forming fittings 22a, 22b are fixed to the metal plate by welding and crimping to the portions of the metal plate constituting the inner surfaces 20a, 20b of the upper and lower wall portions 32, 34. That is, the engaging protrusions 54 protruding from the inner surfaces 20a, 20b are inserted into the engaging holes 80 in the first and second fixing portions 58, 62, respectively, and the first and second contact-forming fittings 22a, 22b are aligned with the inner surfaces 20a, 20b. Thereafter, with the upper and lower wall portions 32, 34 and the first and second fixing portions 58, 62 overlapping, respectively, the welds 78 in the first and second fixing portions 58, 62 are laser-welded. Then, by striking and crushing the protruding tip portion of each engaging protrusion 54 protruding from each engaging hole 80, the first contact-forming fitting 22a and the second contact-forming fitting 22b are fixed to the metal flat plate that constitutes the main body 18, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0052] 8 and 9, the bending portions 56 are bent, and the mating protrusions 40 provided on the upper wall portion 32 are fitted into the mating recesses 42 on the right wall portion 38. This forms the box-shaped conductor portion 16 in the front portion of the main body 18. In this state, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the protruding ends 74 of the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64 are close to each other in the vertical direction, and the first contacts 66 of the first spring pieces 60 and the second contacts 68 of the second spring pieces 64 are in contact with each other.

[0053] Then, in the box-shaped conductor 16 as described above, the clip spring 82 is inserted into the box-shaped conductor 16 through the rear opening window 30. The clip spring 82 is inserted until the connecting plate portion 84 abuts against the vertical surfaces 52 of the positioning protrusions 48 that protrude inward in the left-right direction on the box-shaped conductor 16. This causes the protruding ends 74 of the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64 to be inserted into the insertion openings 90 of the clip spring 82. In this state, the bent portions 88 of the clamping plates 86 are not abutting against the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64, or the clip spring 82 is displaced downward due to gravity from the state shown in FIG. 5, for example, so that the upper bent portion 88 abuts against the first spring pieces 60 and the lower bent portion 88 is separated from the second spring pieces 64.

[0054] Thereafter, the retainer 92 is brought close to the box-shaped conductor portion 16 from behind, the displacement restricting portion 94 is inserted into the box-shaped conductor portion 16 through the rear opening window 30, and the locking protrusions 50 of the box-shaped conductor portion 16 are locked into the locking holes 98 of the fixing portions 96. In this way, the retainer 92 is assembled to the box-shaped conductor portion 16, and the female terminal 10 is completed.

[0055] The male terminal 12 is press-fitted into the female terminal 10 assembled in this manner through the male terminal insertion opening 28 in the front of the box-shaped conductor portion 16. As a result, as shown in Fig. 3, the first contact points 66 of each first spring piece 60 and the second contact points 68 of each second spring piece 64 come into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, and the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64 are pushed apart in directions separating them from each other. Then, the bent portions 72 of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64, which have been pushed apart outward in the vertical direction, come into contact with bent portions 88 of the clip spring 82 from the inside in the vertical direction, and each clamping plate portion 86 is elastically deformed outward in the vertical direction. The elastic restoring force of each of these clamping plates 86 clamps the protruding end portions 74 of each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64, and urges the protruding end portions 74 of each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64 in a direction toward each other. As a result, each of the first contact points 66 and each of the second contact points 68 is pressed against the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 that is press-fitted between the opposing surfaces of each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64. As a result, the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10 are brought into an electrically conductive state.

[0056] That is, a vertical distance A (see FIG. 3) between each bent portion 72 of each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64, which are pressed against the male terminal 12 from both the upper and lower sides, is set larger than a vertical dimension B (see FIG. 5) of each insertion opening 90 of the clip spring 82 in its natural state. As a result, as the male terminal 12 is inserted, not only the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64 but also the clamping plates 86 of the clip spring 82 are pushed outward in the vertical direction, and the elastic restoring force of each of these clamping plates 86 causes each of the first contact points 66 and each of the second contact points 68 to be pressed against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12. In particular, in the first embodiment, a pair of first spring pieces 60, 60 and a pair of second spring pieces 64, 64 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and a pair of clamping plates 86, 86 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction are provided on each of the upper and lower sides of the clip spring 82. As a result, the upper and lower clamping plate portions 86, 86 on both the left and right sides clamp the first spring piece 60 and the second spring piece 64, respectively, so that the first contact point 66 and the second contact point 68 are pressed against the male terminal 12.

[0057] According to the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment, the first contact-forming fittings 22a constituting each first contact 66 and the second contact-forming fittings 22b constituting each second contact 68 are provided separately from the main body 18 having the box-shaped conductor 16 and are fixed to the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor 16 (the inner surfaces 20a, 20b of the upper wall 32 and the lower wall 34). This allows the components constituting the contacts (the first contact-forming fittings 22a and the second contact-forming fittings 22b) to be thinner and shorter than in the conventional structure where contacts are formed by bending a flat metal plate, thereby achieving a more compact female terminal 10. Furthermore, since a flat metal plate of a predetermined thickness can be used for the main body 18 having the box-shaped conductor 16, it is possible to accommodate larger currents, thereby achieving both an improved current capacity and avoiding an increase in the size of the terminal. Furthermore, providing the first and second contact-forming fittings 22a, 22b and the box-shaped conductor 16 as separate bodies allows different materials to be used for each. This eliminates the need to use a material with spring properties for the box-shaped conductor portion 16, and allows the box-shaped conductor portion 16 to be made of a material such as pure copper, which has excellent conductivity.

[0058] Furthermore, because the first contacts 66 and the second contacts 68 are formed by the first contact-forming fittings 22a and the second contact-forming fittings 22b, which have a relatively small plate thickness, the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64 can deform relatively flexibly even when the male terminal 12 is displaced relative to the female terminal 10, thereby improving the ability to follow the displacement of the male terminal 12. Furthermore, because the amount of displacement of the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64 is reduced, the effect on the clip spring 82, which applies a biasing force to the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64, can be reduced. As a result, the biasing force in the inward opposing direction, generated by the elastic deformation of the clip spring 82, can be stably applied to the first contacts 66 and the second contacts 68 as contact pressure on the male terminal 12. In addition to reducing the amount of displacement in each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64, the box-shaped conductor portion 16 has sufficient deformation rigidity, thereby avoiding the problem of the entire female terminal 10 being deformed as the male terminal 12 is displaced.

[0059] In addition, whereas in conventional structures the clip spring is assembled from the side, in the female terminal 10 of embodiment 1, the clip spring 82 is assembled from the rear through the rear opening window 30 of the box-shaped conductor portion 16. In particular, in conventional structures the clip spring is assembled with the opening widened, whereas in embodiment 1 the vertical dimension of each protruding end 74 of each first spring piece 60 and each second spring piece 64 is smaller than the opening dimension of the insertion port 90 of the clip spring 82, so assembly can be performed without widening the opening. This improves the ease of assembly of the clip spring 82.

[0060] A clip spring 82 is employed as a contact pressure applying spring that applies contact pressure to each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64 when the male terminal 12 is inserted. As a result, the clip spring 82 can be assembled to each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64 by inserting the protruding end portions 74 of each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64 into the insertion opening 90 of the clip spring 82. In particular, before the male terminal 12 is inserted, the clip spring 82 is arranged in a free state in all directions, up and down, front and back, and left and right, relative to the box-shaped conductor portion 16. As a result, even when the male terminal 12 is inserted at an angle relative to the female terminal 10, for example, the clip spring 82 can displace in accordance with the angle of the male terminal 12, and can stably apply contact pressure to each of the first spring pieces 60 and each of the second spring pieces 64.

[0061] The first fixing portion 58 of the first contact-forming fitting 22a is fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 by welding, and the second fixing portion 62 of the second contact-forming fitting 22b is fixed to the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34 by welding. In particular, by using laser welding as the welding method, the area required for welding can be reduced, allowing for the miniaturization of the first and second contact-forming fittings 22a, 22b, and ultimately the female terminal 10.

[0062] The first fixing portion 58 of the first contact-forming fitting 22a is also fixed to the inner surface 20a of the upper wall portion 32 by crimping, and the second fixing portion 62 of the second contact-forming fitting 22b is also fixed to the inner surface 20b of the lower wall portion 34 by crimping. As a result, the first and second fixing portions 58, 62 are physically (structurally) fixed to the respective inner surfaces 20a, 20b not only by welding but also by crimping, which more effectively prevents the first and second contact-forming fittings 22a, 22b from detaching from the box-shaped conductor portion 16.

[0063] Positioning protrusions 48 are provided on the inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor 16 (inner surfaces 44, 46 of the left wall 36 and right wall 38), and the insertion end of the clip spring 82 from the rear opening window 30 is determined by the abutment of each positioning protrusion 48 with the clip spring 82. This allows the clip spring 82 to be assembled to the box-shaped conductor 16 without any particularly complicated operations, further improving ease of assembly.

[0064] A retainer 92 that covers the rear opening window 30 is attached to the box-shaped conductor portion 16. This prevents the clip spring 82 from coming off the rear opening window 30. In particular, the retainer 92 has a displacement restriction portion 94 that is disposed adjacent to the clip spring 82, and the clip spring 82 abuts against the displacement restriction portion 94, thereby restricting rearward displacement of the clip spring 82. As a result, the clip spring 82 can be stably disposed at a predetermined position inside the box-shaped conductor portion 16.

[0065] The main body 18 is a pressed product made from a single metal plate, and the connecting portion 14 has the same thickness as the metal plate. This allows the connecting portion 14 to be formed as a single plate material without, for example, folding the metal plate or overlapping multiple components. This prevents resin material or adhesive from getting between the overlapping surfaces during insert molding, etc., and makes it easy to form a female connector or terminal block equipped with the female terminals 10 by integral molding.

[0066] The first contact-forming fitting 22a has a pair of first spring pieces 60, 60 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, while the second contact-forming fitting 22b has a pair of second spring pieces 64, 64 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the clip spring 82 has two clamping plates 86 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction on each of the upper and lower sides of the connecting plate 84. This allows the upper and lower clamping plates 86 to apply contact pressure to the first spring pieces 60 and the second spring pieces 64 separately on each of the left and right sides. As a result, even if the male terminal 12 is rotated about a central axis extending in the front-rear direction after insertion of the male terminal 12 into the female terminal 10, problems such as insufficient contact pressure being applied to either the left or right side can be avoided.

[0067] <Modification> As a specific example of the present disclosure, the embodiment 1 to Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0068] (1) In the above embodiment, the first and second fastening portions 58, 62 of the first and second contact-forming fittings 22a, 22b are fastened to the inner surfaces 20a, 20b of the upper wall portion 32 and the lower wall portion 34 by welding and crimping, but this is not limited to this. That is, each contact-forming fitting may be fastened to its corresponding inner surface by only one of welding and crimping. Furthermore, fastening may be performed by a method other than welding and crimping, and each contact-forming fitting may be fastened to its corresponding inner surface by, for example, bolting. Furthermore, welding is not limited to laser welding as in the above embodiment, and conventionally known welding methods such as arc welding and resistance welding may also be used.

[0069] (2) In the above embodiment, the first contact-forming fitting 22a and the second contact-forming fitting 22b have the same shape, but they may have different shapes. For example, the number of first spring pieces provided on the first contact-forming fitting and the number of second spring pieces provided on the second contact-forming fitting may be different. Alternatively, the first contact-forming fitting and the second contact-forming fitting may be made of different materials.

[0070] (3) In the above embodiment, the first contact-forming fitting 22a is provided with a pair of first spring pieces 60, 60, and the second contact-forming fitting 22b is provided with a pair of second spring pieces 64, 64. However, the number of first spring pieces provided on the first contact-forming fitting and the number of second spring pieces provided on the second contact-forming fitting are not limited. The number of first spring pieces provided on the first contact-forming fitting may be one, or three or more. Similarly, the number of second spring pieces provided on the second contact-forming fitting may be one, or three or more.

[0071] (4) In the above embodiment, the clip spring 82 is provided with two clamping plates 86 on each of the upper and lower sides corresponding to the number of first spring pieces 60 and second spring pieces 64. However, this is not limited to this. That is, the number of clamping plates may differ between the upper and lower sides of the clip spring. For example, one clamping plate may be provided on the upper side, and multiple clamping plates may be provided on the lower side, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Note that the number of clamping plates does not need to correspond to the number of first and second spring pieces. The number of clamping plates on the upper side may differ from the number of first spring pieces, and the number of clamping plates on the lower side may differ from the number of second spring pieces.

[0072] (5) In the above embodiment, the first contact-forming metal fitting 22a and the second contact-forming metal fitting 22b were provided on the inner surfaces 20a, 20b of the upper wall portion 32 and the lower wall portion 34 that face each other in the vertical direction in the box-shaped conductor 16. However, the first contact-forming metal fitting and the second contact-forming metal fitting may also be provided on the inner surfaces of the left wall portion and the right wall portion that face each other in the horizontal direction in the box-shaped conductor. In this case, the box-shaped conductor may have an elongated shape with a vertical dimension that is larger than its horizontal dimension, and in this case, the male terminal may also have an elongated shape with a vertical dimension that is larger than its horizontal dimension.

[0073] (6) In the above embodiment, before the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 (the state shown in Figures 4 and 5), each first contact 66 and each second contact 68 abut against each other in the vertical direction. However, before the male terminal is inserted, the first contact and the second contact may be slightly spaced apart in the vertical direction.

[0074] (7) The shapes of the first contact and the second contact are not limited, and may be oval in shape, with the front-to-back dimension being larger than the left-to-right dimension when viewed in a plane, as in the above embodiment, or may be, for example, hemispherical, or may be a shape in which the left-to-right dimension is larger than the front-to-back dimension.

[0075] (8) In the female terminal according to the present disclosure, the state before the insertion of the male terminal is not limited as long as the protruding ends of the first and second spring pieces are biased toward each other by the pressure applying spring at least as the male terminal is inserted, and the first and second contacts are pressed against the male terminal. That is, before the male terminal is inserted, the first and second spring pieces do not have to be biased toward each other as in the above embodiment, or the protruding ends of the first and second spring pieces may be biased toward each other by the clamping plates of the pressure applying spring (clip spring). [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 10 female terminal 12 male terminal 14 Connection 16 Box-shaped conductor 18 Main body 20 Opposing inner surface 20a (Upper wall) inner surface 20b (lower wall) inner surface 22 Contact forming metal fittings 22a First contact forming metal fitting 22b Second contact forming metal fitting 24 bolt holes 26 Narrow section 28 Male terminal insertion port 30 Rear opening window 32 Upper wall 34 Lower wall part 36 Left wall 38 Right wall 40 mating protrusion 42 mating recess 44 (Left wall) inner surface 46 (Right wall) inner surface 48 Positioning protrusion 50 Locking protrusion 52 Vertical plane 54 Engagement protrusion 56 Bend section 58 First fixing part 60 First spring piece 62 Second fixing part 64 Second spring piece 66 First Contact 68 Second Contact 70 Gap 72 Bend 74 Projecting end 76 Recess 78 Welds 80 Engagement hole 82 Clip spring (contact pressure spring) 84 Connecting plate part 86 Holding plate part 88 Bent part 90 Insertion port 92 Retainer 94 Displacement control section 96 Fixed part 98 Locking hole

Claims

1. a main body portion having a connection portion at one end in a longitudinal direction thereof, the connection portion being electrically connected to another member, and a hollow box-shaped conductor portion at the other end in the longitudinal direction thereof; a pair of contact-forming fittings having a thickness smaller than that of the main body portion and electrically connected to and held by a pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion; the box-shaped conductor portion has a male terminal insertion opening that opens toward the other end side and a rear opening window that opens toward the one end side, one of the pair of contact-forming fittings includes a first fixing portion fixed to one of the pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion, and a first spring piece held in a cantilevered manner by the first fixing portion and protruding from the male terminal insertion opening toward the rear opening window, the other of the pair of contact-forming fittings includes a second fixing portion fixed to the other of the pair of opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion, and a second spring piece held in a cantilevered manner by the second fixing portion and protruding from the male terminal insertion opening toward the rear opening window, the first spring piece has a first contact point on a surface facing the second spring piece, the second spring piece has a second contact point on a surface facing the first spring piece, a contact pressure applying spring disposed at each of the protruding ends of the first spring piece and the second spring piece and having a size that allows the spring to be inserted through the rear opening window; As the male terminal is press-fitted between the opposing surfaces of the first spring piece and the second spring piece, the protruding ends are urged in directions toward each other by the contact pressure applying spring, so that the first contact point and the second contact point are brought into pressure contact with the male terminal. Female terminal.

2. the contact pressure applying spring is configured by a clip spring having a rectangular flat connecting plate portion and a pair of rectangular flat clamping plate portions protruding in directions approaching each other from both side edges of the connecting plate portion, 2. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein when the male terminal is inserted, the protruding end of the first spring piece and the protruding end of the second spring piece are clamped between the pair of clamping plate portions of the clip spring.

3. 3. A female terminal as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first fixing portion of one of the contact-forming fittings is fixed to one of the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion by welding, and the second fixing portion of the other of the contact-forming fittings is fixed to the other of the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion by welding.

4. 4. The female terminal according to claim 3, wherein one of the contact-forming fittings is crimped and fixed to one of the opposing inner surfaces of the box-shaped conductor portion, and the other of the contact-forming fittings is crimped and fixed to the other opposing inner surface of the box-shaped conductor portion.

5. 3. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the box-shaped conductor portion has a positioning protrusion protruding from its inner surface, and the position of the insertion end of the pressure-applying spring from the rear opening window toward the box-shaped conductor portion is determined by contact with the positioning protrusion.

6. 3. The female terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a retainer attached to said box-shaped conductor portion and covering said rear opening window.

7. 7. The female terminal according to claim 6, wherein the retainer has a displacement restricting portion disposed adjacent to the contact pressure applying spring and abutting against the contact pressure applying spring to restrict displacement of the contact pressure applying spring toward the rear opening window.

8. 3. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the main body is a pressed product made of a single flat metal plate, and the connection portion has the same thickness as the flat metal plate.

9. The male terminal includes a plurality of first spring pieces and a plurality of second spring pieces arranged at a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other in a plate width direction of the male terminal, the clip spring has a plurality of pairs of clamping plate portions respectively arranged at a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction, 3. The female terminal according to claim 2, wherein when the male terminal is inserted, the protruding ends of the plurality of first spring pieces and the protruding ends of the plurality of second spring pieces are each clamped separately by the plurality of pairs of clamping plate portions.

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