Crimp terminals and crimp connectors

Abstract

To provide a pressure contact terminal and a pressure contact connector which allow downsizing of a wire holding part without impairing the capability for holding a coated wire.SOLUTION: A pressure contact terminal 200 comprises: a contact part 210; a pressure contact part 220 which has slots 223, 225 for receiving a coated wire 300 having a core wire coated with a coating part, and which cuts the coating part and makes pressure contact with the core wire when the coated wire 300 is inserted into the slots 223, 225; and a pair of hook-shaped wire holding parts 230 with elasticity which are formed integrally with the contact part 210 and the pressure contact part 220, and which internally receive the coating part of the coated wire 300.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure contact terminal and a pressure contact connector, particularly a pressure contact terminal and a pressure contact connector having a structure for holding a coated electric wire connected by pressure contact.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a connector for connecting a coated electric wire in which a core wire is coated with a coating material, a pressure contact connector having a U-shaped slot for receiving the coated electric wire has been used. In such a pressure contact connector, when the coated electric wire is inserted into the U-shaped slot, the coated portion is cut by a pressure contact piece in the slot, and electrical conduction between the core wire and the pressure contact piece is established.

[0003] In addition, in this pressure contact connector, a wire holding structure is adopted to prevent an external force from being applied to the portion where electrical conduction is established. This wire holding structure is also called a "strain relief" structure.

[0004] Patent Document 1 below discloses a pressure contact connector including a contact having a slot portion that bites into the coated portion of a coated electric wire and contacts the core wire, and an insulating housing that holds the contact. The insulating housing of this pressure contact connector is provided with a wire holding groove for receiving a part of the coated electric wire press-fitted into the slot, and a holding arm for holding the coated electric wire is formed at the opening of the wire holding groove.

[0005] Patent Document 2 below discloses a pressure contact connector including a pressure contact blade for cutting the coated portion of a coated electric wire and a caulking portion that is caulked to the coated portion of the coated electric wire.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0007] As with the press-fit connector described in Patent Document 1 above, when a wire-holding structure is provided in the insulating housing, the holding arms are made of resin and therefore have almost no elasticity. Consequently, if the gap between opposing holding arms is narrowed to improve the holding ability of the insulated wire, the holding arms may become insufficiently strong and crack. Therefore, in order to give the holding arms sufficient strength, their size must be maintained at a certain level, which hinders the miniaturization of the entire press-fit connector.

[0008] Furthermore, in the crimp connector described in Patent Document 2, in addition to the step of inserting the insulated wire into the crimping blade, it is necessary to crimp the crimping portion to the insulated portion of the wire, which leads to an increase in the number of work steps.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a crimp terminal and a crimp connector that enable miniaturization of the wire holding portion without impairing the ability to hold insulated wires. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, the crimp terminal of the present invention is Contact point and, It has a slot for receiving an insulated wire in which the core wire is covered with an insulating layer, and a pressure contact section that cuts the insulating layer and presses it against the core wire when the insulated wire is inserted into the slot, The device comprises a pair of elastic, hook-shaped wire holding portions, which are integrally formed with the contact portion and the pressure contact portion and have an inner surface that receives the coating portion of the insulated wire.

[0011] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the pair of hook-shaped wire holding portions face each other at different positions with respect to the extending direction of the insulated wire into which it is inserted.

[0012] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, each of the pair of hook-shaped wire holding portions is J-shaped and has a base portion continuous with the crimping portion and a tip portion bent inward in the width direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the insulated wire, and the distance between the tip portions when viewed from the extending direction of the insulated wire is less than or equal to the plate thickness of the crimping terminal.

[0013] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the pair of hook-shaped wire holding portions face each other at the same position with respect to the extending direction of the insulated wire into which it is inserted.

[0014] Furthermore, the crimp connector of the present invention comprises a crimp terminal according to any of the above embodiments and a housing having a housing portion for housing the crimp terminal.

[0015] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the housing is provided with a plurality of housing portions arranged in a width direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the insulated electric wire, and each of the housing portions houses the crimp terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a crimp terminal that allows for miniaturization of the wire holding portion without impairing the ability to hold the insulated wire.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the design flexibility by narrowing or widening the distance between a pair of hook-shaped wire holding parts.

[0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, by making the distance between a pair of hook-shaped wire holding portions less than or equal to the plate thickness of the crimp terminal when viewed from the extending direction of the insulated wire, it is possible to improve the holding performance of the insulated wire inserted into the wire holding portion.

[0019] According to one aspect of the present invention, a pair of wire holders can restrict the movement of the insulated wire inserted into the wire holders in the direction opposite to the insertion direction.

[0020] According to the above aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a pressure contact connector capable of reducing the size of the wire holding portion without impairing the holding ability for the covered wire.

[0021] According to the above aspect of the present invention, since a configuration for holding the covered wire in the housing is unnecessary, the dimension in the width direction of the pressure contact connector can be reduced. In particular, when the hook-shaped wire holding portions face each other at different positions with respect to the extending direction of the covered wire to be inserted, even if the wire holding portion deflects outward in the width direction when inserting the covered wire, it does not contact the adjacent wire holding portion, so that it is possible to achieve a narrower pitch in the width direction.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is an external perspective view showing a state where a covered wire is connected to the pressure contact connector of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2(A) is an external perspective view of the pressure contact connector of the first embodiment with the covered wire removed, seen from the rear side, FIG. 2(B) is an external perspective view of the pressure contact connector of FIG. 2(A) seen from the front side, FIG. 2(C) is a top view of the pressure contact connector of FIG. 2(A), and FIG. 2(D) is a front view of the pressure contact connector of FIG. 2(A). [Figure 3] FIG. 3(A) is an external perspective view of the pressure contact terminal used in the pressure contact connector of the first embodiment of the present invention, seen from the front side, and FIG. 3(B) is an external perspective view of the pressure contact terminal of FIG. 3(A) seen from the rear side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(A) is a front view of the pressure contact terminal of FIG. 3(A), FIG. 4(B) is a left side view, FIG. 4(C) is a right side view, FIG. 4(D) is a rear view, FIG. 4(E) is a top view, and FIG. 4(F) is a bottom view. [Figure 5] FIG. 5(A) is a perspective view showing a state where a covered wire is pressure-connected to the pressure contact terminal of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5(B) is a perspective view of the pressure contact terminal and the covered wire of FIG. 5(A) seen from different directions. [Figure 6] It is an external perspective view showing a state where a covered wire is connected to the pressure contact connector of the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7(A) is an external perspective view of the crimp connector of the second embodiment with the insulated wire removed, viewed from the rear; Figure 7(B) is an external perspective view of the crimp connector of Figure 7(A) viewed from the front; Figure 7(C) is a top view of the crimp connector of Figure 7(A); and Figure 7(D) is a front view of the crimp connector of Figure 7(A). [Figure 8] Figure 8(A) is a perspective view of the crimp terminal used in the crimp connector of the second embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the front, and Figure 8(B) is a perspective view of the crimp terminal of Figure 8(A) as seen from the rear. [Figure 9] Figure 9(A) is a front view of the crimp terminal shown in Figure 8(A), Figure 9(B) is a left side view, Figure 9(C) is a right side view, Figure 9(D) is a rear view, Figure 9(E) is a top view, and Figure 9(F) is a bottom view. [Figure 10] This is a plan view of a crimp terminal punched out from a metal sheet. [Figure 11] Figure 11(A) is a perspective view showing a state in which an insulated wire is crimped to a crimp terminal of the second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 11(B) is a perspective view of the crimp terminal and insulated wire of Figure 11(A) viewed from a different direction. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] [First Embodiment] The first embodiment of the crimp connector 10 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2(A)-2(D), 3(A), 3(B), 4(A)-4(F), 5(A), and 5(B). The embodiments described below illustrate the crimp connectors and terminals of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these. The present invention should also be equally applicable to other forms of crimp terminals and crimp connectors described in the claims.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the press-fit connector 10 has a housing 100 made of synthetic resin and a press-fit terminal 200 that is press-fitted and held in a housing portion 120 of the housing 100. As shown in Figures 2(A)-2(D), the housing 100 is formed in a rectangular box shape with a front surface 101, a rear surface 102, a right side surface 103, a left side surface 104, and a bottom surface 105, and the top side is open.

[0025] In the following explanation, the direction in which this pressure-fit connector 10 is connected to the mating connector will be referred to as the mating direction or front-to-back direction. Furthermore, among the directions perpendicular to the mating direction, the direction that penetrates vertically through the right side surface 103 and the left side surface 104 will be referred to as the width direction, and the direction that is perpendicular to both the mating direction and the width direction and penetrates vertically through the bottom surface 105 will be referred to as the up-and-down direction. In addition, in the mating direction, the side facing the mating connector will be referred to as the rear side or back, and the opposite side will be referred to as the front side or front.

[0026] Between the right side 103 and the left side 104 of the housing 100, a plurality (five in the first embodiment) of housing sections 120 are provided, arranged parallel to each other in the width direction. Each housing section 120 is a long space in the front-to-back direction, separated in the width direction by a partition wall 106 that extends from the rear surface 102 forward to just before the front surface 101, and a crimp terminal 200 is press-fitted into and housed in each housing section 120. Each partition wall 106 has a slot 107 with its upper portion cut out on the rear side of the front surface 101. In addition, slot recesses 108 are formed on the widthwise inner surfaces of the right side 103 and left side 104, with their upper portions recessed outward in the width direction on the rear side of the front surface 101. These slots 107 and slot recesses 108 are spaces that allow deformation when the retaining pieces 231A and 231B of the crimp terminal 200, which will be described later, bend outward in the width direction.

[0027] On the front surface 101 of the housing 100, wire entry openings 109 are formed at positions corresponding to each housing section 120. Each wire entry opening 109 is a U-shaped slot-like opening that opens upwards to receive insulated wires 300 inserted from above. On the rear surface 102 of the housing 100, multiple contact insertion holes 110 are formed in the width direction, corresponding to each housing section 120, and extending through the rear surface 102 to receive contacts of the mating connector.

[0028] The crimp terminal 200 is a single piece formed by punching and bending a single conductive metal sheet (for example, a plated copper sheet), and as shown in Figures 3(A), 3(B), and 4(A)-4(F), it has a contact portion 210, a crimp portion 220, and a wire holding portion 230. The contact portion 210 has a flat contact base portion 211 that extends in the mating direction and the width direction, and a pair of elastic contact pieces 212A and 212B that extend downward parallel to each other from both ends of the contact base portion 211 in the width direction. The contacts (not shown) of the mating connector are inserted and connected between these elastic contact pieces 212A and 212B.

[0029] The contact portion 220 has a first contact portion 221 and a second contact portion 222 that are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The first contact portion 221 has its lower end portion connected to the front end of the contact base portion 211, and extends upward from the front end of the contact base portion 211, bending substantially vertically, and includes a pair of first contact blades 224A and 224B that face each other in the width direction, with the upper side of the first contact slot 223 opening in a U shape.

[0030] The second pressure contact section 222 is spaced apart from the first pressure contact blades 224A and 224B in the front-rear direction and includes a pair of second pressure contact blades 226A and 226B that are substantially the same shape as the first pressure contact slot 223 and face each other in the width direction, with the second pressure contact slot 225 having a U-shaped opening at the top. In the width direction, the first pressure contact blade 224A and the second pressure contact blade 226A on one side are connected by a connecting plate 227A whose respective upper ends extend in the front-rear direction. Similarly, the first pressure contact blade 224B and the second pressure contact blade 226B on the other side in the width direction are connected by a connecting plate 227B whose respective upper ends extend in the front-rear direction.

[0031] The wire holding portion 230 is integrally formed with the contact portion 210 and the pressure contact portion 220 and has a pair of elastic hook-shaped holding pieces 231A and 231B that receive the coating portion of the insulated wire 300 on the inside. These hook-shaped holding pieces 231A and 231B are each J-shaped and have a base portion 233A and 233B that is continuous with the pressure contact portion 220 and a tip portion 234A and 234B that is bent inward in the width direction. The space between these hook-shaped holding pieces 231A and 231B is the wire holding space 232.

[0032] The bases 233A and 233B have their lower ends bent approximately vertically at the same position in a side view and extending backward, and are connected to the lower end of the second pressure contact portion 222. With this configuration, the retaining pieces 231A and 231B face each other at the same position with respect to the extending direction of the insulated wire 300 inserted into the wire holding space 232. In addition, a base slot 235 is formed between the bases 233A and 233B, extending backward to a position that does not reach the lower end of the second pressure contact portion 222, thereby allowing the retaining pieces 231A and 231B to be elastically deformed independently in the width direction. The bases 233A and 233B connected to the lower end of the second pressure contact portion 222 are located below the lower end of the first pressure contact portion 221. As a result, when the insulated wire 300 is inserted between the tip portions 234A and 234B, the retaining pieces 231A and 231B can bend more significantly outward in the width direction.

[0033] The crimp terminal 200 is press-fitted into the housing portion 120 formed in the housing 100. This aligns the central portions of the elastic contact pieces 212A and 212B of the contact portion 210 with the virtual center line of the contact insertion hole 110 in the housing 100. In this state, when a contact (not shown) of the mating connector is inserted into the contact insertion hole 110, the contact is inserted between the elastic contact pieces 212A and 212B, establishing electrical conductivity. Furthermore, the widthwise center portion between the retaining pieces 231A and 231B of the wire retaining portion 230 aligns with the widthwise center portion of the wire entry opening 109 in the housing 100.

[0034] With the crimp terminal 200 pressed into the housing portion 120 in this manner, the insulated wire 300 is crimp-connected to the crimp terminal 200. Referring to Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the state of connection between the crimp terminal 200 and the insulated wire 300 at this time will be explained. The insulated wire 300 is inserted into the first crimp slot 223, the second crimp slot 225, and the wire holding space 232 from above the first crimp portion 221, the second crimp portion 222, and the tip portions 234A and 234B of the wire holding portion 230.

[0035] At this time, the portion of the insulated wire 300 pressed into the first crimping slot 223 has its coating cut by the inner pieces of the first crimping blades 224A and 224B, and the core wire is crimped to the inner pieces of the first crimping blades 224A and 224B. Similarly, the portion of the insulated wire 300 pressed into the second crimping slot 225 has its coating cut by the inner pieces of the second crimping blades 226A and 226B, and the core wire is crimped to the inner pieces of the second crimping blades 226A and 226B. At this time, the insulated wire 300 passes between the pair of connecting plates 227A and 227B and is inserted into the space between the first crimping slot 223 and the second crimping slot 225.

[0036] Furthermore, the portion of the insulated wire 300 on the front side in the fitting direction is inserted from above between the tip portions 234A and 234B of the retaining pieces 231A and 231B. Then, the retaining pieces 231A and 231B bend outward in the width direction with their base portions 233A and 233B as fulcrums, respectively, so that the tip portions 234A and 234B pass through the insulated wire 300. At this time, the retaining pieces 231A and 231B can enter the slot 107 formed on the rear side of the front surface 101 of the partition wall 106 of the housing 100, or the slot recess 108 formed on the rear side of the front surface 101 of the right side surface 103 and left side surface 104. Therefore, the retaining pieces 231A and 231B can bend significantly in the width direction.

[0037] When the insulated wire 300 passes through the tip portions 234A and 234B, the bending of the retaining pieces 231A and 231B is released, and they displace inward in the width direction with the base portions 233A and 233B as fulcrums, returning to their original state. The insulated wire 300 is then held in the wire holding space 232 between the retaining pieces 231A and 231B.

[0038] The retaining pieces 231A and 231B have a J-shaped hook form, which prevents the insulated wire 300 held in the wire holding space 232 from moving upward, and prevents the insulated wire 300 from falling off the crimp terminal 200 due to factors such as vibration or upward pulling pressure.

[0039] [Second Embodiment] Next, the crimp connector 10' of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6, 7(A)-7(D), 8(A), 8(B), 9(A)-9(F), 10, 11(A), and 11(B). The crimp connector 10' of the second embodiment is identical to the crimp connector 10 of the first embodiment except for the configuration of the crimp terminal 200'. Therefore, identical components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of identical components will be omitted.

[0040] As shown in Figures 8(A), 8(B), and 9(A)-9(F), the crimp terminal 200' has a contact portion 210, a crimp portion 220, and a wire holding portion 230', similar to the crimp terminal 200 of the first embodiment. The configuration of the contact portion 210 and the crimp portion 220 of the crimp terminal 200' in the second embodiment is substantially the same as the configuration of the contact portion 210 and the crimp portion 220 of the crimp terminal 200 of the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted, and only the configuration of the wire holding portion 230' will be described.

[0041] Unlike that of the first embodiment, the wire holding portion 230' of the second embodiment has a pair of hook-shaped holding pieces 231A' and 231B', which will be described later, facing each other at different positions with respect to the extending direction of the insulated wire 300 into which it is inserted, that is, at positions offset front to back. The holding pieces 231A' and 231B' of the wire holding portion 230' of the second embodiment are formed integrally with the contact portion 210 and the crimping portion 220, similar to the first embodiment, and receive the insulated portion of the insulated wire 300 on the inside. The holding pieces 231A' and 231B' are each J-shaped and have a base portion 233A' and 233B' that is continuous with the crimping portion 220, and a tip portion 234A' and 234B' that is bent inward in the width direction.

[0042] As is clear from the drawings, the shapes of the retaining pieces 231A', 231B' and the tip portions 234A', 234B' are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment, but the lengths of the base portions 233A', 233B' in the front-rear direction are different from those of the first embodiment. That is, the front-rear extension length of the base portion 233A' on one side in the width direction (right side when viewed from the front) is shorter than the front-rear extension length of the base portion 233B' on the other side in the width direction (left side when viewed from the front). In other words, the base portions 233A', 233B' are connected to the lower end portion of the second pressure contact portion 222 at the same position in the front-rear direction, but the length of the right base portion 233A' is shorter than the length of the left base portion 233B'. Specifically, the length of the right base portion 233A' is shorter than the length of the left base portion 233B' by at least the thickness of the metal plate forming this pressure contact terminal 200. As a result, the right retaining piece 231A' bends approximately vertically upward at the rear compared to the left retaining piece 231B', while the left retaining piece 231B' bends approximately vertically upward at the front.

[0043] In this configuration, the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B' face each other at different positions with respect to the extending direction of the insulated wire 300 being inserted, forming a wire holding space 232' between them. Also, as shown in Figure 10, since the lengths of the right and left base portions 233A' and 233B' are different in the width direction, the positions of the tip portions 234A' and 234B' on the metal plate when punched out are not in the same position in the longitudinal direction, but are offset from each other. Therefore, the distance between the tip portions 234A' and 234B' when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the metal plate can be narrowed, allowing the crimp terminal 200' to be punched out. Specifically, the distance between the tip portions 234A' and 234B' when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the metal plate can be made less than or equal to the thickness of the metal plate forming the crimp terminal 200'. Furthermore, the distance between the tip portions 234A' and 234B' when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the metal plate may be the same position or overlapping positions.

[0044] The retaining pieces 231A', 231B' and tip portions 234A', 234B' of the crimp terminal 200' formed in this manner are positioned so as not to overlap when viewed from the width direction (side view). Therefore, the right retaining piece 231A' and the left retaining piece 231B' will not come into contact with or interfere with each other, even if the tip portions 234A' and 234B' are formed in a position where they overlap when viewed from the front-to-back direction.

[0045] Furthermore, similar to the first embodiment, a base slot 235' is formed between the base portions 233A' and 233B', extending rearward to a position that does not reach the lower end portion of the second pressure contact portion 222, thereby allowing the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B' to be elastically deformable in the width direction.

[0046] The crimp terminal 200' is press-fitted into the housing portion 120 formed in the housing 100. As a result, the center portions of the elastic contact pieces 212A and 212B of the contact portion 210 align with the center line of the contact insertion hole 110 of the housing 100. In addition, the center portions of the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B' of the wire retaining portion 230', when viewed from the fitting direction, align with the center portion in the width direction of the wire entry opening 109 of the housing 100.

[0047] With the crimp terminal 200' pressed into the housing portion 120, the insulated wire 300 is crimp-connected to the crimp terminal 200'. As shown in Figures 11(A) and 11(B), the insulated wire 300 is inserted into the first crimp slot 223, the second crimp slot 225, and the wire holding space 232' from above the first crimp portion 221, the second crimp portion 222, and the tip portions 234A' and 234B' of the wire holding portion 230'.

[0048] At this time, similar to the first embodiment, the portion of the insulated wire 300 pressed into the first crimping slot 223 has its coating cut by the inner pieces of the first crimping blades 224A and 224B, and the core wire is crimped to the inner pieces of the first crimping blades 224A and 224B. Similarly, the portion of the insulated wire 300 pressed into the second crimping slot 225 has its coating cut by the inner pieces of the second crimping blades 226A and 226B, and the core wire is crimped to the inner pieces of the second crimping blades 226A and 226B. At this time, the insulated wire 300 passes between the pair of connecting plates 227A and 227B and is inserted into the space between the first crimping slot 223 and the second crimping slot 225.

[0049] Furthermore, the portion of the insulated wire 300 on the front side in the fitting direction is inserted from above between the tip portions 234A' and 234B' of the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B'. Then, the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B' bend outward in the width direction with their base portions 233A' and 233B' as fulcrums, respectively, so that their tip portions 234A' and 234B' pass over the insulated wire 300. At this time, the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B' can enter the slot 107 formed on the rear side of the front surface 101 of the partition wall 106 of the housing 100, or the slot recess 108 formed on the rear side of the front surface 101 of the right side surface 103 and left side surface 104.

[0050] In this case, the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B' are positioned offset in the front-to-back direction when viewed from the width direction. Therefore, even if the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B' of adjacent crimp terminals 200' are each bent outward in the width direction, the retaining piece 231A' of one crimp terminal 200' and the retaining piece 231B' of the adjacent crimp terminal 200' will not come into contact with or interfere with each other. Therefore, a crimp connector 10' with a narrow pitch, where the spacing between the crimp terminals 200' incorporated into the housing 100 is reduced, can be achieved.

[0051] As the insulated wire 300 passes through the tip portions 234A' and 234B', the bending of the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B' is released, and they displace inward in the width direction with the base portions 233A' and 233B' as fulcrums, returning to their original state. The insulated wire 300 is then held in the wire holding space 232' between the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B'.

[0052] The retaining pieces 231A' and 231B' are J-shaped hooks, and the gap between the tips 234A' and 234B' is less than or equal to the plate thickness of the crimp terminal 200' when viewed from the front-to-back direction. Therefore, the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B' reliably prevent the insulated wire 300 held in the wire holding space 232' from moving upward, and prevent the insulated wire 300 from falling out of the crimp terminal 200' due to factors such as vibration or upward pulling pressure.

[0053] The first and second embodiments of the crimp connectors 10 and 10' have been described above. As described above, by integrally forming the wire holding parts 230 and 230' on the crimp terminals 200 and 200', it becomes unnecessary to form a so-called strain relief structure on the housing 100, making it possible to miniaturize the crimp connectors 10 and 10'.

[0054] Furthermore, the wire holding portions 230 and 230' formed on the crimp terminals 200 and 200' are made of metal and have spring properties. Therefore, there is no concern about damage such as cracks that may occur when strain relief is formed in the resin housing 100. Consequently, the crimp terminals 200 and 200' can accommodate press-fitting of insulated wires 300 of different diameters.

[0055] Furthermore, as in the crimp terminal 200' in the second embodiment, by varying the lengths of the bases 233A' and 233B' of the retaining pieces 231A' and 231B' of the wire holding portion 230', it becomes easy to freely change the shape of the tip portions 234A' and 234B'. In other words, the shape of the tip portions 234A' and 234B' can be not only triangular as in the second embodiment, but can also be made into other shapes to match the size of the insulated wire 300 to be press-fitted. This makes it easy to adjust the size of the wire holding space 232' to match the size of the insulated wire 300 during the design phase, and makes it easier to balance the insertion force and wire holding force when press-fitting the insulated wire 300.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the J-shaped retaining pieces 231A, 231B, 231A', and 231B' of the crimp terminals 200 and 200' were described as being formed by punching with a press, but they may also be formed by press bending to create a J-shape. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 10, 10' Insulation Connector 100 Housing 101 Front 102 Rear 103 Right side 104 Left side 105 Base 106 Partition wall 107 slots 108 slot recess 109 Wire entry point 110 Contact insertion hole 120 Storage Units 200, 200' crimp terminals 210 Contact point 211 Contact base 212A, 212B Elastic contact piece 220 Pressure-welded section 221 First pressure-welded section 222 Second pressure-welded section 223 First press-fit slot 224A, 224B First pressure welding blade 225 Second press-fit slot 226A, 226B Second pressure welding blade 227A, 227B connection plate 230, 230' Wire holding part 231A, 231B, 231A', 231B' Holding piece 232, 232' Wire holding space 233A, 233B, 233A', 233B' base 234A, 234B, 234A', 234B' Tip 235 base slots 300 Insulated wire

Claims

1. Contact point and, It has a slot for receiving an insulated wire in which the core wire is covered with an insulating layer, and a pressure contact section that cuts the insulating layer and presses it against the core wire when the insulated wire is inserted into the slot, The device comprises a pair of elastic, hook-shaped wire holding portions, which are integrally formed with the contact portion and the pressure contact portion and have an inner surface that receives the coating portion of the insulated wire, Each of the pair of hook-shaped wire holding portions is J-shaped and has a base portion continuous with the crimping portion and a tip portion bent inward in the width direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the insulated wire, forming a crimping terminal. A crimp terminal in which, by making the length of one base of the pair of hook-shaped wire holding portions in the extending direction shorter than the length of the other base in the extending direction, the wire holding portions face each other at different positions with respect to the extending direction, and the distance between the tips of the insulated wire when viewed from the extending direction is less than or equal to the thickness of the crimp terminal.

2. A crimp connector comprising a crimp terminal as described in claim 1, and a housing having a housing portion for housing the crimp terminal.

3. The crimp connector according to claim 2, wherein the housing is provided with a plurality of housing portions arranged in a width direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the insulated electric wire, and each housing portion houses the crimp terminal.

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