Terminal unit and female terminal used in the terminal unit

Abstract

To disclose a terminal unit capable of preventing the displacement of a male terminal with respect to a female terminal in a plate width direction, and a male terminal and a female terminal used in the terminal unit.SOLUTION: Provided is a terminal unit 10, wherein a female terminal 14 has a first wall part 26 and a second wall part 28 that are arranged facing each other across a male terminal insertion space 38 in which a male terminal 12 is located by being inserted. The male terminal 12 has, on both sides in the plate width direction, a pair of inclined parts 16, 16 that are inclined to one side in the plate thickness direction of the male terminal 12. The first wall part 26 has an elastic contact part 40 facing a surface of the male terminal 12 on one side in the plate thickness direction and protruding toward the second wall part 28, and the elastic contact part 40 is elastically deformable in a direction to separate from the second wall part 28 and designed to vias the male terminal 12 toward the second wall part 28. The second wall part 28 has a pair of first protrusive contact parts 46, 46 facing a surface of the male terminal 12 on the other side in the plate thickness direction and respectively being in contact with the pair of inclined parts 16, 16 of the male terminal 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal unit and a female terminal and a male terminal used in the terminal unit.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal unit including a plate-shaped male terminal expressed as tabular or the like and a female terminal connected to the male terminal. The female terminal has a pair of wall portions arranged to face each other with a male terminal insertion gap therebetween. An elastic contact piece for pressing the male terminal against the other wall portion is provided on one wall portion, and a plurality of contact points project from the other wall portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the terminal unit of Patent Document 1, since the flat male terminal is sandwiched between a pair of wall portions of the female terminal, the gripping force against an external force in the plate width direction of the male terminal is small. Therefore, it is conceivable that micro-sliding friction occurs between the male and female terminals due to vibration or the like, and the contact resistance value increases, so further improvement has been demanded.

[0005] Therefore, a terminal unit and a female terminal and a male terminal used in the terminal unit that can suppress displacement in the plate width direction of the male terminal with respect to the female terminal are disclosed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The terminal unit of this disclosure comprises a plate-shaped male terminal and a female terminal connected to the male terminal, wherein the female terminal has a first wall portion and a second wall portion that are arranged opposite each other across a male terminal insertion gap into which the male terminal is inserted and positioned, and the male terminal has a pair of inclined sides on both sides in the plate width direction, which is a direction intersecting the insertion direction into the male terminal insertion gap, that are inclined to one side in the plate thickness direction of the male terminal. flat The male terminal has an inclined portion, the first wall portion has an elastic contact portion that faces one side of the male terminal in the thickness direction and protrudes toward the second wall portion, the elastic contact portion is elastically deformable in a direction away from the second wall portion and biases the male terminal toward the second wall portion, the second wall portion faces the other side of the male terminal in the thickness direction, and the pair of inclined portions of the male terminal flat surface The terminal unit has a pair of first protruding contact portions that contact each other, the elastic contact portion is cantilevered to the first wall at its rear end in the front-rear direction which is the insertion direction, and protrudes toward the second wall as it extends toward the front, a protective wall is provided on the front side of the first wall that covers the protruding tip of the elastic contact portion from the front and protrudes toward the second wall, the male terminal has a flat portion arranged between the pair of inclined portions in the plate width direction, and the elastic contact portion of the female terminal has a second protruding contact portion that contacts the flat portion of the male terminal. The female terminal of this disclosure is a female terminal used in the terminal unit of this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a terminal unit and female and male terminals used in the terminal unit that can suppress the displacement of the male terminal in the plate width direction relative to the female terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an overall perspective view showing the terminal unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of Figure 1. [Figure 3]Figure 3 is a perspective view of Figure 2 from a different angle. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the section IV-IV in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an enlarged front view of Figure 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a front enlargement view showing a modified terminal unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] <Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure> First, embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. The terminal unit disclosed herein is (1) A terminal unit comprising a plate-shaped male terminal and a female terminal connected to the male terminal, wherein the female terminal has a first wall portion and a second wall portion that are positioned opposite each other across a male terminal insertion gap into which the male terminal is inserted and positioned, the male terminal has a pair of inclined portions on both sides in the plate width direction which is a direction intersecting the insertion direction into the male terminal insertion gap, the first wall portion has an elastic contact portion that faces the one side of the male terminal in the plate thickness direction and protrudes toward the second wall portion, the elastic contact portion is elastically deformable in a direction away from the second wall portion and biases the male terminal toward the second wall portion, and the second wall portion faces the other side of the male terminal in the plate thickness direction and has a pair of first protruding contact portions that contact the pair of inclined portions of the male terminal, respectively.

[0010] According to the terminal unit of this disclosure, the female terminal has a first wall portion and a second wall portion arranged opposite each other across a gap for inserting the male terminal, and has a structure in which the male terminal is biased toward the second wall portion by an elastic contact portion provided on the first wall portion. The male terminal has a pair of inclined portions on both sides in the width direction of the male terminal that are inclined toward one side in the thickness direction of the male terminal. The female terminal has a pair of first protruding contact portions on the second wall portion that contact the pair of inclined portions of the male terminal, respectively. Therefore, when the male terminal inserted into the gap for inserting the male terminal is pressed toward the second wall portion by the elastic contact portion of the female terminal, the inclined portions of the male terminal on both sides in the width direction of the male terminal are pressed toward the first protruding contact portions of the female terminal, generating a component force directed inward in the width direction. As a result, compared to the conventional structure, the force that prevents the displacement of the male terminal against external forces in the width direction of the male terminal can be increased, and the displacement of the male terminal in the width direction relative to the female terminal can be suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress minute sliding friction between male and female terminals caused by vibrations, etc., and the resulting increase in contact resistance.

[0011] (2) Preferably, the second wall portion of the female terminal has a pair of side edges on which the pair of first protruding contact portions are provided, and the pair of side edges are bent toward the first wall portion. condition A pair of side edges, each with a protruding contact portion, are bent toward the first wall portion. The reaction force from the pair of first protruding contact portions that contact each of the pair of inclined portions of the male terminal, and which is generated perpendicular to the pair of side edges, can also be directed inward in the width direction of the male terminal on both sides of the width direction of the male terminal. As a result, the first protrusion condition By making more advantageous use of the reaction force from the contact point, the force that prevents the displacement of the male terminal against external forces in the width direction of the male terminal can be increased. Therefore, the displacement of the male terminal in the width direction relative to the female terminal can be suppressed.

[0012] (3) Preferably, the male terminal has a flat portion positioned between the pair of inclined portions in the plate width direction, and the elastic contact portion of the female terminal has a second protruding contact portion that contacts the flat portion of the male terminal. The second protruding contact portion of the female terminal is pressed against the flat portion of the male terminal from one side in the plate thickness direction, and the first protruding contact portion of the female terminal is pressed against the pair of inclined portions of the male terminal from the other side in the plate thickness direction. This allows the male terminal to be stably held by the three contact portions of the female terminal, and reduces contact resistance.

[0013] (4) Preferably, the male terminal has a flat portion positioned between the pair of inclined portions in the plate width direction, with the inclination angle of the pair of inclined portions with respect to the flat portion being θ1, and the second wall portion of the female terminal has a flat plate portion positioned between the pair of side edges in the plate width direction, with the inclination angle of the pair of side edges with respect to the flat plate portion being θ2, and θ1 and θ2 being the same or having a difference of 10° or less. The second wall portions of the male terminal and the female terminal have corresponding shapes, and the inclination angle θ1 of the pair of inclined portions with respect to the flat portion and the inclination angle θ2 of the pair of side edges with respect to the flat plate portion are set to be the same or have a difference of 10° or less. This makes it possible to increase the force that prevents the male terminal from being displaced by external forces in the plate width direction of the male terminal while making the terminal unit smaller.

[0014] (5) It is preferable that each of the first protruding contact portions extends continuously in the direction of insertion of the male terminal into the male terminal insertion gap. Since the first protruding contact portions extend continuously in the direction of insertion of the male terminal, a stable contact area between the male and female terminals can be secured, and the contact pressure of both ends can be reduced.

[0015] (6) A female terminal used in the terminal unit according to any one of (1) to (5) above. According to the female terminal of the present disclosure, since it is used in the terminal unit according to any one of (1) to (5) above, it can have the same effects that the terminal units of (1) to (5) above can enjoy. Therefore, displacement of the male terminal in the plate width direction with respect to the female terminal can be suppressed, and micro-sliding friction between the male and female terminals due to vibration or the like and an increase in the contact resistance value caused thereby can be suppressed.

[0016] (7) A male terminal used in the terminal unit according to any one of (1) to (5) above. According to the male terminal of the present disclosure, since it is used in the terminal unit according to any one of (1) to (5) above, it can have the same effects that the terminal units of (1) to (5) above can enjoy. Therefore, displacement of the male terminal in the plate width direction with respect to the female terminal can be suppressed, and micro-sliding friction between the male and female terminals due to vibration or the like and an increase in the contact resistance value caused thereby can be suppressed.

[0017] <Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> Specific examples of the terminal unit of the present disclosure and the female and male terminals used in the terminal unit will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0018] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, the terminal unit 10 of Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The terminal unit 10 comprises a male terminal 12 and a female terminal 14. The male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14 are electrically connected when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 14 and they come into contact with each other. The terminal unit 10 can be positioned in any orientation, but in the following description, the vertical, horizontal, and front-to-back directions will be described based on the vertical, horizontal, and front-to-back directions shown in the figures. In addition, for multiple identical components, reference numerals may be assigned to only some of the components, while the reference numerals for other components may be omitted.

[0019] <Male terminal 12> The male terminal 12 is plate-shaped overall and is constructed using a flat metal fitting (not shown). The flat metal fitting has a rectangular shape. The male terminal 12 has a predetermined plate width dimension (horizontal dimension in Figure 5) and plate thickness dimension (vertical dimension in Figure 5) and extends in a straight line. The tip end of the male terminal 12 in the insertion direction (rear side in Figure 4) is tapered. The male terminal 12 is conductive and is made of a metal with low electrical resistance, such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy.

[0020] Furthermore, by bending and inclining both ends of the flat metal fitting in the width direction toward one side (upward) in the thickness direction, a pair of inclined portions 16, 16 are provided at both ends of the male terminal 12 in the width direction. That is, in the male terminal 12, a pair of inclined portions 16, 16 are provided on both sides in the width direction, which is a direction intersecting the insertion direction into the male terminal insertion gap 38 (described later), and in Embodiment 1, is a direction perpendicular to it. In the width direction of the male terminal 12, a flat portion 18 is provided in the intermediate portion in the width direction between the pair of inclined portions 16, 16. The inclination angle of the pair of inclined portions 16, 16 with respect to the flat portion 18 is θ1 (see Figure 5).

[0021] The inclination angle θ1 of the pair of inclined portions 16, 16 with respect to the flat portion 18 is not limited, but is preferably 5° to 45°, and more preferably 10° to 30°. By setting the inclination angle θ1 of the inclined portion 16 to 5° or more, as will be described later, when an external force is applied to the male terminal 12 outward in the plate width direction, the component force inward in the plate width direction can be effectively applied, thereby suppressing the outward displacement of the male terminal 12 in the plate width direction. By setting the inclination angle θ1 of the inclined portion 16 to 45° or less, the vertical dimension of the male terminal 12, and consequently the terminal unit 10, can be kept small.

[0022] As described later, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 38 of the female terminal 14, one surface in the thickness direction (upper surface) of the male terminal 12 faces the first wall portion 26 of the female terminal 14. The other surface in the thickness direction (lower surface) faces the second wall portion 28 of the female terminal 14. The lower surfaces of the inclined portions 16, 16 are in contact with the first protruding contact portion 46 provided on the second wall portion 28, and the upper surface of the flat portion 18 is in contact with the second protruding contact portion 42 of the elastic contact portion 40 provided on the first wall portion 26.

[0023] In the male terminal 12, a straight, flat plate portion (not shown) is provided on the base end side in the insertion direction, beyond the area where the inclined portions 16, 16 are formed. The flat plate portion is provided with, for example, a bolt insertion hole for fixing to the terminal portion of the equipment, or for securing an electric wire.

[0024] <Female terminal 14> The female terminal 14 is integrally constructed, for example, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, and includes a box-shaped main body 20 having a male terminal insertion gap 38 that opens in the front-to-back direction inside, and a wire connection part 22 to which the core wire of an electric wire (not shown) is fixed. More specifically, the female terminal 14 is formed from various metal materials that are conductive and can be pressed or punched, such as brass, copper, copper alloys, aluminum, and aluminum alloys.

[0025] <Main body 20> The main body 20 is formed in a roughly box shape and includes a first wall portion 26 and a second wall portion 28 that face each other in the vertical direction, and a pair of side walls 30 and 32 that face each other in the left-right direction. In addition, the main body 20 is configured to include a protective wall 34 that covers the protruding tip of the elastic contact portion 40 (described later) from the front, and a preventive wall 36 that prevents excessive upward displacement of the elastic contact portion 40.

[0026] A tongue-shaped elastic contact portion 40 extends from the rear end of the upper first wall portion 26, and as shown in Figure 4, it is formed by folding back from the rear end of the first wall portion 26 inward into the main body portion 20. The elastic contact portion 40 extends straight diagonally from the rear end of the first wall portion 26 toward the front and axial center, and then its tip is bent upward. As a result, the elastic contact portion 40 has a second protruding contact portion 42 that contacts the flat portion 18 of the male terminal 12 (see Figures 4 and 5). The tip of the male terminal 12 can be inserted into the gap between the elastic contact portion 40 and the second wall portion 28. That is, the rear end of the elastic contact portion 40 is cantilevered to the first wall portion 26, and as it extends toward the front, it protrudes while gradually approaching the second wall portion 28. When the male terminal 12 is inserted between the elastic contact portion 40 and the second wall portion 28, the elastic contact portion 40 becomes elastically deformable in a direction away from the second wall portion 28. As a result, the elastic contact portion 40 biases the male terminal 12 toward the second wall portion 28.

[0027] A rectangular, flat protective wall 34 is provided at the front end of the upper first wall portion 26, projecting toward the second wall portion 28 with a width smaller than the separation distance between the pair of side walls 30 and 32. The tip of the male terminal 12 can be inserted through the gap between the protruding tip of the protective wall 34 and the second wall portion 28. As shown in Figure 4, the protective wall 34 is configured to cover the protruding tip of the elastic contact portion 40 from the front. This protects the elastic contact portion 40 from abnormal deformation caused by the tip of the male terminal 12 coming into contact with the protruding tip of the elastic contact portion 40.

[0028] A rectangular, flat, protective wall 36 is provided at the center of the front side of the first wall 26 located above, with slits cut out on three sides, projecting toward the second wall 28 in a cantilevered manner. The projection dimension of the protective wall 36 is smaller than the projection dimension of the protective wall 34. The elastic contact portion 40 is located on the protective wall 36. of By contacting the protruding tip, the elastic contact portion 40 is prevented from being excessively deformed toward the first wall portion 26 by the male terminal 12.

[0029] The lower second wall portion 28 has a pair of side edges 44, 44 at both ends in the width direction (left-right direction in the figure) along the width direction of the male terminal 12. A pair of first protruding contact portions 46, 46 are provided protruding from the pair of side edges 44, 44. The pair of side edges 44, 44 are bent toward the upper first wall portion 26. In addition, a flat plate portion 48 is provided in the middle part of the width direction of the second wall portion 28 of the female terminal 14, located between the pair of side edges 44, 44 in the width direction. The inclination angle of the pair of side edges 44, 44 with respect to the flat plate portion 48 is θ2 (see Figure 5). Here, θ2 is the same as θ1 or differs by 10° or less.

[0030] As a result, as shown in Figure 5, the pair of side edges 44, 44 of the second wall portion 28 have a pair of first protruding contact portions 46, 46 that contact the lower surfaces of the pair of inclined portions 16, 16 of the male terminal 12, respectively. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, on the front side of the pair of side edges 44, 44 of the second wall portion 28, each first protruding contact portion 46 extends continuously in the front-rear direction, which is the direction in which the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 38.

[0031] Incidentally, female terminals 14 with such a structure can be manufactured by the following method. For example, after press-punching a metal plate, the elastic contact portion 40, protective wall 34, and protective wall 36 are formed by bending. Next, the side walls 30 and 32 are bent from the second wall portion 28, which is the bottom plate, so that they face each other, and then the first wall portion 26, which is continuous with the side wall 30 and is the top plate, is bent to face the second wall portion 28, thereby assembling a box-shaped main body portion 20 with both the front and rear ends open.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, an engagement hole 50 is provided through the side edge of the side wall 32, and a locking portion 52 is provided protruding from the side edge of the first wall portion 26, which is fitted into the engagement hole 50. After fitting the locking portion 52 into the engagement hole 50, the side edge of the side wall 32 is bent until it abuts against the first wall portion 26, thereby engaging and fixing the side wall 32 and the first wall portion 26. In this state, the elastic contact portion 40, which is folded inward from the rear end of the first wall portion 26, is positioned inside the main body portion 20. Finally, the core wire of an electric wire (not shown) is fixed to the electric wire connection portion 22.

[0033] According to the terminal unit 10 of this disclosure, which has such a structure, the female terminal 14 has a first wall portion 26 and a second wall portion 28 that are arranged opposite each other with a male terminal insertion gap 38 in between. The male terminal 12 is biased toward the second wall portion 28 by an elastic contact portion 40 provided on the first wall portion 26. The male terminal 12 has a pair of inclined portions 16, 16 on both sides in the plate width direction of the male terminal 12 that are inclined toward the upward side in the plate thickness direction of the male terminal 12. The female terminal 14 has a pair of first protruding contact portions 46, 46 on the second wall portion 28 that contact the pair of inclined portions 16, 16 of the male terminal 12, respectively. As a result, when an external force in the plate width direction is applied to the male terminal 12 while the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 14, that external force is transmitted to the female terminal 14 through the male terminal 12. As a result, a reaction force against the external force is generated from the first protruding contact portions 46, 46 of the female terminal 14 to the inclined portions 16, 16 of the male terminal 12 in the direction of arrow F1 in Figure 5. This reaction force F1 generates an upward component force F2 and an inward component force F3 in the left-right direction. In other words, even when an external force in the plate width direction is applied to the male terminal 12, an inward force (F3) in the left-right direction is generated by the first protruding contact portions 46, 46 and the inclined portions 16, 16, suppressing the displacement of the male terminal 12 in the plate width direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress minute sliding friction between the female terminal 14 and the male terminal 12 due to vibrations during vehicle installation and the resulting increase in contact resistance.

[0034] At the second wall portion 28 of the female terminal 14, a pair of side edges 44, 44, each having a pair of first protruding contact portions 46, 46, are bent toward the first wall portion 26 of the female terminal 14. As a result, the reaction force (F1) from the pair of first protruding contact portions 46, 46 that contact the pair of inclined portions 16, 16 of the male terminal 12, respectively, and which is generated perpendicular to the pair of side edges 44, 44, can also be directed inward in the width direction of the male terminal 12 on both sides of the width direction of the male terminal 12. Therefore, by making more advantageous use of the reaction force from the first protruding contact portions 46, the force that prevents the displacement of the male terminal 12 against an external force directed outward in the width direction of the male terminal 12 can be increased. Consequently, the displacement of the male terminal 12 relative to the female terminal 14 in the width direction can be suppressed.

[0035] From above in the thickness direction of the male terminal 12, the second protruding contact portion 42 of the female terminal 14 is pressed against the flat portion 18 of the male terminal 12, and from below in the thickness direction of the male terminal 12, the first protruding contact portions 46, 46 of the female terminal 14 are pressed against the pair of inclined portions 16, 16 of the male terminal 12. This allows the male terminal 12 to be stably held by the three contact portions 42, 46, 46 of the female terminal 14, thereby reducing contact resistance. In addition, the second wall portions 28 of the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14 have corresponding shapes, and the inclination angle θ1 of the pair of inclined portions 16, 16 with respect to the flat portion 18 and the inclination angle θ2 of the pair of side edge portions 44, 44 with respect to the flat portion 48 are set to be the same or within a difference of 10°. This makes it possible to miniaturize the terminal unit 10 while increasing the force (F3) that prevents the displacement of the male terminal 12 against an external force directed outward in the width direction of the male terminal 12. Furthermore, since the first protruding contact portion 46 extends continuously in the insertion direction of the male terminal 12, a stable contact area can be secured between the female terminal 14 and the male terminal 12, and it is also possible to reduce the contact pressure between both terminals 14 and 12.

[0036] The female terminal 14 of this disclosure, having such a structure, can similarly have the same effects and advantages as the terminal unit 10 described above. Therefore, the displacement of the male terminal 12 in the plate width direction relative to the female terminal 14 can be suppressed, and the slight sliding friction between the female terminal 14 and the male terminal 12 due to vibration, etc., and the resulting increase in contact resistance can be suppressed. In addition, the male terminal 12 of this disclosure, having such a structure, can similarly have the same effects and advantages as the terminal unit 10 described above.

[0037] <Variation> Although Embodiment 1 has been described in detail above as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited by this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that they can achieve the purpose of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0038] (1) In the above embodiment, the second wall portion 28 of the female terminal 14 had a pair of side edges 44, 44 that were bent toward the first wall portion 26, but is not limited to this. For example, as in the modified terminal unit 54 of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 6, the second wall portion 58 of the female terminal 56 may not have bent side edges 44 and may be composed only of a flat plate portion 48. Even in this case, the pair of inclined portions 16, 16 of the male terminal 12 are pressed against the first protruding contact portion 60 provided on the side edge of the flat plate portion 48, thereby generating a component force directed inward in the plate width direction at the pair of inclined portions 16, 16 of the male terminal 12. Therefore, compared to the conventional structure, the force that prevents the displacement of the male terminal 12 against an external force directed outward in the plate width direction of the male terminal 12 can be increased, and the displacement of the male terminal 12 in the plate width direction relative to the female terminal 56 can be suppressed. 56 This makes it possible to suppress slight sliding friction between the male terminals 12 and the resulting increase in contact resistance.

[0039] (2) In the above embodiment, the contact portion of the female terminal 14 with respect to the upper surface of the male terminal 12 was only one second protruding contact portion 42 of the elastic contact portion 40 of the female terminal 14 with respect to the flat portion 18 of the male terminal 12, but is not limited to this. There may be multiple second protruding contact portions 42 that contact the flat portion 18 or the inclined portion 16.

[0040] (3) The shape of the first protruding contact portion 46,60 is not limited to an oval shape as in Embodiment 1 above, or a hemispherical shape as in the modified example. The first protruding contact portion may have, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape or a cubic shape. In this case, it is preferable to chamfer the corners.

[0041] (4) In the above embodiment, the male terminal 12 had a flat portion 18 between a pair of inclined portions 16, 16, but the flat portion 18 is not essential, and the male terminal according to this disclosure may have a shape in which the inclined portions 16 are connected at the center in the width direction of the male terminal.

[0042] (5) In the above embodiment, each first protruding contact portion 46 extended continuously in the direction of insertion of the male terminal 12 into the male terminal insertion gap 38, but is not limited to this. The first protruding contact portions do not have to extend continuously in the insertion direction, and multiple portions may be provided spaced apart in the insertion direction.

[0043] (6) In the above embodiment, a tongue-shaped elastic contact portion 40 was provided extending from the first wall portion 26, but the configuration of the elastic contact portion is not limited thereto. The elastic contact portion can be any component provided on the first wall portion 26 that protrudes toward the second wall portion 28 and is elastically deformable in a direction away from the second wall portion 28, thereby biasing the male terminal 12 toward the second wall portion 28. For example, it may be a coil spring or a leaf spring held by the first wall portion 26. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 10 Terminal unit (Embodiment 1) 12 male terminal 14 Female terminal 16 Slope 18 Flat area 20 Main body 22 Wire connection section 26 1st wall 28 Second wall section 30 side wall 32 Side wall 34 Protective Wall 36 Prevention wall 38 Male terminal insertion gap 40 Elastic contact area 42 Second protruding contact portion 44 Side edge 46 First protruding contact portion 48 Flat plate part 50 Engagement holes 52 Locking part 54 Terminal unit (modified version) 56 Female terminal 58 2nd wall section 60 First protruding contact portion

Claims

1. A plate-shaped male terminal, A female terminal connected to the male terminal, The female terminal has a first wall portion and a second wall portion that are positioned opposite each other across the male terminal insertion gap into which the male terminal is inserted and positioned. The male terminal has a pair of flat, inclined portions on both sides in the width direction, which is a direction intersecting the insertion direction into the male terminal insertion gap, and which are inclined to one side in the thickness direction of the male terminal. The first wall portion has an elastic contact portion that faces one side of the male terminal in the thickness direction and protrudes toward the second wall portion, and the elastic contact portion is elastically deformable in a direction away from the second wall portion and biases the male terminal toward the second wall portion. The second wall portion faces the other side of the male terminal in the thickness direction and has a pair of first protruding contact portions that contact the flat surfaces of the pair of inclined portions of the male terminal, The elastic contact portion is held in a cantilevered manner by the first wall at its rear end in the front-rear direction, which is the insertion direction, and protrudes toward the second wall as it extends forward. On the front side of the first wall, a protective wall is provided that protrudes toward the second wall, covering the protruding tip of the elastic contact portion from the front. The male terminal has a flat portion positioned between the pair of inclined portions in the width direction of the board, The elastic contact portion of the female terminal has a second protruding contact portion that contacts the flat portion of the male terminal. Terminal unit.

2. The terminal unit according to claim 1, wherein a protective wall is provided on the side of the first wall portion that is rearward of the protective wall, and a protective wall is provided that abuts against the elastic contact portion to prevent excessive displacement of the elastic contact portion toward the first wall portion, projecting toward the second wall portion.

3. A female terminal used in the terminal unit according to claim 1 or claim 2.

Images