Terminal spring spacer
The female terminal design with an integrated spacer member in the terminal spring structure addresses the issue of inconsistent male terminal contact and manufacturing inefficiencies, achieving secure and cost-effective assembly.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JST CORP
- Filing Date
- 2022-11-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-24
AI Technical Summary
Conventional electrical terminals lack a guaranteed gap to securely house male terminals, leading to inconsistent contact and increased manufacturing waste due to additional manufacturing steps and material inefficiencies.
A female terminal design incorporating a spacer member within the terminal spring structure maintains a consistent gap for male terminal reception, eliminating the need for tabs and reducing manufacturing waste.
Ensures secure and consistent male terminal contact while minimizing manufacturing costs by optimizing the manufacturing process and reducing material waste.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 403,640, filed on September 2, 2022, and the entire content thereof is incorporated herein by reference as part of this specification.
Background Art
[0002] At the most basic level, an electrical terminal includes at least two elements, namely, a male terminal and a female terminal. The male and female terminals together form a terminal system, and each component is designed to remain in contact with each other during the operation of the terminal system.
[0003] The terminal system is optimally considered as the design or structure of an electrical joint to allow electrical energy to flow without being obstructed while minimizing electrical energy loss. This loss of electrical energy through the terminal system is measured as a voltage drop (i.e., a decrease in voltage or potential) and may appear as heat. Such a terminal system design can be applied to a nearly infinite number of designs and structural arrangements. Despite the countless designs and possible structural arrangements for terminal systems, in many cases, they share some common elements or characteristics. Such common elements or characteristics include the minimum number of two elements or element pairs that make up the terminal system, and such element pairs are defined as joints. Each pair of elements or joints consists of one male and one female. These elements are made of highly conductive metals (e.g., copper or aluminum with a surface covered with silver, gold, nickel, or tin).
[0004] Furthermore, terminal systems are designed or manufactured to be maintainable so that their elements can be mated (or coupled) and unmated (or separated). The design or configuration of a terminal system often relies on the elastic properties of the material (i.e., metal) of the female element to enable coupling or uncoupling with the male element. Terminal systems are typically attached to the ends of cables or wires. As a result of being attached to the ends of cables or wires, terminal systems have an area for attachment to the cable or wire by mechanical crimping, welding, soldering, brazing, etc. Most, if not all, terminal systems are designed or configured to serve as a "housing" of non-conductive material to handle or insulate at least one other conductive element nearby.
[0005] Finally, terminal systems that accommodate other terminals include, for example, wall outlets, USB connectors, headphone jacks, Ethernet® RJ45 connectors, and cord end plugs intended for "plugging into" wired telephone lines.
[0006] As shown in Figures 1-3, conventional terminals are illustrated, each comprising a terminal base and a terminal spring. In Figure 1, for example, a conventional terminal includes a terminal base 1 and a terminal spring member 7. The terminal base 1 includes a rear portion 3 and a front portion 5, the front portion 5 of the terminal base 1 being housed inside the terminal spring member 7. The rear portion 3 of the terminal base 1 allows a cable or wire (not shown) to be crimped, while the tip 9 of the front portion 5 of the terminal base 1 allows, for example, a device terminal (not shown) to be elastically received therein.
[0007] The conventional terminal shown in Figure 2 includes a terminal base 21 and a terminal spring 27. The terminal base 21 includes a rear portion 23 and a front portion 25, the front portion 25 of the terminal base 21 being housed inside the terminal spring 27. The rear portion 23 of the terminal base 21 allows a cable or wire (not shown) to be crimped, while the tip 29 of the front portion 25 of the terminal base 21 allows, for example, a device terminal (not shown) to be elastically received therein.
[0008] The conventional terminal shown in Figure 3 includes a terminal base 31 and a terminal spring 37. The terminal base 31 includes a rear portion 33 and a front portion 35, the front portion 35 of the terminal base 31 being housed inside the terminal spring 37. The rear portion 33 of the terminal base 31 allows a cable or wire (not shown) to be crimped, while the tip 39 of the front portion 35 of the terminal base 31 allows, for example, a device terminal (not shown) to be elastically received therein.
[0009] As explained above, the conventional terminals illustrated in Figures 1-3 use terminal spring members 7, 27, and 37 in combination with terminal bases 1, 21, and 31, respectively. As shown in Figures 1-3, the front parts 5, 25, and 35 of each terminal base 1, 21, and 31 have a pair of front parts 5a / 5b, 25a / 25b, and 35a / 35b, respectively. The pair of front parts 5a / 5b, 25a / 25b, and 35a / 35b of the terminal bases 1, 21, and 31 of the terminals shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 are for housing a male terminal (or mating terminal) (not shown), and it is necessary to house a male terminal within them. However, in the conventional terminals of Figures 1-3, there is no guarantee that the gap between the pair of front parts 5a / 5b, 25a / 25b, and 35a / 35b will be maintained. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the male terminal to be received between them will be fully received and fully housed within them. It is important that the male terminals received in the front portions 5a / 5b, 25a / 25b, 35a / 35b of terminal bases 1, 21, 31 move completely toward a specific point (for example, a point in the transition portion 6, 26, 36) between the front portions 5, 25, 35 and the rear portions 3, 23, 33 of each terminal base 1, 21, 31, so as to ensure that the male terminals make secure contact with, for example, a cable or wire received or crimped to the rear portions 3, 23, 33 of terminal bases 1, 21, 31. In other words, the necessary space between the front portions 5a / 5b, 25a / 25b, and 35a / 35b of terminal bases 1, 21, and 31 must be maintained, but this cannot be guaranteed with the conventional terminals shown in Figure 1-3. This space is essential to allow the internally received male terminal to move completely toward specific points on the transition portions 6, 26, and 36 and make contact with the cables or wires received on the rear portions 3, 23, and 33 of terminal bases 1, 21, and 31.
[0010] In the conventional terminal illustrated in Figure 1, the front stopper members 7a / 7b of the terminal spring 7 prevent the terminal base 1 from advancing too far forward. Also shown in Figure 1 is the rear window 8, which functions as a rear stopper. In the conventional terminal illustrated in Figure 2, the locking members 27a / 27b of the spring member 27 lock the spring member 27 to the terminal base 21. However, including the front stopper members 7a / 7b (in the conventional terminal of Figure 1) or the locking members 27a / 27b (in the conventional terminal of Figure 2) requires that the front stopper members 7a / 7b or the locking members 27a / 27b have an additional stamp manufacturing process in the blank state, which are undesirable and inefficient additional steps in the manufacturing of the conventional terminals of Figures 1 and 2. Furthermore, the front retaining members 7a / 7b and the locking members 27a / 27b need to be bent (for example, at 90 degrees) as shown in Figures 1 and 2 in order to secure each front portion 5a / 5b of the terminal base 1 or to lock each front portion 25a / 25b of the terminal base 2. The required configuration or structural arrangement for these front retaining members 7a / 7b or locking members 27a / 27 requires extending the adjacent portions of the front portions 5 and 25 of the terminal bases 1 and 21, which leads to the inconvenience of increased waste material during the manufacturing of the conventional terminals shown in Figures 1 and 2.
[0011] On the other hand, if the terminal spring members 7 and 27 in the terminals illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 are not provided with front retaining members 7a / 7b or locking members 27a / 27, there is no guarantee that the gap between the front parts 5a / 5b and 25a / 25b of the terminal bases 1 and 21 can be maintained, and the gap tolerance may vary (i.e., the gap tolerance may be too large or too small). This is illustrated in the conventional terminal shown in Figure 3, where such a front retaining member or locking member is not provided by the spring member 37 for the front parts 35a / 35b of the terminal base 31. For this reason, in the conventional terminal of Figure 3, the essential gap (and its essential tolerance) between the front parts 35a / 35b of the terminal base 31, which is essential for completely housing the male terminal inside, may not be secured for the reasons mentioned above. [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]
[0012] A spring on the female terminal is provided, as illustrated in the invention described herein and claimed, which integrates a secondary spacer member or structure with the lower base terminal and helps maintain an appropriate contact interface gap width for receiving the corresponding male terminal internally. However, the invention provides a significantly improved female terminal that can be manufactured efficiently and effectively, with reduced manufacturing costs compared to other conventional terminals and conventional terminal manufacturing methods. The female terminal of the present invention solves the problems and shortcomings of the above-mentioned conventional terminals and includes a terminal base and a terminal spring, the terminal spring having a spacer member or structure. The terminal base includes a first terminal base portion and a second terminal base portion. The first terminal base portion and the second terminal base portion are joined together to form a fully assembled terminal base. Each of the first terminal base portion and the second terminal base portion includes a contact area, a transition area, and a termination (wire) area, and is preferably made of copper. The contact areas of the first and second base portions of the female terminal of the present invention provide a spring function, and by having a spacer member or structure between the transition areas of the first and second base portions, the spring function is maintained when the male terminal is fixed between them, and the precise gap between the contact areas and transition areas of the first and second terminal base portions is maintained. The female terminal, by means of the spacer member or structure, eliminates the need for a tab as described above with respect to conventional terminals, and maintains a consistent and appropriate contact interface gap with the corresponding male terminal in the contact areas of the first and second base portions. The present invention further reduces the manufacturing cost of female terminals by enabling the production of more terminals from a given length of stock. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional female terminal having a terminal spring and a terminal base held within the terminal spring. [Figure 2]Figure 2 is a perspective view of another conventional female terminal having a terminal spring and a terminal base held within the terminal spring. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of yet another conventional female terminal having a terminal spring and a terminal base enclosed within the terminal spring. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a fully assembled female terminal of the present invention, showing a pair of first and second terminal bases equipped with terminal springs, the terminal springs enclosing the contact and transition regions of the first and second terminal bases, and further showing a spacer member or structure located between the transition regions of the first and second bases. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a pair of first and second terminal bases, one of which is positioned on top of the other, showing the contact area, transition area, and terminal (wire) area of the first and second bases, respectively, and the inner surface of the first terminal base facing the inner surface of the second terminal base. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A is a perspective view of the first terminal base, showing the contact region, transition region, and terminal (wire) region, where the contact region has a plurality of first flexible finger members extending from the transition region. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B is a perspective view of the second terminal base, showing the contact region, transition region, and terminal (wire) region, where the contact region has multiple second flexible finger members, and the first terminal base and the second terminal base are structurally identical. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a terminal spring having a symmetrical upper and lower section, with spacer members or structures attached to each of its sides. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a pair of first and second terminal bases, as shown in Figure 5, where the inner surface of the first terminal base faces the inner surface of the second terminal base, and further illustrates the openings or opening spaces on each side, indicated by rectangular dashed lines representing positions for accommodating spacer members or structures. [Figure 9]Figure 9 is a perspective view of the female terminal of the present invention fully assembled as shown in Figure 1, showing a spacer member or structure placed on the terminal spring, where the spacer member or structure forms one of the opposing sides of the rear of the terminal spring. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0014] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a fully assembled female terminal of the present invention (collectively referred to as reference no. 100). The female terminal 100 includes a pair of first terminal bases 102 and second terminal bases 104, each equipped with a terminal spring 112. As will be described in more detail below, the first terminal base 120 includes a contact zone 106, a transition zone 108, and a terminal (wire) area 110. Similarly, the second terminal base 104 includes a contact zone 116, a transition zone 118, and a terminal (wire) area 120. The first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104 are structurally identical. In other words, during the assembly of the female terminal 100, the second terminal base 104 is an "inverted" version of the first terminal base 102. At least the contact area 106 and transition area 108 of the first terminal base 102, and the contact area 116 and transition area 118 of the second terminal base 104 are partially enclosed within the terminal spring 112. The terminal spring 112 generally includes a front portion 112a and a rear portion 112b, as illustrated in Figure 4.
[0015] The first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104 are each made of a highly conductive metal (copper, aluminum, etc.), and their surfaces are preferably coated with, for example, silver, gold, nickel, tin, etc. As described above, the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104 are structurally identical, and the second terminal base 104 is an inverted version of the first terminal base 102. As illustrated in Figure 5, the first terminal base 102 is placed on the second terminal base 104. Because the female terminal 100 of the present invention has the same structural arrangement of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104, more terminals can be manufactured from a given length of base material (stock), making the manufacturing of the female terminal 100 more efficient, and therefore reducing the manufacturing cost of the female terminal 100 of the present invention. The first terminal base 102 or the second terminal base 104 are preferably, but not limited to, an integral, continuous, or single part.
[0016] As will be explained in more detail below, the spacer member or structure 300 is joined, connected to, or integrated with the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112, and each constitutes a side portion of the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112.
[0017] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, when the terminal base is fully assembled, or when the pair of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104 is assembled together (i.e., when the first terminal base 102 is placed or mounted on the second terminal base 104, or vice versa), the contact area 106, transition area 108, and terminal (wire) area 110 of the first terminal base 102 directly face the contact area 116, transition area 118, and terminal (wire) area 120 of the second terminal, respectively. The fully assembled terminal base forms a gap 130 extending from gap 130a (between the contact areas 106 and 116 of the first base terminal 102 and the second base terminal 104, respectively) through gap 130b (between the transition areas 108 and 118 of the first base terminal 102 and the second base terminal 104, respectively).
[0018] More specifically, when the terminal base is fully assembled, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the contact region 106 of the first terminal base 102 directly faces the contact region 116 of the second terminal base 104, the transition region 108 of the first terminal base 102 directly faces the transition region 118 of the second terminal base 104, and the terminal (wire) region 110 of the first terminal base 102 directly abuts the terminal (wire) region 120 of the second terminal base 104. The inner surface or inside 140 (see FIGS. 6A and 6B) of the first terminal base 102 directly faces the inner surface or inside 150 (see FIGS. 6A and 6B) of the second terminal base 104. In the second terminal base 104 of FIG. 6B, it is clearly shown that a part 160 of the transition region 118 extends at least at an angle (or at a plurality of different angles) toward the terminal (wire) region 120. Thus, the extended surface of the terminal (wire) region 120 is different from the extended surfaces of the corresponding transition region 118 and contact region 116. Since the second terminal base 104 is structurally identical to the first terminal base 102 (as shown in FIG. 6A) and the second terminal base 104 is an "inverted" version of the first terminal base 102, a similar part 160 exists between the transition region 108 and the terminal (wire) region 110 of the first terminal base 102 in FIG. 6A as described above in relation to the second terminal base 104. At least a part of the angled part 160 in each of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104 is the most forward location where the first terminal base 102 contacts the second terminal base 104.
[0019] As further illustrated in FIG. 6A, the contact region 106 of the first terminal base 102 includes a plurality of finger members 170 extending from the adjacent transition region 108, and the plurality of finger members 170 have respective ends 175 that extend at an angle and in a direction toward the outer surface 190 of the first terminal base 102. Similarly, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, the contact region 116 of the second terminal base 104 includes a plurality of finger members 180 extending from the adjacent transition region 108, and the plurality of finger members 180 have respective ends 185 that extend at an angle and in a direction toward the outer surface 200 of the second terminal base 104.
[0020] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the terminal spring 112 includes a spacer member or structure 300 as described above in connection with FIG. 4, which is attached, joined, connected, or integrated to the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112 and constitutes the sides of the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112, respectively. The terminal spring 112 has a symmetric upper portion 210 and a lower portion 220, and the terminal spring 112 has a spacer member or structure 300 attached, joined, connected, or integrated to each side of the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112. Each of the upper portion 210 and the lower portion 220 of the front portion 112a of the terminal spring 112 includes a set of upper finger members 250 extending from the upper portion 210 of the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112 and a set of lower finger members 260 extending from the lower portion 220 of the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112. A set of upper finger members 250 extending from the upper portion 210 of the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112 and a set of lower finger members 260 extending from the lower portion 220 of the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112 preferably extend in a direction approaching each other, but the extending directions of the set of upper finger members 250 and the set of lower finger members 260 are not limited thereto and may extend from the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112 along a plane substantially the same as the plane in which the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112 extends. Further, the terminal spring 112 is preferably, but not limited to, integral, continuous, or a single piece.
[0021] There is a gap 270 extending from the front portion 112a to the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112 between the set of upper finger members 250 and the set of lower finger members 260 of the front portion 112a of the terminal spring 112. As described above in connection with FIG. 4 and as will be described below in connection with FIG. 9, the gap 270 extending from the front portion 112a to the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112 substantially accommodates, at least in part or in whole, the contact region 106 and the transition region 108 of the first terminal base 102 and the contact region 116 and the transition region 118 of the second terminal base 104 therein.
[0022] As illustrated in Figure 7, the spacer member or structure 300 preferably has an upper member 302, a lower member 304, a front member 306, and a rear member 308, each extending from a central member 310. The central member 310 is generally shown as a flat member, but its configuration, shape, and overall structural arrangement are not limited thereto. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the upper member 302 of the spacer member or structure 300 is preferably connected integrally, continuously, or unitarily to one side of the upper part 210 of the rear part 112b of the terminal spring 112. As also shown in Figure 7, the lower member 304 of the spacer member or structure 300 is preferably connected integrally, continuously, or unitarily to the other side of the lower part 220 of the rear part 112 of the terminal spring 112. In addition, the spacer member or structure 300 may be integrated onto the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112, or attached, joined, or connected integrally, continuously, or as a unit, but this structural arrangement is not limited to these. That is, the spacer member or structure 300 of the terminal spring 112 may be welded, brazed, or otherwise attached onto the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112.
[0023] The functional or structural arrangement of the front member 306 and rear member 308 extending from the central member 310 of the spacer or structure 300 will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 8 and 9. As described more specifically with reference to Figure 5, when the terminal base is fully assembled, the inner surface or inner surface 140 (see Figure 6A) of the first terminal base 102 directly faces the inner surface or inner surface 150 (see Figure 6B) of the second terminal base 104, such that the contact area 106 of the first terminal base 102 directly faces the contact area 116 of the second terminal base 104, the transition area 108 of the first terminal base 102 directly faces the transition area 118 of the second terminal base 104, and the terminal (wire) area 110 of the first terminal base 102 directly abuts the terminal (wire) area 120 of the second terminal base 104. The fully assembled terminal base forms a gap 130 extending from gap 130a (between the contact regions 106 and 116 of the first base terminal 102 and the second base terminal 14, respectively) through gap 130b (between the transition regions 108 and 118 of the first base terminal 102 and the second base terminal 104, respectively). The gap between the transition regions 108 and 118 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 204 each includes side openings A on both sides (as shown by the rectangular dashed lines in Figure 8). These side openings A are present on each of the opposing sides of the gap 130b formed between the transition regions 108 and 118 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104. Each side opening A accommodates a spacer member or structure 300, as illustrated in Figure 9. As shown in the schematic block box 400 of Figure 9, the corresponding male terminal 400 enters gaps 130a and 130b of the gap 130 between the contact areas 106, 116 and transition areas 108, 118 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104, and moves toward a distal point or line generally referred to by reference numeral B in the transition areas 108, 118 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104.
[0024] As further shown in Figure 9, gaps 130a and 130b (see also Figures 5 and 8) that form the gap 130 between the contact areas 106, 116 and transition areas 108, 118 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104 accommodate the corresponding male terminal 400 (shown schematically in block form in Figure 9), which first enters gap 130a (as indicated by the arrows in Figure 9) between the set of multiple finger members 170 of the contact area 106 of the first terminal base 102 and the set of multiple finger members 180 of the contact area 116 of the second terminal base 104. The male terminal 400 then moves through gap 130b between the transition areas 108, 118 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104, and the male terminal 400 moves along the distal point or line B of the transition areas 108, 118 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104, as described above in relation to Figure 8.
[0025] As seen in Figure 8, the openings A (on each of the opposing sides of the gap 130b formed between the transition regions 108 and 118 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104) do not have tabs (e.g., bent at 90°) as in the conventional terminals described above in Figures 1 and 2. Otherwise, the highly conductive transition regions 108 and 118 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104 would need to be punched out in a blank state to make the openings A sufficiently wide, resulting in an undesirable increase in manufacturing waste. In other words, avoiding the use of tabs in these openings A reduces the manufacturing cost of the female terminal 100 of the present invention. However, without such tabs (as in the conventional terminals described above in relation to Figure 3), it is not possible to provide the necessary support to maintain the required gap for receiving the corresponding male terminal and to ensure that such a gap for receiving the male terminal does not become unevenly large or small.
[0026] In the female terminal 100 of the present invention, the spacer member or structure 300 is joined, connected to, or integrated with the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112, and each constitutes a side portion of the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the spacer member or structure 300 covers the opposing sides of the gap 130b formed between the transition regions 108 and 118 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104. More specifically, in each opening A covered by the spacer member or structure 300, the upper member 302 of the spacer member or structure 300 is connected to the upper portion 210 of the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112, while the lower member 304 of the spacer member or structure 300 is connected to the lower portion 220 of the rear portion 112b of the terminal spring 112. The front 306 and rear 308 of the spacer member or structure 300 are at least partially housed within the opening A and support the sides in the side openings A of the transition regions 108, 118 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104. The front member 306 and rear member 308 of the spacer member or structure 300, which are integrally coupled to the opposing sides in the side opening A of the rear 112b of the terminal spring 112, allow the terminal spring 112 to function as a suitable spacer. In addition to the function of the terminal spring 112 (having the spacer member or structure 300) to provide auxiliary force to the highly conductive contact regions 106, 116 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104, the spacer member or structure 300 maintains the precise gap of the gap 130a (between the contact regions 106, 116 of the first terminal base 102 and the second terminal base 104) through which the corresponding male terminal 400 first enters.
[0027] More specifically, the spacer member or structure 300 maintains a precise gap 130a between the end 175 of the set of multiple finger members 170 in the contact area 106 of the first terminal base 102 and the end 185 of the set of multiple finger members 180 in the contact area 116 of the second terminal base 104, into which the corresponding male terminal 400 first enters.
[0028] The integration of the spacer member or structure 300 of the female terminal 100 of the present invention eliminates the tab (as described above in the description of the conventional terminal in Figures 1 and 2). This reduces the amount of waste material generated during the manufacturing of the female terminal 100 of the present invention. Furthermore, unlike the conventional terminal described above in relation to Figure 3, the spacer member or structure 300 of the female terminal 100 of the present invention maintains an appropriate contact interface gap 130a.
[0029] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various design and configuration changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. The upper member and Lower member and A central member is connected to the upper member and the lower member, respectively, and forms a central space for housing the first terminal base and the second terminal base of the terminal inside, A terminal spring spacer for a terminal, comprising: a front member having vertical height from the front end portion of the central member and extending in an angular direction toward the central space; and a rear member having vertical height from the rear end portion of the central member and extending in an angular direction toward the central space; The upper member and the lower member are substantially identical and symmetrical, and are characterized in that they suppress the widening of the gap between the first terminal base and the second terminal base so that they move apart from each other. The front member and the rear member have vertical heights, thereby suppressing the contraction of the gap between the first terminal base and the second terminal base toward each other, and thereby directly suppressing the extension of the gap between the first terminal base and the second terminal base of the terminal in the opening and closing direction. The front member and the rear member are characterized by supporting the first terminal base of the terminal and the first transition region and the second transition region of the second terminal base, respectively. The terminal spring spacer is attached to the rear of the terminal spring. The aforementioned terminal is A first terminal base having a first contact area, A second terminal base having a second contact area, The terminal spring and, The aforementioned terminal is a female terminal, The terminal spring spacer is configured to maintain the gap between the first contact region and the second contact region. The upper member is a terminal spring spacer connected to one side of the upper rear portion of the terminal spring.
2. The terminal spring spacer according to claim 1, characterized in that the front member and the rear member of the terminal spring spacer are connected to the first terminal base and the first transition region and the second transition region of the female terminal, respectively.
3. The terminal spring spacer according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal spring spacer suppresses a first gap between the first transition region and the second transition region of the first terminal base and the second terminal base of the female terminal as the gap.
4. The terminal spring spacer according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal spring spacer suppresses a second gap between the first contact region and the second contact region of the first terminal base and the second terminal base of the female terminal, as the gap.
5. The terminal spring spacer according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal spring spacer suppresses the vertical height of the gap formed through at least a third gap between the male terminal receiving ends of the first terminal base and the second terminal base, a second gap between the first contact region and the second contact region of the first terminal base and the second terminal base of the female terminal, and a first gap between the first transition region and the second transition region of the first terminal base and the second terminal base of the female terminal.
6. The terminal spring spacer according to claim 5, characterized in that the terminal spring spacer suppresses the third gap between the male terminal receiving end of the first terminal base and the second terminal base for accommodating a corresponding male terminal in between, the second gap between the first contact region and the second contact region of the first terminal base and the second terminal base of the female terminal, and the first gap between the first transition region and the second transition region of the first terminal base and the second terminal base of the female terminal.
7. The terminal spring spacer according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal spring spacer is connected to the rear of the terminal spring integrally, continuously, or unitally as a single component.
8. The terminal spring spacer according to claim 4, characterized in that the terminal spring spacer provides a spring function for the first contact region and the second contact region of the first terminal base and the second terminal base of the female terminal, and for the front portion of the terminal spring, and maintains the second gap.
Citation Information
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