Connection terminals, connectors, wires with terminals, and wire harnesses

Abstract

To provide a female terminal 3 capable of ensuring conductivity by facilitating connection with a male terminal 90 without correcting deformation caused by fixing a conductor 4a of an electric wire 4, a connector, an electric wire with a terminal 5, and a wire harness 1.SOLUTION: A female terminal 3 molded of a conductive plate material that has a predetermined plate thickness includes: a terminal connection part 11 connected with a male terminal 90 facing downward; a wire fixing part 12 with a conductor 4a of an electric wire 4 a longitudinal direction of which is approximately aligned with a front-back direction X that is perpendicular to a vertical direction, which is fixed facing to a plate thickness direction; and a connection part 13 with high deformability in the plate thickness direction of the wire fixing part 12 compared with the terminal connection part 11 and the wire fixing part 12 for connecting the terminal connection part 11 and the wire fixing part 12, which are placed side by side in the front-back direction X.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connection terminal and a connector, such as those mounted at the tip of an electric wire for high current, and a wire with a terminal attached to the tip of the electric wire and a wire harness.

Background Art

[0002] For example, electrical equipment mounted on a vehicle is electrically connected to a power source or another electrical device via a wire harness formed by bundling electric wires. Therefore, a connection terminal for connecting to the power source or the electrical device is provided at the tip of the electric wire.

[0003] By the way, in such a wire harness, when fixing the conductor of the electric wire to the connection terminal, it is known that the connection terminal or / and the electric wire are deformed by the load applied to the connection terminal and the conductor.

[0004] For example, in Patent Document 1, in a female terminal having a terminal connection portion to which a male terminal is connected and a wire fixing portion to which a conductor of an electric wire is fixed, the terminal connection portion is bent upward or twisted with respect to the wire fixing portion due to the load when fixing the conductor.

[0005] When such deformation accompanying the fixing of the conductor occurs in the connection terminal or / and the electric wire, inside the connector housing, the terminal connection portion of the female terminal is in a tilted state with respect to the male terminal connected in a predetermined connection direction. Therefore, not only is it difficult to insert the male terminal along the connection direction, but it is also likely to cause poor contact.

[0006] In this case, it is conceivable to correct the deformed portion of the connection terminal or / and the electric wire, for example, as the connection terminal is housed in the connector housing. However, in cases where the rigidity of the wires and terminals is high, such as in the case of high-current wires and terminals, the load required to correct the deformed area also increases. This can lead to insufficient correction of the deformed area, or unintended malfunctions in the connector housing due to reaction forces from the wires and terminals.

[0007] Therefore, in Patent Document 1, the shape of the connecting terminal, which has been deformed due to the fixing of the conductor, is corrected before it is housed inside the connector housing. However, as described in Patent Document 1, when correcting the shape of a deformed female terminal, there was a problem in that the deformed part of the female terminal would stretch, leading to an increase in the resistance value of the deformed part and a decrease in durability and reliability. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-258085 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a connection terminal, connector, wire with terminal, and wire harness that can facilitate connection to another connection terminal and ensure conductivity without correcting deformation associated with the fixing of the conductor of the electric wire. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] This invention is formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness. 、 The device comprises a terminal connection section to which another connection terminal is connected in a predetermined connection direction, a wire fixing section to which the conductor of an electric wire, whose longitudinal direction substantially coincides with the connection direction perpendicular to the connection direction, is fixed in the direction of the plate thickness, and a connecting section that connects the terminal connection section and the wire fixing section which are arranged side by side along the perpendicular direction, and in which the wire fixing section has higher deformability in the direction of the plate thickness compared to the terminal connection section and the wire fixing section.re Ta contact Connection terminals A connector comprising a connector housing capable of accommodating and holding the connection terminal which has been deformed in the thickness direction of the wire fixing part. It is characterized by being such.

[0011] Furthermore, this invention, A wire with a terminal, comprising: a terminal connection portion formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness, to which another connection terminal is connected in a predetermined connection direction; a wire fixing portion to which the conductor of an electric wire, whose longitudinal direction substantially coincides with a direction perpendicular to the connection direction, is fixed in the direction of the plate thickness; a connecting portion that connects the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion which are arranged side by side along the perpendicular direction, and to which the deformability of the wire fixing portion in the plate thickness direction is higher than that of the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion; and an electric wire to which a conductor is connected to the wire fixing portion of the connection terminal. The wire harness is characterized by comprising a connector housing that accommodates and holds the wire with the terminal, the terminal of which has been deformed in the thickness direction of the wire fixing part.

[0012] The above-mentioned connectors refer to female connectors to which male connectors are connected, or male connectors to which female connectors are connected. The fixing of the above-mentioned conductor refers to fixing it by crimping or other methods of fastening, or by welding such as ultrasonic welding or resistance welding. The term "high deformability" above refers to the ability to deform the terminal connection part and the wire fixing part in the thickness direction of the wire fixing part with a smaller load compared to the case where the wire fixing part is deformed in the thickness direction of the wire fixing part.

[0013] According to this invention, the connecting portion that connects the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion allows for control of deformation associated with fixing the conductor, thus facilitating connection to another connection terminal and ensuring conductivity without having to correct the deformation associated with fixing the conductor of the wire.

[0014] Specifically, because the connecting portion is prone to deformation in the direction of the thickness of the wire fixing portion relative to the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion, when a load is applied due to the fixing of the conductor, the connecting portion of the connection terminal deforms in the direction of the thickness of the wire fixing portion.

[0015] Therefore, by providing the wire fixing portion so that the plate thickness direction substantially coincides with the connection direction of another connection terminal, the connection terminal can be prevented from bending and deforming so that the terminal connection portion intersects the direction perpendicular to the direction viewed from the connection direction, or from twisting and deforming so that the terminal connection portion rotates with the perpendicular direction as the axis of rotation, by the connecting portion that deforms in the plate thickness direction of the wire fixing portion.

[0016] Furthermore, for example, while holding the terminal connection part of the connection terminal and the insulation coating of the electric wire with appropriate jigs, by fixing the conductor to the electric wire fixing part, the vicinity of the tip of the insulation coating in the electric wire is deformed in the direction opposite to the connection part as the connection part is deformed. That is, when the electric wire is deformed as the connection part is deformed, the terminal connection part can be deformed so as to translate in the plate thickness direction of the electric wire fixing part.

[0017] Therefore, by providing the electric wire fixing part so that the plate thickness direction is orthogonal to the connection direction of another connection terminal, the connection terminal is bent and deformed so that the terminal connection part intersects with respect to the orthogonal direction viewed from the connection direction, or is twisted and deformed so that the terminal connection part rotates around the orthogonal direction as the rotation axis. This can be prevented by the connection part that is deformed in the plate thickness direction of the electric wire fixing part.

[0018] Thus, the connection part of the connection terminal can control the deformation of the connection terminal accompanying the fixing of the conductor, and suppress the deformation in the twist direction and the rolling direction in which the plate thickness direction of the electric wire fixing part is the vertical direction.

[0019] Thereby, even after deformation occurs due to the fixing of the conductor, the connection terminal can make the terminal connection part disposed substantially parallel to the virtual straight line along the orthogonal direction viewed from the connection direction of another connection terminal substantially parallel to the virtual straight line along the orthogonal direction.

[0020] Therefore, the connection terminal, the connector, the electric wire with terminals, and the wire harness can easily connect to another connection terminal and ensure electrical conductivity without correcting the deformation accompanying the fixing of the conductor of the electric wire. In addition, since the connector housing can accommodate and hold the connection terminal deformed in the plate thickness direction of the electric wire fixing part, the connector and the wire harness can be easily configured.

[0021] As an aspect of this invention, with the direction orthogonal to the orthogonal direction as the width direction when viewed from the plate thickness direction, the connection part may be formed with a length in the width direction shorter than the length in the width direction of the electric wire fixing part.

[0022] According to this configuration, since the connecting portion is formed with a length in the width direction shorter than the length in the width direction of the wire fixing portion, for example, the connecting portion can be configured by a narrow portion provided on a connection terminal developed in a plate shape. Therefore, the connection terminal can control the deformation associated with the fixing of the conductor with a simple configuration.

[0023] As another aspect of the present invention, with the direction orthogonal to the orthogonal direction as the width direction when viewed from the plate thickness direction, the substantially central portion in the width direction of the wire fixing portion may be connected to the terminal connection portion via the connecting portion.

[0024] According to this configuration, since the substantially central portion in the width direction of the wire fixing portion is connected to the terminal connection portion via the connecting portion, it is possible to suppress the load applied to the wire fixing portion due to the fixing of the conductor from acting on the connecting portion as a load in the rotational direction with the orthogonal direction as the rotation axis.

[0025] Therefore, when a load associated with the fixing of the conductor is applied, the connection terminal can prevent the terminal connection portion from being deformed so as to be twisted with respect to the wire fixing portion. Thereby, the connection terminal can further suppress the deformation in the rolling direction with the plate thickness direction of the wire fixing portion as the vertical direction.

[0026] As another aspect of the present invention, the terminal connection portion may be a female type in which a part of a male type terminal is connected in the connection direction from the opening of the substantially U-shaped cross section having a bottom portion and a pair of opposing wall portions to the bottom portion. The substantially U-shaped cross section as described above refers to a substantially U-shaped cross section having a curved bottom portion, or a substantially U-shaped cross section having a corner portion at the boundary between the bottom portion and the wall portion.

[0027] According to this configuration, since the terminal connection portion has a substantially U-shaped cross section, the rigidity of the terminal connection portion can be made higher than that of the connecting portion. Therefore, when a load associated with the fixing of the conductor is applied, the connection terminal can more reliably deform the connecting portion in the plate thickness direction of the wire fixing portion.

[0028] In another aspect of this invention, the connecting portion is configured to connect the bottom portion of the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion, and the wire fixing portion may be formed in a shape such that the connection direction is in the direction of the plate thickness.

[0029] With this configuration, the wire fixing portion connected to the bottom of the terminal connection portion via a connecting portion is formed in a shape where the connection direction is in the direction of the plate thickness, so that the connection direction can be approximately aligned with the plate thickness direction of the wire fixing portion.

[0030] As a result, the terminal connection portion of the connection terminal can deform in the direction of the thickness of the wire fixing portion without bending or twisting to intersect with the orthogonal direction as viewed from the connection direction, or rotating with the orthogonal direction as the axis of rotation.

[0031] Therefore, even if deformation occurs due to the fixing of the conductor, the connection terminal can be positioned on a virtual line along the direction perpendicular to the direction viewed from the connection direction, with the substantially U-shaped opening in the terminal connection portion being positioned accordingly. Therefore, the connector can be positioned approximately parallel to the male connector, which moves in the direction of connection, thus facilitating connection with a portion of the male connector.

[0032] In another aspect of this invention, the connecting portion is configured to connect the wall portion of the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion, and the wire fixing portion may be formed in a shape in which the direction perpendicular to the orthogonal direction when viewed from the connection direction is the plate thickness direction.

[0033] In this configuration, the wire fixing portion, which is connected to the wall of the terminal connection portion via a connecting portion, is formed in a shape where the direction perpendicular to the orthogonal direction is the plate thickness direction. Therefore, the plate thickness direction of the wire fixing portion and the connection direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0034] In this case, as the connecting portion deforms, the area near the tip of the insulating coating deforms in the opposite direction to the connecting portion, allowing the terminal connection portion of the connecting terminal to deform so as to move parallel to the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion.

[0035] Therefore, even if deformation occurs due to the fixing of the conductor, the connection terminal can be positioned so that the substantially U-shaped opening in the terminal connection portion is substantially parallel to a virtual line along the direction perpendicular to the direction viewed from the connection direction.

[0036] Therefore, the connector can be positioned approximately parallel to the male connector, which moves in the direction of connection, thus facilitating connection with a portion of the male connector.

[0037] In another aspect of this invention, a conductive spring member may be provided that elastically supports a part of the male terminal using the wall portion of the terminal connection portion as a reaction force, and also electrically connects the male terminal and the terminal connection portion.

[0038] With this configuration, the spring member elastically supports a portion of the male terminal using the wall portion of the terminal connection as a reaction force, thus improving the contact between the terminal connection and the male terminal compared to when the terminal connection directly contacts the male terminal. Therefore, the connection terminal can more reliably ensure conductivity between the terminal connection portion, which is deformed in the thickness direction relative to the wire fixing portion, and a part of the male terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0039] The present invention provides a connection terminal, connector, wire with terminal, and wire harness that can easily connect to another connection terminal and ensure conductivity without correcting deformation associated with the fixing of the conductor of the electric wire. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0040] [Figure 1] An explanatory diagram illustrating the general structure of the end section of a wire harness. [Figure 2] A plan view showing the appearance of the end portion of a wire harness in a top-down view. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view taken along arrow AA in Figure 2. [Figure 4]An explanatory diagram illustrating the general structure of a female connector. [Figure 5] A plan view showing the appearance of a female connector in a top-down view. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram illustrating the general structure of the terminal connection and spring member. [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram illustrating the deformation of female terminals and wires due to the fixing of conductors. [Figure 8] A plan view showing the appearance of the end portion of the wire harness in Example 2. [Figure 9] An external perspective view showing the appearance of the female terminal in Example 2. [Figure 10] An explanatory diagram illustrating the deformation of female terminals and conductors due to the fixing of electrical wires. [Figure 11] An explanatory diagram illustrating a modified form of a female connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0041] One embodiment of this invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. [Examples]

[0042] In Example 1, a wire harness 1 in which a female terminal 3 and a connector housing 2 are attached to the end of an electric wire 4 will be described using Figures 1 to 7. Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the general outline of the end portion of the wire harness 1. Figure 1(a) shows an external perspective view of the end portion of the wire harness 1, and Figure 1(b) shows an external perspective view of the end portion of the wire harness 1 with the connector housing 2 shown in a transparent state.

[0043] Furthermore, Figure 2 shows a plan view of the end of the wire harness 1, Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow AA in Figure 2, Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the general shape of the female terminal 3, Figure 4(a) shows an external perspective view of the female terminal 3, and Figure 4(b) shows an exploded perspective view of the female terminal 3.

[0044] Furthermore, Figure 5 shows a plan view of the female terminal 3, and Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the general layout of the terminal connection part 11 and the spring member 20. Figure 6(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the BB arrow in Figure 5, and Figure 6(b) shows a cross-sectional perspective view of the spring member 20, partially shown in a transparent state.

[0045] In addition, Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the deformation of the female terminal 3 and the wire 4 due to the fixing of the conductor 4a. Figure 7(a) shows a side view of the female terminal 3 and the wire 4 before the wire is fixed, and Figure 7(b) shows a side view of the female terminal 3 and the wire 4 after the wire is fixed.

[0046] Furthermore, with the upper side of Figure 1 being considered upward and the lower side being considered downward, the arrow X in the figure indicates the front-to-back direction (hereinafter referred to as the front-to-back direction X), and the arrow Y in the figure indicates the direction approximately perpendicular to the front-to-back direction X in a plan view (hereinafter referred to as the width direction Y).

[0047] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the wire harness 1 of Embodiment 1 comprises a connector housing 2 with an open top and two wires 5 with terminals, each having a female terminal 3 (not shown in numerals) that forms a connector (not shown in numerals) with the connector housing 2, which is connected to the end of the wire 4.

[0048] The wire harness 1 houses the female terminals 3 of two wires 5 with terminals attached, which are arranged side-by-side in the width direction Y with the longitudinal direction of the wires 4 roughly aligned with the front-to-back direction X, inside the connector housing 2.

[0049] More specifically, as shown in Figures 1(a) and 3, the connector housing 2 is formed with a hollow interior, consisting of a roughly box-shaped terminal housing section 2a with an open top, and a roughly cylindrical wire housing section 2b extending from the bottom of the terminal housing section 2a in one direction in the front-rear direction X.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the female terminal 3 of the terminal-equipped wire 5 is housed in the terminal housing section 2a of this connector housing 2, and the wire 4 of the terminal-equipped wire 5 is housed in the wire housing section 2b. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, two electric wires 4 are inserted into the inside of the electric wire housing section 2b, and a retaining member 2c that holds the two inserted electric wires 4 is fitted into place.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3, the retaining member 2c has its outer surface in contact with the inner surface of the wire housing 2b, thereby holding the two inserted wires 4 together with the wire housing 2b, and preventing dust and moisture from entering the inside of the connector housing 2.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1(b) to 3, the terminal-equipped wire 5 comprises a wire 4 which is a large-diameter round wire capable of handling high current or high voltage and has higher rigidity compared to a small-diameter round wire, and a female terminal 3 which is electrically connected to one end of the wire 4.

[0053] More specifically, the electric wire 4 consists of a conductive conductor and an insulating coating that covers the conductor. The tip of the conductor of this electric wire 4 is exposed from the insulating coating, and the tip of the conductor exposed from the insulating coating is fixed to the electric wire fixing part 12 of the female terminal 3, which will be described later, by welding such as ultrasonic welding or resistance welding.

[0054] In this process, the tip of the conductor exposed from the insulating coating deforms from a roughly circular cross-section to a roughly plate-like cross-section as it is fixed to the wire fixing part 12 of the female terminal 3, and is fixed to the wire fixing part 12 in a roughly plate-like cross-section. For the sake of clarity in the following explanation, the tip portion of the conductor exposed from the insulating coating of the electric wire 4 will be referred to as conductor 4a.

[0055] Furthermore, as will be described in detail later, the female terminal 3 has a wire fixing portion 12 on one side in the front-to-back direction X to which the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 is fixed, and a terminal connection portion 11 on the other side in the front-to-back direction X to which the connecting blade 91 of the male terminal 90 is connected.

[0056] As shown in Figure 3, when the wire 4 is fixed to the wire fixing part 12, the load applied to the wire fixing part 12 causes the wire fixing part 12 and the terminal connection part 11 to bend and deform, and the base end of the conductor 4a is also bent and deformed when the wire 5 is housed inside the connector housing 2.

[0057] Next, we will describe in detail the female terminal 3 of the above-described embodiment 1. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the female terminal 3 comprises a terminal body 10 having the terminal connection portion 11 and wire fixing portion 12 described above, and a spring member 20 that elastically supports the connecting blade 91 of the male terminal 90 connected to the terminal connection portion 11.

[0058] Specifically, the terminal body 10 of the female terminal 3 is made of a metal plate material that is conductive, such as copper or a copper alloy, and has a predetermined thickness to accommodate high current or high voltage. The plate material is punched out into the desired unfolded shape and then bent to form the shape described later. Furthermore, the terminal body 10 is an unplated component that does not have any plating treatment applied to its surface to improve conductivity, such as tin plating.

[0059] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the terminal body 10 consists of a terminal connection section 11 into which the connecting blade 91 of the male terminal 90 is inserted from top to bottom, a wire fixing section 12 into which the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 is fixed, and a connecting section 13 that connects the terminal connection section 11 and the wire fixing section 12 which are arranged side by side along the front-to-back direction X. Furthermore, before the electric wire 4 is fixed in place, the terminal body 10 is formed in a state where the area between the electric wire fixing portion 12 and the terminal connection portion 11 is not bent or deformed.

[0060] More specifically, as shown in Figures 4(b) and 6(a), the terminal connection portion 11 of the terminal body 10 is formed with a pair of plate-shaped wall portions 11a facing each other in the width direction Y, and a bottom portion 11b connecting the lower ends of the wall portions 11a in the width direction Y, with an open top and a roughly U-shaped cross-section extending in the front-to-back direction X.

[0061] As shown in Figures 3 and 6(a), the terminal connection section 11 is configured to be electrically connectable to the connection blade 91 of the male terminal 90, which is inserted downward through an opening with a roughly U-shaped cross-section, via a spring member 20, which will be described later.

[0062] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6(a), the pair of wall portions 11a of the terminal connection portion 11 are flat plates with the width direction Y as the thickness direction, and are arranged opposite each other in the width direction Y with a gap wider than the thickness of the connecting blade 91 of the male terminal 90.

[0063] Furthermore, the main surface of the wall portion 11a facing the other wall portion 11a is arranged so that it is substantially parallel to the vertical direction and perpendicular to the width direction Y. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6(a), the bottom portion 11b of the terminal connection portion 11 is plate-shaped with the vertical direction being the thickness direction, and one of its main surfaces, the upper surface, is arranged to be substantially parallel to the front-to-back direction X and perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the wire fixing portion 12 of the terminal body 10 is a flat plate in a roughly rectangular shape in plan view, elongated in the front-to-back direction X, and is formed so that the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4, whose longitudinal direction is roughly aligned with the front-to-back direction X, can be fixed along the vertical direction.

[0065] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6(a), the wire fixing portion 12 is a flat plate with the vertical direction being the thickness direction, and one of its main surfaces, the upper surface, is positioned approximately parallel to the upper surface of the bottom portion 11b of the terminal connection portion 11 and in the same vertical position.

[0066] As shown in Figures 4(b) and 5, the central portion of the wire fixing section 12 in the width direction Y is connected to the bottom portion 11b of the terminal connection section 11 via a connecting section 13, which will be described later. Due to this configuration, in Example 1, as shown in Figure 4(a), the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4, whose longitudinal direction is approximately aligned with the front-to-back direction X, is fixed to the upper surface of the electric wire fixing part 12, whose vertical direction is the plate thickness direction.

[0067] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the connecting portion 13 of the terminal body 10 connects the bottom portion 11b of the terminal connection portion 11, which is arranged at a predetermined distance in the front-to-back direction X, to approximately the center of the wire fixing portion 12 in the width direction Y, in the front-to-back direction X. This connecting portion 13 is formed in a shape that is more deformable in the vertical direction (in the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12) than the terminal connection portion 11 and the wire fixing portion 12.

[0068] Specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the connecting portion 13 is plate-shaped with the vertical direction as the plate thickness direction, and connects the end face of the bottom portion 11b and the end face of the wire fixing portion 12 in the front-rear direction X. For this reason, the upper surface, which is one of the main surfaces of the connecting portion 13, is located approximately parallel to the upper surface of the bottom portion 11b and the upper surface of the wire fixing portion 12 of the terminal connection portion 11, and in the same vertical position.

[0069] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the connecting portion 13 is configured such that its length in the width direction Y is shorter than the length in the width direction Y of the terminal connection portion 11 and the length in the width direction Y of the wire fixing portion 12, thereby creating a portion that is more easily deformed in the vertical direction relative to the terminal connection portion 11 and the wire fixing portion 12.

[0070] Furthermore, the spring member 20 of the female terminal 3 is elastic and conductive, and is made of a metal plate that is thinner than the terminal body 10. The metal plate is punched out into the desired unfolded shape and then bent to form a shape that conforms to the outer shape of the terminal connection portion 11 of the terminal body 10.

[0071] Furthermore, the spring member 20 is configured to contact the connecting blade 91 of the male terminal 90 inserted between the walls 11a of the terminal body 10, and to exert a biasing force on the connecting blade 91 of the male terminal 90, with one wall 11a acting as a reaction force toward the other wall 11a. Furthermore, the spring member 20 has a plating treatment applied to its surface, such as tin plating, to improve its conductivity.

[0072] More specifically, as shown in Figure 6(a), the spring member 20 comprises a pair of fixed surface portions 21 that are placed and fixed on the upper end surface of the wall portion 11a, and a pair of outer surface portions 22 and a pair of inner surface portions 23 that are suspended downward from both ends of the fixed surface portion 21 in the width direction Y.

[0073] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(a), the spring member 20 includes a bottom portion 24 that connects the lower ends of the inner surface portion 23, and a plurality of arm springs 25 that extend diagonally downward from the upper part of the inner surface portion 23.

[0074] Specifically, as shown in Figures 5 and 6(a), the fixed surface portion 21 of the spring member 20 is formed in a roughly rectangular, flat shape in plan view, having a length in the front-to-back direction X that is shorter than the terminal connection portion 11, and a length in the width direction Y that is approximately the same as the plate thickness of the wall portion 11a in the terminal connection portion 11. This fixed surface portion 21 is fixed to the wall portion 11a of the terminal connection portion 11 by welding such as laser welding, and is provided as a part that is electrically connected to the terminal body 10.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(a), the outer surface portion 22 of the spring member 20 is vertically attached along the main surface of the wall portion 11a from the outer end in the width direction Y of the fixed surface portion 21, so as to sandwich the wall portion 11a between the inner surface portion 23. The outer surface portion 22 extends vertically from the upper end of the wall portion 11a to a position approximately in the center in the vertical direction.

[0076] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(a), the inner surface portion 23 of the spring member 20 is vertically installed from the inside of the width direction Y of the fixed surface portion 21 along the main surface of the wall portion 11a, so as to sandwich the wall portion 11a between the outer surface portion 22. The inner surface portion 23 extends in the vertical direction from the upper end of the wall portion 11a to the lower part of the wall portion 11a.

[0077] As shown in Figure 6(b), the inner surface portion 23 is formed in a frame shape with a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the side by an opening portion 23a that is cut out in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the side, at approximately the center in the vertical direction and approximately the center in the front-to-back direction X.

[0078] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(a), the bottom surface 24 of the spring member 20 is located slightly above the upper surface of the bottom 11b at the terminal connection portion 11, and connects the lower end of the inner surface 23 in the width direction Y. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(b), the arm spring 25 of the spring member 20 is formed as a cantilevered elastic piece, with multiple pieces arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction X within the opening 23a of the inner surface portion 23.

[0079] To elaborate further, as shown in Figure 6(a), the arm spring 25 extends downward from the upper edge of the opening 23a in the inner surface 23 toward the other wall 11a, and then, with its tip as the top, it is formed in a shape that is folded back toward the lower edge of the opening 23a.

[0080] The arm spring 25 is formed such that the distance between its opposing tops in the width direction Y is narrower than the thickness of the connecting blade 91 of the male terminal 90. Therefore, the top of the arm spring 25 functions as a contact point 20a that contacts the connecting blade 91 of the male terminal 90.

[0081] Next, using Figure 7, we will explain the process by which the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 is bent and deformed between the terminal connection part 11 and the electric wire fixing part 12, as well as the base end of the conductor 4a, when the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 is fixed to the electric wire fixing part 12 of the female terminal 3.

[0082] First, as shown in Figure 7(a), the worker or assembly device places the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 from above onto the upper surface of the wire fixing portion 12 of the female terminal 3, to which the spring member 20 is fixed to the terminal connection portion 11. In this process, the worker or assembly device places the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 on the upper surface of the electric wire fixing part 12 such that the center of the width direction Y on the upper surface of the electric wire fixing part 12 and the central axis of the electric wire 4 substantially coincide in a plan view.

[0083] Subsequently, the worker or assembly device fixes the conductor 4a of the wire 4, whose insulating coating is held by a suitable jig, to the wire fixing portion 12 of the female terminal 3, whose terminal connection portion 11 is held by a suitable jig, by welding such as ultrasonic welding or resistance welding to form a wire with a terminal 5.

[0084] At this time, the load applied to the female terminal 3 and the conductor 4a during welding causes the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 to be crushed and deformed from a roughly circular cross-section to a roughly plate-shaped cross-section. Furthermore, as the connecting portion 13, which is easily deformed in the vertical direction, deforms in the vertical direction, the female terminal 3 undergoes a valley-fold deformation in the vertical direction. In conjunction with the deformation of the female terminal 3, the base end of the conductor 4a deforms in the vertical direction, causing the electric wire 4 to undergo a mountain-fold deformation in the vertical direction (see Figure 7(b)).

[0085] Therefore, as shown in Figure 7(b), the terminal-equipped wire 5 deforms in a roughly crank shape when viewed from the side, with the terminal connection portion 11 of the female terminal 3 shifted parallel to a position slightly below the central axis T of the wire 4.

[0086] More specifically, if the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12 of the female terminal 3 is considered as the vertical direction, the wire 5 with the terminal is deformed in a roughly crank shape when viewed from the side, as the conductor 4a of the wire 4 and the female terminal 3 are bent down relative to the central axis T of the wire 4, and the terminal connection portion 11 of the female terminal 3 is bent up relative to the wire fixing portion 12.

[0087] As a result, as shown in Figure 2, in a plan view, the terminal-equipped wire 5 maintains a state in which the approximate center of the terminal connection portion 11 in the width direction Y coincides with a virtual straight line (not shown) along the front-to-back direction X passing through the center of the wire 4, and the main surface of the wall portion 11a is approximately parallel. Subsequently, the worker or assembly device houses the terminal-equipped wire 5 inside the connector housing 2 to form the wire harness 1.

[0088] In this way, the female terminal 3 and the wire 5 with terminal in Example 1 control the deformation of the female terminal 3 that occurs when the conductor 4a is fixed, thereby suppressing deformation of the terminal connection portion 11 in the twisting direction and rolling direction, with the plate thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12 being the vertical direction.

[0089] As described above, the female terminal 3 of Embodiment 1, which is formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined plate thickness, is provided with a terminal connection portion 11 to which a male terminal 90 is connected in the vertical direction, and a wire fixing portion 12 to which the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned with the front-to-back direction X which is perpendicular to the vertical direction, is fixed in the direction of the plate thickness.

[0090] Furthermore, the female terminal 3 connects the terminal connection portion 11 and the wire fixing portion 12 which are arranged side by side along the front-to-back direction X, and is also provided with a connecting portion 13 which has higher deformability in the plate thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12 compared to the terminal connection portion 11 and the wire fixing portion 12.

[0091] Furthermore, the connector of Embodiment 1 includes the female terminal 3 described above and a connector housing 2 capable of accommodating and holding the female terminal 3 which has been deformed in the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12. Furthermore, the terminal-equipped wire 5 of Example 1 is equipped with the female terminal 3 described above and a wire 4 to which a conductor 4a is connected to the wire fixing portion 12 of the female terminal 3.

[0092] Furthermore, the wire harness 1 of Example 1 includes the aforementioned wire with terminals 5 and a connector housing 2 that houses and holds the wire with terminals 5, in which the female terminal 3 is deformed in the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12.

[0093] With this configuration, the terminal connection part 11 and the connecting part 13 that connects to the wire fixing part 12 can control the deformation associated with the fixing of the conductor 4a. Therefore, it is possible to easily connect to the male terminal 90 and ensure conductivity without correcting the deformation of the wire 4 associated with the fixing of the conductor 4a.

[0094] Specifically, because the connecting portion 13 is easily deformed in the direction of the thickness of the wire fixing portion 12 relative to the terminal connection portion 11 and the wire fixing portion 12, when a load is applied due to the fixing of the conductor 4a, the connecting portion 13 of the female terminal 3 deforms in the direction of the thickness of the wire fixing portion 12.

[0095] Therefore, the female terminal 3 can be prevented from bending and deforming so that the terminal connection portion 11 intersects the front-to-back direction X when viewed from above, or from twisting and deforming so that the terminal connection portion 11 rotates with the front-to-back direction X as the axis of rotation, by the connecting portion 13 which deforms in the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12.

[0096] In this way, the connecting portion 13 of the female terminal 3 controls the deformation of the female terminal 3 that occurs when the conductor 4a is fixed, thereby suppressing deformation of the wire fixing portion 12 in the twisting and rolling directions with the plate thickness direction being the vertical direction.

[0097] As a result, even if deformation occurs due to the fixing of the conductor 4a, the female terminal 3 can make the terminal connection portion 11, as viewed from the connection direction of the male terminal 90, substantially parallel to a virtual straight line along the front-to-back direction X, just as it was before the electric wire 4 was fixed.

[0098] Therefore, the female terminal 3, connector, terminal-equipped wire 5, and wire harness can be easily connected to the male terminal 90 and ensure conductivity without correcting the deformation caused by the fixing of the conductor 4a of the wire 4. In addition, since the connector housing 2 can accommodate and hold the female terminal 3 which is deformed in the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12, the connector and wire harness 1 can be easily constructed.

[0099] Furthermore, since the connecting portion 13 is formed with a width Y length shorter than the width Y length of the wire fixing portion 12, the female terminal 3 can, for example, have the connecting portion 13 formed by a narrow portion provided on a female terminal 3 that is unfolded into a plate shape. Therefore, the female terminal 3 can control deformation associated with the fixing of the conductor 4a with a simple configuration.

[0100] Furthermore, since the approximate center of the wire fixing portion 12 in the width direction Y is connected to the terminal connection portion 11 via the connecting portion 13, the load applied to the wire fixing portion 12 when the conductor 4a is fixed is prevented from acting on the connecting portion 13 as a rotational load with the front-to-back direction X as the axis of rotation.

[0101] Therefore, the female terminal 3 can prevent the terminal connection portion 11 from deforming in a twisting manner relative to the wire fixing portion 12 when a load is applied due to the fixing of the conductor 4a. As a result, the female terminal 3 can further suppress deformation in the rolling direction, with the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12 being the vertical direction.

[0102] Furthermore, the terminal connection portion 11 is a female type with a substantially U-shaped cross-section having a bottom portion 11b and a pair of opposing wall portions 11a, and a portion of the male terminal 90 is connected in the vertical direction from the substantially U-shaped opening toward the bottom portion 11b.

[0103] With this configuration, since the terminal connection portion 11 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, the terminal connection portion 11 can be made more rigid than the connecting portion 13. Therefore, when a load is applied due to the fixing of the conductor 4a, the female terminal 3 can more reliably deform the connecting portion 13 in the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12.

[0104] Furthermore, the connecting portion 13 connects the bottom portion 11b of the terminal connection portion 11 and the wire fixing portion 12, and since the wire fixing portion 12 is formed with the vertical direction being the thickness direction, the female terminal 3 can substantially align the connection direction of the male terminal 90 with the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12.

[0105] As a result, the terminal connection portion 11 of the female terminal 3 can deform toward the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12 without bending or twisting to intersect the front-to-back direction X when viewed from above or below, or rotating around the front-to-back direction X as the axis of rotation.

[0106] Therefore, even if deformation occurs due to the fixing of the conductor 4a, the female terminal 3 can be positioned on a virtual line along the front-to-back direction X when viewed from above or below, with the substantially U-shaped opening in the terminal connection portion 11 being positioned on the front-to-back direction X.

[0107] Therefore, the female terminal 3 can be positioned with its terminal connection portion 11 approximately parallel to the male terminal 90, which moves from top to bottom, thus facilitating connection with a portion of the male terminal 90.

[0108] Furthermore, the female terminal 3 elastically supports a portion of the male terminal 90 using the wall portion 11a of the terminal connection portion 11 as a reaction force, and is also equipped with a conductive spring member 20 that electrically connects the male terminal 90 and the terminal connection portion 11.

[0109] With this configuration, the spring member 20 elastically supports a portion of the male terminal 90 using the wall portion 11a of the terminal connection portion 11 as a reaction force. As a result, the contact between the terminal connection portion 11 and the male terminal 90 can be improved compared to the case where the terminal connection portion 11 is in direct contact with the male terminal 90. Therefore, the female terminal 3 can more reliably ensure conductivity between the terminal connection portion 11, which is deformed in the thickness direction relative to the wire fixing portion 12, and a part of the male terminal 90. [Examples]

[0110] In Example 2, a female terminal 7, which differs from the female terminal 3 of Example 1 in the position of the wire fixing part, will be explained using Figures 8 to 10. Figure 8 is a plan view of the wire harness 6 in Example 2, and Figure 9 shows an external perspective view of the female terminal 7 in Example 2.

[0111] Furthermore, Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the deformation of the female terminal 7 and conductor 4a due to the fixing of the electric wire 4. Figure 10(a) shows a plan view of the female terminal 7 and electric wire 4 before fixing the electric wire, Figure 10(b) shows a plan view of the female terminal 7 and electric wire 4 after fixing the electric wire, and Figure 10(c) shows a side view of the female terminal 7 and electric wire 4 after fixing the electric wire. Furthermore, components identical to those in Example 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0112] As shown in Figure 8, the wire harness 6 of Embodiment 2 comprises a connector housing 2 with an open top and two wires 8 with terminals, each having a female terminal 7 that forms a connector (reference numeral omitted) with the connector housing 2, which is connected to the end of the wire 4.

[0113] The wire harness 6 houses the female terminals 7 of two wires 8 with terminals attached, which are placed side by side in the width direction Y with the longitudinal direction of the wire 4 roughly aligned with the front-to-back direction X, inside the connector housing 2.

[0114] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the wire with terminals in Embodiment 2 is constructed by welding the conductor 4a of the wire 4 to the wire fixing portion 32 of a female terminal 7, which has a wire fixing portion 32 on one side in the front-to-back direction X and a terminal connection portion 31 on the other side in the front-to-back direction X.

[0115] As shown in Figure 8, the wire 8 with terminals is housed inside the connector housing 2 in a state where the wire fixing part 32 and the terminal connection part 31 are bent and deformed by the load applied when the wire 4 is fixed to the wire fixing part 32, and the base end of the conductor 4a is also bent and deformed.

[0116] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the female terminal 7 of Embodiment 2 comprises a terminal body 30 having the terminal connection portion 31 and the wire fixing portion 32 described above, and a spring member 20 that elastically supports the connecting blade 91 of the male terminal 90 connected to the terminal connection portion 31.

[0117] First, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the terminal body 30 of the female terminal 7 consists of a terminal connection portion 31 with a roughly U-shaped cross-section into which the connecting blade 91 of the male terminal 90 is inserted from above to below, a wire fixing portion 32 into which the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 is fixed, and a connecting portion 33 that connects the terminal connection portion 31 and the wire fixing portion 32 which are arranged side by side along the front-to-back direction X.

[0118] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the terminal connection portion 31 of the terminal body 30 is formed in a substantially U-shape with an open top, similar to the terminal connection portion 11 of Embodiment 1, by a pair of plate-shaped wall portions 31a facing each other in the width direction Y, and a bottom portion 31b connecting the lower ends of the wall portions 31a in the width direction Y.

[0119] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the wire fixing portion 32 of the terminal body 30 is a flat plate with a roughly rectangular shape in side view, elongated in the front-to-back direction X, and is formed so that the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4, whose longitudinal direction is roughly aligned with the front-to-back direction X, can be fixed along the width direction Y.

[0120] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the wire fixing portion 32 is a flat plate with the width direction Y being the plate thickness direction, and its main surface is positioned substantially parallel to the main surface of the wall portion 31a in the terminal connection portion 31, and at the same width direction Y position.

[0121] The central part of this wire fixing section 32 is connected to the wall portion 31a of the terminal connection section 31 via a connecting section 33, which will be described later (see Figure 10(c)). Due to this configuration, in Example 2, as shown in Figure 9, the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4, whose longitudinal direction is approximately aligned with the front-to-back direction X, is fixed to the main surface of the electric wire fixing part 32, whose width direction Y is the plate thickness direction.

[0122] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the connecting portion 33 of the terminal body 30 connects one wall portion 31a of the terminal connection portion 31, which is arranged at a predetermined distance in the front-to-back direction X, to approximately the center in the vertical direction of the wire fixing portion 32 in the front-to-back direction X. This connecting portion 33 is formed in a shape that is more deformable in the width direction Y (the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 32) than the terminal connection portion 31 and the wire fixing portion 32.

[0123] Specifically, the connecting portion 33 is plate-shaped with its width Y being the thickness direction, and connects the end face of one wall portion 31a and the end face of the wire fixing portion 32 in the front-rear direction X. For this reason, the main surface of the connecting portion 33 is located substantially parallel to the main surface of one wall portion 31a and the main surface of the wire fixing portion 32, and at the same position in the width direction Y.

[0124] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the connecting portion 33 is configured such that its vertical length is shorter than the vertical length of the terminal connection portion 31 and the vertical length of the wire fixing portion 32, thereby creating a portion that is more easily deformed in the width direction Y relative to the terminal connection portion 31 and the wire fixing portion 32.

[0125] Next, using Figure 10, we will explain the process by which the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 is bent and deformed between the terminal connection part 31 and the electric wire fixing part 32, as well as the base end of the conductor 4a, when the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 is fixed to the electric wire fixing part 32 of the female terminal 7.

[0126] First, as shown in Figure 10(a), the worker or assembly device brings the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 into contact with the main surface of the wire fixing portion 32 of the female terminal 7, which is fixed to the terminal connection portion 31, in the width direction Y, with the spring member 20. In this process, the worker or assembly device brings the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 into contact with the main surface of the electric wire fixing part 32 such that the vertical center of the main surface of the electric wire fixing part 32 and the central axis of the electric wire 4 are approximately aligned in a side view.

[0127] Subsequently, the worker or assembly device fixes the conductor 4a of the wire 4, whose insulating coating is held by a suitable jig, to the wire fixing portion 32 of the female terminal 7, whose terminal connection portion 31 is held by a suitable jig, by welding such as ultrasonic welding or resistance welding to form a wire with a terminal 8.

[0128] At this time, the load applied to the female terminal 7 and the conductor 4a during welding causes the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 to be crushed and deformed from a roughly circular cross-section to a roughly plate-shaped cross-section. Furthermore, as the connecting portion 33 deforms to one side in the width direction Y, the female terminal 7 undergoes a mountain-fold deformation in the width direction Y, and as a result of the deformation of the female terminal 7, the base end of the conductor 4a deforms to the other side in the width direction Y, causing the electric wire 4 to undergo a valley-fold deformation in the width direction Y (see Figure 10(b)).

[0129] Therefore, as shown in Figure 10(b), the terminal-equipped wire 8 deforms in a roughly crank shape in plan view, with the terminal connection portion 31 of the female terminal 7 shifted parallel to a position slightly in the width direction Y relative to the central axis T of the wire 4.

[0130] More specifically, if the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 32 of the female terminal 7 is considered to be the vertical direction, the wire 8 with the terminal is deformed in a roughly crank shape in plan view, as the conductor 4a of the wire 4 and the female terminal 7 are bent upward with respect to the central axis T of the wire 4, and the terminal connection portion 31 of the female terminal 7 is bent downward with respect to the wire fixing portion 32.

[0131] In this case, as shown in Figure 10(c), the terminal connection portion 31 is deformed such that its upper end is approximately parallel in a side view to a virtual straight line (central axis T) along the front-to-back direction X passing through the center of the electric wire 4.

[0132] As a result, as shown in Figures 10(b) and 10(c), the terminal-equipped wire 8 suppresses positional displacement of the terminal connection portion 31 in the width direction Y with respect to a virtual straight line (central axis T) along the front-to-back direction X passing through the center of the wire 4, and maintains a state in which the main surface of the wall portion 31a is substantially parallel.

[0133] Subsequently, the worker or assembly device houses the terminal-equipped wire 8 inside the connector housing 2 to form the wire harness 6. In this way, the female terminal 7 and the wire 8 with terminal in Embodiment 2 control the deformation of the female terminal 7 that occurs when the conductor 4a is fixed, thereby suppressing deformation of the terminal connection portion 11 in the twisting direction and rolling direction, with the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 32 being the vertical direction.

[0134] As described above, the female terminal 7 of Embodiment 2 is equipped with a terminal connection portion 31 to which a male terminal 90 is connected in the vertical direction, and a wire fixing portion 32 to which the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned with the front-to-back direction X, is fixed in the direction of the plate thickness.

[0135] Furthermore, the female terminal 7 connects the terminal connection portion 31 and the wire fixing portion 32 which are arranged side by side along the front-to-back direction X, and is also provided with a connecting portion 33 which has higher deformability in the plate thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 32 compared to the terminal connection portion 31 and the wire fixing portion 32.

[0136] With this configuration, the connecting portion 33 is easily deformed in the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 32 relative to the terminal connection portion 31 and the wire fixing portion 32. Therefore, when a load is applied due to the fixing of the conductor 4a, the connecting portion 33 of the female terminal 7 deforms in the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 32.

[0137] Furthermore, as the base end of the conductor 4a deforms in the opposite direction to the connecting portion 33 in accordance with the deformation of the connecting portion 33, the terminal connection portion 31 can be deformed to move parallel to the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 32.

[0138] Therefore, the female terminal 7 can be prevented from bending and deforming so that the terminal connection portion 31 intersects the front-to-back direction X when viewed from the connection direction, or from twisting and deforming so that the terminal connection portion 31 rotates with the front-to-back direction X as the axis of rotation, by the connecting portion 33 which deforms in the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 32.

[0139] In this way, the connecting portion 33 of the female terminal 7 controls the deformation of the female terminal 7 that occurs when the conductor 4a is fixed, thereby suppressing deformation of the wire fixing portion 32 in the twisting and rolling directions with the plate thickness direction as the vertical direction.

[0140] As a result, even if deformation occurs due to the fixing of the conductor 4a, the female terminal 7 can make the terminal connection portion 31, as viewed from the connection direction of the male terminal 90, substantially parallel to a virtual straight line along the front-to-back direction X, just as it was before the electric wire 4 was fixed.

[0141] Therefore, similar to Embodiment 1 described above, the female terminal 7 can be easily connected to the male terminal 90 and conductivity can be ensured without correcting the deformation associated with the fixing of the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4.

[0142] Furthermore, the connecting portion 33 connects the wall portion 31a of the terminal connection portion 31 and the wire fixing portion 32. Since the wire fixing portion 32 is formed in a shape where the width direction Y, which is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction X when viewed from above, is the thickness direction, the female terminal 7 has the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 32 and the connection direction of the male terminal 90 perpendicular to each other.

[0143] In this case, as the connecting portion 33 deforms, the base end of the conductor 4a deforms in the opposite direction to the connecting portion 33, allowing the terminal connection portion 31 of the female terminal 7 to deform so as to move parallel to the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 32.

[0144] Therefore, even if deformation occurs due to the fixing of the conductor 4a, the female terminal 7 can be positioned so that the substantially U-shaped opening in the terminal connection portion 31 is substantially parallel to the imaginary line along the front-to-back direction X when viewed from above.

[0145] Therefore, the female terminal 7 can be positioned with its terminal connection portion 31 approximately parallel to the male terminal 90, which moves from top to bottom, thus facilitating connection with a portion of the male terminal 90.

[0146] In the correspondence between the structure of this invention and the embodiments described above, The connection terminals of this invention correspond to the female terminals 3 and 7 of the embodiment. The same applies to the following: The connection direction corresponds to the up and down direction. Another connector corresponds to male connector 90, The orthogonal direction corresponds to the front-back direction X, Some of the male connectors are compatible with the connecting blade 91, This invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments described above, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0147] Specifically, in the embodiment described above, two female terminals 3 and 7 arranged side by side in the width direction Y are housed in the connector housing 2. However, the invention is not limited to this configuration, and the connector housing may contain one female terminal or three or more female terminals.

[0148] Furthermore, although the explanation used female terminals 3 and 7 to which the connecting blade 91 of the male terminal 90 is connected, the explanation is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a male terminal equipped with a connecting blade 91 is connected to the electric wire 4 is also possible.

[0149] Furthermore, although the terminal body 10 is described as not being plated, it is not limited to this, and may be a terminal body that is partially plated, for example, a terminal body in which the wire fixing part is plated.

[0150] Furthermore, although the spring member 20 is described as having been plated, it is not limited to this, and may be a spring member that is partially plated, such as an arm spring. Furthermore, although the female terminals 3 and 7 are provided with spring members 20 at their terminal connection portions 11 and 31, the configuration is not limited to this, and female terminals without spring members 20 may also be used.

[0151] Furthermore, although the configuration described here involves welding the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 to the wire fixing portions 12 and 32 of the female terminals 3 and 7, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the wire fixing portion may be in an open barrel shape, and the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 may be fixed to the wire fixing portion by crimping or other methods. Furthermore, although the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 is fixed to one main surface of the electric wire fixing parts 12 and 32, the method is not limited to this, and the conductor 4a may also be fixed to the other main surface of the electric wire fixing parts 12 and 32.

[0152] Furthermore, by making the connecting portions 13 and 33 of the female terminals 3 and 7 narrower than the wire fixing portions 12 and 32, a connecting portion that is easily deformable in the thickness direction of the plate is constructed. However, this is not limited to this, and any connecting portion of an appropriate shape may be used as long as it is easily deformable in the thickness direction of the plate relative to the wire fixing portion 12 and the terminal connection portion 11.

[0153] Furthermore, in Example 2, the wire fixing portion 32 was connected to one wall portion 31a of the terminal connection portion 31 via the connecting portion 33, but the invention is not limited to this, and the wire fixing portion 32 may also be connected to the other wall portion 31a of the terminal connection portion 31 via the connecting portion 33.

[0154] Furthermore, in Example 1, the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12 of the female terminal 3 was set to the vertical direction, so that the conductor 4a of the wire 4 and the female terminal 3 bend down with respect to the central axis T of the wire 4, and the terminal connection portion 11 of the female terminal 3 bends up with respect to the wire fixing portion 12. However, the invention is not limited to this.

[0155] For example, as shown in Figure 11(a), which illustrates a modified example of the female terminal 3, the conductor 4a of the electric wire 4 and the female terminal 3 may be bent upward with respect to the central axis T of the electric wire 4, and the terminal connection portion 11 of the female terminal 3 may be bent downward with respect to the electric wire fixing portion 12.

[0156] Similarly, in Embodiment 2, the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 32 of the female terminal 7 may be set to the vertical direction, so that the conductor 4a of the wire 4 and the female terminal 7 are bent down with respect to the central axis T of the wire 4, and the terminal connection portion 31 of the female terminal 7 is bent up with respect to the wire fixing portion 32. Even in this case, the same effects as those described in Examples 1 and 2 can be achieved.

[0157] Furthermore, in Example 1, the female terminal 3 and the wire 4 were deformed when the conductor 4a was fixed. However, the invention is not limited to this, and for example, as shown in Figure 11(b), which illustrates a modified example of the female terminal 3, the female terminal 3 may be deformed only by the deformation of the connecting portion 13 due to the fixing of the conductor 4a.

[0158] Even in this case, deformation of the terminal connection portion 11 in the twisting and rolling directions, with the plate thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 12 being the vertical direction, can be suppressed, thus achieving the same effects as in the above-described embodiment 1. Furthermore, in this case, the base and contact point 20a of the arm spring 25 of the spring member 20 may be formed to be approximately arc-shaped in side view and protruding upward, as shown in Figure 11(b).

[0159] According to this, since the contact point 20a of the spring member 20 is provided in a substantially arc shape, when the female terminal 3 is bent up or bent down, it becomes easier to secure the contact point between the contact point 20a of the spring member 20 and the male terminal 90 compared to when the contact point is located on a virtual line substantially parallel to the front-rear direction X. In addition, since the base of the arm spring 25 is provided in a substantially arc shape, the vertical length from the base to the contact point 20a can be made the same for each arm spring 25.

[0160] This allows the biasing force and detent feel applied to the male terminal 90 to be uniform for each arm spring 25, making it easier for the female terminal 3 to manage the connection status of the male terminal 90. Therefore, the female terminal 3 can prevent connection problems with the male terminal 90 and reliably ensure conductivity with the male terminal 90. [Explanation of symbols]

[0161] 1,6…Wire harness 2… Connector housing 3,7…Female type terminals 4...Electric wire 4a... Conductor 5,8…Electric wire with terminals 11,31…Terminal connection section 11a, 31a...Wall part 11b,31b…Bottom 12,32...Wire fixing part 13,33...Connection part 20... Spring component 90... Male terminal 91...Connecting blade X…Anteroposterior direction

Claims

1. A connection terminal comprising: a terminal connection portion formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness, to which another connection terminal is connected in a predetermined connection direction; a wire fixing portion to which the conductor of an electric wire, whose longitudinal direction substantially coincides with a direction perpendicular to the connection direction, is fixed in the direction of the plate thickness; and a connecting portion that connects the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion which are arranged side by side along the perpendicular direction, and in which the deformability of the wire fixing portion in the direction of the plate thickness is higher than that of the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion, The device is equipped with a connector housing capable of accommodating and holding the connection terminal that has been deformed in the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion. connector.

2. The direction perpendicular to the aforementioned orthogonal direction when viewed from the plate thickness direction is defined as the width direction. The connecting portion is formed with a length in the width direction that is shorter than the length in the width direction of the wire fixing portion. The connector according to claim 1.

3. The direction perpendicular to the aforementioned orthogonal direction when viewed from the plate thickness direction is defined as the width direction. The approximate center of the wire fixing portion in the width direction is connected to the terminal connection portion via the connecting portion. The connector according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned terminal connection part It is a female type with a substantially U-shaped cross-section having a bottom and a pair of opposing walls, and a portion of a male terminal is connected from the opening in the substantially U-shaped cross-section toward the bottom in the connection direction. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The aforementioned connecting portion, The configuration connects the bottom of the terminal connection part and the wire fixing part, The aforementioned wire fixing part, The shape is formed such that the connection direction is the thickness direction of the plate. The connector according to claim 4.

6. The aforementioned connecting portion, The configuration connects the wall portion of the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion, The aforementioned wire fixing part, The shape is formed such that the direction perpendicular to the orthogonal direction when viewed from the connection direction is the thickness direction of the plate. The connector according to claim 4.

7. A conductive spring member is provided that elastically supports a portion of the male terminal using the wall portion of the terminal connection as a reaction force, and electrically connects the male terminal and the terminal connection. The connector according to claim 4.

8. A wire with a terminal, comprising: a terminal connection portion formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness, to which another connection terminal is connected in a predetermined connection direction; a wire fixing portion to which a conductor of an electric wire, whose longitudinal direction substantially coincides with a direction perpendicular to the connection direction, is fixed in the direction of the plate thickness; a connecting portion that connects the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion which are arranged side by side along the perpendicular direction, and which has a higher degree of deformability of the wire fixing portion in the direction of the plate thickness compared to the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion; and an electric wire with a terminal, to which a conductor is connected to the wire fixing portion of the connection terminal. The device includes a connector housing that accommodates and holds the wire with the terminal, the terminal of which has been deformed in the thickness direction of the wire fixing part. Wire harness.

9. The direction perpendicular to the orthogonal direction when viewed from the thickness direction of the plate is defined as the width direction, The connecting portion is formed with a length in the width direction that is shorter than the length in the width direction of the wire fixing portion. The wire harness according to claim 8.

10. The direction perpendicular to the orthogonal direction when viewed from the thickness direction of the plate is defined as the width direction, The approximate center of the wire fixing portion in the width direction is connected to the terminal connection portion via the connecting portion. The wire harness according to claim 8.

11. The terminal connection portion is It is a female type with a substantially U-shaped cross-section having a bottom and a pair of opposing walls, and a portion of a male terminal is connected from the opening in the substantially U-shaped cross-section toward the bottom in the connection direction. A wire harness according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. The connecting portion is The configuration connects the bottom of the terminal connection part and the wire fixing part, The aforementioned wire fixing part, The shape is formed such that the connection direction is the thickness direction of the plate. The wire harness according to claim 11.

13. The connecting portion is The configuration connects the wall portion of the terminal connection portion and the wire fixing portion, The aforementioned wire fixing part, The shape is formed such that the direction perpendicular to the orthogonal direction when viewed from the connection direction is the thickness direction of the plate. The wire harness according to claim 11.

14. A conductive spring member is provided which elastically supports a part of the male terminal using the wall portion of the terminal connection portion as a reaction force, and electrically connects the male terminal and the terminal connection portion. The wire harness according to claim 11.

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