Female terminals, connectors, busbars, wires with terminals, wires with connectors, and wire harnesses

Abstract

To provide a female terminal in which a metal coating layer formed on a front surface of a spring member is normalized, which is therefore significantly improved in bending workability.SOLUTION: A female terminal 10 comprises a terminal main body 15 including a spring member 30 that is formed by a first metal material and is electrically connected to a male terminal, and a base portion 20 that is formed from a second metal material and is electrically connected to the spring member 30. The base portion 20 includes a pair of side walls 21 that is arranged with an interval of an insertion space S of the male terminal. The spring member 30 includes: an inner plate portion 31 and an outer plate portion 32 that are opposite to an inner surface 21a and an outer surface 21b of the side wall 21, respectively; and a first coupling portion 33 that is opposite to an open end surface 21c of the side wall 21, and couples the inner plate portion 31 and the outer plate portion 32. The first coupling portion 33 includes a bent portion 33a in accordance with a shape of an open end portion 21d of the side wall 21. The spring member 30 includes a first metal coating layer 35 that is formed by a third metal material and coats the outer surface 31a of the inner plate portion 31, and the bent portion 33a is not coated and the outer surface 33b thereof is exposed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to female terminals, connectors, bus bars, wires with terminals, wires with connectors, and wire harnesses.

Background Art

[0002] Electrical equipment installed in automobiles and the like is connected to another electrical equipment or a power supply device via a wire harness formed by bundling coated wires to form an electrical circuit. At this time, the wire harness and the electrical equipment or the power supply device are connected by the connectors attached to each of them. More specifically, by attaching a female terminal to the cavity of the female-side connector housing and connecting it to the male-side connector housing to which a male terminal is attached, a part of the male terminal is inserted into the female terminal, and the terminals can be electrically connected to each other.

[0003] As a female terminal used at that time, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a female terminal provided with a terminal body having a spring member electrically connected to a male terminal and a conductive base portion electrically connected to the spring member. In this female terminal, the base portion has a pair of side walls arranged with an insertion space into which a part of the male terminal can be inserted, the spring member is arranged between the pair of side walls in the base portion, and the spring member and the side walls are fixed by a conductive welding portion welded so as to be conductive.

[0004] Here, Patent Document 1 describes that, in the spring member of the female terminal, a plating treatment such as tin plating may be performed on a part of the surface of the contact spring piece that contacts the connection blade of the male terminal or the entire surface of the spring member in order to improve conductivity.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [[ID=二十九]]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] As described in Patent Document 1, a spring member having a metal coating layer such as plating formed on its surface can be manufactured, for example, by plating a sheet material, punching it into a predetermined shape, and then bending it.

[0007] However, when a plated sheet material is bent, if a metal coating layer is formed in the bent portion created by the bending process, there is a risk of wrinkles forming in the metal coating layer. Wrinkles in the coating layer are undesirable because they impair the surface appearance.

[0008] Therefore, bending plated sheet metal must be done in multiple steps to prevent wrinkles from forming in the metal coating layer, which results in poor bendability.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide female terminals, connectors, busbars, wires with terminals, wires with connectors, and wire harnesses that significantly improve bendability by optimizing the metal coating layer formed on the surface of the spring member, thereby preventing deterioration of the surface appearance at the bent portion even when the spring member is formed into shape in a single bending process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present inventors have found that, regarding the spring member of a female terminal, by having a first metal coating layer made of a different material from the material constituting the spring member, which is a layer that covers the outer surface of the inner plate portion that faces the inner surface of the side wall of the terminal body, and by leaving the outer surface of the bent portion of the connecting part that connects the inner plate portion and the outer plate portion, which faces the open end surface of the side wall, uncovered, wrinkles will not form in the coating layer of the spring member even when the plate material that will become the material of the female terminal is bent while having the first metal coating layer, and have completed the present invention.

[0011] (1) A terminal body comprising a spring member made of a first metal material and electrically connected to a male terminal, and a base portion made of a second metal material and electrically connected to the spring member, wherein the base portion has a pair of side walls separated by an insertion space into which a part of the male terminal can be inserted, and the spring member is attached to at least one of the pair of side walls constituting the base portion and has an inner plate portion facing the inner surface of the side wall, an outer plate portion facing the outer surface of the side wall, and a connecting portion facing the open end surface of the side wall and connecting the inner plate portion and the outer plate portion, and the connecting A female terminal having a connecting portion which has a bent portion formed by bending it according to the shape of the opening end of the side wall at the respective boundary positions between the inner plate portion and the outer plate portion, the inner plate portion which has an arm-shaped contact spring piece which extends from the opening position of the insertion space toward the insertion direction of the male terminal and contacts the male terminal, the spring member which has a first metal coating layer made of a third metal material different from the first metal material which constitutes the spring member which covers the outer surface of the inner plate portion which does not face the side wall, and the bent portion of the connecting portion which is not covered and has an exposed outer surface.

[0012] (2) The female terminal described in (1) above, wherein the first metal coating layer is composed of a plating layer.

[0013] (3) The female terminal as described in (1) or (2) above, wherein the first metal coating layer is made of silver, a silver alloy, gold, or a gold alloy.

[0014] (4) The female terminal according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the spring member further has a second metal coating layer that covers the outer surface of the outer plate portion which is the surface that does not face the side wall.

[0015] (5) The female terminal described in (4) above, wherein the second metal coating layer is composed of a plating layer.

[0016] (6) The female terminal according to (4) or (5) above, wherein the second metal coating layer is made of nickel or a nickel alloy.

[0017] (7) The female terminal according to any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the outer plate portion of the spring member has a joint portion that is conductively joined to the outer surface of the side wall of the base portion.

[0018] (8) The female terminal according to (7) above, wherein the joint portion is where the outer plate portion of the spring member and the side wall of the base portion are directly joined.

[0019] (9) The female terminal according to (7) or (8) above, wherein the joint portion is a laser welded portion.

[0020] (10) A connector having the female terminal according to any one of (1) to (9) above and a connector housing that houses the female terminal.

[0021] (11) A wire with a terminal, wherein the female terminal according to any one of (1) to (9) above is connected to an end portion of a wire.

[0022] (12) A wire with a connector, wherein the female terminal connected to an end portion of the wire with a terminal according to (11) above is housed in a connector housing.

[0023] (13) A wire harness including the wire with a terminal according to (11) above.

[0024] (14) A wire harness including the wire with a connector according to (12) above.

[0025] (15) A bus bar having the female terminal according to any one of (1) to (9) above at an end portion thereof.

Advantages of the Invention

[0026] According to the present invention, even when forming a spring member with fewer bending operations, wrinkles can be prevented from forming in the coating layer. This makes it possible to provide female terminals, connectors, busbars, wires with terminals, wires with connectors, and wire harnesses that offer improved processability through bending and prevent cracks caused by wrinkles in the coating layer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0027] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the female terminal of this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2(a) is a front view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1, viewed from the outer side of the terminal body's side wall, and Figure 1(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1, cut along the virtual plane P in Figure 1. Figure 3(a) shows the state before inserting the flat connecting blade, which is part of the male terminal, and Figure 3(b) shows the state after inserting the connecting blade. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the female connector shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the wire with connector according to this embodiment, where Figure 5(a) is a perspective view of the wire with connector as seen from the connection opening side of the connector housing, and Figure 5(b) is a view showing the internal structure of the connector housing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] Next, female terminals, connectors, busbars, wires with terminals, wires with connectors, and wire harnesses according to several embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[0029] 1. About female terminals Figure 1 is a perspective view of the female terminal of this embodiment. Figure 2(a) is a front view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1, viewed from the outer side of the side wall of the terminal body, and Figure 1(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view when cut along line AA in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1 when cut along the virtual plane P in Figure 1, with Figure 3(a) showing the state before inserting the flat connecting blade, which is part of the male terminal, and Figure 3(b) showing the state after inserting the connecting blade. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the female terminal 10 comprises a terminal body 15 having a spring member 30 made of a first metal material and electrically connected to the male terminal, and a base portion 20 made of a second metal material and electrically connected to the spring member 30. The base portion 20 has a pair of side walls 21 separated by an insertion space S into which a part of the male terminal can be inserted. The spring member 30 has at least one of the pair of side walls 21 that constitute the base portion 20, and in the female terminal 10 shown in Figure 1, it is attached to the pair of side walls 21, 21 and has an inner plate portion 31 facing the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21, an outer plate portion 32 facing the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21, and an inner plate portion 31 facing the open end surface 21c of the side wall 21. The inner plate portion 31 has a connecting portion (first connecting portion 33) that connects the inner plate portion 31 and the outer plate portion 32, and the connecting portion (first connecting portion 33) has a bent portion 33a formed by bending it according to the shape of the opening end 21d of the side wall 21 at the respective boundary positions with the inner plate portion 31 and the outer plate portion 32, the inner plate portion 31 has an arm-shaped contact spring piece 311 that extends from the opening position of the insertion space S toward the insertion direction of the male terminal and contacts the male terminal, the spring member 30 has a first metal coating layer 35 made of a third metal material different from the first metal material that constitutes the spring member 30 that covers the outer surface 31a of the inner plate portion 31 which is the surface that does not face the side wall 21, and the bent portion 33a of the connecting portion 33 is not covered and its outer surface 33b is exposed.

[0031] As a result, even if the spring member 30 of the female terminal 10 is bent while the plate material that will become the female terminal 10 has the first metal coating layer 35, no coating is formed on the bent portion 33a that is bent, and the outer surface 33b made of the first metal material is exposed, so that wrinkles do not form on the first metal coating layer 35.

[0032] Therefore, even when the spring member is formed in a single bending process, wrinkles can be prevented from forming in the coating layer. This allows for the provision of female terminals, connectors, busbars, wires with terminals, wires with connectors, and wire harnesses that prevent wrinkles from forming in the metal coating layer without deteriorating the surface appearance at the bent portion due to the bending process.

[0033] [About female connectors] As shown in Figure 1, the female terminal 10 of the present invention comprises a spring member 30 and a terminal body 15.

[0034] (Spring component) The spring member 30 is made of a first metal material and is electrically connected to the male terminal. Here, the first metal material can be a sheet material that is conductive and has high spring properties. It can be formed into the above shape by cutting it into a predetermined shape and bending it. In particular, from the viewpoint of the rollability of the first metal material and the high conductivity of the spring member 30, it is preferable that the first metal material is made of a sheet material made of a copper-based material including pure copper and copper alloys, or an iron-based material including pure iron and iron alloys. Among these, it is preferable that it is made of a sheet material of copper alloy of the Cu-Zn system, Cu-Ni-Si system, Cu-Sn-Ni system, Cu-Cr-Mg system, or Cu-Ni-Si-Zn-Sn-Mg system. Furthermore, it is preferable that the first metal material is a rolled material obtained by rolling. In addition, in order to give the first metal material spring properties, it is preferable that the thickness of the first metal material is thinner than the second metal material that constitutes the terminal body 15, which will be described later.

[0035] The electrical conductivity of the first metal material is preferably 60% IACS or higher, more preferably 80% IACS or higher. When the electrical conductivity of the first metal material is 60% IACS or higher, the spring member 30 has good conductivity.

[0036] The spring member 30 is attached to at least one of the pair of side walls 21 that constitute the base portion 20 of the terminal body 15, which will be described later. Preferably, in the case of the female terminal 10 shown in Figure 1, it is attached to the pair of side walls 21, 21. More specifically, as shown in Figure 3(b), the spring member 30 is configured to contact the connecting blade 6 of the male terminal, which is inserted into the insertion space S into which a portion of the male terminal can be inserted, so that an elastic force acts toward the inside of the insertion space S. This allows the spring member 30 to clamp the connecting blade 6 while applying an elastic force, thereby enabling an electrical connection between the spring member 30 and the connecting blade 6.

[0037] Furthermore, the spring member 30 has an inner plate portion 31 facing the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21, an outer plate portion 32 facing the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21, and a connecting portion (first connecting portion 33) facing the open end surface 21c of the side wall 21 and connecting the inner plate portion 31 and the outer plate portion 32. Here, the connecting portion (first connecting portion 33) has a bent portion 33a formed by bending it according to the shape of the open end 21d of the side wall 21 at the respective boundary positions with the inner plate portion 31 and the outer plate portion 32. In this case, as shown in Figure 4, the inner plate portion 31 and the outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30 are arranged with a gap in the width direction W, and when the spring member 30 is viewed from the end face side in the longitudinal direction L, the inner plate portion 31, the first connecting portion 33 and the outer plate portion 32 form an inverted U-shaped spring portion 30a that opens downwards in the direction Hd.

[0038] Of these, the outer plate portion 32 is formed to extend along a plane including the longitudinal direction L and the height direction H, and is positioned on the outer surface side of the side wall 21. The inner plate portion 31 is positioned inward in the width direction W from the outer plate portion 32 via the side wall 21. The first connecting portion 33 is configured to extend in the width direction W from the upper ends in the height direction H of the outer plate portion 32 and the inner plate portion 31.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inner plate portion 31 has an arm-shaped contact spring piece 311 that extends from the opening position of the insertion space S toward the insertion direction of a part of the male terminal (for example, the connecting blade 6) (in this female terminal 10, the height direction H) and contacts the male terminal. More specifically, the inner plate portion 31 has a frame portion 312 arranged along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21, and a plurality of contact spring pieces 311 that extend adjacently downward in the Hd direction from the longitudinal portion 31d of the frame portion 312. Here, as shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that the inner plate portion 31 is formed in a rectangular U-shape that opens toward the upward direction Hu by arranging a pair of inner plate portions 31, 31 separated by the insertion space S, and connecting their lower ends with a second connecting portion 34 which will be described later.

[0040] In this case, it is preferable that the contact spring piece 311 has a portion that gradually approaches the side wall 21 on the side where the contact spring piece 311 is located, as shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), as you move from the longitudinal portion 31d of the frame 312 toward the downward side Hd. More preferably, it has a separation portion 313 that gradually moves away from the side wall 21 on the side where the contact spring piece 311 is located as you move from the longitudinal portion 31d of the frame 312 toward the downward side Hd, and a proximity portion 314 provided at the tip of the separation portion 313 that gradually approaches the side wall 21 on the side where the contact spring piece 311 is located. By providing the separation portion 313, and more preferably the proximity portion 314, as shown in Figure 3(a), when inserting the connecting blade 6 of the male terminal, the contact spring piece 311 can elastically deform outward in the width direction W, making it easier to insert the connecting blade 6. In addition, as shown in Figure 3(b), even after the male terminal's connecting blade 6 is inserted, the contact spring piece 311 can grip the connecting blade 6 by applying an elastic force toward the inside of the insertion space S.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the contact spring piece 311 may have a convex contact portion 37 at a position that contacts the connecting blade 6 of the male terminal. Here, the contact spring piece 311 of the inner plate portion 31 is provided with a convex contact portion 37 that protrudes toward the insertion space S at the boundary between the separating portion 313 and the proximity portion 314. As a result, the contact portion 37 contacts the side surface of the inserted connecting blade 6, making it easier to electrically connect the spring member 30 and the male terminal.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4, the spring member 30 has a first metal coating layer 35 made of a third metal material different from the first metal material constituting the spring member 30, which covers the outer surface 31a of the inner plate portion 31, the surface that does not face the side wall 21. In particular, it is preferable that the first metal coating layer 35 is provided on at least the portion of the contact spring piece 311 on the outer surface 31a of the spring member 30, and more preferably on the surface of at least the contact portion 37 on the outer surface 31a. As a result, the outer surface 31a, which is the surface that contacts the male terminal, i.e., the surface that faces the insertion space S, is covered with a third metal material different from the first metal material constituting the spring member, so that conductivity that can withstand high voltage and high current can be provided at the contact portion between the spring member 30 and the male terminal. In particular, by providing the first metal coating layer 35 on the portion of the contact spring piece 311 that contacts the male terminal, preferably on the surface of the contact portion 37, the conductivity at the contact portion with the male terminal and the contact state with the male terminal can be appropriately adjusted.

[0043] The third metallic material used in the first metallic coating layer 35 can be a different material from the first metallic material. Here, "different metallic material" in this specification means a different material as a metallic material, and includes, for example, metallic materials belonging to the same metal species but having different alloy compositions. In particular, from the viewpoint of reducing the formation of an oxide film in the first metallic coating layer 35 and reducing the electrical resistance of the first metallic coating layer 35 to increase conductivity, it is preferable that the first metallic coating layer 35 be composed of silver, a silver alloy, gold, or a gold alloy, which is the third metallic material. By composing the first metallic coating layer 35 with silver, a silver alloy, gold, or a gold alloy, it is possible to stably reduce the electrical resistance even when the contact load with the connecting blade 6 of the male terminal is reduced, thereby making wear of the first metallic coating layer 35 less likely to occur. Among silver, silver alloys, gold, and gold alloys, it is more preferable that the first metal coating layer 35 be composed of silver (pure silver) or a silver alloy as the third metal material, from the viewpoint of reducing wear of the first metal coating layer 35 due to repeated insertion of male terminals. Here, if the first metal coating layer 35 is composed of a silver alloy, the first metal coating layer 35 may contain one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Sn, Zn, In, Ni, Cu, Se, Sb, and Co, from the viewpoint of further improving sliding properties. Furthermore, the third metal material constituting the first metal coating layer 35 is not limited to the above-mentioned silver, silver alloys, gold, and gold alloys, but can be selected as appropriate, for example, tin or a tin alloy can also be used.

[0044] The first metal coating layer 35 is preferably formed by a method including a plating process, from the viewpoint of providing excellent wear resistance and minimizing the influence of the surface properties of the spring member 30, which is the base material, on wear resistance. In other words, the first metal coating layer 35 is preferably composed of a plating layer.

[0045] The first metal coating layer 35 is preferably a highly wear-resistant film. More specifically, when the surface of the first metal coating layer 35 is subjected to 50 reciprocating slides using a friction and wear tester Tribogear (surface quality measuring instrument TYPE: 14FW, manufactured by Shinto Kagaku Co., Ltd.) with a contact load of 4N, a sliding distance of 50mm, and a sliding speed of 100mm / min, and then the ratio of the depth from the reference surface (the surface that has not been subjected to reciprocating slides) to the thickness of the first metal coating layer 35 is measured using a laser roughness meter, it is preferable that the ratio of the depth from the reference surface to the thickness of the first metal coating layer 35 (the ratio of the depth of the worn portion to the thickness of the first metal coating layer 35) is less than 1 / 5. When a male terminal is inserted, the spring member 30 is subjected to a force that pushes against the connecting blade 6. As a result, friction tends to occur on the surface of the spring member 30 each time the male terminal is inserted. However, by constructing the first metal coating layer 35 with a highly wear-resistant film, the first metal coating layer 35 is less likely to be removed by the connecting blade 6 even when the male terminal is inserted repeatedly, thus reducing wear on the coating layer.

[0046] Here, the average KAM value of the first metal coating layer 35 in the cross-section of the contact spring piece 311 is preferably 0.20° or more and 2.00° or less. By having an average KAM value of 0.20° or more in the cross-section of the contact spring piece 311, the amount of residual strain in the first metal coating layer 35 can be maintained at a high level, resulting in higher hardness and thus a highly wear-resistant film can be obtained. Furthermore, if the average KAM value of the first metal coating layer 35 is 2.00° or less, the decrease in bendability due to excessive strain in the first metal coating layer 35 can be suppressed. From this viewpoint, the lower limit of the average KAM value of the first metal coating layer 35 in the cross-section of the contact spring piece 311 is 0.20° or more, preferably 0.50° or more, and the upper limit is 2.00° or less, preferably 1.00° or less.

[0047] Furthermore, in the cross-section of the contact spring piece 311, the proportion of KAM values ​​of 1.00° or higher in the first metal coating layer 35 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the proportion of KAM values ​​of 1.00° or higher) is preferably 20% or higher, and more preferably 25% or higher. When the proportion of KAM values ​​of 1.00° or higher in the first metal coating layer 35 is 20% or higher, the wear resistance can be further improved by increasing the amount of strain in the first metal coating layer 35.

[0048] Furthermore, in the cross-section of the contact spring piece 311, it is preferable that the proportion of KAM values ​​of 1.00° or higher in the first metal coating layer 35 is 50% or less. When the proportion of KAM values ​​of 1.00° or higher in the first metal coating layer 35 is 50% or less, it is possible to suppress a decrease in bendability due to excessive strain in the first metal coating layer 35.

[0049] In this specification, the KAM (Kernel Average Misorientation) value is a value obtained by averaging the orientation difference between one pixel and the adjacent pixels surrounding it, and reflects the amount of strain within the first metal coating layer 35.

[0050] The KAM value can be obtained from crystal orientation analysis data calculated using analysis software (TSL Solutions, OIM Analysis) from crystal orientation data continuously measured using an EBSD detector (TSL Solutions, OIM5.0 HIKARI) attached to a high-resolution scanning analytical electron microscope (JEOL Ltd., JSM-7001FA). The measurement target is the surface of the first metal coating layer 35 on the surface of the contact spring piece 311, which has been mirror-finished with a cross-section polisher (JEOL), parallel to the rolling direction, and the measurement magnification is 30,000x. Measurements are taken in steps with a measurement interval of 50 nm or less, and measurement points with a CI value of 0.1 or less analyzed by the analysis software are excluded (noise reduction). Boundaries where the orientation difference between adjacent pixels is 5.00° or more are considered as crystal grain boundaries, and the KAM value is obtained. This measurement can be performed multiple times (multiple different measurement areas on the same sample), and the average value can be calculated to obtain the average KAM value. Furthermore, the percentage of KAM values ​​of 1.00° or higher can be obtained from the KAM value. Thus, the average KAM value is the average value of the KAM values ​​in the measurement area of ​​the first metal coating layer 35 measured at a magnification of 30,000x, and the percentage of KAM values ​​of 1.00° or higher is the percentage of KAM values ​​of 1.00° or higher relative to the KAM values ​​in the measurement area of ​​the first metal coating layer 35 measured at a magnification of 30,000x.

[0051] The lower limit of the average thickness of the first metal coating layer 35 is preferably 0.5 μm or more, more preferably 2.0 μm or more, and even more preferably 3.0 μm or more. The upper limit of the average thickness of the first metal coating layer 35 is preferably 5.0 μm or less. By having an average thickness of 0.5 μm or more of the first metal coating layer 35, the excellent wear resistance of the first metal coating layer 35 can be maintained over a long period of time. Furthermore, by having an average thickness of 5.0 μm or less of the first metal coating layer 35, the material cost of the first metal coating layer 35 can be suppressed.

[0052] As a means of forming such a first metal coating layer 35, for example, a means can be used in which a metal layer containing a third metal material is formed on a sheet material made of a first metal material by a plating method or the like, and then the sheet material with the metal layer formed thereon is rolled together with the metal layer. In particular, by rolling the sheet material with the metal layer formed thereon together with the metal layer, the amount of strain in the metal layer is increased, so the wear resistance of the first metal coating layer 35 can be improved. In this case, punching and bending are performed on the sheet material after rolling to make it the desired shape, but in the female terminal 10 of the present invention, since no coating is formed on the bent portion 33a of the first connecting portion 33 and the outer surface 33b is exposed, even if it is formed into the shape of a spring member in one bending process, no wrinkles are formed on the bent portion 33a, so the bendability can be greatly improved without deteriorating the surface appearance of the bent portion.

[0053] Here, the plating conditions for forming the metal layer containing the third metal material are a current density of 15 A / dm². 2 More than 30A / dm 2 By raising the bath temperature (liquid temperature) to 25°C or higher, prioritizing nucleation, numerous crystal grains with different crystal orientations grow, increasing the difference in crystal orientations and thus increasing the internal stress of the resulting metal layer.

[0054] Furthermore, when rolling a sheet material with a metal layer formed on it, the processing rate is preferably in the range of 5% to 15%. Here, if the processing rate is 5% or more, the amount of strain in the metal layer increases, thereby improving the wear resistance of the first metal coating layer 35. On the other hand, if the processing rate is 15% or less, the decrease in bendability due to excessive strain in the metal layer can be suppressed. The processing rate for rolling is the percentage obtained by dividing the difference between the cross-sectional area of ​​the sample before rolling and the cross-sectional area of ​​the sample after rolling by the cross-sectional area of ​​the sample before rolling.

[0055] As an example of a method for forming the first metal coating layer 35, the substrate (for example, EFTEC-550T, 80% IACS manufactured by Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.) is electrolytically degreased, then acid-washed, and finally the silver-containing layer is plated using an alkaline silver cyanide bath (50 g / L silver cyanide, 100 g / L potassium cyanide) at a bath temperature of 25°C (current density 15 A / dm²). 2 By forming it in this manner and then performing rolling with a processing rate of 10%, a first metal coating layer 35 can be obtained in which the ratio of the depth of the worn portion to the thickness of the first metal coating layer 35 is less than 1 / 10.

[0056] On the other hand, the bent portion 33a of the connecting portion (first connecting portion 33) is not covered, and its outer surface 33b is exposed. As a result, the first metal coating layer 35, which would wrinkle due to the bending process, is not formed on the bent portion 33a of the first connecting portion 33 of the spring member 30, so that the spring member can be formed with fewer bending processes without wrinkles forming in the coating layer. Here, the outer surface 33b exposed in the bent portion 33a of the first connecting portion 33 is made of the first metal material described above.

[0057] Furthermore, it is preferable that the spring member 30 further has a second metal coating layer 36 that covers the outer surface 32a of the outer plate portion 32, which is the surface that does not face the side wall 21. As a result, as will be described later, when a joint portion 40 is formed by welding using a laser such as a fiber laser welding machine at the portion where the outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30 and the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 of the terminal body 15 overlap, the laser absorption rate of the second metal coating layer 36 exposed on the outer surface 32a of the outer plate portion 32 is increased, making it easier to form the joint portion 40.

[0058] The fourth metal material used in the second metal coating layer 36 can be a different material from the first and third metal materials. In particular, from the viewpoint of further suppressing heat diffusion and improving adhesion, it is preferable that the second metal coating layer 36 be composed of nickel or a nickel alloy as the fourth metal material. Among these, it is more preferable that the second metal coating layer 36 be made of nickel or a Ni-P nickel alloy. Furthermore, the fourth metal material constituting the second metal coating layer 36 is not limited to the nickel and nickel alloys described above, but can be appropriately selected depending on the combination of materials constituting the first metal coating layer 35 and the contact spring piece 311.

[0059] Furthermore, the second metal coating layer 36 is preferably formed by plating, from the viewpoint of minimizing the influence of the surface properties of the spring member 30, which is the base material, on adhesion. In other words, the second metal coating layer 36 is preferably composed of a plating layer.

[0060] Preferably, the second metal coating layer 36 is further formed on the lower surface of the first metal coating layer 35 that covers the outer surface 31a of the inner plate portion 31, which is the surface that does not face the side wall 21. By providing the second metal coating layer 36 between the outer surface 31a of the inner plate portion 31 of the spring member 30 and the first metal coating layer 35, it is possible to suppress the thermal diffusion of the elements constituting the spring member 30 to the first metal coating layer 35, and to improve the adhesion between the spring member 30 and the first metal coating layer 35.

[0061] In particular, when the second metal coating layer 36 is formed on the lower surface of the first metal coating layer 35, the lower limit of the average thickness of the second metal coating layer 36 is preferably 0.01 μm or more, more preferably 0.10 μm or more, and even more preferably 0.30 μm or more. The upper limit of the average thickness of the second metal coating layer 36 is preferably 3.00 μm or less, more preferably 2.00 μm or less, and even more preferably 1.00 μm or less. If the average thickness of the second metal coating layer 36 is less than 0.01 μm, the above-mentioned suppression of heat diffusion and improvement of adhesion cannot be achieved. If the average thickness of the second metal coating layer 36 is greater than 3.00 μm, the bendability of the contact spring piece 311 deteriorates.

[0062] Furthermore, as an example of a method for forming a second metal coating layer 36 and then forming a first metal coating layer 35 on its surface, the substrate (for example, EFTEC-550T, 80% IACS manufactured by Furukawa Electric) is electrolytically degreased, then acid-cleaned, and finally the second metal coating layer 36 is plated using a nickel plating bath at a bath temperature of 55°C (500 g / L nickel sulfate hexahydrate, 30 g / L nickel chloride, 30 g / L boric acid) (current density 15 A / dm²). 2 The silver-containing layer is formed on the substrate surface using a plating method (current density 30 A / dm²) in an alkaline silver cyanide bath (50 g / L silver cyanide, 100 g / L potassium cyanide) at a bath temperature of 25°C. 2 By forming a second metal coating layer 36 on the surface of the first metal coating layer 35 and then performing rolling with a processing rate of 15%, a first metal coating layer 35 can be obtained in which the ratio of the depth of the worn portion to the thickness of the first metal coating layer 35 is less than 1 / 10. On the other hand, the current density for forming the silver-containing layer is 15-30 A / dm 2 If it is outside the range (for example, 40A / dm 2 If this is the case, the ratio of the depth of the worn portion to the thickness of the first metal coating layer 35 is greater than 1 / 5 of the first metal coating layer 35.

[0063] The frame portion 312 of the inner plate portion 31 of the spring member 30 has a vertical portion 31c that extends along the height direction H and a longitudinal portion 31d that extends along the longitudinal direction L, and is arranged along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. Here, it is preferable that the longitudinal portion 31d of the frame portion 312 connects the upper ends of the vertical portions 31c provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction L. In this case, the longitudinal portion 31d of the frame portion 312 that connects the upper ends of the vertical portions 31c has a contact spring piece 311 that extends in the direction of insertion of a part of the male terminal (in this female terminal 10, the height direction H).

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, when a pair of inner plate portions 31, 31 are arranged with an insertion space S between them, it is preferable that the frame portions 312, 312 of the pair of inner plate portions 31, 31 connect the lower ends of the vertical portions 31c of a plurality of inner plate portions 31 adjacent in the width direction W using the second connecting portion 34. This allows the pair of inner plate portions 31, 31 and the second connecting portion 34 to be formed in a rectangular U-shape that opens upward towards Hu when viewed from the end face side in the longitudinal direction L of the spring member 30.

[0065] Furthermore, the spring member 30 may be provided with two sets of inverted U-shaped spring sections 30a, which are rectangular inverted U-shaped with an opening at the bottom Hd when viewed from the longitudinal direction L, and which have an inner plate section 31 and an outer plate section 32 arranged thereon, as shown in the spring member 30 in Figure 4. These two sets of inverted U-shaped spring sections 30a are connected by second connecting sections 34 provided at both ends along the longitudinal direction L, so that the spring member 30 is arranged in a rectangular, approximately M-shape when viewed from the end face side in the longitudinal direction L.

[0066] Preferably, the distance between the outer plate portion 32 and the inner plate portion 31 in the inverted U-shaped spring portion 30a along the width direction W is the same as or slightly wider than the thickness of the side wall 21 along the width direction W. Also, when the pair of inner plate portions 31, 31 are connected in the width direction W by the second connecting portion 34, the distance between the inner plate portions 31, 31 in the width direction W is formed to be narrower than the distance between the pair of side walls 21, 21, i.e., the length of the insertion space S along the width direction W.

[0067] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the spring member 30 is positioned on the terminal body 15 by placing the inner plate portion 31 and the second connecting portion 34 of the spring member 30 in the insertion space S from the upper direction Hu in the height direction H of the base portion 20, with the outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30 positioned on the outside in the width direction W of the side wall 21, and further positioning the first connecting portion 33 in the mounting recess 23 at the upper end of the side wall 21, thereby providing the spring member 30 to the terminal body 15. At this time, the side wall 21 can be sandwiched from both sides in the width direction W by the frame portion 312 and the outer plate portion 32 of the inner plate portion 31.

[0068] (Terminal body) The terminal body 15 is made of a second metal material and has a base portion 20 that is electrically connected to the spring member 30. By being electrically connected to the spring member 30, the terminal body 15 can be electrically connected to a part of the male terminal.

[0069] The terminal body 15 shown in Figure 1 consists of a conductive base portion 20 that is electrically connected to the spring member 30 and a wire connection portion 11 that is connected to the electric wire 5.

[0070] Of these, the wire connection portion 11 is composed of, for example, a connecting plate 111 extending along the longitudinal direction L and the height direction H, and guide pieces 112 extending from the upper and lower ends of the connecting plate 111 in the height direction H to one side in the width direction W. The wire connection portion 11, composed of the connecting plate 111 and the guide pieces 112, is formed in a horizontal U-shape with one side in the width direction W open when viewed from the end face side in the longitudinal direction L of the spring member 30. In the wire connection portion 11 of Figure 1, it is formed in a horizontal rectangular U-shape with the front side in the width direction W open, but it is not limited to this.

[0071] The base portion 20 of the terminal body 15 has a pair of side walls 21 arranged with an insertion space S into which a part of the male terminal can be inserted. More specifically, as shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the base portion 20 includes a pair of side walls 21 arranged with an insertion space S into which the connecting blade 6 of the male terminal can be inserted, and a side wall connecting portion 22 that connects the lower ends of the side walls 21.

[0072] Here, as shown in Figure 1, the side walls 21 constituting the base portion 20 are positioned on one side along the longitudinal direction L relative to the wire connection portion 11 and are formed in a planar shape including the longitudinal direction L and the height direction H. Furthermore, two side walls 21 constituting the base portion 20 are provided separated by a predetermined interval along the width direction W. In addition, the side wall connecting portion 22 constituting the base portion 20 connects one end of a pair of side walls 21 along the height direction H in the width direction W. As a result, the base portion 20 is formed in a U-shape when viewed along the longitudinal direction L, because the upward direction Hu toward the height direction H is open from the side wall connecting portion 22.

[0073] The base portion 20 or side wall 21 of the terminal body 15 is formed continuously with the connecting plate 111 of the wire connection portion 11 in the longitudinal direction L. In particular, from the viewpoint of preventing damage to the first metal coating layer 35 and the second metal coating layer 36, and preventing obstruction of insertion into the male terminal's connecting blade 6 by the wire entering the insertion space S, it is preferable that the size of the insertion space S along the width direction W is smaller than the size of the space along the width direction W formed by the connecting plate 111 and the guide piece 112 of the wire connection portion 11.

[0074] Each of the pair of side walls 21 may have a mounting recess 23 formed at the upper end Hu, which is concave toward the lower end Hd, and into which the first connecting portion 33 of the spring member 30 is attached. More specifically, at both ends of the upper end Hu of the side wall 21 along the longitudinal direction L, regulating protrusions 24 are provided that protrude upward Hu at intervals that allow the spring member 30 to be attached, and the recess formed between these regulating protrusions 24 can be made into the mounting recess 23.

[0075] Of these, the restricting projection 24 abuts against the first connecting portion 33 of the spring member 30 which is mounted in the mounting recess 23, thereby preventing the spring member 30 from deviating from a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction L.

[0076] Preferably, at least the base portion 20 of the terminal body 15 is made of a second metallic material. Here, the second metallic material is preferably a conductive metallic plate material such as copper or a copper alloy, and more preferably a conductive metallic terminal plate material such as oxygen-free copper, tough pitch copper, or various copper alloys. The second metallic material may be a different material from the first metallic material that constitutes the spring member 30, or it may be the same material as the first metallic material. Furthermore, the terminal body 15 may be an unplated member with no plating treatment applied to the entire surface, but from the viewpoint of improving conductivity, especially at the contact portion with the electric wire, the electric wire connection portion 11 and the like may be partially plated.

[0077] The terminal body 15 is made of a thick plate having a predetermined thickness to accommodate high currents, and can be formed into the above shape by cutting out a predetermined shape and then bending it.

[0078] (joint part) The outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30 preferably has a joint portion 40 that is electrically joined to the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 of the base portion 20 of the terminal body 15, which will be described later. More specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, it is preferable that the portion where the outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30 and the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 of the terminal body 15 overlap is electrically joined by the joint portion 40. As a result, the outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30 and the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 of the terminal body 15, both of which are flat surfaces, are joined, and thus the conductivity at these joint portions can be increased.

[0079] Here, the joint 40 is preferably a laser-welded joint. In this case, the portion where the outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30 and the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 of the terminal body 15 overlap can be welded and fixed by moving the fiber laser welding machine. As a result, the portion of the contact area between the outer plate portion 32 and the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 that is irradiated with the laser is melted to form the joint 40, and these are connected and fixed in a conductive manner, so that the spring member 30 and the terminal body 15 can be joined in a conductive manner.

[0080] Furthermore, it is preferable that the joint 40 is formed by directly joining the outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30 and the side wall 21 of the base portion 20. In this case, it is preferable that the surface of the outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30 that is in contact with the side wall 21 of the base portion 20 does not have a plating layer. In particular, by not having another metal layer such as a plating layer between the outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30 and the side wall 21 of the base portion 20, alloying of the joint 40 by other metals is prevented, and thus the conductivity of the joint 40 can be further improved.

[0081] The fiber laser welding machine used to form the joint 40 has higher beam quality and higher power density compared to conventional semiconductor laser welding machines and YAG laser welding machines. Therefore, the joint 40, which is the weld bead welded by the fiber laser welding machine, is a high-speed, low-heat-affect weld.

[0082] Here, instead of providing the first metal coating layer 35 on the surface of the outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30, the joint portion 40 can be formed by irradiating the second metal coating layer 36 with a laser, thereby enabling laser welding. In particular, by making the second metal coating layer 36 out of nickel or a nickel alloy, the reflectivity of the laser in the irradiated area becomes lower than that of the material constituting the first metal coating layer 35, especially silver or a silver alloy, improving weldability and making it possible to perform fiber laser welding more efficiently.

[0083] In the above description, the outer plate portion 32 of the spring member 30 and the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 were melted using a fiber laser welding machine to form a joint 40 and connect them electrically. However, the joint 40 may also be formed by fusion welding such as arc welding, pressure welding such as resistance welding, ultrasonic welding or friction welding, or brazing such as brazing or soldering.

[0084] [Regarding connectors, busbars, terminal wires, connector wires, and wire harnesses] Figure 5 shows the wire with connector according to this embodiment, where Figure 5(a) is a perspective view of the wire with connector as seen from the connection opening side of the connector housing, and Figure 5(b) is a view showing the internal structure of the connector housing.

[0085] As shown in Figure 5, the female terminal 10 described above can be combined with a connector housing 2 that houses the female terminal 10 to form a connector 1a. That is, a connector 1a can be formed having the female terminal 10 described above and a connector housing 2 that houses the female terminal 10.

[0086] Here, the connector housing 2 has a first housing portion 2a which is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having an arrangement space 2c, and a wire insertion portion 2b which extends from the first housing portion 2a. The female terminal 10 provided at the end of the wire 5 inserted through the wire insertion portion 2b is arranged in the arrangement space 2c inside the first housing portion 2a.

[0087] The arrangement space 2c in which the female terminal 10 is placed is opened in a direction different from the direction in which the wire insertion portion 2b is placed in the first housing portion 2a, and at least the insertion space S of the female terminal 10 placed inside is exposed to the outside of the connector housing 2 through the opening of the arrangement space 2c.

[0088] The female terminal 10 described above can be combined with the wire 5 to form a wire with a terminal 4. That is, a wire with a terminal 4 can be formed by connecting the female terminal 10 described above to the end of the wire 5.

[0089] Here, as the electric wire 5, a round electric wire for high currents in which the internal conductor is covered with an insulating coating can be used, and the female terminal 10 described above can be connected to the conductor that is exposed when the insulating coating is stripped off at the end of the electric wire 5.

[0090] Furthermore, the female terminal 10 connected to the end of the terminal-equipped wire 4 may be housed in a connector housing 2 to constitute the connector-equipped wire 1.

[0091] Here, the wire with connector 1 can have a male connector connected to the opening of the first housing portion 2a, and the male terminals provided on the male connector can be electrically connected to the female terminals 10 located in the arrangement space 2c.

[0092] The wire with connector 1 in Figure 5 has two wires 4 with terminals attached, and two female terminals 10 are arranged adjacent to each other in the arrangement space 2c of the connector housing 2, but the configuration is not limited to this.

[0093] The wire with connector 1 can, for example, constitute the end of a wire harness, or the end of a branch wire branching off from the main line of a wire harness. In other words, a wire harness can include the wire with connector 1.

[0094] Alternatively, a wire harness may be constructed using a terminal-equipped wire 4, which has a female terminal 10 connected to the end of the wire 5. In other words, the wire harness may include a terminal-equipped wire 4.

[0095] In the above description, the terminal body 15 is formed by the wire connection part 11 and the base part 20. However, instead of the wire connection part 11 to which the wire 5 is connected, a plate-shaped conductive member such as a busbar may be used, or a plate-shaped conductive member such as a busbar may be joined or electrically connected to the wire connection part 11. In other words, a busbar having a female terminal 10 at its end may be constructed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 1. Electrical wire with connector 1a connector 2 Connector Housing 2a First Housing Section 2b Wire insertion section 2c placement space 4 terminal wires 5 Electric wire 6 Male connector blades 10 Female terminals 11. Wire connection section 111 Connecting plate 112 Guide Slip 15 Terminal body 20 Base 21 Side wall 21a Inner surface of the side wall 21b Outer surface of the side wall 21c Open end face of the side wall 21d Open end of side wall 22 Side wall connection 23 Mounting recess 24 Regulatory protrusions 30 Spring component 30a Inverted U-shaped spring section 31 Inner plate part 311 Contact spring piece 312 Frame section 313 Separation part 314 Proximity section 31a Outer surface of the inner plate 31c Upper and lower portion of the frame 31d Longitudinal portion of the frame 32 Outer panel part 32a Outer surface of the outer panel 33 (1st) Connection part 33a (1st) Bent portion of the connecting section 33b Outer surface of the bent portion 34 2nd connection part 35 First metal coating layer 36 Second metal coating layer 37 Contact point 40 Joint H (height direction) Hu upward direction Hd Downward L Longitudinal direction S insertion space W (width direction)

Claims

1. A spring member made of a first metal material and electrically connected to a male terminal, and Terminal body made of a second metal material and having a base portion electrically connected to the spring member Equipped with, The base portion has a pair of side walls arranged with an insertion space into which a part of the male terminal can be inserted, The spring member is, It is attached to at least one of the pair of side walls that constitute the base portion, An inner plate portion facing the inner surface of the side wall, The outer plate portion facing the outer surface of the side wall, A connecting portion facing the open end surface of the side wall, which connects the inner plate portion and the outer plate portion, It has, The connecting portion has a bent portion formed at the respective boundary positions between the inner plate portion and the outer plate portion, which is bent according to the shape of the opening end of the side wall. The inner plate portion extends from the opening of the insertion space toward the insertion direction of the male terminal and has an arm-shaped contact spring piece that contacts the male terminal. The spring member has a first metal coating layer made of a third metal material different from the first metal material constituting the spring member, which covers the outer surface of the inner plate portion that does not face the side wall, and the bent portion of the connecting portion is left uncovered and its outer surface is exposed.

2. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the first metal coating layer is composed of a plating layer.

3. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the first metal coating layer is made of silver, a silver alloy, gold, or a gold alloy.

4. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the spring member further comprises a second metal coating layer that covers the outer surface of the outer plate portion that does not face the side wall.

5. The female terminal according to claim 4, wherein the second metal coating layer is composed of a plating layer.

6. The female terminal according to claim 4, wherein the second metal coating layer is made of nickel or a nickel alloy.

7. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the outer plate portion of the spring member has a joint portion that is electrically bonded to the outer surface of the side wall of the base portion.

8. The female terminal according to claim 7, wherein the joint is formed by directly joining the outer plate portion of the spring member and the side wall of the base portion.

9. The female terminal according to claim 7, wherein the joint is a laser-welded joint.

10. A connector comprising a female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and a connector housing for housing the female terminal.

11. A wire with a terminal, wherein a female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is connected to the end of the wire.

12. A wire with a connector, wherein the female terminal connected to the end of the wire with a terminal as described in claim 11 is housed in a connector housing.

13. A wire harness including a wire with terminals as described in claim 11.

14. A wire harness including a wire with a connector as described in claim 12.

15. A busbar having a female terminal at one end as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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