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

Abstract

To provide a female terminal 100 capable of ensuring conductivity while facilitating connection with a male terminal 200 without correcting deformation caused by fixing a conductor 3a of a wire 3, a connector, an electric wire with a terminal 4, and a wire harness 1.SOLUTION: A female terminal 100 molded with a conductive plate material with a predetermined thickness includes: a wire fixing part 13 for fixing a conductor 3a of an electrical wire 3: and a terminal connection part 11 that is juxtaposed along with the wire fixing part 13 in a front and rear direction X, and to which a male terminal 200 is connected from a top to a bottom. The wire fixing part 13 is formed in a shape that has a main surface on which the conductor 3a of the electrical wire 3 whose longitudinal direction approximately coincides with the front-rear direction X is fixed. The terminal connection part 11 is formed in a shape that faces a direction of rotation around the longitudinal direction of the electrical wire 3 with a main surface that intersects the main surface of the wire fixing part 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, a connection terminal and a connector that are attached to the tip of a large-current electric wire, as well as a terminal-attached electric wire with a connection terminal attached to the tip of an 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 in which electric wires are bundled. For this reason, a connection terminal for connecting to a power source or an electrical device is provided at the tip of the electric wire.

[0003] Incidentally, in such a wire harness, it is known that when fixing the conductor of an electric wire to a connection terminal, the connection terminal and / or the electric wire is 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 an electric wire fixing portion to which a conductor of an electric wire is fixed, it is described that the terminal connection portion deforms in a bend-up direction or a twist direction relative to the electric wire fixing portion due to the load when fixing the conductor.

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

[0006] In this case, it is conceivable to correct the deformed portion of the connection terminal and / or the electric wire, for example, when the connection terminal is accommodated 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 relates to a connector formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness, comprising: a wire fixing portion for fixing the conductor of an electric wire; and a terminal connection portion arranged side by side with respect to the wire fixing portion along a predetermined series direction, to which another connector is connected in a connection direction perpendicular to the series direction, wherein the wire fixing portion is formed to have a main surface on which the conductor of the electric wire, whose longitudinal direction substantially coincides with the series direction or the connection direction, is fixed, and the terminal connection portion is formed to have a main surface facing a rotational direction with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire as its axis, and facing in a direction intersecting the main surface of the wire fixing portion. A plate-shaped extension is provided that extends from the terminal connection portion in the series direction and has a main surface parallel to the main surface of the terminal connection portion, and the wire fixing portion extends from one end of the extension portion on the side opposite to the connection direction toward the plate thickness direction of the extension portion. It is characterized by the following.

[0011] Furthermore, this invention is characterized in that it is a connector provided with the above-mentioned connection terminal and a connector housing that accommodates the connection terminal, wherein the connector housing is provided with a holding portion capable of holding an electric wire fixed to the connection terminal and a housing space capable of accommodating the connection terminal when bent up or bent down.

[0012] Furthermore, this invention is characterized by being a wire with a terminal, which is provided with the above-mentioned connection terminal and a wire to which a conductor is connected to the wire fixing portion of the connection terminal. Furthermore, this invention is characterized by a wire harness comprising the aforementioned terminal-equipped wire and a connector housing that accommodates the connection terminals of the terminal-equipped wire which have been bent up or bent down.

[0013] The above-mentioned connectors refer to female connectors to which male connectors are connected, or male connectors to which female connectors are connected. Fixing the above-mentioned conductors means fixing them by crimping or other methods of fastening, or by welding such as ultrasonic welding or resistance welding. The main surface of the terminal connection section refers to the surface that is approximately parallel to the connection direction and faces another connection terminal.

[0014] According to this invention, a terminal connection portion has a main surface that rotates with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire as its axis and intersects the main surface of the electric wire fixing portion, thereby facilitating connection to another connection terminal and ensuring conductivity without correcting deformation associated with the fixing of the electric wire's conductor.

[0015] Specifically, if the wire fixing section bends up or down in the direction of its plate thickness as the conductor is fixed, the wire fixing section and the terminal connection section rotate together in the direction of the bend up or bend down.

[0016] In this case, the main surface of the terminal connection part faces the rotational direction with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire as its axis, and is oriented in a direction that intersects the main surface of the electric wire fixing part, for example, in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the main surface of the electric wire fixing part. Therefore, with respect to the rotational direction associated with fixing the conductor, the main surface of the wire fixing part intersects the main surface of the terminal connection part, and the main surface of the terminal connection part is approximately parallel.

[0017] Therefore, the main surface of the terminal connection after bending up or down will have approximately the same orientation as the main surface of the terminal connection before bending up or down. As a result, even if the wire fixing section experiences a bend up or down in the thickness direction, the connection terminal can be made nearly parallel to another connection terminal connected in the same direction, minimizing misalignment of the terminal connection section.

[0018] Therefore, connection terminals, connectors, wires with terminals, and wire harnesses can ensure conductivity by facilitating connection to other connection terminals without correcting deformation associated with the fixing of the wire's conductor. In addition, the connector housing can accommodate and hold bent-up or bent-down connection terminals, making it easy to configure connectors and wire harnesses.

[0019] Ma Ta,a plate-shaped extending portion that extends from the terminal connecting portion toward the serial direction and has a main surface parallel to the main surface of the terminal connecting portion is provided, and the electric wire fixing portion extends from one end of the extending portion on the opposite side to the connecting direction toward the plate thickness direction of the extending portion There are .

[0020] According to this configuration, since the electric wire fixing portion is formed toward the plate thickness direction of the extending portion extended from the terminal connecting portion, the electric wire fixing portion and the terminal connecting portion having different main surface orientations can be easily formed without twisting the conductive plate material.

[0021] Furthermore, since the terminal connecting portion and the electric wire fixing portion are connected via the plate-shaped extending portion, the plate-shaped extending portion can improve the bending rigidity and torsional rigidity between the terminal connecting portion and the electric wire fixing portion.

[0022] For this reason, the connection terminal can prevent unintended deformation of the extending portion when the conductor is fixed. Therefore, the connection terminal can ensure that the terminal connecting portion is substantially parallel to another connection terminal connected in the connecting direction, thereby further facilitating connection with the another connection terminal.

[0023] As an aspect of the present invention, the terminal connecting portion is generally U-shaped in cross section having a bottom portion and a pair of opposing wall portions, and is a female type in which a part of a male terminal is connected in the connecting direction that is parallel to the main surface of the wall portion and goes from the opening of the generally U-shaped cross section toward the bottom portion, and a conductive spring member that elastically supports a part of the male terminal with the wall portion of the terminal connecting portion as a reaction force and electrically connects the male terminal and the terminal connecting portion may be provided.

[0024] According to this configuration, since the spring member elastically supports a part of the male terminal with the wall portion of the terminal connecting portion as a reaction force, the adhesion to the male terminal can be improved compared to the case where the terminal connecting portion directly contacts a part of the male terminal. Therefore, even if the conductor is bent up or down due to the fixing of the conductor, the connection terminal can more reliably ensure conductivity between the terminal connection and the male terminal.

[0025] In another aspect of this invention, the contact point between the spring member and the male terminal may be provided on a substantially arc-shaped imaginary line that protrudes in the opposite direction to the connection direction when viewed from the thickness direction of the wall portion.

[0026] With this configuration, since the contact point between the spring member and the male terminal is located on a roughly arc-shaped imaginary line, it becomes easier to ensure contact between the spring member's contact point and the male terminal when the connecting terminal is bent up or bent down, compared to when the contact point is located on an imaginary line that is roughly parallel in the series direction.

[0027] This ensures reliable conductivity with the male terminal even when the connection terminal is bent up or down due to the fixing of the conductor.

[0028] In another aspect of this invention, the spring members may be arranged in a plurality along the series direction, and each has an arm-shaped arm spring that extends along the connection direction and contacts the male terminal, with the base of the arm spring provided on a substantially arc-shaped imaginary line that is substantially similar to the imaginary line connecting the contacts when viewed from the thickness direction of the wall portion.

[0029] With this configuration, the base of the arm spring is positioned on a roughly arc-shaped imaginary line that is roughly similar to the imaginary line connecting the contacts, so the length in the connection direction from the base to the contacts can be made the same for each arm spring.

[0030] This allows the biasing force and detent feel to be uniform for each arm spring, making it easier to manage the connection status of the male terminals. Therefore, the connector terminal can prevent connection failures with the male connector and reliably ensure conductivity with the male connector.

[0031] Furthermore, this invention, The device is formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness and comprises a wire fixing portion for fixing the conductor of an electric wire, and a terminal connection portion which is positioned parallel to the wire fixing portion along a predetermined series direction and to which another connection terminal is connected in a connection direction perpendicular to the series direction, wherein the wire fixing portion is formed to have a main surface on which the conductor of the electric wire, whose longitudinal direction substantially coincides with the series direction or the connection direction, is fixed, and the terminal connection portion is formed to have a main surface which faces in a rotational direction with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire as its axis and intersects the main surface of the wire fixing portion, and a plate-shaped extension portion is provided which extends from the terminal connection portion toward the series direction and has a main surface which is parallel to the main surface of the terminal connection portion, and the wire fixing portion extends from one end of the extension portion toward the thickness direction of the extension portion toward the connection direction of the extension portion. The first connection terminal is a connection terminal, The device is formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness and comprises a wire fixing portion for fixing the conductor of an electric wire, and a terminal connection portion which is positioned parallel to the wire fixing portion along a predetermined series direction and to which another connection terminal is connected in a connection direction perpendicular to the series direction, wherein the wire fixing portion is formed to have a main surface on which the conductor of the electric wire, whose longitudinal direction substantially coincides with the series direction or the connection direction, is fixed, and the terminal connection portion is formed to have a main surface which faces in a direction that is perpendicular to the main surface of the wire fixing portion and whose axis is the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and a plate-shaped extension portion is provided which extends from the terminal connection portion toward the series direction and has a main surface which is parallel to the main surface of the terminal connection portion, and the wire fixing portion extends from one end of the extension portion on the side opposite to the connection direction toward the thickness direction of the extension portion. The connector is characterized by having a second connection terminal, which is a connection terminal, and a connector housing that can accommodate at least one pair of the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal, which are arranged side by side in the thickness direction of the wall portion and have wire fixing portions facing each other in the connection direction.

[0032] According to this invention, since the wire fixing portion of the first connection terminal and the wire fixing portion of the second connection terminal are located at substantially the same position in the thickness direction of the extended portion, the length of the extended portion in the thickness direction can be shortened compared to, for example, the case where a pair of first connection terminals are placed side by side in the thickness direction of the extended portion. This allows the connector housing to be made more compact in the thickness direction of the extended portion, thus preventing the connector from becoming excessively large.

[0033] In an embodiment of this invention, the connector housing may be configured to house and hold the terminal connection portion of the first connection terminal and the terminal connection portion of the second connection terminal in a state substantially parallel to the series direction.

[0034] With this configuration, the connector housing holds the terminal connection portions in a substantially parallel state in the series direction, thus preventing, for example, the terminal connection portion of the bent-up first connection terminal and the terminal connection portion of the bent-down second connection terminal from being housed in a staggered state in the connection direction.

[0035] Therefore, when a male connector is connected, the connector can make the connection state between the first connection terminal and the male terminal, and the connection state between the second connection terminal and the male terminal, approximately the same. Therefore, the connector can stably ensure conductivity with multiple male terminals without correcting the deformation caused by the fixing of the wire conductors.

[0036] In addition, since the connector housing holds the first and second connection terminals, the connector housing eliminates the need to hold the wires that are led out to the outside. Therefore, the connector housing makes it easy to bundle the wires that are led out to the outside, for example, with adhesive tape. [Effects of the Invention]

[0037] 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]

[0038] [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 cross-sectional view showing the cross-section of the female terminal as seen through the BB arrow in Figure 2. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram illustrating the general structure of a spring component. [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram illustrating the deformation of a wire with terminals due to the fixing of a conductor. [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 three wires with terminals spaced apart in the width direction. [Figure 10] An explanatory diagram illustrating the general layout of the second female connector and the third female connector. [Figure 11] A cross-sectional view showing the cross-section of the female terminal as seen through the CC arrow in Figure 8. [Figure 12] An explanatory diagram illustrating the first terminal wire and the second terminal wire. [Figure 13]An explanatory diagram illustrating the deformation of a wire with a third terminal due to the fixing of the conductor. [Figure 14] An explanatory diagram illustrating the arrangement of wires with terminals, separated in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 15] An external perspective view showing the appearance of the female terminal in Example 3. [Figure 16] An explanatory diagram showing a wire with terminals. [Figure 17] An explanatory diagram illustrating the general layout of the female terminal in Example 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0039] One embodiment of this invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. [Examples]

[0040] In Example 1, a wire harness 1 in which a female terminal 100 and a connector housing 2 are attached to the end of an electric wire 3 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.

[0041] 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, and Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the general shape of the female terminal 100, with Figure 4(a) showing an external perspective view of the female terminal 100 and Figure 4(b) showing an exploded perspective view of the female terminal 100.

[0042] Furthermore, Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the female terminal 100 as seen through the BB arrow in Figure 2, and Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the general structure of the spring member 20. Figure 6(a) shows a cross-sectional perspective view of the spring member 20 with a portion of it shown in a transparent state, and Figure 6(b) shows a side view of the arm spring 25.

[0043] In addition, Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the deformation of the terminal-equipped wire 4 due to the fixing of the conductor 3a. Figure 7(a) shows a side view of the female terminal 100 and wire 3 before the conductor is fixed, and Figure 7(b) shows a side view of the female terminal 100 and wire 3 after the wire is fixed.

[0044] 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).

[0045] 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 4 with terminals, each having a female terminal 100 (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 3.

[0046] The wire harness 1 houses the female terminals 100 of two wires 4 with terminals attached, which are arranged side-by-side in the width direction Y with the longitudinal direction of the wires 3 roughly aligned with the front-to-back direction X, inside the connector housing 2.

[0047] 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 to one side in the front-rear direction X.

[0048] As shown in Figure 3, in this connector housing 2, in a side view, the wire 3 of the terminal-equipped wire 4 is housed and held in the wire housing section 2b in a state substantially parallel to the front-to-back direction X, and the female terminal 100 of the terminal-equipped wire 4 is housed in the terminal housing section 2a in a state tilted upward with respect to the front-to-back direction X.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the bottom surface inside the terminal housing section 2a is formed as an inclined surface that is substantially parallel to the lower end of the female terminal 100, which is tilted upward with respect to the front-to-back direction X. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, two electric wires 3 are inserted into the inside of the electric wire housing section 2b, and a retaining member 2c that holds the two inserted electric wires 3 is fitted into place.

[0050] 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 3 in cooperation with the wire housing 2b, and preventing dust and moisture from entering the inside of the connector housing 2.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1(b) to 3, the terminal-equipped wire 4 comprises a wire 3 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 100 which is electrically connected to one end of the wire 3.

[0052] More specifically, the electric wire 3 consists of a conductive conductor and an insulating coating that covers the conductor. The tip of the conductor of this electric wire 3 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 13 of the female terminal 100, which will be described later, by welding such as ultrasonic welding or resistance welding.

[0053] 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 13 of the female terminal 100, and is fixed to the wire fixing part 13 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 3 will be denoted as conductor 3a and described accordingly.

[0054] Furthermore, as will be described in detail later, the female terminal 100 has a wire fixing portion 13 on one side in the front-to-back direction X to which the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 is fixed, and a terminal connection portion 11 on the other side in the front-to-back direction X to which the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 is connected. As shown in Figure 3, in such a wire with terminals 4, the base end of the conductor 3a is bent and deformed in the vertical direction due to the load applied when the wire 3 is fixed to the wire fixing part 13.

[0055] Next, we will describe in detail the female terminal 100 of the above-described embodiment 1. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the female terminal 100 comprises a terminal body 10 having the terminal connection portion 11 and wire fixing portion 13 described above, and a spring member 20 that elastically supports the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 connected to the terminal connection portion 11.

[0056] Specifically, the terminal body 10 of the female terminal 100 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 a 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.

[0057] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the terminal body 10 consists of a terminal connection section 11 into which the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 is inserted from above to below, an extension section 12 extending from the terminal connection section 11 to one side in the front-rear direction X, and a wire fixing section 13 extending from the extension section 12 in the width direction Y, to which the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 is fixed.

[0058] Furthermore, the terminal body 10 is formed such that the main surface of the wire fixing portion 13 is a surface for fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned with the front-to-back direction X, and the main surface of the terminal connection portion 11 is oriented in a direction of rotation with the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction X) of the electric wire 3 as its axis, and is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the wire fixing portion 13.

[0059] More specifically, as shown in Figures 4(b) and 5, 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.

[0060] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the terminal connection section 11 is configured to be electrically connectable to the connection blade 201 of the male terminal 200, which is inserted downward through an opening with a substantially U-shaped cross-section, via a spring member 20, which will be described later.

[0061] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, 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 201 of the male terminal 200. This wall portion 11a is arranged such that the main surface facing the other wall portion 11a is substantially parallel to the vertical and front-to-back directions X, and perpendicular to the width direction Y.

[0062] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5, 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 top surface, is arranged to be substantially parallel to the front-to-back direction X and the width direction Y, and perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0063] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4(b), the extension portion 12 of the terminal body 10 is a flat plate with the width direction Y being the thickness direction, and is formed by extending one wall portion 11a of the terminal connection portion 11 toward one side in the front-rear direction X. For this reason, the main surface of the extension portion 12 is formed substantially parallel to the main surface of the wall portion 11a.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the wire fixing portion 13 of the terminal body 10 is a flat plate in plan view that is roughly rectangular and long in the front-to-back direction X with the vertical direction being the plate thickness direction, and the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is roughly aligned with the front-to-back direction X, is formed to be fixed along the vertical direction.

[0065] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the wire fixing portion 13 is formed by extending in the width direction Y from the lower end of the extension portion 12 toward the other wall portion 11a at a predetermined distance from the terminal connection portion 11 on one side in the front-rear direction X.

[0066] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the main surface of the wire fixing portion 13 is formed to be in approximately the same vertical position as the main surface of the bottom portion 11b of the terminal connection portion 11, and is approximately parallel to the main surface of the bottom portion 11b.

[0067] In other words, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the wire fixing portion 13 is formed with a main surface that is rotated approximately 90 degrees with respect to the main surface of the wall portion 11a in the terminal connection portion 11, with respect to the front-to-back direction X as the axis of rotation.

[0068] In Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 4(a), the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is approximately aligned with the front-to-back direction X, is fixed to the upper surface, which is one of the main surfaces of the electric wire fixing part 13, whose vertical direction is the plate thickness direction.

[0069] Furthermore, the spring member 20 of the female terminal 100 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.

[0070] Furthermore, the spring member 20 is configured to contact the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 inserted between the walls 11a of the terminal body 10, and to act on the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 with a biasing force directed toward the other wall 11a, using one wall 11a as a reaction force. Furthermore, the spring member 20 has a plating treatment applied to its surface, such as tin plating, to improve its conductivity.

[0071] More specifically, as shown in Figure 5, 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.

[0072] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, 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.

[0073] Specifically, as shown in Figures 4(a) and 5, 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.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, 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.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the inner surface portion 23 of the spring member 20 is installed vertically along the main surface of the wall portion 11a from the inside in the width direction Y of the fixed surface portion 21, 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.

[0076] As shown in Figure 6, this inner surface portion 23 is formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular frame when viewed from the side by an opening 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. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(b), the upper edge of the opening 23a is formed in a roughly arc shape in side view, projecting upward.

[0077] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, 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.

[0078] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6(a), the arm springs 25 of the spring member 20 are cantilevered elastic pieces extending downward from the upper edge of the opening 23a in the inner surface portion 23, and multiple such pieces are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction X.

[0079] The base portion 25a of this arm spring 25 is located on a roughly arc-shaped imaginary line (not shown) that protrudes upward in a side view, as shown in Figure 6(b), because the upper edge of the opening portion 23a is formed in a roughly arc shape when viewed from the side.

[0080] To elaborate further, as shown in Figure 5, the arm spring 25 extends downward from the upper edge of the opening 23a toward the other wall portion 11a, and then, with its tip as the top, it is folded back toward the lower edge of the opening 23a.

[0081] 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 201 of the male terminal 200. Therefore, the top of the arm spring 25 functions as a contact point 25b that contacts the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200.

[0082] As shown in Figure 6(b), these multiple arm springs 25 are formed to have the same vertical length from the base 25a to the contact point 25b in a side view. Therefore, in a side view, the contact point 25b of the arm spring 25 is located on a substantially arc-shaped imaginary line (not shown) that is substantially similar to the substantially arc-shaped imaginary line connecting the bases 25a.

[0083] Next, the process by which the base end of the conductor 3a bends and deforms in the vertical direction when the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 is fixed to the electric wire fixing part 13 of the female terminal 100 will be explained using Figure 7. First, as shown in Figure 7(a), the worker or assembly device places the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 from above onto the upper surface of the wire fixing portion 13 of the female terminal 100, 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 3a of the electric wire 3 on the upper surface of the electric wire fixing part 13 such that the center of the width direction Y on the upper surface of the electric wire fixing part 13 and the central axis of the electric wire 3 substantially coincide in a plan view.

[0084] Subsequently, the worker or assembly device fixes the conductor 3a of the wire 3, whose insulating coating is held by a suitable jig, to the wire fixing portion 13 of the female terminal 100, 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 4.

[0085] At this time, the load applied to the female terminal 100 and the conductor 3a during welding causes the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 to be crushed and deform from a roughly circular cross-section to a roughly plate-shaped cross-section, and the base end of the conductor 3a bends and deforms in the vertical direction, causing the electric wire 3 to bend vertically (see Figure 7(b)).

[0086] More specifically, if the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 13 of the female terminal 100 is considered to be the vertical direction, then, as shown in Figure 7(b), the base end of the conductor 3a of the wire 3 bends and deforms so that the conductor 3a of the wire 3 and the female terminal 100 bend upward with respect to the central axis T of the wire 3.

[0087] Subsequently, the worker or assembly device houses the terminal-equipped wire 4 inside the connector housing 2 to form the wire harness 1. In this case, as shown in Figure 2, the female terminal 100 of the wire 4 with terminals is housed inside the connector housing 2 such that, in a plan view, 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 3, and the main surface of the wall portion 11a is approximately parallel.

[0088] As described above, the female terminal 100 of Embodiment 1, which is formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness, is provided with a wire fixing portion 13 for fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, and a terminal connection portion 11 which is positioned parallel to the wire fixing portion 13 along the front-rear direction X and to which the male terminal 200 is connected from top to bottom.

[0089] Furthermore, the female terminal 100 is formed such that the wire fixing portion 13 has a main surface to which the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned with the front-to-back direction X, is fixed, and the terminal connection portion 11 is formed such that it faces the rotational direction with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 as its axis, and has a main surface that is substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the wire fixing portion 13.

[0090] Furthermore, the connector of Embodiment 1 includes the female terminal 100 described above and a connector housing 2 that accommodates the female terminal 100. The connector housing 2 of Embodiment 1 is provided with a holding member 2c that can hold the electric wire 3 fixed to the female terminal 100 and a housing space that can accommodate the bent female terminal 100.

[0091] Furthermore, the terminal-equipped wire 4 of Example 1 is provided with the female terminal 100 described above and a wire 3 to which a conductor 3a is connected to the wire fixing portion 13 of the female terminal 100. Furthermore, the wire harness 1 of Embodiment 1 includes the aforementioned wire with terminals 4 and a connector housing 2 that accommodates the female terminals 100 of the bent wire with terminals 4.

[0092] With this configuration, the terminal connection portion 11, which has a main surface that rotates with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 as its axis and is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the electric wire fixing portion 13, makes it possible to easily connect to the male terminal 200 and ensure conductivity without correcting the deformation that occurs when fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3.

[0093] Specifically, when the wire fixing portion 13 bends up or down in the thickness direction, as a result of fixing the conductor 3a, the wire fixing portion 13 and the terminal connection portion 11 rotate together in the bend-up direction or the bend-down direction.

[0094] In this case, the main surface of the terminal connection portion 11 faces the rotational direction with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 as its axis, and is oriented approximately perpendicular to the main surface of the electric wire fixing portion 13. As a result, the main surface of the electric wire fixing portion 13 intersects with the rotational direction associated with the fixing of the conductor 3a, while the main surface of the terminal connection portion 11 is approximately parallel to it.

[0095] Therefore, the main surface of the terminal connection portion 11 after bending up or down will be oriented in approximately the same direction as the main surface of the terminal connection portion 11 before bending up or down. As a result, even if the wire fixing portion 13 bends up or down in the thickness direction, the female terminal 100 can be made nearly parallel to the male terminal 200 which is connected from above to below, by suppressing the misalignment of the terminal connection portion 11.

[0096] Therefore, the female terminal 100, connector, terminal-equipped wire 4, and wire harness 1 can be easily connected to the male terminal 200 and ensure conductivity without correcting the deformation caused by the fixing of the conductor 3a of the wire 3. In addition, since the connector housing 2 can accommodate and hold the bent female terminal 100, the connector and wire harness 1 can be easily constructed.

[0097] Furthermore, the female terminal 100 extends from the terminal connection portion 11 toward one side in the front-rear direction X, and is provided with a plate-shaped extension portion 12 having a main surface parallel to the main surface of the terminal connection portion 11. The wire fixing portion 13 extends from the lower end of the extension portion 12 toward the plate thickness direction of the extension portion 12.

[0098] With this configuration, since the wire fixing portion 13 is formed in the thickness direction of the extension portion 12 that extends from the terminal connection portion 11, the wire fixing portion 13 and the terminal connection portion 11, which have different orientations of their main surfaces, can be easily formed without twisting the conductive plate material.

[0099] Furthermore, since the terminal connection portion 11 and the wire fixing portion 13 are connected via the plate-shaped extension portion 12, the plate-shaped extension portion 12 can improve the bending rigidity and torsional rigidity between the terminal connection portion 11 and the wire fixing portion 13.

[0100] Therefore, the female terminal 100 can prevent the extended portion 12 from being unintentionally deformed when the conductor 3a is fixed. Therefore, the female terminal 100 can be reliably positioned so that its terminal connection portion 11 is approximately parallel to the male terminal 200 which is connected in a downward direction, thus making connection with the male terminal 200 even easier.

[0101] Furthermore, the terminal connection portion 11 of the female terminal 100 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section with a bottom portion 11b and a pair of opposing wall portions 11a, and the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 is connected downward toward the bottom portion 11b from an opening in a substantially U-shaped cross-section parallel to the main surface of the wall portion 11a.

[0102] Furthermore, the female terminal 100 elastically supports the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 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 200 and the terminal connection portion 11.

[0103] With this configuration, the spring member 20 elastically supports the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 using the wall portion 11a of the terminal connection portion 11 as a reaction force. Therefore, the contact with the male terminal 200 can be improved compared to the case where the terminal connection portion 11 is in direct contact with the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200. Therefore, even if the female terminal 100 bends up due to the fixing of the conductor 3a, it is possible to more reliably ensure conductivity between the terminal connection part 11 and the male terminal 200.

[0104] Furthermore, since the contact point 25b of the spring member 20 with the male terminal 200 is located on a roughly arc-shaped imaginary line that protrudes upward when viewed from the plate thickness direction of the wall portion 11a, the female terminal 100, when bent up, can more easily secure the contact point between the contact point 25b of the spring member 20 and the male terminal 200 compared to when the contact point is located on an imaginary line that is roughly parallel to the front-rear direction X. As a result, the female terminal 100 can reliably ensure conductivity with the male terminal 200 even when the conductor 3a is bent up due to its fixing.

[0105] Furthermore, the spring members 20 are arranged in multiple locations along the front-rear direction X, and each has an arm-shaped arm spring 25 that extends along the vertical direction and contacts the male terminal 200. In addition, the base portion 25a of the arm spring 25 is provided on a substantially arc-shaped imaginary line that is substantially similar to the imaginary line connecting the contact points 25b when viewed from the plate thickness direction of the wall portion 11a.

[0106] With this configuration, since the base 25a of the arm spring 25 is provided on a substantially arc-shaped imaginary line that is substantially similar to the imaginary line connecting the contacts 25b, the vertical length from the base 25a to the contacts 25b can be made the same for each arm spring 25.

[0107] This allows the biasing force and detent feel applied to the male terminal 200 to be uniform for each arm spring 25, making it easier for the female terminal 100 to manage the connection status of the male terminal. Therefore, the female terminal 100 can prevent connection failures of the male terminal and reliably ensure conductivity with the male terminal 200. [Examples]

[0108] In Example 2, a wire harness 5 in which female terminals of different shapes are connected to three electric wires 3 will be explained using Figures 8 to 14. Figure 8 shows a plan view of the end portion of the wire harness 5 in Example 2, and Figure 9 shows an external perspective view of the three terminal wires spaced apart in the width direction Y.

[0109] Furthermore, Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the general outlines of the second female terminal 110 and the third female terminal 120, with Figure 10(a) showing an external perspective view of the second female terminal 110 and Figure 10(b) showing an external perspective view of the third female terminal 120.

[0110] Furthermore, Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the female terminal as seen through the CC arrow in Figure 8, and Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the first terminaled wire 4 and the second terminaled wire 7, with Figure 12(a) showing a side view of the first terminaled wire 4 and Figure 12(b) showing a side view of the second terminaled wire 7.

[0111] Furthermore, Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the deformation of the wire 8 with the third terminal due to the fixing of the conductor 3a. Figure 13(a) shows a plan view of the third female terminal 120 and wire 3 before the conductor is fixed, Figure 13(b) shows a plan view of the third female terminal 120 and wire 3 after the conductor is fixed, and Figure 13(c) shows a side view of the third female terminal 120 and wire 3 after the conductor is fixed.

[0112] In addition, Figure 14 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating the state of housing the wires with terminals, with them spaced apart in the front-to-back direction X. Furthermore, components identical to those in Example 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0113] As shown in Figure 8, the wire harness 5 of Embodiment 2 comprises a connector housing 6 with an open top, the terminal-equipped wire 4 of Embodiment 1 (hereinafter referred to as the first terminal-equipped wire 4), and the second terminal-equipped wire 7 and the third terminal-equipped wire 8 which are arranged side by side in the width direction Y relative to the first terminal-equipped wire 4.

[0114] The wire harness 5 houses three wires with terminals (a first terminal wire 4, a second terminal wire 7, and a third terminal wire 8) inside the connector housing 6.

[0115] Furthermore, the wire harness 5 bundles the three electric wires 3 that are led out from the connector housing 6 using adhesive tape 9 at a position spaced apart from the connector housing 6 on one side in the front-rear direction X. Furthermore, female terminals are connected to the wire 3 of the three terminal-equipped wires, forming a connector (symbol omitted) with the connector housing 6.

[0116] More specifically, the connector housing 6, like the connector housing 2 of Embodiment 1 described above, is composed of a terminal housing portion 6a that is open at the top and a substantially cylindrical wire housing portion 6b that extends from the lower part of the terminal housing portion 6a in one direction in the front-rear direction X. In this connector housing 6, the female terminal of the wire with terminals (described later) is housed and held in the terminal housing section 6a in a state substantially parallel to the front-to-back direction X, and the wire 3 of the wire with terminals is housed in the wire housing section 6b.

[0117] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the terminal housing portion 6a of the connector housing 6 holds the wire with the terminal attached by restricting the position of the female terminal of the wire with the terminal attached in the front-to-back direction X, the width direction Y, and the up-to-down direction.

[0118] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the three terminal wires (first terminal wire 4, second terminal wire 7, and third terminal wire 8) are arranged inside the connector housing 6 in the order of second terminal wire 7, first terminal wire 4, and third terminal wire 8, from one side in the width direction Y to the other side in the width direction Y.

[0119] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the first terminal-equipped wire 4 consists of the female terminal 100 of Embodiment 1 described above and a wire 3 in which a conductor 3a is fixed to the female terminal 100 by welding. In Example 2, for the sake of simplifying the subsequent explanation, the female terminal 100 of Example 1 will be described as the first female terminal 100.

[0120] Furthermore, similar to Embodiment 1, the base end of the conductor 3a of the first terminal-equipped wire 4 is deformed in the vertical direction as the conductor 3a is fixed (see Figure 12(a)). More specifically, if the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 13 of the first female terminal 100 is considered to be the vertical direction, then the base end of the conductor 3a of the wire 3 attached to the first terminal 4 is bent and deformed such that the conductor 3a of the wire 3 and the first female terminal 100 are bent upward with respect to the central axis T of the wire 3.

[0121] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the second terminal-equipped wire 7 consists of a second female terminal 110, which has a different shape from the first female terminal 100, and a wire 3, to which a conductor 3a is fixed by welding to the second female terminal 110. Furthermore, as the conductor 3a is fixed, the base end of the second terminal wire 7 is deformed in a mountain-fold shape in the vertical direction (see Figure 12(b)).

[0122] To elaborate on the second female terminal 110, as shown in Figures 9 and 10(a), the second female terminal 110 comprises a terminal body 30 made of a metal plate material having a predetermined thickness to correspond to high current or high voltage, and a spring member 20 that elastically supports the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200.

[0123] Specifically, the terminal body 30 of the second female terminal 110 is made of a conductive metal plate, such as copper or a copper alloy, and is formed into the shape described later by bending a plate that has been punched out into the desired unfolded shape. Furthermore, the terminal body 30 is an unplated component that does not have any plating treatment applied to its surface to improve conductivity, such as tin plating.

[0124] As shown in Figure 10(a), the terminal body 30 consists of a terminal connection portion 31 into which the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 is inserted from above toward below, an extension portion 32 extending from the terminal connection portion 31 to one side in the front-rear direction X, and a wire fixing portion 33 extending from the extension portion 32 in the width direction Y, to which the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 is fixed.

[0125] Furthermore, the terminal body 30 is formed such that the main surface of the wire fixing portion 33 is a surface for fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned with the front-to-back direction X, and the main surface of the terminal connection portion 31 is oriented in a direction of rotation with the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction X) of the electric wire 3 as its axis, and is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the wire fixing portion 33.

[0126] More specifically, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 11, the terminal connection portion 31 of the terminal body 30 is formed with 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, with an open top and a roughly U-shaped cross-section extending in the front-to-back direction X. Since this terminal connection section 31 has the same configuration as the terminal connection section 11 of the first female terminal 100, a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0127] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(a), the extension portion 32 of the terminal body 30 is a flat plate with the width direction Y being the thickness direction, and is formed by extending one wall portion 11a of the terminal connection portion 11 toward one side in the front-rear direction X. For this reason, the main surface of the extension portion 12 is formed substantially parallel to the main surface of the wall portion 11a.

[0128] Specifically, the extension portion 12 of the first female terminal 100 is integrally provided with the wall portion 11a on one side in the width direction Y, whereas the extension portion 32 of the second female terminal 110 is integrally provided with the wall portion 31a on the other side in the width direction Y.

[0129] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 11, the wire fixing portion 33 of the terminal body 30 is a flat plate in plan view that is roughly rectangular and long in the front-to-back direction X with the vertical direction being the plate thickness direction, and is formed so that the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is roughly aligned with the front-to-back direction X, can be fixed along the vertical direction.

[0130] Specifically, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 11, the wire fixing portion 33 is formed by extending in the width direction Y from the upper end of the extension portion 32 toward the other wall portion 31a at a predetermined distance from the terminal connection portion 31 on one side in the front-rear direction X.

[0131] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the wire fixing portion 33 is formed such that its main surface is substantially parallel to the main surface of the bottom portion 11b of the terminal connection portion 11. In other words, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the wire fixing portion 33 is formed to have a main surface that is rotated approximately 90 degrees with respect to the main surface of the wall portion 31a in the terminal connection portion 31, with respect to the front-rear direction X as the axis of rotation.

[0132] In the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is approximately aligned with the front-to-back direction X, is fixed to the lower surface, which is one of the main surfaces of the electric wire fixing part 33, whose vertical direction is the thickness direction of the plate.

[0133] As shown in Figure 12(b), the second female terminal 110, which has been configured in this way and connected to the wire 3, is deformed in a mountain-like shape at the base end of the conductor 3a as the conductor 3a is fixed in place. More specifically, if the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 33 of the second female terminal 110 is considered to be the vertical direction, then in the wire 7 with the second terminal, the base end of the conductor 3a is bent and deformed such that the conductor 3a of the wire 3 and the second female terminal 110 are bent down with respect to the central axis T of the wire 3.

[0134] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the third terminal-equipped wire 8 consists of a third female terminal 120, which has a different shape from the first female terminal 100, and a wire 3, to which a conductor 3a is fixed by welding to the third female terminal 120.

[0135] Furthermore, as the conductor 3a is fixed, the wire 8 with the third terminal undergoes a mountain-fold deformation in the width direction Y between the wire fixing portion 42 and the terminal connection portion 41, which will be described later, and the base end of the conductor 3a undergoes a valley-fold deformation in the width direction Y (see Figure 13(b)).

[0136] To elaborate on the third female terminal 120, as shown in Figures 9 and 10(a), the third female terminal 120 comprises a terminal body 40 made of a metal plate material having a predetermined thickness to correspond to high current or high voltage, and a spring member 20 that elastically supports the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 connected to the terminal connection portion 41.

[0137] Specifically, the terminal body 40 of the third female terminal 120 is made of a conductive metal plate, such as copper or a copper alloy, and is formed into the shape described later by bending a plate that has been punched out into the desired unfolded shape. Furthermore, the terminal body 40 is an unplated component that does not have any plating treatment applied to its surface to improve conductivity, such as tin plating.

[0138] As shown in Figure 10(b), the terminal body 40 consists of a terminal connection section 41 into which the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 is inserted from above to below, a wire fixing section 42 into which the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 is fixed, and a connecting section 43 that connects the terminal connection section 41 and the wire fixing section 42 which are arranged side by side along the front-to-back direction X.

[0139] More specifically, as shown in Figures 10(b) and 11, the terminal connection portion 41 of the terminal body 40 is formed with a roughly U-shaped cross-section that is open at the top and extends in the front-to-back direction X, consisting of a pair of plate-shaped wall portions 41a facing each other in the width direction Y, and a bottom portion 41b connecting the lower ends of the wall portions 41a in the width direction Y. Since this terminal connection section 41 has the same configuration as the terminal connection section 11 of the first female terminal 100, a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0140] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10(b) and 11, the wire fixing portion 42 of the terminal body 40 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 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is roughly aligned with the front-to-back direction X, can be fixed along the width direction Y.

[0141] Specifically, as shown in Figure 10(b), the wire fixing portion 42 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 41a in the terminal connection portion 41, and at the same width direction Y position.

[0142] The central part of this wire fixing section 42 in the vertical direction is connected to the wall section 41a on the other side in the width direction Y toward the wire 4 with the first terminal via a connecting section 43, which will be described later. Due to this configuration, in Example 2, as shown in Figure 9, the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, 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 42, whose width direction Y is the plate thickness direction.

[0143] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(b), the connecting portion 43 of the terminal body 40 connects the other wall portion 41a in the width direction Y, 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 42 in the front-to-back direction X. This connecting portion 43 is formed in a shape that is more easily deformable in the width direction Y (the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 42) compared to the terminal connection portion 41 and the wire fixing portion 42.

[0144] Specifically, the connecting portion 43 is plate-shaped with its width Y being the thickness direction, and connects the end face of one wall portion 41a and the end face of the wire fixing portion 42 in the front-rear direction X. For this reason, the main surface of the connecting portion 43 is located substantially parallel to the main surface of one wall portion 41a and the main surface of the wire fixing portion 42, and at the same position in the width direction Y.

[0145] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(b), the connecting portion 43 is configured such that its vertical length is shorter than the vertical length of the terminal connection portion 41 and the vertical length of the wire fixing portion 42, thereby creating a portion that is more easily deformed in the width direction Y relative to the terminal connection portion 41 and the wire fixing portion 42.

[0146] As described above, in the wire 8 with the third terminal configured in this way, the connecting portion 43 of the third female terminal 120 is deformed in the width direction Y by being folded in a mountain shape, and the conductor 3a of the wire 3 is deformed in the width direction Y by being folded in a valley shape.

[0147] Here, the process by which the third female terminal 120 and the wire 3 bend and deform in the third terminal-equipped wire 8 will be explained using Figure 13. First, as shown in Figure 13(a), the worker or assembly device brings the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 into contact with the main surface of the wire fixing portion 42 of the third female terminal 120, to which the spring member 20 is fixed in the terminal connection portion 41, from the width direction Y. In this process, the worker or assembly device brings the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 into contact with the main surface of the electric wire fixing part 42 such that the vertical center of the main surface of the electric wire fixing part 42 and the central axis of the electric wire 3 are approximately aligned in a side view.

[0148] Subsequently, the worker or assembly device fixes the conductor 3a of the wire 3, whose insulating coating is held by a suitable jig, to the wire fixing portion 42 of the third female terminal 120, whose terminal connection portion 41 is held by a suitable jig, by welding such as ultrasonic welding or resistance welding to form the wire 8 with the third terminal.

[0149] At this time, the load applied to the third female terminal 120 and the conductor 3a during welding causes the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 to be crushed and deformed from a roughly circular cross-section to a roughly plate-shaped cross-section. Furthermore, as the connecting portion 43, which is easily deformed in the width direction Y, deforms in the width direction Y, the third female terminal 120 undergoes a mountain-fold deformation in the width direction Y, and as a result of the deformation of the third female terminal 120, the base end of the conductor 3a deforms in the width direction Y, causing the electric wire 3 to undergo a valley-fold deformation in the width direction Y (see Figure 13(b)).

[0150] Therefore, as shown in Figure 13(b), the third terminal-equipped wire 8 is deformed in a roughly crank shape in plan view, with the terminal connection portion 41 of the third female terminal 120 being slightly parallel to one side in the width direction Y relative to the central axis T of the wire 3.

[0151] More specifically, if the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 42 of the third female terminal 120 is considered as the vertical direction, the wire 8 with the third terminal is deformed in a roughly crank shape in plan view, as the conductor 3a of the wire 3 and the third female terminal 120 are bent upward with respect to the central axis T of the wire 3, and the terminal connection portion 41 of the third female terminal 120 is bent downward with respect to the wire fixing portion 42.

[0152] In this case, as shown in Figure 13(c), the terminal connection portion 41 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 3.

[0153] Next, we will describe in more detail the state in which the first terminal wire 4, the second terminal wire 7, and the third terminal wire 8, as described above, are housed in the connector housing 6. First, as shown in Figures 8 and 14, the first terminal-equipped wire 4, located in the center of the width direction Y inside the connector housing 6, is positioned such that the terminal connection portion 11 of the first female terminal 100 is substantially parallel to the front-to-back direction X. Therefore, the wire 3 of the first terminal-equipped wire 4 is led out to the outside of the connector housing 6 diagonally downward from the wire fixing portion 13 of the first female terminal 100.

[0154] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 11, the aforementioned second terminal-equipped wire 7 is arranged inside the connector housing 6 such that the terminal connection portion 31 is close to the wall portion 11a of the first female terminal 100, which does not have an extension portion 12, at a predetermined distance in the width direction Y.

[0155] Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the wire fixing portion 33 of the second female terminal 110 of the second female terminal 100 is positioned in the width direction Y, facing the wire fixing portion 13 of the first female terminal 100 in the vertical direction.

[0156] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 14, the second terminal-equipped wire 7 is arranged such that the terminal connection portion 31 of the second female terminal 110 is substantially parallel to the front-to-back direction X. Therefore, the wire 3 of the second terminal-equipped wire 7 is led out from the wire fixing portion 33 of the second female terminal 110 diagonally upward to the outside of the connector housing 6.

[0157] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 11, the third terminal-equipped wire 8 described above is arranged inside the connector housing 6 such that the terminal connection portion 41 is close to the wall portion 11a of the first female terminal 100, which is provided with the extension portion 12, at a predetermined distance in the width direction Y.

[0158] Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the third terminal-equipped wire 8 is positioned such that the wire fixing portion 42 of the third female terminal 120 is close in the width direction Y to the extension portion 12 of the first female terminal 100.

[0159] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 14, the third terminal-equipped wire 8 is arranged such that the terminal connection portion 41 of the third female terminal 120 is substantially parallel to the front-to-back direction X. Therefore, the wire 3 of the third terminal-equipped wire 8 is led out of the connector housing 6 along the front-to-back direction X from the wire fixing portion 42 of the third female terminal 120.

[0160] The connector housing 6 accommodates and holds the first terminal-equipped wire 4, the second terminal-equipped wire 7, and the third terminal-equipped wire 8 by regulating the positions of the first female terminal 100, the second female terminal 110, and the third female terminal 120, respectively, so that they are in the positional relationship described above.

[0161] As a result, the three wires 3 led out of the connector housing 6 are arranged to be directed towards approximately the same position in the vertical direction, as shown in Figure 14. Therefore, in Embodiment 2, the three wires 3 led out of the connector housing 6 are bundled together with adhesive tape 9 at a position where they are close to each other to form a wire harness 5.

[0162] As described above, the second female terminal 110 of Embodiment 2, which is formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness, is provided with a wire fixing portion 33 for fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, and a terminal connection portion 31 which is positioned parallel to the wire fixing portion 33 along the front-rear direction X and to which the male terminal 200 is connected from top to bottom.

[0163] Furthermore, the second female terminal 110 is formed such that the wire fixing portion 33 has a main surface to which the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned with the front-to-back direction X, is fixed, and the terminal connection portion 31 is formed such that it faces the rotational direction with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 as its axis, and has a main surface that is substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the wire fixing portion 33.

[0164] With this configuration, similar to the female terminal 100 (first female terminal 100) of Embodiment 1, the terminal connection portion has a main surface that rotates with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 as its axis and is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the electric wire fixing portion 33. This makes it possible to easily connect to the male terminal 200 and ensure conductivity without correcting the deformation associated with the fixing of the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3.

[0165] Furthermore, the second female terminal 110 extends from the terminal connection portion 31 toward one side in the front-rear direction X, and is provided with a plate-shaped extension portion 32 having a main surface parallel to the main surface of the terminal connection portion 31. The wire fixing portion 33 extends from the upper end of the extension portion 32 toward the plate thickness direction of the extension portion 32.

[0166] With this configuration, since the wire fixing portion 33 is formed in the thickness direction of the extension portion 32 that extends from the terminal connection portion 31, the wire fixing portion 33 and the terminal connection portion 31, which have different orientations of their main surfaces, can be easily formed without twisting the conductive plate material.

[0167] Furthermore, since the terminal connection portion 31 and the wire fixing portion 33 are connected via the plate-shaped extension portion 32, the plate-shaped extension portion 32 can improve the bending rigidity and torsional rigidity between the terminal connection portion 31 and the wire fixing portion 33.

[0168] Therefore, the second female terminal 110 can prevent the extended portion 12 from being unintentionally deformed when the conductor 3a is fixed. Therefore, the second female terminal 110 can be made to have its terminal connection portion 31 reliably approximately parallel to the male terminal 200 which is connected in the downward direction, thus making connection with the male terminal 200 even easier.

[0169] Furthermore, the connector of Embodiment 2 includes a first female terminal 100, a second female terminal 110, and a connector housing 6 capable of accommodating at least one pair of the first female terminal 100 and the second female terminal 110, which are arranged side by side in the width direction Y and have wire fixing portions 13, 33 facing each other in the vertical direction.

[0170] With this configuration, in the width direction Y, the wire fixing portion 13 of the first female terminal 100 and the wire fixing portion 13 of the second female terminal 110 are located at approximately the same position. Therefore, compared to, for example, the case where a pair of first female terminals 100 are placed side by side in the width direction Y, the length of the wall portion 11a in the thickness direction can be shortened. This allows the connector housing 6 to be made more compact in the width direction Y, thus preventing the connector from becoming larger.

[0171] Furthermore, since the connector housing 6 accommodates and holds the terminal connection portion 11 of the first female terminal 100 and the terminal connection portion 31 of the second female terminal 110 in a state substantially parallel to the front-to-back direction X, it is possible to prevent the bent-up terminal connection portion 11 of the first female terminal 100 and the bent-down terminal connection portion 31 of the second female terminal 110 from being housed in a state of being at different levels in the vertical direction.

[0172] Therefore, when a male connector is connected, the connector can make the connection state between the first female terminal 100 and the male terminal 200, and the connection state between the second female terminal 110 and the male terminal 200, approximately the same. Therefore, the connector can stably ensure conductivity with multiple male terminals without correcting the deformation that occurs when fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3.

[0173] In addition, since the connector housing 6 holds the first female terminal 100 and the second female terminal 110, the connector housing 6 does not need to hold the wires 3 that are led out to the outside. Therefore, the connector housing 6 makes it easy to bundle the wires 3 that are led out to the outside with, for example, adhesive tape 9. [Examples]

[0174] In Example 3, a female terminal 130 with a different shape from the female terminal 100 of Example 1 described above will be explained using Figures 15 and 16. Figure 15 shows an external perspective view of the female terminal 130 in Example 3, and Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the terminal-equipped wire 4A, with Figure 16(a) showing a plan view of the terminal-equipped wire 4A and Figure 16(b) showing a side view of the terminal-equipped wire 4A. Furthermore, components identical to those in Example 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0175] As shown in Figure 15, the female terminal 130 of Example 3 comprises a terminal body 50 made of a metal plate material having a predetermined thickness to correspond to high current or high voltage, and a spring member 20 that elastically supports the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200.

[0176] Specifically, the terminal body 50 of the female terminal 130 is made of a conductive metal plate, such as copper or a copper alloy, and is formed into the shape described later by bending a plate that has been punched out into the desired unfolded shape. Furthermore, the terminal body 50 is an unplated component that does not have any plating treatment applied to its surface to improve conductivity, such as tin plating.

[0177] As shown in Figure 15, the terminal body 50 includes a terminal connection portion 51 into which the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 is inserted from above to below, and an extension portion 52 (see Figure 16(a)) extending from the terminal connection portion 51 to one side in the front-rear direction X.

[0178] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 15 and 16(a), the terminal body 50 includes a wire fixing portion 53 that extends from the extension portion 52 to one side in the front-rear direction X and to which the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 is fixed, and a pair of reinforcing portions 54 that extend from the terminal connection portion 51 toward the wire fixing portion 53.

[0179] Furthermore, the terminal body 50 is formed such that the main surface of the wire fixing portion 53 is a surface for fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned with the front-to-back direction X, and the main surface of the terminal connection portion 51 is oriented in a direction of rotation with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 as its axis, and is also oriented substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the wire fixing portion 53.

[0180] More specifically, the terminal connection portion 51 of the terminal body 50 is formed with a pair of plate-shaped wall portions 51a (see Figure 15) that face each other in the width direction Y, and a bottom portion 51b (see Figure 16(a)) that connects the lower ends of the wall portions 51a in the width direction Y, with an open top and a roughly U-shaped cross-section extending in the front-to-back direction X. Since this terminal connection portion 51 has the same configuration as the terminal connection portion 11 of the female terminal 100 in Embodiment 1, a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0181] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 16(a), the extension portion 52 of the terminal body 50 connects the bottom portion 51b of the terminal connection portion 51 to the approximate center in the width direction Y of the wire fixing portion 53, which is arranged at a predetermined distance in the front-to-back direction X.

[0182] Specifically, the extension portion 52 is a flat plate with its vertical direction as the plate thickness direction, and is formed by extending from the bottom portion 51b of the terminal connection portion 51 toward one side in the front-rear direction X. Therefore, the main surface of the extension portion 52 is formed substantially parallel to the main surface of the bottom portion 51b. Furthermore, the extension portion 52 is formed with a length in the width direction Y that is shorter than the length in the width direction Y of the terminal connection portion 51 and the length in the width direction Y of the wire fixing portion 53.

[0183] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 15 and 16(a), the wire fixing portion 53 of the terminal body 50 is a flat plate shape that is long in the front-to-back direction X and is roughly rectangular in plan view, and is formed so that the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is roughly aligned with the front-to-back direction X, can be fixed along the vertical direction.

[0184] Specifically, as shown in Figure 15, the wire fixing portion 53 is a flat plate with the vertical direction being the thickness direction, and its central portion in the width direction Y is connected to the bottom portion 51b of the terminal connection portion 51 via the extension portion 52.

[0185] The wire fixing portion 53 is positioned such that its main surface is substantially parallel to the main surface of the bottom portion 51b of the terminal connection portion 51 and is located in the same vertical position. In other words, as shown in Figure 15, the wire fixing portion 53 is formed to have a main surface that is rotated approximately 90 degrees with respect to the main surface of the wall portion 51a in the terminal connection portion 51, with respect to the front-to-back direction X as the axis of rotation.

[0186] Furthermore, the pair of reinforcing parts 54 of the terminal body 50 are provided to reinforce the narrow extension 52 that connects the terminal connection part 51 and the wire fixing part 53. Specifically, as shown in Figure 15, the pair of reinforcing parts 54 are formed in a roughly trapezoidal plate shape in side view, extending from the wall portion 51a of the terminal connection portion 51 to one side in the front-rear direction X. The lower end of this reinforcing part 54 is joined to the upper surface of the wire fixing portion 13 to which the conductor 3a is fixed by welding or the like.

[0187] As shown in Figure 16(b), in a terminal-equipped wire 4A with a female terminal 130 having the wire 3 connected to it, the base end of the conductor 3a is bent and deformed in the vertical direction due to the load applied when the conductor 3a is fixed.

[0188] For example, if the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 53 of the female terminal 130 is considered to be the vertical direction, then, as shown in Figure 16(b), when a load is applied due to the fixing of the conductor 3a, the base end of the conductor 3a bends and deforms so that the conductor 3a of the wire 3 and the female terminal 130 bend upward with respect to the central axis T of the wire 3.

[0189] Therefore, as shown in Figure 16(a), the terminal-equipped wire 4A is housed inside a connector housing (not shown) such that the approximate center of the width direction Y of the terminal connection portion 51 coincides with a virtual straight line (central axis T) along the front-to-back direction X passing through the center of the wire 3, and the main surface of the wall portion 51a is approximately parallel in plan view.

[0190] As described above, the female terminal 130 of Embodiment 3, which is formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness, is provided with a wire fixing portion 53 for fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, and a terminal connection portion 51 which is positioned parallel to the wire fixing portion 53 along the front-rear direction X and to which the male terminal 200 is connected from top to bottom.

[0191] Furthermore, the female terminal 130 is formed such that the wire fixing portion 53 has a main surface to which the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned with the front-to-back direction X, is fixed, and the terminal connection portion 51 is formed such that the rotational direction is oriented with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 as the axis, and the main surface is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the wire fixing portion 53.

[0192] With this configuration, similar to the female terminal 100 of Embodiment 1, the terminal connection portion 51 has a main surface that rotates with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 as its axis and is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the electric wire fixing portion 53. This makes it possible to easily connect to the male terminal 200 and ensure conductivity without correcting the deformation that occurs when fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3.

[0193] Furthermore, the terminal connection portion 51 of the female terminal 130 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section with a bottom portion 51b and a pair of opposing wall portions 51a, and the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 is connected downward toward the bottom portion 51b from an opening in a substantially U-shaped cross-section parallel to the main surface of the wall portion 51a.

[0194] In addition, the wire fixing portion 53 is configured to extend from the bottom portion 51b toward one side in the front-rear direction X, with the vertical direction being the plate thickness direction. Furthermore, the female terminal 130 is equipped with a reinforcing portion 54 that connects the wall portion 51a of the terminal connection portion 51 to the main surface of the wire fixing portion 53.

[0195] With this configuration, the wire fixing portion 53 extending from the bottom portion 51b of the terminal connection portion 51, which has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, is formed in a shape where the vertical direction is the plate thickness direction. Therefore, the wire fixing portion 53 and the terminal connection portion 51, which have different orientations of their main surfaces, can be easily formed without twisting the conductive plate material.

[0196] Furthermore, since the wall portion 51a of the terminal connection portion 51 and the main surface of the wire fixing portion 53 are connected via the reinforcing portion 54, the reinforcing portion 54 can improve the bending rigidity and torsional rigidity between the terminal connection portion 51 and the wire fixing portion 53.

[0197] Therefore, the female terminal 130 can prevent the extended portion 52 from being unintentionally deformed when the conductor 3a is fixed. Therefore, the female terminal 130 can reliably maintain a state that is substantially parallel to the male terminal 200 to which it is connected in the vertical direction, thus making connection with the male terminal 200 even easier. [Examples]

[0198] In Example 4, a female terminal 140 with a different shape from the female terminal 100 of Example 1 described above will be explained with reference to Figure 17. Figure 17 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the general layout of the female terminal 140 in Example 4. Figure 17(a) shows an external perspective view of the female terminal 140, and Figure 17(b) shows a side view of the wire 4B with the terminal. Furthermore, components identical to those in Example 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0199] As shown in Figure 17(a), the female terminal 140 of Example 4 comprises a terminal body 60 made of a metal plate material having a predetermined thickness to correspond to high current or high voltage, and a spring member 20 that elastically supports the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200.

[0200] Specifically, the terminal body 60 of the female terminal 140 is made of a conductive metal plate, such as copper or a copper alloy, and is formed into the shape described later by bending a plate that has been punched out into the desired unfolded shape. Furthermore, the terminal body 60 is an unplated component that does not have any plating treatment applied to its surface to improve conductivity, such as tin plating.

[0201] As shown in Figure 17(a), the terminal body 60 consists of a terminal connection portion 61 into which the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 is inserted from above to below, an extension portion 62 extending from the terminal connection portion 61 to one side in the front-rear direction X, and a wire fixing portion 63 extending from the extension portion 62 in the width direction Y, to which the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 is fixed.

[0202] Furthermore, the terminal body 60 is formed such that the main surface of the wire fixing portion 63 is a surface for fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned in the vertical direction, and the main surface of the terminal connection portion 61 is oriented in a direction of rotation with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 as the axis, and is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the wire fixing portion 63.

[0203] More specifically, as shown in Figure 17(a), the terminal connection portion 61 of the terminal body 60 is formed with a roughly U-shaped cross-section that is open at the top and extends in the front-to-back direction X, consisting of a pair of plate-shaped wall portions 61a facing each other in the width direction Y, and a bottom portion (not shown) that connects the lower ends of the wall portions 61a in the width direction Y.

[0204] Since this terminal connection portion 61 has the same configuration as the terminal connection portion 11 of the female terminal 100 in Embodiment 1, a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0205] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 17(a), the extension portion 62 of the terminal body 60 is a flat plate with the width direction Y being the thickness direction, and is formed by extending one wall portion 61a of the terminal connection portion 61 toward one side in the front-rear direction X. For this reason, the main surface of the extension portion 62 is formed substantially parallel to the main surface of the wall portion 61a.

[0206] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 17(a), the wire fixing portion 63 of the terminal body 60 is a substantially rectangular flat plate with the front-to-back direction X as the plate thickness direction, and is formed so that the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned in the vertical direction, can be fixed along the front-to-back direction X.

[0207] Specifically, as shown in Figure 17(a), the wire fixing portion 63 is formed at a predetermined distance from the terminal connection portion 61 on one side in the front-rear direction X, extending in the width direction Y from one end of the extension portion 62 toward the other wall portion 61a.

[0208] Furthermore, the main surface of the wire fixing portion 63 is formed so as to be substantially parallel to the vertical and width directions Y, and perpendicular to the front-to-back direction X. In other words, since the main surface of the wall portion 61a in the terminal connection portion 61 is perpendicular to the width direction Y, the wire fixing portion 63 is formed in a shape that has a main surface rotated approximately 90 degrees with respect to the main surface of the wall portion 61a in the terminal connection portion 61, with respect to the vertical direction as the axis of rotation, as shown in Figure 17(a).

[0209] In Embodiment 4, as shown in Figure 17(a), the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned in the vertical direction, is fixed to one main surface of the electric wire fixing part 63, where the front-to-back direction X is the plate thickness direction.

[0210] As shown in Figure 176(b), in the terminal-equipped wire 4B to which the wire 3 is connected to the female terminal 140 with this configuration, the base end of the conductor 3a is bent and deformed due to the load applied when the conductor 3a is fixed.

[0211] For example, if the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 63 of the female terminal 140 is considered to be the vertical direction, then, as shown in Figure 17(b), the base end of the conductor 3a of the wire 3 and the female terminal 140 of the wire 3 are bent downward with respect to the central axis of the wire 3, resulting in deformation.

[0212] Therefore, the terminal-equipped wire 4B is housed inside the connector housing such that the approximate center of the terminal connection portion 61 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 3, and the main surface of the wall portion 61a is approximately parallel to it.

[0213] As described above, the female terminal 140 of Embodiment 4, which is formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness, is provided with a wire fixing portion 63 for fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, and a terminal connection portion 61 which is positioned parallel to the wire fixing portion 63 along the front-rear direction X and to which the male terminal 200 is connected from top to bottom.

[0214] Furthermore, the female terminal 140 is formed such that the wire fixing portion 63 has a main surface to which the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned in the vertical direction, is fixed, and the terminal connection portion 61 is formed such that the rotational direction is oriented with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 as the axis, and the main surface is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the wire fixing portion 63.

[0215] With this configuration, similar to the female terminal 100 of Embodiment 1, the terminal connection portion 61 has a main surface that rotates with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3 as its axis and is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the electric wire fixing portion 63. This makes it possible to easily connect to the male terminal 200 and ensure conductivity without correcting the deformation that occurs when fixing the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3.

[0216] 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 100, 130, 140, the first female terminal 100, and the second female terminal 110 of the embodiment. The same applies to the following: The serial direction corresponds to the front-to-back direction X, The connection direction corresponds to the up and down direction. Another connector is compatible with male connector 200, Some of the male connectors are compatible with the connection blade 201. The holding part corresponds to the holding member 2c, The first connection terminal corresponds to the first female terminal 100, The second connection terminal corresponds to the second female terminal 110. The terminal-equipped wires correspond to terminal-equipped wires 4, 4A, 4B, first terminal-equipped wire 4, and second terminal-equipped wire 7, This invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments described above, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0217] Specifically, in the embodiment described above, a female terminal 100 to which the connecting blade 201 of the male terminal 200 is connected was used, but the invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a male terminal equipped with a connecting blade 201 is connected to the electric wire 3 is also possible.

[0218] Furthermore, although terminal bodies 10, 30, 40, 50, and 60 are shown as not being plated, the invention is not limited to these, and terminal bodies that are partially plated may also be used, for example, terminal bodies where the wire fixing portion is plated. 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.

[0219] Furthermore, although the configuration is such that the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 is fixed by welding to the wire fixing parts 13, 33, 42, 53, and 63 of the female terminals 100, 110, 120, 130, and 140, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the wire fixing part may be in an open barrel shape, and the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 may be fixed to the wire fixing part by crimping or other methods.

[0220] Furthermore, although the conductor 3a of the electric wire 3 is fixed to one main surface of the electric wire fixing parts 13, 33, 42, 53, and 63, the method is not limited to this, and the conductor 3a may also be fixed to the other main surface of the electric wire fixing parts 13, 33, 42, 53, and 63. Furthermore, the wire fixing parts 13, 33, 42, 53, and 63 are not limited to the shapes described above, and any female terminal of an appropriate shape may be used, as long as it has a main surface rotated approximately 90 degrees with respect to the main surface of the terminal connection part.

[0221] Furthermore, although the main surfaces of the wire fixing parts 13, 33, 42, 53, 63 and the main surfaces of the terminal connection parts 11, 31, 41, 51, 61 are oriented approximately perpendicular to each other, the design is not limited to this. Any female terminal of an appropriate shape may be used, as long as the main surface of the terminal connection part faces the rotational direction with the longitudinal direction of the wire 3 as its axis and intersects the main surface of the wire fixing part. For example, a female terminal may be used in which the main surface of the terminal connection part intersects the main surface of the wire fixing part at an angle of 45 degrees to 135 degrees.

[0222] Furthermore, although the female terminals 100, 110, 120, 130, and 140 are configured with spring members 20 at the terminal connection portions 11, 31, 41, 51, and 61, the configuration is not limited to this, and female terminals without spring members 20 may also be used.

[0223] Furthermore, although the base 25a and contact 25b of the arm spring 25 in the spring member 20 are provided on a virtual line that protrudes upward and is approximately arc-shaped in side view, the spring member 20 is not limited to this, and the base 25a and contact 25b of the arm spring 25 may be provided on a virtual line that is approximately parallel in side view in the front-rear direction X.

[0224] Furthermore, while the first embodiment uses a configuration in which two female terminals 100 arranged side-by-side in the width direction Y are housed in the connector housing 2, the invention is not limited to this configuration, and the connector housing may contain one female terminal or three or more female terminals.

[0225] Furthermore, in Example 1, the wire fixing portion 13 of the female terminal 100 was provided at the lower end of the extension portion 12, but the invention is not limited to this, and the wire fixing portion 13 may also be formed by extending it in the width direction Y from the upper end of the extension portion 12 toward the other wall portion 11a. Furthermore, in Example 2, the wire fixing portion 33 of the second female terminal 110 was provided at the upper end of the extension portion 32, but the invention is not limited to this, and the wire fixing portion 33 may be extended in the width direction Y from the lower end of the extension portion 32 toward the other wall portion 11a.

[0226] Furthermore, in Example 2, the first female terminal 100 of the first terminal-equipped wire 4 and the second female terminal 110 of the second terminal-equipped wire 7 were housed and held in the connector housing 6. However, the invention is not limited to this configuration, and two or more sets of the first female terminal 100 and second female terminal 110, treated as one set, may be housed and held in the connector housing.

[0227] Furthermore, although the base end of the conductor 3a in the terminal-equipped wire 4 of Example 1 is described as being deformed in a valley fold, this is not the only possible explanation. For example, if the thickness direction of the wire fixing portion 13 of the female terminal 100 is considered to be the vertical direction, the base end of the conductor 3a may be bent and deformed so that the conductor 3a of the wire 3 and the female terminal 100 bend down with respect to the central axis T of the wire 3.

[0228] Similarly, in the second terminal wire 7 of Example 2, the terminal wire 4A of Example 3, and the terminal wire 4B of Example 4, the deformation of the base end of the conductor 3a may be in the opposite direction to that of the above-described embodiments. Even in this case, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0229] 1.5…Wire harness 2,6… Connector housing 2c... Retaining member 3…Electric wire 3a...Conductor 4…Wire with terminal, first wire with terminal 4A, 4B... wires with terminals 7…Wire with second terminal 11, 31, 51, 61… Terminal connection points 11a, 31a, 51a, 61a...Wall part 11b,31b,51b...Bottom 12,32,52,62...extension part 13,33,53,63…Wire fixing part 20... Spring component 25... Arm spring 25a...Base 25b... Contact point 54…Reinforcement 100...Female terminal, 1st female terminal 110...Second female terminal 130, 140… Female terminals 200... Male terminal 201...Connection Blade X…Anteroposterior direction

Claims

1. A connecting terminal formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness, A wire fixing part that secures the conductor of the electric wire, The wire fixing portion is provided with a terminal connection portion which is arranged in parallel along a predetermined series direction and to which another connection terminal is connected in a connection direction perpendicular to the series direction, The aforementioned wire fixing part, It is formed in a shape having a main surface on which the conductors of the electric wire, whose longitudinal direction is substantially aligned with the series direction or the connection direction, are fixed. The aforementioned terminal connection part The shape is formed such that the rotational direction is oriented with the longitudinal direction of the electric wire as the axis, and the main surface is oriented to intersect the main surface of the electric wire fixing part. A plate-shaped extension is provided that extends from the terminal connection portion in the series direction and has a main surface parallel to the main surface of the terminal connection portion. The aforementioned wire fixing part, An extension extending from one end of the extension on the side opposite to the connection direction toward the thickness direction of the extension Connection terminal.

2. 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 part of a male terminal is connected in the connection direction from the opening in the substantially U-shaped cross-section parallel to the main surface of the walls toward the bottom, 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 connection terminal according to claim 1.

3. The contact point between the spring member and the male terminal is It is provided on a roughly arc-shaped imaginary line that protrudes in the direction opposite to the connection direction when viewed from the thickness direction of the wall portion. The connection terminal according to claim 2.

4. The spring member is Multiple arm-shaped springs are arranged along the aforementioned series direction, extending along the aforementioned connection direction and contacting the male terminals. The base of the arm spring is It is provided on a substantially arc-shaped imaginary line that is substantially similar to the imaginary line connecting the contact points when viewed from the thickness direction of the wall portion. The connection terminal according to claim 3.

5. The connection terminal described in claim 1, A connector housing for accommodating the connection terminal is provided. The connector housing contains, A holding part capable of holding the wire fixed to the aforementioned connection terminal, A housing space is provided that can accommodate the connection terminals when they are bent up or bent down. connector.

6. A wire fixing portion formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness for fixing the conductor of a wire, and a terminal connection portion arranged side by side with respect to the wire fixing portion along a predetermined series direction, to which another connection terminal is connected toward a connection direction perpendicular to the series direction, wherein the wire fixing portion is formed in a shape having a main surface to which the conductor of the wire, whose longitudinal direction substantially coincides with the series direction or the connection direction, is fixed, the terminal connection portion is formed in a shape having a main surface that faces a rotational direction with the longitudinal direction of the wire as its axis and that intersects the main surface of the wire fixing portion, and a plate-shaped extension portion is provided that extends from the terminal connection portion toward the series direction and has a main surface parallel to the main surface of the terminal connection portion, and the wire fixing portion is a first connection terminal which is a connection terminal that extends from one end of the extension portion toward the thickness direction of the extension portion toward the connection direction, A wire fixing portion is formed from a conductive plate material having a predetermined thickness and is provided with a wire fixing portion for fixing the conductor of a wire, and a terminal connection portion is positioned parallel to the wire fixing portion along a predetermined series direction and to which another connection terminal is connected toward a connection direction perpendicular to the series direction, wherein the wire fixing portion is formed in a shape having a main surface to which the conductor of the wire, whose longitudinal direction substantially coincides with the series direction or the connection direction, is fixed, and the terminal connection portion is formed in a shape having a main surface that faces a rotational direction with the longitudinal direction of the wire as its axis and that intersects the main surface of the wire fixing portion, and a plate-shaped extension portion is provided that extends from the terminal connection portion toward the series direction and has a main surface parallel to the main surface of the terminal connection portion, and the wire fixing portion is provided with a second connection terminal which is a connection terminal that extends from one end of the extension portion opposite to the connection direction toward the plate thickness direction of the extension portion, A connector housing is provided that can accommodate at least one pair of the first and second connection terminals, which are arranged side by side in the thickness direction of the wall and have wire fixing portions facing each other in the connection direction. connector.

7. The connector housing is The configuration is such that the terminal connection portion of the first connection terminal and the terminal connection portion of the second connection terminal are housed and held in a state that is substantially parallel to the series direction. The connector according to claim 6.

8. The connection terminal described in claim 1, A wire with a conductor connected to the wire fixing part of the connection terminal is provided. Electrical wire with terminals.

9. A wire with terminals as described in claim 8, The device is equipped with a connector housing that accommodates the connection terminals of the wire with terminals that are bent up or bent down. Wire harness.

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