Male terminal, connector, and method for manufacturing male terminal

Abstract

A male terminal (11) formed from a metal plate comprises a base part (11A) and a mating connection part (11B) extending from the base part (11A). The base part (11A) and the mating connection part (11B) extend continuously in one direction orthogonal to the plate thickness direction of the metal plate. The mating connection part (11B) has a thick part (11E) in which the dimension in the plate thickness direction is larger than the dimension in the plate thickness direction of the base part (11A).

Description

Male terminal, connector, and method for manufacturing male terminal

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a male terminal, a connector, and a method for manufacturing a male terminal.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector used for high-speed communication.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-018174

[0004] In high-speed communication connectors, it is necessary to match the characteristic impedance to suppress signal reflection. The connector of Patent Document 1 uses terminals with a constant plate thickness in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the thickness of the mating connection portion of the terminal of Patent Document 1 depends on the plate thickness of the base material, such as a hoop material. The types of base material plate thickness are limited, which in turn limits the variation in the thickness of the mating connection portion. Therefore, the variety of mating connectors that can be mated with this connector is limited, raising concerns that the connector may lack versatility.

[0005] The present disclosure was completed in light of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a male terminal, a connector, and a method for manufacturing a male terminal that are highly versatile.

[0006] The male terminal of the first disclosure is a male terminal formed from a metal plate, and comprises a base and a mating connection portion extending from the base, the base and the mating connection portion extending continuously in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the metal plate, and the mating connection portion has a thick portion whose dimension in the thickness direction is larger than the dimension in the thickness direction of the base.

[0007] The connector of the second disclosure comprises the male terminal of the first disclosure and a dielectric having a press-fit hole into which the male terminal is press-fitted, wherein the dimension of the base in the plate thickness direction is the same as the plate thickness of the metal plate, the base is press-fitted into the press-fit hole and held by the dielectric, and at least a portion of the thick portion is arranged outside the dielectric.

[0008] The manufacturing method of a male terminal of the third disclosure is a manufacturing method of a male terminal formed by pressing a metal plate, wherein the male terminal comprises a base and a mating connection portion extending from the base, the base and the mating connection portion extending continuously in one direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction of the metal plate, and the method comprises a thick portion forming step of compressing the metal plate in a direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction to form a thick portion thicker than the plate thickness of the metal plate in at least a part of the mating connection portion.

[0009] According to the first to third disclosures, the versatility of the connector can be increased.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the connector of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the male terminal shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front view of the male terminal shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a front view of the dielectric shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the connector shown in FIG. 1 mounted on a circuit board. FIG. 7 is a front view of a chained terminal formed by linking male terminals together during the manufacturing process of the male terminal shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a front view of a male terminal of another embodiment.

[0011] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. (1) A male terminal formed from a metal plate, comprising: a base portion; and a mating connection portion extending from the base portion, wherein the base portion and the mating connection portion extend continuously in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the metal plate, and the mating connection portion has a thick portion whose dimension in the thickness direction is greater than the dimension in the thickness direction of the base.

[0012] The male terminal (1) can increase the variety of corresponding mating terminal fittings due to the thick portion of the mating connecting portion, and therefore can increase the variety of corresponding mating connectors.

[0013] (2) The male terminal according to (1), wherein the outer shape of the thick-walled portion when viewed from the one direction is circular.

[0014] The male terminal (2) can make it difficult for unevenness to occur in the contact pressure with the mating terminal fitting in the circumferential direction of the mating connecting portion.

[0015] (3) The male terminal according to (1) or (2), wherein the width dimension of the base portion is larger than that of the thick portion in a width direction perpendicular to the one direction and the plate thickness direction.

[0016] (3) For example, when the male terminal is configured to be press-fitted into the dielectric, the male terminal can be configured to be held in the dielectric by utilizing the portion of the base that protrudes in the width direction beyond the mating connection portion.

[0017] (4) A connector comprising: a male terminal according to any one of (1) to (3); and a dielectric having a press-fit hole into which the male terminal is press-fitted, wherein the thickness dimension of the base in the plate thickness direction is the same as the plate thickness of the metal plate, the base is press-fitted into the press-fit hole and held by the dielectric, and at least a portion of the thick portion is disposed outside the dielectric.

[0018] The connector (4) can increase the variety of compatible mating terminal fittings by arranging a thick portion outside the dielectric without significantly changing the configuration of the base and dielectric from the conventional configuration.

[0019] (5) The connector described in (4), wherein the press-fit hole has a first region into which the base is pressed and a second region through which the thick-walled portion passes in a non-press-fit state when the male terminal is pressed in, and the dimension of the second region in the plate thickness direction is larger than that of the first region.

[0020] In the connector of (5), the dimension of the second region of the press-fit hole in the plate thickness direction is larger than the dimension of the first region, so that when the male terminal is press-fitted into the press-fit hole, the frictional force generated between the thick-walled portion and the press-fit hole can be reduced, and therefore the pressing force applied to the male terminal for press-fitting can be reduced.

[0021] (6) A method for manufacturing a male terminal formed by pressing a metal plate, wherein the male terminal comprises a base and a mating connection portion extending from the base, the base and the mating connection portion extending continuously in one direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the metal plate, and the method for manufacturing a male terminal comprises a thick portion forming step of compressing the metal plate in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction to form a thick portion thicker than the thickness of the metal plate in at least a part of the mating connection portion.

[0022] (6) In the manufacturing method of the male terminal, the thick-walled portion forming process allows the thickness of at least a portion of the mating connection portion to be formed thicker than the thickness of the base metal plate, thereby increasing the variety of corresponding mating terminal fittings and, ultimately, the variety of corresponding mating connectors.

[0023] [Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] <Embodiment 1> A connector 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. The connector 10 is a board connector mounted on a circuit board 50 (see FIG. 6). As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 10 includes male terminals 11, a dielectric 12, an outer conductor 13, and a housing 14. The connector 10 is mated with a mating connector (not shown). The mating connector is a shielded connector connected to the end of a cable through which a communication signal is transmitted. In the drawings, in this embodiment, the "front side," "rear side," "upper side," "lower side," "right side," and "left side" are represented by "F," "B," "U," "D," "R," and "L," respectively. The front-to-rear direction is the direction in which the connector 10 is mated with the mating connector.

[0024] [Configuration of the Male Terminal] The male terminal 11 is formed from a conductive metal plate. The male terminal 11 is formed to be elongated as a whole. The male terminal 11 has a base portion 11A, a mating connection portion 11B (tab), a board connection portion 11C, a connecting portion 11D arranged between the mating connection portion 11B and the board connection portion 11C, and a thick portion 11E.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the base 11A is formed so as to extend in the front-rear direction with its thickness oriented in the up-down direction. The dimension (thickness) of the base 11A in the up-down direction is the same as the thickness of the base metal plate. That is, the thickness direction of the base metal plate corresponds to the up-down direction of the base 11A.

[0026] The mating connection portion 11B is connected to a mating terminal (not shown) of a mating connector. The mating connection portion 11B extends forward from the front end of the base portion 11A. The mating connection portion 11B and the base portion 11A extend together in a front-to-rear direction (one direction) perpendicular to the thickness direction of the metal plate, which is the base material.

[0027] The board connection portion 11C is formed to extend in the front-to-rear direction. The board connection portion 11C is located rearward and downward from the base portion 11A and the mating connection portion 11B. The board connection portion 11C is connected to a conductive portion of the circuit board 50 by soldering (see FIG. 6). The linking portion 11D extends obliquely downward and rearward from the rear end of the base portion 11A. The lower end of the linking portion 11D is connected to the front end of the board connection portion 11C.

[0028] The thick portion 11E is provided in the mating connection portion 11B. The vertical dimension of the thick portion 11E is larger than the vertical dimension of the base portion 11A (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The external shape of the thick portion 11E when viewed from the front-rear direction (one direction) is circular (see FIG. 3). In the left-right direction (width direction) perpendicular to the front-rear direction (one direction) and the vertical direction (plate thickness direction), the width dimension of the base 11A is larger than that of the thick portion 11E (see FIG. 3).

[0029] [Example of Manufacturing Method of Male Terminal] The male terminal 11 is formed by pressing and cutting out a metal plate as a base material. Specifically, an outline forming process is first performed in which the metal plate is pressed to form the outline shape of the male terminal 11. In the outline forming process, the mating connection portion 11B, the base portion 11A, the linking portion 11D, and the board connection portion 11C are cut out from the metal plate in a linear arrangement in this order. For example, in the outline forming process, as shown in FIG. 7 , a chained terminal 30 is formed in which the base portions 11A of multiple male terminals 11 are connected to each other in the left-right direction. After the outline forming process is performed, the vertical dimension of the mating connection portion 11B is the same as the vertical dimension of the base portion 11A, i.e., the same as the thickness of the metal plate as a base material (the shape indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 7 ).

[0030] Next, a thick-walled portion forming process is performed to form a thick-walled portion 11E in at least a portion of the mating connection portion 11B that is thicker than the thickness of the metal plate. In the thick-walled portion forming process, the mating connection portion 11B, which is cut out from the metal plate and has the same thickness as the metal plate, is compressed in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the metal plate (left-right direction). This forms the thick-walled portion 11E in the mating connection portion 11B that is thicker than the thickness of the metal plate (the shape of the two-dot chain line in FIG. 7).

[0031] [Configuration of the Dielectric] The dielectric 12 is made of insulating synthetic resin. As shown in Fig. 1, the dielectric 12 is formed in a block shape as a whole. When viewed from the side, the dielectric 12 is L-shaped. The dielectric 12 has a terminal mounting portion 12A extending in the front-rear direction and a terminal lead-out portion 12B extending in the up-down direction, connected to the rear end of the terminal mounting portion 12A.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 4, the terminal mounting portion 12A is formed with a pair of left and right press-fit holes 12C. A male terminal 11 is press-fitted into each press-fit hole 12C. As shown in Fig. 5, each press-fit hole 12C penetrates the terminal mounting portion 12A in the front-rear direction. The rear portion of each press-fit hole 12C is larger in the left-right direction than the front portion.

[0033] Each press-fit hole 12C has a first region R1 and a second region R2. The first region R1 is the region excluding the center portion in the left-right direction of each press-fit hole 12C. The vertical dimension H1 of the first region R1 (see FIG. 4) is slightly larger than the vertical dimension of the base portion 11A of the male terminal 11. In other words, the vertical dimension H1 of the first region R1 is approximately the same as the maximum tolerance of the thickness of the metal plate that is the base material of the male terminal 11.

[0034] The second region R2 is a region in the left-right center of each press-fit hole 12C. The second region R2 is formed over the entire press-fit hole 12C in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 4 , when viewed from the front, the upper inner surface of each press-fit hole 12C is concave upward in an arc-like shape, and the lower inner surface is concave downward in an arc-like shape. These concaves in the second region R2 are formed on the same circumference when viewed from the front. The dimension H2 in the vertical direction (thickness direction) of the second region R2 is slightly larger than the maximum tolerance of the vertical dimension (diameter of the mating portion 11B) of the mating connection portion 11B of the male terminal 11. The dimension H2 in the vertical direction (thickness direction) of the second region R2 is larger than the dimension H1 in the vertical direction (thickness direction) of the first region R1.

[0035] 5, a forward-facing accommodating recess 12D is formed in the rear surface of the terminal lead-out portion 12B. The accommodating recess 12D extends in the left-right direction at the top of the terminal lead-out portion 12B, and the rear ends of the press-fit holes 12C communicate with and open into the rear-facing inner surface of the accommodating recess 12D. The accommodating recess 12D extends downward on both the left and right sides, and its lower end opens into the underside of the terminal lead-out portion 12B.

[0036] [Example of Assembling Male Terminals to a Dielectric] The male terminals 11 are inserted into the respective press-fit holes 12C of the dielectric 12 from the rear. Specifically, the male terminals 11 are positioned such that the mating connection portion 11B is positioned in front of the base 11A, while the board connection portion 11C is positioned below the mating connection portion 11B and the base 11A. The male terminals 11 are then brought closer to the dielectric 12 from the rear. The mating connection portion 11B moves forward in the second region R2. The vertical dimension H2 of the second region R2 is slightly larger than the maximum tolerance of the vertical dimension (diameter of the mating connection portion 11B) of the mating connection portion 11B of the male terminal 11. Therefore, the magnitude of the frictional force generated between the mating connection portion 11B and the surface forming the second region R2 is slight. That is, when the male terminal 11 is press-fitted into the press-fit hole 12C, the thick portion 11E of the mating connection portion 11B passes forward through the second region R2 in a non-press-fit state.

[0037] Next, the base 11A enters the first region R1. The vertical dimension H1 of the first region R1 is approximately the same as the maximum tolerance of the thickness of the metal plate that is the base material of the male terminal 11. Therefore, the magnitude of the frictional force generated between the base 11A and the surface that forms the first region R1 is greater than the frictional force generated between the mating connection portion 11B and the surface that forms the second region R2. As a result, the base 11A is held in the press-fit hole 12C by press-fitting. In other words, the base 11A is press-fitted into the press-fit hole 12C and held in the dielectric 12.

[0038] As the male terminal 11 is further inserted into the press-fit hole 12C, the mating connection portion 11B passes forward through the second region R2 and protrudes forward of the terminal mounting portion 12A, as shown in FIG. 6 . At the same time, the linking portion 11D is positioned along the innermost surface of the accommodating recess 12D and is accommodated within the accommodating recess 12D. At this time, the board connection portion 11C is positioned so as to protrude below the terminal pull-out portion 12B. The thick portion 11E, excluding its rear end, is positioned in front of the dielectric 12 (outside the dielectric 12). In other words, a portion of the thick portion 11E is positioned outside the dielectric 12.

[0039] [Configuration of the Outer Conductor] The outer conductor 13 is made of zinc or a zinc alloy and functions as a shielding member that suppresses noise from entering the male terminal 11 from the outside and also suppresses noise leakage from the male terminal 11 to the outside.

[0040] 1, the outer conductor 13 has a housing portion 13A at its rear, an enclosure portion 13B at its front, and a wall portion 13C at the position where the enclosure portion 13B and the housing portion 13A are connected. The housing portion 13A has a gate-like shape when viewed from the rear. The front end of the housing portion 13A is connected to the rear surface of the wall portion 13C.

[0041] The housing portion 13A and the wall portion 13C have a plurality of cylindrical bosses 13E protruding downward from their lower ends. Specifically, one boss 13E is located on each of the left and right sides of the wall portion 13C, and one boss 13E is located on the rear end of the housing portion 13A. Each boss 13E is positioned and inserted into a mounting hole 50A formed in the circuit board 50 (see FIG. 6).

[0042] The surrounding portion 13B has a rectangular cylindrical shape with rounded corners and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The rear end of the surrounding portion 13B is connected to the front face of the wall portion 13C. The terminal mounting portion 12A of the dielectric 12 and the mating connection portion 11B and base portion 11A of the male terminal 11 are accommodated in the rear inner portion of the surrounding portion 13B (see FIG. 6). The mating connection portion 11B of the male terminal 11 is positioned protruding from the front inner portion of the surrounding portion 13B (see FIG. 6). When mated with a mating connector, the surrounding portion 13B makes conductive contact with the outer conductor of the mating connector at its front inner portion (not shown). The wall portion 13C is flat, separates the surrounding portion 13B from the accommodation portion 13A, and extends radially outward from the rear end of the surrounding portion 13B. An insertion hole 13D penetrating the wall portion 13C in the front-to-rear direction is formed. The enclosure portion 13B communicates with the inside of the accommodation portion 13A via an insertion hole 13D.

[0043] The dielectric 12 with the male terminal 11 attached is inserted into the outer conductor 13 from the rear. Specifically, the terminal mounting portion 12A is positioned in front of the terminal pull-out portion 12B, and the board connection portion 11C is positioned so that it protrudes downward. The dielectric 12 with the male terminal 11 attached is then brought close to the rear of the outer conductor 13. The terminal mounting portion 12A is then inserted into the insertion hole 13D and press-fit into the enclosure portion 13B (see FIG. 6). When the front surface of the terminal pull-out portion 12B contacts the rear surface of the wall portion 13C, the insertion of the dielectric 12 into the outer conductor 13 is complete (see FIG. 6). At this time, the mating connection portion 11B is positioned at the front side within the enclosure portion 13B (see FIG. 6).

[0044] [Housing Configuration] The housing 14 is made of an insulating synthetic resin material. The housing 14 has a base wall 14A that is rectangular in rear view and a rectangular mating tubular portion 14B that protrudes forward from the base wall 14A. A mating housing of a mating connector is mated into the mating tubular portion 14B (not shown). A locking protrusion 14D is formed on the inner surface of the upper wall of the mating tubular portion 14B (see FIG. 6). The locking arm of the mating housing engages with the locking protrusion 14D, thereby maintaining the mated state between the connector 10 and the mating connector (not shown). A through-hole 14C is formed in the base wall 14A, penetrating in the front-to-rear direction. The surrounding portion 13B of the outer conductor 13 is press-fitted into the through-hole 14C (see FIG. 6).

[0045] Next, the effects of this configuration will be illustrated. The male terminal 11 is formed from a metal plate as a base material and includes a base 11A and a mating connection portion 11B extending from the base 11A. The base 11A and the mating connection portion 11B extend continuously in a front-to-rear direction (one direction) perpendicular to the thickness direction (up-down direction) of the metal plate as the base material. The mating connection portion 11B has a thick portion 11E whose dimension in the thickness direction (up-down direction) is larger than the dimension in the thickness direction (up-down direction) of the base 11A.

[0046] According to this configuration, the thick portion 11E of the mating connecting portion 11B can increase the variety of compatible mating terminal fittings, and therefore the variety of compatible mating connectors can be increased.

[0047] The outer shape of the thick portion 11E when viewed from the front-rear direction (one direction) is circular. This configuration makes it possible to prevent unevenness in the contact pressure with the mating terminal fitting in the circumferential direction of the mating connection portion 11B.

[0048] In the left-right direction (width direction) perpendicular to the front-rear direction (one direction) and the up-down direction (plate thickness direction), the width dimension of the base 11A is larger than that of the thick-walled portion 11E. With this configuration, when the male terminal 11 is press-fitted into the dielectric 12, the male terminal 11 can be held in the dielectric 12 by utilizing the portion of the base 11A that protrudes in the width direction beyond the mating connection portion 11B.

[0049] The connector 10 includes a male terminal 11 and a dielectric 12 having a press-fit hole 12C formed therein into which the male terminal 11 is press-fitted. The thickness dimension of the base 11A in the vertical direction (plate thickness direction) is the same as the plate thickness of the base metal plate, and the base 11A is press-fitted into the press-fit hole 12C and held by the dielectric 12, with at least a portion of the thick-walled portion 11E disposed outside the dielectric 12. With this configuration, by disposing the thick-walled portion 11E outside the dielectric 12, it is possible to increase the variety of compatible mating terminal fittings without significantly changing the configurations of the base 11A and the dielectric 12 from conventional configurations.

[0050] The press-fit hole 12C has a first region R1 into which the base 11A is press-fitted and a second region R2 through which the thick-walled portion 11E passes in an unpressed state when the male terminal 11 is press-fitted, and the dimension of the second region R2 in the vertical direction (plate thickness direction) is larger than that of the first region R1. With this configuration, the dimension of the second region R2 of the press-fit hole 12C in the vertical direction is larger than that of the first region R1, so that the frictional force generated between the thick-walled portion 11E and the press-fit hole 12C when the male terminal 11 is press-fitted into the press-fit hole 12C can be reduced. Therefore, the pressing force applied to the male terminal 11 to press-fit the male terminal 11 into the press-fit hole 12C can be reduced.

[0051] In this manufacturing method for a male terminal formed by pressing a metal plate, the male terminal 11 includes a base 11A and a mating connection portion 11B extending from the base 11A. The base 11A and the mating connection portion 11B extend continuously in a front-to-rear direction (one direction) perpendicular to the thickness direction of the metal plate. The manufacturing method for the male terminal also includes a thick-walled portion forming step in which the metal plate is compressed in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction to form a thick-walled portion 11E in the mating connection portion 11B that is thicker than the thickness of the metal plate. This configuration allows the thick-walled portion forming step to form at least a portion of the mating connection portion 11B thicker than the thickness of the base metal plate. In other words, the thickness of at least a portion of the mating connection portion 11B can be changed depending on the mating terminal fitting to be used. This allows for a greater variety of compatible mating terminal fittings, and ultimately a greater variety of compatible mating connectors.

[0052] <Other Embodiments> The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0053] Unlike the first embodiment, the outer shape of the thick-walled portion as viewed from the front-to-rear direction may be polygonal. For example, as shown in Fig. 8 , after the outer shape forming step is performed, the left-right (width) dimension of the mating connection portion 111B is set to the same as the thickness of the base metal plate (the shape indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 8 ), and the mating connection portion 111B is processed so as to be twisted 45 degrees around the axis. After being twisted 45 degrees, the vertical dimension of the mating connection portion 111B is larger than the thickness of the base metal plate (the thickness of the base portion 111A) (the shape indicated by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 8 ).

[0054] Unlike the first embodiment, the thick portion may be formed by compressing the mating connection portion in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction (i.e., by header processing).

[0055] Unlike the first embodiment, in the thick-walled portion forming step, the thick-walled portion may be formed on at least a part of the mating connection portion.

[0056] Unlike the first embodiment, the mating connection portion may be formed by hemming to provide a thick portion.

[0057] Unlike the first embodiment, the thick portion may be entirely disposed outside the dielectric.

[0058] Unlike the first embodiment, the second region may be formed in a rectangular shape with a stepped recess, or may be formed in a polygonal shape with a recess.

[0059] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Connector 11 ... Male terminal 11A, 111A ... Base 11B, 111B ... Mating connection portion 11C ... Board connection portion 11D ... Linking portion 11E ... Thick portion 12 ... Dielectric 12A ... Terminal mounting portion 12B ... Terminal pull-out portion 12C ... Press-fit hole 12D ... Accommodating recess 13 ... Outer conductor 13A ... Accommodating portion 13B ... Surrounding portion 13C ... Wall portion 13D ... Insertion hole 13E ... Boss 14 ... Housing 14A ... Base wall 14B ... Fitting cylindrical portion 14C ... Through hole 14D ... Locking protrusion 30 ... Chain terminal 50 ... Circuit board 50A ... Mounting hole H1, H2 ... Dimensions R1 ... First region R2 ... Second region

Claims

1. A male terminal formed from a metal plate, comprising: a base; and a mating connection portion extending from the base, the base and the mating connection portion extending continuously in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the metal plate, and the mating connection portion having a thick portion whose dimension in the thickness direction is greater than the dimension in the thickness direction of the base.

2. The male terminal according to claim 1, wherein the outer shape of said thick portion when viewed from said one direction is circular.

3. The male terminal according to claim 2, wherein the width of the base portion is greater than that of the thick portion in a width direction perpendicular to the one direction and the plate thickness direction.

4. A connector comprising: a male terminal as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3; and a dielectric having a press-fit hole into which the male terminal is press-fitted, wherein the thickness dimension of the base in the plate thickness direction is the same as the plate thickness of the metal plate, the base is press-fitted into the press-fit hole and held by the dielectric, and at least a portion of the thick portion is disposed outside the dielectric.

5. A connector as described in claim 4, wherein the press-fit hole has a first region into which the base is pressed and a second region through which the thick-walled portion passes in a non-pressed state when the male terminal is pressed in, and the dimension of the second region in the plate thickness direction is larger than that of the first region.

6. A manufacturing method for a male terminal formed by pressing a metal plate, the male terminal comprising a base and a mating connection portion extending from the base, the base and the mating connection portion extending continuously in one direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the metal plate, and the manufacturing method for a male terminal comprising a thick portion forming step of compressing the metal plate in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction to form a thick portion thicker than the thickness of the metal plate in at least a part of the mating connection portion.

Images