Female terminal and terminal unit

Abstract

Disclosed is a female terminal capable of handling a large current while suppressing an increase in the size of the female terminal, and capable of also suppressing a deformation risk at the time of manufacturing a contact spring part.　This female terminal (10) comprises a body part (20) having a connection part (16) and a cylindrical conductor part (18), and a contact forming metal fitting (22) assembled to the cylindrical conductor part (18). The cylindrical conductor part (18) has a male terminal insertion port (24), a rear opening window (26), and a to-be-welded part (38) constituted by a chamfered part provided on an inner peripheral edge part of an end surface (37) on the male terminal insertion port (24) or rear opening window (26) side. The contact forming metal fitting (22) has a frame body part (52) assembled to an inner surface (35) of a wall part of the cylindrical conductor part (18), a contact spring part (54) that protrudes toward the inside of the frame body part (52) and is brought into pressure contact with a male terminal (12) inserted from the male terminal insertion port (24), and a welded part (56) that is provided by bending the edge part of the frame body part (52) on the male terminal insertion port (24) or rear opening window (26) side along the inclination of the chamfered part. The welded part (56) and the to-be-welded part (38) are mutually overlapped and welded.

Description

Female terminals and terminal units

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a female terminal and a terminal unit.

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a female terminal formed by pressing a flat metal plate. The base end of the female terminal has an electric wire connection portion formed by overlapping a pair of flat plate portions. The tip end of the female terminal has a male terminal mounting tubular portion into which a flat tab-shaped male terminal is inserted. The female and male terminals form a terminal unit. The male terminal mounting tubular portion has a pair of L-shaped support plate portions that protrude from each flat plate portion on opposite sides of the overlapping direction and then protrude toward the tip end. The male terminal mounting tubular portion also has a pair of contact spring portions that are cantilevered and connected to the protruding ends of the pair of support plate portions via semicircular arc-shaped curved portions and protrude toward the base end. The pair of contact spring portions are arranged opposite each other across a male terminal insertion gap, and separate contact pressure springs are attached to the tip ends of the pair of contact spring portions. The contact pressure springs apply contact pressure to the pair of contact spring portions against the male terminals, maintaining a stable connection between the male and female terminals.

[0003] JP 2022-83287 A

[0004] However, because the female terminal of Patent Document 1 is formed by pressing a metal plate, the contact spring portion also needs to have a thickness corresponding to the current capacity. Therefore, when a large current needs to flow, the plate thickness of the contact spring portion also becomes thick. As a result, in order to ensure the contact spring portion's ability to follow the male terminal, the contact spring portion must be made longer, which tends to increase the size of the female terminal. Furthermore, because the contact spring portion is open on the side, it is easily exposed to other parts or tools during the manufacturing process of the female terminal, which may cause deformation.

[0005] Therefore, we disclose a female terminal and a terminal unit that can accommodate large currents while preventing the female terminal from becoming larger, and that can also reduce the risk of deformation during manufacturing of the contact spring portion.

[0006] The female terminal of the present disclosure comprises: a main body portion which is a pressed product of a first metal flat plate and which has a connection portion which is electrically connected to another member and a hollow tubular conductor portion; and a contact-forming fitting which is a pressed product of a second metal flat plate which is thinner than the first metal flat plate and which is electrically connected to the tubular conductor portion, the tubular conductor portion having a male terminal insertion opening which opens toward one end side, a rear opening window which opens toward the other end side, and a chamfer provided on the inner peripheral edge of the end surface on the male terminal insertion opening side or the rear opening window side. and a welded portion constituted by a chamfered portion, and the contact-forming fitting has a frame portion assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion, a contact spring portion held by the frame portion and protruding inward of the frame portion to be pressed against the male terminal inserted through the male terminal insertion opening, and a welding portion formed by bending the edge of the frame portion on the male terminal insertion opening side or the rear opening window side along the slope of the chamfered portion, and the welding portion and the welded portion are overlapped and welded to each other.

[0007] The terminal unit of the present disclosure is a terminal unit including a female terminal and a male terminal to be connected to the female terminal, wherein the female terminal is the female terminal described in the present disclosure.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a female terminal and a terminal unit that can accommodate large currents while preventing the female terminal from becoming larger, and that can also reduce the risk of deformation of the contact spring portion during manufacturing.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a female terminal according to a first embodiment in a connected state with a male terminal. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the female terminal shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the female terminal shown in FIG. 1 in a disconnected state with a male terminal. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown in FIG. 4, corresponding to FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown in FIG. 4, corresponding to the cross-section taken along VI-VI in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along VII-VII in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the female terminal shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a contact-forming fitting constituting the female terminal shown in FIG. 4 in a separate state before being assembled to a cylindrical conductor portion.

[0010] The female terminal of the present disclosure includes: (1) a main body portion that is a pressed product of a first metal plate, the main body portion having a connection portion that is electrically connected to another member and a hollow tubular conductor portion; and a contact-forming fitting that is a pressed product of a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate and is electrically connected to the tubular conductor portion, the tubular conductor portion having a male terminal insertion opening that opens toward one end, a rear opening window that opens toward the other end, and a chamfered portion provided on an inner peripheral edge of an end surface on the male terminal insertion opening side or the rear opening window side. and a welded portion constructed by the above-mentioned chamfered portion, and the contact-forming fitting has a frame portion assembled to the inner surface of the wall portion of the cylindrical conductor portion, a contact spring portion held by the frame portion and protruding inward of the frame portion to be pressed against the male terminal inserted through the male terminal insertion opening, and a welding portion formed by bending the edge of the frame portion on the male terminal insertion opening side or the rear opening window side along the slope of the chamfered portion, and the welding portion and the welded portion are overlapped and welded to each other.

[0011] According to the female terminal of the present disclosure, the main body portion, which has a connection portion with another member and a hollow tubular conductor portion, and the contact-forming fitting, which is electrically conductively attached to the tubular conductor portion of the main body portion, are configured as separate components. Furthermore, the contact-forming fitting is formed using a second metal plate having a thickness thinner than that of the first metal plate forming the main body portion. This allows the contact spring portion to be thinner than the main body portion, while ensuring current-carrying capacity in the thicker main body portion. Therefore, even when a high current is required, the need to increase the length of the contact spring portion to ensure its ability to follow the male terminal is reduced compared to conventional structures, making it possible to accommodate a high current without increasing the size of the female terminal.

[0012] In addition, the contact-forming fitting has a frame portion that is attached to the inner wall of the cylindrical conductor portion and a contact spring portion that is pressed against the male terminal. The contact spring portion is held by the frame portion and is formed to protrude toward the inside of the frame portion. This makes it easy to assemble the contact-forming fitting to the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body because the frame portion can be held during assembly. Furthermore, the frame portion reduces the risk of other parts or tools interfering with the contact spring portion during assembly, thereby reducing the risk of deformation of the contact spring portion during manufacturing compared to conventional structures.

[0013] Furthermore, the main body has a welded portion formed by a chamfered portion on the inner peripheral edge of the end face on the male terminal insertion port side or the rear window opening side, and the contact-forming fitting has a welded portion formed by bending the edge of the frame on the male terminal insertion port side or the rear window opening side along the slope of the chamfered portion. These welded portions and welded portions are overlapped and welded to each other. This prevents an increase in electrical resistance and enables the use of large currents, even when the main body and the contact-forming fitting are constructed as separate parts. In particular, because the welded portion and welded portion are formed by pressed surfaces rather than sheared surfaces during press working, gaps between the welded portion and welded portion are reduced compared to when the welded portion and / or welded portion are formed by sheared surfaces, making it easier to ensure stable electrical conduction.

[0014] Furthermore, the chamfered portion, which is the part to be welded, and the weld part that is overlapped thereon are inclined outward in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular conductor part at one end or the other end of the tubular conductor part of the main body part where the male terminal insertion port or rear opening window is provided, which makes it easier to carry out the welding process of the weld part and the weld part.For example, in laser welding, it is also easy to make the laser light incident perpendicular to the weld part and the weld part, thereby achieving good joining of the weld part and the weld part.

[0015] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable that the weld portion and the welded portion expand outward in the Z direction perpendicular to the X direction as they move outward in the X direction, which is the axial direction of the tubular conductor, and that the weld portion and the welded portion have the same inclination angle with respect to the X direction. Since the weld portion and the welded portion have the same inclination angle with respect to the X direction, it is possible to further advantageously reduce or eliminate the risk of a gap occurring between the contact surfaces of the weld portion and the welded portion, thereby achieving even better joinability between the weld portion and the welded portion and ensuring stable conductivity of the female terminal.

[0016] (3) In the above (1) or (2), it is preferable to have a pressing portion that presses the welded portion against the welded portion. By further providing the pressing portion, the welded portion can be pressed against the welded portion to improve adhesion, thereby improving the joinability of the main body and the contact-forming fitting by laser welding or the like.

[0017] The pressing portion may be formed integrally with the main body portion and the contact-forming metal fitting, or may be formed using an elastic member separate from the main body portion and the contact-forming metal fitting.

[0018] (4) In the above (3), it is preferable that the contact-forming fitting is inserted from the male terminal insertion port on the one end side of the tubular conductor portion toward the other end side and assembled to the tubular conductor portion, the tubular conductor portion has a lock hole opening on the inner surface of the wall portion, the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting has a lock claw that fits into the lock hole to form the pressing portion, the lock claw elastically deforms to allow insertion of the contact-forming fitting toward the other end side, and the lock claw elastically returns to its original position to engage with the lock hole, so that the welded portion is pressed against the welded portion by the elastic restoring force of the lock claw.

[0019] The pressing portion can be provided with a simple structure using a locking hole provided in the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body and a locking claw provided in the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting. Moreover, by cleverly utilizing the contact-forming fitting, which is thinner than the main body, the locking claw can be provided in a compact shape to generate an elastic restoring force that serves as a pressing force. Therefore, with a compact design and fewer parts, it is possible to improve the bond between the welded portion and the welded portion, and ultimately improve the electrical conductivity of the female terminal.

[0020] (5) In (4) above, it is preferable that the tubular conductor portion has a rectangular tubular shape having a pair of side walls and an upper wall and a lower wall connected by the pair of side walls, and the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting has a rectangular frame shape having a pair of side portions that are superimposed on each of the pair of side walls of the tubular conductor portion, and an upper portion and a lower portion that are superimposed on each of the upper and lower walls of the tubular conductor portion, and that at least one of the upper and lower portions of the frame portion is partially cut inward to form the cantilever-shaped contact spring portion, while a pair of welded portions formed by a pair of the chamfered portions are provided on the end surfaces of each of the upper and lower walls on the male terminal insertion opening side, and that a pair of the welded portions is provided at the end portions of the upper and lower portions of the frame portion on the male terminal insertion opening side, respectively, and that the pair of welded portions is respectively welded to the pair of welded portions, and that the pair of side walls each have a locking hole, and the pair of side portions each have a locking claw.

[0021] The cylindrical conductor portion is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape, and the contact-forming fitting is formed in a rectangular frame shape, thereby advantageously ensuring their rigidity. Moreover, the cantilever-shaped contact spring portion is formed by partially cutting and raising at least one of the upper and lower portions of the frame body of the contact-forming fitting inward, which makes it easy to manufacture the contact spring portion with high yield. Furthermore, by adjusting the length of the inward cutting and raising of the upper and lower portions, the spring rigidity and deflection of the contact spring portion can be easily set to desired values, resulting in excellent manufacturability.

[0022] More preferably, both the upper and lower portions are partially cut inward to form a pair of upper and lower contact spring portions facing each other, which allows the pair of upper and lower contact spring portions to contact both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal, improving the connection stability between the male and female terminals.

[0023] In addition, since the welding portions provided on both the upper and lower sides of the terminal-forming fitting can be welded to the welded portions provided on both the upper and lower sides of the tubular conductor portion, the rigidity and conductivity stability of the female terminal can also be improved.

[0024] In addition, by effectively utilizing the pair of side walls and pair of side portions arranged opposite each other, a pair of locking holes and locking claws can be provided that constitute a pressing portion that presses the welding portion against the welded portion, thereby maintaining the stability of the assembly of the contact-forming fitting and the cylindrical conductor and the tightness of the welding portion and the welded portion without increasing the size of the female terminal.

[0025] (6) In any one of (1) to (5) above, it is preferable that the contact-forming fitting is inserted from the male terminal insertion opening on the one end side of the tubular conductor portion toward the other end side and assembled to the tubular conductor portion, and that the insertion end of the contact-forming fitting into the tubular conductor portion is defined by the welding portion of the contact-forming fitting being superimposed on the welded portion formed by the chamfered portion on the end face of the tubular conductor portion on the male terminal insertion opening side.

[0026] The contact-forming fitting is inserted from the male terminal insertion opening of the cylindrical conductor toward the other end, which facilitates assembly. Moreover, by overlapping and abutting the end face of the welded portion of the contact-forming fitting against the end face of the welded portion on the male terminal insertion opening side of the cylindrical conductor, the insertion end of the contact-forming fitting into the cylindrical conductor is defined, making assembly even easier.

[0027] (7) In (5) above, it is preferable that the contact-forming fitting has a rear opening on the other end side of the cylindrical conductor portion, the contact spring portion includes a first contact spring portion and a second contact spring portion, the upper and lower parts of the frame body portion have a pair of upper and lower first and second contact spring portions that are held by the frame body portion at one end side and protrude inward toward the other end side, extending in a cantilevered manner, and further include a contact pressure spring that is arranged to sandwich the respective protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion and has a size that can be inserted through the rear opening, and when the male terminal is pressed between the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, the contact pressure spring urges the respective protruding ends in a direction approaching each other, and the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are pressed against the male terminal.

[0028] The contact pressure applying spring biases the protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion toward each other, and the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are pressed into contact with a male terminal press-fitted between the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion with a high contact pressure. This advantageously reduces the size of the female terminal, ensures the flexibility and compliance of the contact spring portion, and advantageously ensures contact pressure between the female and male terminals. Furthermore, because the contact pressure applying spring is large enough to pass through the rear opening, it can be inserted through the rear opening and positioned from the front side in the protruding direction relative to the protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion. This improves the assembly ease of the female terminal compared to conventional structures that could only be assembled from the side, which is perpendicular to the protruding direction of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion.

[0029] The terminal unit of the present disclosure is (8) a terminal unit including a female terminal and a male terminal to be connected to the female terminal, wherein the female terminal is the female terminal described in any one of (1) to (7) above. In the terminal unit of the present disclosure, since the female terminal is configured in the manner described in any one of (1) to (7) above, it is possible to provide a terminal unit that can achieve the same effects as those obtained by any one of (1) to (7) above.

[0030] <Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> Specific examples of the female terminal and terminal unit of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0031] First Embodiment A female terminal 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure and a terminal unit 14 including the female terminal 10 and a male terminal 12 connected to the female terminal 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9 . The female terminal 10 is a terminal that connects a power source, such as a battery, to a load, such as a motor. The female terminal 10, which is provided on one side of the power source or the load, and the male terminal 12, which is provided on the other side of the power source or the load, are in contact with each other to establish electrical continuity, thereby supplying power from a power source, such as a battery, to a load, such as a motor. While the female terminal 10 can be oriented in any direction, in the following description, the upper side will be referred to as the upper side in FIG. 3 , the lower side as the lower side in FIG. 3 , the front side as the left side in FIG. 2 , the rear side as the right side in FIG. 2 , the left side as the upper side in FIG. 2 , and the right side as the lower side in FIG. 2 . In addition, when multiple identical components are illustrated, only some of the components may be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals may be omitted for the other components.

[0032] <Female Terminal 10> The female terminal 10 includes a connecting portion 16 that is electrically connected to another component (e.g., a power source component such as a battery) and a main body 20 that includes a hollow tubular conductor 18. The main body 20 is a pressed product of a first metal plate (not shown). The female terminal 10 also includes a contact-forming fitting 22 that is electrically connected to the tubular conductor 18. The contact-forming fitting 22 is a pressed product of a second metal plate (not shown) that is thinner than the first metal plate. For ease of understanding, the contact-forming fitting 22 is shown with dashed lines in the following Figures 1, 2, and 4. In Figure 2, in addition to the contact-forming fitting 22, the male terminal 12 and a clip spring 114 (described later) that serves as a contact pressure spring are also shown with dashed lines.

[0033] <Male Terminal 12> The male terminal 12 is a tab terminal having an overall plate shape. The male terminal 12 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, a predetermined width dimension (left-right dimension) and thickness dimension (up-down dimension), and extends substantially straight in the front-rear direction. In the first embodiment, the male terminal 12 has a horizontally elongated shape in which the width dimension is greater than the thickness dimension. The forward end portion (rear end portion) of the male terminal 12 in the insertion direction into the female terminal 10 is tapered. The male terminal 12 is conductive and formed from a metal with low electrical resistance, such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. A bolt insertion hole, for example, is provided in the base end portion (front end portion) of the male terminal 12, and the male terminal 12 is fixed to another component (e.g., a load-side component such as a motor) with a bolt (not shown). Alternatively, if a bolt insertion hole is not provided, a load-side electric wire or the like is fixed to the base end portion of the male terminal 12 by crimping or the like.

[0034] <Connection Portion 16> The connection portion 16 is generally plate-shaped. When the female terminal 10 is positioned as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connection portion 16 extends in the front-to-rear direction as a whole and has a generally rectangular shape in which the front-to-rear dimension is greater than the up-to-down dimension in a side view (left-to-right view). A bolt insertion hole penetrating the rear end of the connection portion 16 in the plate thickness direction (left-to-right direction), for example, is formed, and the female terminal 10 can be fixed to another member (e.g., a member on the power source side such as a battery) by a bolt inserted into this bolt insertion hole. For example, the connection portion 16 can be connected to the other member, such as the end of an electric wire or a bus bar (not shown).

[0035] <Typical conductor portion 18> The tubular conductor portion 18 is generally cylindrical and opens on both sides in the front-to-rear direction. It has a male terminal insertion opening 24 that opens toward one longitudinal end (front end) of the tubular conductor portion 18 and a rear opening window 26 that opens toward the other longitudinal end (rear end). In embodiment 1, the tubular conductor portion 18 has a generally horizontally elongated rectangular tubular shape. Specifically, the walls of the tubular conductor portion 18 have an upper wall 28 and a lower wall 30 that are opposed to each other in the Z direction (up-down direction) perpendicular to the X direction (front-to-rear direction) that is the axial direction of the tubular conductor portion 18, and a pair of side walls, a left wall 32 and a right wall 34. In other words, the tubular conductor portion 18 has left and right side walls 32, 34 and the upper wall 28 and the lower wall 30 connected by these left and right side walls 32, 34. That is, the inner surface 35 of each wall portion (upper wall 28, lower wall 30, and left and right side walls 32, 34) in the tubular conductor portion 18 is composed of an upper inner surface 35a which is the inner surface of the upper wall 28, a lower inner surface 35b which is the inner surface of the lower wall 30, a left inner surface 35c which is the inner surface of the left side wall 32, and a right inner surface 35d which is the inner surface of the right side wall 34.

[0036] The left-right dimensions of the upper wall 28 and the lower wall 30 are larger than the up-down dimensions of the left and right side walls 32, 34, so that the cylindrical conductor 18 has a generally horizontally elongated rectangular cylindrical shape. Each of the walls constituting the cylindrical conductor 18 (the upper wall 28, the lower wall 30, and the left and right side walls 32, 34) is generally rectangular plate-shaped. In the first embodiment, the above-mentioned connecting portion 16 is formed integrally with the lower wall 30 and extends rearward from the lower wall 30.

[0037] As described above, the tubular conductor 18 (main body 20) is a pressed product of a first metal flat plate, and in the first embodiment, a bent portion 36 is provided between the upper wall 28 and the left side wall 32, between the left side wall 32 and the lower wall 30, and between the lower wall 30 and the right side wall 34. In other words, the tubular conductor 18 having a rectangular cylindrical shape is configured by bending each bent portion 36 in the first metal flat plate that extends in a substantially planar shape.

[0038] <Welded Portion 38> The tubular conductor portion 18 also has a welded portion 38 formed by a chamfered portion provided on the inner peripheral edge of the front end face 37, which is the end face on the male terminal insertion opening 24 side. In the first embodiment, the upper wall 28 and the lower wall 30 of the tubular conductor portion 18 are each provided with a forward protruding portion 40 that protrudes forward beyond each bent portion 36, and each forward protruding portion 40 has a chamfered inclined surface 42 provided on the inner peripheral edge of the front end face 37. The chamfered portion and the welded portion 38 are configured to include this inclined surface 42. In particular, in the first embodiment, each forward protruding portion 40 and each inclined surface 42 are formed over substantially the entire length of the upper wall 28 and the lower wall 30 in the width direction (left-right direction).

[0039] Each of these welded portions 38 (each inclined surface 42) is formed at a predetermined inclination angle α (see FIG. 5 ) with respect to the X direction (front-rear direction), and gradually widens outward in the Z direction (up-down direction) perpendicular to the X direction as it extends outward (forward) in the X direction. In other words, the upper and lower inclined surfaces 42 are inclined in directions that move away from each other as they extend forward. Therefore, the inclination angle α of each inclined surface 42 is greater than 0° and less than 90° (0°<α<90°). The inclination angle α of each inclined surface 42 is preferably set within a range of, for example, 20°≦α≦60°. Setting the inclination angle α of each inclined surface 42 within the above range prevents gaps from occurring between each welded portion 38 and each weld portion 56 (described later) while also avoiding unnecessary lengthening of the female terminal 10 in the front-rear direction. As will be described later, the tubular conductor portion 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 are welded to each other by overlapping the welding portion 56 provided on the contact-forming fitting 22 with the welded portion 38 formed by each inclined surface 42 on the tubular conductor portion 18.

[0040] In the first embodiment, the welded portion 38 includes a pair of welded portions 38, 38, a first welded portion 38a provided on the upper wall 28 side and a second welded portion 38b provided on the lower wall 30 side. In the overlapping portion of the welded portion 56 and the welded portion 38 in the first embodiment, the welding regions R (upper welding region UR and lower welding region LR (both shown by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 4 )) that are actually welded by irradiating a laser as described below have predetermined front-rear and left-right dimensions. That is, the first welded portion 38a and the second welded portion 38b are each formed in a portion of each inclined surface 42. Specifically, the first and second welded portions 38a, 38b are formed in the front-rear middle portions of the upper and lower inclined surfaces 42, 42, respectively, over substantially the entire widthwise length.

[0041] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a fitting protrusion 44 that protrudes toward the right side wall 34 is provided in a front-to-rear middle portion of the right end portion of the top wall 28, and a fitting recess 46 that opens toward the top wall 28 is provided in a front-to-rear middle portion of the upper end portion of the right side wall 34. As a result, when forming the tubular conductor 18 by performing press work or the like on the first metal plate, for example, by fitting the fitting protrusion 44 of the top wall 28 into the fitting recess 46 of the right side wall 34, it is possible to prevent the top wall 28 and the right side wall 34 from unintentionally separating from each other when the tubular conductor 18 is formed.

[0042] Furthermore, the tubular conductor portion 18 has locking holes 48 that open to the inner surfaces 35 of the wall portions (the upper wall 28, the lower wall 30, and the left and right side walls 32, 34). In the first embodiment, locking holes 48, 48 that open to the left and right inner surfaces 35c, 35d are formed in the front-rear middle portions of the left and right side walls 32, 34. In particular, in the first embodiment, each locking hole 48 penetrates the left and right side walls 32, 34 in the thickness direction (left-right direction). Each locking hole 48 is substantially rectangular in side view (left-right direction) and has predetermined front-rear and up-down dimensions. Furthermore, abutting portions 50 that protrude forward beyond the bent portions 36 are provided at the front end portions of each of the left and right side walls 32, 34 of the tubular conductor portion 18. As a result, when the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are connected, each abutting portion 50 abuts against a housing (not shown) that holds the male terminal 12.

[0043] <Main body 20> Although not shown in the drawings, before the first metal plate is pressed, for example, each wall portion (upper wall 28, lower wall 30, left and right side walls 32, 34, and connecting portion 16) constituting the main body 20 is spread out in a flat plane. Then, as described above, each bending portion 36 is bent to fit the mating convex portion 44 into the mating concave portion 46, thereby forming the cylindrical conductor portion 18 in the front portion of the main body 20. The metal material constituting the main body 20 is not limited, but a metal with excellent conductivity can be used, such as pure copper.

[0044] <Contact-forming fitting 22> The contact-forming fitting 22 has a frame portion 52 that is assembled to the inner surface 35 of the wall portions (upper wall 28, lower wall 30, and left and right side walls 32, 34) of the tubular conductor portion 18. The contact-forming fitting 22 also has contact spring portions 54 that are held by the frame portion 52, protrude toward the inside of the frame portion 52, and are pressed into contact with the male terminal 12 inserted through the male terminal insertion opening 24. The contact-forming fitting 22 also has weld portions 56 that are formed by bending the edge of the frame portion 52 on the male terminal insertion opening 24 side along the chamfered portions of the tubular conductor portion 18 (the inclined surfaces 42 of the first and second welded portions 38a, 38b).

[0045] <Frame 52> Figure 9 shows the contact-forming fitting 22 in a standalone state before being assembled to the tubular conductor 18. As shown in Figure 9 and other figures, the frame 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22 has an overall rectangular frame shape. That is, the frame 52 has a pair of side portions, a left portion 58 and a right portion 60, which are respectively superimposed on the left and right side walls 32, 34 of the tubular conductor 18, an upper portion 62 which is superimposed on the upper wall 28, and a lower portion 64 which is superimposed on the lower wall 30. In other words, the left portion 58 and the right portion 60 are connected by the upper portion 62 and the lower portion 64, respectively. As a result, the frame 52 is open on both the front and rear sides, and is provided with a front opening 66 and a rear opening 68.

[0046] A generally rectangular through-window 70 penetrating through the thickness direction (vertical direction) is formed in the middle of each of the upper and lower portions 62 and 64 in the front-to-rear direction, and each through-window 70 is formed over the entire left-to-right length of each of the upper and lower portions 62 and 64. As a result, the upper and lower portions 62 and 64 are divided into front and rear portions by each through-window 70, and each of the upper and lower portions 62 and 64 includes a front connection portion 72 connecting the left and right side portions 58, 60 at their front portions and a rear connection portion 74 connecting the left and right side portions 58, 60 at their rear portions. In other words, the left side portion 58 and the right side portion 60 are connected at their front portions by the front connection portions 72 in the upper and lower portions 62 and 64, and are connected at their rear portions by the rear connection portions 74 in the upper and lower portions 62 and 64.

[0047] <Contact Spring Portion 54> In the first embodiment, the contact spring portion 54 includes a first contact spring portion 76 that protrudes inwardly from a lower portion (lower portion 64) of the frame body portion 52, and a second contact spring portion 78 that protrudes inwardly from an upper portion (upper portion 62) of the frame body portion 52. Specifically, in each of the upper portion 62 and the lower portion 64, the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78 extend rearward in a cantilever-like manner from the rear ends of the front connection portions 72 inside the respective through windows 70. That is, the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78 are held by the front connection portions 72 of the frame body portion 52 at one end, i.e., the front side, and extend inwardly toward the rear side, i.e., the other end, in a cantilever-like manner. As a result, spaces (gaps) are provided on three sides (both left and right sides and rear) around the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78, and the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78 are each capable of elastic deformation in the vertical direction, based on the connection points with each front connection portion 72 at their front ends.

[0048] 5 and other figures, when the contact-forming fitting 22 is assembled, the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78 are inclined in a direction that causes them to approach each other (inward in the vertical direction) as they move toward the rear. This results in the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78 being provided as a pair, one above the other, and facing each other in the vertical direction. The first contact spring portion 76 has a first contact 80 with the male terminal 12 on its surface (lower surface) facing the second contact spring portion 78, and the second contact spring portion 78 has a second contact 82 with the male terminal 12 on its surface (upper surface) facing the first contact spring portion 76.

[0049] In the first embodiment, before the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, the protruding ends 84, 84 of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78 are relatively close to each other, and the first contact 80 and the second contact 82 are in contact with each other or slightly spaced apart and facing each other in the vertical direction. In particular, in the first embodiment, the vertical outer surface of each protruding end 84 is formed with a chamfered curved surface 86 that gradually slopes upward and inward toward the rear, which makes it easier to assemble the clip spring 114 to the protruding ends 84 of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78, as will be described later.

[0050] Furthermore, a bent portion 88 is provided at each protruding tip portion of the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78, and the first contact 80 and the second contact 82 are provided at the position where each bent portion 88 is formed. These first contacts 80 and second contacts 82 are formed in a curved arc shape in the vertical cross section shown in Figures 3 and 5, have a predetermined left-right dimension at the left-right central portion of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78, and are provided so as to straddle both front-rear directions of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78, sandwiching the bent portion 88 therebetween. These first and second contacts 80, 82 have an elliptical shape in plan view (up-down projection) such that the dimension in the front-rear direction, which is the insertion direction of the male terminal 12, is larger than the dimension in the left-right direction.

[0051] This ensures a stable contact area between the first and second contacts 80, 82 and the male terminal 12, even when the male terminal 12 inserted into the female terminal 10 is swung and displaced in the up and down direction. In the first embodiment, the first and second contacts 80, 82 are formed by pressing the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78, respectively, and recesses 90 are formed on the outer sides of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78 in the opposing direction (outer sides in the up and down direction) at positions corresponding to the first and second contacts 80, 82.

[0052] In the first embodiment, the front connection portion 72 in the upper portion 62 is provided with first contact spring portions 76, 76 at each of a plurality of locations (two locations) spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction (left-right direction) of the male terminal 12, and the front connection portion 72 in the lower portion 64 is provided with second contact spring portions 78, 78 at each of a plurality of locations (two locations) spaced apart from each other in the plate width direction of the male terminal 12. That is, as shown in Fig. 2 and other figures, a slit 92 extending over approximately the entire length in the front-to-rear direction is provided in the left-to-right center of the approximately rectangular portion extending rearward from each front connection portion 72, so that the pair of first contact spring portions 76, 76 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-to-right direction, and the pair of second contact spring portions 78, 78 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-to-right direction.

[0053] The upper and lower slits 92 are formed with approximately the same length (front-rear direction dimension). In particular, in the first embodiment, each slit 92 is formed with a length (front-rear direction dimension) slightly longer than the length (front-rear direction dimension) of each of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78. This allows the front end of each slit 92 to slightly reach the front connection portions 72 of the upper portion 62 and the lower portion 64. Note that the length of each slit 92 is not limited, and the front end of each slit 92 may be located further forward than the position shown in FIG. 2, for example. Furthermore, the length of each slit 92 can be changed to change the length of each of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78. Therefore, by adjusting the length of each slit 92, the spring characteristics of each of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78 can be set to a desired mode.

[0054] Furthermore, each of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78 is provided with an engaging protrusion 94 that protrudes outward in the up-down direction toward each clamping plate portion 118 of the clip spring 114 (described later). In the first embodiment, each of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78 is provided with an engaging protrusion 94, and a total of four engaging protrusions 94 are provided on the contact-forming fitting 22. Each engaging protrusion 94 is formed with a predetermined protrusion dimension on both side edges of each of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78, i.e., on the rear end portions (protruding ends 84) of each of the first and second contact spring portions 76 and 78, outward in the left-right direction. Each of these engaging protrusions 94 is generally rectangular in side view (left-right view).

[0055] <Welding Portion 56> As described above, the frame body portion 52 is provided with the welding portion 56 that overlaps the welded portion 38 of the tubular conductor portion 18 and is welded to the welded portion 38. In the first embodiment, the welding portion 56 includes a pair of welding portions 56, 56, namely, a first welding portion 56a that is welded to the first welded portion 38a and a second welding portion 56b that is welded to the second welded portion 38b. That is, a forward protrusion 96 that protrudes forward is integrally formed at the end (front end) of each front connection portion 72 of the upper portion 62 and the lower portion 64 of the frame body portion 52 on the male terminal insertion opening 24 side, and each outer surface 98 of each forward protrusion 96 overlaps the respective inclined surfaces 42 that constitute the first and second welded portions 38a, 38b. As a result, the first and second welded portions 56a, 56b are formed by, in particular, the outer surfaces 98 of these forward protrusions 96. In the first embodiment, each forward protrusion 96 and each outer surface 98 is formed over substantially the entire width (left-right) length of each front connection portion 72 in the upper portion 62 and the lower portion 64 .

[0056] Each of these welds 56 (each outer surface 98) is formed at a predetermined inclination angle β (see FIG. 5 ) with respect to the X direction (front-rear direction), and gradually widens outward in the Z direction (up-down direction), which is perpendicular to the X direction, as it extends outward (forward) in the X direction. In other words, the upper and lower outer surfaces 98 are inclined in directions that move away from each other as they extend forward. In the first embodiment, the inclination angle α with respect to the X direction of each welded portion 38 and the inclination angle β with respect to the X direction of each weld 56 are set to the same value. Therefore, the inclination angle β of each weld 56 is set in the range of 0°<β<90°, and preferably, for example, in the range of 20°≦β≦60°.

[0057] The welding method between each weld 56 (first and second welds 56a, 56b) and each welded portion 38 (first and second welded portions 38a, 38b) is not limited, but in embodiment 1 they are welded by laser welding. In particular, because each weld 56a, 56b and each welded portion 38a, 38b are inclined at predetermined inclination angles α, β with respect to the front-to-rear direction, a laser can be irradiated from a direction perpendicular to each weld 56a, 56b and each welded portion 38a, 38b.

[0058] <Pressing portion (locking claw 100)> The female terminal 10 of the first embodiment has a pressing portion that presses the welding portion 56 against the welded portion 38. In particular, in the first embodiment, the pressing portion is provided on the frame portion 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22 and is configured as a locking claw 100 that fits into the locking hole 48 of the tubular conductor portion 18. That is, since the pair of locking holes 48, 48 are provided in the left and right side walls 32, 34, respectively, of the tubular conductor portion 18, the pair of locking claws 100, 100 are provided on the left and right side portions 58, 60 of the frame portion 52 that overlap the left and right side walls 32, 34.

[0059] Specifically, substantially rectangular through-holes 102, 102 are formed in the front portions of the left and right side portions 58, 60 of the contact-forming fitting 22, penetrating each side portion 58, 60 in the thickness direction (left-right direction), and the above-mentioned locking claws 100 are provided protruding forward from the rear portion of the inner circumferential surface of each through-hole 102. Spaces (gaps) are provided on three sides (both up and down directions and the front) around each locking claw 100, allowing each locking claw 100 to elastically deform in the left-right direction.

[0060] As shown in Figure 9 and other figures, when the contact-forming fitting 22 is assembled, each locking claw 100 protrudes in a direction that gradually inclines outward in the left-right direction from the rear portion of the inner circumferential surface of each through-hole 102 toward the front. Furthermore, a bent portion 104 is provided in the middle of the length (front-rear direction) of each locking claw 100, and the front portion of each locking claw 100 gradually extends inward in the left-right direction toward the front. As a result, substantially the entirety of each locking claw 100 is located outward in the left-right direction from the left and right side portions 58, 60, and the front end portion 106 of each locking claw 100 is located at substantially the same position in the left-right direction relative to the left and right side portions 58, 60. In other words, the front end portion 106 of each locking claw 100 is located inward in the left-right direction from the left and right side walls 32, 34 that overlap the left and right side portions 58, 60 from the outside in the left-right direction.

[0061] When the contact-forming fitting 22 provided with these locking claws 100 is inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18 through the male terminal insertion opening 24 in the tubular conductor portion 18, and the inner surfaces 35 (left inner surface 35c and right inner surface 35d) of the left and right side walls 32, 34 of the tubular conductor portion 18 are brought into contact with the outer surfaces of the left and right side portions 58, 60 of the contact-forming fitting 22, the inner surfaces 35c, 35d cause the locking claws 100 to elastically deform inward in the left-right direction. This allows further insertion of the contact-forming fitting 22 into the tubular conductor portion 18, and the bent portions 104 of each locking claw 100 reach the respective locking holes 48 in the left and right side walls 32, 34, causing the locking claws 100 to elastically restore their original shape, so that the locking claws 100 protruding outward in the left-right direction from the left and right side portions 58, 60 enter and engage with the respective locking holes 48. The insertion end of the contact-forming fitting 22 into the tubular conductor 18 is determined by overlapping the welded portions 56a, 56b (respective forward protrusions 96) of the contact-forming fitting 22 with the welded portions 38a, 38b (respective inclined surfaces 42) of the tubular conductor 18. When the contact-forming fitting 22 is positioned at the insertion end into the tubular conductor 18, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, the front end portions 106 of the locking claws 100 abut diagonally from behind against the inner front edge of each locking hole 48 in the left-right direction.

[0062] That is, the welded portions 56a, 56b (respective forward protrusions 96) of the contact-forming fitting 22 abut against the welded portions 38a, 38b (respective inclined surfaces 42) of the tubular conductor 18, thereby preventing rearward displacement of the contact-forming fitting 22 relative to the tubular conductor 18. Furthermore, the front end portions 106 of the locking claws 100 of the contact-forming fitting 22 abut from behind against the front inner edge portions of the locking holes 48 in the left-right direction, thereby preventing forward displacement of the contact-forming fitting 22 relative to the tubular conductor 18.

[0063] When the contact-forming fitting 22 is positioned at the insertion end of the tubular conductor 18, the front end 106 of each locking claw 100 is pressed by the inner front edge of each locking hole 48 in the left-right direction relative to the contact-forming fitting 22 in its individual state before assembly, causing it to elastically deform slightly rearward. This generates an elastic restoring force (biasing force) in the front end 106 of each locking claw 100, causing each front end 106 to bias the inner front edge of each locking hole 48 forward. As a result, a force that moves each front end 106 rearward is generated in the inner front edge of each locking hole 48 in the left-right direction as a reaction force against the biasing force.

[0064] In short, in the first embodiment, when the locking claws 100 elastically deform when inserted into the tubular conductor 18 of the contact-forming fitting 22 elastically return to their original position, the front end portions 106 abut against the inner front edge of the locking hole 48 in the left-right direction, and only return to a position slightly rearward from their initial position. As a result, the front end portions 106 generate a forward biasing force against the locking hole 48, and at the same time, the above-mentioned reaction force is generated that separates the contact-forming fitting 22 rearward from the tubular conductor 18. This reaction force therefore presses the welded portions 56a, 56b against the welded portions 38a, 38b.

[0065] The contact-forming fitting 22 having the above-described structure is formed by pressing a second metal plate, which is thinner than the first metal plate, as described above. The material of the second metal plate constituting the contact-forming fitting 22 is not limited, but a conductive and springy metal, such as a copper alloy, can be used. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 , the left side portion 58 has portions that butt together when the second metal plate is bent to form the contact-forming fitting 22. That is, a first left side portion 108a extending downward is provided at the left end of the front connection portion 72 and the rear connection portion 74 in the upper portion 62, and a second left side portion 108b extending upward is provided at the left end of the front connection portion 72 and the rear connection portion 74 in the lower portion 64. The first left side portion 108a and the second left side portion 108b are butted together in the vertical direction to form the left side portion 58.

[0066] In particular, in the first embodiment, an upwardly projecting engagement protrusion 110 is provided at the upper end of the second left side portion 108b, and a downwardly opening engagement recess 112 is provided at the lower end of the first left side portion 108a. As a result, when forming the contact-forming fitting 22, the left side portion 58 is formed, for example, by striking the engagement protrusion 110 from the outside to fit it into the engagement recess 112, thereby preventing the first left side portion 108a and the second left side portion 108b from unintentionally separating from each other. The contact-forming fitting 22 shaped as described above is substantially symmetrical from top to bottom, and can be assembled to the tubular conductor 18 without distinguishing between the top and bottom orientations.

[0067] Although not shown, before the second metal plate is pressed, for example, each wall portion (left side portion 58, right side portion 60, upper portion 62, and lower portion 64) constituting the contact-forming fitting 22 extends flatly. In the first embodiment, each of the first contact spring portions 76 and each of the second contact spring portions 78 is formed by partially cutting and raising the wall portions constituting the upper portion 62 and lower portion 64. That is, in the second metal plate before press working, each of the first contact spring portions 76 and each of the second contact spring portions 78 is cut and raised, for example, from the wall portions constituting the upper portion 62 and lower portion 64 to one side in the thickness direction. When the second metal plate is bent to form the contact-forming fitting 22, each of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78 protrudes inward from the frame portion 52.

[0068] Similarly, each locking claw 100 is formed by partially cutting and raising the wall portions constituting the left side portion 58 (first left side portion 108a and second left side portion 108b) and the right side portion 60. That is, in the second metal plate before press working, each locking claw 100 is cut and raised, for example, from the wall portions constituting the left side portion 58 and the right side portion 60 toward the other side in the thickness direction, so that when the contact-forming fitting 22 is formed, it protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the contact-forming fitting 22. Note that each first contact spring portion 76, each second contact spring portion 78, and each locking claw 100 may be bent so as to protrude inward or outward in the left-right direction from the frame portion 52 after the contact-forming fitting 22 is formed into a generally cylindrical shape.

[0069] <Contact Pressure Spring (Clip Spring 114)> The female terminal 10 includes clip springs 114 as contact pressure springs arranged to clamp the protruding ends 84 of the first contact spring portions 76 and the second contact spring portions 78. When the male terminal 12 is press-fitted into the female terminal 10, the clip springs 114 urge the protruding ends 84 of the first contact spring portions 76 and the protruding ends 84 of the second contact spring portions 78 in directions that bring them closer to each other. In the first embodiment, the clip springs 114 are inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18 through the male terminal insertion opening 24 in the tubular conductor portion 18, and are sized to be able to pass through the male terminal insertion opening 24 when viewed from the front (front-rear direction). Furthermore, since the clip spring 114 is inserted into the contact-forming fitting 22 from the rear and positioned inside the contact-forming fitting 22, it is formed to a size that allows it to pass through the rear opening 68 in the contact-forming fitting 22 when viewed from the front (front-to-back direction).

[0070] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8 and other figures, the clip spring 114 has a rectangular flat connecting plate 116 and a pair of rectangular flat clamping plates 118, 118 that protrude toward each other (inward in the up-down direction) from both side edges (upper and lower side edges) of the connecting plate 116. In the first embodiment, a slit 120 extending in the front-rear direction is provided at the center of the left-right direction, which corresponds to the plate width direction of the male terminal 12, on each of the upper and lower sides of the connecting plate 116, thereby providing a plurality (two) of clamping plates 118, 118 that are spaced apart from each other, for a total of four clamping plates 118 in the clip spring 114. That is, a pair of clamping plates 118, 118 that face each other in the up-down direction is provided with another pair of clamping plates 118 at positions spaced apart in the left-right direction via each slit 120. Each of these clamping plates 118 is elastically deformable in the up-down direction, with the connection point with the connecting plate 116 as a base point.

[0071] The left-right dimension of each clamping plate 118 is greater than the left-right dimension of each recess 90 provided outward in the up-down direction of each first contact spring portion 76 and each second contact spring portion 78. Also, a bent portion 122 is provided in a longitudinally intermediate portion of each clamping plate 118. As a result, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 and the bent portion 122 of each clamping plate 118 abuts against the positions where the recesses 90 are formed in the first contact spring portion 76 and each second contact spring portion 78, both left and right end portions of each clamping plate 118 abut at portions outward in the left-right direction from the recesses 90 in the first contact spring portion 76 and each second contact spring portion 78.

[0072] Furthermore, because a bent portion 122 is provided in the longitudinally intermediate portion of each clamping plate portion 118, the protruding tip portions of each clamping plate portion 118 extend in directions away from each other from the bent portion 122. Therefore, the opposing distance between each pair of opposing clamping plates 118 in the vertical direction is smallest at the bent portion 122 provided in the longitudinally intermediate portion. The gap between these bent portions 122 is an insertion opening 124 for inserting and assembling the protruding end portions 84 of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78.

[0073] The opening dimension (vertical dimension) of each insertion opening 124 of each clamping plate 118 of the clip spring 114 before elastic deformation may be equal to, or slightly larger or smaller than, the separation distance (vertical dimension) between the outer surfaces of the protruding ends 84 of the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78. Such a clip spring 114 is inserted into the contact-forming fitting 22 through the rear opening 68 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and assembled so that the clamping plates 118 clamp the protruding ends 84 of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78. In addition, in the first embodiment, a notched engaged portion 126 is formed in the middle of each clamping plate 118 in the front-rear direction, opening outward in the left-right direction and penetrating the clamping plate portion 118 in the thickness direction. Each engaged portion 126 is engageable with a corresponding engaging protrusion 94 of the contact-forming fitting 22.

[0074] When assembling the above-mentioned clip spring 114 to the contact-forming fitting 22, the clip spring 114 is inserted through the rear opening 68 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and the protruding ends 84 of the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78 are inserted into each insertion opening 124 without the protruding ends 84 of the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78 abutting against the respective bending portions 122 located furthest inward in the vertical direction in each clamping plate portion 118, or while the protruding ends 84 of the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78 push the respective bending portions 122 outward in the vertical direction.

[0075] Furthermore, by bringing the clip spring 114 closer to the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78 from behind, the engaging protrusions 94 provided on the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78 come into contact with the left and right side ends of the front end of the clamping plate portions 118. Then, by moving the clip spring 114 forward relative to the contact-forming fitting 22, the engaging protrusions 94 elastically deform the clamping plate portions 118 inward in the left-right direction, allowing further forward movement of the clip spring 114. As the clip spring 114 moves forward, the engaging protrusions 94 engage with the engaged portions 126, causing the clamping plate portions 118 to elastically restore their original shape, and the clip spring 114 is assembled in a state where it is positioned relative to the contact-forming fitting 22 in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, the inward insertion end position of the contact forming fitting 22 in the clip spring 114 is determined by the engagement protrusions 94 provided on each of the first and second contact spring portions 76, 78 entering into the respective engaged portions 126 provided on each clamping plate portion 118, and each engagement protrusion 94 abutting against the rear inner surface of each engaged portion 126.

[0076] <Assembly of Female Terminal 10> A specific example of a method for assembling the female terminal 10 will be described below. Note that the method for assembling the female terminal 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0077] First, a first metal plate constituting the main body 20 is prepared, and each bent portion 36 is bent to fit the mating protrusion 44 into the mating recess 46. This forms the main body 20 having the tubular conductor 18 and the connecting portion 16. Next, a second metal plate constituting the contact-forming fitting 22 is prepared and bent into the shape shown in Figure 9, and the engaging protrusion 110 of the second left side portion 108b is fitted into the engaging recess 112 of the first left side portion 108a. This forms the contact-forming fitting 22 having the frame body portion 52 and the contact spring portions 54 (each of the first contact spring portions 76 and each of the second contact spring portions 78).

[0078] 8, the contact-forming fitting 22 and the clip spring 114 are arranged opposite each other in the front-to-rear direction, and the clip spring 114 is assembled into the contact-forming fitting 22 through the rear opening 68 of the contact-forming fitting 22. The method of assembling the clip spring 114 to the contact-forming fitting 22 is as described above. The assembly of the contact-forming fitting 22 and the clip spring 114 is arranged opposite each other in the front-to-rear direction with respect to the male terminal insertion opening 24 of the tubular conductor portion 18, and the assembly is inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18 from the male terminal insertion opening 24 toward the rear opening window 26. As a result, the pressing portions (respective locking claws 100) of the contact-forming fitting 22 abut against the inner surfaces 35 (left and right inner surfaces 35c, 35d) of the left and right side walls 32, 34, causing each locking claw 100 to elastically deform inward in the left-to-right direction. As a result, further insertion of the assembled body into the tubular conductor portion 18 is permitted, and the assembled body is inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18 and assembled while each locking claw 100 abuts against the left and right inner surfaces 35c, 35d.

[0079] The insertion end of the assembled body into the tubular conductor 18 is determined by the forward projections 96 projecting outward from the upper and lower forward connection portions 72 of the contact-forming fitting 22 abutting against the chamfered inclined surfaces 42 of the forward projections 40 on the upper and lower walls 28 and 30 of the tubular conductor 18. When the assembled body is inserted up to the insertion end into the tubular conductor 18, the locking claws 100 of the contact-forming fitting 22 enter the locking holes 48 in the tubular conductor 18, causing each locking claw 100 to elastically restore its original shape. The elastically restored locking claws 100 then fit into the locking holes 48, and the front end portions 106 of the locking claws 100 abut against the inner front edges of the locking holes 48 in the left-right direction. This prevents the assembled body from being removed (forward) from the tubular conductor 18, and the contact-forming fitting 22 is maintained in its assembled state with the tubular conductor 18.

[0080] In particular, when the assembly is inserted all the way into the tubular conductor 18, the locking claws 100 do not fully return to their initial positions. Therefore, a reaction force against the elastic restoring force of the locking claws 100 presses the outer surfaces 98 of the forward protrusions 96 against the inclined surfaces 42, causing them to overlap. These overlapping surfaces are then welded and fixed by laser welding. Specifically, the first weld portion 56a on the upper outer surface 98 is welded to the first welded portion 38a on the upper inclined surface 42 to form an upper welded region UR. The second weld portion 56b on the lower outer surface 98 is welded to the second welded portion 38b on the lower inclined surface 42 to form a lower welded region LR. This completes the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment, with the assembly inserted and welded to the tubular conductor 18. The order of welding the upper welded region UR and the lower welded region LR is not limited.

[0081] <Assembly of Terminal Unit 14> A specific example of a method for inserting the male terminal 12 into the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment to assemble the terminal unit 14 in a state in which the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are connected will be described below.

[0082] First, the female terminal 10 and male terminal 12 assembled as described above are positioned opposite each other in the front-to-rear direction. Then, the male terminal 12 is inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18 through the male terminal insertion opening 24 and press-fit between the opposing surfaces of the first contacts 80 and second contacts 82 of the first contact spring portions 76 and second contact spring portions 78. As a result, as shown in Fig. 3, the first contacts 80 of the first contact spring portions 76 and the second contacts 82 of the second contact spring portions 78 abut against the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, respectively, and the first contact spring portions 76 and second contact spring portions 78 are pushed apart in directions separating them from each other.

[0083] Then, the bent portions 88 of the first contact spring portions 76 and the second contact spring portions 78, which have been spread outward in the vertical direction, come into contact with the bent portions 122 of the clip spring 114 from the inside in the vertical direction, causing the clamping plates 118 to elastically deform outward in the vertical direction. The elastic restoring force of the clamping plates 118 causes the clamping plates 118 to clamp the protruding ends 84 of the first contact spring portions 76 and the second contact spring portions 78, and urge the protruding ends 84 of the first contact spring portions 76 and the second contact spring portions 78 in directions approaching each other. As a result, the first contacts 80 and the second contacts 82 are pressed into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, which is press-fitted between the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring portions 76 and the second contact spring portions 78. As a result, the male terminals 12 and the female terminals 10 are electrically connected to each other, completing the terminal unit 14 in which the female terminals 10 and the male terminals 12 are connected to each other.

[0084] That is, the vertical distance A (see FIG. 3) of each bent portion 88 of each of the first contact spring portions 76 and second contact spring portions 78 that are pressed against the male terminal 12 from both the top and bottom sides after the insertion of the male terminal 12 is greater than the vertical dimension B (see FIG. 5) of each bent portion 88 before the insertion of the male terminal 12. As a result, as the male terminal 12 is inserted, not only the first contact spring portions 76 and second contact spring portions 78 but also the clamping plate portions 118 of the clip spring 114 are pushed outward in the vertical direction, and the first contacts 80 and second contacts 82 are pressed against the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 not only by the elastic restoring force of the first contact spring portions 76 and second contact spring portions 78 but also by the elastic restoring force of the clamping plate portions 118.

[0085] In particular, in the first embodiment, a pair of first contact spring portions 76, 76 and a pair of second contact spring portions 78, 78 are provided that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and a pair of clamping plate portions 118, 118 that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction are provided on each of the upper and lower sides of the clip spring 114. As a result, the upper and lower clamping plate portions 118, 118 on both the left and right sides respectively clamp the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78, thereby pressing the first contact 80 and the second contact 82 against the male terminal 12.

[0086] According to the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment, the contact-forming fitting 22 having the first contacts 80 and the second contacts 82 is provided separately from the main body 20 having the tubular conductor portion 18, and the contact-forming fitting 22 is assembled within the tubular conductor portion 18. This allows the member constituting the contact (contact-forming fitting 22) to be formed from a second metal flat plate with a relatively small thickness, compared to conventional structures in which contacts are formed by bending a metal flat plate, thereby achieving a more compact female terminal 10. Furthermore, because the main body 20 having the tubular conductor portion 18 is formed by bending a first metal flat plate with a relatively large thickness, it can accommodate larger currents, achieving both an improved current-carrying capacity and avoiding an increase in the size of the terminal.

[0087] In particular, the contact-forming fitting 22 includes a frame portion 52 and contact spring portions 54 (first contact spring portions 76 and second contact spring portions 78), and each of the first contact spring portions 76 and second contact spring portions 78 protrudes inward from the frame portion 52. This reduces the risk of unintentional contact with each of the first contact spring portions 76 and second contact spring portions 78 when gripping the contact-forming fitting 22 during assembly of the contact-forming fitting 22 to the tubular conductor portion 18, thereby avoiding the problem of each of the first contact spring portions 76 and second contact spring portions 78 being deformed during assembly of the contact-forming fitting 22 and the tubular conductor portion 18.

[0088] The tubular conductor 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 are fixed together by welding together welds 56 (first welds 56a and second welds 56b) on the contact-forming fitting 22 and welded portions 38 (first welds 38a and second welds 38b) on the tubular conductor 18. These welded portions 38a, 38b are formed by chamfers (inclined surfaces 42) on the inner peripheral edge of the end face (front end face 37) of the tubular conductor 18 on the male terminal insertion opening 24 side, and the welds 56a, 56b are formed by bending the edge of the frame portion 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22 on the male terminal insertion opening 24 side along the inclination of the welded portions 38a, 38b (inclined surfaces 42). That is, the inclined surfaces 42 and outer surfaces 98 of the forward protruding portions 96 on which the welded portions 38a, 38b and the welded portions 56a, 56b are provided are not sheared surfaces formed by shearing when the first metal plate and the second metal plate constituting the tubular conductor portion 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 are pressed, and the welded portions 38a, 38b and the welded portions 56a, 56b are formed on portions that are not sheared surfaces. As a result, no curved surfaces (drooped surfaces) associated with shearing are formed on the inclined surfaces 42 and outer surfaces 98, and the welded portions 38a, 38b and the welded portions 56a, 56b can be overlapped with almost no gaps, thereby improving the welding strength at these overlapping surfaces and, ultimately, improving the conductivity between the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12.

[0089] In particular, the inclined surfaces 42 constituting the welded portions 38a, 38b and the outer surfaces 98 constituting the welded portions 56a, 56b are inclined at approximately equal inclination angles α, β with respect to the front-to-rear direction, respectively, which more efficiently prevents gaps from occurring between the welded portions 38a, 38b and the welded portions 56a, 56b, thereby further improving the welding strength at these overlapping surfaces and the electrical conductivity between the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12.

[0090] The female terminal 10 has pressing portions that press the weld portions 56a, 56b against the welded portions 38a, 38b, and in the first embodiment, the pressing portions are constituted by locking claws 100 formed on the frame portion 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22. When the contact-forming fitting 22 and the tubular conductor 18 are assembled, the locking claws 100 are elastically deformed inward in the left-right direction, and when they elastically restore their original shape to fit into the lock holes 48 in the tubular conductor 18, they abut against the inner peripheral edges of the lock holes 48. This elastic restoring force acts on the inner peripheral edges of the lock holes 48, and a reaction force against the restoring force can be used to press the weld portions 56a, 56b against the welded portions 38a, 38b. In particular, because each locking claw 100 is formed on the contact-forming fitting 22 made of a relatively thin second metal plate, elastic deformation of each locking claw 100 occurs easily, which more reliably prevents gaps from forming between each welded portion 56a, 56b and each welded portion 38a, 38b. This further improves the welding strength at the overlapping surfaces of each welded portion 56a, 56b and each welded portion 38a, 38b, and the electrical conductivity between the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12.

[0091] The tubular conductor 18 and the frame 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22 are both generally rectangular when viewed from the front to back, with the welded portions 38a, 38b and welded portions 56a, 56b provided on both the top and bottom sides, and the lock holes 48 and lock claws 100 formed on both the left and right sides. In this way, the welded portions 38a, 38b, welded portions 56a, 56b, lock holes 48, and lock claws 100 can be formed by skillfully utilizing the generally rectangular tubular conductor 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 on both the top, bottom, and left and right sides, thereby not only improving the welding strength and conductivity efficiency but also enabling the female terminal 10 to be made smaller.

[0092] The insertion end of the contact fitting 22 into the tubular conductor 18 is defined by overlapping the welded portions 56a, 56b (respective forward protrusions 96) of the contact fitting 22 with the welded portions 38a, 38b (respective inclined surfaces 42) of the tubular conductor 18. Furthermore, the locking claws 100 of the contact fitting 22 fit into the locking holes 48 of the tubular conductor 18, preventing the contact fitting 22 from slipping out of the tubular conductor 18. This allows the contact fitting 22 to be assembled while being positioned relative to the tubular conductor 18 in the fore-and-aft direction. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate part that defines the insertion end of the contact fitting 22 into the tubular conductor 18, and the above-mentioned pressing portion can be formed using the locking claws 100 that prevent the contact fitting 22 from slipping out of the tubular conductor 18, allowing the structures of the contact fitting 22 and the tubular conductor 18 to be relatively simple.

[0093] The tubular conductor 18 is a rectangular tube having left and right side walls 32, 34 and an upper wall 28 and a lower wall 30, while the frame 52 of the contact-forming fitting 22 is a rectangular frame having left and right side walls 58, 60 and an upper part 62 and a lower part 64. Because both the tubular conductor 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 have rectangular outer shapes, displacement (such as rattle) of the contact-forming fitting 22 within the tubular conductor 18 can be suppressed. Furthermore, because the first contact spring portions 76 and the second contact spring portions 78 of the contact-forming fitting 22 are formed by partially cutting and raising the upper part 62 and the lower part 64, respectively, no other member separate from the frame is required to form the first contact spring portions and the second contact spring portions, and the contact-forming fitting 22 can be formed with a good yield.

[0094] The female terminal 10 has clip springs 114 as contact pressure springs arranged to clamp the protruding ends 84 of the first contact spring portions 76 and the second contact spring portions 78. In the first embodiment, the clip springs 114 are assembled into the contact-forming fitting 22 through the rear opening 68 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and then the assembled body is inserted into the tubular conductor portion 18 from the front through the male terminal insertion opening 24. That is, whereas in conventional structures the clip springs are assembled from the side with the opening widened, the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment can be assembled to the contact-forming fitting 22 without widening the clip springs 114, thereby improving workability when assembling the clip springs 114.

[0095] In the first embodiment, a clip spring 114 is employed as a contact pressure applying spring that applies contact pressure to each of the first contact spring portions 76 and each of the second contact spring portions 78 when the male terminal 12 is inserted. Thus, the clip spring 114 can be assembled to each of the first contact spring portions 76 and each of the second contact spring portions 78 by inserting the protruding ends 84 of each of the first contact spring portions 76 and each of the second contact spring portions 78 into the insertion openings 124 of the clip spring 114. In particular, in the first embodiment, a pair of first contact spring portions 76, 76 and a pair of second contact spring portions 78, 78 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction via slits 92. Furthermore, in the clip spring 114, two clamping plate portions 118 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction via slits 120 on each of the upper and lower sides of the connecting plate portion 116. This allows contact pressure to be applied separately on each of the left and right sides by the upper and lower clamping plates 118 to the first contact spring portion 76 and the second contact spring portion 78. As a result, even if, for example, the male terminal 12 is rotated about a central axis extending in the front-to-rear direction after insertion of the male terminal 12 into the female terminal 10, problems such as insufficient contact pressure being applied to either the left or right side can be avoided.

[0096] <Modifications> Although the first embodiment has been described above in detail as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0097] (1) In the above embodiment, the male terminal 12 is a flat tab terminal, and the tubular conductor portion 18 and the contact-forming fitting 22 are each substantially rectangular with a horizontally long axis. However, this is not limited to this. For example, if the male terminal is a cylindrical pin terminal, the tubular conductor portion and the contact-forming fitting may each be cylindrical. Similarly, if the male terminal is a vertically long terminal, the tubular conductor portion and the contact-forming fitting may each be substantially rectangular with a vertically long axis. In this case, the first and second contact spring portions constituting the contact spring portion may be provided on each of a pair of side portions of the contact-forming fitting.

[0098] (2) In the above embodiment, the first and second welded portions 38a, 38b are defined by the inclined surfaces 42 provided on the upper and lower forward protrusions 40 of the tubular conductor 18, and the first and second welded portions 56a, 56b are defined by the outer surfaces 98 of the upper and lower forward protrusions 96 of the contact-forming fitting 22. However, this is not a limitation. That is, instead of or in addition to the above, forward protrusions and chamfered portions (chamfered inclined surfaces) may be provided on the left and right side wall portions of the tubular conductor, and forward protrusions may be provided on both the left and right sides of the contact-forming fitting. Note that the welded portions and welded portions are not limited to being provided on both the upper and lower or left and right sides of the tubular conductor and the contact-forming fitting, and may be provided only on one of the upper and lower or left and right directions.

[0099] (3) In the above embodiment, the contact-forming fitting 22 is inserted from the front male terminal insertion opening 24 side of the tubular conductor 18, but it may also be inserted from the rearward opening window side. When the contact-forming fitting is inserted into the tubular conductor from the rear, the chamfered portion (inclined surface) constituting the welded portion may be provided on the inner peripheral edge of the end face of the tubular conductor on the rearward opening window side, or the welded portion may be provided by bending the edge of the frame on the rearward opening window side. Furthermore, the locking claw provided on the contact-forming fitting may protrude from the front to the rear. Note that the locking claw and locking hole are not essential to the female terminal according to the present disclosure.

[0100] (4) In the above embodiment, after the clip spring 114 is assembled to the contact fitting 22, the assembled body is inserted into the tubular conductor 18 from the male terminal insertion opening 24 side. However, this is not limited to this. That is, for example, after the contact fitting is inserted into the tubular conductor, the contact pressure spring (e.g., clip spring) may be inserted into the contact fitting from the rear through the rear opening window in the tubular conductor and the rear opening in the contact fitting. Note that the contact fitting and the contact pressure spring (e.g., clip spring) are not limited to being fixed by the engagement between the engaging protrusions 94 and the engaged portions 126 as in the above embodiment. A member for preventing the contact pressure spring inserted into the contact fitting from falling off rearward may be assembled to the contact fitting or the tubular conductor.

[0101] (5) In the above embodiment, the inclination angle α of each inclined surface 42 constituting each welded portion 38 a, 38 b and the inclination angle β of each outer surface 98 constituting each welded portion 56 a, 56 b were the same size. However, these do not need to be exactly the same size. As long as the inclined surface and the outer surface can be overlapped in a weldable manner and no gaps of a size that would cause problems in welding the overlapping surfaces are created, the inclination angles α, β may be different from each other.

[0102] (6) In the above embodiment, each first contact spring portion 76 is formed by partially cutting and raising the upper portion 62 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and each second contact spring portion 78 is formed by partially cutting and raising the lower portion 64 of the contact-forming fitting 22. However, this is not limiting. That is, the first contact spring portion and / or the second contact spring portion may be formed separately from the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting and then later fixed to the metal plate that constitutes the frame portion by welding or the like. The contact-forming fitting may then be formed by pressing this metal plate.

[0103] (7) In the above embodiment, the locking claws 100 constituting the pressing portion protrude outward in the left-right direction from the left and right side portions 58, 60 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and the bent portion 104 is provided in the longitudinal (front-rear) middle portion of each locking claw 100. However, this is not limited to this configuration. That is, the locking claws may be entirely or partially curved in an arc shape along their length, or may protrude outward or inward in the left-right direction from the left and right side portions, with their front ends abutting the inner front edges of the lock holes in the left-right direction. Note that, from the viewpoint of ensuring sufficient space for inserting the male terminal, it is preferable that the locking claws protrude outward in the left-right direction from the left and right side portions. Furthermore, the pressing portion that presses the welded portion against the welded portion is not limited to the configuration constituted by the locking claws, and may be provided separately from the locking claws. In this case, the shape of the pressing portion is not limited, and the locking claws may protrude, for example, in a generally straight line gradually extending outward in the left-right direction toward the front. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each lock hole 48 is formed as a through hole penetrating each of the left and right side walls 32, 34, but the lock hole may be formed as long as it opens on the inner surface of the side wall, or may be a hole shape with a bottom that is closed on the outer surface side of the side wall.

[0104] (8) In the above embodiment, the female terminal 10 includes a clip spring 114 as a contact pressure applying spring. However, a contact pressure applying spring is not essential for the female terminal according to the present disclosure. That is, the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion may be pushed outward in the vertical direction by the insertion of the male terminal, and the first and second contacts of the first and second contact spring portions may be pressed against the male terminal by the elastic restoring force of the first and second contact spring portions. Furthermore, even when a contact pressure applying spring is used, it does not have to be a clip spring; a contact pressure applying spring of any structure, such as a coil spring or an annular elastic body, may be used.

[0105] (9) In the above embodiment, a pair of first contact spring portions 76, 76 was provided on the upper portion 62 of the contact-forming fitting 22, and a pair of second contact spring portions 78, 78 was provided on the lower portion 64. However, the number of these first contact spring portions and second contact spring portions is not limited. That is, one or more first contact spring portions may be provided on the upper portion of the contact-forming fitting, and one or more second contact spring portions may be provided on the lower portion of the contact-forming fitting. Similarly, the number of upper and lower clamping plates of the clip spring is not limited, and one or more of each may be provided. Note that the number of first contact spring portions and the number of upper clamping plates may be different from each other, and the number of second contact spring portions and the number of lower clamping plates may be different from each other.

[0106] (10) In the above embodiment, the connection portion 16 that is electrically connected to another component extends rearward from the lower wall 30 of the tubular conductor portion 18. However, it may also extend rearward from, for example, the upper wall or the left and right side walls of the tubular conductor portion.

[0107] (11) In the above embodiment, the portions that butt together when the second metal plate is pressed to form the contact-forming fitting 22 are provided on the left side portion 58 of the contact-forming fitting 22, but this is not limited to this form, and the portions that butt together when pressed can be set at any position on the contact-forming fitting.

[0108] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 female terminal 12 male terminal 14 terminal unit 16 connection portion 18 tubular conductor portion 20 main body portion 22 contact-forming metal fitting 24 male terminal insertion port 26 rear opening window 28 upper wall 30 lower wall 32 left side wall (side wall) 34 right side wall (side wall) 35 inner surface 35a upper inner surface 35b lower inner surface 35c left inner surface 35d right inner surface 36 bent portion 37 front end surface (end surface) 38 welded portion (chamfered portion) 38a first welded portion 38b second welded portion 40 forward protrusion 42 inclined surface 44 mating convex portion 46 mating concave portion 48 lock hole 50 abutment portion 52 frame portion 54 contact spring portion 56 welded portion 56a first welded portion 56b Second welded portion 58 Left side portion 60 Right side portion 62 Upper portion 64 Lower portion 66 Front opening portion 68 Rear opening portion 70 Through window portion 72 Front connecting portion 74 Rear connecting portion 76 First contact spring portion 78 Second contact spring portion 80 First contact 82 Second contact 84 Protruding end portion 86 Curved surface 88 Bent portion 90 Recessed portion 92 Slit 94 Engaging protrusion 96 Forward protrusion 98 Outer surface 100 Locking claw (pressing portion) 102 Through hole 104 Bent portion 106 Front end portion 108a First left side portion 108b Second left side portion 110 Engaging protrusion 112 Engaging recess 114 Clip spring (contact pressure applying spring) 116 Connecting plate portion 118 Clamping plate portion 120 Slit 122 Bent portion 124 Insertion opening 126 Engaged portion R Welded area UR Upper welded area LR Lower welded area

Claims

1. A press-formed product of a first metal plate, comprising: a main body having a connection portion conductively connected to another member and a hollow tubular conductor portion; and a press-formed product of a second metal plate having a thickness thinner than that of the first metal plate, the main body having a contact-forming fitting conductively assembled to the tubular conductor portion, the tubular conductor portion having a male terminal insertion port opening toward one end, a rear opening window opening toward the other end, and a welded portion constituted by a chamfered portion provided on the inner peripheral edge of the end face on the male terminal insertion port side or the rear opening window side, the contact-forming fitting having a frame portion assembled to the inner surface of a wall of the tubular conductor portion, a contact spring portion held by the frame portion and protruding inwardly from the frame portion to be pressed against a male terminal inserted through the male terminal insertion port, and a welded portion provided by bending an edge of the frame portion on the male terminal insertion port side or the rear opening window side along an inclination of the chamfered portion, The welding portion and the welded portion are overlapped and welded to each other.

2. A female terminal as described in claim 1, wherein the weld portion and the welded portion spread outward in a Z direction perpendicular to the X direction as they move outward in an X direction which is the axial direction of the tubular conductor portion, and the weld portion and the welded portion have the same inclination angle with respect to the X direction.

3. A female terminal as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a pressing portion for pressing the welded portion against the welded portion.

4. A female terminal as described in claim 3, wherein the contact-forming fitting is inserted from the male terminal insertion opening on the one end side of the tubular conductor portion toward the other end side and is assembled to the tubular conductor portion, the tubular conductor portion has a locking hole opening into the inner surface of the wall portion, the frame portion of the contact-forming fitting has a locking claw that fits into the locking hole to form the pressing portion, and the locking claw elastically deforms to allow insertion of the contact-forming fitting into the other end side, and the locking claw elastically returns to its original position to engage with the locking hole, thereby pressing the welded portion against the welded portion by the elastic restoring force of the locking claw.

5. The female terminal according to claim 4, wherein the tubular conductor portion has a rectangular tubular shape having a pair of side walls and an upper wall and a lower wall connected by the pair of side walls, the frame portion of the contact-forming metal fitting has a rectangular frame shape having a pair of side portions superimposed on each of the pair of side walls of the tubular conductor portion, and an upper portion and a lower portion superimposed on each of the upper wall and the lower wall of the tubular conductor portion, at least one of the upper portion and the lower portion of the frame portion is partially cut inwardly to form the cantilever-shaped contact spring portion, a pair of the welded portions constituted by a pair of the chamfered portions are provided on the end faces of the male terminal insertion opening side of each of the upper wall and the lower wall, a pair of the welded portions are provided on the ends of the upper and lower portions of the frame portion on the male terminal insertion opening side, and the pair of welded portions are respectively welded to the pair of welded portions, the pair of side walls are each provided with the locking hole, and the pair of side portions are each provided with the locking claws.

6. A female terminal as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the contact-forming metal fitting is inserted from the male terminal insertion opening on one end side of the tubular conductor portion toward the other end side and is assembled to the tubular conductor portion, and the insertion end of the contact-forming metal fitting into the tubular conductor portion is defined by the welded portion of the contact-forming metal fitting being superimposed on the welded portion constituted by the chamfered portion on the end face of the tubular conductor portion on the male terminal insertion opening side.

7. The female terminal according to claim 5, wherein the contact-forming fitting has a rear opening on the other end side of the cylindrical conductor portion, the contact spring portion includes a first contact spring portion and a second contact spring portion, the upper and lower parts of the frame portion have a pair of upper and lower first contact spring portions which are held by the frame portion at the one end side and protrude inward toward the other end side in a cantilever shape, and the female terminal further comprises a contact pressure applying spring which is arranged to sandwich the respective protruding ends of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion and has a size which allows the rear opening to be inserted, and wherein as the male terminal is pressed between the opposing surfaces of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, the contact pressure applying spring urges the respective protruding ends in a direction approaching each other, so that the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are pressed against the male terminal.

8. A terminal unit comprising a female terminal and a male terminal connected to said female terminal, said female terminal being the female terminal defined in claim 1 or 2.

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