Female terminal

Abstract

Disclosed is a female terminal in which a reduction in conduction resistance and an improvement in heat dissipation performance are possible, separation of a spring member from a cylindrical connection part is prevented, and a reduction in contact pressure of the female terminal to a male terminal can be suppressed.　A female terminal 10 comprises a cylindrical connection part 18, an electric wire connection part 24, a linking part 26, and a spring member 30. The cylindrical connection part 18 includes an arc-shaped first peripheral wall part 60 and an arc-shaped second peripheral wall part 64. The electric wire connection part 24 is constituted by overlapping a first other end part 96 and a second other end part 98. The linking part 26 includes a first wall part 102 and a second wall part 104. The first other end part 96 and the second other end part 98 overlap each other. The first peripheral wall part 60 and the second peripheral wall part 64 are arranged facing each other, thereby constituting the cylindrical connection part 18. The first peripheral wall part 60 and the second peripheral wall part 64 are urged by the spring member 30 in a direction in which the first peripheral wall part 60 and the second peripheral wall part 64 approach each other. At least one of the first wall part 102 and the second wall part 104 has a separation prevention protrusion 110 protruding further outward than an outer peripheral surface 28 of the cylindrical connection part 18.

Description

female terminal

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical connection structure using male and female terminals, consisting of a male terminal having a substantially cylindrical columnar connecting portion, known as a pin terminal or the like, and a female terminal having a substantially cylindrical tubular connecting portion, known as a sleeve terminal or the like. The tubular connecting portion of the female terminal is fitted with a plurality of C-shaped spring members that urge the tubular connecting portion radially inward, thereby improving the contact pressure of the female terminal with the male terminal.

[0003] JP 2018-22644 A

[0004] However, in the structure of Patent Document 1, only a portion of the circumferential area of ​​the tubular connection part is directly connected to the wire connection part to which the core wire of the insulated electric cable is connected. As a result, the remaining circumferential area of ​​the tubular connection part has a long conductive path to the wire connection part, which leads to a deterioration in the conductive resistance and heat dissipation performance of the female terminal. Furthermore, repeated insertion and removal of the male terminal from the female terminal may cause the spring member to displace in the axial direction of the tubular connection part and become detached from the tubular connection part, which may make it difficult to maintain the desired contact pressure of the female terminal to the male terminal.

[0005] Therefore, we disclose a female terminal that can reduce electrical resistance and improve heat dissipation performance, prevent the spring member from coming off the cylindrical connecting portion, and suppress a decrease in the contact pressure of the female terminal against the male terminal.

[0006] The female terminal of the present disclosure comprises a tubular connecting portion that is electrically connected to the pillar-shaped connecting portion of a male terminal, an electric wire connecting portion to which the core wire of an electric wire is connected, a connecting portion that connects the tubular connecting portion and the electric wire connecting portion, and a spring member attached to the outer circumferential surface of the tubular connecting portion, the tubular connecting portion including a first circumferential wall portion that is provided by bending and deforming one end of a band-shaped first flat plate fitting into an arc, and a second circumferential wall portion that is provided by bending and deforming one end of a band-shaped second flat plate fitting into an arc, the wire connecting portion being configured by overlapping a first other end portion that is the other end of the first flat plate fitting and a second other end portion that is the other end of the second flat plate fitting, and the connecting portion is located between the first circumferential wall portion and the first other end portion of the first flat plate fitting and is the first wall portion bent in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the first peripheral wall portion, and a second wall portion located between the second peripheral wall portion and the second other end portion of the second flat plate fitting and bent in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the second peripheral wall portion, the first other end portion of the first flat plate fitting and the second other end portion of the second flat plate fitting being overlapped with each other and the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion being arranged opposite each other to form the cylindrical connecting portion, the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion being urged by the spring member in directions in which they approach each other in the opposing directions, and at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion has a separation prevention protrusion that protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical connecting portion.

[0007] The female terminal of the present disclosure can reduce electrical resistance and improve heat dissipation performance, prevent the spring member from coming off the tubular connecting portion, and suppress a decrease in the contact pressure of the female terminal against the male terminal.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a female connector including a female terminal according to a first embodiment is mated with a male terminal. FIG. 2 is a front view of the female connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along IV-IV in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female connector shown in FIG. 1, and a cross-sectional view taken along V-V in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the male terminal and female connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a front view showing a female terminal fitting constituting the female terminal shown in FIG. 1 in a separate state before a spring member is attached. FIG. 9 is a rear view of the female terminal fitting shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a female terminal constituting the female connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along XI-XI in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a front view showing the female connector shown in FIG. 1 in a state before mating with a male terminal. FIG. 13 is a rear view of the female connector shown in FIG. 12. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a female connector including a female terminal according to embodiment 2 in a mated state with a male terminal, taken along XIV-XIV in Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of XV-XV in Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a female connector including a female terminal according to embodiment 3 in a mated state with a male terminal, taken along XVI-XVI in Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view of XVII-XVII in Fig. 16. Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a female connector including a female terminal according to embodiment 4 in a mated state with a male terminal, taken along XVIII-XVIII in Fig. 19. Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view of XIX-XIX in Fig. 18.

[0009] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. A female terminal of the present disclosure comprises: (1) a tubular connecting portion that is electrically connected to a columnar connecting portion of a male terminal, an electric wire connecting portion to which a core wire of an electric wire is connected, a connecting portion that connects the tubular connecting portion and the electric wire connecting portion, and a spring member attached to the outer circumferential surface of the tubular connecting portion, the tubular connecting portion including a first circumferential wall portion provided by bending and deforming one end of a band-shaped first flat plate fitting into an arc, and a second circumferential wall portion provided by bending and deforming one end of a band-shaped second flat plate fitting into an arc, the wire connecting portion is configured by overlapping a first other end portion that is the other end of the first flat plate fitting and a second other end portion that is the other end of the second flat plate fitting, and the connecting portion is located between the first circumferential wall portion and the first other end portion of the first flat plate fitting and is attached to the first circumferential wall portion. and a second wall portion located between the second circumferential wall portion and the second other end portion of the second flat plate fitting and bent in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the second circumferential wall portion, wherein the first other end portion of the first flat plate fitting and the second other end portion of the second flat plate fitting are overlapped with each other and the first circumferential wall portion and the second circumferential wall portion are arranged opposite each other to form the tubular connecting portion, the first circumferential wall portion and the second circumferential wall portion are urged by the spring member in directions in which they approach each other in the opposing directions, and at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion has a separation prevention protrusion that protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the tubular connecting portion.

[0010] According to the female terminal of the present disclosure, the tubular connecting portion is formed by arranging first and second circumferential wall portions, which are formed by bending and deforming one end of a band-shaped flat metal plate into an arc, facing each other. Furthermore, the wire connecting portion is formed by overlapping a first other end portion of a first flat plate fitting, which has the first circumferential wall portion at one end, and a second other end portion of a second flat plate fitting, which has the second circumferential wall portion at one end. Therefore, the entire first and second circumferential wall portions that form the tubular connecting portion are directly connected to the wire connecting portion, which reduces the electrical resistance of the female terminal and improves heat dissipation performance compared to the conventional structure described in Patent Document 1, in which only a portion of the tubular connecting portion is connected to the wire connecting portion.

[0011] In addition, the connecting portion that connects the tubular connecting portion and the electric wire connecting portion is constituted by a first wall portion located between the first circumferential wall portion and the first other end portion of the first flat plate fitting, and a second wall portion located between the second circumferential wall portion and the second other end portion of the second flat plate fitting. The first wall portion and the second wall portion are bent in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the first circumferential wall portion and the second circumferential wall portion (tubular connecting portion), and a separation-preventing protrusion is constituted by at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion protruding outward from the outer circumferential surface of the tubular connecting portion. In other words, the separation-preventing protrusion is provided by a portion of at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion, which are bent in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the tubular connecting portion, protruding outward beyond the outer circumferential surface of the tubular connecting portion. Therefore, even if the spring member attached to the outer surface of the tubular connecting portion is displaced toward the base end of the tubular connecting portion as the male terminal and female terminal are inserted or removed, the spring member interferes with the anti-detachment protrusion, preventing the spring member from detaching from the tubular connecting portion and suppressing a decrease in the contact pressure of the female terminal against the male terminal.

[0012] The first and second flat plate fittings may be separated from each other, or may be connected to each other at their respective other ends. Furthermore, "the first and second other ends overlap" does not mean that the first and second other ends are in close contact over their entire surfaces, as long as they are positioned adjacent to and facing each other, and this also includes a state in which part or all of them face each other with a gap between them.

[0013] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable that the first wall portion has a first base-end connecting portion rising from the first other end in the intersecting direction, and a first tip-end connecting portion having a width dimension smaller than that of the first base-end connecting portion, extending from a widthwise central portion of the first base-end connecting portion toward the first peripheral wall portion and being connected to a circumferential central portion of the first peripheral wall portion, wherein both widthwise end portions of the first base-end connecting portion protrude outward from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular connecting portion to form the pair of anti-detachment protrusions, and the second wall portion has a second base-end connecting portion rising from the second other end in the intersecting direction, and a second tip-end connecting portion having a width dimension smaller than that of the second base-end connecting portion, extending from a widthwise central portion of the second base-end connecting portion toward the second peripheral wall portion and being connected to the circumferential central portion of the second peripheral wall portion, wherein both widthwise end portions of the second base-end connecting portion protrude outward from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular connecting portion to form the pair of anti-detachment protrusions.

[0014] The first wall portion and the second wall portion each have first and second base-end connecting portions that bend from the wire connecting portion and rise in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the tubular connecting portion, and first and second tip-end connecting portions that have a smaller width and are connected to circumferential central portions of the first and second circumferential wall portions. This facilitates the processing of bending one end of the flat metal fitting when forming the circumferential central portions of the first and second circumferential wall portions. Furthermore, the first and second tip-end connecting portions that protrude from the widthwise central portions of the first and second base-end connecting portions are connected to the curved circumferential central portions of the first and second circumferential wall portions. This ensures that both widthwise end portions of the first and second base-end connecting portions protrude outward from the outer circumferential surface of the tubular connecting portion formed by the first and second circumferential wall portions. This allows a pair of separation prevention protrusions to be provided on both widthwise sides of the first wall portion and the second wall portion, thereby achieving both improved manufacturability of the female terminal and stable retention of the spring member.

[0015] (3) In the above (1) or (2), it is preferable that at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion has a window portion formed therethrough in the plate thickness direction. During the manufacture of the female terminal, for example, it is necessary to inspect the state of the contacts inside the tubular connecting portion through the tip opening of the tubular connecting portion. However, the presence of the first wall portion and the second wall portion, which are bent in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the tubular connecting portion, limits the amount of light inside the tubular connecting portion. In this aspect, since at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion has a window portion formed therethrough in the plate thickness direction, an adequate amount of light can be obtained, making it possible to advantageously inspect the internal contacts of the tubular connecting portion.

[0016] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the first flat plate fitting and the second flat plate fitting are formed from a single strip-shaped flat metal plate in which the first other end and the second other end are connected to each other via a connecting portion, the first peripheral wall portion of the first flat plate fitting and the second peripheral wall portion of the second flat plate fitting are provided at both end portions of the metal plate, the connecting portion of the metal plate is bent in the plate thickness direction so that the first other end of the first flat plate fitting and the second other end of the second flat plate fitting are overlapped to form the electric wire connection portion, and the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion provided at the both end portions are arranged opposite each other to form the tubular connection portion. The tubular connecting portion and the electric wire connecting portion can be easily manufactured by simply pressing the first and second peripheral wall portions at both ends of a strip-shaped flat metal plate, bending the connecting portion provided in the central part of the flat metal plate in the thickness direction, and folding the flat metal plate in half in the length direction, thereby further improving manufacturability and handleability.

[0017] (5) In any one of (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that the spring member includes a metal ring member notched at one location in the circumferential direction, and that the inner peripheral surface of the ring member is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the tubular connecting portion with pressure. The spring member can be easily configured using a metal ring member notched at one location in the circumferential direction. Moreover, since the ring member is attached to the tubular connecting portion with the inner peripheral surface of the ring member pressed against the outer peripheral surfaces of the first and second circumferential wall portions, it is possible to stably apply contact pressure to the tubular connecting portion with a simple structure.

[0018] (6) In the above (5), it is preferable that the axial dimension of the ring member is 2 / 3 to 1.5 times the axial dimension of the cylindrical connecting part. Since the axial length of the ring member constituting the spring member is 2 / 3 to 1.5 times the axial dimension of the cylindrical connecting part, the spring member can not only apply contact pressure to the cylindrical connecting part but also perform a protective function of suppressing interference between the cylindrical connecting part and other parts.

[0019] (7) In any one of (1) to (6) above, it is preferable that a bent portion bent radially outward is provided at a circumferential end of at least one of the first circumferential wall portion and the second circumferential wall portion, and the bent portion is fitted into a fitting hole of the spring member. Simply by bending the circumferential end of at least one of the first circumferential wall portion and the second circumferential wall portion radially outward to provide a bent portion and fitting the bent portion into a fitting hole provided in the spring member, displacement of the spring member in at least one of the axial and circumferential directions can be advantageously suppressed. This allows the spring member to stably apply contact pressure.

[0020] (8) In any one of (1) to (7) above, it is preferable that at least one of the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion has an approach restriction protrusion protruding toward the other, and when the spring member biases the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion toward each other in the opposing direction, the approach restriction protrusion abuts the other. By the approach restriction protrusion provided on at least one of the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion abutting the other, it is possible to suppress the amount of displacement of the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion in the approach direction against the biasing force of the spring member. This reduces insertion resistance when inserting the male terminal into the female terminal.

[0021] <Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> Specific examples of the female terminal 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 equivalent to the claims.

[0022] First Embodiment A female terminal 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. FIGS. 1 to 13 show a female connector 12 including the female terminal 10 of the present disclosure and a male terminal 14 electrically connected to the female terminal 10. The male terminal 14 protrudes from the housing of an on-board device, such as a high-voltage battery (not shown), and is electrically connected to a female connector 12 (female terminal 10) provided at the end of a covered electric wire 20 (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIGS. 3 and 4 ) connected to another on-board device, such as an inverter, thereby electrically connecting the on-board devices. 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. 2, the lower side as the lower side in FIG. 2, the left side as the left side in FIG. 2, the right side as the right side in FIG. 2, the front side as the left side in FIG. 3, and the rear side as the right side in FIG. 3. In addition, when multiple identical components are illustrated, only some of the components will be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals for the other components will be omitted.

[0023] <Female Terminal 10> The female terminal 10 includes a tubular connecting portion 18 that is electrically connected to the columnar connecting portion 16 of the male terminal 14, an electric wire connecting portion 24 to which a core wire 22 of a coated electric wire 20 serving as an electric wire is connected, a connecting portion 26 that connects the tubular connecting portion 18 and the electric wire connecting portion 24, and a ring member 30 that serves as a spring member attached to an outer peripheral surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18. In the first embodiment, as described below, the female terminal fitting 32 is formed by bending a strip-shaped metal flat plate, and this female terminal fitting 32 includes the tubular connecting portion 18, the electric wire connecting portion 24, and the connecting portion 26. The female terminal 10 of the first embodiment is formed by attaching the ring member 30 to the outer peripheral surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18 of the female terminal fitting 32.

[0024] <Female Connector 12> The female connector 12 includes the female terminals 10 and an insulating housing 34 that accommodates the female terminals 10. The housing 34 has a generally cylindrical shape extending in the front-to-rear direction as a whole and is formed of an insulating synthetic resin or the like. That is, the housing 34 has a hollow, generally cylindrical main body 36, and a front opening 38 and a rear opening 40 are defined at both front-to-rear ends of the main body 36. In the first embodiment, an annular front cover 42 that protrudes inwardly is integrally formed at the front end of the housing 34, and the front opening 38 is defined by an inner hole in the front cover 42.

[0025] In the front-rear direction middle portion of the main body portion 36, elastic pieces 44 are provided on both left and right sides, capable of elastic deformation in the radial direction (left-right direction). That is, gaps 46 are provided on three sides (circumferentially both sides and the front) of each elastic piece 44 in the main body portion 36, and each elastic piece 44 is connected to the main body portion 36 at its base end (rear end). Each elastic piece 44 is elastically deformable in the radial direction relative to the main body portion 36, with this rear end as the base point. Furthermore, a locking protrusion 48 is formed at the protruding end (front end) of each elastic piece 44, protruding inward. The locking protrusion 48 is engaged with each locking hole 130 in the ring member 30, as described below. A positioning protrusion 50 protruding forward is provided at the radial middle portion of each locking protrusion 48. Each of these locking protrusions 48 and positioning protrusions 50 has a predetermined circumferential dimension. The distance between the inner peripheral surfaces of the positioning protrusions 50 in the opposing direction (left-right direction) is set to be approximately equal to the outer diameter dimension of the ring member 30. As a result, when the locking protrusions 48 are locked in the locking holes 130, the inner peripheral surface of each positioning protrusion 50 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the ring member 30, thereby suppressing left-right displacement of the ring member 30 (female terminal 10) relative to the main body 36 (housing 34).

[0026] 6 and other figures, the inner peripheral surface of the main body 36 is provided with inner peripheral protrusions 51 that protrude inward. In the first embodiment, a plurality of inner peripheral protrusions 51 are provided spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the main body 36, and when the female terminal 10 is housed inside the main body 36, the protruding end face of each inner peripheral protrusion 51 abuts against or is slightly spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the female terminal 10 (i.e., the outer peripheral surface of the ring member 30). This effectively prevents the female terminal 10 from tilting within the housing 34.

[0027] <Male Terminal 14> The male terminal 14 is formed by machining or pressing a metal with relatively low electrical resistance, such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy, into a predetermined shape. The male terminal 14 integrally includes a fixing portion 52 that is fixed and connected to an equipment-side connecting portion provided in the housing of an in-vehicle device, such as a high-voltage battery (not shown), and a substantially cylindrical columnar connecting portion 16 that protrudes from the fixing portion 52 toward the outside (rear) of the housing. The fixing portion 52 is provided with a bolt fastening hole 54 into which a fastening bolt (not shown) for fastening to the equipment-side connecting portion is fastened. In addition, a synthetic resin resin cap 56 is fixedly attached to the protruding tip (rear end) of the columnar connecting portion 16.

[0028] <Cylindrical connecting portion 18> The cylindrical connecting portion 18 includes a first circumferential wall portion 60 formed by bending and deforming one end of a band-shaped first flat plate fitting 58 into an arc, and a second circumferential wall portion 64 formed by bending and deforming one end of a band-shaped second flat plate fitting 62 into an arc. In embodiment 1, the first flat plate fitting 58 and the second flat plate fitting 62 extend in the front-to-rear direction, and the first circumferential wall portion 60, which is one end of the first flat plate fitting 58, and the second circumferential wall portion 64, which is one end of the second flat plate fitting 62, are provided at the front ends of the first flat plate fitting 58 and the second flat plate fitting 62, respectively. As shown in Figure 8 and other figures, the first and second circumferential wall portions 60, 64 each have a circumferential dimension of approximately half the circumference and are each semi-cylindrical overall. The cylindrical connecting portion 18 is formed by arranging the circumferential ends of the first and second circumferential wall portions 60, 64 facing each other so that they butt against each other in the vertical direction. As will be described later, when the ring member 30 serving as a spring member is attached to the tubular connecting portion 18, the tubular connecting portion 18 has an inner diameter dimension that is equal to or slightly smaller than the outer diameter dimension of the columnar connecting portion 16 of the male terminal 14, and the columnar connecting portion 16 can be inserted into the tubular connecting portion 18 in an approximately press-fit state.

[0029] <First Circumferential Wall Portion 60> In the first embodiment, a first slit 66 extending in the front-rear direction and penetrating the first circumferential wall portion 60 in the thickness direction is provided in a circumferential central portion (upper portion) of the first circumferential wall portion 60. The first slit 66 extends from the front end of the first circumferential wall portion 60 over substantially the entire length of the first circumferential wall portion 60 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction). As a result, the first circumferential wall portion 60 is divided into two on both circumferential sides of the first slit 66, forming a pair of first divided wall portions 68, 68 each having a circumferential dimension of approximately one-quarter of the circumference. As shown in FIG. 5 and other figures, an inward protrusion 70 protruding radially inward is provided in a longitudinal (front-rear direction) central portion of each of the first divided wall portions 68. As will be described later, since the tubular connecting portion 18 (female terminal fitting 32) is formed by pressing a strip-shaped metal flat plate, an outer recess 72 that is concave radially outward is formed on the outer surface (i.e., the outer surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18) at a location (central portion in the front-to-rear direction) corresponding to the inner protrusion 70 of each first dividing wall portion 68.

[0030] In particular, in the first embodiment, the circumferential curvature of the inner circumferential surface 74 of the inward protrusion 70 of each first partition wall portion 68 varies from part to part. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6 , the circumferential curvature of the inner circumferential surface 74 of each inner protrusion 70 of each first partition wall portion 68 is smaller (the radius of curvature is larger) at both circumferential side portions than at the circumferential central portion. As a result, the circumferential side portions of the inner circumferential surface 74 of each inner protrusion 70 of each first partition wall portion 68 protrude more inward than in a case where the curvature of the inner circumferential surface 74 is constant due to the curvature of the circumferential central portion. As a result, when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted into the tubular connecting portion 18, as described below, the portions of the inner circumferential surface 74 of each inner protrusion 70 with reduced curvature at both circumferential side portions abut against the columnar connecting portion 16.

[0031] Therefore, in the first embodiment, first contact portions 76, 76 that come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted are provided on both circumferentially separated portions of the inner circumferential surface 74 of each inner protrusion 70 of each first partition wall portion 68. Also, a first non-contact portion 78 that does not come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted is provided in a circumferentially central portion of the inner circumferential surface 74 of each inner protrusion 70 of each first partition wall portion 68. Therefore, a gap 80 is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 and the first non-contact portion 78 when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted.

[0032] Furthermore, a bent portion 82 bent radially outward is provided at a circumferential end of the first circumferential wall portion 60. In the first embodiment, bent portions 82, 82 are provided at both circumferential ends of the rear end of the first circumferential wall portion 60. In particular, in the first embodiment, since the first slits 66 are provided in the circumferential central portion of the first circumferential wall portion 60 to divide it into each first partition wall portion 68 as described above, a bent portion 82 is provided at the circumferential end of the rear end of each first partition wall portion 68 on the opposite side to the first slits 66. The front end surface of each bent portion 82 is an inclined surface 83 that gradually slopes rearward as it approaches the outer periphery.

[0033] An approach restriction protrusion 84 that protrudes downward toward the second peripheral wall portion 64 is provided at a circumferential end of the first peripheral wall portion 60. In the first embodiment, the approach restriction protrusions 84, 84 are provided at both circumferential ends of the front end of the first peripheral wall portion 60. In particular, in the first embodiment, since the first slits 66 are provided in the circumferential central portion of the first peripheral wall portion 60 and divide the first peripheral wall portion 60 into each first partition wall portion 68 as described above, the approach restriction protrusion 84 is provided at the circumferential end opposite the first slits 66 at the front end of each first partition wall portion 68.

[0034] A flat portion 85 extending in the horizontal direction (a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction) is formed at the rear end (i.e., the rear portion of the first slit 66) in the circumferential center portion (upper portion) of the first circumferential wall portion 60. In other words, this flat portion 85 is provided in the vicinity of the connection portion between the first circumferential wall portion 60 and a first tip-side coupling portion 108 (described later). By providing such a flat portion 85 on the first circumferential wall portion 60, an operator can easily grasp the circumferential position of the female terminal fittings 32 (particularly the upper portion) when attaching the ring member 30 to the female terminal fittings 32.

[0035] <Second circumferential wall portion 64> In the first embodiment, a second slit 86 extending in the front-rear direction and penetrating the second circumferential wall portion 64 in the thickness direction is provided in a circumferential central portion (lower portion) of the second circumferential wall portion 64. This second slit 86 is formed in a shape similar to the first slit 66 in the first circumferential wall portion 60 described above. As a result, the second circumferential wall portion 64 is divided into two on both circumferential sides sandwiching the second slit 86, thereby forming a pair of second divided wall portions 88, 88. Each of these second divided wall portions 88 has an inward protrusion 70 that protrudes radially inward in a longitudinal (front-rear) central portion, similar to the first circumferential wall portion 60 (each first divided wall portion 68). In addition, an outer recess 72 that is concave radially outward is formed on the outer surface (i.e., the outer surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18) at a location (central portion in the fore-and-aft direction) corresponding to the inner protrusion 70 of each second dividing wall portion 88, similar to the first peripheral wall portion 60 (each first dividing wall portion 68).

[0036] In particular, in the first embodiment, the radially inward protrusion of the inward protrusion 70 of each second partition wall 88 varies along the length (front-rear direction) of the second partition wall 88. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , the radially inward protrusion of each inward protrusion 70 of each second partition wall 88 is greater at both front-rear lateral portions than at the front-rear lateral central portion. In other words, the radially inward protrusion of each inward protrusion 70 of each second partition wall 88 is smaller at the front-rear lateral central portion than at the front-rear lateral central portions. Accordingly, the depth of each outer recess 72 of each second partition wall 88 from the outer peripheral surface (the outer peripheral surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18) is smaller at the front-rear lateral central portion. In other words, the bottom surface of the outer recess 72 of each second partition wall 88 protrudes radially outward in the front-rear lateral central portion than at the front-rear lateral central portions. As a result, when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted into the cylindrical connecting portion 18 as described below, the portions of each inner protrusion 70 that have an increased radially inward protrusion dimension come into contact.

[0037] Therefore, in the first embodiment, second contact portions 90, 90 that contact the outer circumferential surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted are provided on both front-rear direction side portions of the inner circumferential surface 74 of each inner protrusion 70 of each second partition wall portion 88 that are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The protruding tip surface of each second contact portion 90 has a generally curved arc shape, and in the cross section shown in FIG. 5 , each second contact portion 90 contacts the outer circumferential surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 at a single point. Furthermore, a second non-contact portion 92 that does not contact the outer circumferential surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted is provided in a central portion of the inner circumferential surface 74 of each inner protrusion 70 of each second partition wall portion 88 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, a gap 94 is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 and the second non-contact portion 92 when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted. In the first embodiment, each second partition wall portion 88 is formed with a generally constant curvature in the circumferential direction. As a result, when the columnar connection portion 16 is inserted, each second contact portion 90 makes approximately linear contact with the columnar connection portion 16 over approximately the entire circumferential length of each second dividing wall portion 88, and each gap 94 with the columnar connection portion 16 is formed over approximately the entire circumferential length of each second dividing wall portion 88.

[0038] Furthermore, bent portions 82 bent radially outward are provided at circumferential ends of the second circumferential wall portion 64. Similar to the bent portions 82 of the first circumferential wall portion 60, the bent portions 82 of the second circumferential wall portion 64 are provided at the circumferential ends opposite the second slits 86, at the rear ends of the second dividing wall portions 88, 88. In each of the bent portions 82 of the second circumferential wall portion 64, the front end surface also forms an inclined surface 83.

[0039] Furthermore, an approach restriction protrusion 84 that protrudes upward toward the first peripheral wall portion 60 is provided at a circumferential end of the second peripheral wall portion 64. Similar to the approach restriction protrusion 84 of the first peripheral wall portion 60, the approach restriction protrusion 84 of the second peripheral wall portion 64 is provided at the circumferential end opposite the second slit 86, at the front end of each second dividing wall portion 88, 88.

[0040] <Wire connection portion 24> The wire connection portion 24 is configured by overlapping a first other end portion 96, which is the other end portion (rear end portion in embodiment 1) of the first flat plate fitting 58, and a second other end portion 98, which is the other end portion (rear end portion in embodiment 1) of the second flat plate fitting 62. In particular, in embodiment 1, as will be described later, the first flat plate fitting 58 and the second flat plate fitting 62 are formed by pressing a single strip-shaped flat metal plate, and the first other end portion 96 and the second other end portion 98 are connected to each other at their respective rear ends via a connecting portion 100.

[0041] The first other end 96 and the second other end 98 each have a plate shape that is generally rectangular in plan view, and the wire connection portion 24 also has a generally rectangular plate shape as a whole. The first other end 96 and the second other end 98 are stacked in the vertical direction, and the core wire 22 exposed at the front end of the insulated electric wire 20 is fixed to the upper surface of the first other end 96, thereby electrically connecting the wire connection portion 24 (female terminal fitting 32) and the insulated electric wire 20. In the first embodiment, the width direction dimension (left-right direction dimension) of the first other end 96 is larger than that of the second other end 98. This allows the core wire 22 to be fixed over a wider area.

[0042] The method for fixing the core wire 22 to the first other end 96 is not limited, and may be, for example, by adhesive bonding or crimping, or by welding such as ultrasonic welding. The wire connection portion 24 according to the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment, and the first other end 96 and the second other end 98 may have the same widthwise dimension, or the second other end 98 may have a larger widthwise dimension. Furthermore, the first other end 96 and the second other end 98 may be fixed to each other by welding, for example, when fixing the core wire 22, or may be disposed opposite each other with a small gap between them without being fixed to each other.

[0043] <Connecting portion 26> The connecting portion 26 includes a first wall portion 102 located in the first flat plate fitting 58 between the first circumferential wall portion 60 and the first other end portion 96 (in the front-to-rear direction) and bent in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the first circumferential wall portion 60 (in the front-to-rear direction), and a second wall portion 104 located in the second flat plate fitting 62 between the second circumferential wall portion 64 and the second other end portion 98 (in the front-to-rear direction) and bent in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the second circumferential wall portion 64 (in the front-to-rear direction). In embodiment 1, the first wall portion 102 is bent in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction (in the up-and-down direction) and extends substantially in the up-and-down direction. Furthermore, the second wall portion 104 is bent in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction (in the up-and-down direction) and extends substantially in the up-and-down direction. In particular, in embodiment 1, the front-to-back position of the first wall portion 102 in the first flat plate fitting 58 and the front-to-back position of the second wall portion 104 in the second flat plate fitting 62 are approximately equal, and the first wall portion 102 and the second wall portion 104 in the female terminal fitting 32 are arranged so as to be approximately continuous in the vertical direction.

[0044] Furthermore, the vertical dimension of the first wall portion 102 is larger than the vertical dimension of the second wall portion 104. As a result, the wire connection portion 24, which is composed of the first other end portion 96 and the second other end portion 98, is located below the vertical center of the female terminal fitting 32. As a result, as shown in Fig. 3 and other figures, the space above the wire connection portion 24 within the female connector 12 is larger than the space below the wire connection portion 24, and a stable fixing area for the core wire 22 of the insulated wire 20 to the upper surface of the first other end portion 96 can be ensured.

[0045] <First wall portion 102> The first wall portion 102 has a first base end connecting portion 106 that rises from the first other end portion 96 in a direction intersecting the fore-and-aft direction (in embodiment 1, a direction perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction, i.e., upward), and a first tip end connecting portion 108 that has a widthwise (left-right) dimension smaller than that of the first base end connecting portion 106, extends from the widthwise central portion of the first base end connecting portion 106 toward the first circumferential wall portion 60, and is connected to the circumferential central portion of the first circumferential wall portion 60.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the first base-end coupling portion 106 has a plate shape that is generally rectangular when viewed in the front-rear direction and has a predetermined width dimension. Specifically, the width dimension of the first base-end coupling portion 106 is smaller than that of the first other end portion 96 and larger than the width dimension (left-right dimension) of the first circumferential wall portion 60 (the tubular connecting portion 18). As a result, both widthwise end portions of the first base-end coupling portion 106 protrude outward in the left-right direction beyond the outer peripheral surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18. As a result, the widthwise end portions of the first base-end coupling portion 106 form separation prevention protrusions 110 that prevent separation of the spring member (ring member 30) when the ring member 30 is attached to the female terminal fitting 32, as described below.

[0047] The first wall 102 is also formed with a first window 112 as a window penetrating in the plate thickness direction. In the first embodiment, the first window 112 is formed in the widthwise central portion of the first base-side coupling portion 106 and has predetermined left-right and up-down dimensions. Specifically, the first window 112 extends from the lower portion (first other end 96) of the first base-side coupling portion 106 to the up-down central portion of the first base-side coupling portion 106, and the upper end portion is curved in an arc shape.

[0048] <Second wall portion 104> The second wall portion 104 has a second base end connecting portion 114 that rises from the second other end portion 98 in a direction intersecting the fore-and-aft direction (in embodiment 1, a direction perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction, downward), and a second tip end connecting portion 116 that has a widthwise (left-right) dimension smaller than that of the second base end connecting portion 114, extends from the widthwise central portion of the second base end connecting portion 114 towards the second circumferential wall portion 64 and is connected to the circumferential central portion of the second circumferential wall portion 64.

[0049] In the first embodiment, the second base-end coupling portion 114 has a plate shape that is generally rectangular when viewed in the front-rear direction and has a predetermined width dimension. Specifically, the width dimension of the second base-end coupling portion 114 is smaller than that of the second other end portion 98 and larger than that of the second circumferential wall portion 64 (the tubular connecting portion 18). As a result, both widthwise end portions of the second base-end coupling portion 114 protrude outward in the left-right direction beyond the outer circumferential surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18. As a result, the widthwise end portions of the second base-end coupling portion 114 also form the detachment prevention protrusions 110 that prevent the above-described ring member 30 from detaching.

[0050] The second wall portion 104 is also formed with a second window portion 118 as a window portion that penetrates in the plate thickness direction. In the first embodiment, the second window portion 118 is formed in the widthwise central portion of the second base-side coupling portion 114 and has predetermined left-right and up-down dimensions. Specifically, the second window portion 118 extends from the upper portion (second other end portion 98) of the second base-side coupling portion 114 to the up-down central portion of the second base-side coupling portion 114, and the lower end portion is curved in an arc shape.

[0051] In particular, in the first embodiment, the first window 112 in the first wall 102 and the second window 118 in the second wall 104 are formed at approximately equal positions in the left-right direction, and the first window 112 and the second window 118 are connected in the up-down direction. As a result, the first window 112 and the second window 118 are formed as a generally oval shape extending in the up-down direction as a whole when viewed in the front-to-back direction (projected in the front-to-back direction).

[0052] <Female terminal fittings 32 (first flat plate fitting 58 and second flat plate fitting 62)> The first flat plate fitting 58 and the second flat plate fitting 62, which are shaped as described above, are formed from a single strip-shaped flat metal plate in which the first other end portion 96 and the second other end portion 98 are connected to each other via a connecting portion 100. That is, the female terminal fittings 32 are formed by bending this single strip-shaped flat metal plate into the above-described shape, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. Before being bent, the flat metal plate has the connecting portion 100 provided in the longitudinal center and the first peripheral wall portion 60 and the second peripheral wall portion 64 provided at both ends of the flat metal plate. Then, by bending the connecting portion 100 of the flat metal plate in the thickness direction, the first other end portion 96 and the second other end portion 98 are overlapped to form the wire connection portion 24, and the first peripheral wall portion 60 and the second peripheral wall portion 64 are arranged opposite each other to form the tubular connection portion 18. In the first embodiment, the tubular connecting portion 18 extends in the front-rear direction, the connecting portion 26 and the electric wire connecting portion 24 are formed behind the tubular connecting portion 18, and the tubular connecting portion 18 is open forward (has a front opening 119). The first circumferential wall portion 60 and the second circumferential wall portion 64 can deform, particularly in a direction such that their front ends approach or move away from each other, using the connection point with the connecting portion 26 (particularly the first tip-side connecting portion 108 and the second tip-side connecting portion 116) as a base point. The single strip-shaped metal flat plate constituting the female terminal fitting 32 is formed from, for example, copper (including copper alloys) or aluminum (including aluminum alloys).

[0053] <Spring Member (Ring Member 30)> The spring member includes a metal ring member 30 with a notch cut out at one location in the circumferential direction. In the first embodiment, the entire spring member is a ring member 30 that is generally cylindrical and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The ring member 30 is formed, for example, from a springy stainless steel or the like, by pressing a metal plate such as the springy stainless steel. The ring member 30 has a notch 120 formed at one location in the circumferential direction, i.e., on the lower side, and the notch 120 extends along the entire length of the ring member 30 in the longitudinal direction (front-to-rear direction). The ring member 30 is formed to have a predetermined radial dimension, but is elastically expandable to increase the widthwise dimension (circumferential dimension) of the notch 120. As a result, the ring member 30 is attached to the outer peripheral surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18, as described above. The axial dimension (front-rear dimension) A (see FIG. 3) of the ring member 30 is preferably at least 2 / 3 and not more than 1.5 times the axial dimension B (see FIG. 3) of the tubular connecting portion 18. In the first embodiment, the tubular connecting portion 18 is covered by the ring member 30 over substantially the entire length in the front-rear direction, and the ring member 30 covers the tubular connecting portion 18 from the front end thereof, past the rear end thereof, and across the first tip-side connecting portion 108 and the second tip-side connecting portion 116 of the connecting portion 26. Note that the position of the rear end of the tubular connecting portion 18 (the boundary with the connecting portion 26) is not clearly defined, but the rear end of the flat portion 85 may be the rear end of the tubular connecting portion 18, for example.

[0054] Specifically, when the ring member 30 is in a standalone state before being attached to the tubular connecting portion 18, the inner diameter of the ring member 30 is approximately equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tubular connecting portion 18. To attach the ring member 30 to the tubular connecting portion 18, for example, the front end of the tubular connecting portion 18 is inserted into the rear end of the ring member 30. Thereafter, the ring member 30 is slid rearward relative to the tubular connecting portion 18, whereby the ring member 30 is fitted onto the tubular connecting portion 18.

[0055] Furthermore, fitting holes 122 are formed on both left and right sides of the rear portion of the ring member 30, into which the bent portions 82 bent outward from the tubular connecting portion 18 fit. In the first embodiment, the bent portions 82 are provided at both circumferential ends of the first circumferential wall portion 60 and the second circumferential wall portion 64, and a total of four bent portions 82 are provided in the tubular connecting portion 18. The fitting holes 122 in the ring member 30 are formed at positions corresponding to the bent portions 82, and two fitting holes 122 are provided on each left and right side of the rear portion of the ring member 30, thereby forming a total of four fitting holes 122 in the ring member 30. When the ring member 30 is slid rearward and attached to the tubular connecting portion 18, the rear end of the ring member 30 abuts against the inclined surfaces 83 of the bent portions 82, causing the rear end of the ring member 30 to be expanded and deformed along the inclined surfaces 83, allowing further rearward displacement. Furthermore, as the rear end of the ring member 30 climbs over each of the bent portions 82 , the rear end of the ring member 30 elastically restores its original shape, and each bent portion 82 enters and fits into each of the fitting holes 122 .

[0056] As described above, the left and right ends of the first base-end coupling portion 106 and the second base-end coupling portion 114 of the first wall portion 102 and the second wall portion 104 located rearward of the tubular connecting portion 18 protrude outward in the left and right direction beyond the tubular connecting portion 18, thereby forming respective separation prevention protrusions 110. Therefore, rearward displacement of the ring member 30 relative to the tubular connecting portion 18 is limited by the rear end of the ring member 30 abutting against the respective separation prevention protrusions 110 of the female terminal fittings 32. When the rear end of the ring member 30 abuts against the respective separation prevention protrusions 110 and attachment of the ring member 30 to the tubular connecting portion 18 is complete, the respective bent portions 82 are fitted into the respective fitting holes 122 as described above. In other words, the wall portions 124 on both left and right sides of the rear end of the ring member 30 are held between the respective bent portions 82 and the respective separation prevention protrusions 110 in the front-rear direction.

[0057] In the first embodiment, the inner peripheral surface 125 of the front portion of the ring member 30 is provided with press-contact projections 126 that protrude inward and press against the outer peripheral surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18. The ring member 30 is provided with a plurality (four) of press-contact projections 126, which are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 6 , the press-contact projections 126 are arranged at approximately equal intervals (approximately every 90 degrees) in the circumferential direction. That is, the inner diameter of the ring member 30 is reduced at the positions where the press-contact projections 126 are formed, and the inner diameter of the ring member 30 at the positions where the press-contact projections 126 are formed (the inner diameter of an imaginary circle passing through the protruding tip surfaces of the press-contact projections 126) is smaller than the outer diameter of the tubular connecting portion 18. The ring member 30 is formed by, for example, press working, and therefore has recesses 128 that open outward at positions on the outer circumferential surface of the ring member 30 that correspond to the pressure-contact protrusions 126 .

[0058] When the ring member 30 is attached to the cylindrical connecting portion 18, the pressure-contact projections 126 enter the outer recesses 72 in the first and second peripheral wall portions 60, 64 and press against the bottom surfaces of the outer recesses 72 that constitute the outer peripheral surface 28 of the cylindrical connecting portion 18 from the radially outward direction. As a result, the pressure-contact projections 126 press the first divided wall portions 68 that constitute the first peripheral wall portion 60 and the second divided wall portions 88 that constitute the second peripheral wall portion 64 inward. 10 , when the ring member 30 is attached to the tubular connecting portion 18, the ring member 30 urges the first circumferential wall portion 60 (each of the first divided wall portions 68) and the second circumferential wall portion 64 (each of the second divided wall portions 88) in directions toward each other, and the approach restriction projections 84 provided on both circumferential ends of the first circumferential wall portion 60 and the second circumferential wall portion 64 abut against each other. This prevents the inner diameter of the front opening 119 of the tubular connecting portion 18 from becoming smaller than necessary when the ring member 30 is attached to the tubular connecting portion 18 (before the male terminal 14 is inserted).

[0059] Furthermore, locking holes 130 are formed in the ring member 30 at a longitudinal (front-rear) intermediate portion thereof, penetrating the ring member 30 in the thickness direction. These locking holes 130 are provided on both the left and right sides of the ring member 30. Each of these locking holes 130 has a predetermined circumferential dimension and is generally rectangular when viewed from the left and right. In the first embodiment, each locking hole 130 is provided forward of each fitting hole 122 and rearward of each insulation displacement projection 126 (each recess 128). As described above, each locking hole 130 engages with the locking projection 48 provided on each elastic piece 44 of the housing 34, thereby securing the housing 34 to the female terminal 10.

[0060] 11 , the inner circumferential surface 125 of the rear portion of the ring member 30 is provided with inner circumferential protrusions 132 that protrude inward. Because the ring member 30 is formed by, for example, press working, outwardly opening recesses 134 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the ring member 30 at positions corresponding to the inner circumferential protrusions 132. When the ring member 30 is attached to the tubular connecting portion 18, the inner circumferential protrusions 132 abut against the outer circumferential surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18 (first circumferential wall portion 60 and second circumferential wall portion 64) or are separated from each other by a small gap, thereby preventing the rear portion of the tubular connecting portion 18 from tilting relative to the ring member 30.

[0061] The ring member 30 in embodiment 1 has a flat wall portion 136 that extends horizontally in a circumferential central portion (upper portion). This flat wall portion 136 has a predetermined width dimension (left-right dimension) and is formed over the entire length of the ring member 30. Therefore, the ring member 30 in embodiment 1 has a shape in which curved wall portions 138 having a predetermined circumferential dimension extend downward from both left and right ends of the flat wall portion 136. As a result, when the ring member 30 expands in diameter and deforms, the circumferential ends (ends on the notch 120 side) of the curved wall portions 138 deform so as to move away from each other, starting from the connection points between the flat wall portion 136 and each curved wall portion 138.

[0062] The provision of such flat wall portion 136 allows an operator to easily grasp the circumferential position of the ring member 30 (particularly the upper portion) when attaching the ring member 30 to the female terminal fittings 32. In particular, by combining this with the flat portion 85 of the female terminal fittings 32, the attachment work can be performed while aligning the circumferential positions of the ring member 30 and the female terminal fittings 32. Note that if the ring member 30 is attached to the female terminal fittings 32 in the up-down direction, the lower end portion of the second circumferential wall portion 64 will come into contact with the flat wall portion 136 of the ring member 30, allowing the operator to grasp incorrect assembly and providing the effect of preventing incorrect assembly.

[0063] <Assembly of female terminal 10 and female connector 12> A specific example of a method for assembling female terminal 10 and female connector 12 including female terminal 10 will be described below. Note that the method for assembling female terminal 10 and female connector 12 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0064] First, the female terminal fittings 32 and the ring member 30 are formed by pressing a single metal plate. Then, the ring member 30 is attached to the female terminal fitting 32 from the front, with the rear end of the ring member 30 abutting against the anti-detachment projections 110 of the female terminal fitting 32, and the bent portions 82 of the female terminal fitting 32 fitting into the fitting holes 122 of the ring member 30. As a result, the wall portions 124 on both the left and right sides of the rear end of the ring member 30 are held between the bent portions 82 and the anti-detachment projections 110 in the front-rear direction, and the ring member 30 is assembled to the female terminal fitting 32. As a result, the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment is completed, as shown in FIG. 10 . In the female terminal 10 manufactured in this manner, the pressing force of the pressure-contact projections 126 is applied to the first and second partition walls 68 and 88, urging the first and second partition walls 68 and 88 inward. As a result, the approach restriction projections 84 provided at the circumferential ends at the front ends of the first partition wall portions 68 and the second partition wall portions 88 come into contact with each other in the up-down direction. Note that the core wire 22 of the insulated wire 20 is fixed to the wire connecting portion 24 of the female terminal fitting 32 at any timing.

[0065] Next, as shown in FIG. 7 , the housing 34 is positioned facing the female terminal 10 manufactured as described above, and the female terminal 10 is inserted through the rear opening 40 of the housing 34. Inserting the female terminal 10 into the main body 36 causes the front end of the ring member 30 to abut against the locking projections 48 projecting inward from the main body 36, causing the elastic pieces 44 of the main body 36 to elastically deform outward, allowing further insertion of the female terminal 10. Further insertion of the female terminal 10 causes the locking projections 48 to reach the locking holes 130 in the ring member 30, causing the elastic pieces 44 to elastically restore their original shape, and the locking projections 48 enter and lock into the locking holes 130. Furthermore, the restoration of the elastic pieces 44 causes the inner peripheral surfaces of the positioning projections 50 to abut against the outer peripheral surface of the ring member 30. This prevents the female terminal 10 from slipping out of the housing 34. Insertion of the female terminals 10 into the body 36 is restricted by the front ends of the female terminals 10 abutting against the front cover 42 that protrudes inward at the front end of the body 36. As a result, the female terminals 10 and the housing 34 are assembled together, completing the female connector 12, as shown in Figures 12 and 13 .

[0066] In the female connector 12 manufactured in this manner, the columnar connecting portions 16 of the male terminals 14 are press-fitted into the tubular connecting portion 18 through the front openings 38 in the main body 36 and the front openings 119 in the female terminal fittings 32. Each of the first and second partition walls 68 and 88 constituting the tubular connecting portion 18 is provided with an inner protrusion 70 that protrudes radially inward, and the outer circumferential surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 contacts the inner protrusion 70, elastically deforming each of the first and second partition walls 68 and 88 outward, while the columnar connecting portion 16 is press-fitted into the tubular connecting portion 18. In particular, as described above, each of the first partition walls 68 has first contact portions 76 at two circumferential locations on the inner circumferential surface 74, and each of the second partition walls 88 has second contact portions 90 at two anteroposterior locations on the inner circumferential surface 74. Therefore, the inner peripheral surface of the tubular connecting portion 18 and the outer peripheral surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 are in contact with each other at the first contact portions 76 and the second contact portions 90. This establishes electrical continuity between the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 14. Note that insertion of the male terminal 14 into the female connector 12 is restricted by, for example, abutment between a male connector housing (not shown) that holds the male terminal 14 and a housing 34 of the female connector 12.

[0067] In particular, the pressure contact projections 126 projecting inward from the ring member 30 are located on the outer periphery of each of the inner protrusions 70, and as the first and second partition wall portions 68 and 88 elastically deform outward, the ring member 30 elastically deforms outward. The elastic restoration of the ring member 30 to the inner periphery following this elastic deformation to the outer periphery causes the pressure contact projections 126 to press the inner periphery, ensuring contact pressure at the first contact portions 76 and the second contact portions 90.

[0068] In the female terminal 10 of the first embodiment having the above-described structure, the first flat plate fitting 58 comprises the first peripheral wall portion 60, the first wall portion 102, and the first other end portion 96, while the second flat plate fitting 62 comprises the second peripheral wall portion 64, the second wall portion 104, and the second other end portion 98. The first peripheral wall portion 60 and the second peripheral wall portion 64 form the tubular connecting portion 18, and the first other end portion 96 and the second other end portion 98 form the wire connecting portion 24. The tubular connecting portion 18 and the wire connecting portion 24 are connected by a connecting portion 26 formed by the first wall portion 102 and the second wall portion 104. In other words, the entire female terminal fitting 32 from the tubular connecting portion 18 to the wire connecting portion 24 is formed by the first flat plate fitting 58 and the second flat plate fitting 62, each of which is made up of a single piece, and therefore, good electrical conductivity and heat dissipation performance are exhibited.

[0069] Furthermore, the left and right end portions of the first wall portion 102 and the second wall portion 104 that constitute the connecting portion 26 of the female terminal fitting 32 form anti-detachment projections 110 that prevent the ring member 30 from detaching from the female terminal fitting 32. That is, when the ring member 30 is attached to the female terminal fitting 32, the ring member 30 is inserted from the front of the female terminal fitting 32, and the ring member 30 abuts against the anti-detachment projections 110, preventing the ring member 30 from detaching from the female terminal fitting 32. Furthermore, even when the columnar connecting portion 16 is press-fitted into the tubular connecting portion 18 and the tubular connecting portion 18 undergoes diametrical deformation, the ring member 30 is prevented from detaching rearward from the female terminal fitting 32. Therefore, the anti-detachment projections 110 can maintain the ring member 30 attached to the female terminal fitting 32, ensuring stable contact pressure of the first contact portions 76 and the second contact portions 90 against the columnar connecting portions 16.

[0070] The first wall portion 102 is configured to include a first base-end connecting portion 106 and a first tip-end connecting portion 108, and the second wall portion 104 is configured to include a second base-end connecting portion 114 and a second tip-end connecting portion 116. Each of the separation prevention protrusions 110 is configured by both widthwise end portions of the first base-end connecting portion 106 and the second base-end connecting portion 114. In the first embodiment, the first wall portion 102 and the second wall portion 104 are both configured to expand in the up-down direction, and this makes it possible to keep the front-to-rear dimensions of the first wall portion 102 and the second wall portion 104, and therefore the female terminal fitting 32, small compared to, for example, an embodiment in which the first wall portion and the second wall portion are inclined forward as they approach the outer periphery.

[0071] Furthermore, by dividing the first wall portion 102 into the first base-end connecting portion 106 and the first tip-end connecting portion 108, it is possible to stably realize the arc-shaped bending deformation of the first circumferential wall portion 60 connected to the first tip-end connecting portion 108 while ensuring a large width dimension at the first base-end connecting portion 106, and to stably form each detachment prevention protrusion 110. Similarly, by dividing the second wall portion 104 into the second base-end connecting portion 114 and the second tip-end connecting portion 116, it is possible to stably realize the arc-shaped bending deformation of the second circumferential wall portion 64 connected to the second tip-end connecting portion 116 while ensuring a large width dimension at the second base-end connecting portion 114, and to stably form each detachment prevention protrusion 110.

[0072] A first window 112 as a window portion is formed so as to penetrate the first wall portion 102 in the plate thickness direction, and a second window 118 as a window portion is formed so as to penetrate the second wall portion 104 in the plate thickness direction. This ensures a sufficient amount of light to enter the interior of the tubular connecting portion 18 through the first window 112 and the second window 118, making it easy to check the contacts (e.g., each of the first contact portions 76 and each of the second contact portions 90) during the manufacture of the female terminal 10.

[0073] The first flat plate fitting 58 and the second flat plate fitting 62 are made from a single band-shaped flat metal plate, i.e., in embodiment 1, the entire female terminal fitting 32 is made from a single flat metal plate. This can improve the manufacturing efficiency of the female terminal fittings 32, and ultimately the female terminals 10 and female connectors 12. It also further improves electrical conductivity and heat dissipation performance.

[0074] The spring member includes a metal ring member 30 with one circumferential notch, and an inner peripheral surface 125 of the ring member 30 is attached to an outer peripheral surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18 with pressure in contact with it. Specifically, the outer peripheral surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18 is formed to include the bottom surfaces of the outer recesses 72 provided in the tubular connecting portion 18, and each of the pressure-contact protrusions 126 protrudes inward from the inner peripheral surface 125 of the ring member 30 and is in pressure contact with the bottom surface of the outer recesses 72. In particular, each of the inner protrusions 70 protruding inward in the tubular connecting portion 18 is provided at a position corresponding to each of the outer recesses 72, and each of the inner protrusions 70 includes a first contact portion 76 and a second contact portion 90 that come into contact with the post-shaped connecting portion 16 when the male terminal 14 is inserted. As a result, the pressing force of each pressure-contact protrusion 126 can be stably applied to each first contact portion 76 and each second contact portion 90, and the contact pressure of each first contact portion 76 and each second contact portion 90 against the columnar connection portion 16 can be stably ensured.

[0075] The axial dimension A of the ring member 30 is set to be 2 / 3 or more and 1.5 or less times the axial dimension B of the tubular connecting portion 18. This not only ensures the contact pressure at each of the first contact portions 76 and each of the second contact portions 90 as described above, but also provides the ring member 30 with the effect of protecting the tubular connecting portion 18. In other words, by forming the ring member 30 in this shape, interference between the tubular connecting portion 18 and other members can be prevented.

[0076] Both circumferential ends of the first circumferential wall portion 60 and the second circumferential wall portion 64 are provided with bent portions 82 bent radially outward, and the bent portions 82 are fitted into fitting holes 122 in the ring member 30. By fitting the bent portions 82 into the fitting holes 122, relative displacement between the ring member 30 and the female terminal fittings 32 in the axial direction (front-rear direction) and circumferential direction can be prevented. In particular, the bent portions 82 and the fitting holes 122 are provided at the rear end portions of the tubular connecting portion 18 and the ring member 30, respectively. When the ring member 30 is attached to the female terminal fittings 32, the wall portions 124 on both the left and right sides of the rear end of the ring member 30 are held between the bent portions 82 and the separation prevention protrusions 110 in the front-rear direction. As a result, displacement between the ring member 30 and the female terminal fittings 32 in the front-rear direction can be more reliably prevented.

[0077] Approach restriction protrusions 84 are provided on both circumferential ends of the first circumferential wall portion 60 and the second circumferential wall portion 64, and when the ring member 30 is attached to the female terminal fitting 32, the approach restriction protrusions 84 provided on the first circumferential wall portion 60 and the approach restriction protrusions 84 provided on the second circumferential wall portion 64 abut against each other. This prevents the inner diameter dimension of the front opening 119 of the tubular connecting portion 18 from becoming too small before the male terminal 14 is inserted, and prevents the insertion resistance of the male terminal 14 from becoming excessively large.

[0078] Second Embodiment Next, a female terminal 140 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15. The basic structure of the female terminal 140 according to the second embodiment is similar to that of the female terminal 10 according to the first embodiment, but the configuration of each first contact portion 144 in the tubular connecting portion 142 differs from that of the first embodiment. The configuration of each second contact portion 90 in the tubular connecting portion 142 is similar to that of the first embodiment. The shapes of the ring member 30 attached to the female terminal fitting 146 and the housing 34 attached to the female terminal 140 are similar to those of the first embodiment. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and components and parts that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment will be denoted in the drawings with the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0079] <Cylindrical connecting portion 142> As in the first embodiment, the cylindrical connecting portion 142 includes a first peripheral wall portion 60 and a second peripheral wall portion 64. The first peripheral wall portion 60 is circumferentially divided into two first partition wall portions 68, 68 by a first slit 66 in the circumferential center portion. Each first partition wall portion 68 is provided with an inner protrusion 148 that protrudes radially inward. The radially inward protrusion dimension of each inner protrusion 148 varies in the front-to-rear direction, and the radially inward protrusion dimension of each inner protrusion 148 is larger at the front-to-rear side portions than at the front-to-rear center portion. Furthermore, the curvature of the inner circumferential surface 150 of each inner protrusion 148 varies circumferentially at the front-to-rear side portions. The change in circumferential curvature at both front and rear ends of each of these inner protrusions 148 is the same as in embodiment 1, with the circumferential side ends being smaller (having a larger radius of curvature) than the circumferential central portion.

[0080] Therefore, in the second embodiment, the inner protrusion 148 of each first dividing wall portion 68 is provided with first contact portions 144 on both front-rear direction side portions and both circumferential direction side portions, and the first contact portions 144 are configured at a total of four locations on the inner peripheral surface 150 of each inner protrusion 148. In short, first non-contact portions 152 are configured at the front-rear direction middle portion of each inner protrusion 148 and the circumferential direction middle portions of both front-rear direction side portions, and gaps 154 are formed between the columnar connecting portion 16 and each first non-contact portion 152 when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted.

[0081] In the female terminal 140 of embodiment 2 having the above-described structure, the only difference compared to embodiment 1 is the arrangement of the first contact portion 144, and therefore the same effects as embodiment 1 can be achieved.

[0082] 16 and 17 , a female terminal 160 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The basic structure of the female terminal 160 according to the third embodiment is similar to that of the female terminal 10 according to the first embodiment, but the configuration of each first contact portion 164 and each second contact portion 166 in the tubular connecting portion 162 differs from that according to the first embodiment. Note that the shapes of the ring member 30 attached to the female terminal fitting 168 and the housing 34 attached to the female terminal 160 are similar to those according to the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0083] <Cylindrical connecting portion 162> As in the first embodiment, the cylindrical connecting portion 162 is configured to include a first circumferential wall portion 60 and a second circumferential wall portion 64. The first circumferential wall portion 60 is divided in the circumferential direction into two first partition wall portions 68, 68 by a first slit 66 in the circumferential center portion, and the second circumferential wall portion 64 is divided in the circumferential direction into two second partition wall portions 88, 88 by a second slit 86 in the circumferential center portion.

[0084] 17 , an inner protrusion 170 that protrudes radially inward is provided at the longitudinal (front-rear) central portion of each first partition wall portion 68. In the third embodiment, the curvature of the inner circumferential surface 172 of each inner protrusion 170 is substantially constant in the circumferential direction, and the curvature of the inner circumferential surface 172 of each inner protrusion 170 is smaller (has a larger radius of curvature) than the curvature of the outer circumferential surface of each columnar connecting portion 16. As a result, the inner circumferential surface 172 of each inner protrusion 170 abuts against the outer circumferential surface of each columnar connecting portion 16 at a single point in the circumferential central portion, and as shown in FIG. 16 , each first contact portion 164 is defined by the circumferential central portion of the inner circumferential surface 172 of each inner protrusion 170. In other words, the first non-contact portion 174 is formed on the inner surface 172 of each inner protrusion 170 by a portion other than the circumferential central portion, and when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted, a gap 176 is formed between the outer surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 and each first non-contact portion 174.

[0085] The shape of each inner protrusion 170 provided on each second partition wall portion 88 is basically the same as in the first embodiment, and second contact portions 166 are provided on both front-rear direction sides of the inner peripheral surface 172 of each inner protrusion 170 of each second partition wall portion 88. Note that in the first embodiment, the protruding tip surface of each second contact portion 90 is substantially curved arc-shaped, and in the cross section shown in Fig. 5, each second contact portion 90 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 at a single point. However, in the third embodiment, the protruding tip surface of each second contact portion 166 is substantially flat, and in the cross section shown in Fig. 17, each second contact portion 166 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 in a region extending substantially straight. In the third embodiment, each second partition wall portion 88 is formed with a substantially constant curvature in the circumferential direction. As a result, when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted, each second contact portion 166 comes into contact with the columnar connecting portion 16 in a generally planar manner having a predetermined longitudinal dimension over substantially the entire circumferential length of each second partition wall portion 88. As in the first embodiment, a second non-contact portion 92 is provided in the middle portion of each inner protrusion 170 in the longitudinal direction, and when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted, each gap 94 is formed between each second non-contact portion 92 and the outer peripheral surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 over substantially the entire circumferential length of each second partition wall portion 88.

[0086] In the female terminal 160 of embodiment 3 having the above-described structure, the only difference compared to embodiment 1 is the shape of each first contact portion 164 and each second contact portion 166, and therefore the same effect as embodiment 1 can be achieved.

[0087] 18 and 19 , a female terminal 180 according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The basic structure of the female terminal 180 according to the fourth embodiment is similar to that of the female terminal 160 according to the third embodiment, but the configuration of each first contact portion 184 in the tubular connecting portion 182 differs from that according to the third embodiment. Note that the shapes of the ring member 30 attached to the female terminal fitting 186 and the housing 34 attached to the female terminal 180 are similar to those according to the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0088] <Cylindrical connecting portion 182> As in the third embodiment, the cylindrical connecting portion 182 includes a first circumferential wall portion 60 and a second circumferential wall portion 64, and the first circumferential wall portion 60 is circumferentially divided into two first divided wall portions 68, 68 by a first slit 66 in the circumferential center portion. Each first divided wall portion 68 is provided with an inward protrusion 188 that protrudes radially inward, and the radially inward protrusion dimension of each inward protrusion portion 188 differs in the front-to-rear direction, and the radially inward protrusion dimension of each inward protrusion portion 188 is larger at both front-to-rear direction portions than at the front-to-rear direction central portion.

[0089] Furthermore, the circumferential curvature of the inner peripheral surface 190 is substantially constant at both front-rear direction portions of each of the inner protrusions 188. The circumferential curvature of the inner peripheral surface 190 of each of the inner protrusions 188 is the same as in the third embodiment and is smaller (has a larger radius of curvature) than the curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the columnar connecting portion 16. As a result, the inner peripheral surface 190 at both front-rear direction portions of each of the inner protrusions 188 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 at one point in the circumferential center, and as shown in FIG. 18 , each of the first contact portions 184 is formed by the circumferential center portions of the inner peripheral surface 190 at both front-rear direction portions of each of the inner protrusions 188. In other words, the first non-contact portion 192 is formed by the portions other than the circumferential central portion on both front-to-rear sides of each inner protrusion 188 and the front-to-rear central portion, and when the columnar connecting portion 16 is inserted, a gap 194 is formed between the outer surface of the columnar connecting portion 16 and each first non-contact portion 192.

[0090] In the female terminal 180 of embodiment 4 having the above-described structure, the only difference compared to embodiment 3 is the arrangement of the first contact portion 184, and therefore the same effects as embodiment 1 can be achieved.

[0091] <Modifications> Although Embodiments 1 to 4 have been described above in detail as specific examples of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific descriptions. 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 embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0092] (1) In the above embodiment, the separation prevention protrusions 110 that prevent the spring member (ring member 30) from separating from the female terminal fitting 32 are provided at both widthwise (left-right) ends of the first base-end connecting portion 106 of the first wall portion 102 and at both widthwise (left-right) ends of the second base-end connecting portion 114 of the second wall portion 104, but are not limited to this. The separation prevention protrusions may be provided, for example, on at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and may be provided on one widthwise end of at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

[0093] (2) In the above embodiment, the first wall portion 102 is provided with the first window portion 112 as a window portion, and the second wall portion 104 is provided with the second window portion 118 as a window portion, but this is not limited to this embodiment, and the window portion may be provided in only one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion. Note that, in the female terminal according to the present disclosure, the window portion provided in the first wall portion or the second wall portion is not essential.

[0094] (3) In the above embodiment, the first flat plate fitting 58 and the second flat plate fitting 62 were formed from a single strip-shaped flat metal plate, but the present invention is not limited to this. The first flat plate fitting and the second flat plate fitting may be formed as separate bodies, and the first other end of the first flat plate fitting and the second other end of the second flat plate fitting may be fixed together by welding or the like.

[0095] (4) In the above embodiment, the spring member is configured as a metal ring member 30 with a notch cut out at one location (lower portion) in the circumferential direction. However, this is not limited to this. The spring member may be an annular member formed of an elastic material such as rubber. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the axial dimension (front-rear dimension) A of the ring member 30 is between 2 / 3 and 1.5 times the axial dimension B of the tubular connecting portion 18, 142, 162, 182, and each press-contact projection 126 projecting inward from the ring member 30 is pressed against the outer circumferential surface 28 of the tubular connecting portion 18, 142, 162, 182. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the spring member (e.g., ring member) may have an axial dimension less than 2 / 3 or more than 1.5 times the axial dimension of the tubular connecting portion. Alternatively, the spring member may be pressed against the tubular connecting portion along its entire axial length.

[0096] (5) In the first to fourth embodiments, the number and shapes of the first contact portions provided on the first peripheral wall portion and the second contact portions provided on the second peripheral wall portion were different. However, the number and shapes of the first contact portions and the second contact portions shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not limited to these. Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the first peripheral wall portion 60 and the second peripheral wall portion 64 were respectively divided into a pair of first dividing wall portions 68, 68 and a pair of second dividing wall portions 88, 88 by the first slits 66 and the second slits 86. However, this is not a limitation. The first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion do not necessarily have to have slits, and the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion do not necessarily have to be divided. Furthermore, even if slits are provided in the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion, the embodiment is not limited to a two-part division, and the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion may be divided into three or more dividing wall portions.

[0097] (6) In the above embodiment, the first circumferential wall portion 60 and the second circumferential wall portion 64 each have a bent portion 82 protruding radially outward at both circumferential ends at their rear ends, but the bent portion may be provided on only one of the first circumferential wall portion or the second circumferential wall portion, or even if the bent portion is provided on both the first circumferential wall portion or the second circumferential wall portion, the bent portion may be provided on only one of the circumferential ends. Similarly, in the above embodiment, the first circumferential wall portion 60 and the second circumferential wall portion 64 each have an approach restriction protrusion 84 protruding inward in the opposing direction at both circumferential ends at their front ends, but the approach restriction protrusion may be provided on only one of the first circumferential wall portion or the second circumferential wall portion, or even if the bent portion is provided on both the first circumferential wall portion or the second circumferential wall portion, the bent portion may be provided on only one of the circumferential ends.

[0098] (7) In the above embodiment, the first base-end connecting portion 106 in the first wall portion 102 and the second base-end connecting portion 114 in the second wall portion 104 extend perpendicularly from the first other end portion 96 and the second other end portion 98, respectively. However, this is not limited to this configuration, and the first wall portion including the first base-end connecting portion and the second wall portion including the second base-end connecting portion may be inclined forward as they extend outward in the vertical direction.

[0099] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Female terminal (first embodiment) 12 Female connector 14 Male terminal 16 Columnar connecting portion 18 Cylindrical connecting portion 20 Insulated electric wire (electric wire) 22 Core wire 24 Electric wire connecting portion 26 Linking portion 28 Outer circumferential surface 30 Ring member (spring member) 32 Female terminal fitting 34 Housing 36 Main body portion 38 Front opening 40 Rear opening 42 Front cover portion 44 Elastic piece 46 Gap 48 Locking protrusion 50 Positioning protrusion 51 Inner peripheral protrusion 52 Fixing portion 54 Bolt fastening hole 56 Resin cap 58 First flat plate fitting 60 First peripheral wall portion 62 Second flat plate fitting 64 Second peripheral wall portion 66 First slit 68 First dividing wall portion 70 Inner protrusion 72 Outer recess 74 Inner peripheral surface 76 First contact portion 78 First non-contact portion 80 Gap 82 Bent portion 83 Inclined surface 84 Approach restriction protrusion 85 Flat portion 86 Second slit 88 Second dividing wall portion 90 Second contact portion 92 Second non-contact portion 94 Gap 96 First other end portion 98 Second other end portion 100 Connecting portion 102 First wall portion 104 Second wall portion 106 First base end side coupling portion 108 First tip end side coupling portion 110 Separation prevention protrusion 112 First window portion (window portion) 114 Second base end side coupling portion 116 Second tip end side coupling portion 118 Second window portion (window portion) 119 Front opening portion 120 Notch 122 Fitting hole 124 Wall portion (on both the left and right sides of the rear end portion of the ring member) 125 Inner peripheral surface 126 Press-contact protrusion 128 Recess 130 Locking hole 132 Inner peripheral protrusion 134 Recess 136 Flat wall portion 138 Curved wall portion 140 Female terminal (Embodiment 2) 142 Cylindrical connecting portion 144 First contact portion 146 Female terminal fitting 148 Inner protrusion 150 Inner peripheral surface 152 First non-contact portion 154 Gap 160 Female terminal (Embodiment 3) 162 Cylindrical connecting portion 164 First contact portion 166 Second contact portion 168 Female terminal fitting 170 Inner protrusion 172 Inner peripheral surface 174 First non-contact portion 176 Gap 180 Female terminal (Embodiment 4) 182 Cylindrical connecting portion 184 First contact portion 186 Female terminal fitting 188 Inner protrusion 190 Inner circumferential surface 192 First non-contact portion 194 Gap

Claims

1. A connector comprising: a tubular connecting portion that is electrically connected to the columnar connecting portion of a male terminal; an electric wire connecting portion to which the core wire of an electric wire is connected; a connecting portion that connects the tubular connecting portion to the electric wire connecting portion; and a spring member attached to the outer circumferential surface of the tubular connecting portion, wherein the tubular connecting portion includes a first peripheral wall portion that is formed by bending one end of a band-shaped first flat plate fitting into an arc, and a second peripheral wall portion that is formed by bending one end of a band-shaped second flat plate fitting into an arc, and the wire connecting portion is formed by overlapping a first other end portion that is the other end of the first flat plate fitting and a second other end portion that is the other end of the second flat plate fitting, a first wall portion located between the first peripheral wall portion and the first other end portion of the first flat plate fitting and bent in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the first peripheral wall portion, and a second wall portion located between the second peripheral wall portion and the second other end portion of the second flat plate fitting and bent in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the second peripheral wall portion; the first other end portion of the first flat plate fitting and the second other end portion of the second flat plate fitting are overlapped with each other, and the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion are arranged facing each other, thereby forming the cylindrical connecting portion; the spring member urges the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion in directions in which they face each other, and at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion has a separation prevention protrusion that protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical connecting portion.

2. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the first wall portion has a first base-end connecting portion rising in the intersecting direction from the first other end portion, and a first tip-end connecting portion having a width smaller than that of the first base-end connecting portion, extending from a widthwise central portion of the first base-end connecting portion toward the first peripheral wall portion and connected to the circumferential central portion of the first peripheral wall portion, both widthwise end portions of the first base-end connecting portion protruding outward from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular connecting portion to form the pair of separation-preventing protrusions, and the second wall portion has a second base-end connecting portion rising in the intersecting direction from the second other end portion, and a second tip-end connecting portion having a width smaller than that of the second base-end connecting portion, extending from a widthwise central portion of the second base-end connecting portion toward the second peripheral wall portion and connected to the circumferential central portion of the second peripheral wall portion, both widthwise end portions of the second base-end connecting portion protruding outward from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular connecting portion to form the pair of separation-preventing protrusions.

3. A female terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion is formed with a window portion penetrating in the thickness direction of the plate.

4. A female terminal as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first flat plate fitting and the second flat plate fitting are constituted by a single band-shaped flat metal plate in which the first other end and the second other end are connected to each other via a connecting portion, the first peripheral wall portion of the first flat plate fitting and the second peripheral wall portion of the second flat plate fitting are respectively provided at both end portions of the metal plate, the connecting portion of the metal plate is bent in the plate thickness direction so that the first other end of the first flat plate fitting and the second other end of the second flat plate fitting are overlapped to form the electric wire connecting portion, and the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion provided at both end portions are arranged opposite each other to form the tubular connecting portion.

5. A female terminal as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the spring member includes a metal ring member with one circumferential notch cut out, and the inner peripheral surface of the ring member is attached by being pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the tubular connecting portion.

6. The female terminal according to claim 5, wherein the axial dimension of said ring member is between 2 / 3 and 1.5 times the axial dimension of said tubular connecting portion.

7. A female terminal as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a bent portion bent radially outward is provided at the circumferential end of at least one of the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion, and the bent portion is fitted into a fitting hole in the spring member.

8. A female terminal as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least one of the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion is provided with an approach restriction protrusion that protrudes toward the other, and when the spring member urges the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion in a direction in which they approach each other in opposing directions, the approach restriction protrusion abuts against the other.

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