Female terminal

Abstract

Disclosed is a female terminal that makes it possible, with a small number of components and a small number of assembly man-hours, to suppress or prevent disengagement of a contact-pressure-applying spring from a contact spring part.　A female terminal 10 comprises a body part 14, a contact-forming metal fitting 16, and a contact-pressure-applying spring 24 having a connection plate part 18, gripping plate parts 20, and an engaging part 22. The contact-forming metal fitting 16 has contact spring parts 50, each of which is held in a cantilever manner by front opposing walls 44, 46. The contact-pressure-applying spring 24 is assembled with protruding end parts of the contact spring parts 50. The contact-forming metal fitting 16 further includes elastic locking pieces 52 having engaged parts 54 for engaging with the engaging part 22. The elastic locking pieces 52 allow the contact-pressure-applying spring 24 to be assembled with the contact spring parts 50 upon the engaging part 22 of the contact-pressure-applying spring 24 abutting and elastically deforming, the engaging part 22 is engaged to the engaged parts 54 upon the contact-pressure-applying spring 24 being assembled with the contact spring parts 50 and elastically returning, and thus, disengagement of the contact-pressure-applying spring 24 from the contact spring parts 50 is prevented.

Description

Female terminal

[0001] This disclosure relates to a female terminal.

[0002] In Patent Document 1, there is disclosed a female terminal including a main body portion having a connection portion formed of a first metal plate and conductively connected to other members and a hollow cylindrical conductor portion, a contact forming fitting formed of a second metal plate thinner than the first metal plate and assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion so as to be conductive, and a contact pressure applying spring assembled to the contact spring portion of the contact forming fitting to apply contact pressure. Since the main body portion and the contact forming fitting are configured as separate parts, it is possible to secure the conduction capacitance in the main body portion having a large plate thickness dimension, and to ensure the followability to the male terminal by the contact spring portion of the contact forming fitting thinner than the main body portion, so that it is possible to cope with a large current while suppressing the increase in size of the female terminal. Moreover, since a contact pressure applying spring such as a clip spring for applying the contact pressure of the contact spring portion to the male terminal is assembled to the contact spring portion, a sufficiently large contact pressure can be secured even if the contact spring portion is formed of a thin second metal plate.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-105976

[0004] By the way, in the female terminal of Patent Document 1, for the purpose of preventing the separation of the contact pressure applying spring from the contact spring portion, a separate retainer is assembled to the cylindrical conductor portion of the main body portion, and the contact pressure applying spring abuts against the retainer, so that the separation of the contact pressure applying spring from the contact spring portion is prevented. However, in the female terminal of Patent Document 1, in addition to the main body portion, the contact forming fitting, and the contact pressure applying spring, it is necessary to prepare and assemble a separate retainer, so an increase in the number of parts and the number of assembly steps is inevitable.

[0005] Therefore, a female terminal is disclosed that can suppress or prevent the separation of the contact pressure applying spring from the contact spring portion with a small number of parts and assembly steps.

[0006] The female terminal of this disclosure comprises a main body made of a first metal plate, a contact forming fitting made of a second metal plate thinner than the first metal plate and electrically assembled to the main body, a contact pressure spring having a flat connecting plate portion, a pair of flat clamping plate portions projecting toward each other from both side edges of the connecting plate portion, and an engaging portion provided on the connecting plate portion, the main body portion is made up of a pair of opposing wall portions and has a male terminal insertion opening at one end, the contact forming fitting has a pair of front opposing walls each assembled to the inner surface of the pair of opposing wall portions on the male terminal insertion opening side, and a pair of contact spring portions each held in a cantilever-like manner by the pair of front opposing walls and projecting toward the other end of the main body, and arranged opposite each other with a male terminal insertion gap between them, a pair The contact pressure spring is assembled to the protruding end of the contact spring portion of the contact pressure spring in such a state that the protruding end of the pair of contact spring portions is sandwiched between the pair of clamping plates of the contact pressure spring in order to bias the pair of contact spring portions toward each other. The contact forming fitting further includes an elastic locking piece provided at a different location from the contact spring portion, the elastic locking piece having an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion, the elastic locking piece allowing the assembly of the contact pressure spring to the contact spring portion by elastically deforming when the engaging portion of the contact pressure spring comes into contact with the elastic locking piece, and when the contact pressure spring is assembled to the contact spring portion and elastically returns to its original position, the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion, preventing the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion.

[0007] The female terminal of this disclosure makes it possible to achieve both an increased contact area with the male terminal and the ability to follow the displacement of the male terminal.

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a female terminal according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a plan view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 2. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the female terminal shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the contact members constituting the female terminal shown in Figure 1 from the rear side. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the contact pressure spring constituting the female terminal shown in Figure 1 from the rear side. Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a male terminal is inserted into the female terminal shown in Figure 1 and the male terminal is displaced vertically from its normal position, and corresponds to Figure 3. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing a female terminal according to Embodiment 2 from the rear side. Figure 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a male terminal is inserted into the female terminal shown in Figure 8 and the male terminal is displaced vertically from its normal position, and corresponds to Figure 7.

[0009] <Description of Embodiments of the Disclosure> First, embodiments of the Disclosure will be listed and described. The female terminal of the Disclosure comprises: (1) a main body made of a first metal plate; a contact forming fitting made of a second metal plate having a thinner thickness than the first metal plate and electrically assembled to the main body; a flat connecting plate portion; a pair of flat clamping plate portions projecting from both side edges of the connecting plate portion toward each other; and a contact pressure spring having an engaging portion provided on the connecting plate portion. The main body is made up of a pair of opposing wall portions and has a male terminal insertion opening at one end. The contact forming fitting comprises: a pair of front opposing walls, each assembled to the inner surface of the pair of opposing wall portions on the male terminal insertion opening side; and a pair of contact spring portions, each held in a cantilever shape by the pair of front opposing walls and projecting toward the other end of the main body, and arranged opposite each other with a male terminal insertion gap between them. The protruding ends of the contact spring portions are assembled such that the protruding ends of the pair of contact spring portions are sandwiched between the pair of clamping plates of the contact pressure spring in order to bias the pair of contact spring portions toward each other. The contact forming fitting further includes an elastic locking piece provided at a location different from the contact spring portions, the elastic locking piece having an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion, the elastic locking piece allowing the assembly of the contact pressure spring to the contact spring portions by elastically deforming when the engaging portion of the contact pressure spring comes into contact with the elastic locking piece, and when the contact pressure spring is assembled to the contact spring portions and elastically returns to its original position, the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion, preventing the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portions.

[0010] According to this disclosure, a female terminal comprising a thick-walled main body and a thin-walled contact-forming fitting, wherein a contact pressure spring is assembled to a pair of contact spring portions of the contact-forming fitting, further comprising an elastic locking piece provided at a location different from the contact spring. When assembling the contact pressure spring to the contact spring portion, an engaging portion provided on the connecting plate portion of the contact pressure spring abuts against the elastic locking piece, causing the elastic locking piece to elastically deform, thereby allowing the contact pressure spring to be assembled to the contact spring portion. Furthermore, when the assembly of the contact pressure spring to the contact spring portion is completed, the elastic locking piece elastically returns to its original position, causing the engaging portion of the contact pressure spring to engage with the engaged portion of the contact pressure spring, thereby preventing the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion. As a result, a structure can be provided in which the engagement of the engaged portion of the elastic locking piece provided on the contact-forming fitting and the engaging portion provided on the contact pressure spring prevents the contact pressure spring from detaching from the contact spring portion. Therefore, compared to conventional structures in which a separate retainer was assembled to the main body, it is possible to provide a female terminal that can suppress or prevent the detachment of the contact pressure spring from the contact spring portion with fewer parts and assembly steps.

[0011] In particular, the elastic locking piece is provided in a location different from the contact spring portion, and the engaging portion that contacts the elastic locking piece and undergoes elastic deformation is provided on the connecting plate portion of the pressure-applying spring. As a result, it is not necessary to deform the pair of clamping plates of the pressure-applying spring that sandwich the contact spring portion in order to engage the engaging portion and the engaged portion. Therefore, the engagement structure between the engaging portion of the pressure-applying spring and the engaged portion of the elastic locking piece can be constructed without being affected by the magnitude of the contact pressure applied by the contact spring portion or the pressure-applying spring. As a result, for example, it becomes possible to increase the plate thickness of the pressure-applying spring to ensure a large amount of contact pressure applied to the contact spring portion by clamping between the pair of clamping plates, while also making it easier to assemble the engaging portion and the engaged portion.

[0012] Furthermore, as long as the detachment of the contact pressure spring from the contact spring portion can be prevented, the position and number of elastic locking pieces, as well as the specific shapes of the engaging portion and the engaged portion, can be arbitrarily set.

[0013] (2) In the above (1), the contact forming fitting comprises a pair of front side walls that connect both ends of the pair of front opposing walls, and a pair of flat elastic locking pieces that are cantilevered by the pair of front side walls and protrude toward the other end of the main body, with a pair of contact spring portions sandwiched between them and facing each other, with a through hole provided at the tip of each elastic locking piece that penetrates in the thickness direction and constitutes the engaged portion, and a convex engaging portion that can be inserted through the through hole is provided on the end face of the connecting plate portion of the contact pressure spring that faces each of the through holes, and it is preferable that the engaging portion is positioned in the through hole by penetrating the through hole when the contact pressure spring is assembled to the contact spring portion.

[0014] In the contact-forming fitting, by cleverly utilizing a pair of front side walls that connect the front opposing walls that hold a pair of contact spring portions in a cantilevered manner, a pair of elastic locking pieces, also held in a cantilevered manner, can be positioned opposite each other on both sides of the pair of contact spring portions. Furthermore, by making convex engaging portions protrude from both end faces of the connecting plate portion of the contact pressure-applying spring that faces each elastic locking piece, and by forming through holes in the opposing parts of each elastic locking piece, the engaged portion into which the engaging portion engages can be provided in a space-efficient manner. Moreover, since a retaining structure consisting of an engaging portion and an engaged portion can be constructed on both sides of the pair of contact spring portions and on both end faces of the connecting plate portion of the contact pressure-applying spring, the detachment of the contact pressure-applying spring from the contact spring portion can be prevented even more reliably.

[0015] (3) In (2) above, it is preferable that each of the through holes is elongated in the direction opposite to the pair of front opposing walls, and that movement of the engaging portion in the longitudinal direction of the through hole is permitted. Since the pair of through holes provided in the pair of elastic locking pieces are elongated in the direction opposite to the front opposing walls, and that movement of each engaging portion is permitted in the longitudinal direction of the through holes, when a male terminal inserted and clamped between a pair of contact spring portions is displaced in the longitudinal direction, the contact spring portion can follow the displacement of the male terminal while maintaining the state in which it is clamped between a pair of clamping plates of the contact pressure spring. This improves the conductivity stability of the female terminal.

[0016] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the main body portion is provided with an opening prevention portion that abuts against the elastic locking piece of the contact forming fitting and prevents the elastic deformation of the contact forming fitting. The elastic locking piece of the contact forming fitting only needs to be elastically deformed when the contact pressure spring is assembled to the contact spring portion, and in the actual use stage of the female terminal after the assembly of the contact pressure spring to the contact spring portion is completed and assembled to the main body portion, it is necessary to maintain an elastically returned state, that is, a state in which the engaging portion and the engaged portion are engaged. For this reason, by providing an opening prevention portion on the main body portion that prevents the elastic deformation of the contact forming fitting, unnecessary elastic deformation of the elastic locking piece can be prevented in a compact and small number of parts, the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion can be stabilized, and the detachment of the contact pressure spring from the contact spring portion can be stably prevented.

[0017] <Details of Embodiments of the Disclosure> Specific examples of the female terminals of the Disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the Disclosure is not limited to these examples and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims as indicated by the claims.

[0018] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. This female terminal 10 is provided, for example, in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and the male terminal 12 (shown as a dashed line in Figure 3 and see Figure 7), which is the mating terminal, is inserted into the female terminal 10 and makes contact with it, thereby creating an electrical connection between the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12. The location of the female terminal 10 is not limited, but for example, it is provided on the motor side component, and the male terminal 12 is provided on the battery side component, and the battery and motor are electrically connected by the electrical connection between the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12. The female terminal 10 can be positioned in any orientation, but in the following description, "up" refers to the upper part in Figure 3, "down" refers to the lower part in Figure 3, "front" refers to the left in Figure 2, "rear" refers to the right in Figure 2, "left" refers to the upper part in Figure 2, and "right" refers to the lower part in Figure 2. Furthermore, in the case of multiple identical components, reference numerals may be assigned to only some of the components, while the reference numerals are omitted for the others.

[0019] <Female Terminal 10> The female terminal 10 comprises a main body portion 14 made of a first metal plate and a contact forming fitting 16 made of a second metal plate that is thinner than the first metal plate and is assembled to the main body portion 14 so as to be electrically conductive. The female terminal 10 also comprises a clip spring 24 as a contact pressure applying spring, which has a flat connecting plate portion 18, a pair of flat clamping plate portions 20, 20 that protrude from both side edges of the connecting plate portion 18 in a direction approaching each other, and an engaging portion 22 provided on the connecting plate portion 18. Note that in Figure 1, for clarity, the internal structure of the contact forming fitting 16 is shown with a dashed line, but the clip spring 24 provided inside the contact forming fitting 16 is not shown.

[0020] <Male Terminal 12> The male terminal 12 of Embodiment 1 is a flat tab and has a rectangular cross-section that extends in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, for example. This male terminal 12 extends in the front-rear direction with the above rectangular cross-section, and the base portion (front portion) of the male terminal 12 is fixed to a component on the battery side, such as a busbar, by a bolt (not shown). Since the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 48 in the contact forming fitting 16, which will be described later, from front to rear, the direction from front to rear is the insertion direction of the male terminal 12.

[0021] <Main body portion 14> The main body portion 14 is composed of an upper wall portion 26 and a lower wall portion 28 as a pair of opposing wall portions, and has a male terminal insertion opening 30 that opens at one end (front end). The other end (rear end) is provided with a connecting portion 32 for connection to other members. The main body portion 14 is formed by press-forming a single metal plate (first metal plate) having a predetermined thickness, and in Embodiment 1, the first metal plate is a strip-shaped member having a substantially constant width dimension (left-right dimension). Thus, the upper wall portion 26 is formed by one end of the strip-shaped first metal plate, and the lower wall portion 28 is formed by the other end. The upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 are each substantially rectangular in shape when viewed from above, extend in the front-rear direction, and face each other at a predetermined distance apart in the vertical direction. The rear ends of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 are connected by a connecting portion 32 which is formed from the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped first metal plate. In other words, in Embodiment 1, the male terminal insertion opening 30 at the front end is formed by including the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28.

[0022] Furthermore, the connecting portion 32 extends in the vertical direction, and a central through-hole 34 is formed in the central part of the connecting portion 32, penetrating in the front-to-back direction. A nut 36 is fixed to this central through-hole 34, and the inner hole 38 of the nut 36 communicates with the central through-hole 34, penetrating the connecting portion 32 in the front-to-back direction. By fastening a bolt (not shown) to this nut 36, a component such as a busbar on the motor side is bolted to the connecting portion 32 from the rear. In Embodiment 1, the connecting portion 32 extends outward in the vertical direction beyond the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28, and both the upper and lower ends of the connecting portion 32 are connected to the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 via inclined portions 40, 40, respectively. Each of these inclined portions 40 gradually inclines inward in the vertical direction as it moves forward. By providing such inclined portions 40, the vertical dimension of the connecting portion 32 can be made relatively large, and the nut 36 can be stably attached to the connecting portion 32.

[0023] Furthermore, at the rear ends of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 (the connection portions with each inclined portion 40), anti-opening portions 42 are provided at both the left and right ends, projecting inward in the vertical direction. Each of these anti-opening portions 42 has a predetermined projection dimension inward in the vertical direction. Each anti-opening portion 42 then abuts against each elastic locking piece 52 of the contact forming fitting 16, as will be described later, to prevent elastic deformation of the contact forming fitting 16.

[0024] The material of the first metal plate constituting the main body 14, which has this shape, is preferably a metal with excellent conductivity, for example, pure copper is used.

[0025] In Embodiment 1, as will be described later, the inner surfaces 26a and 28a of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 that constitute the male terminal insertion opening 30 form a joint to which each joint portion 64 of the contact forming fitting 16, which will be described later, is welded.

[0026] <Contact Forming Fitting 16> As shown in Figure 5 and other figures, the contact forming fitting 16 has an upper wall portion 44 and a lower wall portion 46 as a pair of forward opposing walls that are assembled to the inner surfaces 26a and 28a of the upper wall portion 26 and lower wall portion 28 of the main body portion 14, respectively. The contact forming fitting 16 also has a pair of contact spring portions 50, 50 that are cantilevered and held by the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46, respectively, and protrude toward the other end (rear end) of the main body portion 14, and are arranged opposite each other with a male terminal insertion gap 48 in between. The contact forming fitting 16 further includes an elastic locking piece 52 provided in a different location from each contact spring portion 50, and this elastic locking piece 52 has an engaged portion 54 that engages with the engaging portion 22 provided on the clip spring 24 mentioned above.

[0027] More specifically, the contact-forming fitting 16 has a left side wall portion 56 and a right side wall portion 58, which serve as a pair of front side walls connecting the upper side wall portion 44 and the lower side wall portion 46, respectively. The elastic locking pieces 52 are held in a cantilevered manner from these left side wall portions 56 and right side wall portions 58 and protrude toward the other end (rear end) of the main body portion 14, and are arranged facing each other in the left-right direction with the contact spring portions 50 in between. That is, the contact-forming fitting 16 is provided with a pair of elastic locking pieces 52, 52, each formed in a substantially flat plate shape. The tip portion (rear end) of each elastic locking piece 52 is provided with a through hole 60 that penetrates in the plate thickness direction (left-right direction) and constitutes the engaged portion 54.

[0028] In Embodiment 1, a crank-shaped bent portion 61 is formed in the middle of each elastic locking piece 52 in the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction). The distance between each elastic locking piece 52, 52 in the left-to-right direction is smaller in the portion behind the bent portion 61 than in the distance between each elastic locking piece 52, 52 in the left-to-right direction in the portion in front of the bent portion 61. These bent portions 61 extend along the entire length of each elastic locking piece 52 in the vertical direction, and the elastic deformation of each elastic locking piece 52 in the left-to-right direction is facilitated at the bends provided in each bent portion 61. As a result, the portion of each elastic locking piece 52 behind each bent portion 61 is designated as a deformable portion 62 that is relatively easy to deform. The above-mentioned through holes 60 are formed in each deformable portion 62 on the tip side of each elastic locking piece 52 beyond each bent portion 61.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3 and other figures, each of these through-holes 60 is substantially rectangular in a left-right view, and in Embodiment 1, each through-hole 60 is elongated in the vertical direction, which is the direction opposite to the pair of front opposing walls (upper wall portion 44 and lower wall portion 46). In short, each through-hole 60 has predetermined front-rear and vertical dimensions, but the vertical dimension is larger than the front-rear dimension. As will be described later, each engaging portion 22 of the aforementioned clip spring 24 engages within each of these through-holes 60, and each engaging portion 22 is allowed to move in the front-rear and vertical directions within each through-hole 60.

[0030] In short, the front end portion of the contact-forming fitting 16 has a retaining plate portion 63 that is roughly rectangular in shape, surrounded by an upper wall portion 44, a lower wall portion 46, a left wall portion 56, and a right wall portion 58. From the left wall portion 56 and the right wall portion 58, which are roughly rectangular in shape and form the left and right walls of the retaining plate portion 63, each elastic locking piece 52, which is roughly flat in shape, protrudes toward the rear. Each of these elastic locking pieces 52 extends to the rear end portion of the contact-forming fitting 16. In other words, the contact-forming fitting 16 has a pair of wall portions that face each other at a predetermined distance apart in the left-right direction, and the retaining plate portion 63 is roughly rectangular in shape including the front end portions of this pair of wall portions, and each elastic locking piece 52 is formed by the rear portions of the pair of wall portions.

[0031] The retaining plate portion 63 of the contact forming fitting 16 is superimposed on and fixed to the male terminal insertion opening 30 of the main body portion 14. That is, the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46 of the retaining plate portion 63 are superimposed on the front portions of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 of the main body portion 14, respectively. In Embodiment 1, the contact forming fitting 16 and the main body portion 14 are fixed by welding. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the inner surface 26a of the upper wall portion 26 and the upper wall portion 44, which are superimposed on each other, are fixed by welding, and the inner surface 28a of the lower wall portion 28 and the lower wall portion 46, which are superimposed on each other, are fixed by welding. Therefore, the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46 of the contact forming fitting 16 have a joint portion 64 (shown by a dashed line in Figures 1 and 2, etc.) to which they are welded to the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28, respectively. While known welding methods can be used for each of these joints 64, in Embodiment 1, welding is performed by laser welding. Note that the width dimension (front-to-back dimension) and length dimension (left-to-right dimension) of each joint 64 are not limited to the illustrated configuration.

[0032] Furthermore, the front ends of the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46 are each provided with positioning protrusions 66 that project outward in the vertical direction. By providing such positioning protrusions 66, when the assembly of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 is inserted into the main body portion 14 from the front, as will be described later, the positioning protrusions 66 can be brought into contact with the front ends of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28, thereby defining the insertion end of the assembly into the main body portion 14.

[0033] Furthermore, slits 68 extending in the front-rear direction are provided in the front portions of the left wall portion 56 and the right wall portion 58. In Embodiment 1, multiple slits 68 extending in the front-rear direction may be provided in the lower portions of the left wall portion 56 and the right wall portion 58. This allows the lower wall portion 46 to be displaced to some extent in the vertical direction relative to the left wall portion 56 and the right wall portion 58, and when welding the contact forming fitting 16 to the main body portion 14, the lower wall portion 46 can be brought into close contact with the front end portion of the inner surface 28a of the lower wall portion 28 with virtually no gap.

[0034] <Contact Springs 50> As described above, the contact springs 50 are provided on both the upper and lower sides of the contact forming fitting 16, and each contact spring 50 protrudes in a cantilevered manner toward the rear from the rear end surface of the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46 of the retaining plate portion 63. That is, the contact forming fitting 16 includes a contact spring 50 arranged on the upper wall portion 26 side of the main body portion 14 and a contact spring 50 arranged on the lower wall portion 28 side. In particular, in Embodiment 1, a spring portion side slit 70 extending in the front-rear direction is provided in the center of each contact spring 50 in the left-right direction, and each contact spring 50 on both the upper and lower sides is divided into left and right sides by each spring portion side slit 70. In short, a pair of contact springs 50, 50 are arranged in parallel in the width direction (left-right direction) of the contact spring 50 with the spring portion side slit 70 in between, and each of these contact springs 50 arranged in parallel in the left-right direction is provided on both the upper and lower sides. As a result, the contact forming fitting 16 of Embodiment 1 is provided with a total of four contact spring portions 50. Each spring portion side slit 70 extends along the entire length (front-rear direction) of each contact spring portion 50 and is formed spanning from the protruding end (rear end) of each contact spring portion 50 to the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46. Each contact spring portion 50 is the same shape as the others, and each contact spring portion 50 gradually inclines in the vertical direction as it moves towards the rear.

[0035] Furthermore, a bent portion 72 is provided in the middle of each of these contact spring portions 50 in the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction), and the inclination angle with respect to the front-to-back direction is different at the base end portion 74, which is on the base end side (front end side) that protrudes from the bent portion 72, and at the tip portion 76, which is on the tip side (rear end side) that protrudes from the bent portion 72. In Embodiment 1, in the standalone state of the contact forming fitting 16 before the clip spring 24 is assembled, the base end portion 74 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the front-to-back direction and extends rearward, while the tip portion 76 extends substantially parallel to the front-to-back direction.

[0036] Here, in each contact spring portion 50, the width dimension of the tip portion 76 is larger than the width dimension of the base portion 74. In Embodiment 1, the base portion 74 of each contact spring portion 50 is made smaller in width than the tip portion 76 by cutting off the side edge (outward side in the left-right direction) that is separated from adjacent contact spring portions 50, 50 in the left-right direction. In short, the tip portion 76 is made wider in width so as to spread outward in the left-right direction compared to the narrow base portion 74. Also, in Embodiment 1, the length dimension of the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50 is greater than or equal to the length dimension of the base portion 74. As a result, in Embodiment 1, the rear end of each contact spring portion 50 is provided with a tip portion 76 that is larger in width and length compared to the base portion 74, and each tip portion 76 is formed over a relatively wide area.

[0037] Furthermore, each tip portion 76, which is formed over a relatively wide area, has an embossed portion 78 that protrudes inward in the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, each embossed portion 78 is formed in the central part of each tip portion 76 in a plan view (projection in the vertical direction) and has a relatively large length dimension (front-to-back dimension) and width dimension (left-to-right dimension).

[0038] As described above, an embossed portion 78 is formed at each tip portion 76, so that the vertical inner surface of each embossed portion 78 is located vertically inward from the vertical inner surface of each tip portion 76, and the vertically inward protruding end face of each embossed portion 78 forms a contact 80 that contacts the male terminal 12 when the male terminal 12 is inserted. The contacts 80 on both the upper and lower sides (i.e., the contact spring portion 50 on the upper wall portion 26 side and the contact spring portion 50 on the lower wall portion 28 side) face each other with a predetermined gap in the vertical direction, and the vertical gap at each of these contacts 80 forms the aforementioned male terminal insertion gap 48. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, as described above, the contact forming fitting 16 is formed by press-forming a single metal plate (second metal plate), and recesses 82 are formed on the vertical outer surface of each contact spring portion 50 at positions corresponding to each embossed portion 78.

[0039] Before insertion of the male terminal 12, the opposing distance A (see Figure 3) between each contact 80 on both the upper and lower sides is smaller than the thickness dimension (vertical dimension) B (see Figure 3) of the male terminal 12. As a result, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 48 in the female terminal 10, both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 come into contact with each contact 80 on both the upper and lower sides, pushing each contact 80 (each contact spring portion 50) outward in the vertical direction. As a result, the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 in a press-fit state. In Embodiment 1, as will be described later, along with each contact 80, each clamping plate portion 20 (especially each bent portion 88) of the clip spring 24 located outward in the vertical direction of each tip portion 76 is pushed outward in the vertical direction. As a result, the elastic restoring force of each clamping plate portion 20 biases each contact spring portion 50 toward each other, and each contact 80 on each contact spring portion 50 is pressed against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12.

[0040] Furthermore, at the protruding ends (rear ends) of each tip portion 76, an engaging projection 84 is formed at the end that protrudes outward in the vertical direction in the left-right direction. Each engaging projection 84 has a predetermined protruding dimension and is formed to be relatively small in the front-rear direction. When the clip spring 24 is attached to the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50, each of these engaging projections 84 abuts against each clamping plate portion 20 of the clip spring 24 from the left-right outward direction, thereby suppressing the left-right displacement of the clip spring 24 relative to each contact spring portion 50.

[0041] The material of the second metal plate constituting the contact-forming fitting 16, which has this shape, is preferably a metal with excellent conductivity, such as a copper alloy.

[0042] <Pressure - applying spring (clip spring 24)> At the protruding end portions (tip end portions 76) of each of the contact spring portions 50 described above, when the male terminal 12 is inserted, the aforementioned clip spring 24 as a pressure - applying spring is assembled to urge each of the contact spring portions 50 in a direction of approaching each other in the vertical direction. This clip spring 24 is mounted such that the tip end portions 76 of each of the contact spring portions 50 are disposed between a pair of clamping plate portions 20, 20. When the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 as described above, the tip end portions 76, 76 on the upper and lower sides are urged in a direction of approaching each other.

[0043] The connecting plate portion 18 and each clamping plate portion 20 constituting the clip spring 24 are each in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. The clip spring 24 in Embodiment 1 can also be formed, for example, by performing press work on a single metal flat plate. Also, in Embodiment 1, each of the clamping plate portions 20 on the upper and lower sides is divided into left and right sides by a clip - side slit 86 that penetrates through the central portion in the width direction (left - right direction) in the plate - thickness direction and extends in the length direction (front - rear direction). As a result, a total of four clamping plate portions 20 are formed in the clip spring 24 of Embodiment 1. In particular, in Embodiment 1, each of the clip - side slits 86 on the upper and lower sides extends rearward from the protruding end portion (front end portion) of each clamping plate portion 20 and is formed over the entire length in the length direction of each clamping plate portion 20, reaching the connecting plate portion 18.

[0044] Note that the left - right dimension of each clamping plate portion 20 is made larger than the left - right dimension of each recess 82 provided on the outer surface in the vertical direction of each contact spring portion 50. Also, a bent portion 88 is provided in the middle portion in the length direction of each clamping plate portion 20. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the clip spring 24 is mounted on the tip end portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50 and the bent portion 88 in each clamping plate portion 20 abuts on the formation position of each recess 82 in each contact spring portion 50, both end portions in the left - right direction of each clamping plate portion 20 abut on portions outside the left - right direction of each recess 82 in each contact spring portion 50.

[0045] Furthermore, since a bent portion 88 is provided in the middle of the length of each clamping plate portion 20, the front end portion of each clamping plate portion 20, including each protruding end, extends outward in the vertical direction from the bent portion 88. Therefore, the distance between the opposing clamping plate portions 20 in the vertical direction is minimized at the bent portion 88 provided in the middle of the length. The gap between these opposing bent portions 88 in the vertical direction is the insertion opening 90 for inserting and assembling the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50. That is, when the clip spring 24 is attached to the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50, the connecting plate portion 18 of the clip spring 24 is positioned opposite to each tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50 in the front-rear direction, and each clamping plate portion 20 of the clip spring 24 protrudes from the connecting plate portion 18 in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of each contact spring portion 50. The direction opposite to the protruding direction of each of the above-mentioned contact spring portions 50 (the direction from rear to front) is the mounting direction for the clip spring 24.

[0046] In Embodiment 1, in the clip spring 24 in its individual state before assembly, the vertical dimension of the insertion opening 90 is equal to or slightly larger than the distance between the vertical outer surfaces of the tip portions 76 of the contact spring portions 50 on both the upper and lower sides. As a result, when the clip spring 24 is attached to the tip portions 76 of each contact spring portion 50, the bent portions 88 of each clamping plate portion 20 are in zero contact with the vertical outer surface of each tip portion 76 or separated by a small gap. Consequently, when the clip spring 24 is attached, there is no vertical deformation of each tip portion 76 or each clamping plate portion 20, and the opposing distance A between each contact 80 in the initial state is maintained even when the clip spring 24 is attached to each tip portion 76.

[0047] Furthermore, each clamping plate portion 20 has a positioning projection 92 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction at its rear end. These positioning projections 92 contact the tip portions 76 of each contact spring portion 50 (described later) when assembling the clip spring 24 to them, thereby limiting the further forward displacement of the clip spring 24.

[0048] Further, as described above, the connecting plate portion 18 is provided with engaging portions 22. In the first embodiment, a pair of engaging portions 22, 22 protruding outward in the left - right direction are provided at both the left and right ends in the vertical - direction central portion of the connecting plate portion 18. The front - rear dimension and the vertical dimension of each engaging portion 22 are made smaller than the front - rear dimension and the vertical dimension of each of the above - mentioned through - holes 60, respectively. That is, when the clip spring 24 is assembled to the tip end portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50, the left and right end faces of the connecting plate portion 18 are opposed to the through - holes 60 that constitute each engaged portion 54 in the left - right direction, and convex engaging portions 22 through which the through - holes 60 can be inserted are provided protruding from both the left and right end faces of the connecting plate portion 18.

[0049] Here, the width - direction (left - right direction) dimension of the clip spring 24 is substantially constant in the front - rear direction, but is slightly larger than other portions at the formation positions of the positioning protrusions 92, and is even larger at the formation positions of the engaging portions 22. The left - right direction dimension W1 (see FIG. 2) at the formation position of the positioning protrusions 92 in the clip spring 24 is made smaller than the left - right direction opposing dimension W2 (see FIG. 2) at the rear end portions of the elastic locking pieces 52 (the formation positions of the through - holes 60). Also, the left - right direction dimension W3 (see FIG. 2) at the formation position of the engaging portions 22 in the clip spring 24 is made larger than the left - right direction opposing dimension W2 at the rear end portions of the above - mentioned elastic locking pieces 52.

[0050] When assembling the clip spring 24, which has been shaped in this manner, to the tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50, the tip portion 76 and the clip spring 24 are positioned facing each other in the front-rear direction. Then, by moving the clip spring 24 forward relative to each tip portion 76, the left-right opposing dimension W2 of the rear end of each elastic locking piece 52 is greater than the left-right dimension W1 of the formation position of each positioning projection 92 on the clip spring 24, and smaller than the left-right dimension W3 of the formation position of each engaging portion 22. As a result, the clip spring 24 is displaced forward until each engaging portion 22 contacts the rear end surface of each elastic locking piece 52. By further displacing the clip spring 24 forward from this state in which each engaging portion 22 and the rear end surface of each elastic locking piece 52 are in contact, each elastic locking piece 52 is pushed outward in the left-right direction by each engaging portion 22, allowing further forward displacement of the clip spring 24. Then, by further displacing the clip spring 24 forward, each engaging portion 22 overcomes the rear wall of each through hole 60, causing each elastic locking piece 52 to elastically return to its original shape and deform, so that each engaging portion 22 enters and engages within each through hole 60 (each engaging portion 22 penetrates each through hole 60 and is positioned within each through hole 60). This prevents the clip spring 24 from detaching from each tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50.

[0051] In this state, with the clip springs 24 assembled to each tip portion 76, as described above, the bent portions 88 of each clamping plate portion 20 are either zero-touch or slightly separated from the vertical outer surfaces of each tip portion 76, and the upper and lower tip portions 76 extend almost straight toward the rear with a separation distance A between each contact point 80. The forward displacement of the clip springs 24 is limited by the positioning projections 92 contacting each engaging projection 84 provided on each tip portion 76, or by each engaging portion 22 contacting the front wall of each through hole 60. Furthermore, as described above, each engaging portion 22 is formed to be smaller than each through hole 60, and displacement in the front-rear direction and / or vertical direction of each engaging portion 22 within each through hole 60 is possible with the elastic deformation of each contact spring portion 50.

[0052] <Assembly Method of Female Terminal 10> The following describes a specific example of how to assemble the female terminal 10. However, the assembly method of the female terminal 10 is not limited to the description below.

[0053] First, the first metal plate is press-formed to create the main body portion 14 in the shape described above. A nut 36 is fixed to the connecting portion 32 at any time. Similarly, the second metal plate is press-formed to create the contact-forming fitting 16 in the shape described above. Furthermore, the metal sheet is press-formed to create the clip spring 24 described above. This prepares the main body portion 14, the contact-forming fitting 16, and the clip spring 24, respectively. Then, as shown in Figure 4, the contact-forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 are positioned facing each other in the front-rear direction, and the clip spring 24 is brought forward relative to the contact-forming fitting 16. As a result, each engaging portion 22 of the clip spring 24 comes into contact with the rear end of each elastic locking piece 52 of the contact-forming fitting 16, causing the rear end portions of each elastic locking piece 52 to elastically deform outward in the left-right direction. As a result, further forward displacement of the clip spring 24 is permitted, and each engaging portion 22 overcomes the rear wall portion of each through hole 60, causing each elastic locking piece 52 to elastically return to its original shape and engage with each engaging portion 22 by entering into each through hole 60. Furthermore, by bringing the clip spring 24 closer to the contact forming fitting 16 in this way, each tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50 is inserted into each insertion opening 90 of the clip spring 24, and each tip portion 76 is positioned to be sandwiched between each bent portion 88 of each clamping plate portion 20. In this way, the assembly of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 is formed.

[0054] Next, the assembly of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 is inserted through the male terminal insertion opening 30 in the main body 14, and the retaining plate portion 63 of the contact forming fitting 16 is fitted into the male terminal insertion opening 30 in the main body 14. Note that insertion of the contact forming fitting 16 into the main body 14 from the front is restricted because the positioning protrusions 66 that protrude outward in the vertical direction from the upper wall portion 44 and the lower wall portion 46 abut against the front ends of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28. With the retaining plate portion 63 of the contact forming fitting 16 fitted into the male terminal insertion opening 30 in the main body 14, the upper wall portion 44 of the retaining plate portion 63 is laser-welded to the inner surface 26a of the upper wall portion 26. Similarly, the lower wall portion 46 of the retaining plate portion 63 is laser-welded to the inner surface 28a of the lower wall portion 28. This fixes the assembly of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 to the main body 14, completing the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1.

[0055] In the completed state of the female terminal 10, the opening prevention parts 42 provided at the rear ends of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28 of the main body portion 14 cover both the vertical and horizontal ends of the easily deformable portion 62, which is the rear end of each elastic locking piece 52, from the left and right outwards. As a result, the opening prevention parts 42 prevent each easily deformable portion 62 from deforming outwards in the left and right directions, and the engagement between each engaging portion 22 and each through hole 60 in each easily deformable portion 62 is prevented from being released.

[0056] <Connection between female terminal 10 and male terminal 12> As shown by the dashed line in Figure 3, the male terminal 12 is inserted from the front into the female terminal 10 manufactured as described above. Each contact 80 provided on each contact spring portion 50 of the contact forming fitting 16 comes into contact with both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, causing each contact spring portion 50 and each clamping plate portion 20 of the clip spring 24 to be elastically deformed so as to be pushed outward in the vertical direction. Due to the elastic restoring deformation accompanying these elastic deformations, each contact 80 is pressed against and makes contact with both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12. As a result, the female terminal 10 and the male terminal 12 are electrically connected. Note that when the male terminal 12 is inserted from the state shown in Figure 4, each clamping plate portion 20 (especially each bent portion 88) may be elastically deformed so as to be pushed outward, and the clip spring 24 may be displaced backward relative to each tip portion 76 of each contact spring portion 50. The rearward displacement of the clip spring 24 can be limited by the engagement portion 22, which is inserted into each through hole 60, contacting the rear wall of each through hole 60.

[0057] Furthermore, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, as shown in Figure 8, even if the male terminal 12 is displaced downward from its normal position (for example, the vertical center of the female terminal 10), each engaging portion 22 of the clip spring 24 can be displaced within each through hole 60. As a result, each contact spring portion 50 deforms along with the displacement of the male terminal 12, and the clip spring 24 can also be displaced. Even in this state, each bent portion 88 of each clamping plate portion 20 biases each tip portion 76 inward in the vertical direction, pressing each contact 80 against both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, thereby stably maintaining the electrical connection between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10. In other words, since each engaging portion 22 of the clip spring 24 can only be displaced within each through hole 60, once each engaging portion 22 contacts the inner circumferential surface of each through hole 60, further displacement is impossible. This can be considered a displacement suppression mechanism for the male terminal 12 that suppresses excessive displacement of the male terminal 12.

[0058] With the female terminal 10 having the structure described above, the contact forming fitting 16 and clip spring 24, which are assembled together, are provided with each engaged portion 54 (each through hole 60) and each engaging portion 22, so that the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 are assembled by their engagement. This prevents the clip spring 24 from falling off the contact forming fitting 16, and avoids the need to use a separate member to prevent the clip spring 24 from falling off. In particular, the mutually engaging through holes 60 and engaging portions 22 are located away from the tip portions 76 and bent portions 88 that apply contact pressure to the male terminal 12. For example, even if the contact spring portion 50 and clamping plate portion 20 are made thicker to handle high current or to obtain greater contact pressure, the engaging portions 22 can be engaged with the through holes 60 without any problems, and the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 can be assembled stably. In short, it is possible to provide a female terminal 10 that can handle high currents by further improving conductivity.

[0059] Each of the engagement portions 54 (each through hole 60) described above is provided on both the left and right sides of the contact forming fitting 16, and each engagement portion 22 also protrudes from the connecting plate portion 18 on both the left and right sides. Thus, engagement between each of the through holes 60 and each engagement portion 22 can be achieved on both the left and right sides of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24. As a result, the clip spring 24 can be assembled to the contact forming fitting 16 without tilting, and the effect of preventing the clip spring 24 from falling off can be more reliably achieved.

[0060] Each through-hole 60 is roughly rectangular in shape, with its vertical dimension being larger than its front-to-back dimension when viewed from the left to right, and each engaging portion 22 is movable within each through-hole 60. As a result, even if the male terminal 12 is displaced vertically after insertion, each contact spring portion 50 deforms in accordance with the male terminal 12, and the clip spring 24 can also displace in accordance, thereby stably maintaining the electrical connection between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10.

[0061] The main body portion 14 is equipped with opening prevention portions 42 that abut against the elastic locking pieces 52 (especially the easily deformable portions 62) of the contact forming fitting 16, thereby preventing the elastic deformation of each easily deformable portion 62. Each opening prevention portion 42 covers the left-right outward portion of each easily deformable portion 62, and by suppressing the left-right outward deformation of each easily deformable portion 62 that would cause each engaging portion 22 to disengage from each through hole 60, the detachment of the clip spring 24 can be more reliably prevented.

[0062] <Embodiment 2> Hereinafter, the female terminal 100 of Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. The female terminal 100 of Embodiment 2 has a different shape for the main body portion 102 than that of Embodiment 1, and employs contact forming fittings 16 and clip springs 24 that have the same shape as those of Embodiment 1. Therefore, the basic structure of the female terminal 100 of Embodiment 2 is the same as that of Embodiment 1, and parts that are substantially the same as those of Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals in the figures, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0063] Specifically, in Embodiment 1, the first metal plate was a strip-shaped member, and the male terminal insertion opening 30 was composed of an upper wall portion 26 and a lower wall portion 28. In Embodiment 2, however, the male terminal insertion opening 30 is substantially rectangular in shape, and in addition to the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28, it includes a left wall portion 104 and a right wall portion 106. That is, in Embodiment 2, a substantially rectangular cylindrical portion is formed in the front part of the main body portion 102. In the portion behind these left wall portion 104 and right wall portion 106, an opening prevention portion 42 is provided that protrudes inward in the vertical direction from both the left and right sides of the upper wall portion 26 and the lower wall portion 28. In Embodiment 2, the lower wall portion 28 extends further back than the upper wall portion 26, the left wall portion 104 and the right wall portion 106, and the rear portion of the lower wall portion 28 constitutes a connection portion 108 to which a busbar, for example, which is a motor-side component, is connected.

[0064] Even with the main body portion 102 having this shape, the female terminal 100 of Embodiment 2 is constructed by inserting the assembly of the contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 24 into the roughly rectangular cylindrical portion at the front through the male terminal insertion opening 30 and fixing it, for example, by laser welding.

[0065] Since the female terminal 100 of Embodiment 2 differs from that of Embodiment 1 only in the shape of the main body portion 102, it can achieve the same effects as Embodiment 1. That is, as shown in Figure 9, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 100, even when the male terminal 12 is displaced downward, each contact spring portion 50 elastically deforms in accordance with the male terminal 12, and the clip spring 24 can also be displaced, thereby stably maintaining the electrical connection between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10.

[0066] <Modifications> Although Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 have been described in detail above as specific examples of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited by these specific descriptions. Modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that they can achieve the objectives of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0067] (1) Each elastic locking piece may be provided with a guide contact portion on its protruding end face (the rear end face of each easily deformable portion) that guides elastic deformation in a direction separating each elastic locking piece when the engaging portion of a contact pressure spring (for example, a clip spring 24) comes into contact with it. Such a guide contact portion may be formed, for example, by a C-shaped or R-shaped chamfered portion provided on the left-right inward side of the protruding end face of each elastic locking piece.

[0068] (2) In the above embodiment, each through hole 60 constituting each engaged portion 54 was made larger than each engaged portion 22 so that each engaged portion 22 could be displaced within each through hole 60, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, each through hole constituting each engaged portion may be approximately the same size as each engaged portion, and when each engaged portion and each engaged portion engage and a contact pressure spring (for example, a clip spring 24) is assembled to the contact forming member, the contact pressure spring may be made substantially immobile.

[0069] (3) In the above embodiment, the opening dimension of the insertion opening 90 (the vertical opposing distance between each bent portion 88) of the clip spring 24 before assembly was made the same as or slightly larger than the vertical separation distance between the vertical outer surfaces of the tip portions 76 of the upper and lower contact spring portions 50, so that when the clip spring 24 is assembled to the contact forming fitting 16, the tip portions 76 of each contact spring portion 50 are not subjected to a biasing force by each clamping plate portion 20. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. That is, when the clip spring is attached to the tip portion of each contact spring portion, the clamping plate portion of the clip spring may be deformed so as to be pushed outward in the vertical direction by each tip portion, and the elastic restoring force accompanying this elastic deformation may bias each tip portion toward each other.

[0070] (4) In the above embodiment, the contact forming fitting 16 was fixed to the main body 14, 102 by welding, but the invention is not limited to this embodiment, and known fixing methods such as bolt fixing or locking by grooves and protrusions can be used.

[0071] 10 Female terminal (Embodiment 1) 12 Male terminal 14 Main body 16 Contact forming fitting 18 Connecting plate 20 Clamping plate 22 Engaging part 24 Clip spring (contact pressure spring) 26 Upper wall (opposing wall) 26a Inner surface (upper wall) 28 Lower wall (opposing wall) 28a Inner surface (lower wall) 30 Male terminal insertion opening 32 Connection part 34 Central through hole 36 Nut 38 Inner hole 40 Inclined part 42 Opening prevention part 44 Upper side wall (front opposing wall) 46 Lower side wall (front opposing wall) 48 Male terminal insertion gap 50 Contact spring part 52 Elastic locking piece 54 Engaged part 56 Left side wall (front side wall) 58 Right side wall (front side wall) 60 Through hole 61 62 Folding portion 63 Easily deformable portion 64 Holding plate portion 64 Joint portion 66 Positioning projection 68 Slit 70 Spring portion side slit 72 Bending portion 74 Base end portion 76 Tip portion 78 Embossed portion 80 Contact point 82 Recess 84 Engaging projection 86 Clip side slit 88 Bending portion 90 Insertion opening 92 Positioning projection 100 Female terminal (Embodiment 2) 102 Main body portion 104 Left wall portion 106 Right wall portion 108 Connection portion

Claims

1. A contact forming fitting comprising: a main body made of a first metal plate; a contact forming fitting made of a second metal plate thinner than the first metal plate and electrically connected to the main body; a contact pressure spring having a flat connecting plate portion; a pair of flat clamping plate portions projecting toward each other from both side edges of the connecting plate portion; and an engaging portion provided on the connecting plate portion; the main body is made up of a pair of opposing wall portions and has a male terminal insertion opening at one end; the contact forming fitting comprises: a pair of front opposing walls each assembled to the inner surface of the pair of opposing wall portions on the male terminal insertion opening side; and a pair of contact spring portions each held in a cantilever-like manner by the pair of front opposing walls and projecting toward the other end of the main body, and arranged opposite each other with a male terminal insertion gap between them; Female terminal, wherein the protruding ends of a pair of contact spring portions are assembled to the pair of contact spring portions such that the protruding ends of the pair of contact spring portions are clamped between a pair of clamping plates of the contact pressure spring in order to bias the pair of contact spring portions toward each other, the contact forming fitting further includes an elastic locking piece provided at a location different from the contact spring portions, the elastic locking piece having an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion, the elastic locking piece allows the assembly of the contact spring to the contact spring portions by elastically deforming when the engaging portion of the contact spring comes into contact with the elastic locking piece, and when the contact spring is assembled to the contact spring portions and elastically returns, the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion, preventing the contact spring from detaching from the contact spring portions.

2. The female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact forming fitting comprises a pair of front side walls connecting the ends of a pair of front opposing walls, and a pair of flat elastic locking pieces held by the pair of front side walls in a cantilevered manner and protruding toward the other end of the main body, with a pair of contact spring portions sandwiched between them, each elastic locking piece having a through hole that penetrates in the thickness direction and constitutes the engaged portion, and a convex engaging portion that can be inserted through the through hole is provided on the end face of the connecting plate portion of the contact pressure spring facing each through hole, and the engaging portion is positioned in the through hole by penetrating the through hole when the contact pressure spring is assembled to the contact spring portion.

3. The female terminal according to claim 2, wherein each of the through holes is elongated in the opposing direction of the pair of front opposing walls, and movement of the engaging portion in the longitudinal direction of the through hole is permitted.

4. The female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the main body portion is provided with an opening prevention portion that abuts against the elastic locking piece of the contact forming fitting to prevent the elastic deformation of the contact forming fitting.

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