Female terminal
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/JP2026/015229
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-04-18
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-22
Smart Images
Figure JP2026015229_22102026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Female terminal
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a female terminal.
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a female terminal composed of a terminal body formed by pressing a first flat metal plate, and a pair of contact-forming fittings formed by pressing a second flat metal plate having a smaller plate thickness than the first flat metal plate. The terminal body has a pair of opposing walls arranged to face each other across a male terminal insertion gap, the pair of contact-forming fittings are fixed to the pair of opposing walls, and elastic protruding pieces provided on each of the contact-forming fittings are configured to come into contact with a male terminal inserted into the male terminal insertion gap. In the female terminal of Patent Document 1, while supporting large current by utilizing the terminal body with a large plate thickness, the followability to the male terminal can be ensured without increasing the size of the female terminal by utilizing the contact-forming fittings with a small plate thickness.
[0003] JP 2024-21632 A
[0004] However, in the structure of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to perform press bending on the first flat metal plate after the contact-forming fittings are fixed to a predetermined portion of the first flat metal plate, so it is required to perform the bending with a pressing jig arranged in the vicinity of the contact-forming fittings and avoid interference with the contact-forming fittings during the process, resulting in a relatively high manufacturing difficulty level.
[0005] Accordingly, a female terminal that facilitates the manufacture of the terminal body and allows the contact-forming fittings to be fixed to the terminal body is disclosed.
[0006] The female terminal of this disclosure comprises a terminal body formed by press-forming a first metal plate, a pair of contact-forming fittings formed by press-forming a second metal plate having a thinner thickness than the first metal plate, and a resin part. The terminal body includes a pair of opposing walls arranged opposite each other in a first direction with a male terminal insertion gap in between, and a side wall connecting the side edges of the pair of opposing walls, and has a male terminal mounting portion extending with a U-shaped cross-section that opens laterally in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The resin part has a side wall forming portion that closes the lateral opening opposite the side wall of the male terminal mounting portion, and a fitting portion that fits into the fitting portion of the male terminal mounting portion and holds the resin part in an assembled state to the male terminal mounting portion. The pair of contact-forming fittings are fixed to the inner surfaces of the pair of opposing walls, and each contact-forming fitting is provided on one end side of the male terminal insertion gap in the second direction of the male terminal mounting portion. The contact forming fitting has a fixing portion fixed to one end of each of the opposing walls that partition the opening, an elastic projection held in a cantilevered manner by the fixing portion and projecting toward the other end in the second direction into the male terminal insertion gap, a terminal-side locking piece projecting from the fixing portion toward the side wall side of the male terminal mounting portion, and a resin-side locking piece projecting from the fixing portion toward the side wall forming portion of the resin component, wherein the terminal-side locking piece of each contact forming fitting is inserted into a terminal-side positioning hole provided through the side wall of the male terminal mounting portion, so that each contact forming fitting is positioned and held relative to the male terminal mounting portion in the first and second directions, and the resin-side locking piece of each contact forming fitting is inserted into a resin-side positioning hole provided through the side wall forming portion of the resin component, so that each contact forming fitting is positioned and held relative to the resin component in the first and second directions.
[0007] The female terminal of this disclosure provides a female terminal that facilitates the manufacturing of the terminal body while allowing the contact forming fitting to be fixed to the terminal body.
[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the female terminal according to Embodiment 1 with the male terminal inserted. Figure 2 is a plan view showing an enlarged view of the main part 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 a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in Figure 2. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Figure 2. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the female terminal shown in Figure 1 before the male terminal is inserted. Figure 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the female terminal shown in Figure 7, corresponding to Figure 3. Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of the female terminal shown in Figure 7. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the resin components constituting the female terminal shown in Figure 1.
[0009] <Description of Embodiments of the Disclosure> First, embodiments of the Disclosure will be listed and described. The female terminal of the Disclosure is (1) The terminal comprises a terminal body formed by press-forming a first metal plate, a pair of contact-forming fittings formed by press-forming a second metal plate having a thinner plate thickness than the first metal plate, and a resin part, wherein the terminal body includes a pair of opposing walls arranged opposite each other in a first direction with a male terminal insertion gap in between, and a side wall connecting the side edges of the pair of opposing walls, and has a male terminal mounting portion that extends with a U-shaped cross-section opening to the side in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the resin part has a side wall forming portion that closes the side opening opposite the side wall of the male terminal mounting portion, and a fitting portion that fits into the fitting portion of the male terminal mounting portion and holds the resin part in an assembled state to the male terminal mounting portion, the pair of contact-forming fittings are fixed to the inner surfaces of the pair of opposing walls, and each contact-forming fitting divides the male terminal insertion opening provided on one end side in the second direction of the male terminal mounting portion Each contact forming fitting has a fixing portion fixed to one end of each of the opposing walls that divide it, an elastic projection held in a cantilevered manner by the fixing portion and projecting toward the other end in the second direction into the male terminal insertion gap, a terminal-side locking piece projecting from the fixing portion toward the side wall side of the male terminal mounting portion, and a resin-side locking piece projecting from the fixing portion toward the side wall forming portion of the resin part. The terminal-side locking piece of each contact forming fitting is inserted into a terminal-side positioning hole provided through the side wall of the male terminal mounting portion, so that each contact forming fitting is positioned and held relative to the male terminal mounting portion in the first and second directions. The resin-side locking piece of each contact forming fitting is inserted into a resin-side positioning hole provided through the side wall forming portion of the resin part, so that each contact forming fitting is positioned and held relative to the resin part in the first and second directions.
[0010] In the female terminal of this embodiment, each contact-forming fitting has a fixing portion fixed to the vicinity of the male terminal insertion opening on the inner surface of the opposing wall of the terminal body, and an elastic projection that is cantilevered by the fixing portion and protrudes into the male terminal insertion gap toward the other end in the second direction (towards the back of the male terminal mounting portion). Furthermore, the fixing portion of each contact-forming fitting has a terminal-side locking piece that protrudes toward the side wall side of the male terminal mounting portion, and a resin-side locking piece that protrudes toward the side wall forming portion side. The terminal-side locking piece of each contact-forming fitting is inserted into a terminal-side positioning hole provided through the side wall of the male terminal mounting portion, so that the contact-forming fitting is positioned and held relative to the male terminal mounting portion in a first direction and a second direction. Similarly, the resin-side locking piece of the contact-forming fitting is inserted into a resin-side positioning hole provided through the side wall forming portion of the resin part, so that the contact-forming fitting is positioned and held relative to the resin part in a first direction and a second direction. With this configuration, after bending the male terminal mounting portion of the terminal body into a U-shaped cross-section that opens laterally and extends in a second direction, the pair of contact-forming fittings and resin parts can be assembled to the terminal body, respectively, to hold the pair of contact-forming fittings in a position relative to the pair of opposing walls of the terminal body in the male terminal mounting portion in the first and second directions, respectively. Therefore, it becomes possible to fix the pair of contact-forming fittings to the inner surfaces of the pair of opposing walls of the male terminal mounting portion after bending the male terminal mounting portion of the terminal body. As a result, compared to conventional structures where it was necessary to fix the contact-forming fittings to the terminal body before bending the terminal body, it is possible to provide a female terminal that allows for easier manufacturing of the terminal body while enabling the fixing of the contact-forming fittings to the terminal body.
[0011] (2) In (1) above, it is preferable that the resin part further comprises a biasing component which is assembled to each of the protruding ends of the elastic protrusions of the pair of contact forming fittings and biases the protruding ends toward each other, wherein the resin part has a rear wall forming portion which closes a rear opening window provided on the other end side in the second direction of the male terminal mounting portion, and the biasing component comes into contact with the rear wall forming portion so as to prevent the biasing component from coming off the protruding ends. Since the protruding ends of the pair of elastic protrusions protruding from the pair of contact forming fittings are biased toward each other by the biasing component assembled thereto, the contact pressure of the pair of elastic protrusions of the female terminal toward the male terminal inserted between the pair of elastic protrusions can be improved, and conductivity stability can be ensured. Moreover, since the resin part has a rear wall forming portion which closes a rear opening window of the male terminal mounting portion, the biasing component comes into contact with the rear wall forming portion so as to prevent the biasing component from coming off the protruding ends. This makes it possible to stably maintain the conductivity performance of the female terminal.
[0012] (3) In (2) above, it is preferable that the rear wall forming portion of the resin part has a pressure contact rib that is pressed against the male terminal mounting portion in the second direction, and that the resin part is pressed against the male terminal mounting portion on one side in the second direction due to the elastic deformation accompanying the pressure contact of the pressure contact rib. By pressing the resin part against the male terminal mounting portion on one side in the second direction, rattle of the resin part relative to the male terminal mounting portion can be eliminated. This makes it possible to more reliably position the terminal-side locking piece of the contact forming fitting and the terminal-side positioning hole of the male terminal mounting portion, and the resin-side locking piece of the contact forming fitting and the resin-side positioning hole of the resin part. As a result, the operation of inserting the pair of locking pieces on the terminal side and resin side of the contact forming fitting into the pair of positioning holes on the terminal side and resin side can be performed smoothly. Furthermore, the pair of contact forming fittings can be accurately positioned at predetermined locations on the inner surfaces of the pair of opposing walls of the male terminal mounting portion, and the fixing portion of each contact forming fitting can be stably fixed to the inner surface of each opposing wall.
[0013] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the resin-side positioning hole provided in each of the side wall forming portions includes a through hole that penetrates the side wall forming portion in the thickness direction and a retaining wall portion that is connected to the bottom surface of the through hole and protrudes toward the side wall. In the resin-side positioning hole, the area of the surface facing the resin-side locking piece of the contact forming fitting in the first direction can be increased by the bottom surface of the through hole and the upper surface of the retaining wall portion connected thereto. This improves the retention of the contact forming fitting by inserting the contact forming fitting into the resin-side locking piece in the side wall positioning hole, and makes the fixing work of the fixing portion of the contact forming fitting to the inner surface of the opposing wall more stable.
[0014] (5) In any one of (1) to (4) above, the fitting portion of the resin part is configured to include a pair of elastic lock pieces that project in a cantilevered manner toward the male terminal insertion gap from two locations spaced apart in the first direction of the side wall forming portion, and a pair of lock claws provided at the tips of the pair of elastic lock pieces and projecting outward in the first direction, and the fitted portion is configured to include a pair of locking holes into which the pair of lock claws, which are penetrated through the pair of opposing walls, are fitted, and each of the elastic projections of the contact forming fitting has a contact portion provided with its tip portion curved so as to be convex inward in the first direction, and the pair of elastic lock pieces are arranged opposite each other in the first direction with the contact portions of each of the elastic projections interposed between them. A fitting part and a fitted part can be provided that can stably hold the resin part assembled to the male terminal mounting part, by fitting a pair of locking claws protruding from the tips of a pair of elastic lock pieces that project in a cantilever-like manner toward the male terminal insertion gap from two locations separated in a first direction on the side wall forming part of the resin part, into a pair of locking holes that penetrate through a pair of opposing walls. Moreover, the pair of elastic lock pieces are arranged opposite each other in the first direction with the contact parts of each elastic projection interposed between them. This allows the elastic lock pieces to be arranged by cleverly utilizing the space created by the inward curvature of the elastic projection in the first direction, and also contributes to miniaturization of the female terminal.
[0015] <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.
[0016] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. This female terminal 10 is provided in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and the male terminal 12 (see Figures 1 to 6), 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 may be provided on the motor side component, and the male terminal 12 may be 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 within the vehicle, 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. The up-down direction may be referred to as the first direction. The front-rear direction may be referred to as the second direction. In the case of multiple identical components, some components may be assigned a reference numeral while others are omitted.
[0017] <Female Terminal 10> The female terminal 10 comprises a terminal body 14 formed by press-forming a first metal plate, a pair of contact-forming fittings 16, 16 formed by press-forming a second metal plate having a thinner plate thickness than the first metal plate, and a resin part 18. In Embodiment 1, the female terminal 10 further comprises a clip spring 20 as a biasing component that is assembled to the respective tip ends (protruding ends 67) of the elastic projections 54 of the pair of contact-forming fittings 16, 16 (described later) and biases each protruding end 67 toward each other. In Figure 1, for clarity, the contact-forming fittings 16 inside the male terminal mounting portion 32, which will be described later and is provided on the terminal body 14, are shown with dashed lines, but the clip spring 20, which is similarly provided inside the male terminal mounting portion 32, is not shown.
[0018] <Male Terminal 12> The male terminal 12 in 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 mounting portion 32 of the terminal body 14, which will be described later, from front to rear, the direction from front to rear is the insertion direction of the male terminal 12. In particular, in Embodiment 1, an insulating protective cap 22 is provided around the male terminal 12, and the front (rear) and both left and right sides of the male terminal 12 in the insertion direction are covered by the protective cap 22. This can reduce the risk of electric shock by an unintentional contact with the male terminal 12. The method of fixing the male terminal 12 and the protective cap 22 is not limited, and known fixing methods such as locking by grooves, press-fitting, bonding, and welding can be used.
[0019] <Terminal body 14> The terminal body 14 includes an upper wall 26 and a lower wall 28, which are a pair of opposing walls arranged opposite each other in a first direction (vertical direction) separated by a male terminal insertion gap 24 into which the male terminal 12 is inserted, and a side wall 30 that connects the side edges of this pair of opposing walls (upper wall 26 and lower wall 28). The terminal body 14 has a U-shaped cross section (C-shaped cross section) that opens laterally by each of the walls 26, 28, and 30, and is provided with a male terminal mounting portion 32 that extends in a second direction (front-back direction) that intersects (orthogonal in Embodiment 1) the first direction (vertical direction). This terminal body 14 is formed by press-forming a first metal plate as described above. The material of the first metal plate constituting the terminal body 14 is preferably a metal with excellent conductivity, for example, pure copper is used.
[0020] Specifically, the upper wall 26, lower wall 28, and side wall 30 are all roughly rectangular flat plates, and the left edges of the upper wall 26 and lower wall 28 are connected by the side wall 30. As a result, the male terminal mounting portion 32 has a U-shaped cross-section that opens to the side and opens to the right, and this opening to the right is the lateral opening 34 that faces the side wall 30 in the left-right direction. That is, in the terminal body 14 shown in Figure 9, in its standalone state before the contact forming fittings 16, resin parts 18 and clip spring 20 are assembled, the male terminal insertion gap 24 formed between the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28 is open not only in the front-rear direction but also to the side (right). And since the male terminal 12 is inserted into this male terminal insertion gap 24 (male terminal mounting portion 32) from the front, one end (front side) of the male terminal mounting portion 32 in the second direction (front-rear direction) is designated as the male terminal insertion opening 36. Furthermore, the other end (rear side) of the male terminal mounting portion 32 in the second direction is a rear opening window 38.
[0021] Furthermore, the side wall 30 constituting the male terminal mounting portion 32 extends further rearward than the male terminal mounting portion 32, and the rear end of this side wall 30 constitutes a connecting portion 40 provided at the rear end of the terminal body 14. A bolt insertion hole 42 is formed in the connecting portion 40. The female terminal 10 is fixed to, for example, a busbar or the like, which is a motor-side component, by a bolt (not shown) inserted through this bolt insertion hole 42.
[0022] Here, the male terminal mounting portion 32 is provided with a fitted portion 44 into which a fitting portion 72, described later, for assembling the resin part 18 to the male terminal mounting portion 32 is fitted. In Embodiment 1, this fitted portion 44 is configured to include a pair of locking holes 46 formed through each of a pair of opposing walls (upper wall 26 and lower wall 28). Each of these locking holes 46 is substantially rectangular in plan view and is formed in the approximate central portion of the upper wall 26 and lower wall 28, penetrating each wall 26, 28 in the thickness direction (vertical direction).
[0023] Furthermore, terminal-side positioning holes 48 are formed in the side wall 30 of the male terminal mounting portion 32, into which terminal-side locking pieces 56 of each contact-forming fitting 16 (described later) are inserted, penetrating the side wall 30 in the thickness direction (left-right direction). A pair of contact-forming fittings 16, 16 are provided on both the upper and lower sides, and each contact-forming fitting 16 is provided with a terminal-side locking piece 56, so a pair of terminal-side positioning holes 48, 48 are provided on both the upper and lower sides of the side wall 30, spaced apart from each other. Specifically, these terminal-side positioning holes 48 are provided at the connection portion between the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28 of the side wall 30, and as shown in Figures 5 and 9, each terminal-side positioning hole 48 is formed to penetrate not only the side wall 30 but also the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28. In short, the upper terminal-side positioning hole 48 opens upward and to the left, while the lower terminal-side positioning hole 48 opens downward and to the left.
[0024] Furthermore, positioning grooves 50 are formed at the right ends of the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28, which perform a positioning function when assembling the resin parts 18 to the male terminal mounting portion 32. Each positioning groove 50 is formed at the right end of the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28 in a substantially rectangular notch shape that opens to the right and penetrates in the vertical direction. Each terminal-side positioning hole 48 and each positioning groove 50 has a predetermined front-to-back dimension, and each terminal-side positioning hole 48 and each positioning groove 50 are formed at substantially equal positions in the front-to-back direction on the male terminal mounting portion 32. Specifically, each terminal-side positioning hole 48 and each positioning groove 50 are formed in the front portion of the male terminal mounting portion 32 over a predetermined front-to-back dimension. The inner surface of each positioning groove 50 includes a bottom surface 50a in the middle portion in the front-to-back direction and a rear side surface 50b that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-to-back direction.
[0025] <Contact Forming Fittings 16> As described above, the female terminal 10 is equipped with a pair of contact forming fittings 16, 16. In Embodiment 1, the contact forming fittings 16, 16 are arranged to be separated from each other in the vertical direction. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the upper contact forming fitting 16 and the lower contact forming fitting 16 are the same shape as each other, and the contact forming fittings 16 are arranged in an inverted state relative to each other. Therefore, in the following description, one (upper) contact forming fitting 16 will be described, and the other (lower) contact forming fitting 16 will be omitted from the description by being given the same reference numeral as the upper contact forming fitting 16 in the figure. Each contact forming fitting 16 is formed by press-forming a second metal plate having a thinner thickness than the first metal plate, as described above, and has an elastically deformable elastic projection 54, as will be described later. Therefore, the material of the second metal plate constituting each contact forming fitting 16 is preferably a metal that has excellent conductivity and is elastically deformable, for example, a copper alloy can be used. Each of these contact-forming fittings 16 is fixed to the inner surface of a pair of opposing walls (upper wall 26 and lower wall 28) (i.e., the lower surface 26a, which is the inner surface of the upper wall 26, and the upper surface 28a, which is the inner surface of the lower wall 28).
[0026] Specifically, the contact forming fitting 16 includes a fixing portion 52 fixed to one end (front end) of the opposing wall (upper wall 26) that demarcates the male terminal insertion opening 36 at the front end of the male terminal mounting portion 32, and an elastic projection 54 that is cantilevered by the fixing portion 52 and protrudes into the male terminal insertion gap 24 toward the other end (rear) in the second direction (front-rear direction). The contact forming fitting 16 also has a terminal-side locking piece 56 that protrudes from the fixing portion 52 toward the side wall 30 side (left) of the male terminal mounting portion 32, and a resin-side locking piece 58 that protrudes from the fixing portion 52 toward the side wall forming portion 70 of the resin part 18, which will be described later. In Embodiment 1, a pair of elastic projections 54, 54 protrude toward the rear from the fixing portion 52, and these elastic projections 54, 54 are separated from each other in the left-right direction. In short, a contact-side slit 60 is formed between each of these elastic projections 54 in the left-right direction, extending in the front-rear direction from the protruding tip (rear end) to the base (front end) of each elastic projection 54.
[0027] More specifically, the fixing portion 52 of the contact forming fitting 16 is substantially rectangular in plan view, and is a horizontally elongated substantially rectangular shape in which the left-right dimension is larger than the front-back dimension. Each contact forming fitting 16 is fixed by overlapping each fixing portion 52 onto the inner surface (lower surface 26a) of the upper wall 26 and the inner surface (upper surface 28a) of the lower wall 28 of the male terminal mounting portion 32. In Embodiment 1, each contact forming fitting 16 is fixed to the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28 by welding these overlapping surfaces, and a welded portion 62 (shown as a dashed line in Figure 7) is formed in each fixing portion 52 with respect to the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28. In particular, in Embodiment 1, each contact forming fitting 16 and the male terminal mounting portion 32 (upper wall 26 and lower wall 28) are fixed by laser welding, and each welded portion 62 in each fixing portion 52 is formed to extend in the left-right direction with a predetermined left-right dimension.
[0028] Furthermore, each elastic projection 54 protrudes from the fixing portion 52 towards the rear, inclined inward in the vertical direction (i.e., downward). A bent portion 64 is provided at the tip (rear end) of each elastic projection 54, and a contact portion 66 is provided at this bent portion 64 that curves inward (downward) in the first direction (vertical direction). Note that the lower contact forming fitting 16 is an inverted version of the upper contact forming fitting 16, so each elastic projection 54 protrudes from the fixing portion 52 towards the rear, inclined upward inward in the vertical direction. A bent portion 64 is provided at the tip (rear end) of each elastic projection 54, and a contact portion 66 is provided at this bent portion 64 that curves inward (upward) in the vertical direction. These contact portions 66 are designed to contact the male terminal 12 from both the upper and lower sides when the male terminal 12 is inserted. The protruding ends 67 of each elastic projection 54 on both the upper and lower sides approach each other as they move towards the rear.
[0029] In Embodiment 1, each contact portion 66 is formed in a curved arc shape in the longitudinal cross-section shown in Figures 3 and 8, and has a predetermined left-right dimension in the rear portion of each elastic projection 54, and is provided so as to span both the front-rear and rear-bend portions 64 on either side of the bent portion 64. As shown in Figure 2, each such contact portion 66 is approximately oval or rectangular with approximately rounded corners in a plan view (projection in the vertical direction) in which the front-rear dimension is larger than the left-right dimension. This ensures that even when the male terminal 12 inserted into the female terminal 10 is oscillating around a central axis extending in the left-right direction, the contact area between each contact portion 66 and the male terminal 12 can be stably secured. In particular, 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 68 are formed at positions corresponding to each contact portion 66 on the outward side in the first direction (outward side in the vertical direction) of each elastic projection 54.
[0030] Before inserting the male terminal 12, the vertical distance A (see Figure 8) between the contact portions 66 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 female terminal 10, both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12 come into contact with the contact portions 66 on both the upper and lower sides, pushing the contact portions 66 outward in the vertical direction. Consequently, the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 in a press-fit state.
[0031] Furthermore, as described above, the terminal-side locking piece 56 of the contact-forming fitting 16 protrudes to the left from the fixing portion 52. Specifically, the terminal-side locking piece 56 protrudes rearward from the left end of the fixing portion 52 by a predetermined front-to-back dimension, and is substantially rectangular in shape when viewed from above. The front-to-back dimension of the terminal-side locking piece 56 is the same as, or slightly smaller than, the front-to-back dimension of the terminal-side positioning hole 48 into which the terminal-side locking piece 56 is inserted. The terminal-side locking piece 56 has a predetermined left-to-right width dimension, which causes the terminal-side locking piece 56 to protrude to the left from the fixing portion 52. Similarly, the resin-side locking piece 58 of the contact-forming fitting 16 protrudes to the right from the fixing portion 52. The resin-side locking piece 58 protrudes rearward from the right end of the fixing portion 52 by a predetermined front-to-back dimension, and is substantially rectangular in shape when viewed from above. The front-to-back dimension of the resin-side locking piece 58 is the same as, or slightly smaller than, the front-to-back dimension of the resin-side positioning hole 74, which will be described later, into which the resin-side locking piece 58 is inserted. The resin-side locking piece 58 has a predetermined left-to-right width dimension, which causes the resin-side locking piece 58 to protrude to the right from the fixing portion 52.
[0032] In addition, in the lower contact-forming fitting 16, the terminal-side locking piece 56 protrudes to the left from the fixing portion 52, and the resin-side locking piece 58 protrudes to the right from the fixing portion 52. In Embodiment 1, the terminal-side locking piece 56 and the resin-side locking piece 58 of the upper contact-forming fitting 16 are the same shape as the terminal-side locking piece 56 and the resin-side locking piece 58 of the lower contact-forming fitting 16, respectively. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the upper contact-forming fitting 16 and the lower contact-forming fitting 16 have shapes that are inverted vertically from each other. Therefore, the terminal-side locking piece 56 of the upper contact-forming fitting 16 constitutes the resin-side locking piece 58 of the lower contact-forming fitting 16, and the resin-side locking piece 58 of the upper contact-forming fitting 16 constitutes the terminal-side locking piece 56 of the lower contact-forming fitting 16. Therefore, in both the upper and lower contact-forming fittings 16, the terminal-side locking piece 56 and the resin-side locking piece 58 are formed to be substantially the same shape.
[0033] The upper contact forming fitting 16 is positioned and held in a first direction (up and down direction) and a second direction (front and back direction) by inserting the terminal-side locking piece 56 into the terminal-side positioning hole 48 in the male terminal mounting portion 32. That is, the upper contact forming fitting 16 is restricted from upward displacement by the fixing portion 52 abutting against the inner surface (lower surface 26a) of the upper wall 26, and restricted from downward displacement by the terminal-side locking piece 56 abutting against the lower surface (the surface in the side wall 30 that constitutes the terminal-side positioning hole 48) that constitutes the terminal-side positioning hole 48. Similarly, the upper contact forming fitting 16 is also positioned and held in a first and second direction by inserting the resin-side locking piece 58 into the resin-side positioning hole 74 in the side wall forming portion 70, which will be described later. In short, the downward displacement of the contact forming fitting 16 is also restricted by the resin-side locking piece 58 contacting the upper surface of the lower surface (retaining wall portion 82, described later) that constitutes the resin-side positioning hole 74. Furthermore, the displacement in the front-rear direction is restricted by the terminal-side locking piece 56 and the resin-side locking piece 58 contacting both front-rear sides of the terminal-side positioning hole 48 and the resin-side positioning hole 74, respectively.
[0034] The lower contact-forming fitting 16 is similar. That is, downward displacement is restricted when the fixing portion 52 abuts against the inner surface (upper surface 28a) of the lower wall 28. Also, upward displacement is restricted when the terminal-side locking piece 56 and the resin-side locking piece 58 abut against the inner surfaces of the terminal-side positioning hole 48 and the resin-side positioning hole 74, respectively, and displacement in the front-rear direction is restricted when they abut against both sides in the front-rear direction.
[0035] <Resin part 18> The resin part 18 has a side wall forming portion 70 that closes a lateral opening 34 that is opposite the side wall 30 of the male terminal mounting portion 32 in the left-right direction, and a fitting portion 72 that fits into the fitting portion 44 of the male terminal mounting portion 32 and holds the resin part 18 in an assembled state on the male terminal mounting portion 32. The side wall forming portion 70 of the resin part 18 has a resin side positioning hole 74 into which the above-mentioned resin side locking piece 58 is inserted, which penetrates the side wall forming portion 70 in the thickness direction (left-right direction).
[0036] Specifically, the side wall forming portion 70 of the resin part 18 is formed to a size that can close the lateral opening 34 of the male terminal mounting portion 32, and is substantially rectangular in shape, similar to the side walls 30 that face each other in the left-right direction when the resin part 18 is assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32. That is, the side wall forming portion 70 is rectangular in shape, with the front-to-back dimension being larger than the vertical dimension in a side view (projection in the left-right direction), and has a predetermined thickness dimension (left-right dimension).
[0037] Furthermore, the fitting portion 72 is formed projecting to the left in the intermediate portion of the side wall forming portion 70 in the front-rear direction. This fitting portion 72 is formed at a position corresponding in the front-rear direction to the fitted portion 44 of the male terminal mounting portion 32. In Embodiment 1, the fitting portion 72 is composed of a pair of elastic lock pieces 76, 76 that project to the left toward the male terminal insertion gap 24 in a cantilevered manner from two locations spaced apart in the first direction (up-down direction) of the side wall forming portion 70, and a pair of lock claw portions 77, 77 provided at the tip (left end) of each elastic lock piece 76 and projecting outward in the first direction (up-down direction). In particular, in Embodiment 1, the upper elastic lock piece 76 is provided projecting to the left from the upper end portion of the side wall forming portion 70, and the lower elastic lock piece 76 is provided projecting to the left from the lower end portion of the side wall forming portion 70. The left end surface of each locking claw portion 77 is an inclined surface 78 whose projection dimension in the vertical direction outward increases as it moves to the right, while the right end surface of each locking claw portion 77 is a vertical surface 79 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction.
[0038] Furthermore, the resin-side positioning holes 74 are formed in two locations that are spaced apart in the vertical direction so that each resin-side locking piece 58 in the contact forming fittings 16 on both the upper and lower sides can be inserted into them. In Embodiment 1, as shown in Figures 3, 9, and 10, each resin-side positioning hole 74 is configured to include a through hole 80 that penetrates the side wall forming portion 70 in the thickness direction (left-right direction) and a retaining wall portion 82 that is connected to the bottom surface of the through hole 80 and protrudes toward the side wall 30 side (left side). In particular, in Embodiment 1, each through hole 80 is formed in the shape of a notch that penetrates the side wall forming portion 70 in the thickness direction (left-right direction) and opens outward in the vertical direction. That is, the upper resin-side positioning hole 74 is formed in the upper end portion of the side wall forming portion 70, and the lower resin-side positioning hole 74 is formed in the lower end portion of the side wall forming portion 70. Furthermore, the upper and lower outer surfaces of each retaining wall portion 82 are provided on the same plane as the bottom surface of each through hole 80 (i.e., the upper and lower end surfaces of the side wall forming portion 70 at the formation position of each through hole 80).
[0039] Each of the resin-side positioning holes 74 is formed in a position corresponding in the front-rear direction to each positioning groove 50 in the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28. Furthermore, at both the upper and lower ends of the side wall forming portion 70, a positioning projection 84 is provided in the portion adjacent to the rear of each through hole 80, protruding to the left in the same manner as the retaining wall portion 82, and engaging with the positioning groove 50 provided at the right ends of the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28 when the resin component 18 is assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32. In other words, when the resin component 18 is assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32 and each positioning projection 84 is engaged with the positioning groove 50, each positioning projection 84 is positioned to contact the rear side surface 50b that constitutes the inner surface of each positioning groove 50 from the front. Furthermore, when the resin part 18 is assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32, each positioning projection 84 abuts against the bottom surface 50a that constitutes the inner surface of each positioning groove portion 50 from the right, so that the left side of each through hole 80 is covered by the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28.
[0040] The resin part 18, with this structure, is assembled by approaching the lateral opening 34 of the male terminal mounting portion 32 from the right. That is, by approaching the resin part 18 from the right to the male terminal mounting portion 32, the inclined surface 78 of the locking claw portion 77 in each fitting portion 72 comes into contact with the vertically inward edge at the right end of the upper wall 26 and lower wall 28, causing each fitting portion 72 (each elastic lock piece 76 and each locking claw portion 77) to be displaced vertically inward. This allows the resin part 18 to approach the male terminal mounting portion 32 further (displacement to the left). Then, as the locking claw portion 77 in each fitting portion 72 reaches each fitted portion 44 (each locking hole 46) in the male terminal mounting portion 32, each elastic lock piece 76 elastically returns to its original shape and each locking claw portion 77 is locked into each locking hole 46. As a result, the vertical surface 79 of each locking claw portion 77 comes into contact with the right-side surface that constitutes the inner surface of each locking hole 46, thereby preventing the resin part 18 from detaching from the lateral opening 34.
[0041] Furthermore, when the resin part 18 is assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32, each positioning projection 84 enters into each positioning groove 50 and contacts the bottom surface 50a of each positioning groove 50, and both vertical ends of the side wall forming portion 70 contact the right ends of the upper wall 26 and lower wall 28, thereby suppressing displacement of the resin part 18 toward the male terminal mounting portion 32 (displacement toward the left).
[0042] In Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 8 and other figures, when the resin part 18 is assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32, the upper and lower elastic lock pieces 76 are arranged opposite each other in the first direction (up and down direction), with the contact portions 66 of each elastic projection 54 interposed between them. In other words, in the assembled state of the female terminal 10, each elastic lock piece 76 is provided on the vertically outward side of the tip portion (rear portion) of each elastic projection 54, and the tip portions of each elastic projection 54 are close to each other, with each elastic lock piece 76 positioned in a relatively large space within the male terminal insertion gap 24. Furthermore, as will be described later, a clip spring 20 is assembled to the protruding end 67 of each elastic projection 54 and biased in a direction that brings them closer to each other (vertically inward), and the clip spring 20 is provided with a bent portion 100, which will be described later, that bends vertically inward. This allows for a larger space to be secured within the male terminal insertion gap 24, and by arranging each elastic lock piece 76 within this space, stable elastic deformation of each elastic lock piece 76 in the vertical direction when assembling the resin part 18 to the male terminal mounting portion 32 can be achieved.
[0043] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the resin part 18 has a rear wall forming portion 86 that closes a rear opening window 38 provided on the other end (rear side) of the male terminal mounting portion 32 in the second direction. As a result, the clip spring 20 assembled to the protruding end 67 of each elastic projection 54 comes into contact with the rear wall forming portion 86 within the male terminal mounting portion 32, preventing the clip spring 20 from detaching from each protruding end 67. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the rear wall forming portion 86 has a pressure contact rib 88 that is pressed against the male terminal mounting portion 32 in the second direction (front-rear direction). As shown in Figure 10 and other figures, the rear wall forming portion 86 is substantially rectangular in shape when viewed from the front (projection in the front-rear direction), and pressure contact ribs 88, 88 are provided on both the upper and lower sides in the middle portion of the rear wall forming portion 86 in the left-right direction. Each pressure contact rib 88 protrudes forward from the front end surface of the rear wall forming portion 86 at a predetermined protrusion height.
[0044] Specifically, in a single-component state before the resin component 18 is assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32, the separation distance C in the front-rear direction between each positioning protrusion 84 and each press-contact rib 88 (see FIG. 10) is set to be smaller than the separation distance D in the front-rear direction between the rear side surface 50b constituting the inner surface of each positioning groove 50 and the rear end surfaces of the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28 (see FIG. 2). As a result, when the resin component 18 is assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32, the rear end surface of each positioning protrusion 84 abuts the rear side surface 50b constituting the inner surface of each positioning groove 50, and each press-contact rib 88 abuts the rear end surfaces of the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28 from the right side, so that the rear wall forming portion 86 including each press-contact rib 88 is elastically deformed rearward. As a result, assembly of the resin component 18 to the male terminal mounting portion 32 is enabled.
[0045] In the state where the resin component 18 is assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32, as also shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the rear wall forming portion 86 is elastically deformed rearward relative to the single-component state of the resin component 18, and due to the elastic restoring deformation against this elastic deformation, each press-contact rib 88 protruding forward from the rear wall forming portion 86 is press-contacted against the rear end surfaces of the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28 from the rear, which is one side in the second direction. In other words, the space between the rear side surface 50b constituting the inner surface of each positioning groove 50 and the rear end surfaces of the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28 is held in the front-rear direction by the positioning protrusion 84 and the press-contact rib 88. Thereby, rattling and positional displacement of the resin component 18 relative to the male terminal mounting portion 32 are suppressed.
[0046] <Biasing Component (Clip Spring 20)> As described above, the clip spring 20 as a biasing component is assembled to the protruding end portion 67 (rear end portion) of each elastic protruding piece 54. As also shown in FIG. 9 and the like, the clip spring 20 includes a connecting plate portion 90, and a pair of holding plate portions 92, 92 protruding from both side edge portions of the connecting plate portion 90 in directions approaching each other. This clip spring 20 is mounted so as to sandwich the respective protruding end portion 67 of each elastic protruding piece 54 between the pair of holding plate portions 92, 92, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10, the respective protruding end portions 67, 67 on both the upper and lower sides are biased in the direction of approaching each other.
[0047] These connecting plate portions 90 and each clamping plate portion 92 are each formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. The clip spring 20 in the first embodiment can also be formed, for example, by subjecting a single metal flat plate to press working. In particular, in the first embodiment, front extending portions 94 are provided that extend forward from both upper and lower end portions of the connecting plate portion 90, and each clamping plate portion 92 is connected to the connecting plate portion 90 via each front extending portion 94. As a result, in the clip spring 20 of the first embodiment, when the bent portions 100 described later are expanded and deformed so as to be separated from each other, not only the connecting portions between the connecting plate portion 90 and each front extending portion 94 but also the connecting portions between each front extending portion 94 and each clamping plate portion 92 are made deformable. As a result, it is possible to secure a relatively large allowable displacement amount of the bent portions 100 while forming the clip spring 20 to be relatively small.
[0048] In the first embodiment, each of the upper and lower clamping plate portions 92 is divided into left and right sides by a clip-side slit 96 that penetrates the widthwise (left-right direction) central portion in the plate thickness direction and extends in the length direction (front-rear direction). As a result, a total of four clamping plate portions 92 are formed in the clip spring 20 of the first embodiment. In particular, in the first embodiment, each of the upper and lower clip-side slits 96 extends rearward from the protruding end 98 (front end portion) of each clamping plate portion 92, is formed over the entire length in the length direction of each clamping plate portion 92 and each front extending portion 94, and reaches the connecting plate portion 90.
[0049] The left-right dimension of each clamping plate portion 92 is set to be larger than the left-right dimension of each recess 68 provided on the outer side in the up-down direction of each elastic protruding piece 54. In addition, a bent portion 100 is provided at the lengthwise intermediate portion of each clamping plate portion 92. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 10 and the bent portion 100 of each clamping plate portion 92 abuts on the formation position of each recess 68 in each elastic protruding piece 54, both left and right end portions of each clamping plate portion 92 abut on portions further outward in the left-right direction than each recess 68 in each elastic protruding piece 54.
[0050] Furthermore, since a bent portion 100 is provided in the middle of the length of each clamping plate portion 92, the front end portion of each clamping plate portion 92, including each protruding end 98, extends outward in the vertical direction from the bent portion 100. Therefore, the distance between the opposing clamping plate portions 92 in the vertical direction is minimized at the bent portion 100 provided in the middle of the length. The gap between these vertically opposing bent portions 100 is the insertion opening 102 for inserting and assembling the protruding ends 67 of each elastic projection 54. That is, when the clip spring 20 is attached to the protruding ends 67 of each elastic projection 54, the connecting plate portion 90 of the clip spring 20 is positioned opposite each protruding end 67 of each elastic projection 54 in the front-rear direction, and each clamping plate portion 92 of the clip spring 20 protrudes from the connecting plate portion 90 via each forward extension portion 94 in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of each elastic projection 54.
[0051] In Embodiment 1, in the clip spring 20 in its individual state before assembly, the vertical dimension of the insertion opening 102 is smaller than the maximum vertical dimension of the protruding ends 67 (rear ends) of the elastic projections 54 on both the upper and lower sides. As a result, when the clip spring 20 is attached to the protruding ends 67 of each elastic projection 54, the vertical dimension between each bent portion 100, 100 in each insertion opening 102 is increased, and each elastic projection 54 on both the upper and lower sides is displaced in a direction that brings them closer to each other, thereby reducing the maximum vertical dimension of the protruding end 67 of each elastic projection 54. As a result, insertion of the protruding ends 67 of each elastic projection 54 into the insertion opening 102 is permitted, and each bent portion 100 abuts against the bent portion 64 of each elastic projection 54 from the outside in the vertical direction. Furthermore, when attaching the clip spring 20, each clamping plate portion 92 is elastically deformed outward in the vertical direction. Due to the elastic restoring force of these elastic deformations, each clamping plate portion 92 biases the protruding ends 67 of each elastic projection 54 toward each other (inward in the vertical direction). Therefore, in Embodiment 1, the rear wall forming portion 86 of the resin part 18 prevents the clip spring 20 from falling off each elastic projection 54, but simply attaching the clip spring 20 to the protruding ends 67 of each elastic projection 54 also prevents the clip spring 20 from falling off each elastic projection 54.
[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 terminal body 14 with the aforementioned shape. Similarly, the second metal plate is press-formed to create the contact-forming fittings 16, 16 with the aforementioned shape. Furthermore, the aforementioned resin part 18 and clip spring 20 are prepared. Then, the resin part 18 is placed on a jig (not shown) with each fitting portion 72 (each elastic lock piece 76) facing upward. That is, in this state, the side wall forming portion 70 of the resin part 18 is positioned as the bottom wall. Next, the contact-forming fittings 16 are assembled to the resin part 18 in this state from above. At this time, since each resin-side positioning hole 74 is formed in the side wall forming portion 70, each resin-side locking piece 58 of each contact-forming fitting 16 is inserted into each resin-side positioning hole 74 from above. Each resin-side locking piece 58 and each resin-side positioning hole 74 are formed with approximately equal dimensions in the front-to-back direction. By inserting each resin-side locking piece 58 into each resin-side positioning hole 74, each contact-forming fitting 16 is assembled to the resin part 18 in a position that is aligned in the front-to-back direction.
[0054] Next, the protruding ends 67 of each contact-forming fitting 16 are brought closer to each other, and in that state, the clip spring 20 is assembled from above. By bringing the protruding ends 67 of each contact-forming fitting 16 closer to each other, each bent portion 64 of each elastic projection 54 is made able to pass between each bent portion 100 of the clip spring 20. That is, in Embodiment 1, the tip portions of each elastic projection 54 are inserted into the insertion opening 102 of the clip spring 20 from the side. Then, after inserting each bent portion 64 between each bent portion 100, the external force in the approaching direction on each protruding end 67 is released, causing each elastic projection 54 to elastically return to its original shape and expand each clamping plate portion 92 of the clip spring 20 outward to a certain extent in the vertical direction. As a result, each clamping plate portion 92 elastically returns to its original shape inward in the vertical direction, and the elastic restoring force of each elastic projection 54 in the vertical direction becomes equal to the elastic restoring force of each clamping plate portion 92 in the vertical direction, so that the clip spring 20 is assembled with the protruding ends 67 of each contact forming fitting 16 sandwiched between them. In this way, each contact forming fitting 16 and the clip spring 20 are assembled above the resin part 18.
[0055] Next, the terminal body 14 is placed on top of each contact forming fitting 16 and clip spring 20 in this state from above. At this time, the lateral opening 34 of the terminal body 14 faces downward, and each contact forming fitting 16 and clip spring 20 is inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 24 through the downward-opening lateral opening 34, and each fitting part 72 (each elastic lock piece 76 and each lock claw part 77) is also inserted into the male terminal insertion gap 24, and each fitting part 72 is locked into each fitted part 44 (each locking hole 46). As the resin part 18 and the terminal body 14 (male terminal mounting part 32) are assembled, each positioning projection 84 is inserted into each positioning groove 50, and each pressure contact rib 88 is pressed against the rear ends of the upper wall 26 and lower wall 28, so that the terminal body 14 (male terminal mounting part 32) is assembled to the resin part 18 without rattling. This allows each terminal-side locking piece 56 of each contact-forming fitting 16 to be stably inserted into each terminal-side positioning hole 48 provided in the male terminal mounting portion 32. Subsequently, the fixing portion 52 of the upper contact-forming fitting 16, which is superimposed on each other, and the inner surface (lower surface 26a) of the upper wall 26 are welded at the welding portion 62, and the fixing portion 52 of the lower contact-forming fitting 16, which is superimposed on each other, and the inner surface (upper surface 28a) of the lower wall 28 are welded at the welding portion 62. As a result, the female terminal 10 of Embodiment 1 is completed.
[0056] <Connection between female terminal 10 and male terminal 12> As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the male terminal 12 is inserted from the front into the female terminal 10 manufactured as described above. Each contact portion 66 provided on each elastic projection 54 of each contact forming fitting 16 comes into contact with both the upper and lower surfaces of the male terminal 12, causing each elastic projection 54 and each clamping plate portion 92 of the clip spring 20 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 portion 66 is pressed against and comes into 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. In Embodiment 1, as is clear from Figure 3 showing the state after insertion of the male terminal 12 and Figure 8 showing the state before insertion, when the male terminal 12 is inserted and each elastic projection 54 is pushed outward in the vertical direction, it comes into sliding contact with the bent portion 64 of each elastic projection 54, causing the clip spring 20 to move forward by a predetermined distance.
[0057] With the female terminal 10 having the structure described above, the terminal body 14 (male terminal mounting portion 32) that surrounds and supports each contact forming fitting 16 has a U-shaped cross-section that opens to the side, and the resin part 18 is assembled to the side opening 34. This allows each terminal-side locking piece 56 and each resin-side locking piece 58 to protrude laterally (outward in the left-right direction) from each contact forming fitting 16. Furthermore, by inserting each terminal-side locking piece 56 into each terminal-side positioning hole 48 in the male terminal mounting portion 32, and inserting each resin-side locking piece 58 into each resin-side positioning hole 74 in the side wall forming portion 70, each contact forming fitting 16 can be assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32 without rattling. As a result, the upper contact-forming fitting 16 can be superimposed on the lower surface 26a of the upper wall 26 with virtually no gap, and the lower contact-forming fitting 16 can be superimposed on the upper surface 28a of the lower wall 28 with virtually no gap, enabling stable welding by laser welding. Therefore, in the female terminal 10 according to this disclosure, no gaps occur at these welding locations, and a female terminal 10 with excellent conductivity from each contact-forming fitting 16 to the terminal body 14, and consequently from the male terminal 12 to the female terminal 10, can be provided.
[0058] A clip spring 20 is assembled to the protruding end 67 of each elastic projection 54, and the resin part 18 has a rear wall forming portion 86. When the resin part 18 is assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32, the rear wall forming portion 86 covers the rear opening window 38 of the male terminal mounting portion 32, and the clip spring 20 comes into contact with the rear wall forming portion 86, preventing it from falling off the protruding end 67. As a result, the clip spring 20 can be prevented from falling off with a simple configuration of assembling the resin part 18 to the male terminal mounting portion 32, without providing any special structure on each elastic projection 54 or the clip spring 20 to prevent the clip spring 20 from falling off.In Embodiment 1, the tip portion (each bent portion 64) of each elastic projection 54 is inserted from the side into the insertion opening 102 of the clip spring 20, which makes it easier to assemble the clip spring 20 to the protruding end 67 of each elastic projection 54.
[0059] The rear wall forming portion 86 is equipped with pressure contact ribs 88 on both its upper and lower sides. These pressure contact ribs 88 are pressed against the rear end surfaces of the upper wall 26 and the lower wall 28, so that the male terminal mounting portion 32 is partially sandwiched between the pressure contact ribs 88 and the positioning protrusions 84 in the front-rear direction. This prevents rattling between the male terminal mounting portion 32 and the resin part 18, thereby suppressing the displacement of the terminal-side locking pieces 56 within the terminal-side positioning holes 48 and the displacement of the resin-side locking pieces 58 within the resin-side positioning holes 74. As a result, welding by laser welding can be performed more stably, and the conductivity efficiency between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 10 can be further improved.
[0060] Each resin-side positioning hole 74 is configured to include each through-hole 80 and each retaining wall portion 82. This allows each resin-side locking piece 58 to be inserted into each through-hole 80 and placed on each retaining wall portion 82, thereby stably holding each resin-side locking piece 58 within each resin-side positioning hole 74. As a result, rattling of each contact-forming fitting 16 relative to the resin part 18 and the male terminal mounting portion 32 can be prevented more reliably. In particular, as in Embodiment 1, when assembling the female terminal 10, the resin part 18 is used as the bottom wall and each contact-forming fitting 16 is assembled on top of it, and each contact-forming fitting 16 can be stably held by each through-hole 80 and each retaining wall portion 82.
[0061] Each fitting portion 72 includes each elastic locking piece 76 and each locking claw portion 77, and each fitted portion 44 includes each locking hole 46. Each elastic locking piece 76 is positioned opposite to each other in the vertical direction with each contact portion 66 of each elastic projection 54 interposed between them. That is, the tip portion (each contact portion 66) of each elastic projection 54 is biased inward in the opposing direction by each clamping plate portion 92 of the clip spring 20. In particular, the portion of each clamping plate portion 92 that presses each contact portion 66 inward in the opposing direction is a bent portion 100 that bends inward in the opposing direction, thereby creating a relatively large space outward in the vertical direction of each contact portion 66 and each clamping plate portion 92 (each bent portion 100) in the male terminal insertion gap 24. By positioning each elastic locking piece 76 in this space, stable elastic deformation inward in the vertical direction of each elastic locking piece 76 when assembling the resin part 18 to the male terminal mounting portion 32 can be achieved.
[0062] <Modifications> Although Embodiment 1 has been described in detail above as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited by this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that they can achieve the purpose 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.
[0063] (1) In the above embodiment, the clip spring 20 is assembled at the protruding end 67 of each elastic projection 54, and the biasing force of each bent portion 100 in the vertical direction of each clamping plate portion 92 of the clip spring 20 is exerted on each elastic projection 54, and the resin part 18 assembled to the male terminal mounting portion 32 has a rear wall forming portion 86, which prevents the clip spring 20 from falling off each elastic projection 54, but the embodiment is not limited to this. In other words, when a clip-spring shaped biasing component is assembled to the protruding end of each elastic projection, the bent portion of each clamping plate may be positioned opposite each elastic projection at zero contact or with only a slight distance. When the male terminal is inserted, the male terminal pushes each elastic projection outward in the vertical direction, causing each elastic projection to come into contact with each clamping plate (each bent portion). As each clamping plate is elastically deformed outward in the vertical direction, its elastic restoring force causes each clamping plate (each bent portion) and each elastic projection to press against the male terminal. Even in such a case, the resin component can be provided with a rear wall forming portion to prevent the biasing component from falling off the protruding end of each elastic projection.
[0064] Furthermore, the protruding ends of each elastic projection and the clamping plate portions of the biasing component may be provided with convex and concave portions that engage with each other, so that when the biasing component is assembled to the protruding ends of each elastic projection, these convex and concave portions engage with each other, preventing the biasing component from falling off each elastic projection. In this case, the resin component does not need to be provided with a rear wall forming portion. Also, even when the rear wall forming portion prevents the biasing component from falling off, the rear wall forming portion does not need to be provided on the resin component that covers the lateral opening of the male terminal mounting portion. A separate member made of metal or synthetic resin having a rear wall forming portion may be provided, and this separate member may be assembled to the male terminal mounting portion so as to cover the rear opening window of the male terminal mounting portion, thereby preventing the biasing component from falling off.
[0065] (2) In the above embodiment, the rear wall forming portion 86 of the resin part 18 is provided with pressure contact ribs 88, and the rear side surface 50b on the inner surface of the positioning groove portion 50 of the male terminal mounting portion 32 is sandwiched between the positioning projection 84 and the pressure contact ribs 88 in the front-rear direction. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. That is, it is preferable that the male terminal mounting portion is partially or completely sandwiched in the front-rear direction by the resin part including the pressure contact ribs by providing pressure contact ribs to the rear wall forming portion. However, the front holding position is not limited. For example, the front end of the resin part may cover the opposing walls of the male terminal mounting portion (for example, the upper wall 26 or the lower wall 28) from the front, and the male terminal mounting portion may be sandwiched over its entire length in the front-rear direction by the pressure contact ribs at the front end and rear end of the resin part. Note that the embodiment of sandwiching the male terminal mounting portion in the front-rear direction by providing pressure contact ribs to the rear wall forming portion is not essential for the female terminal according to the present disclosure.
[0066] (3) In the above embodiment, the female terminal 10 was manufactured by using a resin part 18 as the bottom, assembling each contact forming fitting 16 and clip spring 20 on top of it, and then assembling the male terminal mounting part 32 (terminal body 14) on top of that. However, the invention is not limited to this embodiment. That is, the female terminal according to the present disclosure may be manufactured by first arranging the male terminal mounting part (terminal body) on a jig with the lateral opening facing upward, then assembling each contact forming fitting and biasing part (for example, clip spring 20) at predetermined positions on the side wall that constitutes the male terminal mounting part, using the side wall as the bottom wall, then assembling the resin part from above to close the lateral opening, and finally welding each welded part by laser welding.
[0067] 10 Female terminal 12 Male terminal 14 Terminal body 16 Contact forming fitting 18 Resin part 20 Clip spring (biasing part) 22 Protective cap 24 Male terminal insertion gap 26 Upper wall (opposing wall) 26a Lower surface (inner surface) 28 Lower wall (opposing wall) 28a Upper surface (inner surface) 30 Side wall 32 Male terminal mounting part 34 Side opening 36 Male terminal insertion opening 38 Rear opening window 40 Connection part 42 Bolt insertion hole 44 Fitting part 46 Locking hole 48 Terminal side positioning hole 50 Positioning groove part 50a Bottom surface (on the inner surface of the positioning groove part) 50b Rear side surface (on the inner surface of the positioning groove part) 52 Fixing part 54 Elastic projection 56 Terminal side locking piece 58 Resin side locking piece 60 Contact side slit 62 64 Welded part 66 Bent part 67 Contact part 67 Protruding end 68 Recess 70 Side wall forming part 72 Fitting part 74 Resin side positioning hole 76 Elastic lock piece 77 Locking claw part 78 Inclined surface 79 Vertical surface 80 Through hole 82 Retaining wall part 84 Positioning projection 86 Rear wall forming part 88 Pressure contact rib 90 Connecting plate part 92 Clamping plate part 94 Forward extension part 96 Clip side slit 98 Protruding end 100 Bent part 102 Insertion opening A The distance between the upper and lower contact parts on both sides in the vertical direction before insertion of the male terminal B The thickness dimension of the male terminal C The distance between the positioning projection and the pressure contact rib in the front-rear direction before assembly of the resin part D The distance between the rear side surface constituting the inner surface of the positioning groove and the rear end surfaces of the upper and lower walls in the front-rear direction
Claims
1. The device comprises a terminal body formed by press-forming a first metal plate, a pair of contact-forming fittings formed by press-forming a second metal plate having a thinner plate thickness than the first metal plate, and a resin part, wherein the terminal body includes a pair of opposing walls arranged opposite each other in a first direction with a gap for inserting a male terminal, and a side wall connecting the side edges of the pair of opposing walls, and has a male terminal mounting portion extending with a U-shaped cross-section that opens laterally in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the resin part has a side wall forming portion that closes the lateral opening opposite the side wall of the male terminal mounting portion, and a fitting portion that fits into the fitting portion of the male terminal mounting portion and holds the resin part in an assembled state to the male terminal mounting portion, and the pair of contact-forming fittings are fixed to the inner surfaces of the pair of opposing walls, Each contact forming fitting has a fixing portion fixed to one end of each of the opposing walls that define the male terminal insertion opening provided on one end of the male terminal mounting portion in the second direction, an elastic projection held in a cantilever shape by the fixing portion and projecting toward the other end in the second direction into the male terminal insertion gap, a terminal-side locking piece projecting from the fixing portion toward the side wall side of the male terminal mounting portion, and a resin-side locking piece projecting from the fixing portion toward the side wall forming portion side of the resin part, wherein the terminal-side locking piece of each contact forming fitting is inserted into a terminal-side positioning hole provided through the side wall of the male terminal mounting portion, and each contact forming fitting is positioned and held relative to the male terminal mounting portion in the first and second directions. Female terminal, wherein the resin-side locking piece of each contact-forming fitting is inserted into a resin-side positioning hole provided through the side wall forming portion of the resin component, so that each contact-forming fitting is positioned and held relative to the resin component in the first and second directions.
2. The female terminal according to claim 1, further comprising biasing components assembled to the respective protruding ends of the elastic projections of a pair of contact forming fittings, which bias the protruding ends toward each other, wherein the resin component has a rear wall forming portion that closes a rear opening window provided on the other end side in the second direction of the male terminal mounting portion, and the biasing component abuts against the rear wall forming portion to prevent the biasing component from detaching from the protruding ends.
3. The female terminal according to claim 2, wherein the rear wall forming portion of the resin component has a pressure contact rib that is pressed against the male terminal mounting portion in the second direction, and the resin component is pressed against the male terminal mounting portion on one side in the second direction due to the elastic deformation accompanying the pressure contact of the pressure contact rib.
4. The female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the resin-side positioning holes provided in the side wall forming portion includes a through hole that penetrates the side wall forming portion in the thickness direction and a retaining wall portion that is connected to the bottom surface of the through hole and protrudes toward the side wall.
5. The female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fitting portion of the resin part comprises a pair of elastic lock pieces projecting in a cantilevered manner toward the male terminal insertion gap from two locations spaced apart in the first direction of the side wall forming portion, and a pair of lock claws provided at the tips of the pair of elastic lock pieces and projecting outward in the first direction, the fitted portion comprises a pair of locking holes into which the pair of lock claws are fitted, each of the pair of opposing walls, the elastic projection of each contact forming fitting has a contact portion provided with its tip portion curved so as to be convex inward in the first direction, and the pair of elastic lock pieces are arranged opposite each other in the first direction with the contact portions of each elastic projection interposed between them.