JP2009158400A - Tab structure of male terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent flexure of a tab in the thickness direction even if the weight of the tab is reduced. <P>SOLUTION: In a male terminal provided with an elongated tab 17 formed by folding back a metal plate material, the tab has, on at least either a base plate surface 29 of the metal plate material or a folded-back surface 25 obtained by folding back the base plate surface, projection parts 27 projecting toward a facing surface of either the base plate surface or the folded-back surface, and tips of the projection parts contact the facing surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a tab structure of a male terminal.

  In general, a male terminal includes a cylindrical portion formed by bending a metal plate into a cylindrical shape, and an elongated tab connected to an opening on the front side of the cylindrical portion. For example, the tabs are formed so that both end faces face each other by folding both side edges of the metal plate material in one direction (longitudinal direction) and then folding it back inward. When this tab is inserted into the female terminal accommodating portion, the elastic member provided in the accommodating portion applies a contact load in the longitudinal direction of the tab, whereby the tab is elastically held in the accommodating portion, and the female terminal and The male terminal is electrically connected (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-12137 A

  By the way, about such a male terminal, the trial which aims at cost reduction by weight reduction is examined. Here, regarding the weight reduction of the tab, it is conceivable to reduce the thickness of the metal plate material. However, in order to keep the contact load by the spring constant when inserting the tab into the female terminal housing, it is necessary to reduce the weight while keeping the thickness of the tab in the vertical direction constant. In this case, unlike a conventional structure in which metal plate materials are stacked by close contact bending, a gap (space) is generated between the substrate surface of the metal plate material and the folded surface obtained by folding the substrate surface. Become.

  In this way, when the thickness of the tab is reduced and a tab with a gap is inserted into the female terminal housing, the tab surface is bent by the contact load of the spring, and the gap between the substrate surface and the folded surface is predetermined. It may not be possible to maintain a normal contact load. And if the contact load of a tab cannot be ensured in a female terminal, it will become easy to produce an electrical contact defect.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a male terminal tab structure that can prevent bending in the thickness direction of the tab even if the tab is lightened.

  The present invention relates to a male terminal having an elongated tab formed by folding a metal plate material, and the tab is provided on at least one of a substrate surface of the metal plate material and a folded surface obtained by folding the substrate surface. It has a protruding portion that protrudes toward one of the opposing surfaces, and the tip of this protruding portion is in contact with the opposing surface.

  In this way, even if the metal plate material of the tab becomes thin, for example, the folded surface can be supported by the protrusions with respect to the substrate surface, so that the strength in the thickness direction of the tab can be increased. Thereby, when the tab is inserted into the female terminal, the bending of the tab due to the contact load of the elastic member can be prevented.

  Here, the protrusion is formed by indenting or beating a metal plate material. Thus, the projection part which has predetermined intensity | strength can be easily formed by giving various press work.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent bending in the tab thickness direction even if the weight is reduced.

  (First Embodiment) A tab structure of a male terminal according to a first embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a tab of a male terminal according to the present embodiment is inserted into a housing portion of a female terminal. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the male terminal according to the present embodiment.

  The male terminal 11 according to the present embodiment forms an electric wire crimping portion 13 for crimping an electric wire at a base end portion, and has a square tube-shaped square tube portion 15 at a central portion, and a distal end side of the square tube portion 15 A tab 17 is connected to the opening.

  The tab 17 is formed so that the substrate portion 21 of the metal plate material is folded inward in the longitudinal direction (upward direction in FIG. 1) from both side edges and then folded inward, and the end surfaces of the folded portion 23 face each other. . The front end portion of the tab 17 is narrowed by inclining each surface toward the front end side in order to facilitate insertion into the female terminal accommodating portion.

  On the other hand, the female terminal forms an accommodating portion into which the tab 17 of the male terminal 11 is inserted by bending a metal plate material into a rectangular tube shape. As shown in FIG. 1, a fixed contact 33 is provided on the lower surface side of the top plate portion 31 so as to elastically hold the inserted tab 17 from above and below in the housing portion of the female terminal. An elastic member 37 is provided on the upper surface side of the substrate portion 35 facing the contact 33 with a predetermined clearance. The elastic member 37 is provided with a contact portion 39 that bulges toward the fixed contact side at the approximate center of the contact surface with the tab 17.

  Next, the tab structure of the male terminal 11 will be specifically described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the tab structure of the male terminal 11 according to the present embodiment has a protruding portion on the folded surface 25 on the lower surface side facing the substrate portion 21 in the folded portion 23 where the substrate portion 21 is folded inward. 27 is formed. The protrusion 27 is formed in a spot shape, and one or a plurality of the protrusions 27 are provided in the axial direction of the tab 17. The tip of the protrusion 27 is in contact with the substrate surface 29 on the upper surface side facing the folded surface 25 in the substrate portion 21. That is, the protrusion height of the protrusion 27 substantially matches the distance of the gap between the substrate surface 29 and the folded surface 25. In addition, the protrusion part 27 is not restricted to a spot form, For example, you may form as two convex strips parallel along the axial direction of the tab 17. FIG.

  Next, the operation when the tab 17 is inserted into the female terminal housing will be described.

  When the tab 17 is inserted into the female terminal accommodating portion, the fixed contact 33 contacts the folded portion 23 of the tab 17, and the contact portion 39 of the elastic member 37 contacts the substrate portion 21 of the tab 17. . Thus, a contact load is applied to the tab 17 via the contact portion 39 and the fixed contact 33 due to the pressing force applied by the elastic member 37 from below on the tab 17 via the contact portion 39. .

  According to the tab structure of the present embodiment, the protruding portion 27 is provided between the substrate surface 29 and the folded surface 25, and this protruding portion 27 functions to support the substrate portion 21 and the folded portion 23 with each other. The strength of the tab 17 in the vertical direction (thickness direction) can be increased. As a result, even if the metal plate material forming the tab 17 is thinned and reduced in weight, it is possible to prevent deformation such as the substrate portion 21 and the folded portion 23 being bent by the contact load acting on the tab 17. The contact state between the terminals can be stabilized.

  Further, the protrusion 27 of the present embodiment can be formed by various press processes such as indent processing or beat processing. For example, indent processing is suitable for preventing the concave portion from being formed on the back surface side of the folded surface 25 in the folded portion 23 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, beat processing is suitable when a recess may be formed on the back surface side of the folded surface 25.

  As described above, according to the tab structure of the male terminal according to the present embodiment, the protrusion 27 is interposed between the substrate portion 21 of the metal plate material and the folded portion 23 where the substrate portion is folded. Since the portions 27 support each other, the vertical strength of the tab can be increased. Thereby, even if the metal plate material which comprises a tab is made thin and weight-reduced, the bending and crushing of the tab by a contact load can be prevented.

  (Second Embodiment) Next, a tab structure of a male terminal according to a second embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the tab of the male terminal according to the present embodiment is inserted into the housing portion of the female terminal. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof will be omitted, and components and features that are different from those in the first embodiment will be described.

  The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that, in the tab structure of the male terminal, only one side edge portion of the substrate portion 43 is folded in the vertical direction (upward in FIG. 2) and then folded in the horizontal direction. That is, the portion 45 is formed. In other words, in the present embodiment, one side surface of the tab 41 is open along the axial direction, and the tab 41 has a relatively small lateral width (left-right direction in FIG. 2).

  In such a configuration, as in the first embodiment, a protruding portion 27 is formed on the folded surface 47 on the lower surface side of the folded portion 45, and the protruding portion 27 is a substrate surface on the upper surface side of the substrate portion 43. 49. According to this, since the projection part 27 functions to support the substrate part 43 and the folded part 45, the strength of the tab 41 in the vertical direction can be increased. Thereby, even if the metal plate material which comprises the tab 41 is made thin and weight-reduced, when the contact load is added to the tab 41, deformation | transformation, such as the board | substrate part 43 and the folding | returning part 45 bending, can be prevented. .

  (Third Embodiment) Next, a tab structure of a male terminal according to a third embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the tab of the male terminal according to the present embodiment is inserted into the housing portion of the female terminal. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and components and features that are different from those in the second embodiment will be described.

  The difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment is that, in the tab structure of the male terminal, the protrusion 27 is formed on the substrate surface 49 and the tip of the protrusion 27 is in contact with the folded surface 47. It is. In the present embodiment, as in the second embodiment, one side surface of the tab 51 is open along the axial direction, and the tab is employed in which the lateral width (left-right direction in FIG. 3) is relatively small.

  Even in this configuration, the projection 27 functions to support the substrate 43 and the folded portion 45 together as in the second embodiment, so that the vertical strength of the tab 51 can be increased. Thereby, even if the metal plate material which comprises the tab 51 is made thin and weight-reduced, when the contact load is added to the tab 51, deformation | transformation, such as the board | substrate part 43 and the folding | returning part 45 bending, can be prevented. .

  Further, the protrusion 27 may be formed on both the substrate surface 49 and the folded surface 47. Thus, even if the protrusions 27 protrude from alternately different surfaces, the same effects as described above can be obtained.

It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the tab of the male terminal concerning 1st Embodiment was inserted in the accommodating part of the female terminal. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the tab of the male terminal concerning 2nd Embodiment was inserted in the accommodating part of the female terminal. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the tab of the male terminal concerning 3rd Embodiment was inserted in the accommodating part of a female terminal. It is a perspective view showing the whole male terminal composition to which the present invention is applied. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional shape of the tab of the male terminal to which this invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Male terminal 15 Square cylinder part 17,41,51 Tab 21,43 Substrate part 23,45 Folded part 25,47 Folded surface 27 Projection part 29,49 Substrate surface 37 Elastic member 39 Contact part

Claims (2)

In a male terminal with an elongated tab formed by folding a metal plate,
The tab has a protrusion protruding toward an opposing surface of the substrate surface or the folded surface on at least one of the substrate surface of the metal plate material and the folded surface obtained by folding the substrate surface, A tab structure of a male terminal, characterized in that the tip of the projection is in contact with the facing surface.   2. The male terminal tab structure according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is formed by indenting or beating the metal plate material.

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