JP2013229221A - Terminal metal fitting - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To install an over-bending restriction piece with good space efficiency while preventing a spring piece from warping to deform.SOLUTION: A connection part 11 is cylindrical and has a tabular base wall 14. A cantilever type first spring piece 25 which bends toward the base wall 14 in contact with an opposite-side tab to deform is arranged in the connection part 11. The base wall 14 has a second spring piece 31, which is narrower than the first spring piece 25 and abuts against the first spring piece 25 from the side of the base wall 14, formed to project. Further, the base wall 14 has an over-bending restriction piece 36, which restricts the first spring piece 25 from over-bending by abutting against a free end part 27 of the first spring piece 25 from the side of the base wall 14, formed on both width-directional sides across the second piece 2 to project.

Description

  The present invention relates to a terminal fitting.

  The terminal metal fitting disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a cylindrical connection portion and a spring piece that is disposed in the connection portion so as to be deflectable. The connecting portion has a flat base wall extending in the front-rear direction and side walls rising from both ends of the base wall in the width direction. The spring piece is folded back from the front end of the base wall and comes into contact with the tab of the mating terminal fitting inserted into the connecting portion so as to bend and deform toward the base wall. Further, on both side walls, excessive deflection regulating pieces are formed by being cut and raised in the connecting portion. The spring pieces are restricted from being excessively bent and deformed by abutting against the excessive bending restriction pieces.

JP 2011-238372 A

  By the way, for example, when the width dimension of the spring piece is smaller than the width dimension of the base wall, the distance from the both side walls to the spring piece becomes longer. It becomes difficult to secure a space for cutting and raising the excessive deflection regulating piece.

  Further, in the above-described conventional configuration, the spring piece is warped and deformed in a substantially U shape so that the width direction center portion sinks to the base wall side with the width direction both ends abutting against the excessive deflection regulating piece as a fulcrum. There is a fear.

  In view of the above circumstances, it is possible to form the excessive deflection regulating piece on the base wall. However, for example, when the spring piece is divided into a first spring piece and a second spring piece and the second spring piece is provided on the base wall, it is necessary to secure an installation space for the excessive deflection regulating piece on the base wall. There is a problem that it becomes difficult.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to install the excessive deflection regulating piece in a space efficient manner while preventing the spring piece from warping and deforming.

  The present invention is a terminal fitting formed by bending a conductive plate material, has a flat base wall, has a cylindrical shape, and is connected by inserting a mating tab therein A first spring piece in a cantilever shape that is disposed in the connecting portion and is in contact with the tab to bend and deform toward the base wall, and is narrower than the first spring piece and from the base wall Formed into a connecting portion, a second spring piece that is bent and deformed together with the first spring piece while contacting the first spring piece from the base wall side, and on both sides in the width direction across the second spring piece An over-deflection restricting piece that is positioned and protrudes from the base wall into the connecting portion, abuts against the first spring piece from the base wall side, and restricts excessive bend of the first spring piece. It is characterized by the provision.

  Since the excessive deflection restricting piece has a form protruding from the base wall into the connecting portion, the first spring piece to be excessively bent and deformed on the base wall side is stably brought into contact with the excessive deflection restricting piece on the base wall side, The first spring piece is prevented from warping and deforming. In addition, although there is a circumstance that the second spring piece protrudes from the base wall, the second spring piece is narrower than the first spring piece, and the over-deflection restricting piece on both sides in the width direction sandwiching the second spring piece. Is located, it is possible to satisfactorily secure an installation space for the excessive deflection regulating piece.

It is a top view of the connection part of the terminal metal fitting concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is sectional drawing which looked at the connection part from the side. It is sectional drawing which looked at the connection part from upper direction. It is an expanded view of a connection part. It is sectional drawing which looked at the connection part of the terminal metal fitting which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention from the front. It is sectional drawing which looked at the connection part from the side. It is sectional drawing which looked at the connection part from upper direction. It is an expanded view of a connection part.

The present invention can be embodied as follows.
A through hole is formed through the base wall, and the second spring piece and the excessive deflection regulating piece are both formed by bending a portion of the base wall that defines the through hole. Since the second spring piece and the excessive deflection regulating piece are formed through the common punch hole, the space efficiency is further improved.

  The free end portion of the first spring piece is narrower than the base end portion serving as a fulcrum for the bending operation. If it is such a form, the stress which generate | occur | produces when a 1st spring piece will contact with a tab will be disperse | distributed favorably. In addition, since the excessive deflection regulating piece protrudes from the base wall, the excessive deflection regulating piece can be brought into contact with the first spring piece even when the free end portion of the first spring piece becomes narrow. Become.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The terminal fitting 10 according to the first embodiment is integrally formed by bending a conductive metal plate or the like, and includes a connection portion 11 and a barrel portion 12 as shown in FIG. The barrel portion 12 has an open barrel shape and is connected to a terminal portion of an electric wire (not shown) by crimping.

  The connecting portion 11 is located in front of the barrel portion 12 via the connecting portion 13 between the connecting portion 11 and the barrel portion 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 11 has a substantially rectangular tube shape, and a tab of a mating terminal fitting (not shown) is inserted into the inside from the front to be connected. Specifically, the connecting portion 11 includes a flat base wall 14 continuously extending from the connecting portion 13 in the front-rear direction, a pair of side walls 15 and 16 rising from both ends in the width direction of the base wall 14, and both side plates. And a ceiling wall 17 spanning from the upper end of one side wall 15 to the upper end of the other side wall 16.

  A bent piece 18 that is bent toward the upper end portion of the one side wall 15 is formed at the upper end portion of the other side wall 16. As shown in FIG. 1, a through hole 19 is formed in a bent portion that is the base of the bent piece 18. As shown in FIG. 2, a first receiving portion 21 that abuts on the lower surface of the bent piece 18 is formed on the free end portion of the ceiling wall 17 by knocking it inwardly (in the connection portion 11). As shown in FIG. 1, the first receiving portion 21 is formed with a protruding piece 22 bent into the through hole 19. By inserting the projecting piece 22 into the through hole 19, the cylindrical shape of the connecting portion 11 is maintained.

  On the ceiling wall 17, a second receiving portion 23 is formed by knocking inward at a position aligned with the first receiving portion 21 in the width direction. Each of the first and second receiving portions 21 and 23 has a rib-like shape extending in the front-rear direction, and comes into contact with a tab inserted into the connection portion 11 from above.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a stabilizer 24 is formed on one side wall 15 so as to protrude outward. Here, the terminal fitting 10 is inserted into a cavity of a connector housing (not shown), and the insertion operation of the terminal fitting 10 is guided by inserting the stabilizer 24 into the guide groove communicating with the cavity. And the reverse insertion of the terminal metal fitting 10 is prevented.

  In the connection part 11, the 1st spring piece 25 is arrange | positioned so that bending is possible. As shown in FIG. 3, the first spring piece 25 is formed by folding back a portion that protrudes forward from the front end of the base wall 14, and extends from the base end portion 26 that continues to the base wall 14 to the free end portion 27. It is in the form of a cantilever extending uphill.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the free end portion 27 of the first spring piece 25 is narrower than the base end portion 26. A pair of projecting pieces 28 are formed on the free end portion 27 of the first spring piece 25 so as to project on both sides in the width direction. For this reason, both side edges of the first spring piece 25 are constricted from the base end portion 26 to the both overhanging pieces 28.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a contact portion 29 is formed at the free end portion 27 of the first spring piece 25 by knocking upward. When the tab is inserted into the connecting portion 11, the tab is elastically sandwiched between the contact portion 29 and the first and second receiving portions 21 and 23, whereby the terminal fitting 10 is electrically connected to the mating terminal fitting. To be connected to. The contact portion 29 extends from a substantially central portion in the width direction of the free end portion 27 to the constricted region, and is disposed at substantially the same height as the stabilizer 24.

  Moreover, the 2nd spring piece 31 is arrange | positioned in the connection part 11 so that bending is possible. As shown in FIG. 3, the second spring piece 31 has a cantilever shape extending upward from the rear end portion of the base wall 14 in the connection portion 11 toward the front. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the second spring piece 31 is positioned substantially at the center in the width direction of the base wall 14 and is configured to be narrower than the first spring piece 25 as a whole. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the second spring piece 31 is configured to gradually become narrower from the base end portion 32 connected to the base wall 14 to the free end portion 33.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the free end portion 33 of the second spring piece 31 is disposed at a position overlapping the free end portion 27 of the first spring piece 25 in the front-rear direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the free end portion 33 of the second spring piece 31 is located below the first spring piece 25 (the bending space of the first spring piece 25), and the first spring piece 25. Is always in contact with the free end 27 of the. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the free end portion 33 of the second spring piece 31 is positioned substantially at the center in the width direction of the base wall 14, and the free end portion 27 of the first spring piece 25 is It is in contact with the substantially central portion in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the free end portion 33 of the second spring piece 31 is formed with a bent contact portion 34 that protrudes and contacts the first spring piece 25. Further, a stepped step portion 35 is bent at the base end portion 32 of the second spring piece 31.

  In the connecting portion 11, the excessive deflection regulating piece 36 is fixedly disposed. The excessive deflection restricting piece 36 is configured to rise upward from a position near the front end portion of the base wall 14 in the connecting portion 11. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the excessive deflection restricting piece 36 has a rectangular plate shape having a plate surface substantially orthogonal to the plate surface of the base wall 14 and extending in the width direction. The over-deflection restricting pieces 36 are arranged in pairs on both sides in the width direction across the free end 33 of the second spring piece 31 in the base wall 14. Specifically, the two excessive deflection restricting pieces 36 are disposed on both sides of the base wall 14 in the width direction center and at positions closer to the width direction center of the base wall 14. The two excessive deflection regulating pieces 36 are disposed below the two protruding pieces 28 of the first spring piece 25, and the lower surface of the two protruding pieces 28 when the first spring piece 25 tends to bend and deform excessively. In contact with the first spring piece 25 to play a role of restricting further bending operation of the first spring piece 25.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a hole 37 for bending the second spring piece 31 and the two excessive deflection regulating pieces 36 is formed through the substantially central portion in the width direction of the base wall 14. The second spring piece 31 is configured to protrude forward from the rear of the punched hole 37 before being bent into the connecting portion 11. In addition, the two excessive deflection regulating pieces 36 are configured to project toward the free end side of the second spring piece 31 at both corners in the width direction in front of the punched hole 37 before being bent into the connection portion 11. . For this reason, the rear edge of the punch hole 37 is defined by the second spring piece 31, and both widthwise ends of the front edge of the punch hole 37 are defined by the two excessive deflection regulating pieces 36.

Next, the operation of the terminal fitting 10 according to the first embodiment will be described.
When the terminal fitting 10 is assembled, the second spring piece 31 is bent and raised from the inside of the hole 37, and the two excessive deflection regulating pieces 36 are cut along the cut line 38 of the base wall 14 shown in FIG. It is bent up from the inside. When the terminal fitting 10 is assembled, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the free end portion 33 of the second spring piece 31 comes into contact with the free end portion 27 of the first spring piece 25 from below and both excessive deflection regulation is performed. The piece 36 is disposed so as to face the projecting pieces 28 of the first spring piece 25 so as to be able to contact from below.

  The terminal fitting 10 is inserted into a cavity of a connector housing (not shown), and a tab is inserted into the connection portion 11 from the front along with the fitting operation of the connector housing. The tab contacts the contact portion 29 of the first spring piece 25 and is elastically held between the contact portion 29 and the first and second receiving portions 21 and 23. At this time, the first spring piece 25 is bent and deformed toward the base wall 14, and the second spring piece 31 is also bent and deformed toward the base wall 14 when pressed by the first spring piece 25. Appropriate contact pressure is applied to the tab by the elastic force of the first and second spring pieces 25 and 31.

  On the other hand, when the first spring piece 25 is excessively pressed toward the base wall 14, the two protruding pieces 28 of the first spring piece 25 abut against the two excessive deflection regulating pieces 36, and beyond that of the first spring piece 25. The bending operation is restricted. Accordingly, the first spring piece 25 is prevented from being excessively bent and deformed. In this case, the free end portion 27 of the first spring piece 25 has a narrow shape, and the excessive bending restriction pieces 36 restrict the excessive bending of the first spring pieces 25 at a position near the center in the width direction of the base wall 14. Therefore, a situation in which the first spring piece 25 is warped and deformed in a substantially U shape is avoided.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, since the excessive deflection regulating piece 36 protrudes from the base wall 14 into the connecting portion 11, the first spring piece that is excessively bent and deformed toward the base wall 14 side. 25 is stably brought into contact with the excessive deflection regulating piece 36 on the base wall 14 side, and the first spring piece 25 is prevented from being warped and deformed. Although the second spring piece 31 protrudes from the base wall 14, the second spring piece 31 is narrower than the first spring piece 25, and both widthwise sides sandwiching the second spring piece 31 are included. Since the excessive deflection restricting piece 36 is positioned at the position, the installation space for the excessive bend restricting piece 36 can be secured satisfactorily.

  Further, the base wall 14 is formed with a through hole 37 penetrating, and the second spring piece 31 and the excessive deflection regulating piece 36 are both formed by bending a portion of the base wall 14 that defines the through hole 37. It is not necessary to individually form the punched holes 37 for the second spring piece 31 and the excessive deflection regulating piece 36. Accordingly, the space efficiency is improved, and the terminal fitting 10 can be reduced in size.

  Further, since the free end portion 27 of the first spring piece 25 is narrower than the base end portion 26, the stress generated when contacting the tab is distributed almost uniformly throughout the first spring piece 25. be able to. Further, since the excessive deflection restricting piece 36 protrudes from the base wall 14, even if the free end portion 27 of the first spring piece 25 becomes narrow, the excessive deflection restricting piece 36 is applied to the first spring piece 25. It is possible to contact.

<Embodiment 2>
6 to 9 show a terminal fitting 10A according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the form of the excessive deflection restricting piece 36A and the hole 37A is different from that of the first embodiment. Others are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment, and a duplicate description is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the excessive deflection restricting piece 36 </ b> A is formed by knocking out so as to protrude from the base wall 14 into the connecting portion 11. Specifically, the excessive deflection regulating piece 36 </ b> A has a trapezoidal shape, and extends from the front end connected to the base wall 14 to the rear with an upward slope, and from the rear end of the first piece 41 to the rear. It has the 2nd piece part 42 extended substantially along the front-back direction toward the back, and the 3rd piece part 43 extended in the downward slope toward the back from the rear end of the 2nd piece part 42. As shown in FIG. Then, the excessive deflection regulating piece 36A is paired on both sides in the width direction across the free end portion 33 of the second spring piece 31 and is below the both protruding pieces 28 of the first spring piece 25, as in the first embodiment. Be placed. As shown in FIG. 8, the second piece portion 42 of the two excessive deflection regulating pieces 36 </ b> A overlaps with the two overhanging pieces 28 in the front-rear direction, and the front and rear lengths of the two excessive deflection regulating pieces 36 </ b> A It is getting longer. As a result, when the first spring piece 25 is excessively bent and deformed, the second piece portion 42 of the two excessive deflection regulating pieces 36A comes into contact with the two protruding pieces 28 of the first spring piece 25, and the second spring piece 25 The excessive bending of 31 is prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the base wall 14 is formed with a common punch hole 37 </ b> A for molding both the excessive deflection regulating pieces 36 </ b> A and the second spring pieces 31, as in the first embodiment. In this case, the punching hole 37A is defined by the main hole 45 defined by the entire outer edge of the second spring piece 31 and the inside of the outer edge of the two excessive deflection regulating pieces 36A, and the outside of the outer edge of the two excessive deflection regulating pieces 36A. And a pair of slit-like sub-holes 46 in the width direction. On both sides of the base wall 14 in the width direction across the over-deflection restricting piece 36A, the main hole 45 and the sub hole 46 are arranged substantially parallel to each other. In addition, an oblique side portion 47 extending obliquely with respect to the front-rear direction is formed at the rear end portion of the two excessive deflection restricting pieces 36A so as to follow both tapered edges of the second spring piece 31. Both over-deflection restricting pieces 36 </ b> A are knocked out from the state shown in FIG. 9, and are molded into a trapezoidal shape in the connection portion 11.

  According to the second embodiment, in addition to the same effects as the first embodiment, the longitudinal length of the second piece portion 42 of the over-deflection restricting piece 36A is increased, so that the first spring piece 25 and the over-deflection are excessive. A large contact area with the restricting piece 36A can be secured.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) The second spring piece and the excessive deflection regulating piece may be formed through different punch holes.
(2) The protruding piece may not be formed at the free end of the first spring piece.
(3) The excessive deflection restricting piece may be disposed so as to be able to contact the proximal end side of the first spring piece.
(4) The first spring piece may be formed with the same width over the entire length, or may have a free end portion wider than the base end portion.
(5) The second spring piece may be formed with the same width over the entire length, or may have a free end portion wider than the base end portion.
(6) The two excessive deflection regulating pieces may have different shapes.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Terminal metal fitting 11 ... Connection part 14 ... Base wall 25 ... 1st spring piece 26 ... Base end part (base end part of 1st spring piece)
27 ... Free end (free end of the first spring piece)
31 ... Second spring piece 36, 36A ... Excessive deflection regulating piece 37, 37A ... Hole

Claims (3)

A terminal fitting formed by bending a conductive plate material,
A connecting portion to which a mating tab is inserted and connected, having a flat base wall and having a cylindrical shape,
A cantilevered first spring piece that is disposed within the connecting portion and is bent and deformed toward the base wall in contact with the tab;
The second spring is narrower than the first spring piece and protrudes from the base wall into the connecting portion. The second spring piece is bent and deformed together with the first spring piece while contacting the first spring piece from the base wall side. Spring pieces,
The first spring piece is located on both sides in the width direction across the second spring piece and protrudes from the base wall into the connecting portion, abutting on the first spring piece from the base wall side. The terminal metal fitting characterized by including the excessive bending control piece which controls excessive bending of.   A punched hole is formed through the base wall, and the second spring piece and the excessive deflection restricting piece are both formed by bending a portion of the base wall that defines the punched hole. The terminal fitting according to claim 1, characterized in that:   The terminal fitting according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a free end portion of the first spring piece is narrower than a base end portion serving as a fulcrum of the bending operation.

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