JP2014078373A - Multi-contact type female terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multi-contact type female terminal in a novel structure capable of also equalizing spring forces of a plurality of elastic contact pieces in contact with a male terminal while keeping equal conductor resistance of the elastic contact pieces.SOLUTION: Outer shapes of a plurality of elastic contact pieces 22a-22f protruding from a plurality of portions in a circumferential direction of a base part 18 which is formed tubular by folding a metal plate 10', and being elastically deformable are made equal to one another and in intermediate portions in a width direction of the elastic contact pieces 22a-22f of small spring forces, spring force adjusting parts 24a-24f are formed in a recessed groove shape. By adjusting sizes of the spring force adjusting parts 24a-24f, the spring forces of the elastic contact pieces 22a-22f are made equal.

Description

  The present invention relates to a female terminal provided at an end of an electric wire and connected to a male terminal, and more particularly to a multi-contact type female terminal in which a plurality of elastic contact pieces are in contact with a male terminal.

  Conventionally, a multi-contact type female terminal as described in JP 2012-164486 A (Patent Document 1) is known as a female terminal used in an electrical system such as an automobile. Such a multi-contact type female terminal is formed by bending a stamped plate-like metal plate, and a plurality of elastic contact pieces projecting from a base formed in a cylindrical shape. Yes. And it is supposed that a contact resistance can be reduced and the emitted-heat amount can be reduced by contacting a male terminal with a some elastic contact piece.

  By the way, in order to stably connect such a multi-contact female terminal to a male terminal, it is necessary that each elastic contact piece comes into contact with the male terminal with an equal contact pressure. Therefore, as described in Patent Document 1, in the conventional multi-contact female terminal, the spring force of the elastic contact piece is adjusted by changing the width dimension and the length dimension of the plurality of elastic contact pieces. It was done.

  However, in such a multi-contact type female terminal, since the width dimension and length dimension of each elastic contact piece are different, a difference occurs in the conductor resistance of each elastic contact piece, and current does not flow evenly. There is a possibility that current concentrates on the thick and short elastic contact piece to cause local heat generation. Furthermore, in order to adjust the width dimension and length dimension of the elastic contact piece, there is a problem that the mold must be changed greatly, which requires a lot of manufacturing time and cost. It was difficult to finely adjust the spring force of the elastic contact piece by adjusting the width dimension and length dimension.

JP 2012-164486 A

  The present invention has been made in the background of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the problem to be solved is that the spring force of each elastic contact piece can be made uniform while keeping the conductor resistance of the plurality of elastic contact pieces uniform. An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-contact female terminal having a novel structure.

  A first aspect of the present invention includes a base portion formed in a cylindrical shape by bending a metal plate, and a plurality of elastic contact pieces that protrude from a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction of the base portion and can be elastically deformed. In the multi-contact type female terminal in which the plurality of elastic contact pieces are in contact with the male terminal, the plurality of elastic contact pieces have the same outer shape as each other, and the other elastic member among the plurality of elastic contact pieces A spring force adjusting portion having a concave groove shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the elastic contact piece is formed at an intermediate portion in the width direction of the elastic contact piece having a smaller spring force than that of the contact piece.

  In the multi-contact type female terminal structured according to the present invention, a spring force adjusting portion having a concave groove shape is formed on the elastic contact piece, and the length, width, and depth of the spring force adjusting portion are adjusted. Thus, the spring force of the elastic contact piece can be adjusted. Thereby, the contact load to the male terminal based on the spring force of each elastic contact piece can be adjusted equally, and it can connect stably with a male terminal. And the outer shape of each elastic contact piece is made equal, and the spring force adjustment part is not a hole shape such as punching but is formed with a bottomed groove shape. Thereby, the current-carrying cross-sectional area of each elastic contact piece can be made equal, conductor resistance can be kept uniform, and an electric current can be sent evenly to each elastic contact piece. As a result, it is possible to stably ensure conduction with the male terminal, and to avoid the possibility of current being concentrated on a specific elastic contact piece to cause local heat generation.

  Further, the outer shapes of the elastic contact pieces are set to be equal, and the spring force adjusting portion can be formed by nesting a die of a press machine. Therefore, the spring force of the elastic contact piece can be adjusted only by changing the shape of the insert without requiring a large change in the mold, and the manufacturing time and manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, since the spring force of the elastic contact piece can be finely adjusted by finely adjusting the shape of the nest, the spring force can be adjusted with higher precision than when adjusting the outer shape.

  The shape of the base may be any cylindrical shape, and may be a rectangular shape or a regular polygonal cylindrical shape having more vertices than a cylindrical shape. Further, a flat polygonal or elliptical cylindrical shape in which a pair of opposite sides is longer than the other sides may be used. Therefore, the multi-contact type female terminal of the present invention has a base portion that is cylindrical or regular polygonal, and is connected to a pin terminal having a circular cross section as a male terminal, or a base portion that is rectangular or flat polygonal, The oval cylindrical shape includes a flat plate shape as a male terminal, and those connected to a tab terminal such as a flat polygonal cross-sectional shape or an elliptical cross-sectional shape.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the spring force adjusting portion is formed on the elastic contact pieces positioned at least at both ends of the base portion in the deployed state of the base portion. It is what.

  Since the elastic contact pieces provided at both ends of the base portion in the deployed state are likely to be less rigid than other elastic contact pieces, the spring force is likely to be small. Therefore, by forming a spring force adjusting portion on the elastic contact pieces at both ends of the base to increase the spring force, the spring force of each elastic contact piece is made equal by bringing the spring force of the other elastic contact pieces closer. I can do it.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the groove width of the spring force adjusting portion formed in the elastic contact piece other than the elastic contact piece located at both ends of the base portion according to the second aspect. At least one of a dimension, a groove length dimension, and a groove depth dimension is different from the spring force adjusting portion of the elastic contact piece located at both ends of the base portion.

  In this aspect, the spring force adjusting portions are formed on the elastic contact pieces other than the elastic contact pieces located at both ends of the base portion in the deployed state, and the sizes of the spring force adjusting portions are varied according to the difference in rigidity. Thus, the spring force of each elastic contact piece can be set more evenly.

  In the present invention, the outer shapes of the plurality of elastic contact pieces projecting from the cylindrical base are made the same shape, and the groove-shaped spring force adjusting portion is formed in the elastic contact piece having a small spring force. Thereby, the spring force of each elastic contact piece can be adjusted, and the contact load to a male terminal can be equalized. And since the spring force adjustment part is made into the shape of a ditch | groove, the electricity cross-sectional area of each elastic contact piece can be made equal, and conductor resistance can be kept equal. As a result, current can flow evenly through each elastic contact piece, stable conduction can be achieved, and local heat generation caused by current concentration on a specific elastic contact piece can be suppressed. I can do it.

The perspective view of the multi-contact type female terminal as one embodiment of the present invention. The side view which shows the multi-contact type female terminal shown in FIG. 1, and a male terminal together. The front view of the multi-contact type female terminal shown in FIG. The expanded view of the multi-contact type female terminal shown in FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-a in FIG. 4, FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-b in FIG. 4, and FIG. Sectional drawing equivalent to the VI-VI cross section in FIG. 3 which shows the connection state with the male terminal of the multi-contact type female terminal shown in FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, the socket terminal 10 which concerns on the multi-contact type female terminal as one Embodiment of this invention is shown in FIGS. 1-3. The socket terminal 10 is connected to a pin terminal 12 as a male terminal shown in FIG. The pin terminal 12 has a circular cross-sectional shape and is connected to an end of an electric wire (not shown), an electric device, or the like. The socket terminal 10 and the pin terminal 12 are connected from the left-right direction in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the socket terminal 10 is an integrally formed product formed by bending a metal plate 10 ′ formed by press punching a plate member made of a copper alloy or the like in a developed shape. Yes. The surface of the socket terminal 10 is plated with gold, silver, tin or the like.

  The socket terminal 10 includes an open-type barrel portion 14 for caulking and fixing a core wire of an electric wire (not shown), and a connecting portion 16 extending from the barrel portion 14 forward in the direction of connection with the pin terminal 12 (leftward in FIG. 2). And the base 18 extended in the connection direction with the pin terminal 12 from the connection part 16 is integrally formed. The barrel portion 14 and the base portion 18 are connected by an inclined connecting portion 16. As a result, the base portion 18 is offset from the barrel portion 14 in the downward direction in FIG. An engagement hole 19 that engages with a cover (not shown) assembled to the socket terminal 10 is provided through the connection portion between the connection portion 16 and the base portion 18.

  The base 18 has a cylindrical shape as a whole. The base 18 is formed in a cylindrical shape by bending so that the end edges 20a and 20b of the metal plate 10 'shown in FIG. The axis of the base 18 extends in the direction of connection with the pin terminal 12 (in the left-right direction in FIG. 2).

  A plurality (six in this embodiment) of elastic contact pieces 22 a to 22 f extending in the connection direction with the pin terminal 12 are integrally formed on the base 18. As shown in FIG. 3, the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f all have the same outer shape, and the protruding length dimension from the base 18: L (see FIG. 4), and the width dimension: W, thickness Dimensions: T (see FIG. 5 described later) are all equal. In addition, while the protrusion front-end | tip part from the base 18 of the elastic contact pieces 22a-22f is gradually reduced in width dimension toward the protrusion direction front (left side in FIG. 4), the protrusion front-end | tip edge part is It has a curved shape. These elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f are formed at equal intervals in the length direction (vertical direction in FIG. 4) of the base portion 18 in the expanded state.

  The elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f are formed with spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f, respectively. As shown in FIG. 5, the spring force adjusting portions 24 a to 24 f open to the outside (upper side in FIG. 5) of the socket terminal 10, and the longitudinal direction of the elastic contact pieces 22 a to 22 f (left and right direction in FIG. 5). ) Is formed in a bottomed groove shape extending to). The spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f extend from the end portions on the base 18 side of the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f to the base portion 18 at intermediate portions in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 4) of the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f. Is formed. Both edge portions in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 4) of the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f are formed in a semicircular shape.

  The length dimension: l, the width dimension: w, and the depth dimension: d of the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f depend on the spring force (contact load to the pin terminal 12) required for the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f. The higher the spring force is required, that is, the lower the rigidity at the connecting portion with the base 18 is, the larger the length dimension: l, the width dimension: w, and the depth dimension: d are set larger. The In the present embodiment, since the elastic contact pieces 22a and 22f located at both ends of the base 18 in the deployed state have the lowest rigidity and the spring force is relatively small, the spring force adjusting portions of the elastic contact pieces 22a and 22f The length dimension: l and the width dimension: w of 24a, 24f are made larger than the spring force adjustment parts 24b-24e of the elastic contact pieces 22b-22e. In addition, the depth dimension: d of the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f in the present embodiment are all equal, and preferably, the thickness dimension of the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f: approximately half of T. Is set. Then, the length dimension: l and the width dimension: w of the spring force adjusting portions 24b, 24e of the elastic contact pieces 22b, 22e located on both ends of the base 18 next to the elastic contact pieces 22a, 22f are the spring force adjustment. The lengths of the spring force adjusting portions 24c and 24d of the elastic contact pieces 22c and 22d which are enlarged next to the portions 24a and 24f and located at the most central side of the base portion 18 and which are relatively rigid are: l and width Dimension: w is the smallest. The spring force adjusting unit 24a and the spring force adjusting unit 24f, the spring force adjusting unit 24b and the spring force adjusting unit 24e, and the spring force adjusting unit 24c and the spring force adjusting unit 24d that are separated from the center of the base 18 by the same distance are mutually connected. The size is equal. Thereby, it adjusts so that the spring force of elastic contact pieces 22a-22f may become equal.

  The spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f are preferably formed by press working when forming the metal plate 10 ', and more preferably formed by nesting provided removably on the die of the press machine. . Then, by adjusting the length, width, and height of the nest, the length dimension: l, the width dimension: w, and the depth dimension: d of the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f can be adjusted. As a result, the protruding portions 26a to 26f that protrude on the opposite side of the opening direction of the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f are formed on the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f where the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f are formed (see FIG. 5 and the like). ) Is formed.

  Then, the metal plate 10 ′ is bent and the base 18 is formed in a cylindrical shape, so that the elastic contact pieces 22 a to 22 f are positioned at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the base 18. The elastic contact pieces 22a, 22b and 22c and the elastic contact pieces 22f, 22e and 22d are positioned symmetrically in FIG. The elastic contact pieces 22 a to 22 f protrude in a cantilevered manner from the base portion 18 in the connection direction of the pin terminal 12 (leftward in FIG. 2), and are elastically deformable in the radial direction of the base portion 18. . The elastic contact pieces 22 a to 22 f have a tapered shape that is inclined in the diameter reducing direction in the radial direction of the base 18 as it goes forward in the protruding direction from the base 18. Furthermore, an introduction portion 28 bent in the diameter increasing direction in the radial direction of the base portion 18 is formed at the protruding tip portion of the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f from the base portion 18 so that the pin terminal 12 can be easily inserted. ing. The opposing distance between the elastic contact piece 22a and the elastic contact piece 22d, the elastic contact piece 22b and the elastic contact piece 22e, and the elastic contact piece 22c and the elastic contact piece 22f opposed to each other in the radial direction of the base portion 18 It is the smallest at the bent base end on the side of the base 18 and is smaller than the outer diameter of the pin terminal 12, and the introduction portion 28 is formed, so that the tip of the pin terminal 12 protrudes from the base 18. It is larger than the outer diameter.

  When the pin terminal 12 is inserted into the socket terminal 10 from the introduction portion 28, the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f are pressed against the outer periphery of the pin terminal 12 to be expanded and deformed. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the elastic contact pieces 22 a to 22 f are pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the pin terminal 12 by elasticity, and thereby the pin terminal 12 and the socket terminal 10 are connected.

  In the socket terminal 10 having the structure according to the present embodiment, the springs of the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f are adjusted by adjusting the sizes of the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f formed on the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f. The force is set almost evenly. Thereby, the contact load to the pin terminal 12 of each elastic contact piece 22a-22f can be made substantially uniform, and the stable connection with the pin terminal 12 can be performed. In particular, in this embodiment, since the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f are formed on all the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f, the spring force of all the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f can be adjusted. The contact load to the pin terminal 12 of each elastic contact piece 22a-22f can be set more accurately and equally.

  And since the outer shape of each elastic contact piece 22a-22f is made equal, and the spring force adjustment parts 24a-24f are formed with a concave groove shape, the energization cross-sectional area of each elastic contact piece 22a-22f is equal. Thus, the energization resistance is also set substantially evenly. Thereby, it is possible to flow current evenly through each of the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f, to stably maintain energization with the pin terminal 12, and to supply current to specific ones of the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f. It is possible to prevent local heat generation due to the concentration of the water.

  Furthermore, the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f can be formed by nesting a mold when the metal plate 10 'is pressed. Therefore, when changing the size of the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f, it is possible to cope with the change only by changing the shape of the nesting without greatly changing the mold. Thereby, reduction of manufacturing time and manufacturing cost can be aimed at. Further, by forming the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f by nesting, the shape of the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f can be easily finely adjusted.

  Further, the spring force adjusting portions 24a to 24f are formed into a bottomed groove shape, thereby forming projecting portions 26a to 26f projecting inside the elastic contact pieces 22a to 22f. The protrusions 26 a to 26 f (particularly, the protrusions 26 a and 26 f positioned at the most distal end side of the socket terminal 10) can be used as a stopper by contacting the pin terminal 12. The amount of insertion to 10 can also be specified.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was explained in full detail, this invention is not limited by the specific description. For example, the number of elastic contact pieces can be set to an arbitrary number of 2 or more. Further, the interval in the circumferential direction of the base portion of the plurality of elastic contact pieces is not limited to the equal interval. For example, the spring force adjustment is performed while forming the plurality of elastic contact pieces in the circumferential direction of the base portion at unequal intervals. By adjusting the shape of the part, the contact load to the male terminal can be adjusted evenly.

  Moreover, the elastic contact piece which forms a spring force adjustment part can be arbitrarily selected from a plurality of elastic contact pieces, and does not need to be formed on all the elastic contact pieces. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the spring force adjusting portions 24a and 24f may be formed only on the elastic contact pieces 22a and 22f located at both ends of the base portion 18 in a deployed state where the spring force is relatively small. Furthermore, although the spring force adjusting portion in the above embodiment is formed to open to the outside of the multi-contact type female terminal, it has a bottomed groove shape that opens to the inside of the multi-contact type female terminal. Also good. In this way, the bottom part of the spring force adjusting part protrudes outside the elastic contact piece, so that interference with the male terminal can be avoided.

  Furthermore, the shape of the base is not limited to a cylindrical shape. For example, as described in Patent Document 1, the present invention can be applied to a multi-contact female terminal that has a rectangular cylindrical base and is connected to a flat tab terminal as a male terminal.

10: socket terminal (multi-contact type female terminal), 10 ′: metal plate, 12: pin terminal (male terminal), 18: base, 22a to f: elastic contact piece, 24a to f: spring force adjusting unit, 26a to f: Projection

Claims (3)

A base portion formed by bending a metal plate into a cylindrical shape, and a plurality of elastic contact pieces protruding from a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction of the base portion to be elastically deformable, the plurality of elastic contact pieces being In the multi-contact type female terminal that contacts the male terminal,
The plurality of elastic contact pieces have outer shapes that are equal to each other, and among the plurality of elastic contact pieces, an elastic contact piece having a smaller spring force than the other elastic contact pieces, A multi-contact type female terminal having a groove-shaped spring force adjusting portion extending in a longitudinal direction of an elastic contact piece. 2. The multi-contact type female terminal according to claim 1, wherein the spring force adjusting portion is formed on at least the elastic contact pieces located at both ends of the base portion in a deployed state of the base portion. At least one of a groove width dimension, a groove length dimension, and a groove depth dimension of the spring force adjusting portion formed on the elastic contact piece other than the elastic contact piece located at both ends of the base is at both ends of the base. The multi-contact type female terminal according to claim 2, wherein the multi-contact type female terminal is different from the spring force adjusting portion of the elastic contact piece located in the portion.

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