JP2788572B2 - Contact structure of female terminal - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a contact structure of a female terminal for elastically holding a mating terminal at an electric contact portion having a pair of elastic contact pieces.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS.
Female terminal 1 to which a conventional female terminal contact structure described in JP-A-29288, JP-A-61-237375, etc. is applied.
Is shown. The female terminal 1 has a box-shaped electrical contact portion 3 composed of a substrate 5, side walls 6, 6 bent in the same direction from both sides of the substrate 5, and an upper plate 8 facing the substrate 5. A crimping portion (not shown) formed integrally with the contact portion 3 and crimping and connecting the end of the electric wire.

The electrical contact portion 3 has a rectangular contact portion 7 formed on the upper plate 8 and bent and protruded toward the substrate 5.
The inner wall side of the contact portion 7 is a contact surface that contacts one surface of the counterpart terminal 19. A pair of elastic contact pieces 9 and 11 are provided on the substrate 5 so as to correspond to the contact portions 7 so as to be folded back from the front edge 5a of the substrate 5 and be arranged side by side. The resilient contact pieces 9 and 11 have the same shape, and the ascending pieces 13 and 13 and the descending pieces 17 and 17 extending toward the substrate 5 at a predetermined angle with the ascending pieces 13 and 13. , And the entire shape is formed in a substantially mountain shape. Also, the distal ends of the down piece portions 17, 17 are folded back toward the contact portion 7 again to form free ends 15, 15, respectively. These free ends 15, 15 are separated from the substrate 5 by a predetermined distance L1 (see FIG. 7
(See (a)).

When the tip 19a of a mating terminal (male terminal) 19 is inserted between the contact portion 7 of the terminal 1 and the pair of elastic contact pieces 9 and 11, as shown in FIG. ,
The ascending pieces 13, 13 and the descending pieces 17, 17 are bent so that the free ends 15, 15 abut on the substrate 5, respectively. And
When the other terminal 19 is further inserted, the other terminal 19 is inserted.
As shown in FIG. 7 (c), is pressed toward the contact portion 7 by a reaction force (hereinafter referred to as “contact pressure”) due to the bending of the up piece portions 13, 13 and the down piece portions 17, 17.

At this time, the contact pressure F with respect to the deflection δ of the elastic contact pieces 9 and 11 is, as shown in FIG.
Rises along the line A until it contacts the substrate 5. When the free ends 15 contact the substrate 5, the contact pressure F sharply increases from the point B (contact pressure change point) along the line C, which is steeper than the line A. Then, when the counterpart terminal 19 is completely inserted between the contact portion 7 and the elastic contact pieces 9 and 11, the contact pressure F2 at the point D when the elastic contact pieces 9 and 11 have the maximum amount of deflection R is used. 19 is elastically sandwiched between the elastic contact pieces 9 and 11 and the contact portion 7. Thereby, the reliability of the contact between the electrical contact portion 3 and the counterpart terminal 19 is maintained.

In this case, the downward pieces 17, 1 from the substrate 5
The distance L1 between the free ends 15, 15 of FIG. 7 (see FIG. 7A) determines the amount of deflection until each free end 15, 15 contacts the substrate 5, and the position of the contact pressure variation point B described above. .
For example, when the distance L1 is short, the free ends 15, 15 contact the substrate 5 immediately after the insertion of the counterpart terminal 19 between the contact portion 7 and the elastic contact pieces 9, 11, so that the contact pressure changing point B
Moves to the point E on the line A, and the contact pressure F increases from the contact pressure variation point E along the G line parallel to the C line. Then, the counterpart terminal 1 is completely inserted between the contact portion 7 and the elastic contact pieces 9 and 11.
When 9 is inserted, the mating terminal 19 is elastically sandwiched between the elastic contact pieces 9 and 11 and the contact portion 7 by the contact pressure F3 at the position of the flexure amount R.

If the distance L1 is long, the contact portion 7
After inserting the mating terminal 19 to the back between the elastic contact pieces 9 and 11, the free ends 15, 15 contact the substrate 5, so that the contact pressure variation point B moves to the point H on the A line. The contact pressure F increases from the contact pressure variation point H along a G line parallel to the C line. When the mating terminal 19 is completely inserted between the contact portion 7 and the elastic contact pieces 9 and 11, the mating terminal 19 is brought into contact with the elastic contact pieces 9 and 11 by the contact pressure F1 at the position of the bending amount R. 7 is elastically clamped.

Therefore, when the distance L1 from the substrate 5 to the free ends 15, 15 is short, the contact pressure F increases, and when the distance L1 is long, the contact pressure F decreases.

[0009]

However, the distance L1 between the free ends 15, 15 from the substrate 5 varies due to an error in manufacturing the terminal 1. Therefore, the amount of bending of the elastic contact pieces 9 and 11 until the free ends 15 and 15 come into contact with the substrate 5 is different, so that the above-mentioned contact pressure variation point B moves to the point E or the point H. As a result, the final contact pressure F applied to the counterpart terminal 19 varies.

An object of the present invention is to provide a contact structure of a female terminal which can reduce the variation of contact pressure and improve the contact reliability in consideration of the above circumstances.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a method for reducing the distance from the substrate to the free end of the downwardly extending piece of one elastic contact piece from the substrate. With the mating terminal inserted between the contact portion and the pair of elastic contact pieces, the free end of the down piece of one elastic contact piece with respect to the substrate. It is characterized in that it is in a non-contact state, and the free end of the down piece portion of the other elastic contact piece is in a substantially contact state with the substrate.

[0012]

According to the contact structure of the female terminal of the present invention, when the mating terminal is inserted between the contact portion and the pair of elastic contact pieces,
The free end of the down piece of the other elastic contact piece abuts the substrate,
The free end of the down piece portion of one elastic contact piece is separated from the substrate. From this state, when the mating terminal is inserted between the contact portion and the pair of elastic contact pieces, the contact pressure applied to the mating terminal is equal to the contact pressure of one elastic contact piece and the contact pressure of the other elastic contact piece. It becomes the sum with the contact pressure.

In the terminal contact structure of the present invention, the contact pressure applied by the pair of elastic contact pieces to the counterpart terminal is independent of the distance from the substrate to the free end of each elastic contact piece. There is no variation in the contact pressure.

[0014]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a contact structure of a female terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a female terminal 21 to which a female terminal contact structure according to the present invention is applied.
Is shown. The female terminal 21 has the same basic configuration as the terminal 1 shown in FIG. 6, but is free of the downward pieces 31, 33 extending from the upward pieces 27, 29 of the elastic contact pieces 23, 25. The positions of the ends 35 and 37 from the substrate 5 are different. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the distance L2 from the substrate 5 to the free end 35 of the down piece 31 of one elastic contact piece 23 is equal to the free end 37 of the down piece 33 of the other elastic contact piece 25. , The free end 37 is located substantially near the substrate 5. Also, the upward piece 2 of the elastic contact pieces 23 and 25
The height from the substrate 5 of the continuous portion (top portion) of the lower and upper portions 7 and 29 and the lower piece portions 31 and 33 is the same. The free end 3
7 is preferably brought into contact with the substrate 5 in advance.

When inserted between the contact portion 7 of the female terminal 21 and the pair of elastic contact pieces 23 and 25 from the distal end 19a of the mating terminal 19, as shown in FIGS. The elastic contact pieces 23 and 25 are respectively bent toward the substrate 5. One elastic contact piece 23 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), the free end 35 is at a distance L from the substrate 5.
2, the slope is relatively gentle, as shown in FIG.
The contact pressure F increases according to the line.

Also, the other elastic contact piece 25 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), the free end 37 is connected to the other terminal 19.
Immediately after insertion, the contact pressure increases along the line S in the figure, which is steeper than the line U. The total contact pressure F4 of these elastic contact pieces 23 and 25 is
The total contact pressure F to which the counterpart terminal 19 is applied increases along the line T shown in FIG.

In this case, the free end 35 of one resilient contact piece 23 is at a distance L4 from the substrate 5 even when the counterpart terminal 19 is inserted. Therefore, the free end 35 of one elastic contact piece 23 is bent from the distance L2 to the distance L4, and the distance L2 from the substrate 5 before the insertion of the counterpart terminal 19 is determined by the elastic contact piece 23 It is independent of the contact pressure applied to 19. Therefore, even if the distance L2 varies, the contact pressure F does not vary.

That is, in FIG. 5, the contact pressure F of one elastic contact piece 23 is set to a position where the maximum amount of flexure R of the elastic contact piece 23 in a state where the counterpart terminal 19 is completely inserted is larger than the maximum flexure R. If the inflection point V exists and the elastic contact piece 23 is not deflected from the maximum deflection R, it does not reach the contact pressure inflection point V.
For this reason, even when the counterpart terminal 19 is inserted, there is no contact pressure change point where the contact pressure rapidly changes when the counterpart terminal 19 is inserted, so that a constant contact pressure F can be obtained even when the distance L2 varies. .

The free end 37 of the other elastic contact piece 25 comes into contact with the substrate 5 immediately after the counterpart terminal 19 is inserted. For this reason, the contact pressure change point where the contact pressure rapidly changes does not occur at the time of bending when the counterpart terminal 19 is inserted, so that the contact pressure F does not vary.

Therefore, in the contact structure of the female terminal 21 of this embodiment, the pair of elastic contact pieces 23 and 25
Is independent of the distances L2 and L3 from the substrate 5 to the free ends 35 and 37, respectively.
Even if these distances L2 vary in the manufacture of the device, the contact pressure F4 does not vary, and a constant contact pressure F4 can be obtained.

Thus, the insertion force between the connector housing the female terminal 21 and the mating connector is stabilized. Further, the reliability of the contact between the counterpart terminal and the electric contact portion 3 can be further improved.

Since the contact pressure F4 is independent of the distances L2 and L3 from the substrate 5 to the free ends 35 and 37, the distance L
2. It is not necessary to strictly demand the dimensional accuracy of L3 at the time of manufacturing, and it is possible to reduce dimensional management costs and manufacturing costs at the time of manufacturing.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, the distance from the board to the free end of the down piece of the one elastic contact piece is increased by the distance of the down piece of the other elastic contact piece from the board. In a state where the counterpart terminal is inserted between the pair of elastic contact pieces and the contact portion, the free end of the down piece portion of one of the elastic contact pieces is separated from the substrate when the distance to the free end is longer. At the same time, the free end of the down piece portion of the other elastic contact piece comes into contact with the substrate, so that the contact pressure is independent of the distance from the substrate to the free end of the elastic contact piece. Therefore, even if the distance from the substrate to the free end of the elastic contact piece varies, the contact pressure does not vary, and the reliability in contact can be further improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a female terminal and a mating terminal to which a terminal contact structure according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a state in which a distal end of a counterpart terminal is inserted into an electric contact portion of the terminal, wherein FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing one elastic contact piece, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing the other elastic contact piece; FIG.

4A and 4B show a state in which a counterpart terminal is inserted into the back of an electrical contact portion of the terminal, wherein FIG. 4A is a sectional view showing one elastic contact piece, and FIG. 4B is a sectional view showing the other elastic contact piece; It is.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of deflection of an elastic contact piece of a female terminal to which the present invention is applied and contact pressure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a terminal to which a conventional terminal contact structure is applied and a counterpart terminal.

7 shows a state in which a mating terminal fitting is inserted into an electric contact portion of the conventional terminal cut along the line VII-VII in FIG. 6,
(A) is sectional drawing which shows before the other party terminal is inserted,
FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where the distal end of the counterpart terminal is inserted into an electric contact portion of the terminal, and FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where the counterpart terminal is inserted into the electric contact portion of the terminal.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a relationship between the amount of deflection of an elastic contact piece and a contact pressure in a conventional contact structure of a terminal.

[Description of Signs] 19 Counterpart terminal 19a Tip end 21 Female terminal 23 (One) elastic contact piece 25 (Other) elastic contact piece 27, 29 Up piece 31, 33 Down piece 35, 37 Free end

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H01R 13/115 H01R 13/10 H01R 13/193

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An upside extending from a front edge of the substrate toward a contact portion provided above the substrate; and an upside extending toward the substrate at a predetermined angle with the upside. A pair of resilient contact pieces, each of which has a free end and a free side end, are arranged side by side on the substrate, and the contact of the terminal for elastically holding the counterpart terminal inserted between the contact portions is provided. In the structure, the distance from the substrate to the free end of the down piece of the one elastic contact piece is set longer than the distance from the substrate to the free end of the down piece of the other elastic contact piece. Then, the free end of the down piece portion of the one elastic contact piece is in a non-contact state with respect to the substrate in a state where the counterpart terminal is inserted between the contact portion and the pair of elastic contact pieces, and Make the free end of the down piece of the other elastic contact piece substantially in contact with the substrate A contact structure for a female terminal.