JP5343779B2 - Terminal fitting - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure spring reaction force even with a terminal fitting of a compact size. <P>SOLUTION: The terminal fitting 10 includes: a cylindrical body 11 into which a tab 61 of a counterpart terminal fitting 60 is inserted ; and an elastic contact piece 24 formed at the body 11, and having electric connection with the counterpart terminal fitting 60 through elastic contact with the tab 61. The elastic contact piece 24 has a bent shape so as to approach an insertion route 29 side of the tab 61 in the body 11 from both end parts toward the center part, in a width direction perpendicular to an insertion direction of the tab 61. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a terminal fitting.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional terminal fitting. This includes a cylindrical main body portion into which a tab of the mating terminal fitting is inserted, and a barrel portion coupled to the rear of the main body portion. The barrel portion is caulked and connected to the terminal portion of the electric wire. A flexible elastic contact piece is formed in the main body. The elastic contact piece has a shape that is folded back from the front end of the bottom plate of the main body, and a contact portion that contacts the tab is formed by knocking out in the middle of the length direction. A receiving portion is formed at a position facing the contact portion in the main body portion, and a tab that is normally inserted in the main body portion is elastically sandwiched between the receiving portion and the elastic contact piece. In addition, this elastic contact piece is made into the shape which continues at substantially the same height over the full width of the width direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of a tab except a contact part.

JP 2006-294696 A

  By the way, the above-mentioned elastic contact piece ensures the spring reaction force necessary for maintaining a good contact state with the tab by appropriately adjusting the width dimension, the plate thickness, the elastic displacement amount, the shape and the like. Is. Therefore, when the terminal fitting is reduced in size, the width dimension of the elastic contact piece is also reduced, so that it is difficult to obtain the spring reaction force, and the connection reliability with the tab is lacking.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to ensure a spring reaction force even with a small terminal fitting.

As a means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that a cylindrical main body portion into which a tab of a mating terminal fitting is inserted, and formed in the main body portion, elastically contacting the tab. And a plate-like elastic contact piece for making an electrical connection with the mating terminal metal fitting, and the elastic contact piece is directed from the both end portions toward the central portion in the width direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of the tab. A curved portion that curves so as to approach the insertion path side of the tab in the main body portion, and the curved portion includes an embossed contact portion that contacts the tab of the elastic contact piece. It is characterized in that it is formed .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the elastic contact piece has a shape folded from an edge of a plate-like base portion constituting the main body, and the folded portion of the elastic contact piece. The bent portion becomes a fulcrum of the bending operation of the elastic contact piece, and is characterized in that it has a shape that is continuous at substantially the same height over the entire width in the width direction .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the invention, when the elastic contact piece is connected to the tab, a free end portion of the elastic contact piece elastically contacts the base portion. The free end portion of the elastic contact piece is characterized in that it has a shape that is continuous at substantially the same height over the entire width in the width direction .

<Invention of Claim 1>
Since the elastic contact piece has a curved part that curves so as to approach the insertion path side of the tab in the main body part from both ends in the width direction toward the center part, the width dimension of the elastic contact piece (string of the curved part) Even if the dimension along the direction is small, a high spring reaction force can be generated. Therefore, even if the terminal fitting is reduced in size, a necessary contact load can be obtained between the tabs.
The curved portion is formed in a portion of the elastic contact piece that contacts the tab, and since the contact area between the curved portion and the tab is small, the contact resistance between the elastic contact piece and the tab is low. As a result, the tab can be inserted into the main body portion with a low insertion force.

<Invention of Claim 2 >
Since the bent portion serving as a fulcrum for the bending operation of the elastic contact piece has a shape that is continuous at substantially the same height over the entire width in the width direction, smoothness of the bending operation at the bent portion is ensured.

<Invention of Claim 3 >
Since the free end portion of the elastic contact piece that elastically contacts the base portion has a shape that is connected at substantially the same height over the entire width in the width direction, the smoothness of the bending operation at the free end portion of the elastic contact piece is improved. Secured.

It is sectional drawing along the length direction of the terminal metal fitting of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing along the length direction of the terminal metal fitting in a connection state with a tab. It is the partially broken top view showing the elastic contact piece in a main-body part. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The terminal fitting 10 of this embodiment is integrally formed by bending a conductive metal plate or the like, and includes a cylindrical main body portion 11 and open barrel-shaped barrel portions 12 and 13 connected to the rear of the main body portion 11. I have. Barrel portions 12 and 13 are wire barrel 12 that is connected by caulking to a core wire exposed at a terminal portion of an electric wire (not shown), and a sheath at the rear portion of the electric wire that is positioned behind or fitted to the coating. And an insulation barrel 13 connected by caulking to a rubber stopper.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the main body portion 11 includes a substantially horizontal bottom plate portion 14 continuously extending from the barrel portions 12 and 13 side, and a pair of substantially vertical side plate portions 15 rising from both ends in the width direction of the bottom plate portion 14. It consists of a top plate portion 16 that is spanned between rising ends of both side plate portions 15 and faces the bottom plate portion 14. The front surface of the main body 11 is opened as the insertion opening 17 of the tab 61 of the mating terminal fitting 60. The cross-sectional shape of the tab 61 is a horizontally long rectangle.

  Two receiving portions 18 are formed in the top plate portion 16 in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the both receiving portions 18 are elongated in the front-rear direction, and are formed by knocking from the outside to the inside. Specifically, the receiving portions 18 have a lower semicircular arc shape in cross section, a first inclined portion 19 that is gently inclined downward from the front end to the rear, and a receiver extending substantially horizontally from the rear end of the first inclined portion 19 to the rear. The main body portion 21 and the second inclined portion 22 that inclines upward and steeply from the rear end of the receiving main body portion 21 to the rear.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of slits 23 are provided between the both side plate portions 15 at both ends in the width direction of the front end portion of the bottom plate portion 14. A band plate-like elastic contact piece 24 is integrally connected to the front end portion of the bottom plate portion 14. The elastic contact piece 24 includes a bent portion 25 that is folded back backward between the slits 23 and an extended portion 26 that extends rearward from the folded end of the bent portion 25 in a substantially chevron shape. The peak portion of the extended portion 26 is an embossed contact portion 27 that faces the receiving body portion 21. The contact portion 27 is disposed at the center in the width direction of the elastic contact piece 24. The front end portion, the bent portion 25, and the contact portion 27 of the extension portion 26 are formed in a shape that is continuous with substantially the same width, and the rear end portion (free end portion 39) of the extension portion 26 is formed to be narrower than these. Yes. On the rear side of the contact portion 27, a transition portion 28 that is gradually narrowed toward the free end portion 39 of the extending portion 26 is formed.

  An insertion path 29 of the tab 61 is formed between the contact portion 27 and the both receiving portions 18, and when the elastic contact piece 24 is in a natural state, a straight line between the contact portion 27 and the apexes of the both receiving body portions 21. The distance is made smaller than the thickness of the tab 61. A tab 61 of the mating terminal fitting 60 is inserted into the main body portion 11 from the front, and the normally inserted tab 61 is elastic between the contact portion 27 and the receiving main body portion 21 while bending and deforming the elastic contact piece 24. It is supposed to be sandwiched between. Thus, when the contact portion 27 and the tab 61 are in the connected state, the free end portion 39 of the extension portion 26 elastically abuts against the inner surface of the bottom plate portion 14, whereby the elastic contact piece 24 is substantially supported at both ends. It becomes a beam state. Further, at the position facing the contact portion 27 in the bottom plate portion 14, an excessive deflection regulating piece 31 that comes into contact with the contact portion 27 from below when the elastic contact piece 24 is excessively bent and deformed is cut and raised substantially vertically. ing. As shown in FIG. 4, the excessive deflection regulating piece 31 is arranged eccentrically from the center in the width direction of the bottom plate portion 14 to one side, and is displaced in the width direction from the contact portion 27.

  The extending portion 26 of the elastic contact piece 24 is formed with a curved portion 32 that curves so that its entire width approaches the insertion path 29 of the tab 61 from both ends in the width direction to the center (contact point portion 27). The curvature radius of the curved portion 32 is sufficiently larger than the curvature radius of the receiving portion 18 and the like. The curved portion 32 is formed at an intermediate portion of the extending portion 26 including the contact portion 27. Specifically, the bending portion 32 is configured to gradually increase the degree of bending from the portion of the BB cross section shown in FIG. 1 to the portion of the AA cross section (position of the contact portion 27). On the other hand, the bent portion 25, the front end portion and the rear end portion (free end portion 39) of the extending portion 26 are formed in a shape that is continuous at substantially the same height over the entire width.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
The terminal fitting 10 is inserted into a connector housing (not shown), and the mating terminal fitting 60 is inserted into a mating connector housing (not shown). As both connector housings are properly fitted, both terminal fittings 10 and 60 are conductively connected at a normal depth as shown in FIG. At this time, the tab 61 of the mating terminal fitting 60 is inserted into the insertion path 29 in the main body 11 through the insertion port 17, and the tab 61 is supported in a three-point supported state between the top of the both receiving main body 21 and the contact portion 27. It is held elastically. During the insertion of the tab 61 into the main body 11, the tab 61 slides on the curved portion 32 in a point contact or line contact state, and the elastic contact piece 24 is bent and deformed downward with the bent portion 25 as a fulcrum. The distal end portion of the extending portion 26 of the elastic contact piece 24 is elastically brought into contact with the inner surface of the bottom plate portion 14.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the bending portion 32 that bends so that the elastic contact piece 24 approaches the insertion path 29 side of the tab 61 in the main body portion 11 from both ends in the width direction toward the center portion. Therefore, even if the width dimension of the elastic contact piece 24 (dimension along the chord direction of the curved portion 32) is small, a high spring reaction force can be generated. Therefore, even if the terminal metal fitting 10 becomes small, a necessary contact load can be obtained between the tab 61 and the terminal fitting 10.

  Further, the curved portion 32 is formed in a portion of the elastic contact piece 24 that contacts the tab 61, and the contact area between the curved portion 32 and the tab 61 is reduced, so that the contact between the elastic contact piece 24 and the tab 61 is achieved. Resistance becomes low. As a result, the tab 61 can be inserted into the main body 11 with a low insertion force.

  In addition, since the bent portion 25 serving as a fulcrum for the bending operation of the elastic contact piece 24 does not form the curved portion 32 and has a shape that is continuous at substantially the same height over the entire width in the width direction, the bent portion 25 is bent. Smooth operation is ensured. Further, since the free end portion of the elastic contact piece 24 that elastically contacts the bottom plate portion 14 does not form the curved portion 32 and is formed in a shape that is continuous at substantially the same height over the entire width in the width direction. The smoothness of the bending operation at the free end of the contact piece 24 is ensured. Therefore, the tab 61 can be inserted into the main body 11 with a lower insertion force.

<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 whole extended part may be a curved part.
(2) A configuration in which a portion other than the free end portion of the extending portion is a curved portion may be employed.
(3) The bending part may be formed in the bending part.
(4) The elastic contact piece may have a shape that extends forward from the rear end portion of the main body portion and is bent at the front end portion.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Terminal metal fitting 11 ... Main-body part 14 ... Bottom plate part (base part)
24 ... elastic contact piece 29 ... insertion path 32 ... curved portion 39 ... free end 60 ... mating terminal fitting 61 ... tab

Claims (3)

A cylindrical main body into which the tab of the mating terminal fitting is inserted;
A plate-like elastic contact piece formed on the main body portion and making an electrical connection with the mating terminal fitting by elastic contact with the tab;
The resilient contact piece, in the width direction perpendicular to the direction of insertion of said tab has a curved portion that curves from both ends to approach the insertion path side of the tub within the body portion toward the center portion ,
The terminal fitting is characterized in that the curved portion is formed in a portion including an embossed contact portion that contacts the tab of the elastic contact piece . The elastic contact piece has a shape folded from an edge of a plate-like base portion constituting the main body, and the bent portion serving as the folded portion of the elastic contact piece serves as a fulcrum for the bending operation of the elastic contact piece. The terminal fitting according to claim 1, wherein the terminal fitting has a shape that is continuous at substantially the same height over the entire width in the width direction . When the elastic contact piece is connected to the tab, the free end of the elastic contact piece is elastically in contact with the base, and the free end of the elastic contact piece is The terminal fitting according to claim 1, wherein the terminal fitting is formed in a shape that is continuous at substantially the same height over the entire width in the direction .

Images