JP7353921B2 - Connection structure, connection structure with housing, and terminal - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connection structure that electrically connects an electric wire and a terminal, a connection structure with a housing that houses the connection structure in a housing, and a terminal that electrically connects an electric wire.

A large number of wire harnesses are installed in an automobile, and these wire harnesses are connected by, for example, connectors. Such a connector is equipped with a connection structure in which electric wires and terminals constituting a wire harness are electrically connected.

As an example of this terminal, Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal in which a pair of pressing mechanisms are disposed facing each other at a conductor connection portion to which conductors of electric wires are connected. This terminal can be stored in the housing by inserting the wire from the wire insertion port while temporarily stored in the storage portion of the housing constituting the connector, and sliding the terminal in the longitudinal direction of the wire.

Further, by sliding the terminal, the inner wall of the storage portion pushes the pair of pressing mechanisms into the inside of the terminal, so that the pair of pressing mechanisms can clamp the conductor. Thereby, the electric wire and the terminal can be electrically connected to form a connection structure.

JP2019-061742A

However, when the conductor is held by the pressing mechanism, there is a risk that the pressing mechanism will come into line contact with the inner wall of the storage portion against which the pressing mechanism is pressed. In this case, since stress is locally concentrated on the pressing mechanism, there is a concern that the pressing mechanism may be deformed and the connection performance between the terminal and the electric wire may deteriorate.

An object of the present invention is to provide a connection structure, a connection structure with a housing, and a terminal that can prevent deformation of a pressing mechanism that electrically connects a terminal and an electric wire.

The present invention provides a connection structure in which an electric wire having a conductor is connected to a terminal equipped with a pressing mechanism for pressing the conductor inserted from an insertion port to electrically connect the conductor, the pressing mechanism comprising: A contact surface portion is provided on the terminal to make surface contact with an acting portion that applies an external force in a pressing direction to press the conductor from the outside to the pressing mechanism in a state in which the conductor is pressed. A protruding portion protruding in a direction opposite to the pressing direction on a side closer to the insertion opening than the surface portion, and a conductor guide portion guiding the conductor on the opposite side of the protruding portion. It is characterized by

Further, the present invention has a pressing mechanism that presses the conductor of the electric wire inserted from the insertion port to make an electrical connection, and in a state where the conductor is pressed against the pressing mechanism, the conductor is directed in a pressing direction that presses the conductor. a contact surface portion that makes surface contact with an acting portion that applies an external force to the pressing mechanism from the outside, and a protrusion that protrudes in a direction opposite to the pressing direction on a side closer to the insertion opening than the contact surface portion; The terminal is characterized in that a conductor guide portion for guiding the conductor is provided on the opposite side of the protruding portion.

The terminal is not particularly limited as long as it is configured to be electrically connected to an electric wire, and includes, for example, a female terminal and a male terminal.
The pressing mechanism can be used not only when the direction in which the pressing mechanism moves and the pressing direction in which the conductor is pressed are the same, but also in the case where the direction in which the pressing mechanism moves and the pressing direction in which the conductor is pressed intersect. include.

According to this invention, when the conductor is held by the pressing mechanism, the action portion and the pressing mechanism come into surface contact with each other, so that it is possible to prevent external force from being locally concentrated on the pressing mechanism. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the portions in contact with the external pressing mechanism and the pressing mechanism from being deformed, and it is possible to stably press the conductor. Therefore, a stable connection state can be achieved, and the connection performance between the terminal and the electric wire can be maintained.

As an aspect of the present invention, a contact area between the action portion and the contact surface portion may be larger than a contact area between the pressing mechanism and the conductor.
According to this invention, the reaction force caused by pressing the conductor can be reliably transmitted to the contact surface portion, and while the conductor is reliably pressed, the contact surface portion side of the pressing mechanism can be prevented from deforming.

Further, as an aspect of the present invention, the pressing mechanism is configured with an elastic piece that extends along the longitudinal direction of the conductor and elastically supports a pressing part that presses the conductor, and the elastic piece is arranged on the base end side. A first piece is arranged and extends toward the outside of the terminal, and a second piece is connected to the first piece through a bending part and bent toward the inside of the terminal. The second piece portion may include the pressing portion and may be configured to make surface contact with the acting portion.

According to this invention, by applying an external force near the bent portion, the force for pressing the conductor is transmitted to the pressing portion, so that the conductor can be reliably pressed. Further, since the pressing mechanism has elasticity, a reaction force against the force pressing the conductor acts on the pressing portion. As a result, the second piece is pressed toward the action part using the vicinity of the bending part on which the external force is applied as a fulcrum, and the contact surface part comes into surface contact with the action part. Therefore, the acting part and the contact surface part come into surface contact, and it is possible to prevent external force from being concentrated in the vicinity of the bent part, and since a reaction force is generated against the external force, it is possible to prevent damage to the conductor.

Further, as an aspect of the present invention, the pressing portion may be provided closer to the tip of the electric wire in the insertion direction than the bending portion.
According to this invention, the reaction force generated in the pressing portion when pressing the conductor can be efficiently transmitted to the second piece portion. Thereby, the second piece can be pushed up using the vicinity of the bending portion on which external force acts as a fulcrum, and the contact surface portion and the acting portion can be brought into surface contact reliably.

Moreover, as an aspect of the present invention, the pressing portion may be provided on the distal end side of the second piece and may be integrally configured with the second piece.
According to this invention, the reaction force generated in the pressing part when pressing a conductor can be efficiently transmitted to the contact surface part using the vicinity of the bending part where external force acts as a fulcrum, and the contact surface that comes into contact with the action part can be increased. be able to.

Further, as an aspect of the present invention, the acting portion may be configured such that the external force acts on the pressing mechanism by moving the terminal along the longitudinal direction of the conductor.
There is no need to particularly limit the member provided with the action portion, and the action portion may be provided, for example, in a housing that constitutes a connector or a protection member that protects at least a portion of a terminal.

According to this invention, there is no need to move the acting part in the pressing direction in order to apply an external force to the bending part, and the space required when pressing the conductor with the pressing mechanism can be reduced.

Further, the present invention may be configured of the above-described connection structure and a housing including a storage section for housing the terminal, and the action section may be configured of an inner wall that configures the storage section.

According to the present invention, it is possible to electrically connect the electric wire and the terminal at the same time that the electric wire and the terminal are stored in the storage section, and work efficiency can be improved.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connection structure, a connection structure with a housing, and a terminal that can prevent deformation of a pressing mechanism that electrically connects a terminal and an electric wire.

A schematic perspective view of a female connector. An exploded perspective view of an electric wire, a female housing, and a female terminal. Schematic perspective view of connection structure A schematic perspective view of a female terminal. A cross-sectional view of a female terminal. Sectional view of the female housing. An explanatory diagram showing a connection structure between an electric wire and a female terminal. An explanatory diagram showing a connection structure between an electric wire and a female terminal.

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

FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a female connector 100, FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the connection structure 1 with a female housing, and FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the connection structure 10. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of the female terminal 30, FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the female terminal 30, and FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the housing 40.

5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the female terminal 30, FIG. 5(a) is an overall sectional view of the female terminal 30, and FIG. 5(b) is an enlarged view of the α portion in FIG. 5(a). shows. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. That is, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion where the female terminal 30 is accommodated and a portion into which the electric wire 20 is inserted.

7 and 8 are explanatory diagrams showing the process of inserting the electric wire 20 into the female terminal 30 and electrically connecting it, and FIG. 7(a) shows a state in which the female terminal 30 is inserted into the housing 40. FIG. 7B shows a cross-sectional view of the female terminal 30 with the electric wire 20 inserted therein. Note that FIGS. 7(c) and 7(d) show enlarged views of the β portion in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b).

Similarly, FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) show cross-sectional views of the female terminal 30 slidably inserted into the housing 40, and FIGS. 8(c) and 8(d) show the sectional views of FIG. 8(a). and an enlarged view of the β part in FIG. 8(b).

Here, in FIG. 2, the direction along the length of the electric wire 20 is defined as a longitudinal direction L, and along the longitudinal direction L in FIG. 2, the right side is defined as a distal end side Lf, and the left side is defined as a proximal end side Lb. Note that this direction is the same in FIGS. 1, 3 to 8 as well.

As shown in FIG. 1, the female connector 100 has a plurality of electric wires 20 extending from the proximal end Lb, and is configured to be connectable to a male connector (not shown) at the distal end Lf. This female connector 100 is composed of a housing case 110 and a connection structure 1 with a female housing mounted inside the housing case 110.

The housing case 110 is formed, for example, in the shape of a flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and is provided with a housing storage section 111 on the rear surface in which the housing 40 constituting the connection structure 1 with a female housing can be stored therein.

The connection structure 1 with a female housing includes a connection structure 10 and a housing 40, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connection structure 10 includes a conductive electric wire 20 and a female terminal 30 into which the electric wire 20 can be inserted from the base end side Lb.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electric wire 20 includes a conductor 21 made of a conductive core wire, and an insulating coating 22 that covers the outer periphery of the conductor 21. At the tip end Lf of the electric wire 20, the conductor 21 is exposed by peeling off the insulation coating 22 for a predetermined length.

As shown in FIG. 4, the female terminal 30 has a hollow rectangular cylinder shape that is elongated as a whole. The female terminal 30 includes a conductor insertion portion 31 through which the conductor 21 is inserted, and a terminal connection portion 32 through which the male terminal is connected. That is, the female terminal 30 includes a conductor insertion portion 31 on the proximal end Lb in the longitudinal direction L and a terminal connecting portion 32 on the distal end Lf.

Note that the female terminal 30 does not necessarily have to have a rectangular cylindrical shape, and may have other shapes such as a cylindrical shape or a polygonal cylindrical shape. Further, the female terminal 30 is only an example, and for example, a structure may be adopted in which a part having other functions exists between the conductor insertion part 31 and the terminal connection part 32, and the shape and size are also according to the present invention. Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

The conductor insertion portion 31 is a portion that is electrically connected to the conductor 21, and is formed into a hollow rectangular cylinder shape so that the conductor 21 can be inserted therethrough. The internal width of the conductor insertion part 31 is longer than the outer diameter of the conductor 21, and the height of the conductor insertion part 31 is slightly longer than twice the outer diameter of the conductor 21. Note that a conductor insertion opening 31a into which the conductor 21 is inserted is provided at the proximal Lb end of the conductor insertion portion 31.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper surface of the conductor insertion portion 31 is provided with a pressing piece 33, and a temporary locking portion 34 is provided at the tip thereof. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the bottom side of the conductor insertion portion 31 is provided with a protrusion 35, a conductor guide portion 36, and a wire connection portion 37.

The pressing piece 33 is an elastic piece configured to be elastically deformable, and presses the conductor 21 inserted into the conductor insertion part 31 against the wire connecting part 37 to electrically connect the female terminal 30 and the electric wire 20. . This pressing piece 33 is formed by cutting and raising a part of the top surface, the bottom surface, and the top surface of the left and right side surfaces, which are the outer surfaces around the axis of the female terminal 30, and protrudes to the outside of the conductor insertion part 31. .

To explain the pressing piece 33 in detail, the pressing piece 33 is formed by bending the tip portion of the upper surface of the conductor insertion portion 31 so that the tip has a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the side. Note that the pressing piece 33 has the same width from the base end to the distal end.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the pressing piece 33 includes a first piece 33a, a second piece 33b, a third piece 33c, and a fourth piece 33d.
The first piece portion 33a has a proximal end connected to the upper surface of the conductor insertion portion 31, and extends obliquely upward toward the distal end side Lf.

The second piece 33b extends obliquely upward from the tip of the first piece 33a toward the tip side Lf. Note that the second piece 33b is sloped more gently than the first piece 33a. That is, the first piece 33a and the second piece 33b are connected to form an obtuse angle when viewed from the side.
The first piece 33a and the second piece 33b are connected via a proximal curved portion 33e that is gently curved upward to form a convex arc.

The third piece 33c extends downward from the tip of the second piece 33b. The third piece 33c is formed by bending the tip of the second piece 33b at approximately 90 degrees with respect to the second piece 33b. Note that the third piece portion 33c is connected to the second piece portion 33b via an intermediate curved portion 33f formed by bending.
The third piece portion 33c configured in this manner is configured to be longer than half the height of the conductor insertion portion 31, that is, longer than the outer diameter of the conductor 21, and shorter than the height of the conductor insertion portion 31.

A fourth piece 33d corresponding to the tip of the pressing piece 33 extends upward from the tip of the third piece 33c so as to be inclined upward from the proximal side Lb, and its tip is connected to the proximal curved portion 33e. is located below. The fourth piece 33d is connected to the third piece 33c via a distal end curved portion 33g formed in a downwardly convex arc. In addition, the tip side curved part 33g is curved so that the angle formed by the third piece part 33c and the fourth piece part 33d is an acute angle. Further, the tip side curved portion 33g is arranged slightly above the upper surface of the conductor insertion portion 31.

The pressing piece 33 formed by curving a part of the upper surface of the conductor insertion part 31 in this way forms a substantially right triangular shape in side view with the second piece 33b, the third piece 33c, and the fourth piece 33d. are doing. In addition, the third piece part 33c, the fourth piece part 33d, and the tip side curved part 33g form a pressing part 33h that is elastically supported by the first piece part 33a and the second piece part 33b.

The temporary locking portion 34 is an elastic piece that is provided on the distal end side Lf of the pressing piece 33 and can be elastically deformed. Specifically, the temporary locking part 34 is formed in a triangular shape in side view on the base end side Lb of the terminal connection part 32 in the longitudinal direction L, and slightly protrudes upward. The protruding height of this temporary locking portion 34 is lower than the protruding height of the pressing piece 33. Further, the width of the temporary locking portion 34 is the same throughout the longitudinal direction L.

The protruding portion 35 protrudes upward from the bottom surface of the conductor insertion portion 31 below the base end portion of the first piece portion 33a, which is the opposite direction to the moving direction of the pressing piece 33. The height of the protruding portion 35 is half the height of the conductor insertion portion 31. That is, the height of the protruding portion 35 is slightly higher than the outer diameter of the conductor 21, and the clearance between the inner wall of the upper upper surface of the conductor insertion portion 31 and the upper surface of the protruding portion 35 is slightly higher than the outer diameter of the conductor 21. is also getting bigger.

Further, the width of the protruding portion 35 is the same as the width of the conductor insertion portion 31. That is, a space wider than the outer diameter of the conductor is provided on the tip side (upper side) of the protruding portion 35 in the protruding direction.
Note that the protruding portion 35 is formed by bending a portion of a pair of side surfaces forming the square cylindrical conductor insertion portion 31 into the inside of the conductor insertion portion 31 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the conductor guide portion 36 is formed by cutting and raising a portion of the top and bottom surfaces, which are the outer surfaces around the axis, and the bottom surface of the left and right side surfaces, and extends toward the inside of the conductor insertion portion 31. It is extending.

The wire connection portion 37 is a portion that comes into contact with the conductor 21 pressed by the pressing piece 33. The wire connecting portion 37 is a serration formed on the inner wall of the bottom surface of the conductor insertion portion 31 from the tip side Lf in the longitudinal direction L of the protruding portion 35 to the tip side Lf beyond the tip side curved portion 33g. In addition, in FIG. 5, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8, in order to clarify the electric wire connection part 37, it is shown as if it is provided in the upper part of the bottom surface of the conductor insertion part 31.

The terminal connection part 32 is a part into which an insertion part of a male terminal (not shown) is inserted and electrically connected to the male terminal, and like the conductor insertion part 31, it is formed in a hollow rectangular cylindrical shape. There is. Note that a terminal insertion opening 32a into which a male terminal insertion portion is inserted is provided at the distal end Lf end of the terminal connection portion 32.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the terminal connecting section 32 is provided with a positioning section 38 on the top surface, and a terminal pressing section 39 that presses the male terminal insertion section on one of the paired side surfaces. is provided.

The positioning portion 38 is formed by being bent to protrude upward by a predetermined length from the end of the terminal connection portion 32 in approximately half the widthwise region of the upper surface. The height of the positioning portion 38 is higher than the height of the pressing piece 33, but is of a height that fits in a corresponding terminal storage portion 42 in a housing 40, which will be described later.

The housing 40 is a casing that accommodates the female terminal 30 from the distal end Lf and into which the electric wire 20 is inserted from the proximal end Lb, and has a length relative to the longitudinal direction L (that is, the insertion direction of the electric wire 20). It is formed into a flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with the length in the width direction being longer. A plurality of wire insertion portions 41 into which the wires 20 are inserted are provided on the base end side Lb of the housing 40 . On the other hand, a terminal accommodating section 42 for accommodating the female terminal 30 is provided on the distal end side Lf of the housing 40 at a position facing the wire insertion section 41.

The wire insertion part 41 is configured with a hole having a predetermined length and a circular cross section along the longitudinal direction L. The outer diameter of the proximal end Lb of the electric wire insertion part 41 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the electric wire 20, and the tip of the hole of the electric wire insertion part 41 has a reduced diameter part 41a whose diameter becomes smaller as the tip side Lf increases. It has a small diameter portion 41b through which the conductor 21 of the electric wire 20 passes.

The terminal storage part 42 is formed continuously at the tip of the small diameter part 41b of the wire insertion part 41, and has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape into which the female terminal 30 can be inserted. Note that the length of the terminal storage portion 42 in the longitudinal direction L corresponds to the length of the female terminal 30 in the longitudinal direction L.

The wire insertion part 41 and the terminal storage part 42 are formed in two stages, upper and lower, in the thickness direction except for a part of the housing 40. The upper and lower wire insertion portions 41 and terminal storage portions 42 are each shaped so that the female terminal 30 is inserted upside down. That is, in the upper stage, the housing upper surface 40a of the housing 40 corresponds to the upper surface of the female terminal 30. Further, in the lower stage, the lower housing surface 40b of the housing 40 corresponds to the upper surface of the female terminal 30.

The upper housing surface 40a and the lower housing surface 40b of the terminal storage section 42 have a pressing piece through hole 44 into which the pressing piece 33 of the female terminal 30 fits, a locking protrusion through hole 45 into which the temporary locking part 34 fits, and a positioning part 38. A notch 46 is formed in which the holder is accommodated.

The pressing piece through hole 44 is a through hole formed at a position into which the pressing piece 33 fits when the female terminal 30 is inserted halfway into the terminal accommodating portion 42 . Specifically, the pressing piece through hole 44 is formed at a position corresponding to the pressing piece 33 when the positioning part 38 is taken out from the terminal storage part 42.

The locking protrusion through hole 45 connects the female terminal 30 to the distal end side locking hole 45a provided at a position corresponding to the temporary locking portion 34 when the pressing piece 33 is fitted into the pressing piece through hole 44. It is configured with a proximal locking hole 45b provided at a position corresponding to the temporary locking portion 34 when the distal end of the connecting portion 32 is accommodated.

The notch portion 46 is formed over a length range corresponding to the positioning portion 38 from the tip of the terminal storage portion 42 . The housing upper surface 40a and the housing lower surface 40b at the front portion of the notch portion 46 are formed with inclined surfaces that descend toward the rear end.

Next, a method for connecting the electric wire 20 and female terminal 30 configured as described above will be briefly explained based on FIGS. 7 and 8.
First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the female terminal 30 with the conductor insertion portion 31 facing the base end Lb is inserted from the distal end of the housing 40 toward the base end Lb. At this time, the female terminal 30 is held at the front without being inserted all the way. That is, the pressing piece 33 is fitted into the pressing piece through-hole 44 (see FIG. 7(c)), and the temporary locking part 34 is fitted into the distal end side locking hole 45a.

Next, the electric wire 20 is inserted from the base end of the housing 40 toward the distal end side Lf. Here, by inserting the electric wire 20 having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the electric wire insertion part 41 into the electric wire insertion part 41, the conductor 21 exposed on the tip side Lf of the electric wire 20 can be inserted through the small diameter part 41b. can. The conductor 21 that has been inserted through the small diameter portion 41b in this manner is inserted into the conductor insertion portion 31 that is fitted into the tip side Lf of the small diameter portion 41b.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7B, the conductor 21 is guided by the conductor guide portion 36 and inserted into the tip side (upper side) of the protrusion portion 35 in the protrusion direction. Note that the tip of the conductor 21 is placed beyond the tip of the pressing piece 33 (see FIG. 7(d)).

In this manner, when the female terminal 30 is pushed into the base end Lb in a state where the conductor 21 is inserted into the conductor insertion portion 31, the pressing piece 33 is pushed into the terminal storage portion 42 as shown in FIG. 8(a). interferes with the inner surface of and is pressed downward.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the upper surface 40a of the housing 40 interferes with the proximal curved portion 33e, thereby pushing the pressing portion 33h downward. As a result, the pressing portion 33h presses the conductor 21 downward, and the conductor 21 is connected to the wire connecting portion 37.

On the other hand, since the third piece portion 33c is slightly longer than half the height of the conductor insertion portion 31, a reaction force from the conductor 21 acts on the pressing portion 33h that presses the conductor 21. As shown in FIG. 8(d), this reaction force pushes the second piece 33b upward using the proximal curved part 33e that is in contact with the housing upper surface 40a as a fulcrum. The upper surface can be brought into surface contact with the housing upper surface 40a (inner wall of the terminal accommodating portion 42).

In this way, the second piece portion 33b is provided with the contact surface portion 33i that makes surface contact with the housing upper surface 40a (inner wall of the terminal storage portion 42). Thereby, the second piece portion 33b can disperse the external force acting from the housing upper surface 40a, and can prevent the pressing piece 33 from deforming.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 8(c) and 8(d), in the state in which the pressing portion 33h presses the conductor 21, the distal end curved portion 33g is disposed closer to the distal end Lf than the proximal curved portion 33e. It is configured to Therefore, in a state in which the pressing portion 33h presses the conductor 21, the reaction force acting on the tip side curved portion 33g can be transmitted to the third piece portion 33c and efficiently act on the second piece portion 33b. Thereby, the second piece 33b can be efficiently brought into surface contact with the housing upper surface 40a.

In addition, since the pressing piece 33 is provided with a pressing part 33h at the tip of the second piece 33b, the reaction force acting on the pressing part 33h brings the entire upper surface of the second piece 33b into surface contact with the housing upper surface 40a. can be done. Therefore, since the external force acting on the pressing piece 33 can be dispersed by contacting with the housing upper surface 40a, deformation of the pressing piece 33 can be reliably prevented.

Furthermore, since the tip side curved portion 33g is curved at a high angle, the contact area between the tip side curved portion 33g and the conductor 21 becomes small. Therefore, the reaction force caused by the pressing portion 33h pressing the conductor 21 is applied to the tip side curved portion 33g without being dispersed, so that the reaction force can be reliably transmitted to the third piece portion 33c.

In this way, by making the contact area between the pressing piece 33 and the conductor 21 smaller than the contact area between the second piece 33b and the housing upper surface 40a, the reaction force is efficiently transmitted to the second piece 33b, and the pressing This can prevent the piece 33 from deforming.

Note that since the tip of the fourth piece 33d is open without contacting the first piece 33a, even if excessive force is applied to the tip side curved portion 33g, the reaction force can be released. I can do it.

The connection structure 10 configured in this manner includes an electric wire 20 having a conductor 21, and a female terminal 30 provided with a pressing piece 33 that presses the conductor 21 inserted from the conductor insertion port 31a to electrically connect it. It is configured by connecting. The pressing piece 33 is also provided with a contact surface portion 33i that makes surface contact with the housing upper surface 40a, which applies an external force in the pressing direction to press the conductor 21 from the outside to the pressing piece 33 when the conductor 21 is pressed. It is being Therefore, when the conductor 21 is held by the pressing piece 33, the housing upper surface 40a and the second piece 33b come into surface contact, and the portion of the housing upper surface 40a that is in contact with the pressing piece 33 and the pressing piece 33 are Local concentration of external force can be prevented. Thereby, the portion of the housing 40 that is in contact with the pressing piece 33 and the pressing piece 33 can be prevented from being deformed, and the conductor 21 can be stably pressed. Therefore, the connection state between the electric wire 20 and the female terminal 30 can be stabilized, and the connection performance between the female terminal 30 and the electric wire 20 can be maintained.

Furthermore, since the contact area between the housing upper surface 40a and the second piece 33b is wider than the contact area between the pressing piece 33 and the conductor 21, the reaction force caused by pressing the conductor 21 is reliably transmitted to the second piece 33b. can be done. In addition, while reliably pressing the conductor 21, it is possible to prevent the second piece portion 33b side of the pressing piece 33 from deforming.

Furthermore, the pressing piece 33 extends along the longitudinal direction L of the conductor 21 and includes a first piece 33a and a second piece 33b that elastically support a pressing part 33h that presses the conductor 21. Moreover, the first piece part 33a is arranged on the base end side Lb and extends toward the outside of the female terminal 30, and the second piece part 33b is connected to the first piece part 33a via the base side curved part 33e. and is bent toward the inside of the female terminal 30.

Further, the second piece portion 33b has a pressing portion 33h and a contact surface portion 33i that makes surface contact with the housing upper surface 40a, so that external force acts in the vicinity of the proximal curved portion 33e. As a result, the external force applied near the proximal curved portion 33e transmits a force that presses the conductor 21 against the pressing portion 33h. Thereby, the conductor 21 can be reliably pressed.

Further, a reaction force against the force pressing the conductor 21 acts on the pressing portion 33h. As a result, the second piece 33b is pressed against the housing upper surface 40a using the vicinity of the proximal curved portion 33e on which the external force is applied as a fulcrum, and the second piece 33b comes into surface contact with the housing upper surface 40a. Therefore, the housing upper surface 40a and the second piece part 33b are in surface contact with each other, and it is possible to prevent external force from being concentrated in the vicinity of the proximal curved part 33e.

Furthermore, the pressing portion 33h is provided on the distal end side Lf in the insertion direction (longitudinal direction L) of the electric wire 20 rather than the proximal side curved portion 33e, so that a reaction occurs in the pressing portion 33h when pressing the conductor 21. Force can be efficiently transmitted to the second piece portion 33b. Thereby, the second piece 33b can be pushed up using the vicinity of the proximal curved part 33e on which external force acts as a fulcrum, and the second piece 33b and the housing upper surface 40a can be brought into surface contact reliably.

Further, the pressing portion 33h is provided on the distal end side Lf of the second piece portion 33b, and is integrally configured with the second piece portion 33b. Thereby, the reaction force generated in the pressing portion 33h when pressing the conductor 21 can be efficiently transmitted to the second piece portion 33b using the vicinity of the proximal curved portion 33e on which external force acts as a fulcrum, and the upper surface of the housing The contact surface in contact with 40a can be increased.

Furthermore, the housing upper surface 40a is configured such that an external force acts on the pressing piece 33 by moving the female terminal 30 along the longitudinal direction L of the conductor 21. Thereby, there is no need to move the housing upper surface 40a in the pressing direction in order to apply an external force to the proximal curved portion 33e, and the space required when pressing the conductor 21 with the pressing piece 33 can be reduced. can.

Further, the connection structure 1 with a female housing includes the connection structure 10 and a housing 40 including a terminal storage section 42 for storing the female terminal 30, and the housing upper surface 40a constitutes the terminal storage section 42. It consists of an inner wall. Thereby, the electric wire 20 and the female terminal 30 can be electrically connected at the same time that the female terminal 30 is stored in the terminal storage part 42, and work efficiency can be improved.

In the correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-described embodiments,
The conductor of the present invention corresponds to the conductor 21, and similarly,
The electric wire corresponds to electric wire 20,
The insertion port corresponds to the conductor insertion port 31a,
The pressing mechanism corresponds to the pressing piece 33,
The connection structure corresponds to the connection structure 10,
The action portion corresponds to the housing upper surface 40a,
The pressing portion corresponds to the pressing portion 33h,
The surface contact portion corresponds to the contact surface portion 33i,
The pressing pieces correspond to the first piece 33a and the second piece 33b,
The first piece corresponds to the first piece 33a,
The bent portion corresponds to the proximal curved portion 33e,
The second piece corresponds to the second piece 33b,
The housing corresponds to the housing 40,
The storage section corresponds to the terminal storage section 42,
Although the connection structure with a housing corresponds to the connection structure with a female housing 1, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiments, and many embodiments can be obtained.

For example, in this embodiment, the female terminal 30 corresponding to the terminal does not necessarily have to be female. The female terminal 30 only needs to be able to be electrically connected to the electric wire 20. For example, the female terminal 30 may have the same configuration as the conductor insertion portion 31 on the distal end Lf, and can be inserted into the terminal connecting portion 32 on the proximal end Lb. The terminal may be a male terminal with a similar configuration.

In addition, the pressing piece 33 has not only a configuration in which the direction in which the pressing piece 33 moves and the pressing direction (downward) in which the conductor 21 is pressed are the same, but also the direction in which the pressing piece 33 moves and the pressing direction in which the conductor 21 is pressed ( (downward) intersects. That is, the pressing piece 33 may be moved downward to connect the conductor 21 to the wire connecting portion 37 provided on the side surface of the conductor insertion portion 31.

Further, in this embodiment, the housing 40 corresponds to a housing that is part of a connector, but does not necessarily have to be a housing. For example, it may be a separate member that is assembled to the conductor insertion portion 31 of the female terminal 30 to protect the conductor insertion portion 31.
Note that the terminal housing section 42 is not limited to a configuration that stores the entire female terminal 30, but may have a configuration that stores a part of the conductor insertion section 31.

Further, in this embodiment, the female terminal 30 is configured to include the protrusion 35 and the conductor guide 36, but the protrusion 35 and the conductor guide 36 are not necessarily necessary. For example, even if the configuration does not include the protruding portion 35 and the conductor guide portion 36, deformation of the pressing piece 33 can be prevented.

1 Connection structure with female housing 10 Connection structure 20 Electric wire 21 Conductor 31a Conductor insertion port 33 Pressing piece 33a First piece 33b Second piece 33e Base side curved part 33h Pressing part 33i Surface contact part 40 Housing 40a Housing upper surface 42 Terminal storage area

Claims (8)

A connection structure in which an electric wire having a conductor is connected to a terminal equipped with a pressing mechanism that presses the conductor inserted from an insertion port to make an electrical connection,
The pressing mechanism,
A contact surface portion is provided that makes surface contact with an acting portion that applies an external force in a pressing direction to press the conductor from the outside to the pressing mechanism in a state where the conductor is pressed ;
The terminal includes
a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction opposite to the pressing direction on a side closer to the insertion opening than the contact surface portion;
A conductor guide part for guiding the conductor is provided on the opposite side of the protrusion part.
Connection structure. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein a contact area between the action portion and the contact surface portion is wider than a contact area between the pressing mechanism and the conductor. The pressing mechanism is
an elastic piece that extends along the longitudinal direction of the conductor and elastically supports a pressing portion that presses the conductor;
The elastic piece is
a first piece portion disposed on the proximal end side and extending toward the outside of the terminal;
a second piece connected to the first piece through a bent part and bent toward the inside of the terminal;
The connection structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second piece has the pressing portion and is configured to make surface contact with the acting portion. The pressing part is
The connection structure according to claim 3, wherein the connection structure is provided closer to the tip of the electric wire in the insertion direction than the bending portion. The connection structure according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the pressing portion is provided on the distal end side of the second piece and is integrally configured with the second piece. The acting part is
6. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the external force is applied to the pressing mechanism by moving the terminal along the longitudinal direction of the conductor. A connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
and a housing including a storage section for storing the terminal,
The action part is a connection structure with a housing, and the action part is constituted by an inner wall that constitutes the storage part. It has a pressing mechanism that presses the conductor of the electric wire inserted from the insertion port to make an electrical connection,
The pressing mechanism,
A contact surface portion is provided that makes surface contact with an acting portion that applies an external force in a pressing direction to press the conductor from the outside to the pressing mechanism in a state where the conductor is pressed ;
a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction opposite to the pressing direction on a side closer to the insertion opening than the contact surface portion;
A conductor guide part for guiding the conductor is provided on the opposite side of the protrusion part.
terminal.

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