Female terminal and connector including female terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10164365-B2
Application number	US-201715640872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2017
Priority date	Aug 1, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A female terminal downsized in a male terminal-inserting direction. A terminal body has a reception portion, for receiving a male terminal. A first and second spring portions are arranged to be opposed to each other so as to sandwich the male terminal inserted into the reception portion from an inlet portion thereof. The first spring portion has a first and second contact points brought into contact with the sale terminal in the reception portion. The second spring portion has a third contact point brought into contact with the stale terminal in the reception portion. The third contact point is between the first and second, contact points in the male terminal-inserting direction. The first contact point is in the inlet portion of the reception portion, and the second contact point is at a more inward location in the reception portion than the first contact point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A female terminal comprising:
a terminal body having a reception portion for receiving a male terminal; and
a first spring portion, and a second spring portion that are formed on the terminal body, and are arranged to be opposed to each other so as to sandwich the male terminal inserted from an inlet portion of the reception portion into the reception portion,
wherein the first spring portion includes:
a first linking portion which is continuous with a reception portion inlet-side end portion of the terminal body, and is bent from the reception portion inlet-side end portions toward the reception portion, and
a first contact point and a second contact point which are brought into contact with the male terminal inserted in the reception portion,
wherein the second spring portion includes;
a second linking portion which is continuous with the reception portion inlet-side end portion of the terminal body, and is bent from the reception portion inlet-side end portion toward the reception portion, and
a third contact point which is brought into contact with the male terminal inserted in the reception portion,
wherein the third contact point is at a location between the first contact point and the second contact point in a male terminal-inserting direction,
wherein the first contact point is a location in the inlet portion of the reception portion, and
wherein the second contact point is at a more inward location in the receiving portion than the first contact point.

2. The female terminal according to claim 1 , further comprising a first auxiliary spring portion that is formed on the terminal body, and is capable of supporting the first spring portion from a surface of the first spring portion, opposite from a surface which is brought into contact with the male terminal, and
a second auxiliary spring portion that is formed on the terminal body, and is capable of supporting the second spring portion from a surface of the second spring portion, opposite from a surface which is brought into contact with the male terminal.

3. The female terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the female terminal is formed of one metal plate.

4. The female terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the second contact point is at a location closer to the second spring portion than the first contact point in a spring portion-opposed direction in which the first spring portion and the second spring portion are opposed to each other.

5. The female terminal according to claim 4 , further comprising a first auxiliary spring portion that is formed on the terminal body, and is capable of supporting the first spring portion from a surface of the first spring portion, opposite from a surface which is brought into contact with the male terminal, and
a second auxiliary spring portion that is formed on the terminal body, and is capable of supporting the second spring portion from a surface of the second spring portion, opposite from a surface which is brought, into contact with the male terminal.

6. The female terminal according to claim 4 , wherein the female terminal is formed of one metal plate.

7. The female terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the first spring portion includes a first spring body which is continuous with the first linking portion, and extends in the male terminal-inserting direction,
wherein the second spring portion includes a second spring body which is continuous with the second linking portion, and extends in the male terminal-inserting direction,
wherein the first contact point is formed on the first linking portion,
wherein the second contact point is formed on the first spring body, and
wherein the third contact point is formed on the second spring body.

8. The female terminal according to claim 7 , wherein the first spring body includes a first straight portion which is continuous with the first linking portion, a curved portion which is continuous with the first straight portion, and a second straight portion which is continuous with the curved portion, and
wherein the curved portion is at a location farther from the second spring portion than the first straight portion and the second straight portion in the spring portion-opposed direction.

9. The female terminal according to claim 4 , wherein the first spring portion includes a first spring body which is continuous with the first linking portion, and extends la the male terminal-inserting direction,
wherein the second spring portion includes a second spring body which is continuous with the second linking portion, and extends in the male terminal-inserting direction,
wherein the first contact point is formed on the first linking portion,
wherein the second contact point is formed on the first spring body, and
wherein the third contact point is formed on the second spring body.

10. The female terminal according to claim 9 , wherein the first spring body includes a first straight portion which is continuous with the first linking portion, a curved portion which is continuous with the first straight portion, and a second straight portion which is continuous with the curved portion, and
wherein the curved portion is at a location farther from the second spring portion than the first straight portion and the second straight portion in the spring portion-opposed direction.

11. The female terminal according to claim 7 , wherein the first linking portion has an arc shape.

12. The female terminal according to claim 11 , wherein the first spring body includes a first straight portion which is continuous with the first linking portion, a curved portion which is continuous with the first straight portion, and a second straight portion which is continuous with the curved portion, and
wherein the curved portion is at a location farther from, the second spring portion than the first straight portion and the second straight portion in the spring portion-opposed direction.

13. The female terminal according to claim 9 , wherein the first linking portion has an arc shape.

14. The female terminal according to claim 13 , wherein the first spring body includes a first straight portion which is continuous with the first linking portion, a curved portion which is continuous with the first straight portion, and a second straight portion which is continuous with the curved portion, and
wherein the curved portion is at a location farther from the second spring portion than the first straight portion and the second straight portion in the spring portion-opposed direction.

15. A connector including a female terminal comprising a terminal body having a reception portion for receiving a male terminal, and a first spring portion and a second spring portion that are formed on the terminal body, and are arranged to be opposed to each other so as to sandwich the sale terminal inserted from an inlet portion of the reception portion into the reception portion,
wherein the first spring portion includes a first linking portion which is continuous with a reception portion inlet-side end portion of the terminal body, and is bent from the reception portion inlet-side end portion toward the reception portion, and a first contact point and a second contact point which are brought into contact with the male terminal inserted in the reception portion,
wherein the second spring portion includes a second linking portion which is continuous with the reception portion inlet-side end portion of the terminal body, and is bent from the reception portion inlet-side end portion toward the reception portion, and a third contact point which is brought into contact with the mal

Assignees

• Japan Aviation Electronics Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Hashiguchi Osamu

Classifications

• H01R4/185

  combined with a U-shaped insulation-receiving portion · CPC title

• H01R13/6272

  comprising a single latching arm · CPC title

• H01R13/187

  with spring member in the socket · CPC title

• H01R13/115

  U-shaped sockets having inwardly bent legs, e.g. spade type · CPC title

• H01R12/515

  Terminal blocks providing connections to wires or cables · CPC title