Connection terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10236596-B2
Application number	US-201816024629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2018
Priority date	Jul 3, 2017
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

A connection terminal includes a terminal main body, a contact member, a locking structure, and a position adjustment structure. The terminal main body is electrically conductive and includes a female connector. The contact member is disposed, in a first region of an internal space of the female connector, to face an inner circumferential surface of the female connector. The locking structure holds the contact member at a position thereof after completion of housing of the contact member in the internal space. The position adjustment structure adjusts the position of the contact member in the internal space. The position adjustment structure includes a locked holder disposed in the contact member and a locking holder disposed in the terminal main body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connection terminal, comprising:
an electrically conductive terminal main body including: a female connector that has a columnar internal space in which a male connector of a mating male terminal is to be inserted; and an electric wire connector with which an electrically conductive part of an electric wire is to be electrically connected;
a contact member that is disposed to face an inner circumferential surface of the female connector in a first region of two divided regions of the internal space, the two divided regions extending along insertion and removal directions of the male connector, that is electrically connected with the female connector by the inner circumferential surface of the female connector, and that is to be electrically connected with the male connector inserted in the internal space through a first opening in the female connector;
a locking structure that holds the contact member at a position at which the contact member is disposed after completion of housing of the contact member in the internal space; and
a position adjustment structure that adjusts a position of the contact member in the internal space, wherein
the locking structure includes: a locked body that protrudes from an end of the contact member disposed on a side of a second opening in the female connector toward a direction in which the contact member is inserted into the internal space; and a locking body that protrudes from an end on the side of the second opening in the female connector toward the direction in which the contact member is inserted into the internal space,
the locked body includes a locked part and the locking body includes a locking part such that, upon completion of housing of the contact member in the internal space, the locked part of the locked body is disposed to face the locking part of the locking body in the insertion and removal directions of the male connector,
the position adjustment structure includes a locked holder disposed in the contact member and a locking holder disposed in the terminal main body, and
the locking holder includes a locking holding part capable of locking a locked holding part of the locked holder within such a range that the locked part and the locking part are disposed to face each other in the insertion and removal directions of the male connector after the completion of housing of the contact member in the internal space, the locking holding part further being capable of holding the locked holding part under the foregoing locking condition.

2. The connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein
the locking holding part is formed so as to be capable of locking and holding the locked holding part before the completion of housing of the contact member in the internal space.

3. The connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein
the contact member includes: first and second female-side contact parts, spaced apart from each other in the insertion and removal directions, for establishing an electric connection with the inner circumferential surface of the female connector; a male-side contact part that connects between the first and the second female-side contact parts and that is electrically connected with the male connector inserted in the internal space; and the locked body that protrudes from the second female-side contact part disposed on the side of the second opening toward the insertion direction, and
the position adjustment structure uses, as the locked holder, the second female-side contact part that extends along a circumferential direction of the inner circumferential surface of the female connector, uses, as the locked holding part, circumferential ends of the second female-side contact part, and uses, as the locking holder, a bulge that bulges from the inner circumferential surface of the female connector for each locked holding part.

4. The connection terminal according to claim 2 , wherein
the contact member includes: first and second female-side contact parts, spaced apart from each other in the insertion and removal directions, for establishing an electric connection with the inner circumferential surface of the female connector; a male-side contact part that connects between the first and the second female-side contact parts and that is electrically connected with the male connector inserted in the internal space; and the locked body that protrudes from the second female-side contact part disposed on the side of the second opening toward the insertion direction, and
the position adjustment structure uses, as the locked holder, the second female-side contact part that extends along a circumferential direction of the inner circumferential surface of the female connector, uses, as the locked holding part, circumferential ends of the second female-side contact part, and uses, as the locking holder, a bulge that bulges from the inner circumferential surface of the female connector for each locked holding part.

5. The connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein
the contact member includes: first and second female-side contact parts, spaced apart from each other in the insertion and removal directions, for establishing an electric connection with the inner circumferential surface of the female connector; a male-side contact part that connects between the first and the second female-side contact parts and that is electrically connected with the male connector inserted in the internal space; the locked body that protrudes from the second female-side contact part disposed on the side of the second opening toward the insertion direction; and the locked holder that protrudes toward the insertion direction from circumferential ends of the second female-side contact part that extends circumferentially along the inner circumferential surface of the female connector, and
the locking holder is provided for each locked holder.

6. The connection terminal according to claim 1 , wherein
the contact member includes: first and second female-side contact parts, spaced apart from each other in the insertion and removal directions, for establishing an electric connection with the inner circumferential surface of the female connector; a male-side contact part that connects between the first and the second female-side contact parts and that is electrically connected with the male connector inserted in the internal space; the locked body that protrudes from the second female-side contact part disposed on the side of the second opening toward the insertion direction; and the locked holder that protrudes toward the insertion direction from circumferential ends of the second female-side contact part that extends circumferentially along the inner circumferential surface of the female connector, and
the locking holder is provided for each locked holder.

Assignees

• Yazaki Corp
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hirakawa Takayoshi
• Tanaka Yasuhiro
• Machida Kengo
• Kitami Akio
• Yamanaka Kenshi

Classifications

• H01R13/187 Primary

  with spring member in the socket · CPC title

• H01R4/184 Primary

  comprising a U-shaped wire-receiving portion · CPC title

• H01R13/111

  co-operating with pins having a circular transverse section · CPC title

• H01R4/60

  Connections between or with tubular conductors (H01R4/56 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R4/48 Primary

  utilising a spring, clip, or other resilient member (H01R4/52 takes precedence) · CPC title