Terminal fitting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9774109-B2
Application number	US-201515109834-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2015
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A grounding terminal unit (A) is sandwiched between a seating surface (S) of a bolt (B) and a grounding part (E) with first connecting plates ( 13 ) of a first grounding terminal fitting ( 10 ) and second connecting plates ( 43 ) of a second grounding terminal fitting ( 40 ) placed one over the other in a plate thickness direction. The first grounding terminal fitting ( 10 ) is configured by uniting two divided fittings ( 20, 30 ) including tabs ( 19 ) connectable to first conductive paths (Wa) and the two divided fittings ( 20, 30 ) are formed with uniting locking portions ( 25, 33 ) for holding the two divided fittings ( 20, 30 ) in a united state by being locked to each other at a position different from the first connecting plates ( 13 ). The first connecting plates ( 13 ) are in the form of single plates with the two divided fittings ( 20, 30 ) united.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A grounding terminal unit, comprising:
a first grounding terminal fitting comprising:
a first divided fitting having a first plate-like portion with an opening penetrating therethrough, and a first uniting locking portion and a right first assembling locking portion formed on the first plate-like portion;
a second divided fitting having a second plate-like portion, a second uniting locking portion and a left first assembling locking portion, wherein

the first divided fitting is fitted on the second divided fitting with the first uniting locking portion engaging the second locking portion, the left first assembling locking portion engaging the right first assembling locking portion to define a first assembling locking portion, the opening defining first bolt insertion hole and areas of the first plate-like portion and the second plate-like portion on an opening edge of the first bolt insertion hole engage each other to define a first connecting plate; and
a second grounding terminal fitting formed with a second bolt insertion hole, a second connecting plate arranged on an opening edge of the second bolt insertion hole and a second assembling locking portion;
wherein:
the first and second connecting plates are held in an assembled state where the first and second connecting plates are placed one over the other in a plate thickness direction by locking of the first and second assembling locking portions;
a fastening member is penetrated through the first and second bolt insertion holes and connected to a grounding part with the first and second connecting plates sandwiched between a seating surface of the fastening member and the grounding part;
the first and second divided fittings include conductive path connecting portions connectable to grounding conductive paths; and
the first connecting plate is in the form of a single plate in a state where the first and second divided fittings are united.

2. The grounding terminal unit of claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second divided fittings is formed with a frame continuously surrounding the first bolt insertion hole and an inner peripheral edge of the frame defines at least a part of the first connecting plate.

3. The grounding terminal unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second divided fittings are formed such that a conductive path connecting portion extends from the first and second plate-like portions;
the first and second plate-like portions are arranged in a width direction with the first and second divided fittings united to configure the first grounding terminal fitting including the first connecting plate;
the second grounding terminal fitting is formed such that the conductive path connecting portion extends from a second grounding connecting portion including the second connecting plate;
the first and second grounding terminal fittings are assembled so that the first and second grounding connecting portions are arranged in the width direction; and
the conductive path connecting portions of the first and second grounding terminal fittings extend in a direction intersecting the width direction.

4. The grounding terminal unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second divided fittings are each formed with:
a plurality of arms extending substantially at a right angle from each of the first and second plate-like portions;
a plurality of supporting plates extending substantially at a right angle from extending ends of the arms; and
the plurality of the conductive path connecting portions being long and narrow and being cantilevered substantially in parallel to one another from extending ends of the supporting plates; and
a harness connecting portion to be connected to a plurality of the grounding conductive paths is configured by the arms, the supporting plates and the conductive path connecting portions.

5. The grounding terminal unit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second divided fittings is formed with a plurality of the conductive path connecting portions.

6. The grounding terminal unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the conductive path connecting portions are crimping portions in the form of open barrels.

7. The grounding terminal unit of claim 1 , wherein the conductive paths connecting portions of the first and second grounding terminal fittings have mutually different connection forms.

Assignees

• Autonetworks Technologies Ltd
• Sumitomo Wiring Systems
• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Tabata Masaaki
• Oomori Yasuo
• Matsui Hajime
• Itou Hideaki
• Ito Kenta

Classifications

• H01R11/12 Primary

  End pieces terminating in an eye, hook, or fork · CPC title

• H01R4/66

  Connections with the terrestrial mass, e.g. earth plate, earth pin · CPC title

• H01R4/64

  Connections between or with conductive parts having primarily a non-electric function, e.g. frame, casing, rail · CPC title

• H01R11/05

  the connecting locations having different types of direct connections · CPC title

• H01R11/32

  End pieces with two or more terminations · CPC title