This specification relates to a male terminal.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-82453 discloses a male terminal that includes a pin-like insertion portion to be inserted into a box-like portion of a female terminal and a wire crimping portion to be crimped to a core exposed by stripping a sheath of a wire. A front part of the female terminal includes two resilient pieces, and a rear part has a wire crimping portion to be crimped to a wire. The insertion portion of the male terminal is inserted into the box-like portion of the female terminal and is pressed into contact with the resilient pieces of the female terminal so that the male and female terminals become electrically conductive.
In this configuration, vibration applied to the wire crimped to the male terminal or the female terminal can twist the male terminal. Thus, a terminal contact point slides and can wear to cause a contact failure. A contact pressure of the female terminal can be increased to suppress the twisting of the male terminal. However, the increased contact pressure increases an insertion force required for the male terminal and makes insertion more difficult.
The invention relates to a male terminal that can fit to a female terminal that includes at least two resilient contact pieces. The male terminal includes a pin-shaped terminal contact portion that is configured to contact the resilient contact pieces of the female terminal when the male terminal is fit to the female terminal. A projection projects from an outer peripheral surface of the terminal contact portion and is arranged to be fit between side edges of two adjacent resilient contact pieces of the female terminal when the male terminal is fit to the female terminal.
According to this configuration, when the male terminal and the female terminal are fit together, the projection of the male terminal enters between the side edges of the two adjacent resilient contact pieces of the female terminal. Then, even if the male terminal is subject to vibration, the projection of the male terminal butts against the side edge of the resilient contact piece of the female terminal to prevent twisting of the male terminal.
The projection may be in contact with the resilient contact pieces when the male terminal is fit to the female terminal. According to this configuration, a contact area when the male terminal and the female terminal are fit is increased, and contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal can be reduced.
Further, the number of projections may be the same as the number of resilient contact pieces, and one projection is fit between the side edges of two adjacent resilient contact pieces. According to this configuration, the projections of the male terminal are fit between all adjacent resilient contact pieces of the female terminal. This causes a load applied to the resilient contact pieces when the projections butt against the resilient contact pieces due to the twisting of the male terminal to be dispersed to each resilient contact piece. Therefore, a load applied to one resilient contact piece of the female terminal due to twisting of the male terminal can be reduced.
Accordingly, the male terminal disclosed in this specification prevents twisting of the male terminal can be prevented.
An embodiment is described with reference to
A female terminal 20 is formed by bending a metal plate material of copper, copper alloy or the like stamped into a predetermined shape. Further, plating of tin or the like is applied to the entire surface of the female terminal 20. As shown in
Six resilient contact pieces 21 of the female terminal 20 are arranged at equal intervals in a circumferential direction as shown in
The wire crimping portion 22 of the female terminal 20 is crimped to an unillustrated wire. In this way, the female terminal 20 and the wire become electrically conductive.
The male terminal 10 is formed by working a round bar material made of metal such as copper or copper alloy by heading, cutting or the like. Further, plating of tin or the like is applied to the entire surface of the male terminal 10. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Six projections 12 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction as shown in
The wire crimping portion 13 of the male terminal 10 is crimped to an unillustrated wire. In this way, the male terminal 10 and the wire become electrically conductive.
Next, functions of this embodiment are described.
When the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are fit together, the projections 12 of the male terminal 10 enter the spaces 25 between the side edges 24 of the adjacent resilient contact pieces 21 of the female terminal 20, as shown in
When the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are fit, the terminal contact portion 11 of the male terminal 10 is pressed resiliently by the resilient contact pieces 21 of the female terminal 20, as shown in
Further, as shown in
Further, as shown in
As described above, according to this embodiment, the projection 12 of the male terminal 10 enters the space 25 between the side edges 24 of at least two of the resilient contact pieces 21 of the female terminal 20 when the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are fit. Then, even if the male terminal 10 is twisted, the projection 12 of the male terminal 10 butts against the side edge 24 of the resilient contact piece 21 of the female terminal 20 to prevent the twisting of the male terminal 10.
Further, the projections 12 are in contact with the side edges 24 of the adjacent resilient contact pieces 21 when the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are fit together. Thus, the contact area increases when the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are fit together. Thus, contact resistance between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 can be reduced.
Further, the projections 12 of the male terminal 10 are fit between adjacent resilient contact pieces 21 of the male terminal 20. This causes a load applied to the resilient contact pieces 21 when the projections 12 butt against the resilient contact pieces 21 due to the twisting of the male terminal 10 to be dispersed to each resilient contact piece 21. Therefore, a load applied to one resilient contact piece 21 of the female terminal 20 due to the twisting of the male terminal 10 can be reduced
The male terminal disclosed by this specification is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiment. For example, the following various modes are also included.
The number of the projections 12 are equal to the number of the resilient contact pieces 21 in the above embodiment. However, there may be more projections 12 than resilient contact pieces 21 or fewer projections 12 than resilient contact pieces 21.
Although six projections 12 of the male terminal 10 and six side edges 24 of the resilient contact pieces 21 of the female terminal 20 are provided, the number of the projections 12 and the number of the side edges 24 may differ.
Although the projections 12 of the male terminal 10 are in contact with the side edges 24 of the adjacent resilient contact pieces 21 of the female terminal 20 in the above embodiment, the projections 12 may not be in contact with the side edges 24.
Although one projection 12 of the male terminal 10 is fit in each space 25 of the female terminal 20 in the above embodiment, one or more projections 12 or no projection 12 may be fit in the space 25.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2017-044016 | Mar 2017 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2018/006119 | 2/21/2018 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2018/163814 | 9/13/2018 | WO | A |
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