Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Patent
1998-08-26
2000-03-21
Luebke, Renee S.
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Spring actuated or resilient securing part
439850, H01R 1122
Patent
active
060396156
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a female terminal in which electrical contact with a mating tab terminal is accomplished by inserting said tab terminal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, female terminals such as the terminal disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application No. 1-132072 have been widely used as female terminals of this type.
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the above mentioned conventional female terminal.
As is shown in FIG. 14, this female terminal 10 is equipped with a bottom plate 1, side plates 2a and 2b which rise vertically from both side edges 1a and 1b of the bottom plate 1, two upper contact parts 4a and 4b which are formed by bending the respective free ends 3a and 3b of the side plates 2a and 2b inward so that these free ends face the bottom plate 1, and a lower contact part 5 which extends rearward from the vicinity of the front end portion 1c of the bottom plate 1 on the side where a mating tab terminal 9 is inserted, and which has a projection 6 formed on its upper surface. Furthermore, the rear end portion of the lower contact part 5 extends rearward and is bent upward so that a pressing part 5a is formed, and a portion of the bottom plate 1 extends rearward and forms a barrel 7 which is used for the connection of wires. When a mating tab terminal 9 which has a hole 9a formed in a position corresponding to the projection 6 of the lower contact part 5 is inserted between the upper contact parts 4a and 4b and lower contact part 5 of the female terminal 10 constructed as described above, the hole 9a in the tab terminal 9 and the projection 6 on the female terminal 10 engage so that the female terminal 10 and tab terminal 9 are connected. When the tab terminal 9 is to be removed from the female terminal 10, the engagement of the projection 6 and hole 9a is released by pressing the pressing part 5a downward so that the lower contact part 5 is caused to bend downward with a point in the vicinity of the front end portion 1c of the bottom plate 1 acting as a supporting point.
However, in the female terminal 10 described above, the upper contact parts 4a and 4b have a cantilever beam structure. As a result, the following problem arises: i. e., if an unreasonable amount of force is applied to the upper contact parts 4a and 4b as a result of the tab terminal 9 being inserted from an incorrect insertion direction when the tab terminal 9 is inserted between the upper contact parts 4a and 4b and the lower contact part 5, the upper contact parts 4a and 4b are easily deformed.
Furthermore, since the pressing part 5a in the female terminal 10 described above is formed by extending the rear end portion of the lower contact part 5 in the rearward direction, the overall female terminal must have a length equal to the total of the length of the lower contact part 5 and the length of the pressing part 5a. Accordingly, this creates a restriction in terms of reducing the overall size of the female terminal 10.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the above facts, the object of the present invention is to provide a compact female terminal which makes it possible to prevent deformation of the female terminal when a tab terminal is inserted.
The invention is directed to a female terminal having a base plate, side portions extending upwardy from the base plate, upper contact parts formed at ends of the side plates, a lower contact part extending rearwardly from a forward part of the base portion and having a projection thereon for engaging a mating tab terminal with a hole for engagement with the projection. Arm parts extend upwardly from the base plate and free ends of the arm parts are bent over the upper contact parts. The free ends are above the upper contact parts thereby providing overstress protection to the upper contact parts.
The invention is further directed to a female terminal having a bottom plate, side plates which extend upwardly from the bottom plate, two upper contact parts formed on ends of the side plates, a lower contact part whi
REFERENCES:
patent: 3729701 (1973-04-01), Smith
patent: 3976348 (1976-08-01), Simmons
patent: 4415221 (1983-11-01), Inoue et al.
patent: 4699444 (1987-10-01), Isohata
patent: 4934966 (1990-06-01), D'Urso
patent: 5350321 (1994-09-01), Takenouchi
PCT International Application, International Publication Number: WO 88/05611, International Publication Date: Jul. 28, 1988, International Application Number: PCT/US87/03215.
Luebke Renee S.
Nasri Javaid
The Whitaker Corporation
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