Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-09
2001-03-13
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Spring actuated or resilient securing part
C439S843000, C439S852000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06200174
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal structure of a connecting terminal to be used for connection in an electric system of an automobile. More specifically, it relates to a structure of the vicinity of a contact piece of a connecting terminal to be contacted with a substrate in an electric connection box so as to be conducted and connected.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, as the structure in the vicinity of a contact piece of a connecting terminal, various ones have been known. For example, a connecting terminal
31
shown in
FIG. 9
is a female type connecting terminal comprising an electric wire caulking portion
32
and a core wire caulking portion
33
in the rear part, and a plate spring-like elastic contact piece
35
to be contacted with a counterpart conductor portion for electric connection, elongating from a front end fold back portion
34
projecting from a terminal bottom plate
36
in the front part. The elastic contact piece
35
, in general, is covered with a top plate
38
supported by side plates
37
provided upright on the terminal bottom plate
36
. By forcing and holding a counterpart conductor portion with the top plate
38
, an electric connection state can be obtained.
In the connecting operation of the connecting terminal
31
with the above-mentioned configuration, a counterpart male type conductor portion is introduced from the front part, guided by the front end fold back portion
34
and the top plate
38
while forcing the elastic contact piece
35
. At the time, the elastic contact piece
35
and the front end fold back portion
34
are deflected so as to hold the counterpart conductor portion with the top plate
38
for achieving the electric connection.
However, according to the conventional connecting terminal
31
, when the counterpart male type conductor portion is introduced from the front part, guided by the front end fold back portion
34
and the top plate
38
while forcing the elastic contact piece
35
, the elastic contact piece
35
and the front end fold back portion
34
are deflected, and finally the counterpart conductor portion is held with respect to the top plate
38
. In this case, since the deflected portions are only the elastic contact piece
35
and the front end fold back portion
34
, the distributed load value with respect to the deflection amount is relatively large. With the progress of the introduction of the counterpart conductor portion, the resistance force becomes larger and larger. Accordingly, a problem is involved in that the operativity in the connecting operation is deteriorated.
Further another example of conventional connecting terminal will be described. As the structure in the vicinity of a contact piece of a connecting terminal to be contacted with a substrate in an electric connection box for electric connection in an electric system of an automobile so as to be conducted and connected, various ones have been known. For example, a connecting terminal
131
shown in
FIG. 10
is a contact piece exposed type connecting terminal comprising an electric wire caulking portion
132
and a core wire caulking portion
133
in the rear part, and a plate spring-like elastic contact piece
134
to be contacted with a counterpart conductor portion (not illustrated) for electric connection, elongating from a front end fold back portion
135
projecting from a terminal bottom plate
136
in the front part. Deflection preventing pieces
139
are provided below the elastic contact piece
34
by bending the upper end portion of both side plates
138
provided upright from both side ends of the terminal bottom plate
136
.
The connecting terminal
131
can be stored in a predetermined connector housing so as to be contacted with a bus bar end portion or a predetermined position of a printing circuit on a substrate for obtaining an electric connection state. Accordingly, the elastic contact piece
134
is always in the state of elastically displaced toward the terminal bottom plate
136
side when it is contacted with a counterpart conductor portion.
In the connecting operation of the connecting terminal
131
with the above-mentioned configuration, a counterpart conductor portion guided by the front end fold back portion
135
and the connector housing (not illustrated) from the front side or from above while forcing the elastic contact piece
134
is surface-contacted. At the time, the elastic contact piece
134
and the front end fold back portion
135
are deflected so as to force the counterpart conductor portion for achieving the electric connection.
Then, in the case the elastic contact piece
134
is deflected excessively due to external force such as vibration in the state in which the counterpart conductor portion is contacted with the elastic contact piece
134
, the lower surface of the elastic contact piece
134
comes in contact with the deflection preventing pieces
139
so that the excessive deflection is regulated.
However, since a specific portion comes in contact with the deflection preventing pieces
139
repeatedly in the conventional connecting terminal
131
, a problem is involved in that the contacting portions are deteriorated or flawed so as to ruin a good connection state.
Moreover, since the elastic contact piece
134
comes in contact with the deflection preventing pieces
139
vigorously so as to be plastically deformed if an external force larger than the tolerable limit is applied, a problem is involved in that a good connection state with the counterpart conductor portion cannot be ensured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, an object of the invention is to provide a connecting terminal enabling certain and easy connecting operation without losing durability.
Another object of the invention is to provide a connecting terminal having excellent durability and reliability without the risk of flaw or deformation of an elastic contact piece by an excessive external force.
The above-mentioned problem can be solved by a connecting terminal according to the invention comprising an electric wire caulking portion in the rear part and a plate spring-like elastic contact piece to be contacted with a counterpart conductor portion for electric connection, elongating from a front end fold back portion projecting from a terminal bottom plate in the front part, wherein the elastic contact piece and the front end fold back portion are provided continuously from a rising portion, linearly elongating from the front end of the terminal bottom plate forward and upward with a certain rising angle.
The above-mentioned problem can be solved by a connecting terminal according to the invention comprising an electric wire caulking portion in the rear part and a plate spring-like elastic contact piece to be contacted with a counterpart conductor portion for electric connection, elongating from a front end fold back portion projecting from a terminal bottom plate in the front part,
wherein deflection regulating walls are provided upright outside the elastic contact piece from both side ends of the terminal bottom plate such that excessive displacement of the elastic contact piece is prevented by the contact of the upper end portion of the deflection regulating walls with the counterpart conductor portion or a substrate holding the conductor portion in the case the elastic contact piece is displaced between the deflection regulating walls by more than a set value.
According to the connecting terminal with the configuration, since the elastic contact piece and the front end fold back portion are provided continuously from the rising portion, linearly elongating from the front end of the terminal bottom plate forward and upward with a certain rising angle, in addition to the elastic contact piece and the front end fold back portion, the rising portion is deflected as well by the contact of the counterpart conductor portion. Therefore, the distributed load with respect to the deflection amount becomes smaller without the ris
Katoh Mitsunobu
Watanabe Hiroshi
Bradley Paula
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Ta Tho D.
Yazaki -Corporation
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