Electrical connectors – Self aligning contact
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-10
2002-01-15
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Self aligning contact
C439S595000, C439S701000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06338638
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electric connector assembly for connecting electric wires and more particularly, to an electric connector with a terminal, wherein abrasion of electric contact points due to small vibration friction does not arise.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric connector assembly is often used in such circumstances as motor vehicle or the like, wherein vibration acts on the electric connector assembly. In such a case, since small vibration friction could arise at electric contact points between an electric connector and a mating electric connector, the contact points would abrade and, therefore, electrical resistance at the contact points would increases.
Therefore, an electric connector capable of preventing such abrasion due to small vibration friction has been proposed. For example,
FIG. 4
shows a prior art terminal &bgr; for an electric connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-189102 (hereinafter JP '102).
This terminal &bgr; is accommodated in a terminal accommodating chamber of a connector housing, thereby making up an electric connector, and consists of a electrical contact section
1
provided for connecting with a terminal (not shown) of a mating electric connector and a wire connection section
2
provided for fixing an electric wire. The wire connection section
2
has a conductor crimping portion
21
and a cover crimping portion
22
.
The terminal &bgr; is made by punching a sheet material and by bending it, as is shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
. The electrical contact section
1
is in a box-like shape and has an elastic contact piece
12
therein supported by a linking portion
11
.
FIG. 6
is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along a line A—A in
FIG. 4
, of the prior art terminal. The elastic contact piece
12
is electrically connected with a terminal (not shown) of a mating electric connector at contact portions
12
a
and
12
b.
As described above, since the elastic contact piece
12
is supported by the box-like portion of the terminal &bgr; only by means of the linking portion
11
, small vibration friction between the contact portions
12
a
and
12
b
and the terminal of the mating electric connector would be prevented.
With respect to the above terminal &bgr; of JP '102, however, though the above structure with the linking portion
11
exhibits the vibration absorbing effect in b-direction (vertical direction) and c-direction (lateral direction) shown in
FIGS. 4 and 6
, the effect is not exhibited in a-direction (longitudinal direction) shown in FIG.
4
. Specifically, the elastic contact piece
12
rotatively vibrates about the linking portion
11
, as shown in FIG.
7
. And, strictly speaking, since the elastic contact piece
12
rotates vertically (in the b-direction) about the linking portion
11
, the mating terminal (a tab portion)
9
is apt to be hit by the elastic contact piece
12
, thereby causing abrasion of the mating terminal. That is, since the vibration absorbing effect is incomplete in the above structure, the small vibration friction has not been solved.
On the other hand,
FIGS. 8A and 8B
are longitudinal sectional views showing typical conventional locking methods of a terminal to a connector housing. A terminal &bgr; in
FIG. 8A
is locked, at the end of a box-like electrical contact section, by an elastic lance
41
′ provided on a connector housing
4
′, and a terminal &bgr;′ in
FIG. 8B
is locked by engaging an elastic engaging piece
19
, projecting from a electrical contact section, with a step portion
41
″ provided in a connector housing
4
″.
Since the electrical contact sections of the terminals &bgr;,&bgr;′ are directly put into contact with the connector housings
4
′,
4
″, vibration of the connector housings
4
′,
4
″ is propagated to the electrical contact sections. Therefore, small vibration friction or hitting movement between mating terminals (not shown) and the electrical contact sections would arise and abrasion of the electrical contact sections would arise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric connector with a terminal wherein abrasion of electric contact points due to small vibration friction does not arise and, more particularly, to provide an electric connector with a terminal wherein, in a vibrating state of connector housing, small vibration friction in a terminal longitudinal direction can be prevented and simultaneously abrasion of the terminal due to vertical vibration (i.e. in a thickness direction of a tab portion of the terminal) can be still surely prevented.
In order to achieve the above-described object, as a first aspect of the present invention, an electric connector includes: a first electric connector having a connector housing in which a terminal accommodating chamber is formed; a second electric connector with a second terminal; a first terminal to be accommodated in the connector housing and to be connected with an electric wire; an electrical contact section provided on the first terminal and having a contact piece to be electrically connected with the second terminal; a wire connection section provided on the first terminal for connecting an electric wire; and a space provided between the electrical contact section and an inner surface of the terminal accommodating chamber for allowing relative movement between the electrical contact section and the connector housing, whereby abrasion, caused by vibration, of contact points of the first and second terminals and increase of electrical resistance at the contact points do not arise.
According to the above-described structure, since the electrical contact section does not vibrate even in case that the connector housing vibrates in a direction perpendicular to the terminal connection direction, small vibration friction (hitting abrasion) between the terminal and the mating terminal can be prevented, thereby preventing poor contact of the terminals or an increase of electrical resistance.
As a second aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first aspect, the space is formed by making a step between a bottom of the electrical contact section and a bottom of the wire connection section.
According to the above-described structure, the conventional connector housing can be utilized, thereby saving the cost.
As a third aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first aspect, the first terminal is provided with an elastic vibration-absorbing portion between the electrical contact section and the wire connection section.
According to the above-described structure, since the electrical contact section can independently move relatively to the wire connection section, abrasion of the contact portions of the terminals can be surely prevented.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first aspect, the wire connection section is provided with an engaging portion for preventing the first terminal form coming out of the terminal accommodating chamber.
According to the above-described structure, since the wire connection section is fixed to the connector housing and the electrical contact section is free in the space, propagation of vibration toward the electrical contact section can be surely prevented.
As a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above third aspect, the elastic vibration-absorbing portion has an elasticity in a terminal connection-disconnection direction.
According to the above-described structure, since the vibration-absorbing portion can absorb vibration in the terminal connection-disconnection direction, small vibration friction between the terminal and the mating terminal can be prevented, thereby preventing poor contact of the terminals or an increase of electrical resistance.
As a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first aspect,
Bradley P. Austin
León Edwin A.
Yazaki -Corporation
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