Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-17
2004-01-20
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Spring actuated or resilient securing part
C439S752500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06679738
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a female terminal, and in particular to a female terminal having a resilient contact for making contact with a tab of a mating male terminal. Further, the present invention relates to a female terminal having a stabilizer.
2. Description of Related Art
A female terminal of the general type has an angular tubular portion at a front end thereof for inserting a mating male terminal. The interior of the angular tubular portion has a resilient contact formed from a portion that extends forwardly from the front end of the angular tubular portion. The female terminal is formed by bending a metal plate blank.
In a pre-formed condition of the above female terminal, the resilient contact projects forwardly from the front of the angular tubular portion, and is folded inwardly of the angular tubular portion so that the resilient contact can be brought elastically into contact with a tab of the male terminal within the angular tubular portion. The disadvantage of such a configuration is that the lengthwise dimension of the blank increases, thus resulting in a waste of the metal plate, i.e., a poor yield.
An improved female terminal offered for the purpose of the reduction of the lengthwise dimension is known in the art, such as, for example, a female terminal disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 11-345644.
As shown in
FIGS. 7-9
, an angular tubular portion
2
is provided at a front end of a female terminal
1
, and a contact base portion
3
is provided on a part of the ceiling surface of the angular tubular portion
2
. A resilient contact
4
is formed from a portion that extends rearwardly from the contact base portion
3
, and is folded inwardly so that the resilient contact
4
extends forwardly within the angular tubular portion
2
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, in a pre-formed condition, the contact base portion
3
extends in a widthwise direction (lower side in
FIG. 9
) from the angular tubular portion
2
, and the resilient contact
4
extends rearwardly (right side in
FIG. 9
) from the contact base portion
3
. With such a configuration, unlike the general type of the female terminal, the lengthwise dimension of the blank does not increase, thereby decreasing the metal plate waste and thus improving the product yield.
However, in such an event where a resilient contact is disposed laterally of an angular tubular portion in its pre-formed condition, the resilient contact may overlap with or obstruct rearwardly positioned portions such as barrel portions, depending on the configuration of a female terminal. In such a case, it is very difficult or even impossible to design and produce such a female terminal.
In addition, the Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. HEI 2-117672 discloses another type of a prior female terminal fitting. This prior female terminal has an angular tubular portion at a front end thereof and a stabilizer. The stabilizer is configured to project outwardly from the angular tubular portion to aid insertion of the female terminal into a connector housing in a proper orientation.
However, since the stabilizer projects outwardly, it is susceptible to deformation by interference with other members. Moreover, since the stabilizer is in the form of a single plate, merely extending flushly from a single-plate side wall of the angular tubular portion, it has a little strength, and is easily deformed or bent from its root portion by interference with other members.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problems into consideration, and an object thereof is to provide a female terminal wherein a resilient contact provided thereon can maintain a sufficient contact pressure with respect to the mating male terminal. Another object of the present invention is to provide a female terminal which prevents the deformation or bending of a stabilizer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As a solution to this problem, it was conceived to provide, for example, a female terminal
10
as shown in
FIGS. 10-11
. In the pre-formed condition of this female terminal
10
, a contact base portion
14
extends laterally in a widthwise direction, and a resilient contact
15
extends rearwardly from the contact base portion
14
, as in the case of the female terminal
1
. However, the contact base portion
14
is folded under to lie beneath the lower surface of a ceiling wall
12
of an angular tubular portion
11
, at a folded end portion
13
provided at a side edge of the ceiling wall
12
. Accordingly, in its pre-formed condition, the resilient contact
15
extends lengthwise, spaced apart from the angular tubular portion
11
sufficiently in a widthwise direction to avoid overlapping with or obstructing rearwardly positioned portions.
However, in this female terminal
10
, since the folded end portion
13
is provided interiorly of the inner surface of the angular tubular portion
11
, the width W
1
of the resilient contact
15
becomes small, as illustrated. As a result, contact pressure with respect to a mating male terminal is reduced.
To solve the above problems, and/ or other associated problems, the present invention provides a female terminal. The female terminal has an angular tubular portion that extends in a lengthwise direction. The angular tubular portion has an insertion opening at one end thereof for inserting a mating male terminal, and adjacently disposed first and second walls that extend in the lengthwise direction.
The female terminal further has a base portion at the first wall of the angular tubular portion, and the base portion has an end that extends toward the second wall in a widthwise direction. A resilient contact extends from the base portion in the lengthwise direction, and is folded inwardly so that the resilient contact extends within the angular tubular portion for elastically making contact with a tab of the mating male terminal. The angular tubular portion has a receiving portion positioned to correspond to, and receive the end portion of the base portion.
In accordance with the above construction of the present invention, the width of the resilient contact can be increased. Therefore, a contact pressure of the resilient contact with respect to the tab of the mating male terminal can be increased without increasing the size of the angular tubular portion. Thus, this construction is particularly effective in the case where the female terminal is to be miniaturized.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the resilient contact has a width substantially the same as an inner width of the angular tubular portion. Hence, a contact pressure of the resilient contact with respect to the tab of the mating male terminal will be increased without increasing the size of the angular tubular portion.
In a further aspect of the invention, the receiving portion is formed in at least one of the first and second walls and positioned to correspond to and receive the end portion of the base portion. Preferably, the end portion of the base portion is fixedly secured within the receiving portion.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the end portion of the base portion extends through the receiving portion, and projects beyond an outer surface of the second wall to form a guide member or a stabilizer that aids insertion of the female terminal into a connecting device in a proper orientation.
In a further aspect of the invention, the receiving portion includes a cut-away portion formed between and first and second walls, and the cut-away portion has a window that allows the end portion of the base portion to be observed from an interior side of the first wall.
In another aspect of the invention, the base portion is formed from a double wall structure, and the end portion of the base portion is formed form a folded end portion. Preferably, the receiving portion includes a cut-away portion formed between the first and second walls, and an edge of the cut-away portion tightly engages the base portion at or in the v
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
Ta Tho D.
Tsukerman Larisa
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