Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact also having securing part...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-03
2003-04-22
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact also having securing part...
C439S866000, C439S884000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06551151
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a male terminal for a connector, in which an electrical contact portion of the male type has an increased strength.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-304738, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 6
shows a related male terminal. This male terminal
60
includes an electrical contact portion
61
of the male type, formed at one end thereof so as to contact a mating terminal, and a wire connection portion
62
which is formed at the other end thereof, and is pressed to be grippingly connected to an electric wire
50
. The male electrical contact portion
61
extends straight in the longitudinal direction. The wire connection portion
62
includes a wire conductor connection portion
64
for press-clamping (gripping) a conductor portion of the electric wire
50
, and a wire sheath connection portion
63
for press-clamping a sheath of the electric wire
50
, and these connection portions
64
and
63
are arranged on a line in adjacent relation to each other in the longitudinal direction. The wire conductor connection portion
64
includes a pair of clamping piece portions
64
a
, extending upwardly respectively from opposite side edges of a base plate of the terminal, and has a U-shaped cross-section. Similarly, the wire sheath connection portion
63
includes a pair of clamping piece portions
63
a
extending upwardly respectively from the opposite side edges of the base plate, and has a U-shaped cross-section. A box-like portion
65
of a generally rectangular cross-section is formed between the male electrical contact portion
61
and the wire connection portion
62
, and this box-like portion
65
includes a bottom wall
65
a
, side walls
65
b
, extending upwardly respectively from opposite side edges of the bottom wall
65
a
, and a top wall
65
c
extending between the two side walls
65
b
in a bridging manner. A stabilizing plate
66
for preventing the reverse insertion of the terminal into a cavity is formed in a projected manner on the bottom wall
65
a
intermediate opposite ends thereof, and an engagement hole
66
a
for engagement with a retaining lance
71
is formed in the bottom wall
65
a
at a front end of the stabilizing plate
66
. The male terminal
60
is primarily retained within a connector housing
70
by the retaining lance
71
, and the male terminal
60
has a retaining portion
78
through which the male terminal
60
is secondarily retained by a spacer
72
. An inter connecting portion
79
is formed forwardly of this retaining portion
78
, and has a tapering peripheral surface, and this interconnecting portion
79
is integrally connected to the male electrical contact portion
61
.
This male terminal
60
is received in the connector housing
70
, and is fitted in the female terminal (mating terminal)
75
, and this condition is shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
. The male terminal
60
is inserted in a tubular portion
76
of the female terminal
75
, and is held in contact with a resilient contact piece portion provided within the tubular portion
76
. Here, a connector, having the male terminals received in its connector housing, is defined as a female connector while a connector, having the female terminals received in its connector housing, is defined as a male connector. A fitting chamber is formed in the female connector
68
, and this female connector
68
can be releasably fitted on the male connector
66
through a lock arm
77
.
In the above-described male terminal, however, there is a possibility that the electrical contact portion of the male terminal is bent for some reason before or when it is received in the connector housing. For example, when the male terminal is pressed to be connected to the electric wire, a pressing force acts on the wire connection portion, and therefore there is a possibility that the electrical contact portion is warped upwardly or downwardly. Even if such upward or downward warp is not encountered, there is a possibility that the electrical contact portion is bent at its proximal end when the male terminal is received in the connector housing. In this condition, when the male terminal is fitted into the female terminal, the distal end portion of the electrical contact portion is disposed out of position with respect to the female terminal, so that the electrical contact portion may incompletely contact the female terminal. When the male terminal is forcibly inserted, there is a possibility that the distal end portion of the electrical contact portion is damaged or broken. And besides, it is expected that the strength of the proximal end portion of the electrical contact portion decreases in the future because of a thin design of a printed circuit board and a small-size design of the terminal, and this problem is important also from this point of view. Heretofore, a bead has been formed at the proximal end of the electrical contact portion to thereby secure the strength. However, this is not sufficient, and a more effective countermeasure has been desired.
In order to solve the above problem, there has been proposed a method in which the bending/deformation of the electrical contact portion is beforehand examined, and is corrected. However, such a method requires much time and labor, and the correction is not sufficient, and therefore a simple and easy countermeasure has been desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the above problem in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a male terminal in which an interconnecting portion, disposed adjacent to an electrical contact portion, is improved to thereby increase the strength of the electrical contact portion so that the bending and deformation of the electrical contact portion can be prevented.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a male terminal in which an electrical contact portion has an increased strength so as to meet a thin design of a printed circuit board and a small-size design of the male terminal.
To achieve the above objects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a male terminal which comprises a terminal body, a wire connection portion, to which an electric wire is connectable, formed at one end portion of the terminal body, a male-type electrical contact portion, to which a mating female terminal is electrically connectable, formed at the other end portion of the terminal body, a box-like portion provided between the wire connection portion and the electrical contact portion, and an interconnecting portion interconnecting the box-like portion and the electrical contact portion, the interconnecting portion being formed into a curved surface.
In the first aspect of the present invention, the interconnection portion, interconnecting the box-like portion and the electrical contact portion, has the curved surface. Therefore, even if a bending force, developing when the male terminal is inserted obliquely into the female terminal or when the mating terminals are out of alignment with each other, is prevented from acting on the proximal end portion of the cantilever-type male terminal in a localized manner.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a male terminal which comprises:
a wire connection portion to which an electric wire is connectable;
a male-type electrical contact portion, to which a mating female terminal is electrically connectable, including a bottom plate portion, the electrical contact portion being formed by bending one free side edge portion of the bottom plate portion thereof;
a box-like portion provided between the wire connection portion and the electrical contact portion; and
an interconnecting portion interconnecting the box-like portion and the electrical contact portion, the interconnecting portion including:
an upper wall surface portion extending from the one free side edge portion to the box-like portion,
a side wall surface portion bent outwardly from the upper
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Ta Tho D.
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
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