Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-03
2001-06-05
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241549
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a pressure-contact terminal which can be connected with a conductor without soldering of the conductor onto the pressure-contact terminal, and to an electric connection box including such pressure-contact terminals.
2. Description of Related Art
In a vehicle, an electric connection box having a connector holder is used to collect branch wire connection portions of a wire harness for use in electric parts and fit connectors and the like thereon. Generally, in such an electric connection box, a branch conductive circuit called a bus bar having upstanding tab portions formed by punching a metal plate such as a copper plate is fixed to an insulation plate. A circuit member having a plurality of branch conductive circuits laminated one upon another is accommodated in the body of the electric connection box. The tab portions project inside a connector socket which is formed on the body of the electric connection box.
Recently, vehicles have become equipped with more electric parts. However, since it is necessary to form the tab portions on the bus bar of the box, the electric connection box has a low degree of freedom in wiring. Thus, to construct a large circuit, it is necessary to construct the circuit member by laminating a large number of insulation plates one upon another, which leads to a large size of the electric connection box.
To solve the above-described problem, there has been proposed an electric connection box in which a part of a circuit is constructed of conductors, and pressure-contact terminals each having a tab portion and a sandwiching portion for engaging and gripping one of the conductors are used.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,266 shows a terminal of planar sheet metal having flexible sandwiching portions to receive an uncoated conductor wire. The terminal has a large width relative to the wire diameter, and therefore does not allow compact arrangement of multiple terminals and wire.
Thus, when a plurality of terminals are arranged beside each other in the circuit member, a dimension in the connection box corresponding to the total width of the terminals added to the total width of terminal holding portions between the terminals is required, which prevents the array of terminals from being arranged with narrow pitch. Thus, there is a limitation in producing a compact circuit member. Consequently, a small electric connection box cannot be manufactured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pressure-contact terminal which makes possible good electric connection between a conductor of an electrical cable and the pressure-contact terminal and permits a plurality of the terminals to be arranged in an array with narrow pitch, i.e., at small intervals, in an electrical connection box.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a compact electric connection box.
According to the invention there is provided a pressure-contact terminal formed by punching and bending a metal plate, having a substrate portion and a pair of sandwiching pieces extending in a first direction from the substrate portion and being spaced apart to define between them a slot that receives a conductor, which may, for example, be a single-core wire. A tab portion extends from the substrate portion in a second direction, which may be opposite to the first direction, or may be for example at a right angle to the first direction. A pair of reinforcing portions which face each other and which respectively extend alongside the sandwiching pieces are respectively joined to the sandwiching pieces at bend lines of the metal plate that extend in the first direction. The reinforcing portions support the sandwiching pieces against bending forces applied by the conductor in use of the pressure-contact terminal. A pair of coating-peeling portions are provided that peel a coating from the conductor as the conductor is engaged with the pressure-contact terminal. The coating-peeling portions extend respectively from the reinforcing portions and are more remote from the substrate portion than the sandwiching pieces.
In use of the pressure-contact terminal, the spacing distance of the outer faces of the reinforcing portions is preferably substantially equal to the outer diameter of a conductor to which the pressure-contact terminal is connected.
In the pressure-contact terminal of the invention, a cut-out, e.g., a rectangular cut-out, is preferably formed between each reinforcing portion and the corresponding coating-peeling portion. The cut-out is located at the bend-line of the reinforcing portion and the sandwiching portion.
Preferably, the spacing between the pair of coating-peeling portions is smaller than the outer diameter of an electrical cable containing the conductor and greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the conductor.
The invention also provides an electric connection box containing a plurality of the pressure-contact terminals installed in the body of the electric connection box, e.g., in an array at regular intervals, such that reinforcing portions of the respective pressure-contact terminals are opposed to each other, with the pressure-contact terminals electrically and mechanically connected with a plurality of conductors inside the body of the electric connection box.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5059137 (1991-10-01), Dale et al.
patent: 5683266 (1997-11-01), Guidi et al.
patent: 6000973 (1999-12-01), Mitra
Inoue Nori
Saka Yuuji
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Sircus Brian
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
Zarroli Michael C.
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