Electrical connectors – Contact terminal
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-07
2002-06-11
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Contact terminal
C439S866000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06402575
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tab of a terminal fitting, which is inserted into an electric contact portion of a female terminal fitting, for connecting an electric wire to the female terminal fitting.
Generally, as shown in
FIGS. 6A
to
7
B, tabs
102
a
and
102
b
of male terminal fittings (hereunder referred to simply as male terminals) to be inserted into female terminal fittings serving as mating terminal fittings are formed by bending electrically conductive sheet metals. Thus, as illustrated in
FIGS. 6A
to
7
B, curved surfaces
131
a
and
131
b
each having a radius of curvature, which is nearly equal to the thickness of the sheet metal
120
, are formed on side portions of the tabs
102
a
and
102
b.
Meanwhile, for example, when a tab
120
c
, which has a structure similar to that shown in
FIGS. 7A and 7B
and is 0.64 mm thick and 0.6 mm wide, is formed, the radius of curvature of the curved surface
131
c
placed at each of corners thereof becomes large, as illustrated in FIG.
8
. Moreover, flat surfaces
135
c
, each of which is placed between the corresponding curved surfaces
131
c
, become narrow.
Further, when the tab
102
c
is inserted into a cylindrical electric contact portion
106
of the female terminal
103
as shown in
FIG. 9A
, contact portions
107
a
of a pair of resilient pieces
107
of the female terminal
103
come into contact with the flat surfaces
135
c
, respectively. The pair of resilient pieces
107
generates an elastic restoring force acting in a direction in which the tab
102
is sandwiched therebetween. The tab
102
c
is restrained from going out of the electric contact portion
106
.
In the case that the tab
102
c
is misaligned with respect to the contact portions
107
a
in the electric contact portion
106
at that time, as illustrated in
FIG. 9B
, the contact portions
107
a
may face the curved surfaces
131
c
in such a way as to come into contact therewith. In this case, the elastic restoring force of each of the resilient pieces
107
becomes weak, so that the tab
102
c
easily goes out of the electric contact portion
106
of the female terminal
103
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a tab of a terminal fitting, which can be prevented from going out of an electric contact portion of a mating terminal fitting.
To eliminate the drawback of the conventional tab and achieve the foregoing object, according to the invention, there is provided a terminal fitting tab (hereunder referred to as a first tab), which is adapted to be inserted into a cylindrical electric contact portion of a mating terminal fitting and to be urged by resilient pieces of the counterpart terminal fitting thereby to be restrained from going out of the electric contact portion. This tab is formed by bending an electrically conductive metal sheet. The metal sheet comprises a part including portions, which are brought into contact with the resilient pieces when the tab is inserted into the electric contact portion, and the remaining parts. In the case of this tab, the metal sheet is formed so that the thickness of the part including the portions to be brought into contact with the resilient pieces is less than the thickness of the remaining parts.
According to an embodiment (hereunder referred to as a second tab) of the first tab of the invention, the metal sheet is formed so that the part including the portions to be brought into contact with the resilient pieces has a concave portion formed by denting one surface thereof, and that the other surface placed in back of the one surface of the part including the portions to be brought into contact with the resilient pieces is formed in such a manner as to be flush with corresponding surfaces of the remaining parts.
According to an embodiment (hereunder referred to as a third tab) of the second tab of the invention, the tab is formed by bending the metal sheet so that the one surface of the part including the portions to be brought into contact with the resilient pieces is inwardly placed, and that the other surface thereof is outwardly placed.
According to the first tab of the invention, the metal sheet to be bent in such a way as to constitute the tab is formed so that the thickness of the part including the portions to be brought into contact with the resilient pieces is less than the thickness of the remaining parts. Thus, when the tab is formed by bending the metal sheet, the radius of curvature of each of curved surfaces formed on corners of the part including such portions is small.
According to the second tab of the invention, the part including the portions to be brought into contact with the resilient pieces has a concave portion formed by denting one surface thereof. Moreover, the other surface placed in the back of the one surface of the part including such portions is formed in such a manner as to be flush with corresponding surfaces of the remaining parts. Thus, the part including the portions to be brought into contact with the resilient pieces is reliably formed in such a way as to have a thickness that is less than the thicknesses of the remaining parts.
According to the third tab of the invention, the metal sheet is bent so that the one surface of the part including the portions to be brought into contact with the resilient pieces is inwardly placed, and that the other surface thereof is outwardly placed. Thus, the radius of curvature of each of curved surfaces formed on corners of the part including such portions is small. In addition, portions of such a part, which respectively face the resilient pieces, are formed in such a manner as to be flush with corresponding surfaces of the remaining parts. This facilitates the contact between such portions and the resilient pieces.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4764133 (1988-08-01), Kaneko
patent: 5649842 (1997-07-01), Ohsumi
patent: 5664974 (1997-09-01), Endo et al.
patent: 5681192 (1997-10-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 5692928 (1997-12-01), Nelson et al.
patent: 5795197 (1998-08-01), Tsuji et al.
patent: 5989080 (1999-11-01), Tsuji et al.
patent: 6238252 (2001-05-01), Flieger
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Patel Tulsidas
Yazaki -Corporation
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