JP2014225388A - Male terminal fitting - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a male terminal fitting which can be molded easily while ensuring the strength.SOLUTION: A male terminal fitting 10 includes a cylindrical body portion 11, a tab 12 of hollow shape excepting the tip having, on the outer surface, a contact area 33 coming into contact with a mating terminal fitting, and a coupling portion 13 having a height and a width decreasing gradually from the body portion 11 toward the tab 12. Change parts (a rear change part 26 and a front change part 29) for changing at least one of the height and width discontinuously are provided at at least two points between the body portion 11 and the contact area 33.

Description

  The present invention relates to a male terminal fitting.

  A male terminal fitting (referred to as a connector terminal) disclosed in Patent Document 1 is formed by bending a metal plate, protrudes ahead of a box-shaped main body (referred to as a terminal base), and is formed on the outer surface. A tab portion (called a tab) having a contact area with which the mating terminal fitting comes into contact is provided. The tab portion includes a bottom portion along the width direction, a first folded portion that is folded from one end of the bottom portion in the width direction to the other end side, and a first folded portion that is folded from the other end in the width direction of the bottom portion to the one end side. The second folded portion overlaps the folded portion, and the bottom surface portion, the first folded portion, and the second folded portion are stacked in this order from the bottom, thereby forming a substantially solid shape.

JP 2003-36910 A

  By the way, in the above case, the first folded portion has a structure in which the first folded portion is in close contact with the bottom surface portion even though the length of the first folded portion after the folding is short. . As a result, there is a concern that cracks, cracks, etc. occur in the tab portion, and the frequency of molding defects may increase.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a male terminal fitting that can be easily molded and has a predetermined rigidity.

  The present invention is a male terminal fitting formed by bending a metal plate, a tubular main body portion, a tab portion that protrudes forward and has a contact area that contacts the mating terminal fitting on the outer surface, and the main body portion. A connecting portion extending so that a height dimension and a width dimension are gradually reduced toward the tab portion, and the main body portion, the tab portion, and the connecting portion have a hollow shape except for a tip portion of the tab portion. And at least two places between the main body and the contact area are provided with changing portions that discontinuously change at least one of the height and width dimensions. Have

  The tab part, the connecting part, and the main body part have a hollow shape except for the tip part of the tab part, and the connecting part has a shape that extends from the main body part toward the tab part with the height dimension and the width dimension gradually decreasing. Therefore, when an external force is applied, stress concentrates on the base part of the tab part including the connecting part (hereinafter simply referred to as the base part of the tab part), and the base part of the tab part can be bent, broken or opened. There is sex. However, in the case of the present invention, at least two locations between the contact area of the tab portion and the main body are provided with changing portions that discontinuously change at least one of the height and width dimensions. Therefore, the stress is distributed to the respective changed portions without concentrating on one place, and the situation where the base portion of the tab portion is bent, broken or opened is avoided. As a result, the rigidity of the male terminal fitting is improved. Further, the tab portion, the connecting portion, and the main body portion have a hollow shape except for the tip portion of the tab portion, and the change portion has a height dimension and a width dimension at least at two positions between the contact area of the tab portion and the main body part. Therefore, unlike the conventional case, it is not necessary to forcibly bend the metal plate to form a solid shape, which facilitates forming.

It is a side view of the male terminal metal fitting of Example 1 of the present invention. It is the XX sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the YY sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a top view of a male terminal metal fitting. It is a bottom view of a male terminal metal fitting. It is a front view of a male terminal metal fitting. It is sectional drawing which shows the state in which the male terminal metal fitting accommodated in the connector housing was electrically connected with the mating female terminal metal fitting accommodated in the mating connector housing.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown below.
The changing portion discontinuously changes both the height dimension and the width dimension. Thereby, the dispersibility of stress is improved and the rigidity of the male terminal fitting is further improved.

  The connecting portion is arranged eccentrically on the opposite side to the side where both ends of the metal plate face each other by the bending with respect to the center of the main body portion in a front view. The portion of the connecting portion that is opposite to the side where both ends of the metal plate face each other by bending is narrowed down when the height and width dimensions are reduced toward the tab portion. There is a problem that it becomes thin and it is difficult to ensure a predetermined rigidity. However, according to this configuration, since the connecting portion is bent with respect to the center of the main body portion when viewed from the front, the both ends of the metal plate are eccentrically arranged on the opposite side to the opposite side, so that both ends of the metal plate face each other. The diaphragm amount on the opposite side to the side can be kept small, and the rigidity of this part can be ensured. On the other hand, the part of the connecting part on the side where both ends of the metal plate face each other by bending can be flexibly adapted to the shape change, so that the problem that the plate thickness is reduced by being narrowed is less likely to occur. There is no particular hindrance to taking.

  Among the plurality of changing portions, at least a changing portion provided at a position closest to the contact area has a closed cross-sectional shape. Therefore, the rigidity of the changing portion provided at the position closest to the contact area is further increased, and when an external force is applied to the tab portion, a situation where the base portion of the tab portion is bent or broken is more reliably avoided. .

<Example 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The male terminal fitting 10 of the first embodiment is integrally formed by bending a conductive metal plate or the like and is accommodated in a connector housing 60 made of synthetic resin.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a cavity 61 is formed in the connector housing 60 so as to extend in the front-rear direction, and a deflectable lance 62 is formed on the inner wall of the cavity 61 so as to protrude. The male terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 61 of the connector housing 60 from the rear, and is elastically locked to the lance 62 while being normally inserted into the cavity 61, and is held in the cavity 61 in a state of being prevented from coming off. Is done. Further, the connector housing 60 is fitted into the mating connector housing 70, and the male terminal fitting 10 accommodated in the connector housing 60 is accommodated in the mating connector housing 70 at the time of normal fitting with the mating connector housing 70. It is electrically connected to the mating female terminal fitting 80.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the male terminal fitting 10 has an elongated shape in the front-rear direction as a whole, and is disposed so as to protrude in front of the main body 11 and a substantially rectangular tube-shaped main body 11. A tab portion 12, a connecting portion 13 extending so that the height dimension and the width direction gradually decrease from the main body portion 11 to the tab portion 12, and a wire barrel portion 14 arranged continuously from the rear of the main body portion 11. And an insulation barrel portion 15 that is arranged continuously behind the wire barrel portion 14. The main body part 11, the connecting part 13, and the tab part 12 have a hollow shape except for the tip part of the tab part 12.

  The wire barrel portion 14 has an open barrel shape, and is connected by crimping to a core wire exposed by removing the coating at a terminal portion of an electric wire (not shown). The insulation barrel portion 15 also has an open barrel shape, and is connected by crimping to a coating at the end of the electric wire or a rubber plug (not shown) fitted to the coating.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the main body 11 includes a bottom plate 16 extending in the width direction, a pair of side plates 17 rising from both side edges (both ends in the width direction) of the bottom plate 16, and an inner side in the width direction from the upper ends of the side plates 17. And a pair of top plates 18 arranged so that their extended ends can come into contact with each other. As shown in FIG. 7, the rear edge of the upper end portion of each side plate 17 is a rearward inclined portion 19 that gradually recedes upward, and when the male terminal fitting 10 is properly inserted into the cavity 61 of the connector housing 60. In addition, a locking projection 63 formed at the tip of the lance 62 can be locked to the rear inclined portion 19 and the rear edge of the top plate 18.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a stabilizer 21 is formed on the bottom plate 16 of the main body 11 by being cut and raised outward. The stabilizer 21 enters the guide groove 64 formed along the cavity 61 in the process in which the male terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 61 of the connector housing 60, thereby providing insertion guidance for the male terminal fitting 10. At the same time, it plays a role of preventing the male terminal fitting 10 from being inserted into the cavity 61 in a posture opposite to that of the normal one.

  The tab portion 12 and the connecting portion 13 are arranged eccentrically downward (bottom plate 16 side) with respect to the center of the main body portion 11 in a front view. As shown in FIG. 7, when the male terminal fitting 10 is connected to the mating female terminal fitting 80, the upper empty space that is opposite to the side where the tab portion 12 and the connecting portion 13 are eccentric is formed. This is because the elastic contact piece 82 bent downward from the upper surface side of the box portion 81 of the female terminal fitting 80 enters and the elastic contact piece 82 comes into contact with a contact area 33 described later on the upper surface of the tab portion 12.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 13 is continuously disposed on the both side plates 17 erected from both side edges of the short bottom plate 22 and the short bottom plate 22 that are continuously disposed on the bottom plate 16 of the main body portion 11. It consists of a pair of short side plates 23 and a short top plate 24 extending from one upper end of both short side plates 23 toward the other upper end.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the short bottom plate 22 includes a first short bottom plate 22 </ b> A that is tapered and narrowed at a constant inclination angle (an inclination angle with respect to the front-rear direction) from the front end of the bottom plate 16 of the main body 11 toward the front. The second short bottom plate 22B is tapered from the front end of the first short bottom plate 22A to the front and is narrower than the first short bottom plate 22A. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the first short bottom plate 22A is arranged so as to be continuous with the bottom plate 16 without a step and to be continuous at substantially the same height in the front-rear direction, and the second short bottom plate 22B is constant toward the front. They are arranged so as to be connected with an upward gradient at an inclination angle of.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the short side plate 23 stands up from both side edges of the first short bottom plate 22A and forms a pair of first short side plates 23A having a tapered narrow shape corresponding to the first short bottom plate 22A. And a pair of second short side plates 23B standing from both side edges of the second short bottom plate 22B and forming a narrow tapered shape corresponding to the second short bottom plate 22B. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper end of the first short side plate 23 </ b> A is arranged so as to be continuous downward at a constant inclination angle toward the front, and the upper end of the second short side plate 23 </ b> B is directed to the first short length toward the front. It arrange | positions so that it may continue with a downward gradient at a fixed inclination angle looser than the upper end of the side plate 23A.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the short top plate 24 protrudes from the upper end of one first short side plate 23A toward the upper end of the other first short side plate 23A, and the amount of the extension is gradually increased forward. The short top plate 24A and the second short top plate that projects from the upper end of one second short side plate 23B toward the upper end of the other second short side plate 23B, and the projecting end covers the upper end of the other second short side plate 23B. 24B. The first short top plate 24A is disposed apart from the rear end of the top plate 18 of the main body 11 and the upper end of the other first short side plate 23A, and between the first short top plate 24A and the main body 11. A space 25 having a substantially triangular shape in plan view is formed. Further, the projecting end of the first short top plate 24A and the projecting end of the second short top plate 24B are connected in an arc shape in plan view, and the projecting end of the second short top plate 24B is the upper end of one second short side plate 23B. The amount of the cover is gradually increasing toward the front. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the first short top plate 24A is disposed to face obliquely upward and forward corresponding to the inclination of the upper end of the first short side plate 23A, and the second short top plate 24B Corresponding to the inclination of the upper end of the side plate 23B, the side plate 23B is arranged obliquely upward and forward with an inclination angle gentler than that of the first short top plate 24A.

  Briefly, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the connecting portion 13 is high with a change portion in the middle in the front-rear direction (hereinafter referred to as a rear change portion 26 to be distinguished from a front change portion 29 described later) as a boundary. The change ratio of the width dimension and the width dimension is changed, and the first short bottom plate 22A, the first short side plate 23A, and the first short top plate are arranged on the rear side of the front and rear sides sandwiching the rear change portion 26. 24A is arranged, and the second short bottom plate 22B, the second short side plate 23B, and the second short top plate 24B are arranged on the front side. A portion of the connecting portion 13 corresponding to the first short bottom plate 22A, the first short side plate 23A, and the first short top plate 24A is first reduced to reduce the height and width dimensions at a constant rate toward the front. A portion corresponding to the second short bottom plate 22B, the second short side plate 23B, and the second short top plate 24B has a height dimension and a width dimension that are looser than the first reduction section 27 and are constant. The second reduction unit 28 is configured to reduce at a rate of. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the backward change portion 26 is configured as a substantially linear step provided around the boundary portion between the first reduction portion 27 and the second reduction portion 28.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the tab portion 12 is connected to the second reducing portion 28 in a stepped manner via a different changing portion (hereinafter referred to as a forward changing portion 29). Has been. Specifically, the tab portion 12 is formed so as to swell in the height direction from the front end of the tab main body 31 to the front, and the tab main body 31 extending straight forward from the front end (front change portion 29) of the second reduction portion 28. And a guide unit 32.

  The tab main body 31 has substantially the same height dimension and width dimension over its entire length, and has a substantially rectangular closed cross-sectional shape (see FIG. 3). Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower surface of the tab main body 31 is located above the lower surface of the main body portion 11 via the second short bottom plate 22B. When the thickness is t, the lower surface of the tab main body 31 is located above the lower surface of the main body 11 within a range of 0.5 t to 2 t. Moreover, the upper surface of the tab main body 31 is located below the upper surface of the main body part 11 through the short top plate 24. In the first embodiment, the upper surface of the main body part 11 and the upper surface of the tab main body 31 are The separation distance h1 in the height direction is greater than the separation distance h2 in the height direction between the lower surface of the main body 11 and the upper surface of the tab body 31. As shown in FIG. 7, contact areas 33 that are in electrical contact with the mating female terminal fitting 80 are secured on both the upper and lower surfaces of the tab body 31. Among these, the contact area 33 on the upper surface side of the tab body 31 is in contact with the elastic contact piece 82 of the female terminal fitting 80 in the middle of the tab body 31 in the front-rear direction. The contact region 33 comes into contact with the receiving portion 84 of the female terminal fitting 80 in a substantially surface contact state within a predetermined range from the front end of the tab body 31 to the rear.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the guide portion 32 includes an upper wall 34 that is inclined downward from the upper surface of the tab main body 31 and a lower wall 35 that is inclined upward from the lower surface of the tab main body 31. The front end of the upper wall 34 and the front end of the lower wall 35 are abutted against each other. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper wall 34 and the lower wall 35 are tapered in a tapered manner at a constant inclination angle toward the front. The forward change portion 29 is configured as a substantially linear step provided around the boundary portion between the second reduction portion 28 and the tab main body 31.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, since the front changing portion 29 is located at the rear end of the tab main body 31, it is a substantially rectangular shape having the same cross-sectional shape as the tab main body 31. Presents. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the backward change unit 26 is located at the rear end of the second reduction unit 28 (also the front end of the first reduction unit 27), and thus is the same as the rear end of the second reduction unit 28. It has a substantially rectangular open cross-sectional shape in which one corner is opened and the height direction is the longitudinal direction.

Next, the effect of Example 1 is demonstrated.
As described above, the male terminal fitting 10 includes the front change portion 29 and the rear change portion 26 between the contact region 33 of the tab portion 12 and the main body portion 11, and the front change portion 29 and the rear change portion. The structure has a structure in which the continuity of the shape is interrupted by changing the reduction ratio (shape change rate) of the height dimension and the width dimension on both sides before and after the boundary 26. For this reason, the rigidity of the base portion of the tab portion 12 including the connecting portion 13 (hereinafter simply referred to as the root portion of the tab portion 12) is increased. If an external force acts on the tab portion 12 or the connecting portion 13, not only stress is applied to the front change portion 29, but stress is also applied to the rear change portion 26, and the stress is distributed to both change portions 29 and 26. As a result, even when the tab portion 12, the connecting portion 13, and the main body portion 11 have a hollow shape, a situation in which the base portion of the tab portion 12 is bent, broken, or opened is avoided.

  In addition, according to the first embodiment, the tab portion 12, the connecting portion 13, and the main body portion 11 have a hollow shape except for the distal end portion of the tab portion 12, and between the contact region 33 of the tab portion 12 and the main body portion 11. In addition, since the front change portion 29 and the rear change portion 26 only need to be bent and formed, unlike the conventional case, it is not necessary to forcibly bend the metal plate into a solid shape, and the forming becomes easy.

  Further, in the case of the first embodiment, the rear changing unit 26 discontinuously changes the height dimension and the width dimension of the first reducing unit 27 and the second reducing unit 28, and the front changing unit 29 is changed to the second reducing unit 28. Since the height dimension and the width dimension with the tab body 31 are discontinuously changed, the dispersibility of stress can be enhanced and the rigidity of the male terminal fitting 10 can be further enhanced.

  Further, the connecting part 13 is arranged eccentrically downward with respect to the center of the main body part 11 in a front view, that is, by bending the metal plate, it is opposite to the upper surface side where both ends of the metal plate face each other. Since the connecting portion 13 is eccentrically arranged on the lower surface side of the side, the lower surface side of the connecting portion 13 is not greatly reduced when the metal plate is bent, and the plate thickness is not reduced. It is possible to prevent the rigidity of the steel from being lowered. On the other hand, since it is possible to flexibly cope with the shape change on the upper surface side of the connecting portion 13 where both ends of the metal plate face each other, it is difficult to cause a problem that the plate thickness is reduced and the plate thickness is reduced. There is little risk of disruption.

  Furthermore, since the front change portion 29 has a closed cross-sectional shape, the rigidity of the front change portion 29 is further increased, and when an external force acts on the tab portion 12, the base portion of the tab portion 12 is bent, broken, or the like. The situation is avoided more reliably.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following aspects are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) Three or more change parts may be provided between the contact area of the tab part and the main body part, including the rear change part and the front change part.
(2) Of the connecting portion and the tab portion, the portions on both sides before and after the changing portion may be formed continuously in an arc instead of a tapered shape.
(3) The rear change portion may also have a closed cross-sectional shape, like the front change portion.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Male terminal metal fitting 11 ... Main-body part 12 ... Tab part 13 ... Connection part 26 ... Back change part (change part)
29 ... Forward change part (change part)
33 ... Contact area

Claims (4)

A male terminal fitting formed by bending a metal plate,
A tubular body,
A tab portion that protrudes forward and has a contact area where the mating terminal fitting contacts the outer surface;
A connecting portion extending so that a height dimension and a width dimension gradually decrease from the main body portion toward the tab portion,
The main body portion, the tab portion, and the connecting portion have a hollow shape except for the tip portion of the tab portion,
At least two locations between the main body portion and the contact area are provided with changing portions that discontinuously change at least one of the height and width dimensions. Terminal fitting.   The male terminal fitting according to claim 1, wherein the changing portion discontinuously changes both the height dimension and the width dimension.   3. The connection portion is arranged to be eccentric with respect to a center opposite to a side where both ends of the metal plate face each other by the bending with respect to a center of the main body portion in a front view. Male terminal fitting as described.   4. The male terminal according to claim 1, wherein among the plurality of the changing portions, at least a changing portion provided at a position closest to the contact area has a closed cross-sectional shape. Hardware.

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