JP2008171627A - Female terminal fitting - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a female terminal fitting that relieves stress applied during connector fitting and can stably contact a male terminal fitting.
A female terminal is accommodated in a housing of a connector. The female terminal 1 includes a board connecting portion 18 and an electrical contact portion 19. The electrical contact portion 19 includes a contact portion main body 26 and an elastic piece 27. The contact portion body 26 includes a long tube portion 31, a short tube portion 32, and a flat plate portion 33. The elastic piece 27 protrudes from the contact portion main body 26 and elastically deforms to urge the contact portion main body 26 toward the inner surface of the housing 3 and accommodate the contact portion main body 26 in the housing 3 so as to be displaceable. When the male terminal 5 is inserted into the contact portion body 26 at an angle, the elastic piece 27 is elastically deformed and the flat plate portion 33 is bent, so that the contact portion body 26 follows the male terminal 5.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a female terminal fitting that is housed in a connector housing of a connector mounted on a circuit board and is electrically connected to a male terminal fitting.

  As one means for electrically connecting circuit boards, there is a method of mounting a surface mount type connector on each circuit board and fitting the connectors together. One connector includes a male terminal fitting and a connector housing that houses the male terminal fitting. The other connector includes a female terminal fitting and a connector housing that houses the female terminal fitting. By fitting the connectors together, the male terminal fitting and the female terminal fitting are electrically connected, and the circuit boards are electrically connected.

  A reflow soldering method is widely used for mounting the connector on the circuit board surface. In this reflow soldering method, a solder paste is supplied in advance to a circuit board, and the connector is placed on the circuit board in a state where a terminal fitting is in contact with the supplied solder paste. Thereafter, the circuit board on which the connector is placed is inserted into the reflow furnace. Then, the solder paste is melted, and the connector placed on the circuit board is soldered to the circuit board and surface-mounted.

Examples of the female terminal fitting described above include the following (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The female terminal fitting includes a board connecting portion connected to the circuit board and an electrical contact portion connected to the male terminal fitting. The electrical contact portion includes a contact piece that can be elastically deformed. The male terminal fitting enters the electrical contact portion to elastically deform the contact piece, and the male terminal fitting is held in the electrical contact portion by the elastic restoring force of the contact piece. The female terminal fitting and the male terminal fitting are electrically connected.
JP 2003-197332 A

  When fitting a connector containing a male terminal fitting and a connector containing a female terminal fitting, especially when both connectors are mounted on a circuit board, the male terminal fitting is electrically connected to the female terminal fitting. The contact portion may enter obliquely. Then, the female terminal fitting receives a large stress, and the contact piece is bent more than necessary, causing permanent deformation, and the male terminal fitting and the female terminal fitting may not be stably connected.

  Furthermore, when the female terminal fitting receives a large stress, a large stress is applied to the board connecting portion, and a solder crack occurs at a soldering portion between the board connecting portion and the circuit board. There was a risk of adversely affecting the electrical connection.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a female terminal fitting that can relieve stress applied during connector fitting and can stably contact the male terminal fitting.

  In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the female terminal fitting of the present invention according to claim 1 is a female terminal fitting accommodated in a connector housing of a connector mounted on a circuit board. A board connection portion connected to the male terminal fitting, and an electrical contact portion connected to the male terminal fitting, and the electrical contact portion protrudes from the contact portion main body, the contact portion main body, and is elastically deformed. Thus, the contact portion main body is urged toward the inner surface of the connector housing, and an elastic piece that accommodates the contact portion main body in a connector housing so as to be displaceable is provided.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the female terminal fitting according to the first aspect, wherein the contact portion body includes a first cylindrical portion, a second cylindrical portion, and the first cylindrical portion. And a flat plate portion for connecting the second cylinder portion and the second cylinder portion to each other.

  The female terminal fitting according to a third aspect of the present invention is the female terminal fitting according to the first or second aspect, wherein the elastic piece extends along a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the electrical contact portion. It is characterized by being provided with a plurality.

  According to the female terminal fitting of the present invention described in claim 1, the electrical contact portion is elastically deformed to urge the contact portion main body toward the inner surface of the connector housing, thereby displacing the contact portion main body into the connector housing. An elastic piece that can be accommodated is provided. For this reason, the contact portion main body can be displaced following the male terminal fitting when the male terminal fitting is inserted obliquely.

  According to the female terminal fitting of the present invention described in claim 2, the contact portion main body is configured such that the first tube portion, the second tube portion, the first tube portion, and the second tube portion are mutually connected. A flat plate portion to be connected. For this reason, the contact portion main body can be displaced following the male terminal fitting by bending the flat plate portion.

  According to the female terminal fitting of the present invention described in claim 3, the contact portion main body is configured such that the first tube portion, the second tube portion, the first tube portion, and the second tube portion are mutually connected. A flat plate portion to be connected. For this reason, the contact portion main body can be displaced following the male terminal fitting by bending the flat plate portion.

  As described above, in the first aspect of the present invention, the electrical contact portion can be elastically deformed to urge the contact portion body toward the inner surface of the connector housing and displace the contact portion body into the connector housing. It has an elastic piece to be accommodated. For this reason, the contact portion main body can be displaced following the male terminal fitting when the male terminal fitting is inserted obliquely. Therefore, the stress applied when the connector is fitted can be relieved, and the female terminal fitting can stably contact the male terminal fitting.

  Furthermore, since the stress can be relieved at the electrical contact portion by displacing the contact portion main body, an excessive stress is not applied to the substrate connection portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent solder cracks at the soldering places between the board connecting portion and the circuit board.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the contact portion main body includes a first cylindrical portion, a second cylindrical portion, and a flat plate portion that connects the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion to each other. I have. For this reason, the contact portion main body can be displaced following the male terminal fitting by bending the flat plate portion. Therefore, the stress applied at the time of connector fitting is further alleviated, and the female terminal fitting can contact the male terminal fitting more stably.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, a plurality of elastic pieces are provided along a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electrical contact portion. For this reason, the contact portion main body can be easily displaced in a plurality of directions. Therefore, the stress applied at the time of connector fitting is further alleviated, and the female terminal fitting can contact the male terminal fitting more stably.

  A female terminal fitting according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. A female terminal fitting 1 (hereinafter referred to as a female terminal 1) according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a connector housing 3 (hereinafter referred to as a housing 3) of a connector 2 as shown in FIGS. Is housed in.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the female terminal 1 contacts and is electrically connected to a male terminal fitting 5 (hereinafter referred to as a male terminal 5). The female terminal 1 is used to electrically connect a circuit board (not shown) on which the connector 2 is mounted and the male terminal 5 to each other.

  The connector 2 is mounted on the circuit board. The circuit board includes a board made of an insulating synthetic resin or the like and a conductor surface formed on the surface of the board. The conductor surface is made of a conductive metal such as copper, for example, and is formed in a thin film shape. The conductor surface is attached to the surface of the substrate.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the connector 2 includes a housing 3 and a female terminal 1. The housing 3 is made of an insulating synthetic resin or the like and is formed in a cylindrical shape. The housing 3 is fixed to the circuit board so that the longitudinal direction is parallel to the circuit board. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing 3 includes a terminal accommodating chamber 11, a press-fitting piece receiving groove 13 (FIG. 3), and a protruding piece receiving groove 15 (FIG. 4).

  The terminal accommodating chamber 11 is provided inside the cylindrical housing 3. In the terminal accommodating chamber 11, the female terminal 1 is inserted from one opening side, and the female terminal 1 is accommodated. The male terminal 5 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 11 from the other opening side. On the other opening side, a male terminal introduction surface 12 is provided.

  The male terminal introduction surface 12 is inclined so as to increase the width and height of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 toward the end of the terminal accommodating chamber 11. The other opening side of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 is widely provided by the male terminal introduction surface 12, and the male terminal 5 smoothly enters the terminal accommodating chamber 11.

  The press-fitting piece receiving groove 13 is provided on the one opening side of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 described above. The press-fitting piece receiving groove 13 is provided in a concave shape from the side surface (upper and lower sides in FIG. 3) of the terminal accommodating chamber 11. The press-fitting piece receiving groove 13 is formed in a linear shape along the longitudinal direction of the terminal accommodating chamber 11. A pair of press-fitting piece receiving grooves 13 are provided opposite to each other across the longitudinal direction of the terminal accommodating chamber 11. The width of the press-fit piece receiving groove 13 is substantially equal to the thickness of a press-fit piece 23 described later of the female terminal 1. A press-fitting piece 23 is press-fitted into the press-fitting piece receiving groove 13.

  The protruding piece receiving groove 15 is provided on the one opening side of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 described above. A pair of projecting piece receiving grooves 15 are provided in a concave shape from the bottom surface (lower side in FIG. 4) of the terminal accommodating chamber 11. The projecting piece receiving groove 15 is formed in a straight line along the longitudinal direction of the terminal accommodating chamber 11. The pair of projecting piece receiving grooves 15 are provided in parallel with a space therebetween. The width of the projecting piece receiving groove 15 is slightly larger than the thickness of a projecting piece 28 described later of the female terminal 1. A projecting piece 28 is inserted into the projecting piece receiving groove 15.

  The female terminal 1 is formed by bending a sheet metal having conductivity. As shown in FIG. 1, the female terminal 1 is integrally provided with a board connecting part 18 connected to the circuit board and an electric contact part 19 connected to the male terminal 5.

  The board connecting portion 18 is provided at one end of the female terminal 1 in the longitudinal direction. The board connecting portion 18 is formed in a bent strip shape, and the cross-sectional shape is formed in an L shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the board connecting portion 18 is integrally provided with a horizontal portion 21, a hanging portion 22, and a press-fitting piece 23.

  The horizontal portion 21 is formed in a short band plate shape, and the planar shape is formed in a rectangular shape. The horizontal portion 21 is connected to the electrical contact portion 19 at one end and is connected to the hanging portion 22 at the other end. When the female terminal 1 is accommodated in the housing 3, the horizontal portion 21 is disposed in parallel with the bottom surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 11.

  The drooping portion 22 is formed in a short strip plate shape, and the planar shape is formed in a rectangular shape. The hanging part 22 is provided to hang from the end of the horizontal part 21. The hanging part 22 is provided so as to be orthogonal to the horizontal part 21. An outer surface 22a of the hanging portion 22 away from the horizontal portion 21 is in contact with the conductor surface of the circuit board.

  The press-fitting pieces 23 extend in the width direction from both ends of the horizontal portion 21 in the width direction. The press-fitting piece 23 is formed to be flush with and integrated with the horizontal portion 21. When the female terminal 1 is accommodated in the housing 3, the press-fit piece 23 is press-fitted into the press-fit piece receiving groove 13 of the housing 3 and fixed. By fixing the press-fitting piece 23 in the press-fitting piece receiving groove 13, the board connecting portion 18 is positioned and fixed at a position where the outer surface 22 a of the hanging part 22 reliably contacts the circuit board without rattling.

  When the female terminal 1 is accommodated in the housing 3 and the connector 2 is placed at a predetermined position on the circuit board, the outer surface 22a of the hanging part 22 is connected to the conductor surface of the circuit board. Contact. The outer surface 22a and the conductor surface are soldered by, for example, the following reflow soldering method. Solder paste is applied to the conductor surface in advance, and the circuit board and the connector 2 are inserted into the reflow furnace in a state where the outer surface 22a is in contact with the solder paste. Then, the solder paste is melted to solder the outer surface 22a and the conductor surface, and the female terminal 1 is electrically connected to the circuit board. The connector 2 is surface-mounted on the circuit board.

  The electrical contact portion 19 is provided at the other end opposite to the one end where the board connecting portion 18 of the female terminal 1 is provided. The electrical contact portion 19 contacts the male terminal 5 to electrically connect the female terminal 1 and the male terminal 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical contact portion 19 includes a contact portion main body 26 formed in a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and an elastic piece 27 and a protrusion piece 28 respectively protruding from the contact portion main body 26. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the contact portion main body 26 includes a long cylindrical portion 31 as a first cylindrical portion, a short cylindrical portion 32 as a second cylindrical portion, and a long cylindrical portion 31 and a short cylindrical portion 32. A flat plate portion 33 connected to each other is integrally provided.

  The long cylinder part 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The male terminal 5 enters the long cylindrical portion 31. The long cylindrical portion 31 includes a bottom wall 41, an upper wall portion 42 that faces the bottom wall 41 with a gap therebetween, a pair of side walls 43a and 43b that connect both ends of the bottom wall 41 and the upper wall portion 42 to each other, It has.

  The bottom wall 41 is formed in a band plate shape, and the planar shape is formed in a rectangular shape. The width of the bottom wall 41 is longer than the width of the flat plate portion 33 and is formed substantially equal to the width of a bottom piece 51 described later of the short cylinder portion 32. The bottom wall 41 is formed flush with the flat plate portion 33 and the bottom piece 51. When the female terminal 1 is accommodated in the housing 3, the bottom wall 41 faces the bottom surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 with a gap. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom wall 41 includes a bottom hole 41a. The bottom hole 41 a is provided over the entire width direction of the bottom wall 41 near the flat plate portion 33 of the bottom wall 41. The bottom hole 41 a passes through the bottom wall 41.

  The upper wall portion 42 is provided in parallel with the bottom wall 41. The upper wall portion 42 includes an outer upper wall 42a and an inner upper wall 42b. The outer upper wall 42 a is disposed on the side away from the bottom wall 41. The inner upper wall 42b is disposed closer to the bottom wall 41. The outer upper wall 42 a and the inner upper wall 42 b are formed so that the planar shape is substantially equal to the bottom wall 41. The outer upper wall 42a and the inner upper wall 42b are formed to have substantially the same planar shape. The outer upper wall 42a and the inner upper wall 42b are arranged so as to overlap each other. The inner upper wall 42 b includes a contact portion 44.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the contact portion 44 is provided so as to protrude from the outer surface near the bottom wall 41 of the inner upper wall 42 b. A pair of contact portions 44 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the inner upper wall 42b. The pair of contact portions 44 are provided in parallel to each other with a space therebetween. The contact portion 44 comes into contact with the tab 5 a of the male terminal 5 when the male terminal 5 is inserted into the long cylindrical portion 31.

  The pair of side walls 43 a and 43 b are erected from both ends of the bottom wall 41 in the width direction. The pair of side walls 43a and 43b have the same planar shape. The pair of side walls 43a and 43b are opposed to each other with a space therebetween and are parallel to each other. One side wall 43a of the pair of side walls 43a and 43b is continuous with the outer upper wall 42a. The other side wall 43b is continuous with the inner upper wall 42b.

  The long cylindrical portion 31 further includes a contact piece 47 and an opening 49. The contact piece 47 is provided integrally with the bottom wall 41. As shown in FIG. 4, the contact piece 47 extends from the end portion of the bottom wall 41 away from the flat plate portion 33 to the inside of the long cylindrical portion 31. The contact piece 47 is inclined so as to approach the upper wall portion 42 as the distance from the end portion increases. The contact piece 47 is bent near the bottom hole 41 a of the bottom wall 41 in a direction approaching the bottom wall 41 and extends in a direction approaching the end of the bottom wall 41. The contact piece 47 is elastically deformable in a direction approaching the bottom wall 41. The contact piece 47 includes a contact portion 48.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the contact portion 48 is provided so as to protrude from the outer surface facing the upper wall portion 42 of the contact piece 47. The contact portion 48 is provided at the center portion of the contact piece 47 in the width direction. The contact portion 48 has a circular planar shape. The contact portion 48 is provided to face the contact portion 44.

  The opening 49 is provided at one end of the upper wall portion 42 in the width direction. The opening 49 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the upper wall portion 42. The opening 49 has a planar shape that is substantially rectangular. The opening 49 penetrates the outer upper wall 42a and the inner and outer walls 42b. The opening 49 exposes the inside of the long cylindrical portion 31.

  The short cylinder part 32 is formed in the cylinder shape, as shown in FIG. The short cylinder part 32 is formed shorter than the long cylinder part 31. The short cylinder part 32 is provided closer to the substrate connection part 18 than the long cylinder part 31. The short cylinder part 32 and the long cylinder part 31 are provided side by side along the longitudinal direction of the female terminal 1. The axis of the short cylinder part 32 is provided so as to coincide with the axis of the long cylinder part 31. The short cylinder part 32 and the long cylinder part 31 are arrange | positioned so that the flat plate part 33 may be positioned between each other. The width of the short tube portion 32 (the length in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the female terminal 1) is formed to be substantially equal to the width of the long tube portion 31. The short cylinder portion 32 includes a bottom piece 51, an upper piece portion 52 that faces the bottom piece 51 with a space therebetween, and a pair of side pieces 53a and 53b that connect both ends of the bottom piece 51 and the upper piece portion 52 to each other. I have.

  The bottom piece 51 is formed in a rectangular planar shape. The width of the bottom piece 51 (the length in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the female terminal 1) is substantially equal to the width of the bottom wall 41 of the long cylindrical portion 31 and longer than the width of the flat plate portion 33. The bottom piece 51 is formed flush with the bottom wall 41 and the flat plate portion 33. When the female terminal 1 is accommodated in the housing 3, the bottom piece 51 faces the bottom surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 with a gap.

  The upper piece 52 is provided so as to be parallel to the bottom piece 51. The upper piece 52 includes an outer upper piece 52a and an inner upper piece 52b. The outer upper piece 52 a is disposed on the side away from the bottom piece 51. The inner upper piece 52 b is disposed closer to the bottom piece 51. The outer upper piece 52 a and the inner upper piece 52 b are formed so that the planar shape is substantially equal to the bottom piece 51. The outer upper piece 52a and the inner upper piece 52b are formed to have substantially the same planar shape. The outer upper piece 52a and the inner upper piece 52b are arranged so as to overlap each other.

  The pair of side pieces 53 a and 53 b are erected from both ends of the bottom piece 51 in the width direction. The pair of side pieces 53a and 53b have the same planar shape. The pair of side pieces 53a and 53b are opposed to each other with a space therebetween and are parallel to each other. One side piece 53a of the pair of side pieces 53a and 53b is connected to the outer upper piece 52a. The other side piece 53b is continuous with the inner upper piece 52b.

  The flat plate portion 33 is formed in a short strip shape, and the planar shape is formed in a rectangular shape. The flat plate portion 33 is formed flush with and integrally with the bottom wall 41 of the long cylindrical portion 31 and the bottom piece 51 of the short cylindrical portion 32. The width of the flat plate portion 33 (the length in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the female terminal 1) is shorter than the width of the bottom wall 41 and the bottom piece 51. The width of the flat plate portion 33 is shorter than the length of the flat plate portion 33. The flat plate portion 33 is flexible in the longitudinal direction. The flat plate portion 33 is continuous with the long tube portion 31 at one end in the longitudinal direction, and is connected with the short tube portion 32 at the other end. When the flat plate portion 33 is bent, the relative positions of the long tube portion 31 side and the short tube portion 32 side (that is, the substrate connecting portion 18 side) are displaced. When the female terminal 1 is accommodated in the housing 3, the flat plate portion 33 faces the bottom surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 with a gap.

  The elastic piece 27 is provided integrally with the inner upper wall 42 b of the long cylindrical portion 31. As shown in FIG. 1, the elastic piece 27 protrudes from an end portion of the inner upper wall 42 b near the flat plate portion 33. The elastic piece 27 is provided at the center of the end portion in the width direction. The elastic piece 27 protrudes in a direction away from the long cylindrical portion 31 as it moves away from the end portion. The elastic piece 27 is elastically deformable in a direction approaching the bottom wall 41 of the long cylindrical portion 31.

  When the female terminal 1 is accommodated in the housing 3, the elastic piece 27 having the configuration described above comes into contact with the upper surface (the upper side in FIG. 4) of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 and elastically deforms in a direction approaching the bottom wall 41. The elastic piece 27 urges the contact portion body 26 of the electrical contact portion 19 toward the upper surface side of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 by an elastic restoring force. The elastic piece 27 restricts the female terminal 1 from coming out of the housing 3. The contact portion body 26 is held so as to be displaceable in a direction approaching the upper surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 11.

  A pair of projecting pieces 28 are provided near the flat plate portion 33 of the side walls 43 a and 43 b of the long cylindrical portion 31. The projecting piece 28 extends from the end portions in the width direction of the side walls 43a and 43b. The protruding piece 28 is provided flush with and integrally with the side walls 43a, 43b. The projecting pieces 28 are arranged side by side along the bottom hole 41 a of the bottom wall 41 and the width direction of the long cylindrical portion 31. The pair of projecting pieces 28 are opposed to each other with a space therebetween and are parallel to each other. When the female terminal 1 is accommodated in the housing 3, the protruding piece 28 is inserted into the protruding piece receiving groove 15 of the housing 3, and prevents the female terminal 1 from being inserted into the housing 3 in an incorrect direction.

  A tab 5a (described later) of the male terminal 5 is inserted into the electrical contact portion 19 having the above-described configuration from the opening side away from the flat plate portion 33 of the long cylindrical portion 31. The electrical contact portion 19 sandwiches the tab 5 a between the contact portion 44 of the inner upper wall 42 b of the long cylindrical portion 31 and the contact portion 48 of the contact piece 47. At this time, the contact piece 47 is elastically deformed in a direction away from the inner upper wall 42b. The contact piece 47 generates an elastic restoring force in a direction approaching the inner upper wall 42b, and presses the tab 5a against the inner upper wall 42b.

  The tab 5a is formed in a substantially rod shape and is provided so as to protrude in a direction opposite to the connector 2 to be fitted. The tab 5a is inserted into the contact portion main body 26 of the female terminal 1 when the connector 2 and the mating connector are fitted. And it is pinched | interposed between the contact part 44 of the inner upper wall 42b, and the contact part 48 of the contact piece 47. FIG. The female terminal 1 and the male terminal 5 are electrically connected.

  When the male terminal 5 is connected to the female terminal 1 having the above-described configuration, the female terminal 1 is first accommodated in the housing 3 of the connector 2. The protruding piece 28 is inserted into the protruding piece receiving groove 15, the elastic piece 27 is elastically deformed, the press fitting piece 23 is pressed into the press fitting piece receiving groove 13, and the female terminal 1 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 11. Thereafter, as described above, the connector 2 is surface-mounted on the circuit board. The male terminal 5 is accommodated in the connector housing of the mating connector. The counterpart connector is surface-mounted on the circuit board in the same manner as the female terminal 1.

  Then, the circuit boards are brought close to each other, and the tab 5a of the male terminal 5 is inserted into the contact portion main body 26 of the female terminal 1 from the opening side of the housing 3 where the male terminal introduction surface 12 is provided. The tab 5 a is sandwiched between the contact portion 44 of the inner upper wall 42 b and the contact portion 48 of the contact piece 47. As shown in FIG. 5, the tab 5a is clamped substantially parallel to the inner upper wall 42b, so that the female terminal 1 and the male terminal 5 are in stable contact and are electrically connected. The circuit board and the circuit board to which the male terminal 5 is electrically connected are electrically connected.

  When the tab 5a is inserted into the contact portion body 26, the connector 2 and the mating connector are each fixed to the circuit board, so that the tab 5a may be inserted obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the contact portion body 26. is there. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 6, the elastic piece 27 is elastically deformed and the long cylindrical portion 31 is displaced away from the upper surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 11, and the flat plate portion 33 is placed on the bottom surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 11. It bends in the approaching direction (in FIG. 6, the long cylindrical portion 31 is displaced and drawn larger than the actual size for easy understanding). The tab 5a and the inner upper wall 42b are held substantially in parallel, so that the female terminal 1 and the male terminal 5 are in stable contact and are electrically connected.

  According to the present embodiment, the electrical contact portion 19 is elastically deformed to urge the contact portion main body 26 toward the inner surface of the housing 3 to accommodate the contact portion main body 26 in the housing 3 so as to be displaceable. It has. For this reason, the contact portion main body 26 can be displaced following the male terminal 5 when the male terminal 5 is inserted obliquely. Therefore, the stress applied at the time of connector fitting is relieved and the female terminal 1 can contact the male terminal 5 stably.

  Furthermore, since the stress can be relieved at the electrical contact portion 19 by the displacement of the contact portion body 26, the substrate connection portion 18 is not excessively stressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent solder cracks at the soldering portions between the board connecting portion 18 and the circuit board.

  The contact portion main body 26 includes a long tube portion 31, a short tube portion 32, and a flat plate portion 33 that connects the long tube portion 31 and the short tube portion 32 to each other. For this reason, the contact portion main body 26 can be displaced following the male terminal 5 by bending the flat plate portion 33. Therefore, the stress applied at the time of connector fitting is relieved more, and the female terminal 1 can contact the male terminal 5 more stably.

  In the first embodiment described above, one elastic piece 27 is provided on the inner upper wall 42 b of the long cylindrical portion 31. However, in the present invention, a plurality of elastic pieces 27 may be provided. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, it may be further provided on the side walls 43 a and 43 b of the long cylindrical portion 31.

  Next, the female terminal 101 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as 1st embodiment mentioned above, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the electrical contact portion 119 of the female terminal 101 of the present embodiment includes a long cylindrical portion 31 as a contact portion main body, a protruding piece 28, a plurality of elastic pieces 127, and a plurality of hole portions 129. It is equipped with.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, four elastic pieces 127 are provided. The elastic piece 127 is provided near the board connecting portion 18 on each of the bottom wall 41, the outer upper wall 42a, and the side walls 43a and 43b of the long cylindrical portion 31. The elastic piece 127 protrudes in a direction approaching the board connecting portion 18 as the distance from the walls 41, 42a, 43a, 43b increases. The elastic piece 127 is provided in the center in the width direction of each wall 41, 42a, 43a, 43b. The elastic pieces 127 are provided side by side in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the long cylindrical portion 31. Each of the elastic pieces 127 is elastically deformable in a direction approaching the long cylindrical portion 31.

  When the female terminal 101 is inserted into the housing 103 to be described later, the elastic piece 127 having the above-described configuration comes into contact with the bottom surface, the top surface, and both side surfaces of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 and elastically approaches the long cylindrical portion 31. It is deformed and gets over an elastic piece receiving projection 116 described later. The elastic pieces 127 urge the long cylindrical portion 31 toward the bottom surface, the top surface, and both side surfaces of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 by elastic restoring force. The elastic piece 127 restricts the female terminal 101 from coming out of the housing 103 described later. Further, the tip of the elastic piece 127 comes into contact with a receiving surface 117 described later of the elastic piece receiving projection 116 and restricts the female terminal 101 from coming out of the housing 103.

  Then, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the long cylindrical portion 31 of the electrical contact portion 119 is held in the terminal accommodating chamber 11 apart from the bottom surface, the top surface, and both side surfaces of the terminal accommodating chamber 11. The long cylindrical portion 31 can be displaced in a direction approaching each of the bottom surface, top surface, and both side surfaces of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 by elastically deforming one elastic piece 127. Further, the plurality of elastic pieces 127 can be elastically deformed, and can be displaced, for example, in a direction approaching the bottom surface and one side surface, a direction approaching the top surface and the other side surface, or the like.

  The hole 129 is provided in the vicinity of each elastic piece 127 corresponding to each elastic piece 127. The hole portions 129 are provided side by side in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the long cylindrical portion 31. The hole portion 129 penetrates the above-described walls 41, 42a, 43a, 43b and the inner upper wall 42b of the long cylindrical portion 31. The holes 129 that pass through the outer upper wall 42a and the inner upper wall 42b communicate with each other. The hole 129 has a rectangular planar shape. The hole 129 is formed larger than the elastic piece 127 and can accommodate the elastic piece 127 that has been elastically deformed.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the housing 103 of the present embodiment includes a terminal accommodating chamber 11, a protruding piece receiving groove 15 (FIG. 11), and an elastic piece receiving protrusion 116.

  The elastic piece receiving projection 116 is provided on the opening side facing the female terminal 101 into which the terminal accommodating chamber 11 is inserted. The elastic piece receiving projections 116 are provided corresponding to the respective elastic pieces 127. The elastic piece receiving projection 116 is provided so as to protrude from the upper surface, the bottom surface, and both side surfaces of the terminal accommodating chamber 11. The elastic piece receiving protrusions 116 are provided side by side in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the terminal accommodating chamber 11. The elastic piece receiving protrusion 116 engages with the elastic piece 127. Each of the elastic piece receiving projections 116 includes a receiving surface 117.

  The receiving surface 117 is a surface that is orthogonal to the insertion direction of the female terminal 101 of the elastic piece receiving projection 116 and is not opposed to the inserted female terminal 101. The receiving surface 117 can come into contact with the tip of the elastic piece 127 of the female terminal 101. The receiving surface 117 comes into contact with the tip of the elastic piece 127 and restricts the female terminal 101 from falling out of the terminal accommodating chamber 11.

  By engaging the elastic piece receiving projection 116 having the above-described configuration with the elastic piece 127, the outer surface 22a of the hanging portion 22 is positioned and fixed at a position where the outer surface 22a of the drooping portion 22 is surely in contact with the circuit board without rattling. The

  Also in the female terminal 101 having the above-described configuration, when the tab 5a of the male terminal 5 is inserted obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the electrical contact portion 19, the elastic piece 127 is elastically deformed to cause the long tube portion as described above. 31 can be displaced in the terminal accommodating chamber 11 to cope with it. Since the female terminal 101 is provided with a plurality of elastic pieces 127, the displacement of the long cylindrical portion 31 is more flexible as described above. The tab 5a and the inner upper wall 42b are held substantially in parallel, and the female terminal 1 and the male terminal 5 are in stable contact and are electrically connected.

  According to the present embodiment, a plurality of elastic pieces 127 are provided along the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the electrical contact portion 119. For this reason, the long cylinder part 31 can be easily displaced in a plurality of directions. Therefore, the stress applied at the time of connector fitting is relieved more, and the female terminal 101 can contact the male terminal 5 more stably.

  In addition, embodiment mentioned above only showed the typical form of this invention, and this invention is not limited to embodiment. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It is a perspective view of the female terminal concerning a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view which shows the state in which the female terminal shown by FIG. 1 was accommodated in the housing. It is sectional drawing which follows the III-III line | wire in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the IV-IV line | wire in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the female terminal shown by FIG. 1 contacted the male terminal. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the female terminal shown by FIG. 1 contacted the male terminal inserted diagonally. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the female terminal shown by FIG. It is a perspective view of the female terminal concerning a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view which shows the state in which the female terminal shown by FIG. 8 was accommodated in the housing. It is sectional drawing which follows the XX line in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the XI-XI line in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Female terminal (female terminal fitting)
2 Connector 3 Housing (Connector housing)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Male terminal metal fitting 18 Board | substrate connection part 19 Electrical contact part 26 Contact part main body 27 Elastic piece 31 Long cylinder part (1st embodiment 1st cylinder part, 2nd embodiment Contact part main body)
32 Short cylinder part (second cylinder part)
33 Flat part 101 Female terminal (Female terminal fitting)
103 Housing (connector housing)
116 elastic piece receiving projection 117 receiving surface 119 electric contact portion 127 elastic piece

Claims (3)

In the female terminal fitting housed in the connector housing of the connector mounted on the circuit board,
A board connecting portion connected to the circuit board;
An electrical contact portion connected to the male terminal fitting,
The electrical contact portion protrudes from the contact portion main body and the contact portion main body, and elastically deforms to urge the contact portion main body toward the inner surface of the connector housing, thereby causing the contact portion main body to move to the connector housing. A female terminal fitting comprising: an elastic piece housed in a displaceable manner therein.   The contact portion main body includes a first tube portion, a second tube portion, and a flat plate portion that connects the first tube portion and the second tube portion to each other. The female terminal fitting according to claim 1.   3. The female terminal fitting according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the elastic pieces are provided along a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the electrical contact portion.

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