FEMALE TERMINAL FITTING

• US 20160013569A1
• Filed: 03/05/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Chikusa, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,515,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/113 co-operating with pins or blades having a rectangular transverse section
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/115 U-shaped sockets having inwardly bent legs, e.g. spade type
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/48 utilising a spring, clip, or other resilient member H01R4/52 takes precedence

Abstract

A female terminal fitting (10) includes a tubular main body (20) and a resilient contact piece (28) deflectably arranged in the main body portion (20). When being inserted into the main body portion (20), a mating male tab (90) comes into contact with the resilient contact piece (28) to deflect and deform the resilient contact piece (28) toward a base wall (21) of the main body portion (20). Excessive deflection regulating portions (37) arranged at positions facing the resilient contact piece (28) in a deflecting direction of the resilient contact piece (28) and configured to regulate excessive deflection of the resilient contact piece (29) are provided on the base wall (21) of the main body portion (20). The excessive deflection regulating portions (37) are bottom-raised toward the resilient contact piece (28) with respect to reference surfaces of the base wall (21).

Claims

1. A female terminal fitting with a tubular main body and a resilient contact piece deflectably arranged in the main body portion, a mating male tab coming into contact with the resilient contact piece to deflect and deform the resilient contact piece toward a base wall of the main body portion when the male tab is inserted into the main body portion, wherein:

an excessive deflection regulating portion arranged at a position facing the resilient contact piece in a deflecting direction of the resilient contact piece and configured to regulate excessive deflection of the resilient contact piece is provided on the base wall of the main body portion;

the main body portion includes a pair of side walls standing up from opposite widthwise ends of the base wall;

the base wall is provided with a hole left by cutting the base wall and bending a cut piece and a bottom-raising hole is provided in a range from the base wall to lower end parts of the side walls in the hole;

a pair of the excessive deflection regulating portions are cut and bent from the bottom-raising hole and located on the sides of the pair of side walls and include regulating surfaces bottom-raised to a one-level higher position to be closer to the resilient contact piece and arranged substantially horizontally at positions facing opposite widthwise end parts of the resilient contact piece;

the female terminal fitting is resiliently lockable by a locking lance projecting at an inner wall of a cavity of a connector housing when being inserted into the cavity; and

;

a lance receiving space into which the locking lance is insertable is provided below the both excessive deflection regulating portions.

3. The female terminal fitting of claim 1, wherein the main body portion is provided with an auxiliary spring piece configured to assist a spring force of the resilient contact piece by coming into contact with the resilient contact piece in the deflecting direction of the resilient contact piece and formed by being cut and bent from the hole.

6. The female terminal fitting of claim 3, wherein the base wall is provided with a locking projection lockable to the locking lance by striking an edge part of the hole outwardly.

7. The female terminal fitting of claim 1, wherein the base wall is provided with a locking projection lockable to the locking lance by striking an edge part of the hole outwardly.

2. (canceled)

4-5. -5. (canceled)