Female terminal for a connector and a housing therefor

• US 6,379,199 B1
• Filed: 09/09/1999
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Japan Solderless Terminal Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Japan Solderless Terminal Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUSHI, ROSS N
• Application Number:
  US09/392,582
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 434/852, 434/853, 434/854, 434/855, 434/856, 434/857, 434/858, 434/842, 434/843, 434/844, 434/845, 434/848, 434/849, 434/850, 434/851
• US Class Current: 439/852
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/11 Resilient sockets carrying separate resilient parts H01R13/15
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4361 Insertion of locking piece perpendicular to direction of contact insertion
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/185 combined with a U-shaped insulation-receiving portion

Abstract

A female terminal for a connector wherein a leaf spring is provided inside the terminal proper. The front half of the terminal proper is provided with a bottom wall, side walls rising from both ends, in the direction of width, of the bottom wall, an outer upper wall and an inner upper wall extending from the upper edges of side walls to the upper edges of the opposing side walls. A leaf spring is formed by separating said rear inner upper wall from said side walls, with the rear end of said rear inner upper wall being left intact. A bead with a curved section is formed on the leaf spring to increase the flexural rigidity. The female terminal can be compactified, and a sufficient contacting force can be provided reliably. The contacting part of the leaf spring can be shifted forward. The developed shape can be made smaller. The bending steps can be reduced.

Claims

1. A female terminal for a connector that is to be inserted into a chamber of a housing of a connector and is to receive a male terminal, said female terminal comprising:

a terminal proper having a box-shaped front half that can be inserted into said chamber of the housing, having a port that opens in the front end and receives a male terminal, and having a splicing part that is in the back and is to be connected to an electric wire; and

only one leaf spring having a root end that is integral to the front half of said terminal proper, having a top end that extends forward inside the front half of said terminal proper, and being flexed in the direction of height, said only one leaf spring including a bead with a curved section to increase the flexural rigidity of said only one leaf spring;

said front half of the terminal proper comprising;

a bottom wall,

side walls rising from both ends in the width direction of said bottom wall, and

an outer upper wall and an inner upper wall extending from the top edges of said respective side walls toward the top edges of the opposing side walls, said inner upper wall having a front inner upper wall and a rear inner upper wall,

wherein said only one leaf spring is formed by separating said rear inner upper wall from the side wall, with the rear end of said rear inner upper wall being left intact and constituting the only point of contact between the only one leaf spring and the inner upper wall, and

an upper surface of said only one leaf spring is out of contact with the outer upper wall.

2. A female terminal for a connector of claim 1 characterized in

that said rear inner upper wall is formed at the same height as said front inner upper wall.

3. A female terminal for a connector of claim 1 characterized in

that said rear inner upper wall is formed lower than said front inner upper wall.

4. A female terminal for a connector of claim 1 characterized in

that said outer upper wall and said front inner upper wall overlap with each other, above and below.

5. A female terminal for a connector of claim 4 characterized in

that said rear inner upper wall is formed at the same height as said front inner upper wall.

6. A female terminal for a connector of claim 4 characterized in

that said rear inner upper wall is formed lower than said front inner upper wall.

7. A female terminal for a connector of claim 4 characterized in

that the front end of said outer upper wall is bent inward to the terminal proper to conceal the front end of said inner upper wall and form a guide.

8. A female terminal for a connector of claim 4 characterized in that the root end of said only one leaf spring is fixed to an opposing side wall.

9. A female terminal for a connector of claim 4 further comprising

a stabilizer being erected in the direction of height and having a face in the direction of width on the outer side of the front end of said terminal proper, said stabilizer, when said terminal proper is inserted into a chamber of the housing, will fit into a groove that is formed in the the front-rear direction and move forward beyond a lance that is formed in the groove to be fixed by said lance.

10. A female terminal for a connector of claim 1 characterized in

that the front end of said outer upper wall is bent inward to the terminal proper to conceal the front end of said inner upper wall and form a guide.

11. A female terminal for a connector of claim 10 characterized in that the root end of said only one leaf spring is fixed to an opposing side wall.

12. A female terminal for a connector of claim 10 further comprising

a stabilizer being erected in the direction of height and having a face in the direction of width on the outer side of the front end of said terminal proper, said stabilizer, when said terminal proper is inserted into a chamber of the housing, will fit into a groove that is formed in the the front-rear direction and move forward beyond a lance that is formed in the groove to be fixed by said lance.

13. A female terminal for a connector of claim 1 characterized in that the root end of said only one leaf spring is fixed to an opposing side wall.

14. A female terminal for a connector of claim 13 further comprising

a stabilizer being erected in the direction of height and having a face in the direction of width on the outer side of the front end of said terminal proper, said stabilizer, when said terminal proper is inserted into a chamber of the housing, will fit into a groove that is formed in the the front-rear direction and move forward beyond a lance that is formed in the groove to be fixed by said lance.

15. A female terminal for a connector of claim 1 further comprising a stabilizer being erected in the direction of height and having a face in the direction of width on the outer side of the front end of said terminal proper, said stabilizer, when said terminal proper is inserted into a chamber of the housing, will fit into a groove that is formed in the the front-rear direction and move forward beyond a lance that is formed in the groove to be fixed by said lance.

16. A housing of a connector into which a female terminal for a connector of claim 15 is inserted, said housing comprising

said chambers penetrating in the front-rear direction,

grooves that are made in the height direction from said chambers, extend in the front-rear direction and receive said stabilizers,

lances that are formed in said grooves to be flexed in the width direction of said chambers and fix said stabilizers by the front sides, and

test windows that allow access to said grooves in front of said lances from the front side.

18. The female terminal for a connector according to claim 1, wherein said root end of said only one leaf spring has two sides, one side of the root end of said only one leaf spring is integral to said first side wall and an opposing side of the root end of the only one leaf spring is retained and engaged with said second side wall.

17. A female terminal for a connector that is to be inserted into a chamber of a housing of a connector and is to receive a male terminal, said female terminal comprising:

a terminal proper having a box-shaped front half that can be inserted into said chamber of the housing, having a port that opens in the front end and receives a male terminal, and having a splicing part that is in the back and is to be connected to an electric wire;

only one leaf spring having a root end that is integral to the front half of said terminal proper, having a top end that extends forward inside the front half of said terminal proper, and being flexed in the direction of height;

said front half of the terminal proper comprising

a bottom wall,

a first side wall bent at right angle with said bottom wall at an end in the width direction of said bottom wall,

a second side wall bent at a right angle with said bottom wall at an opposing end in the width direction of said bottom wall,

an inner upper wall bent at right angle with said first side wall at a top end of said first side wall and said inner upper wall having a front inner upper wall and a rear inner upper wall, and

an outer upper wall bent at right angle with said second side wall at a top end of said second side wall to cover said inner upper wall,

said only one leaf spring being formed by separating said rear inner upper wall from the first side wall, with the rear end of said rear inner upper wall being left intact and constituting the only point of contact between said only one leaf spring and the inner upper wall and said only one leaf spring being out of contact with said outer upper wall, and

said only one leaf spring having a bead with a curved section to increase the flexural rigidity.

19. A female terminal for a connector that is to be inserted into a chamber of a housing of a connector and is to receive a male terminal, said female terminal comprising:

a terminal proper having a box-shaped front half that can be inserted into said chamber of the housing, having a port that opens in the front end for receiving a male terminal, and having a splicing part that is in the back for connecting to an electric wire;

said front half of the terminal proper comprising;

a bottom wall,

side walls rising from both ends in the width direction of said bottom wall,

an outer upper wall and an inner upper wall extending from the top edges of said respective side walls toward the top edges of the opposing side walls, said inner upper wall having a front inner upper wall and a rear inner upper wall, and

a leaf spring having a root end integral with said rear inner upper wall and said leaf spring being separated from said front inner upper wall and said side walls along a length of said leaf spring such that a top end of said leaf spring is positioned between said sidewalls, said leaf spring including a longitudinally extending bead and a curved section;

wherein an apex of said bead commences at an inner most portion of said leaf spring with legs of said bead extending toward respective top edges of the opposing side walls for increasing a flexural rigidity of said leaf spring.