Arc resistant terminal, arc resistant terminal pair and automotive connector

• US 6,918,800 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Ota, Koji, Hirai, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): GUSHI, ROSS N
• Application Number:
  US10/697,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20040137772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 439/886, 439/887, 439/181
• US Class Current: 439/886
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/03 characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials

Abstract

A terminal to be electrically connected with an other terminal at a contact portion thereof by being engaged with the other is formed such that at least an outer-surface part of a final contact portion thereof which is separated last from the other terminal upon separating this terminal from the other terminal is made of an are resistant material mainly containing Ti. Thus, there can be provided an arc resistant terminal, an arc resistant terminal pair and an automotive connector provided with such a terminal which can effectively suppress an occurrence of an arc discharge even in such a condition that a base metallic material of the terminal creates an arc discharge.

Claims

1. A terminal and a counterpart terminal to be electrically connected with each other at contact portions thereof by engaging each other, each of the terminal and the counterpart terminal, comprising:

a conductive portion of electrically conductive material; and

a final contact portion which is in contact with the counterpart terminal or the terminal at a final stage while the terminal is being disengaged from the counterpart terminal, the last contact portion is made of an arc suppressive material, most of its content being titanium in terms of mass percent.

2. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the titanium content of the arc suppressive material is 95 mass percent or higher.

3. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the titaniun content of the arc suppressive material is 99 mass percent or higher.

4. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the conductive portion of the terminal is made of any one of copper, a copper alloy, aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

5. A terminal according to claim 4, wherein the conductive portion of the terminal is made of any one of Cu—

Mg—

P alloy, a Cu—

Fe—

P alloy, a Cu—

Sn alloy, Cu—

Sn—

Fe—

P alloy and Cu—

Zn alloy.

6. A terminal according to claim 4, wherein the conductive portion of the terminal is made of any one of Al—

Cu alloy, Al—

Si alloy, and Al—

Cu—

Si alloy.

7. A pair of terminals including a male terminal and a female terminal which engage each other to establish an electrical connection, each of the terminals, comprising:

a conductive portion of electrically conductive material to be in contact with the counterpart terminal while the terminals are engaged each other; and

a final contact portion which is in contact with the counterpart terminal at a final stage while the terminal is being disengaged from the counterpart terminal, the last contact portion is made of an are suppressive material, most of its content in terms of mass percent being titanium.

8. A pair of terminals according to claim 7, wherein the titanium content of the arc suppressive material is 95 mass percent or higher.

9. A pair of terminals according to claim 7, wherein the conductive portion of each terminal is made of any one of copper, a copper alloy, aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

10. A pair of terminals according to claim 7, wherein each terminal is formed by a stripe clad material including a layer of arc suppressive material which is integral with conductive material, the stripe clad material being bent into a suitable shape.

11. A pair of terminals according to claim 7, wherein the female terminal includes a leading end portion defining an opening through which the male terminal is coupled to the female terminal, and an arc suppressive layer is formed on an inner wall of the leading end portion.

12. A pair of terminals according to claim 7, wherein the male terminal includes a tab portion and an arc suppressive portion which is integrally attached to the tab portion to cover a lead portion of the tab portion.

13. A pair of terminals according to claim 12, wherein the tab portion and the arc suppressive portion are tapered to be thinner toward their end such that the arc suppressive portion covers the end portion of the tab portion.

14. A connector for use in an automotive vehicle and including a terminal and a counterpart terminal to be electrically connected with each other at contact portions thereof by engaging each other, each of the terminal and the counterpart terminal, comprising:

a conductive portion of electrically conductive material; and

a final contact portion which is in contact with the counterpart terminal or the terminal at a final stage while the terminal is being disengaged from the counterpart terminal, the last contact portion is made of an arc suppressive material, most of its content being titanium in terms of mass percent.

15. A connector according to claim 14, wherein the titanium content of the arc resistant suppressive material is 95 mass percent or higher.

16. A connector according to claim 14, wherein the conductive portion of the terminal is made of any one of copper, a copper alloy, aluminum or an aluminum alloy.