Patent ID: 9318838
Filing Date: 2016-04-19
CPC Classification: H01R

Claim Text:
1. A female terminal, comprising: a terminal body with a mating end and a circuit connecting end, the mating end being formed of a pair of channels that are generally U-shaped in cross-section, the pair of channels defining a passageway therebetween for receiving a male terminal therein, each channel having a bottom sidewall and two opposed channel sidewalls extending from the bottom sidewall, each bottom sidewall having a slit to define first and second deflection portions of the bottom sidewall; a primary contact disposed along one of the bottom sidewalls and configured to engage, in operation, a flat surface of the male terminal when the male terminal is inserted into the passageway; and an arc discharging contact disposed along one of the channel sidewalls forward of the primary contact, the arc discharging contact extending inwardly, such that the male terminal, in operation, comes into contact with the arc discharging contact before coming into contact with the primary contact as the male terminal is inserted into the passageway, whereby any arc discharge between the male and female terminals occurs at the arc discharging contact.