Patent ID: 7252562
Filing Date: 2007-08-07
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
1. An electrical female terminal, comprising: a female terminal body extending along a central axis and including a terminal receptacle having a forward end and an opposing rearward end and a clamping member integrally connected to the terminal receptacle at the rearward end thereof, the terminal receptacle having a bottom wall, a top wall, a pair of side walls and a spring element, the top wall disposed apart from and extending parallel to the bottom wall and the pair of side walls disposed apart from and extending parallel to one another and connected to the bottom wall and the top wall to form a box-shaped configuration defining a generally box-shaped cavity extending through the terminal receptacle between a forward opening located at the forward end and a rearward opening located at the rearward end, the spring element disposed within the box-shaped cavity and connected adjacent the top wall and rearward end and projecting toward the bottom wall and the forward end, wherein the top wall includes a cutout window that is positioned offset from the central axis, wherein each one of the pair of side walls has a spring engagement slot adjacent the top wall with the spring engagement slots being facially opposed to one another, and wherein the spring element is fabricated from a resiliently-bias, electrically-conductive material and includes an engagement portion, a contact portion and a straight portion integrally interconnecting the engagement portion and the contact portion, the engagement portion being in contact with the top wall inside the box-shaped cavity and extending into the spring engagement slots to retain the spring element within the box-shaped cavity, the contact portion configured in an arcuate shape to define a recess as viewed in cross-section with the recess being facially opposed to the cutout window.