Patent Publication Number: US-7217162-B2

Title: Tabular terminal-use female terminal

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a female terminal wherein a tabular terminal can be laterally or obliquely inserted between a pair of elastic holding pieces thereof. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   A relay box with a fuse is provided in an electric wiring for various electric appliances aboard a vehicle for protecting the circuit. Here, the relay box is called a fuse box, a junction block or an electric junction box. As one of the fuses to be mounted on a fuse accommodating portion of the relay box, a blade-type fuse is known. The blade-type fuse has a pair of tabular terminals which are connected with a soluble portion in an insulative housing. This blade-type fuse is inserted into in the fuse accommodating portion of the relay box. Each of two tabular terminals is inserted between a pair of elastic contact pieces of the female terminal accommodated in the relay box. 
   The female terminal has a terminal body  40 , a wire connecting portion  41  to crimp an electric wire (not shown), and a terminal contact portion  43  as shown in  FIG.6 . The terminal contact portion  43  has a pair of elastic holding pieces  42 . The elastic holding piece  42  is formed of a rectangular plate. The pair of elastic holding pieces  42  are put into contact with each other near front end portions thereof. Each elastic holding piece  42  has a guide portion  44  between the front end and the contact portion. That is, the vicinity of the front end portion of each elastic holding piece  42  is in an L-shape. A front end portion of a tabular terminal  2  is inserted between the guide portions  44 . The tabular terminal  2  is inserted deep, and the female terminal  45  is electrically connected to the tabular terminal  2 . The fuse  3  is inserted in the fuse accommodating portion. When the tabular terminal  2  of the fuse  3  is inserted into the female terminal, a longitudinal axis al of the tabular terminal  2  is normally almost in parallel with a longitudinal axis b of the female terminal as shown in  FIG.7 . A width direction of the tabular terminal  2  and a width direction of the elastic holding piece  42  are substantially parallel. 
   However, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the fuse  3  is sometimes laterally or obliquely inserted in the fuse accommodating portion. At this time, as shown in  FIG. 9 , a side face  2   c  of the tabular terminal  2  abuts front-end side faces of the elastic holding pieces  42 . In this case, the tabular terminal  2  is not inserted between the elastic holding pieces  42 . If the fuse  3  is forcibly inserted, the tabular terminal  2  is damaged. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a tabular terminal-use female terminal wherein a tabular terminal can be laterally or obliquely inserted between a pair of elastic holding pieces. 
   In order to achieve the above object, as a first aspect of the present invention, a tabular terminal-use female terminal, in which a tabular terminal is inserted, comprises: a pair of elastic holding pieces extending in an insertion direction of the tabular terminal; a holding portion provided on each elastic holding piece for holding the tabular terminal; a guide face extending from each holding portion to a front end portion of each elastic holding piece for guiding the tabular terminal to the holding portion; and a receiving tapered portion provided on a side portion of each guide face, wherein the tabular terminal is able to be laterally inserted into the tabular terminal-use female terminal. 
   As a second aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a largest gap of the receiving tapered portions is larger than a thickness of the tabular terminal. 
   As a third aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a slant plane is formed on a side end face of, and near, the holding portion of each elastic holding piece. 
   As a fourth aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a checking plate to restrain displacement of the pair of elastic holding pieces in a width direction thereof is provided. 
   As a fifth aspect of the present invention, based on any one of the first to fourth aspects, each elastic holding piece is formed by bending a rectangular plate in a L-shape. 
   According to the above-described structures of the present invention, the following advantages are provided. 
   (1) Even if the tabular terminal is laterally inserted, the tabular terminal is securely inserted without a damage. 
   (2) When the tabular terminal is laterally inserted, the corner portions of the side face of the tabular terminal are put into contact with the slant planes of the receiving tapered portions, and the elastic holding pieces open. Therefore, the tabular terminal can be more securely inserted. 
   (3) When the tabular terminal is laterally inserted, the corner portions of the side face of the tabular terminal move from the receiving tapered portions to the slant planes, and the elastic holding pieces open more smoothly. Therefore, the tabular terminal can be still more securely inserted. 
   (4) Because displacement of the elastic holding pieces in the width direction thereof is restrained by a checking plate, the elastic holding pieces can be easily opened. Therefore, the tabular terminal can be easily inserted between the elastic holding pieces. 
   (5) Because the elastic holding piece is in an L-shape, the elastic holding piece can be easily produced. 
   The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an inventive tabular terminal-use female terminal. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing another tabular terminal-use female terminal. 
       FIG. 3  is a longitudinal-sectional view showing a state that a fuse is laterally inserted into a relay box accommodating the inventive tabular terminal-use female terminal. 
       FIG. 4  is an explanatory illustration showing a state that the fuse is laterally put into contact with the inventive tabular terminal-use female terminal. 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of A-portion of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a prior art tabular terminal-use female terminal. 
       FIG. 7  is an explanatory illustration showing an appropriate insertion direction of the fuse into the tabular terminal-use female terminal. 
       FIG. 8  is an explanatory illustration showing a state that the fuse is laterally put into contact with the prior art tabular terminal-use female terminal. 
       FIG. 9  is an enlarged view of B-portion of  FIG. 8 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
   Embodiment(s) of the present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , reference numeral  1  denotes a tabular terminal-use female terminal, and a tabular terminal  2  is inserted in the female terminal  1 . 
   Four tapered planes  2   a  are provided at front end portion of the tabular terminal  2  ( FIG. 5 ). In the present embodiment, a tabular terminal of a blade-type fuse  3  is described. 
   The blade-type fuse  3  has a pair of tabular terminals  2  and an insulative housing  4 . The pair of tabular terminals  2  are connected with a soluble portion (not shown) in the insulative housing. The pair of tabular terminals  2  are co-planar. Each tabular terminal  2  has a wide surface  2   b . The blade-type fuse  3  is inserted in a fuse accommodating portion  5  of a relay box. 
   The fuse-accommodating portion  5  is formed in a box-shape with insulating material. A fuse-accommodating chamber  6  to receive the blade-type fuse  3  is provided at one end of the fuse accommodating portion  5 . This fuse accommodating chamber  6  has a fuse insertion opening  7 . 
   Two terminal accommodating chambers  8  parallel with each other are provided in the fuse accommodating portion  5 . Each terminal accommodating chamber  8  communicates with the fuse accommodating chamber  5 . A cross section of the terminal accommodating chamber  8  is quadrangular. The female terminal  1  is inserted from the other end of the fuse accommodating portion  5 . A resilient lance  9  to engage the female terminal  1  for preventing a coming-out of the female terminal  1  is provided on one side wall of the terminal accommodating chamber  8 . An engagement recess (not shown) which prevents the female terminal  1  from moving in an insertion direction thereof is provided on each of two opposite sidewalls of the fuse-accommodating box  5 . The tabular terminal  2  of the blade-type fuse  3  is inserted in a terminal contact portion  12  of the female terminal  1 . 
   The female terminal  1  is made of conductive material. As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the female terminal  1  has a terminal body  10 , a wire connecting portion  11 , and the terminal contact portion  12 . An electric wire (not shown) is crimped to the wire connecting portion  11 . A lance engaging portion  15  to engage the lance  9  is provided on the first side portion  10   a  of the terminal body  10 . An engaging projection  16  to engage the above engagement recess is provided on each of the second and third side portions  10   b ,  10   c  of the terminal body  10 . 
   A pair of elastic holding pieces  17  are provided on the terminal contact portion  12 . A checking plate  18  may be provided on the terminal contact portion  12 . The checking plate  18  restrains displacement, from the first side portion  10   a  side to the fourth side portion  10   d  side, of the elastic holding pieces  17 . The checking plate  18  is positioned on the outer wall of the fuse accommodating portion  5  when the female terminal  1  is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber  8 . A triangular enlarged portion  19  ( FIG. 1 ), a rectangular enlarged portion  20  ( FIG. 2 ), or the like is provided at the front end portion of the checking plate  18 . 
   A guide portion  21  to guide the tabular terminal  2  toward the elastic holding pieces  17  may be provided at the front end portion of the checking plate  18  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The guide portion  21  has a guide plate  22 . A recess  23  to receive the tabular terminal  2  is provided on this guide plate  22 . A tapered portion  24  is provided around the recess  23 . 
   The pair of elastic holding pieces  17  face each other in a longitudinal direction of the female terminal  1 . The pair of elastic holding pieces  17  extend mutually convergently from the second side portion  10   b  and the third side portion  10   c , respectively. A holding portion  25  to hold the tabular terminal  2  is formed on each elastic holding piece  17 . A guide face  26  is provided at the leading end of each elastic holding piece  17 . The guide face  26  continues from the holding portion  25  to the front end of the elastic holding piece  17 . 
   A receiving tapered portion  27  is provided at the front end portion of each elastic holding piece  17 . The receiving tapered portion  27  is formed at a side portion of the guide face  26  of the elastic holding piece  17  so that when the tabular terminal  2  is laterally or obliquely inserted between the elastic holding pieces  17 , corner portions of the side face  2 c of the tabular terminal  2  are put into contact with the respective receiving tapered portions  27 . 
   A slant plane  28  is formed on a side end face of, and near, the holding portion  25  of each elastic holding piece  17 . The slant plane  28  is provided on the same side as the receiving tapered portion  27 . When the tabular terminal  2  is laterally inserted, the corner portions of the side face  2   c  of the tabular terminal  2  are put into contact with the slant planes  28 . 
   A core wire of the electric wire (not shown) is crimped with a pair of core wire crimping pieces  13  of the female terminal  1  before the female terminal  1  is received in the fuse accommodating portion  5 . A covering portion of the electric wire is crimped with a pair of cover crimping pieces  14 . The female terminal  1  with the electric wire is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber  8  of the fuse accommodating portion  5  from the front end portion of the elastic holding piece  17 . When the female terminal  1  is completely accommodated, the lance engaging portion  15  of the female terminal  1  and the lance  9  of the terminal accommodating chamber  8  engage each other. The engaging projection  16  of the female terminal  1  engages the engagement recess of the terminal accommodating chamber  8 . The female terminal  1  is locked up in the terminal accommodating chamber  8 . The blade-type fuse  3  is inserted into the fuse accommodating chamber  6  of the fuse accommodating portion  5  from the front end portion of the tabular terminal  2 . The tabular terminal  2  is inserted between the elastic holding pieces  17  of the female terminal  1 . 
   Normally, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the tabular terminal  2  is inserted in the female terminal  1  in a state that a blade axis a 1  of the tabular terminal  2  is in parallel with a longitudinal axis b of the female terminal  1 . The front end portion of the tabular terminal  2  is guided into the holding portions  25  by the guide faces  26  of the elastic holding pieces  17 . The tabular terminal  2  is inserted between the elastic holding pieces  17 . The female terminal  1  is electrically connected to the tabular terminal  2 . 
   The tabular terminal  2  is guided into the guide faces  26  by the guide portion  21  ( FIG. 2 ). The tabular terminal  2  is more securely guided into the elastic holding pieces  17 . 
   When the blade-type fuse  3  is inserted into the fuse accommodating portion  5 , the blade-type fuse  3  is sometimes laterally inserted (in this specification, “laterally inserted” includes “obliquely included”). When the blade-type fuse  3  is laterally inserted, the corner portions of the side face  2   c  of the tabular terminal  2  are put into contact with the receiving tapered portions of the elastic holding pieces  17  as shown in FIG.  3 – FIG. 5 . 
   The elastic holding pieces  17  open due to insertion force of the tabular terminal  2 , and the tabular terminal  2  is inserted between the elastic holding pieces  17 . Like this, the tabular terminal  2  is inserted without a damage. 
   Here, the largest gap of the receiving tapered portions  27  is larger than the thickness of the tabular terminal  2 . 
   If the checking plate  18  is provided on the female terminal  1 , displacement, from the first side portion  10   a  side toward the fourth side portion  10   d  side, of the elastic holding pieces  17  is restrained. Because the elastic holding pieces  17  open easier, the tabular terminal  2  is easily inserted between the elastic holding pieces  17 . 
   Because the slant plane  28  is formed on each elastic holding piece  17 , the tabular terminal  2  can be more easily inserted between the elastic holding pieces  17 . 
   The female terminal  1  can be easily produced from a flat plate by means of the die-cutting and the bending. 
   Although the present invention has been fully described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention, they should be construed as being included therein.