Patent Publication Number: US-11024991-B2

Title: Receptacle terminal

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of Chinese Patent Application No. 201920210979.3, filed on Feb. 18, 2019. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electrical terminal and, more particularly, to a receptacle terminal. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A receptacle terminal generally comprises a plate-shaped base portion and a pair of elastic arms connected to either side of the plate-shaped base portion. The elastic arm is a single integral curved-type component, which means the elastic arm has a larger overall rigidity. Therefore, when a plug terminal is inserted into the receptacle terminal, a contact pressure exerted by the elastic arm onto the plug terminal is too large, resulting in excessive insertion force for inserting the plug terminal, which makes the insertion operation of the plug terminal very difficult. 
     SUMMARY 
     A receptacle terminal includes a base portion having a plate shape extending in a transverse direction and a longitudinal direction and a plurality of pairs of elastic arms arranged in sequence and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction. Each of the elastic arms has a contact portion contacting a plug terminal inserted into the receptacle terminal. A distance from the contact portions of a middle pair of elastic arms to the base portion is less than a distance from the contact portions of another two pairs of elastic arms to the base portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a receptacle terminal according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional side view of the receptacle terminal; and 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional side view of the receptacle terminal with a plug terminal inserted therein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Technical solutions of the present disclosure will be described in detail through the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the description, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar components. The following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings is intended to explain a general concept of the present disclosure, and should not be construed as a limitation on the present disclosure. 
     In the following detailed description, for ease of explanation, many specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more embodiments, however, may be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices are schematically illustrated to simplify the drawings. 
     A receptacle terminal  100  according to an embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , comprises a base portion  110  and a plurality of pairs of elastic arms  121 ,  122  and  123 . In the shown embodiment, the receptacle terminal  100  includes three pairs of elastic arms  121 ,  122 , and  123 . The base portion  110  has a plate shape with a transverse direction X and a longitudinal direction Y. The three pairs of elastic arms  121 ,  122  and  123  are arranged in sequence and apart from each other in the longitudinal direction Y of the base portion  110 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the plurality of elastic arms  121 ,  122 ,  123  each have contact portions  121   a ,  122   a ,  123   a  suitable for contacting with the plug terminal  200  inserted into the receptacle terminal  100 . A distance H 2  of the contact portions  122   a  of a middle pair of elastic arms  122  among the three pairs of elastic arms  121 ,  122  and  123  to the base portion  110  is less than a distance H 1  of the contact portions  121   a ,  123   a  of the other two pairs of elastic arms  121 ,  123  to the base portion  110 . 
     When the plug terminal  200  is inserted into the receptacle terminal  100 , an elastic deformation amount of the middle pair of elastic arms  122  is greater than elastic deformation amounts of the other two pairs of elastic arms  121 ,  123 . Therefore, a contact pressure exerted by the two outside pairs of elastic arms  121 ,  123  on the plug terminal  200  is smaller, reducing an overall contact pressure exerted by the receptacle terminal  100  on the plug terminal  200 , making it easy to insert the plug terminal  200  into the receptacle terminal  100 . 
     The three pairs of elastic arms  121 ,  122 ,  123 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , include a pair of first elastic arms  121 , a pair of second elastic arms  122 , and a pair of third elastic arms  123 . The pair of second elastic arms  122  (i.e., the middle pair of elastic arms  122 ) are located between the pair of first elastic arms  121  and the pair of third elastic arms  123  in the longitudinal direction Y. The distance H 1  from the contact portion  121   a  of the first elastic arm  121  to the base portion  110  is equal to the distance H 1  from the contact portion  123   a  of the third elastic arm  123  to the base portion  110 . 
     In an embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the distance H 2  of the contact portion  122   a  of the second elastic arm  122  to the base portion  110  is equal to 0.7-0.9 times the distance H 1  from the contact portions  121   a ,  123   a  of the first and third elastic arms  121 ,  123  to the base portion  110 . In an embodiment, the distance H 1  from the contact portions  121   a ,  123   a  of the first and third elastic arms  121 ,  123  to the base portion  110  is slightly less than a thickness of a tongue of the plug terminal  200  inserted into the receptacle terminal  100 . As such, when the plug terminal  200  is inserted into the receptacle terminal  100 , the contact pressure exerted by the first elastic arms  121  and the third elastic arm  123  on the plug terminal  200  is nearly zero. 
     In an embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , a width of the second elastic arm  122  in the longitudinal direction Y of the base portion  110  is greater than the widths of the first elastic arm  121  and the third elastic arm  123  in the longitudinal direction Y of the base portion  110 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the pair of first elastic arms  121  are symmetrically disposed on either side of the base portion  110  in the transverse direction X, and are respectively connected to two sides of the base portion  110  in the transverse direction X. The pair of second elastic arms  122  are symmetrically disposed on either side of the base portion  110  in the transverse direction X, and are respectively connected to two sides of the base portion  110  in the transverse direction X. The pair of third elastic arms  123  are symmetrically disposed on either side of the base portion  110  in the transverse direction X, and are respectively connected to two sides of the base portion  110  in the transverse direction X. The pair of first elastic arms  121  and the pair of second elastic arms  122  are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction Y of the base portion  110 . The pair of second elastic arms  122  and the pair of third elastic arms  123  are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction Y of the base portion  110 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the first elastic arms  121 , the second elastic arms  122 , and the third elastic arm  123  are respectively bent inwardly into an arc shape from either side of the base portion  110 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , when the plug terminal  200  is inserted into the receptacle terminal  100 , the plug terminal  200  is clamped between the elastic arms  121 ,  122 ,  123  and the base portion  110 . When the plug terminal  200  is inserted into the receptacle terminal  100 , the pressing force exerted by the second elastic arm  122  on the plug terminal  200  is greater than the sum of pressing forces exerted by the first elastic arms  121  and the third elastic arms  123  on the plug terminal  200 . The contact portions  121   a  of the first elastic arms  121  and the contact portions  123   a  of the third elastic arms  123  respectively abut against a rear end and a front end of the plug terminal  200  to prevent the rear end and the front end of the plug terminal  200  from moving upwardly. In this way, the first elastic arms  121  and the third elastic arms  123  can function as a stop to prevent the plug terminal  200  from shaking up and down in the receptacle terminal  100 . 
     The receptacle terminal  100 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , further comprises press-connecting portions  131  and  132 , which are connected to a rear end of the base portion  110  in the longitudinal direction Y and which are suitable for connecting with a conducting wire in a pressing manner. The press-connecting portions  131 ,  132  include a first press-connecting portion  131  suitable for pressing onto and connecting with a conductor of a conducting wire, and a second press-connecting portion  132  suitable for pressing onto an outer cladding of the conducting wire. 
     Those skilled in the art can understand that the embodiments described above are all exemplary, and those skilled in the art can improve them. The structures described in the various embodiments can be combined freely without conflicting in structure or principle. Although the present disclosure is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the drawings are intended to exemplarily illustrate the present disclosure, and should not be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure. Although some embodiments of the general concept of the present disclosure have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that modifications can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general concept of the present disclosure. The scope of present disclosure is defined by the claims and their equivalents.