JP2015210864A - Contact connection structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a contact connection structure capable of reducing contact resistance without upsizing a terminal, complexing the terminal as much as possible, and increasing terminal insertion force as much as possible.SOLUTION: A contact connection structure comprises a box part 2 including an elastic deflection part 3 in which an indent part 4 is installed in a protruding manner and a bottom part 2a arranged in the elastic deflection part 3 at intervals, and a tab part 11 inserted between the elastic deflection part 3 and the bottom part 2a. When the tab part 11 is inserted between the elastic deflection part 3 and the bottom part 2a, the elastic deflection part 3 bends and deforms, and the indent part 4 of the elastic deflection part 3 slides on a contact surface of the tab 11. In a terminal insertion completion position, the indent part 4 comes into contact with the tab 11. The contact surface of the tab part 4 is formed on a curved surface on which a place 12 where the indent part 4 of the terminal insertion completion position is located protrudes most.

Description

  The present invention relates to a contact connection structure that performs electrical connection between a first terminal and a second terminal.

  5 and 6 show a female terminal and a male terminal to which a conventional contact connection structure is applied (see Patent Document 1 as a similar technique). As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the female terminal 51 has a rectangular box portion 52. In the box portion 52, an elastic bending portion 53 provided integrally with the box portion 52 is disposed. The elastic bending portion 53 is provided with an indent portion 54 that protrudes toward the bottom surface side. The indented portion 54 has a substantially spherical outer peripheral surface, and the center vertex is located at the lowest position. A tin-plated layer (not shown) is formed on the outer surface of the female terminal 51 from the viewpoint of improving connection reliability in a high temperature environment and improving corrosion resistance in a corrosive environment.

  As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 8, the male terminal 60 has a flat tab portion 61. A tin-plated layer (not shown) is formed on the outer surface of the male terminal 60 from the viewpoint of improving connection reliability in a high temperature environment and improving corrosion resistance in a corrosive environment.

  In the above configuration, when the tab portion 61 of the male terminal 60 is inserted into the box portion 52 of the female terminal 51 in the position of FIG. 5, the elastic bending portion 53 is deformed and the insertion of the tab portion 61 is allowed. In the insertion process of the tab portion 61, the tab portion 61 slides on the indent portion 54 of the elastic bending portion 53, and at the terminal insertion completion position, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, the indent portion 54 of the elastic bending portion 53 is shown. And the surface of the tab part 61 contact.

  In this conventional example, the indented portion 54 of the female terminal 51 and the contact surface of the tab portion 61 of the male terminal 60 are in electrical contact with each other using the bending return force of the elastic bending portion 53 as a contact load. A current flows through the contact surface to energize the female terminal 51 and the male terminal 60.

JP 2007-280825 A

  By the way, the contact surface between the contacts can be considered as an apparent contact surface E2 because the entire region does not carry electrical conduction (see FIG. 10). Of the apparent contact surface E2, the surface that actually contacts (the true contact surface) is responsible for electrical energization. The true contact surface is formed at a point (ohmic point) at which the oxide film formed on the surface of the tin plating layer is destroyed and tin contacts each other.

  In the conventional contact connection structure, the oxide film is destroyed by the contact load between the contact surfaces of the indent portion 54 and the tab portion 61. For this reason, it is conceivable to increase the contact load of the contact portion (the bending return force of the elastic bending portion 53) to promote the destruction of the oxide film. Becomes larger or more complicated.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and is a contact connection that can reduce contact resistance without increasing the size of the terminal or complicating it as much as possible and without increasing the terminal insertion force as much as possible. The purpose is to provide a structure.

  The present invention provides a first contact portion having an elastic bending portion with an indented portion projecting thereon and a fixed surface portion arranged at an interval from the elastic bending portion, and between the elastic bending portion and the fixing surface portion. A second contact portion to be inserted, and when the second contact portion is inserted between the elastic bending portion and the fixed surface portion, the elastic bending portion is bent and deformed, and the indent of the first contact portion The contact portion is configured to slide on the contact surface of the second contact portion, and at the terminal insertion completion position, the indent portion contacts the second contact portion, and the contact surface of the second contact portion is The contact connection structure is characterized in that a portion where the indent portion of the terminal insertion completion position is located is formed on a curved surface that protrudes most.

  The second contact portion is a tab portion, and the tab portion includes a curved shape in which a portion corresponding to a terminal insertion completion position protrudes most.

  According to the present invention, at the terminal insertion completion position, since the second contact portion is the position where the indent portion is displaced most, a large contact load due to the deformation of the elastic bending portion acts on the second contact portion and the indent portion, and oxidation occurs. The destruction of the film is promoted. The terminal insertion force gradually increases as the terminal insertion completion position is reached, but the terminal insertion force of the second contact portion is low at the terminal insertion start position. As described above, the contact resistance can be reduced without increasing the size of the terminal or making it as complex as possible and without increasing the terminal insertion force as much as possible.

1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of a female terminal and a male terminal before a terminal connection (a tin plating layer is not shown). 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view of a female terminal and a male terminal in a terminal connection state (a tin-plated layer is not shown), and (b) is a cross-sectional view of an essential part of a contact connection location. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view of an essential part of an elastic bending portion of a female terminal, and (b) is a view as seen from an arrow A in (a). FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a tab portion of a male terminal, showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is a sectional view of a female terminal and a male terminal before showing a conventional example and connecting a terminal. It is a sectional view of a female terminal and a male terminal in a terminal connected state, showing a conventional example. A prior art example is shown, (a) is a principal part side view of the elastic bending part of a female terminal, (b) is a B section arrow view of (a). A prior art example is shown, (a) is a principal part side view of the tab part of a male terminal, (b) is a principal part top view of the tab part of a male terminal. It is a principal part side view of a contact connection part which shows a prior art example. It is a figure which shows a prior art example and shows an apparent contact surface diameter.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention. The contact connection structure according to the present invention is applied between the female terminal as the first terminal and the male terminal as the second terminal. This will be described below.

  The female terminal 1 is disposed in a terminal accommodating chamber in a female connector housing (not shown). The female terminal 1 is formed by bending a conductive metal (for example, copper alloy) punched into a predetermined shape. The female terminal 1 has a box portion 2 that is a first contact portion. The box part 2 has a rectangular shape with an opening at the front. In the box part 2, an elastic bending part 3 bent from the upper surface part of the box part 2 is arranged. The elastic bending portion 3 is provided with an indent portion 4 protruding toward the bottom surface side. The indented portion 4 has a substantially spherical outer peripheral surface, and the center vertex is located at the lowest position. The indent portion 4 can be shifted upward by the bending deformation of the bending deformation portion 3. The elastic deflecting portion 3 and the bottom surface portion 2a of the box portion 2 which is a fixed surface portion are arranged with an interval therebetween. A male terminal 10 is inserted between the elastic bending portion 3 and the bottom surface portion 2 a of the box portion 2.

  The female terminal 1 is tin-plated from the viewpoints of improving connection reliability in a high temperature environment and improving corrosion resistance in a corrosive environment. Therefore, as shown in detail in FIG. 2B and FIG. 3A, a tin-plated layer 3b is formed on the outer surface of the base layer 3a of the copper alloy material in the elastic deflecting portion 3. An oxide film (not shown) is formed on the surface of the tin plating layer 3b after the reflow process or the like.

  The male terminal 10 is disposed in a terminal accommodating chamber in a male connector housing (not shown). The male terminal 10 is formed by bending a conductive metal (for example, copper alloy) punched into a predetermined shape. The male terminal 10 has a tab portion 11 that is a second contact portion. The tab part 11 has a plate-like outer shape. The male terminal 10 is tin-plated from the viewpoints of improving connection reliability in a high temperature environment and improving corrosion resistance in a corrosive environment. Therefore, as shown in detail in FIGS. 2B and 4, the tab portion 11 has a tin plating layer 11 b formed on the outer surface of the base material layer 11 a of the copper alloy material. An oxide film (not shown) is formed on the surface of the tin plating layer 11b after the reflow process or the like.

  The tab portion 11 has a curved shape in which a portion 12 where the indent portion 4 at the terminal insertion completion position is located protrudes most upward. Thereby, the contact surface which is the upper surface is formed in the curved surface where the location 12 in which the indent part 4 of a terminal insertion completion position is located protrudes most. In FIG. 2B and FIG. 4, in order to clarify that the tab portion 11 is bent in an arc shape, the contact surface of the straight tab portion is indicated by a virtual line.

  In the above configuration, when the female connector housing (not shown) and the male connector housing (not shown) are mated, the tab portion 11 of the male terminal 10 is connected to the box portion 2 of the female terminal 1 in the mating process. Inserted. Then, first, the tip of the tab portion 11 comes into contact with the elastic bending portion 3, and when the insertion further proceeds from this contact portion, the elastic bending portion 3 is bent and deformed, and insertion of the tab portion 11 is allowed. In the insertion process (terminal insertion process) of the tab part 11, the indent part 4 of the elastic bending part 3 slides on the contact surface of the tab part 11. At the terminal insertion completion position (connector mating completion position), as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the position of the indented portion 4 of the elastic deflecting portion 3 and the most protruding portion 12 of the tab portion 11 coincide. The indent portion 4 and the maximum projecting portion 12 of the tab 11 are in contact with each other using the return force of the elastic bending portion 3 as a contact load.

  In this contact connection structure, the contact surface of the tab portion 11 is formed as a curved surface from which the portion 12 where the indent portion 4 of the terminal insertion completion position is located protrudes most. Accordingly, since the tab portion 11 gradually moves closer to the indent portion 4 from the terminal insertion start position of the elastic bending portion 3 toward the terminal insertion completion position, the tab portion 11 moves the indent portion 4 at the terminal insertion completion position. Since it is the most displaced position, a large contact load due to the deformation of the elastic deflecting portion 3 acts on the tab portion 11 and the indented portion 4, and the destruction of the oxide film is promoted. Tin oozes out from the surface where the oxide film is broken, increasing the number of contact points (ohmic points) between the tin platings. The terminal insertion force gradually increases as the terminal insertion completion position is reached, but the terminal insertion force of the tab portion 11 is low at the terminal insertion start position. As described above, the contact resistance can be reduced without increasing the size of the female terminal 1 and the male terminal 10 or complicating them as much as possible and without increasing the terminal insertion force as much as possible.

  The tab portion 11 has a shape in which a portion 12 where the indent portion 4 at the terminal insertion completion position is located is most protruded. Since such a shape can be produced by forcibly plastically deforming the tab portion 11, the production is easy.

  In this embodiment, the indent portion 4 has a substantially spherical outer peripheral surface, but the outer peripheral surface may be an arcuate curved surface (for example, an elliptical curved surface).

  In this embodiment, the tin plating layers 3b and 11b are formed on the outer surfaces of the elastic deflecting portion 3 and the tab portion 11, but the present invention has the same effect as long as it is a plating layer on which an oxide film other than tin is formed. Is obtained.

1 Female terminal (1st terminal)
2 Box part (first contact part)
2a Bottom (fixed surface)
3 Elastic flexure (first contact)
4 Indentation 10 Male terminal (second terminal)
11 Tab part (second contact part)
12 Where the indented part of the terminal insertion position of the tab part is located

Claims (2)

A first contact portion having an elastic bending portion having an indented portion projecting thereon and a fixed surface portion arranged at an interval from the elastic bending portion, and a first contact portion inserted between the elastic bending portion and the fixing surface portion. With two contact points,
When the second contact portion is inserted between the elastic deflection portion and the fixed surface portion, the elastic deflection portion is bent and deformed, and the indent portion of the first contact portion defines the contact surface of the second contact portion. And a contact connection structure in which the indent portion contacts the second contact portion at a terminal insertion completion position,
The contact surface of said 2nd contact part is formed in the curved surface from which the location where the indent part of a terminal insertion completion position is located protrudes most. The contact connection structure according to claim 1,
The second contact portion is a tab portion, and the tab portion has a curved shape in which a portion where an indent portion at a terminal insertion completion position is most protruded is provided.